Windy Floyd was not an Old Town resident, but she spent the last several years of her life serving and befriending patrons at one of our city's legendary restaurants — Tastee Diner at 118 Washington Blvd.
Now, customers and friends she made as a waitress in Laurel are banding together to help her family in the wake of her tragic death. Floyd, just 49 years old, was shot and killed by her boyfriend in a murder-suicide at the couple's home in Jessup. Their bodies were discovered Aug. 13.
Tastee Diner regular and Laurel History Boys member Richard Friend, with encouragement from diner staff, started an online fundraising campaign last month in support of Floyd's children and grandchildren.
"For a family that doesn't have any money to be suddenly faced with this type of thing, there will be a lot of expenses down the road," said Friend, who along with fellow Laurel History Boys members Kevin Leonard and Pete Lewnes, always sat in Floyd's section at the diner during their weekly meetings. "This is something to ease the blow a little bit."
Online donations may be made at gofundme.com/windyfloydmemorial. Donations may also be made in person at Tastee Diner by speaking with the manager on duty. The funds will be distributed to Floyd's eldest daughter, Lacey Peterson.
Jeff Dudley, the manager of Tastee Diner and my predecessor as author of this column, described Floyd as a pleasant and hardworking presence at the restaurant and said he was impressed by her devotion to her children, whom she mostly raised alone.
"She was an outstanding mom," he said.
The Laurel Historical Society is working to promote the city's rich history in one of the places where people are most likely to encounter it: Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia whose content is developed by contributors from around the world.
The society will host a Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon on Sunday, Sept. 25 from 10:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Laurel Museum, 817 Main St. The goal is to bolster content on Laurel-specific items that appear on the website, as well as to fill in Laurel-related connections on broader topic pages. The event is open to all, and no technical experience or local history expertise is needed.
"We want it to be user-friendly and accessible to people regardless of skill level or hyper-local knowledge," said Abram Fox, a LHS member who is spearheading the event.
"If you search for something online, Wikipedia is often the top result," Fox said. "It makes sense to put information [about Laurel] where people are going to find it."
If you've got a magnificent mutt, be sure to bring him or her to McCullough Field this Sunday, Sept. 18 for Laurel's eighth annual Community Dog Show. The city's cool canines will compete in crazy categories for a coveted blue ribbon.
Registration for the dog show begins onsite at 11 a.m. and costs $5. All dogs must have current vaccinations and be able to be restrained. The festivities begin at noon with competitions in weight classes and in fun categories like Best Dressed, Most Affectionate, Best Vocal Performance, Looks Most Like Owner and Best Pet Tricks. Winners of those rounds will be able to compete for Best in Show.
Come prepared for stiff competition. Bonny DuCote, who heads up the dog show for the city's Department of Parks and Recreation, said last year's best pet trick winner was able to open a cooler and grab a can out of it to bring to its owner. All dog lovers – not just dog owners – are welcome to come watch the fun, she said.