Three MCPS students have received $2,000 scholarships from the League of Educators for Asian American Progress (LEAAP). The students were honored for their level of scholarship and their interest in pursuing a career in education. All applicants who applied are planning to major in education and show experience supporting the Asian American community and/or organizations.
They were recognized during the May 11 Board of Education meeting. They are:
World-renowned chef Peter Chang recently visited the culinary program at Paint Branch High School to teach students two recipes inspired by his family and culture. In Montgomery County, Chang owns Peter Chang Rockville and Q By Peter Chang in Bethesda. Chef Chang’s visit kicked off Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
In a separate celebration on May 11, MCPS leaders, staff and community members came together at Carver Educational Services Center to celebrate and recognize Asian and Pacific Islander American heritage with presentations, performances and food. Check out a photo gallery from the event. Video below:
Montgomery County Outdoor pools are open for weekends and Memorial Day beginning May 27. The full schedule begins June 17.
“Summertime is all about making memories at the outdoor pool. Seven outdoor swimming pools are conveniently located in communities around Montgomery County for easy access to summer fun and fitness. The outdoor pools are kid-friendly, and they also offer adults the opportunity to swim laps.” Choose an outdoor pool that suits your needs, view all seven outdoor pool location below:
Montgomery County, MD is commonly known as being a suburb of the nation’s capital, but what might surprise some is that it is also home to a thriving biotech ecosystem. With over 350 life sciences companies, including global brands like AstraZeneca, United Therapeutics, and Novavax, Montgomery County anchors the third largest biophama hub in the U.S., behind only Boston and San Francisco.
Running annually in Washington D.C. for over 25 years, World Vaccine Congress attracts an international audience from over 80 countries and convenes more than 3,000 people to learn about the latest trends, research, and technologies in the vaccine industry. This year, Montgomery County took center stage, with a featured session on the extensive Biologics Value Chain in the County, as well as a session during which County Executive Marc Elrich spoke about the extensive resources available to companies here, and an exhibit space showcasing these resources.
A Complete Biologics Value Chain in One Region
One of the defining strengths of Montgomery County is its ability to support the full lifecycle of biologics, all the way from early research to large-scale manufacturing. During the panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Stefanie Trop, Director of Life Sciences at the Maryland Department of Commerce, local leaders emphasized that the region’s strength lies in its network of partners who work collaboratively across discovery, development, testing, and production. Panelists from companies in all stages of the value chain spectrum included Dr. Andrew Lees, Founder of Fina Biosolutions, Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies at AstraZeneca, Dr. Helen Sabzevari President & CEO of Precigen, and Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer of Integrated BioTherapeutics.
This end-to-end capability in close geographical proximity gives companies a unique advantage and is rare to find in other markets, even established ones like San Francisco and Boston. In fact, only a handful of places worldwide offer the combination of infrastructure, expertise, and collaboration found in Montgomery County and if diversity, education and population density are taken into consideration – then Montgomery County standouts even more.
“Gaithersburg is one of the six places in the world where we can do what we’re doing,” explained Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, AstraZeneca. “We have the right partners at every step of the value chain [in Montgomery County].”
A Strong Partnership Network
Biotech breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation. They depend on strong partnerships between private companies, local and state governments, academic institutions, and workforce training organizations. Montgomery County has intentionally cultivated these connections, making collaboration and coordination defining characteristics of its life sciences ecosystem.
Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer at IBT Bioservices, a full service CRO offering clinical & preclinical contract research services, says the company’s close partnerships between them and local stakeholders have been crucial to its success. “As a Rockville-based company, we’re grateful for the partnership and support from city, County, and state leaders,” explained Dr. Holtsberg. “These programs have helped fuel our growth, and we’re excited about the continued momentum of our community.” (more…)
Join The Town of Poolesville and WUMCO Help, Inc. in a series of WELLNESS WEDNESDAY workshops to promote Healthy Living and prevent disease. Each month a different topic on healthy […]
Program Overview
This 6 week Saturday tennis clinic is designed for middle school players who want to learn and improve their tennis skills in a fun and supportive environment. Players will build confidence on the court while developing strong fundamentals and enjoying the game with other students.
The Kentlands Mansion is hosting a collection drive for much-needed period supplies in support of Period Poverty Awareness Week, May 22 to 28. Items being collected include daytime and overnight pads, tampons, and panty liners. Donations can be dropped off at the Mansion, 320 Kent Square Road, Monday through Friday, May 22 to 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All packages must be new and unopened and products must be individually wrapped.
Period Poverty Awareness Week was created by the Alliance for Period Supplies to educate and raise awareness on the issue of period poverty and its impact on people who menstruate. One in four people struggle to purchase period products due to lack of income and one in five report missing work, school or similar events due to lack of access to period supplies. The goal of this education is to encourage people to take steps to address this need in their own community.
