Every town has those key places where folks gather when they feel the need to catch up on what's happening in their local community. Old Town is home to a number of establishments where that statement rings true. Bill Miles' Laurel Meat Market on Main Street is teaming with information. Walk in any day of the week and ask aloud, "What's happening on Main Street these days?" and more than one of Laurel's finest will be happy to fill you in on the who, what, when and where of the day.
Step into the Tastee Diner any hour of the day or night and just by listening you can figure out in very little time what the hot topic is at any given moment. A group of golfing buddies, who meet there several mornings a week, can fill you in on more information than you could possibly fathom. Nothing it seems is sacred. Sports, politics, religion — it's all open for debate. Grab a cup of coffee and pay attention. You will, in a very short time, garner more knowledge than you could get by reading magazines, or surfing the Internet.
Joe Fredholm, who measures time spent at the eatery not in single years, but decades, can address most questions pertaining to that storied corner of Main Street and Route 1. He knows who did it, when they did it and what the outcome was, good or bad. He is a treasure trove of all things that happen, not only in broad daylight, but in the overnight as well. He doesn't miss much.
Like most local establishments where we gather at any given time, barbershops such as Bart's and Slye's, two of the oldest serving Laurel, are usually abuzz with information. In a column that appeared in this space Nov. 13 of last year, a plea was issued to help "one of our own," Laurel native and local, longtime barber Mark Slye. The community responded when a fundraiser was held to offset expenses incurred as he fought the good fight against multiple myeloma.
I am saddened to report that Mark, who fought so valiantly against the disease, slipped away quietly on Jan. 6. This local "kid," who possessed a quiet manner of speech, and displayed a calming, serene disposition that made even the most difficult customer relax, was a graduate of Laurel High School, Class of 1981.
Blessed with a kind and pleasant nature, he asked very little of life. Operating on an even keel, performing what some might think a mundane task, his efforts made those of us who took advantage of his services feel better not only about our personal appearance, but in turn, ourselves.
Whenever someone speaks of community, or of home, people like Mark Slye come to mind. It's not only the wide boulevards, busy streets and quiet byways that make up our town; it's the good people who give more than they take. Our friend, Mark, was indeed an Old Town original. He will be missed.