Kensington

Beach Drive will be closed from Cedar Lane to Knowles Avenue in Kensington from Tuesday, February 7, through Thursday, February 9, from 8:30 pm to 12:30 am. The closure is part of ongoing Park Police deer population management operations.

Beach Drive will be closed from Cedar Lane to Knowles Avenue Tuesday, February 7, through Thursday, February 9, from 8:30 pm to 12:30 am, as part of ongoing Park Police deer population management operations. pic.twitter.com/n6C4c2HPLv


MCPS

In the video below, members of the MCPS Student Athlete Leadership Council share the history and significance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Feb. 1 marked the 37th annual celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. This celebration inspires girls and women to play and be active, and to realize their full power. The confidence, strength and character gained through sports participation are the tools girls and women need to become strong leaders in sports and life.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day was first observed in 1987 to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman and acknowledge her work in promoting equal representation of women in sports. Since then, the day has evolved to commemorate all female athletes, their achievements, the positive impacts of inclusion of women in sports, and to address the challenges regarding equal participation of women in sports activities. The day also appreciates the progress made since the enactment of Title IX, a law passed in 1972 that called for equal participation of everyone in all programs and activities that were federally funded, regardless of gender.


Education

For many high school students, the first day of school is filled with hugs and joyful chatter as they gather in the hallways, reconnecting with friends and teachers. For Betty Holston, the first day of school was filled with hushed silence and stares from white students. She was not the only African-American student to enroll in Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in 1956. There was Nancy Browne who lived on River Road in Potomac. But unlike Nancy, Betty lived on Hawkins Lane, an unpaved road that led to a small number of wooden homes which were occupied by black families who held service jobs for wealthy white families in the area. “We were segregated racially, of course, ” Dr. Betty explained, “but we were also isolated from other black communities.” In short, Betty stood out immediately at B-CC for two reasons: she was definitely not white and her family was definitely not well-to-do.

A “Better” 11th Grade: “11th grade was better, meaning I was better,” said Dr. Betty. “But everything else was the same.” She still lacked friends, and, the administration demeaned her, advising her, at one point, to switch from an switch from an academic track to a commercial one because her “brain wasn’t developed enough for college study.”


Arts

It is strongly recommend applicants read through the entire application and prepare all files, including renaming file names to the correct format, and drafting descriptions, statements and other information in advance to make the process more efficient.

GENERAL INFORMATION: The Gaithersburg Cultural Arts Advisory Committee (CAAC) seeks to promote artistic expression within our community, creative excellence from artists of all media, and incorporate artwork into the built and natural environment.  It is with this dedication that the CAAC invites artists to submit their qualifications to be considered for public art projects within our Art in Public Places Program (AIPP).  Artists will need to have experience creating public artworks, working with the community on public art projects, and ideally, as part of public art projects with adults and/or youth applicants should have arts education experience. The committee is interested in different types of media and approaches to art, including sculpture, murals, environmental artwork, etc.  Budgets for upcoming projects are in the range from $2,500 to $50,000 all-inclusive of design, creation and installation of artwork.


Events

The Environmental Affairs Committee is planning a second Fix-It Fair on Saturday, June 3, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Casey Community Center. Residents are invited to make an appointment to bring in personal items in need of repair, such as toasters, bicycles or jewelry. The repair will be performed for free. The “right to repair” and ability to fix material is crucial to transitioning away from a disposal society. Fixers are key to saving useful materials from landfills. The City is seeking volunteer “fixers” with experience in:

Volunteer fixers will be provided with basic information on each appointment up to two weeks in advance of the event. Fixers must provide the necessary equipment and tools for their area of expertise. The City will provide:


Events

The City in partnership with The Peterson Companies & rio, will host the 21st St. Patrick’s Day Parade at rio, at Rio Boulevard & Grand Corner Avenue. Free parking is available in three garages along Washingtonian Boulevard. Dozens of units will march in the parade, including Celtic dancers, bagpipe bands, school groups, clowns, fire trucks, equestrian units, service organizations, & more.

Community groups & other organizations are invited to march. It is a great way to be involved in the community & get your group noticed. Past participants have included Celtic dancers, bagpipe bands, school groups, clowns, fire trucks, equestrian units, service organizations, & more.


Aspen Hill

A second person has died following a house fire in Aspen Hill on Monday night. A man in his 80s and a woman in her 60s were found unconscious and transported to the hospital where the man was pronounced dead. The woman was in critical condition and later died from her injuries, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer tweeted on Wednesday. The family of the victims are raising funds for the funerals The fundraiser can be found here.

Original report: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) were called to the scene of a house fire on the 13400 block of Oriental Street in Aspen Hill/Rockville at approximately 11:15 on Monday night.


Montgomery Parks

Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, recently received recognition from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) for excellence in digital video campaigns at the 2022 VIDDY Awards and 2023 AVA Digital Awards. The international competitions received thousands of entries from the United States and 21 other countries.

The department received two Gold VIDDY Awards in the Commercials/Ad Campaign category for its “Discover Your Happy Place” ads in English and Spanish and an Honorable Mention for the social media campaign, “Work for Montgomery Parks: Your Next Adventure Starts Here.” The group also won a Platinum AVA Award for the digital marketing campaign “Work for Montgomery Parks,” a Gold for a short-form web video on the Parks’ native plant program, and three honorable mentions for short-form videos and a web element. “We are very proud of the communications work we do at Montgomery Parks,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks. “It’s wonderful and gratifying when that work is recognized on the international stage.”


Olney

F45 Training, an Australian franchisor and operator of fitness centers based in Austin, Texas, is opening its Olney location on Saturday, February 25th. The fitness center has taken over the 3,200 SF location that was previously home to Pet Valu in Olney’s Fair Hill Shopping Center (previously Olney Town Center) at 18100 Town Center Drive, Unit 8115. F45 Olney posted the following on its Facebook page today:

Our Grand Opening will be 2/25/23! In honor and in prep of our big day, we are allowing all Founding Members VIP access to the studio beginning 2/13-2/24. That’s right, all Founding Members workout for FREE for half a month prior to us opening. No risk, just a good time. If you have not locked in your Founders Rate yet, message us directly through our page and we can ensure you get access to our exclusive two weeks of free classes prior to us opening our new home. DO. IT. NOW.


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