“The Late Night Safety Bill ensures that our restaurants and night life are safe and enjoyable for patrons and neighbors,” said Council President Glass. “This legislation keeps our businesses in direct communication with county government so that we have a comprehensive strategy that promotes safety and strengthens our night time economy.”
“This legislation truly represents a collaborative effort on the executive and legislative side, incorporating public input in addressing public safety challenges related to our businesses open late at night,” said PS Chair Katz. “The safety plans along with the grant funding for facility enhancements ensure our late night businesses have the resources needed to allow for a safe and fun environment for their patrons.”
In December we let you know that Maryland-based Poke Bowl, a restaurant serving poke bowls, bubble tea, a variety of appetizers, and more, is coming to 2229 Bel Pre Road in Plaza Del Mercado– replacing Smoothie King, between Pizza Stop and Aldi. The restaurant is now open. Store Hours:
Per Poke Bowl: The original poke bowl, invented in Hawaii, came to Hunt Valley, Maryland in 2016 to be the first Poke restaurant. In the next two years, seven stores have been opened in Maryland. The fresh and healthy foods were loved by the locals. This was thanks to our founder, John, who created unique sauces like Ginger Hawaii sauce, Sweet Chili Aloha and House sauce, that is mixed with sashimi to produce a fresh and appealing taste. These sauces are combined with green onions, sesame, minced ginger and fresh salad. In our Poke bowl, we hope people enjoy delicious and nourishing foods. The founder of poke bowl has 25 years of Japanese cuisine experience and 6 years of poke bowl experience. From here and onwards, our market is beginning to promote Poke cuisine across the United States. This convenient, healthy, and casual food will bring deep appeal to food lovers.
Montgomery Parks will hold an online meeting on June 14, 2023, from 7:00- 8:30 p.m. to unveil a recommended plan for the future Bethesda Market Park. This will be the third public meeting about the Bethesda Market Park project. In March, Parks staff held two in-person meetings to gather input from community members about what amenities they would like to see in the park. The public was also encouraged to submit ideas through an online survey.
Parks staff incorporated the ideas from the meetings and the survey in the proposed plan. “We received a lot of great suggestions via our engagement efforts, everything from a stage to a dog park, swings, game area and open spaces,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks. “Community input is such an important part of the process because it helps us design better parks with amenities and features that serve a wide range of interests.”
Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs is honoring many “Fallen Hometown Heroes” with County connections dating back to World War I with detailed tributes displayed on a special website created by the commission. The tribute is especially notable as the County prepares to commemorate Memorial Day on Monday, May 29.
To learn more about the Montgomery Commission on Veterans Affairs, go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cva.
Per Montgomery County: Warm weather is settling in and Wheaton is ready to welcome it. From noon-4 p.m. on Sunday, May 21, the Marian Fryer Town Plaza in Downtown Wheaton will turn into a ”Spring Fling” free community picnic scene with music, food and drinks from local merchants, lawn games and arts and crafts. Marian Fryer Town Plaza is located at 2424 Reedie Dr. in Wheaton. It is close to the Wheaton Metro Station and there is significant nearby parking.
A Joint Public Hearing on the sketch plan application by Muddy Branch Investments, LLC, to redevelop the former Nike Missile Site, was held on Monday, March 20, 2023. The Planning Commission record closed at 5:00 p.m. on April 21, 2023 and they recommended approval of the sketch plan to the Mayor and City Council at their May 3, 2023 meeting. The Mayor and City Council record will close at 5:00 p.m. on May 19, 2023 and they are tentatively scheduled to conduct their policy discussion at their June 20, 2023 meeting. All meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 31 S Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (virtual participation will also be available). Any questions or comments on the application should be directed to the Planning Department at [email protected] or 301-258-6330.
According to the applicant, Muddy Branch Investments, LLC, the sketch plan’s main purpose is to redevelop the former Nike missile site into a multifamily residential development that will complement and be compatible with the surrounding Lakelands Ridge, Timberbrook, and Shady Grove Village communities, as well as the Muddy Branch Square Shopping Center. The Application proposes a maximum of 380 multifamily dwelling units, located within four separate development blocks. Individual blocks have been allocated a maximum number of dwelling units out of the overall 380 unit cap. Although the 380 units proposed across the entire 13.71-acre site is significantly less dense (27.7 units per acre) than other recently-approved stand-alone multifamily developments, such as the Fishman Site (109 units on 0.99 acres, or 110.0 units per acre), Kentlands Apartments (365 units on 3.1 acres, or 117.7 units per acre), and Camden at Washingtonian (365 units on 5.86 acres, or 62.3 units per acre), the proposed density is comparable to and compatible with the surrounding Timberbrook Condos (168 units on 9.74 acres, or 17.2 units per acre) and Lakelands Ridge Condos (159 units on 9.39 acres, or 16.9 units per acre).