“I am proud to appoint such distinguished individuals to serve in our state’s judicial system,” said Governor Hogan. “Our state is gaining an immensely talented and principled group of judges who will honorably serve the citizens of their respective counties and Maryland in the years to come. I want to especially congratulate Cathi Coates as she becomes the first woman in state history to serve on the Worcester County District Court.”
For Garrett County Circuit Court:
The Hall of Fame has previously inducted 102 honorees. A complete listing of inductees, and more information about the Hall of Fame, can be found at the Office of Human Rights website. For more information about the program contact Office of Human Rights, contact Director James Stowe at [email protected].
The schedule of events actually gets started in late October with the Poolesville Community Conversation Circle on Tuesday, Oct. 25, and a celebration of Emancipation Day at Button Farm Living History Center in Germantown on Saturday, Oct. 29. There will be two major events on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Sandy Spring Slave Museum Emancipation Day Open House will have a full day of activities starting at 10 a.m. A Montgomery County: Historical Black Sites and Places Bus tour hosted by the Lincoln Park Historical Foundation, Inc. will begin at noon.
The schedule of events for Remembrance and Reconciliation Month:
For 17 months, Councilmembers have been working with staff and listening to suggestions from residents across Montgomery County to develop a general plan for the County’s future. The Thrive Montgomery 2050 Draft Plan contains the text and supporting maps for a comprehensive amendment to Montgomery County’s current General Plan (On Wedges and Corridors).
The document establishes a vision for Montgomery County’s future growth and encompasses broad, countywide policy recommendations for land use, zoning, housing, the economy, equity, transportation, parks and open space, the environment and historic resources.
The mini-grants support the recommendations of the County’s Food Security Plan, which set forth a vision for Montgomery County in which all people always have access to safe, enough, nutritious food, with dignity. The organizations selected to receive grants will use the funding for specific efforts designed to increase the capacity and/or infrastructure for food recovery and food security in the community. The funded projects must also increase the efficiency and effectiveness of efforts to reduce food insecurity in the county using partnerships and collaborations.
The nonprofit organizations receiving CFR mini-grants are: AfriThrive, Clopper Mill Elementary School, First Alliance Church, Food and Friends, Kings and Priests Court, Mid County United Ministries, Rainbow Community Development Center, Small Things Matter, and The UpCounty Hub.
Early voting in Montgomery County for the 2022 General Election will be available at 14 early voting centers 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Thursday, Oct. 27, through Thursday, Nov. 3, including Saturday and Sunday. Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Ride On bus service has several routes available to transport voters to the early voting centers located throughout the County.
Montgomery County Ride On and Metrobus routes that will serve early voting centers:
Review: The Council will hold a work session to review the 2022-2031 Ten-Year Comprehensive Water Supply and Sewerage Systems Plan. The purpose of the plan is to provide an overview of the planning policies, needs, issues and planned infrastructure related to community and individual water and sewerage systems.
The Montgomery County Council is immediately seeking new temporary acting members of the Montgomery County Planning Board with expertise in land use, planning, economic development, transportation, and environmental and park issues. Montgomery County residents who are interested in filling these temporary positions must apply to the Council no later than Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. The Council is scheduled to vote on designating the temporary members on Oct. 25. No more than three members of the Planning Board may be from the same political party, and each member must be a resident and registered voter of Montgomery County when appointed. This position can be filled by a Democrat, Republican, a voter who is unaffiliated with a party, or a voter who is a member of another party officially recognized by the Board of Elections.
The annual compensation for Planning Board commissioners is currently $30,000, and the chair currently earns $215,727. The Planning Board serves as the Council’s principal adviser on land use planning and community planning. Planning Board members also serve as commissioners of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The Planning Board’s responsibilities with regard to planning include preparation and amendment of the County General Plan; preparation and amendment of master plans and functional plans; formulation of subdivision regulations; preparation of or recommendations on text amendments to the County Zoning Code; implementation of the subdivision process by reviewing and approving all preliminary plans, site plans and other plans for development; offering or providing advice on the planning implications of capital facilities and programs of the County government, Montgomery College, WSSC Water, and Montgomery County Public Schools; commenting under, its mandatory referral authority, about plans for public facilities of local, state and federal agencies; and approving of the work program and the annual operating budget for the Planning Department and the Commission’s bi-county offices.
Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) announced the launch of its new integrated marketing campaign, which supports the attraction of new businesses and retention of existing businesses in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Per the press release: The robust, year-long campaign features strategic placement across diverse channels, including national and local broadcast programming, billboards, radio, podcasts, digital (programmatic, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google, video ads, and trade publications.
“Adopting a dog from our shelter can provide families with years of joy and unconditional love,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “I want to thank the Friends of Montgomery County Animals for sponsoring this event that will waive dog adoption fees throughout the rest of this month. If you are considering adding a dog to your family, please visit our shelter and have our staff help you find the perfect furry friend for your home.”
The adoption process can be started online by filling out the adoption questionnaire and sending in the documents required. The questionnaire, required documents, and more information on the adoption process can be found at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/animalservices/adoption/howtoadopt.html.
Montgomery County Recreation’s Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center (SSRAC) is scheduled to open in 2023. Located in the Central Business District of Silver Spring this project is part of a public-private partnership with the Housing Opportunity Commission and the Lee Development Group. The first of its kind project will encompass recreation, aquatics, and senior programming all under one roof. SSRAC will include both recreation and leisure activities. Pools are designed for general swimming, low level diving, exercise, aquatic play, training, and more. A gymnasium, exercise and weight room spaces, movement and dance studios, multipurpose activity rooms, public use space, and social space with a culinary arts kitchen are also included.
Construction on the South County Regional Recreation and Aquatic Center began in 2019. It is located at 1315 Apple Ave. in Downtown Silver Spring, in the ‘Central Business District’ of Silver Spring as part of a Public-Private Partnership undertaken with the Housing Opportunity Commission and the Lee Development Group. According to a recent report by Source of the Spring, “This is not just a pool, it’s a monster… It combines an aquatic facility and a large recreation center. We do not have this kind of space down county.”