Montgomery Parks Archives - Page 37 of 51

Virtual Community Meeting on the Latest Updates for Long Branch Parks Initiative

Published January 22, 2023 at 10:26AM

Montgomery Parks will host a virtual community meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. The meeting will be presented in English and Spanish and provide an overview of design recommendations for Long Branch Local Park and Long Branch-Arliss Neighborhood Park. The recommendations are a result of community feedback received during the Long Branch Parks Initiative(opens in a new tab) that Montgomery Parks launched in April 2022. “Since launching this initiative, we have had meaningful conversations with residents of Long Branch about improvements to their parks,” said Christie Ciabotti, project landscape architect at Montgomery Parks. “As a next step, we are excited to share the concepts for these two parks with the community for their feedback so that we can continue progressing with the plans.”

Community members will have 30 days after the community meeting to provide their feedback on the parks department’s open town hall (opens in a new tab)online forum about the park concepts. Following the 30-day period parks’ staff will review the input to inform the next steps in the design process.

Montgomery Parks to Present Traffic Study Results for Little Falls Parkway Pilot Project at Virtual Public Meeting on February 15

By MCS Staff

Published January 19, 2023 at 4:31PM

 Montgomery Parks will host a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. to present data from traffic studies conducted on Little Falls Parkway between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue. The meeting will take place on Zoom. (Click the link to join.) Participants have the option to register online for the meeting to receive project updates. The traffic counts were conducted during May, July, September, and December of 2022 as part of the Little Falls Parkway pilot project, The pilot project was initiated to address concerns with cut-through traffic in adjacent neighborhoods associated with the weekend closures of Little Falls Parkway while retaining space for recreation on the parkway. “We initiated the Little Falls Parkway pilot project to study whether two lanes between Dorset Avenue and Arlington Road could adequately accommodate vehicle traffic and potentially create more space for park users,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks. “Now that the analysis is complete, we want to share this information with the public.”

After the public meeting, Montgomery Parks will present the findings of the traffic studies to the Montgomery Planning Board in a hearing during which members of the public will have the opportunity to testify. The Planning Board will then review the Parks Department’s recommendations and the public testimony and determine whether to proceed with the pilot project in a subsequent meeting. The Planning Board public hearing and meeting dates are yet to be determined but will likely be held in late March and early April. Once the dates are set, they will be publicly announced and posted on the Parks Department’s website on the project page.

Things To Do This Weekend (January 20-22, 2023) at Montgomery Parks

By MCS Staff

Published January 19, 2023 at 2:06PM

Playtime: Black Hill Regional Park is the place to bring your children three and older for exploring, creating, and climbing during Wild Forest Time(opens in a new tab) on Sunday, January 22, from 1 pm to 3 pm. Staff will supply materials and space in the woods, and your kids supply imagination and sense of adventure. Free drop-in program. Meet at Shelter F on Parking Lot 3.

Health: Adults, increase your flexibility and strength, and cultivate your mental focus with Yoga at Brookside Gardens(opens in a new tab) on Saturday, January 21, 9:30 am. Bring your own mat. Ages eighteen and older only.

Montgomery Parks Warns of Canine Influenza in County and Urges Dog Owners to Take Precautions

By MCS Staff

Published January 17, 2023 at 3:50PM

Montgomery Parks  is alerting park visitors and dog park users of a canine influenza (dog flu) outbreak affecting Montgomery County and the Washington, DC area. Dog owners should take precautions to ensure their pets’ health and safety. According to the Montgomery County Office of Animal Services, the respiratory disease is caused by a specific strain of Type A Influenza virus and is highly contagious. While most cases of dog flu are mild, more severe disease can lead to death. “Canine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory virus that affects dogs. Vaccination and avoiding contact with any unknown dogs or dogs who are showing signs of upper respiratory infection are the best ways to protect pets. Please talk to your vet about getting vaccinated today,” said Dr. Gregory Lawrence, DVM Chief Veterinarian for Montgomery County Office of Animal Services.

Montgomery Parks advises dog owners and dog park users in the county to contact their veterinarians if they notice symptoms of dog flu, which include cough, runny nose, eye discharge, fever, lethargy, and poor appetite. Infected dogs should be separated from other dogs for at least 28 days and not go to dog parks, doggy daycare, or grooming and boarding facilities. Some ways to help protect your dog from becoming ill include:

Things To Do in Montgomery Parks January 13-15, 2023

By MCS Staff

Published January 12, 2023 at 10:43AM

Volunteering: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.” Honor his memory during MLK Week of Service and volunteer with Montgomery Parks. Pick up litter at a park and stream cleanup or remove invasive, nonnative plants at a Weed Warrior event from Saturday, January 14, through Saturday, January 21. Go to Volunteer Services(opens in a new tab) on our website to sign up.

