The 2023 class of the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame (MCSHF) features county natives who have achieved at the national and international levels, as well local figures who are among the very best at what they have done in and for Montgomery County. The new class, which MCSHF announced today, consists of athletes, coaches, and media stars from football, soccer, tennis, basketball, and TV.
The six inductees will be honored in a ceremony on Sunday October 29th. This year’s class includes:
Press release from Montgomery County: Montgomery County and Maryland health officials announced this evening that one case of measles has been confirmed in a Montgomery County resident. Anyone who visited the Cabin John Ice Rink, located at 10610 Westlake Drive in Bethesda on Wednesday, May 24, between the hours of 6 and 9 p.m. and a professional office building located at 16220 Frederick Road in Gaithersburg on Tuesday, May 30 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., may have been exposed to measles.
Measles is a contagious vaccine-preventable viral infection which is easily spread to unvaccinated persons through coughing, sneezing and secretions from the mouth. The measles virus may remain in the air for up to two hours. There were five confirmed measles cases reported in Maryland in 2019, and there have been no measles cases reported since then.
The Independence Day celebrations will take place at the following locations:
“Our Independence Day fireworks displays are such wonderful events and the perfect opportunity to enjoy music, outdoors and time with family and friends,” said Montgomery County Recreation Director Robin Riley. “We look forward to celebrating together once again this summer.” Mid-County Sparkles will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 1 with concerts by Ocho de Bastos and Earth Wind and Fire Tribute Band. The only parking available on-site will be for individuals with disabilities. Free parking and shuttle service will be provided starting at 5:30 p.m., from Westfield Wheaton, located at 11160 Veirs Mill Road. Event goers who park at Westfield Wheaton prior to 5:30 p.m. may be subject to towing by the property owner. Follow the directional signs for event parking and shuttles.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Council President Evan Glass, Maryland Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Woods, Councilmembers and members of the Montgomery Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly joined LGBTQ+ community leaders today to commemorate Pride Month by raising the Progress Pride Flag outside of the Executive Office Building in Rockville.
Speakers arrived in Montgomery County’s first #RideWithPride Ride On bus, which is wrapped with the Intersex Progress Flag and will be serving residents across the County throughout the month of June in honor of Pride. Learn more about the #RideWithPride bus on the Montgomery County Department of Transportation website.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County’s Department of Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) will open its new Gaithersburg Square store under its upgraded retail concept, “Oak Barrel & Vine,” at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 15. Elected officials and alcohol industry representatives plan to attend the opening. Walt “The Wizard” Williams, a former basketball star at the University of Maryland who went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA, will be present to sign bottles of his Clutch vodka.
The celebration and ribbon cutting will occur in front of the store, located in the Gaithersburg Square shopping center at 512 N. Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg. Throughout the weekend of Thursday-Sunday, June 15-18, the store will offer special tastings including those of Maryland-made products, high-end spirits and Juneteenth specials.
Per Montgomery County (5.31.23): County Executive Marc Elrich today announced that Montgomery County Government won 13 awards for its operations and innovation in the 2023 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards. NACo is a nonprofit organization that provides services to the nation’s 3,069 counties and represents county governments across the United States. The NACo Achievement Awards recognize a county’s outstanding commitment to public service in various categories such as civic education and public information; community and economic development; children and youth; and arts and entertainment.
Since the beginning of the Elrich Administration in 2019, Montgomery County has won 176 NACo Achievement Awards, including four Best in Category awards. In the 2023 awards, Montgomery County won the Best in Category Award in the Parks and Recreation category. The County was recognized for its outdoor fitness equipment program at the Holiday Park Senior Center in Silver Spring. The center features the first outdoor fitness space in the region expressly geared toward the needs of adults 55 and older.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and County Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Sidney Katz and Laurie Ann-Sayles this week joined the County’s Community Action Board at a graduation ceremony for 21 residents who participated in the 2023 Community Advocacy Institute (CAI).
The County Executive encouraged the 21 graduates to utilize the skills they learned in the program to help make Montgomery County a more equitable place to live for all residents. The CAB provides governance to the DHHS’ Community Action Agency, including Head Start, and facilitates the CAI. Since 2016, there have been 126 graduates from the program. Many now serve on County advisory groups and nonprofit boards, along with participating actively in a variety of advocacy efforts.
In preparation for Pride Month in June, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Community Partnerships are calling on artists and designers to create the county’s official 2023 Montgomery County Pride decal.
Submissions are due Wednesday, June 1, and should be submitted electronically on the MontgomeryCountyPride.org website. The county’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board will choose up to five final designs to be displayed Pride Month events and on social media for public voting.
The third annual Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair will return in August after a three-year hiatus. Applications are being accepted for the fair, set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19. The fair, which will be held in Rockville Town Square, is open to youth aged 6-15.
The deadline to apply is Friday, June 2. Applications are available here. Open to the public, the fair will host 40 young entrepreneurs. Those selected will have an opportunity to present innovative ideas and make sales pitches to a panel of judges from the local business community and celebrity influencers.
Niche recently released its 2023 list of the ‘Best Places to Live in Maryland’ and 18 of the top 25 are right here in Montgomery County. Niche.com is an American company headquartered in Pittsburgh that runs a ranking and review site. The company is an online resource providing information on K–12 schools, colleges, cities, neighborhoods, and companies across the United States. The ‘Best Places to Live’ ranking provides a comprehensive assessment of the overall livability of an area. This grade takes into account several key factors of a location, including the quality of local schools, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics, and access to amenities in an attempt to measure the overall quality of an area. Montgomery County is home to all five places in the top 5 and 17 of the top 25. 706 places are listed overall. Below you’ll see places in Montgomery County that have made Niche’s top 25:
25. Cabin John
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass (At-Large) announced a series of LGBTQ+ Pride Month events throughout the month of June. Events include a Pride flag raising outside the Executive Office Building in Rockville, Pride Family Day at Glen Echo Park and a Pride youth writing competition.
“I’m excited to host Montgomery County’s fifth annual LGBTQ+ Pride month events,” said Council President Evan Glass. “This is a time for celebration, reflection and unity. Today, the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans are under relentless attack. Members of the LGBTQ+ community — especially people of color and trans people — continue to face discrimination and efforts to undermine their human rights. As we continue our struggle for greater civil rights and liberties, Pride Month is a time to not only reflect on our progress but to focus on the work ahead.”