MoCo Archives - Page 389 of 605

Montgomery County Showcases Its New High-Tech Flood Sensor Program That Can Provide Earlier Alerts to Residents About Potential Flooding

Published June 26, 2022 at 9:37AM

The sensors detect rising water levels and provide early warnings about high water or flooding. They are being installed at flood prone sites across the County. Each sensor is solar powered and has an internal battery to maintain operations during inclement weather. The sensors use a tethered node that is placed underwater. The node detects the amount of pressure placed upon it by the water and calculates the depth of the water. Every five minutes, data is sent from the sensor by a cell phone card to a master display. A small color camera also sends images back to the main display. Every location has pre-determined thresholds for water depths for the sensor to alert that water levels are approaching or exceeding flood stage. If they are, a crew is sent to investigate the potential flooding and whether a low-lying road needs to be cleared, or if an Emergency Action Plan for a dam needs to be activated.

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) led the effort to get the sensors and the County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) worked on a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with DHS and Intellisense Systems Inc., the company that makes the devices. The County will share the data gathered by the sensors with the company and DHS to improve sensor design based on user feedback.

Happening Today: Pride in the Plaza in Downtown Silver Spring

By Patrick Herron

Published June 26, 2022 at 7:34AM

Pride in the Plaza will feature food, music, an LGBTQ+ focused resource and vendor fair, bilingual Drag Queen Story Hour, and the championship finale of Live in Your Truth Program’s Drag Duels series. The day will conclude with the second annual Pride in the Plaza Mini-Ball, a free voguing competition with cash prizes, starting at 5 p.m., in partnership with Capitol Ballroom Council. Local businesses that want to support Pride in the Plaza can visit PrideInThePlaza.com/partners-in-pride.

Pride in the Plaza will showcase a diverse cross-section of local nonprofit organizations, LGBTQ+ owned businesses, artists, and networks tabling to share information about their services for Montgomery County’s LGBTQ+ communities. HIV and other health screenings will be provided free of charge, in honor of National HIV Testing Day (June 27).

Montgomery County Executive Elrich Unveils New ‘Welcome to Burtonsville’ Sign

By Patrick Herron

Published June 25, 2022 at 4:06PM

The sign unveiled today is located on the north side of Route 198 and in the 15000 block of Old Columbia Pike, adjacent to the Burtonsville Town Square Shopping Center. The other sign is located on the south side of Route 198 and in the 3100 block of Spencerville Road, directly across from the Idara Jaferia Islamic Center.

“These new signs not only enhance the sense of community in Burtonsville, but also serve to brand the area and help establish Burtonsville as a desirable destination in the County,” said County Executive Elrich. “Additionally, they are a reminder of the truly transformative improvements made to the façades and sites of several properties located along Route 198 thanks to the County’s Façade Improvement Program. On July 1, we are launching our new Countywide Façade Improvement Program. The program makes available $3.5 million in funding through Fiscal Year 2028 to support commercial property and business owners in transforming their buildings—like those here in Burtonsville—with new, visually appealing exteriors.

Bullis’ Trinity Franklin Named Girls’ Track & Field Athlete of the Year

By MCS Staff

Published June 25, 2022 at 11:38AM

Trinity Franklin, the 2022 New Balance Shot Put Indoor National Champion, was named the 2022 All-Met Track & Field Athlete of the Year by the Washington Post.

After the past two spring seasons were canceled or abbreviated, the spotlight was back on high school sports in the D.C. area in 2022. These athletes in particular raised their games when it mattered most and helped lift their schools to great success. Some will go on to compete collegiately next year, and others will return and try to replicate their standout seasons.

Churchill’s Eliot Dubick Named 2022 All-Met Boys’ Lacrosse Player of the Year

By MCS Staff

Published June 25, 2022 at 10:22AM

Churchill High School’s Eliot Dubick was named the 2022 All-Met Boys’ Lacrosse Player of the Year by the Washington Post. Dubick helped lead Churchill to the MoCo’s first State Championship in lacrosse (boys or girls) in county history.

The University of Maryland signee powered the Potomac public school to Montgomery County’s first state championship — for boys or girls — in one of the all-time best seasons for a player from the state. In Churchill’s 15-7 win over Broadneck for the 4A title, Dubick had four goals and six assists to tie the Maryland record for points in a championship game. In a semifinal the previous week, he scored or assisted on all of Churchill’s goals in its 10-8 win against Sherwood. Dubick finished with 73 goals and 94 assists, breaking Maryland’s single-season points record by 20.

