“Dear MCPS Community,
Our first week of school for the 2022-2023 school year has gone by so fast. There has been so much to celebrate and so much for which I am thankful. I have witnessed exciting and intentional instruction, deep engagement in our classrooms, and staff and students energized for the new year. With the cloud of COVID-19 receding, it is refreshing to see such positive energy in our schools as we continue and expand our focus on academic excellence.
Federal Realty announced today that 909 Rose, located in the award-winning, transit-oriented Pike & Rose neighborhood in North Bethesda, Md., is fully leased. Per Federal Realty: Bright MLS is taking 13,455 square feet and will join Beiser Law Firm, ESAB, Industrious, Kuta Software, LLC,OneDigital, Rowe, Weinstein, Sohn PLLC, Rycon Construction, United Solutions, and Federal Realty.
Press release: “We have had incredible momentum since construction began in 2017, even during some of the most challenging times, and delivered a fully-leased office building,” said Stuart Biel, Senior Vice President of Federal. “The success of 909 Rose in a market where there is double digit office vacancy downtown, speaks to what employers and employees are looking for in office space – excellent location, transportation options and world-class amenities.”
Montgomery Parks is hosting its annual fall native plant sales at Locust Grove Nature Center in Bethesda and Maydale Nature Classroom in Colesville. The sales seek to bolster native vegetation for native pollinators. The plants help create habitats that are necessary for pollinators’ survival and support the local ecosystem. The online sale for Locust Grove Nature Center runs through Tuesday, Sept. 6, and an in-person sale is scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 17-18. The native plant sale for Maydale Nature Center is exclusively online and begins Sept. 6.
The department’s Native Plant Program began 10 years ago at Pope Farm Nursery, which is located at 7400 Airpark Rd. in Gaithersburg. The program was established in 2012 to enhance habitats for native pollinators and has quadrupled since its founding from 12,000 to 50,000 plants produced per year.
There has been a change in Maryland law that could restrict a homeowner’s eligibility for a $692 Montgomery County property tax credit. The new State law requires all residential property owners to also have an approved Homestead Application on file with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) to be eligible for the County’s Income Tax Offset Credit (ITOC). This credit appears on annual property tax bills.
The one-time application must be completed to keep the ITOC tax credit that was on July 1, 2022, tax bills. If an approved application is not on file by May 1, 2023, State law will require the County to recapture the $692 ITOC that was granted on your tax bill. Additionally, the ITOC tax credit itself will no longer appear on all future tax bills until there is an approved Homestead Application on file with SDAT.
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.”