MoCo Archives - Page 346 of 629

Montgomery County to Open Registration for Lotteries Providing Opportunities to Purchase Highly Sought Whiskeys

Published February 28, 2023 at 1:25PM

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) will open registration on Sunday, March 5, for its annual limited availability whiskey lotteries that provide opportunities to purchase highly sought spirits. The lotteries are free to enter, but have residency requirements. ABS expects to release more than 1,100 bottles for purchase in the lotteries. Among the spirits that County residents will have an opportunity to purchase are a 2022 Double Eagle Very Rare, a Michter’s 20-Year Old and several rare releases from the Willett Distillery. Maryland residents selected in the lottery will have an opportunity to purchase bottles from the First Edition Heaven Hill Heritage Collection, the Final Edition (fall 2022) Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Collection and the Old Forester Birthday Bottles (2022 edition).

The first lottery will be open to Maryland residents 21 and over. The second lottery will be open only to County residents 21 and over. Each lottery includes a wide range of spirits bottles, with some overlap. County residents will be able to enter both the State and the County lotteries.

Councilmember Jawando Introduces the Safety and Traffic Equity in Policing (STEP) Act to Limit Traffic Stops That Have Resulted in Racial Disparities

By Patrick Herron

Published February 28, 2023 at 12:25PM

Today, Councilmember Will Jawando will be introducing Bill 12-23, the Safety and Traffic Equity in Policing (STEP) Act, which will limit traffic stops that he says have resulted in racial disparities. According to the County Council, “the legislation would prohibit a stop for certain traffic offenses by a police officer; prohibit consent searches of a vehicle by a police officer; require the collection of data and information related to traffic stops; and exclude the limitations on traffic stops from collective bargaining.”Councilmember Kristin Mink is a cosponsor.

According to Jawando, “the goal of the STEP Act is to promote fairness and reduce racial disparities, promote safety and reduce community trauma, improve community policing relations, and further the county’s Vision Zero.” A public hearing is scheduled for June 13 and the Public Safety (PS) Committee is scheduled to review the bill on July 17.

$20,000 Incentives Proposed for Joining County Police Department

By Patrick Herron

Published February 28, 2023 at 9:28AM

Per Montgomery County:

Montgomery County and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge No. 35 have come to an agreement to begin offering a $20,000 bonus for new sworn police recruits. Full implementation of the bonus program would require County Council approval for Fiscal Year 2024 and beyond budgets.

The Montgomery County Council Meets on Feb. 28 to Appoint Three Montgomery County Planning Board Members and Introduce Legislation Focused on Public Safety

By Patrick Herron

Published February 27, 2023 at 5:16PM

Nominating Committee for the Montgomery College Board of Trustees

Interview: The Council is expected to interview two candidates, Rahul M. Jindal and Althea Lloyd‐White, to serve on the Nominating Committee for the Montgomery College Board of Trustees. Composition of the committee consists of two members appointed by the County Executive, one by the Montgomery College Alumni Association and two by the Council. Current Council appointees are Dr. Kenneth Jones and Ms. Althea Lloyd‐White, who is currently serving on the committee until a replacement is appointed.

Council President Evan Glass to Introduce Legislation Today That Aims to Create Safer Streets for Pedestrians and Cyclists

By Patrick Herron

Published February 27, 2023 at 9:24AM

Per the Office of Council President Evan Glass: Today Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass will announce legislation to create safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists on our roadways. In 2022, 19 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed and 541 people seriously injured on our County’s roads. Seven weeks into 2023, the County has already had two fatalities and 25 injuries involving pedestrians and cyclists.

You can read the bill text here. Members of the media must RSVP by 10 a.m. to Valeria Carranza at [email protected].

