The Montgomery County Government, and programs that impact County residents, will have schedule and program changes for Presidents Day on Monday, Feb. 20. The City of Gaithersburg and City of Rockville have also released their schedules for Presidents Day.
“Dear MCPS Community,
Far too many families and communities across MCPS have come home over the past several weeks to letters from their school condemning acts of antisemitism. A concerning number of students have drawn Nazi symbols on desks, verbally assaulted Jewish peers, spoken anti-Jewish tropes, and glorified Naziism via pictures broadcasted on social media. These acts have left me – and so many of you – feeling angry, dismayed, and horrified.
Justin “Captain America” Budd is a Poolesville native and 2016 graduate of Poolesville High School. Last week he made his pro debut at the Legacy Fight Alliance’s LFA 152 show, knocking out Caleb Jensen in the first round with a spinning back fist (video below).
The 5’10, 170 lb Budd wrestled at Poolesville before going on to wrestle at Bacone College. MMAnews.com gave Budd the #1 finish of the week with his impressive performance, stating the following about the up and coming fighter, “Justin Budd had a lengthy amateur career before turning pro at LFA 152, but he jumped onto the radars of a lot of fight fans with the way he stopped Caleb Jensen.”
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) were called to the scene of a collision that led to an overturned vehicle on W Diamond Avenue near Bureau Drive in Gaithersburg at approximately 4:30pm on Friday afternoon.
According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, crews two adults were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Gaithersburg police put out a traffic alert at 5:28 announcing the closure of westbound W Diamond Avenue and alerts drivers to expect significant delays. At 5:53, Piringer tweeted to seek alternate routes. Featured photo and video below courtesy of Instagram user @ester.arias_
Due to limited availability of openings, artists are encouraged to send in their application as soon as possible. All applications must be received by February 28. The application and vendor agreement, including terms & conditions, is available here. Artists will be provided indoor or outdoor space to sell their artwork and will be responsible for setup, cleanup and handling their own sales. Wi-Fi and electricity are not guaranteed.
For more information, please call 301-258-6394, e-mail [email protected].
The Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation (ATF) is looking for car donations. Donations will help more high school students learn how to evaluate, repair and restore used cars. The ATF is a nonprofit that fosters automotive education by offering students hands-on instruction in maintenance, repair, sales and marketing. The students run a mini-dealership where people can purchase the refurbished cars.
The ATF accepts donations year-round by appointment at Damascus, Gaithersburg and Seneca Valley high schools, at Thomas Edison High School of Technology and at the Shady Grove Bus Depot. Donations are tax deductible. Call 240-740-2047 to donate. MCPS students engage in a hands-on curriculum to refurbish used cars. As part of the automotive program, students sell the cars at three sales throughout the school year. The last car sale of the year will be held from 9–11 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, at Thomas Edison High School of Technology in Silver Spring. More information
The Montgomery County branch of the NAACP is awarding $1,000 scholarships to MCPS graduating seniors. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, March 24. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or above, participate in extracurricular activities and participate in faith-based, religious-based or volunteer activities.
Completed applications should be sent to Rebecca Gibson, Board of Education office, Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive, Room 123, Rockville, MD, 20850. If you have questions, send an email here. The scholarships will be presented during the annual Freedom Fund Dinner on May 21. NCAAP Scholarship Application, 2023
The Montgomery County Board of Education is seeking nominations from the public for its 26th Annual Awards for Distinguished Service to Public Education. The awards are sponsored by the Board to recognize and show appreciation to individuals, groups and organizations that have made exemplary contributions to public education in Montgomery County. Nominations will be accepted in the following categories:
“Individual Pioneer” award nominees are individuals who, although they may not be currently active, have made extraordinary contributions in the past. The nominee’s contributions must have had a profound effect on the school system over a sustained period of time. Nominations in other categories must be of individuals (including MCPS students), groups or organizations that have, within the past three years, provided service, support and commitment to public education as demonstrated by:
If you’ve been to Quincy’s South in North Bethesda/Rockville, you’ve likely encountered Drew Gardner’s smiling face, joyful personality, and effective service. While it hasn’t been a secret for local, the Quincy’s bartender is now getting statewide recognition after his nomination for “Bartender of the Year” by the Maryland Restaurant Association.”
In addition to Bartender of the Year, the voting categories include Chef of the Year, Manager of the Year, Server of the Year. Gardner is the only person employed in Montgomery County to be nominated. Anyone interested can view the ballot and vote here. “I’ve recently received the honor of being nominated as Bartender of the year by the Maryland Restaurant Association. As 1 of 5 individuals selected I’m truly humbled to be part of this group.” Gardner wrote.
Students in the Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation (ATF) sold used cars they refurbished last week at Damascus High School. In addition to the cars they sold, the students gifted an accessibility van to a local woman/former MCPS student, Saniya Lipford, who lost her arm and leg due to a blood clot in her lung, according to a report by Fox 5.
“This is the first time we actually did a renovation of a vehicle that didn’t belong to us that will be helping our community,” said Steven D. Boden, ATF supervisor to Fox 5. The students refurbished the van, as they do with other vehicles they sell, and gifted the vehicle to Lipford on Thursday. Video below, courtesy of Fox 5:
On Policy ABC, the Board is seeking comments on proposed amendments to update processes for parent/guardian engagement in decisions affecting their students and their students’ schools. The policy has been available for comment since Feb. 9, 2023. The public comment period will extend through Thursday, April 20. The draft amendments propose—
Revisions to align with updated National Standards for Family-School Partnerships and findings from the MCPS Anti-Racist Audit final report.