The ninth annual Montgomery County “Friendship Picnic” will again bring people of diverse cultures and faiths together to make new friends and discuss ways to build a stronger community. The free picnic will be held from noon-5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18, at Wheaton Regional Park.
Wheaton Regional Park is located at located at 2000 Shorefield Rd. in Wheaton. A free satellite parking shuttle service to and from the Wheaton Ice Rink and athletic fields will be available.
Amazon Fresh has opened its second Montgomery County location at 8531 Chevy Chase Lake Terrace. The location opened on Thursday, September 1st. This is the second Amazon Fresh in Chevy Chase with additional MoCo locations coming to Gaithersburg and White Oak.
Chevy Chase Lake Amazon Fresh is outfitted with Amazon’s cashierless Just Walk Out technology. The upcoming Gaithersburg location will also have the same technology and may open later this month, though that has not been confirmed by Amazon.
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) now requires students in the class of 2025 and beyond to complete a 1.0 health education graduation requirement. Health education content includes data and resources for various populations across units, including LGBTQ+ community members.
Individual schools have sent information home offering parents and guardians the ability to review the curriculum with a health teacher and to learn when during health education various subjects are covered. Families may only opt-out of the family life and human sexuality unit in compliance with state law.
Per MCPS Athletics: MCPS buses are available for teams to utilize throughout the season for off-site games or events, assuming there are available drivers and buses and based on the game time. It is important to note that, due to buses making runs afterschool for students, buses are not available during the hours of 1:35-4:35 p.m. from Monday-Friday. This constraint, along with the convenience of leaving later and coming home earlier, results in instances when parent or student drivers may be preferred.
If parent or student drivers are being considered for transportation to off-site events, each student’s parents/guardians have the option to opt out of allowing their student to drive with parent or student drivers. Parents are required to select which mode(s) of transportation they consent to allowing their student-athlete to utilize during the season.
Per Montgomery Parks: September is upon us, and fall is just around the corner! Enjoy our outdoor summer activities before they are gone for the season. Check out these activities in the parks this Labor Day weekend from Friday, September 2, through Sunday, September 4!
History
Per Governor Hogan: Governor Larry Hogan announced that applications for the new Maryland Global Gateway program are now available. At the World Economic Forum in Switzerland earlier this year, the governor announced an inaugural $2 million investment in this innovative program, which helps attract more international businesses and eases their transition into the U.S. market by connecting them with local incubators and accelerators.
“The Maryland Global Gateway program removes many of the risks that international companies face when exploring the U.S. market, and we are very pleased to launch this application process,” said Governor Hogan. “Maryland truly is open for business. Our state is worth the attention and investment of even more international companies, and now we look forward to making it easier than ever to forge closer ties with partners across the globe.”
Governor Larry Hogan proclaimed September 2022 as the 4th annual International Underground Railroad Month in Maryland. The month acknowledges the significance of the Underground Railroad, and all those involved, for its contribution to the eradication of slavery in the United States and as a cornerstone for the more comprehensive civil rights movement that followed. Maryland also continues to honor 2022 as the “Year of Harriet Tubman” to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Tubman’s birth.
“It’s an honor for Maryland to share the stories of the heroes of the Underground Railroad with the world in every possible way,” said Governor Hogan. “This month, International Underground Railroad Month, is a way to encourage everyone to visit historical sites and attractions and take part in special events, so we can continue to commemorate the visionary freedom fighters and those they rescued.”
Café Sophie, a European boutique style café with Scandinavian influence, opened at the Montgomery County Airpark (7940 Airpark Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20879) last October. The café has a hearing for a “Class B, Beer and Wine License, On/Off Sale” at 10:30am on Thursday, September 15th.
Per Café Sophie: “Café Sophie is a European style café with a Scandinavian influence in the Montgomery County Airport. Tom, a Co-Founder, is a foodie from Bergen, Norway, which is the reason for the European style food. We provide indoor and outdoor air-side dining serving breakfast, lunch, and grab ‘n go sandwiches. The airport restaurant received a complete makeover in the spring and summer of 2021.
The main feature of the event will be a live art mural spanning more than 100 feet of Nordstrom Court and into Center Court. The mural will be a collaboration between an eclectic group of local artists including Jamilla Okubo, Aniekan Udofia, Christina Wing Chow and Juan Pineda. The mural will wind through the Nordstrom wing to the Center Court with additional surprise pieces throughout the space. Artists will begin live painting opening weekend, kicking off at 5:00 pm on Friday, September 16 and will continue throughout the next three weeks.
Spirit is now open in Gaithersburg (Rio) at the former Charming Charlies, located at 101 Boardwalk Place and in Rockville at the former Pier One, located at 12137 Rockville Pike (Pike Center). The location in Burtonsville at the Former Fashion Bug, located at 15791 Columbia Pike, is expected to open soon. During the Halloween season, Spirit operates over 1,400 store locations in North America. The Spirit Halloween website is open year-round, offering its in-store products online. The stores are usually open for 30 or 60 days prior to Halloween.
Joe Marver created the Spirit Halloween business model, a pop-up store catering to Halloween revelers. Starting with his first pop-up location in the Castro Valley Mall in 1984, he grew Spirit Halloween to 60 seasonal stores nationwide before it was acquired in 1999. His approach to short-term leases, locations, and the stocking of widely varied merchandise was novel in the Halloween retail sector.
“Engaging the expertise and insight of our community is a critical step in creating successful strategies to support our residents,” said Heather Bruskin, executive director of the Montgomery County Food Council. “This five-minute survey will provide an important opportunity for residents to share the challenges they experience in accessing food and directly advise the county on what programs would be of greatest benefit to their families.”
The survey results will help inform program implementation, policy development and future funding priorities. Resident feedback is a key component to adequately understanding and addressing food access challenges that are impacting our children and youth.