Montgomery County Council and Committee Meetings on February 27, 2023

By Patrick Herron

Published February 25, 2023 at 9:04PM

Per Montgomery County: Council meets to review state legislation; Committees meet for briefing about the opioid epidemic’s impact on young people, to review legislation focused on common ownership communities and forest conservation, make recommendations on multiple Fiscal Year 2023-2028 Capital Improvements Program amendments and review WSSC Water’s six-year capital budget

The Montgomery County Council will meet on Monday, Feb. 27 at 12:30 p.m. to review state legislation and may choose to take positions on the bills. The Health and Human Services (HHS), Education and Culture (EC) and Public Safety (PS) Committees will meet at 9:30 a.m. to receive a briefing on the County’s response to the opioid crisis affecting young people in Montgomery County. The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Laurie-Anne Sayles. The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Albornoz and Kristin Mink. The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Luedtke and Mink.

Planning Board Votes Not to Recommend Historic Designation for Former Weller’s Dry Cleaning Site

By MCS Staff

Published February 25, 2023 at 10:31AM

The Montgomery County Planning Board voted to not recommend historic designation for the former Weller’s Dry Cleaning site in Silver Spring at a public hearing on Thursday, February 23. The County Council makes final decisions on historic designations of properties in the county. The site was part of a proposed amendment to the county’s Master Plan for Historic Preservation. Read the amendment. Watch the video from the February 23 Planning Board public hearing.

About the former Weller’s Dry Cleaning site: The former Weller’s Dry Cleaning site (8237 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD) was originally identified for evaluation as an historic resource over twenty years ago in the 2002 Historic Sites Survey Report: Silver Spring Central Business District. The 2022 Silver Spring Downtown and Adjacent Communities Plan directed Montgomery Planning to evaluate the Weller’s Dry Cleaning site designation as a Master Plan Historic Site. This site consists of a Googie-styled commercial store and sign constructed in 1961 within the Thayer Avenue commercial area in Downtown Silver Spring. The Googie style is a popular, but relatively rare, mid-20th century roadside commercial architecture that is a subset of the Modern Movement of architecture. Architects popularized the style in California where the intention was to attract motorists traveling at 35 miles per hour or more to stop and patronize roadside businesses. The design of the former Weller’s Dry Cleaning building and sign engaged the everyday consumer with modern and popular architecture in lieu of the high-style austerity of the International, Brutalist, and Expressionist styles. Very few examples of this architectural style remain intact in the county or region. View the December 2022 Weller’s Dry Cleaning Master Plan for Historic Preservation Designation Form.

Planning Board Unanimously Recommends Historic Designation for Edward U. Taylor School in Boyds; County Council Will Make the Final Decision

By MCS Staff

Published February 25, 2023 at 10:07AM

The Montgomery County Planning Board recommended the Montgomery County Council designate the Edward U. Taylor School in Boyds as historic by adding it to the county’s Master Plan for Historic Preservation at a public hearing on Thursday, February 23. The County Council makes final decisions on historic designations of properties in the county. “We commend the Planning Board’s recommendation that the County Council designate the Edward U. Taylor Elementary School as a historic site,” said Acting Planning Director Tanya Stern. “This school is a landmark in the history of the Black community in Boyds and served as a community anchor. The Taylor School represented the efforts of individuals like Edward U. Taylor and Black organizations, parents, and teachers to obtain quality educational facilities for Black children in Montgomery County in the mid-20^thcentury.” Historic designation criteria are established in Chapter 24A in the Montgomery County Code. The Planning Board evaluated the sites against the criteria and found that the Edward U. Taylor School met the following criteria:

About the Edward U. Taylor School site: The former Edward U. Taylor School (19501 White Ground Road, Boyds, MD) was built as an elementary school for Black students at a time when Montgomery County used legally sanctioned racial segregation to prohibit Black children from attending white schools. The Modern Movement-influenced building was completed in 1952, and features several additions built between 1954 and 1969. The facility was built to modern school design standards and represents the cumulative efforts of the county’s Black community to obtain better facilities and opportunities after decades of public underinvestment in educational facilities for Black children. The building currently serves as the Taylor Science Center for the processing and storage of science kits for Montgomery County Public Schools. The recommendation to study the school was brought forward in the MARC Rail Communities Plan, which was approved by the County Council in April 2019. View a short video on the Legacy of the Edward U. Taylor School. View the September 2022 Edward U. Taylor Elementary School Master Plan for Historic Preservation Designation Form.