The Washington Post Endorses David Blair for Montgomery County Executive

By MCS Staff

Published June 25, 2022 at 9:33AM | Updated June 25, 2022 at 10:04AM

The Washington Post has endorsed David Blair for County Executive in Montgomery County. In an opinion piece published this morning by the newspaper’s editorial board, the Post said that “Mr. Blair is right that unless Montgomery steps up its economic development game, improves transportation alternatives and rebalances its affordable housing supply to meet demand, the county’s prospects are anemic,” and “His detailed, proactive plan is the right medicine to revitalize the county. And his smart approach to rising crime — he would both support and reform the police — would be an upgrade on Mr. Elrich, who bungled the hiring of a new police chief.”

While supporting Blair, the post also calls Hans Riemer a “far superior” option than Elrich, saying “We also admire Mr. Riemer, a principled public servant who has challenged many of Mr. Elrich’s wrong-headed and destructive positions, and courageously stood up to bullying by county employee unions whose lavish contracts he sought to moderate.”

Sherwood Junior Amari Allen Named All-Met Baseball Player of the Year

By MCS Staff

Published June 25, 2022 at 9:21AM

Sherwood High School Junior Amari Allen was named the 2022 All-Met Baseball Player of the Year by the Washington Post after helping lead the Warriors to the team’s second straight 4A Maryland State Championship. He went undefeated as a pitcher (9-0 with 81 strikeouts and an ERA of just .56).

A dynamic pitcher with a 90-plus-mph fastball and a powerful hitter who tied the state record for home runs in a season (13), Allen was a force in earning Sherwood its second straight Maryland 4A title. The Class 4A co-player of the year batted .516 for the season and had back-to-back multi-hit games in a semifinal and final at the state tournament. On the mound, Allen went 9-0 with 81 strikeouts and a 0.56 ERA.

Wootton’s Helen Sarikulaya Named All-Met Girls’ Tennis Player of the Year

By MCS Staff

Published June 25, 2022 at 9:02AM

Helen Sarikulaya of Wootton High School has been named All-Met Girls’ Tennis Player of the Year by the Washington Post. Helen went undefeated this year and won the 4A Maryland Singles Title.

With graceful confidence, Sarikulaya both motivated her squad and went undefeated to win the Maryland Class 4A singles title. By winning medals and helping train her teammates, she demonstrated a natural leadership that was key to her team’s success.

Montgomery Parks to Host Online Community Meeting on New Neighborhood Park Planned in the Lyttonsville Area

By MCS Staff

Published June 25, 2022 at 7:00AM

Montgomery Parks invites the public to participate in a virtual community meeting about a new neighborhood park in the Lyttonsville community of Silver Spring. The meeting will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Parks staff will present information about the proposed new park and encourage input and questions from meeting attendees.

The site is currently being used as a staging area for purple line construction and will be transferred to M-NCPPC upon completion of the Purple Line. The intent of the project is to create a neighborhood green, and a rest stop with amenities along the Capital Crescent Trail while providing environmental benefits, accessibility, and social connections.

New Policy Bans County Payment for Travel to States With Policies That Roll Back a Woman’s Right to Choose; Full Statement From County Executive Marc Elrich

By MCS Staff

Published June 24, 2022 at 2:57PM

In response to the Supreme Court ruling today in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, County Executive Marc Elrich released a statement and directed Montgomery County’s Chief Administrative Officer Richard S. Madaleno to draft a new policy for County employees (with limited exceptions) that bars County payment for travel to states with policies that roll back a woman’s right to choose. The fulll statement and memo can be seen below:

“The Supreme Court ruling today jeopardizes women, rolls back fundamental rights, and, ultimately, will significantly impact the health and life of many women in our Country. This ruling turns the clock back on the progress that has been made to ensure the right of women to have an abortion. This is not about law, this is about a twisted ideology. The irony is that this decision comes one day after we celebrated Title IX and its impact on the progress of women. I am very concerned that there will be additional rollbacks from this court that will impact our rights.

Discounted Tickets Available for County Pools for Monday, July 4

By Patrick Herron

Published June 24, 2022 at 12:37PM

The seven outdoor pools include the following:

Outdoor pool hours for July 4 are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 3-6 p.m. Tickets will be valid for the session selected and are nonrefundable. Residents can purchase up to 10 tickets. Tickets will be scanned at the door and a valid photo ID is required. The primary purchaser must present the ticket upon entry for the entire group. Once the ticket is redeemed guest are not allowed re-entry. Buy tickets here.