MoCo Government

Jennie M. Forehand, Who Represented Montgomery County For 36 Years, Has Passed Away

By MCS Staff

Former Maryland State Senator Jennie Margaret Meador Forehand, who represented Montgomery County for over 35 years,’passed away on October 3, 2023, at age 87, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease according to an obituary posted  on orileybranson.com

Per the obituary, “Jennie was born in Nashville, TN and grew up in Charlotte, NC where she met her husband Bill in 7th grade. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, married in 1958 and moved to Maryland in 1961.  After Jennie’s retirement from public service in 2014, she and Bill moved to Indianapolis, IN.

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‘Glow-in-the-Dark Pickleball,’ Fall Harvest Festivals and ‘Spooktacular’ Happenings Highlight Montgomery Recreation’s October Special Events

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: A variety of fall harvest festivals and Halloween-themed happenings highlight Montgomery County Recreation’s calendar of special family-friendly events in October. The events will include “Glow-in-the-Dark” pickleball, swimming with pumpkins and haunted houses.

The festivals and events will be hosted at community recreation centers, senior centers and aquatic facilities across the County. Registration for events can be completed online at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org. Not all events require registration. Registration for fall programs is also currently underway. Winter program registration begins Monday, Nov. 13.

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Sexual Health Services to Begin at New Germantown Location This Monday

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will begin providing sexual health services at the new Upcounty Sexual Health & Wellness Clinic beginning Monday, Oct. 9. The clinic, located at the Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Services Center, 12900 Middlebrook Road in Germantown, will offer free and low-cost testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV infection.

“While Montgomery County ranks as the healthiest county in Maryland, we have seen an increase in infection rates for STIs, and access to early testing and treatment services is essential to sexual health and wellbeing,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “This new clinic location will help residents living in the Upcounty region get services where they live. Many STIs are treatable or curable but early detection is important to successful outcomes.”

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Anti-Hate Task Force to Hold a Virtual Meeting on Oct. 10 at 7pm; Muslim Cohort to Present Policy Recommendations

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force’s Muslim cohort will present their policy recommendations to the task force at a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.  The Anti-Hate Task Force was formally adopted through a resolution with unanimous support in June. The task force is made up of community and faith leaders working to engage the community and develop recommendations to inform policies that promote safety and combat hate crimes in Montgomery County.

Cohort groups representing the Jewish, Black/African American, LGBTQ+, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic and Muslim communities will present their policy recommendations at meetings throughout the fall. Each of the six cohort groups may also hold listening sessions to provide an opportunity for the public to engage and provide input. The Muslim cohort held a listening session on Sept. 11, which can be viewed here.

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Upper Montgomery County VFD Open House and Local Vendor Fair This Sunday

By Cordell Pugh

The Upper Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Department is hosting their fall open house, along with a local vendor fair, this Sunday (October 8) from 12PM to 4PM at 19801 Beallsville Road Beallsville, MD 20839. According to the UMCVFD, the event will feature a pumpkin patch, hay rides, Fire & Rescue Service demonstrations, and police vehicles on display. Additionally more than 30 vendors will be present at this Sunday’s event. Visitors can enjoy free hot dogs, Cotton Candy, and giveaways for children.

At their newly-expanded Beallsville Road firehouse, the Upper Montgomery County VFD currently has an ambulance, Canteen Unit, several boats paired with support vehicles as part of their Swiftwater Rescue Team, Medic Unit, Brush Truck, Brush Engine, Rescue Engine, and Tanker. The units responded to more than 1,200 calls in 2022.

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Montgomery County Takes a Stand Against Human Trafficking: New Education and Awareness Campaign Unveiled

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: To combat the harrowing issue of human trafficking, the Montgomery County Human Trafficking Prevention Committee is introducing its inaugural education and awareness campaign. Montgomery County residents will soon encounter powerful anti-human trafficking messages displayed on buses, bus stops and various social media platforms. The ads will be placed on 12 buses in English and Spanish and be displayed at five bus transit shelters. The campaign will run through October.

The campaign is a collaboration of the County’s Human Trafficking Prevention Committee and the County Department of Health and Human Services.

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County Executive Elrich’s Next ‘Community Conversation’ on Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget on Monday, Oct. 16, Will Focus on Priorities for PTA Organizations

By Patrick Herron

Seven of the 10 conversations will be conducted in English, including one focusing on issues for older residents and the one focusing on issues of importance to PTA organizations. For a County first, one of the forums will be conducted in Amharic (Oct. 18). Two other non-English language forums were on the schedule. The Sept. 21 forum was conducted in Spanish and the Nov. 27 forum will be in Chinese. A select number of Community Conversations will be held online so that residents have the option to participate remotely.

The County is in the early stages of formulating the FY25 operating budget. County Executive Elrich is required to submit a recommended budget to the County Council by March 15, 2024. The Council then will have two months to review the budget. It must adopt a final budget no later than June 1. The FY25 operating budget will go into effect on July 1.

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Cider Pressing and Costumed ‘Witchy Paddle’ on Little Seneca Lake Are Among the October Activity Highlights at Nature Centers

By Patrick Herron

To view all Fall 2023 activities, visit the Montgomery Parks Program Guide. Go to Montgomery Parks event calendar for a complete list of special events and programming and to learn how to sign up using ActiveMontgomery.

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Glenmont Forest Community Fall Art and Harvest Block Party Celebration Will Include Introduction of Two New Park Amenities on Sunday, Oct. 8

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: The Glenmont Forest Neighbors Civic Association (GFNCA) Fall Art and Harvest Block Party will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8. In addition to family fun, games, exhibits and art activities, the annual event this year will also celebrate the activation of two new park amenities: the Serenity Community Gardens and the Gathering Tree public art projects.

The new park and pavilion is located at the corner of Randolph Road and Georgia Avenue adjacent to Fire Station No. 18 in Wheaton-Glenmont. There is no charge to attend the block party. There is limited parking on Grandview Avenue. The event will take place rain or shine.

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Free Drop-In Electric Scooter Clinics for Adults to be Held Oct. 22 and 28

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery College: Residents 18-and-older who are interested in electric scooter lessons will have the opportunity to attend free clinics sponsored by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation on Sunday, Oct. 22, and Saturday, Oct. 28. Participants will be able to take a test ride, learn safety tips and get details on basic scooter laws.

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Statement From Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando Regarding Maryland Attorney General Opinion on the Safety and Traffic Equity In Policing (“STEP”) Act

By Patrick Herron

From the Office of Councilmember Will Jawando: Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando released the following statement related to the Maryland Attorney General’s Opinion on the Safety and Traffic Equity in Policing (“STEP”) Act.

“I introduced the Safety and Traffic Equity in Policing (“STEP”) Act to address racial disparities in traffic enforcement and to free up our police department to focus on enforcement of traffic violations that are the key drivers of serious injuries and fatalities, for example, speeding, reckless driving, DUI and driving without seatbelts.

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