MoCo Native Kiyomi McMiller Becomes First High School Athlete to Sign NIL Deal with Jordan Brand

By MCS Staff

Published February 24, 2023 at 5:37PM | Updated February 25, 2023 at 11:13AM

Kiyomi McMiller, a 5’8” point guard from the class of 2024, has signed a name, image and likeness (NIL) sponsorship with the Jordan Brand. This marks the Jordan Brand’s first high school NIL deal.The Silver Spring, MD–born guard is one of the top-ranked players in her recruiting class. Known for her skilled ball handling and scoring ability. McMiller joins the Jordan Brand as its first high school NIL athlete as she paves the way for the next generation of athletes. She is the Jordan brand’s second NIL athlete joining fellow MoCo native Kiki Rice, who was named the brand’s first NIL athlete in 2022.

McMiller currently plays point guard at Life Center Academy (LCA). The 5’8 junior is only in her first season at the school, where her father is a coach, having previously played at Trinity Collegiate School in Darlington, South Carolina, last season, where she averaged 27.1 points per game as a sophomore. Prior to high school she attended Benjamin Banneker Middle School in Burtonsville. “I’m inspired by both of my parents. I get my creativity from my dad and my grandmother, which carries over to my dribbling,” says McMiller. “I’m always in the gym with my mom and dad working on my game. It’s a dream come true being with the brand that stands for the same passion that I have for the game. I look forward to encouraging basketball players to use their creativity and platform to define their purpose.”

Free Spring and Summer Concert Series to be Presented by Bloom by Strathmore and Montgomery Recreation

By MCS Staff

Published February 24, 2023 at 11:38AM

Arts access has been an important part of Strathmore’s mission since its founding. In 2016, Strathmore expanded its commitment to taking the arts beyond its walls, particularly in the eastern part of Montgomery County. “Strathmore is such an important part of the identity of Montgomery County, and it is such a special place,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “But we know the arts are not equally accessible to all members of our County. The ‘East County Initiative’ of Bloom by Strathmore is a creative way to bring a variety of music to community members who might otherwise never have this opportunity. We are happy that Strathmore and Montgomery County Recreation are again partnering in this innovative program.”

For more information about the concert series, contact Martita Galindo of Strathmore at 301-581-5249 or [email protected].

Montgomery County, MD Files Lawsuit Against McKinsey and Company, Inc. for Company’s Role in Creating Opioid Epidemic

By Patrick Herron

Published February 23, 2023 at 7:25PM

Per Montgomery County: On Wednesday, the Office of the County Attorney for Montgomery County filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court Northern District of California against McKinsey and Company, Inc. for the company’s role in marketing opioids to the public and medical providers. The suit alleges that the McKinsey defendants served as marketing advisors to several opioid manufacturers, and in this role, helped counter the “emotional message” from the families of overdose victims and advised Purdue on how to “turbocharge” the sale of opioids. To read the full complaint, please click here.

“As Purdue and other pharmaceuticals companies made billions off the harm and death their products brought to millions of Americans, McKinsey and Company, Inc. were their enablers and a profiteer of this blood money,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “This is another example of the corporate structure being used to shield people from their immoral actions. They must be made to account for their callous greed and the filing of this lawsuit marks an important milestone in our county’s efforts to do just that. We will aggressively advocate for the many Montgomery County residents who have been harmed by this deadly and preventable epidemic. The actions and decisions of this company were immoral, inhumane, and unconscionable. They need to be held equally accountable.”