Gardening: Thomas Christopher, author of Nature into Art: The Gardens of Wave Hill, gives a virtual tour of Bronx’s Wave Hill Public Gardens and discusses sustainability and climate change during this online presentation on Saturday, January 14, 10 am, brought to you by Brookside Gardens’ staff. Register for this online event(opens in a new tab).

Montgomery Parks issues call to artists for public art to be installed in Gene Lynch Urban Park

By MCS Staff

Published January 10, 2023 at 1:42PM

Montgomery Parks part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is seeking qualifications from artists who are interested in creating a new public art installation at Gene Lynch Urban Park. The newly completed .25-acre park is in downtown Silver Spring, Md., and includes an open lawn area, walls for seating, a pergola structure with bench swings, extensive landscape planting, irrigation, and lighting. A 10-foot by 13-foot concrete wall serves as a focal point of the park for the public artwork. Artists can view the scope of work and information about how to submit their qualifications on the Gene Lynch Urban Park webpage. The deadline for applications is March 10, 2023.

“This park, named for the late Montgomery Planning Board Commissioner Gene Lynch is situated at a busy crossroads near one of the most popular metro stops in the Washington region and along a two-way bike lane. It’s a new respite for passersby to take a break from their busy days to meet up with friends, enjoy lunch or just take a few moments to reflect. The artwork will be a wonderful addition to this new open space,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks.

Montgomery Parks announces operating hours and programming for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

By MCS Staff

Published January 10, 2023 at 1:40PM

Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, announces programming and operating hours for the 2023 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (MLK Day) holiday.

Open Parkways Schedule: The Open Parkways will be extended during the MLK holiday weekend. During this time, parkways are open to pedestrians and bicyclists and closed to motor vehicles

Montgomery Parks Announces January Special Events and Programs

By MCS Staff

Published December 30, 2022 at 12:47PM

Montgomery Parks has a varied lineup of special events and programs in January, including New Year’s hikes, Three Kings Day celebration, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day volunteer opportunities and lots of outdoor adventures. It’s a new year and there’s always fun to be had and new things to learn at Montgomery Parks.

January events in Montgomery Parks include:

Porky The Litter Eater

By MCS Staff

Published December 29, 2022 at 1:59PM

If you’ve been to Cabin John Regional Park in the last half century or so you’ve probably seen a bizarre, miniature house-like structure that has a pig face with its mouth wide open on one side. That’s Porky. You can feed him paper and cardboard and soft drink cans, but you can’t feed him bottles or broken glass…glass gives him a tummy ache.

Porky has been there since 1966, making his debut one year after Billy the Litter Eater over at Wheaton Regional Park. “I still have nightmares of my arm getting sucked into this thing” commented Richard Schaffer as he shared a picture of the famous trash dispenser. Creepy Basement, a popular website that is comprised of creepy highlights from across the world, refers to Porky as an “eternally hungry demon pig that commands children to feed him with his creepy 1950s radio voice.”

Things To Do Dec. 23 – Jan. 2 (Montgomery Parks)

By MCS Staff

Published December 22, 2022 at 10:38AM

Happy holidays! How are you going to keep the kids busy during their winter break? We have these suggestions for activities around Montgomery Parks in this special edition of Parks’ Picks for Friday, December 23, 2022, through Monday, January 2, 2023.

Per Montgomery Parks: Get the children outdoors. Burn off some energy at the playground. We have 276 playgrounds, so there is no shortage of something new to explore. Bring a ball and play a game of soccer, football, or basketball. Pack a lunch and snacks and go hiking! Montgomery Parks has 280 miles of both paved and natural surface trails.

Montgomery Parks Announces Operating Hours and Programming For the Period of December 23 Through New Year’s Day

By MCS Staff

Published December 20, 2022 at 1:53PM

Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, announces programming and operating hours for the 2022 winter holiday break with a variety of events for the whole family.

Extended Open Parkways Schedule: The Open Parkways will be extended during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. During this time, parkways are open to pedestrians and bicyclists and closed to motor vehicles.