Today via social media, former Gaithersburg City Councilmember and current Montgomery County Councilmember, Laurie-Anne Sayles, announced her run for Congress. The full announcement and additional information on Sayles can be seen below:
“Today, I’m announcing my run for Congress in Maryland’s 6th District because Washington needs to work for us — for families in Garrett County to Gaithersburg and everywhere in between. We’ve got a lot of work to do as a country, and I get the job done.
Per Montgomery County: The Third Annual Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair will return to Rockville Town Center from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, to display the works and ideas of more than 55 young entrepreneurs. The event is free to attend and open to the public.
The fair is back after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 health crisis. The event was founded Tameka Montgomery of the Raising Entrepreneurs Podcast and a senior executive at the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Per Montgomery County: A free online home buying seminar sponsored by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Montgomery County will be held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17. The seminar will be led by Bill Rozek from Embrace Home Loans.
Mr. Rozek will cover many topics that could lead to getting approved to purchase a home.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County’s Community Action Board (CAB) is now accepting applications to participate in its free, eight-month Community Advocacy Institute (CAI) training program that teaches participants how to effectively advocate for policy change. Applications are due Friday, Aug. 18.
The board is the governing body for the Community Action Agency (CAA), Montgomery County’s Federally designated anti-poverty agency. The CAA is part of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Per Montgomery County: Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles is launching the second cohort of her S.M.A.R.T. Youth Advisory Council and is looking for a new group of students to apply. Applicants must live in Montgomery County and be in grades 7-12 and older than 13 to be eligible. Applicants must commit to meeting in person and virtually once every two weeks at 5:30 p.m. on Monday from September—December. The sessions will focus on Councilmember Sayles’ S.M.A.R.T. agenda to strengthen 21st-century education, make a living more affordable, advance local food production, revitalize the economy and tackle climate change.
“I am pleased that interest has grown to continue the S.M.A.R.T. Youth Advisory Council, which exposes more youth to my S.M.A.R.T. agenda and the process of policymaking at the Montgomery County Council. The perspectives reflected in our Youth Advisory Council represent the ethnic and geographic diversity of the student population in our County.”
Per Montgomery County: Three-time Grammy® Award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will headline the 18th annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival on Saturday, Sept. 9, at Veterans Plaza in Downtown Silver Spring. The free festival will take place from 3-10 p.m. Bridgewater will take the mainstage at 8:30 p.m. Veterans Plaza is located at the corner of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street, adjacent to the Silver Spring Civic Building.
The Silver Spring Jazz Festival is a free event. Restaurants featuring a variety of cuisines surround the festival site. Attendees are encouraged to use public transportation and to bring a blanket and/or low back lawn chairs for seating. The festival site is a short walk from the Silver Spring Metro Station.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County will be offering funding support for independently owned and operated businesses with 20 or fewer employees impacted by the Purple Line construction through Phase III of its Purple Line Light rail grants program. Eligible businesses can start submitting applications on Aug. 15.
The County’s Business Center will host informational webinars on the program on Aug. 29, 30 and 31 in English, Spanish, and Amharic languages respectively at 8070 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring. This is the third round of grants through which the County’s Business Center will offer $5,000 to qualifying small businesses in the construction corridor. This grant program is made possible through an $815,000 grant provided by the Maryland Department of Commerce.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County officials continued storm cleanup efforts days after severe storms and heavy rain caused significant damage and power outages on Saturday evening.
“Even though efforts to clear and repair damage from this weekend’s storms continue across Montgomery County, I want to recognize and thank our storm responders for their hard work and long hours,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Over the last few days, countless Montgomery County Government employees have worked diligently to help residents and businesses recovering from severe storm damage. We assisted those in need to find shelter, rescued boaters during the thunderstorms, removed trees and debris from streets and sidewalks, distributed water on Ride On buses and directed traffic when lights were out. I thank my County colleagues, as well as those working for the State and utility companies, for their response to these storms. Their tireless efforts made recovery from a difficult weekend much better for so many people.”
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) has leveraged its direct import capacity and is now offering eight creative and cutting-edge wines from the Domaine de Galuval winery in the Rhône Valley of France. ABS serves as the exclusive distributor of these wines in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Only a few other U.S. outlets—in California, Puerto Rico and New York City—carry Domaine de Galuval products. The Domain de Galuval wines are available now in all ABS Liquor Wine retail stores and Oak Barrel & Vine stores throughout the County. They also are available at participating privately owned beer and wine stores and restaurants.
The eight highly rated wines are unique creations, inspired by nature and true to the individual character of each vintage. The eye-catching labels feature works of art that represent the unique geology and character of the terroirs of the Domain de Galuval Estate. By importing directly, ABS is able to offer the products at attractive price points.
Dr. Earl Stoddard, who is the Assistant Chief Administrator in Montgomery County and has served as the Director of the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (OEMHS) since January 2016, has provided an update on storm clean-up efforts via Twitter. The full update can be seen below:
“Just to provide an update on storm clean-up. Right now, the primary focus remains power restoration and road clearance. That requires coordination between the County and power utilities given the intersection between vegetation and power lines.
From the Office of Council President Evan Glass: The Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force will hold its second meeting with all six cohort groups representing the Jewish, Black/African American, LGBTQ+, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic and Muslim communities on Tuesday, August 1 at 7 p.m.
The meeting will feature a presentation by Montgomery County Public School leaders with an overview and plan on combating hate and bias incidents in schools.