Per Montgomery County: August starts giving hints that the end of summer could be in sight, so the nature centers of Montgomery Parks are offering many ways to make the most of the month. The schedule includes a class on how to make citronella candles that can ward off mosquitoes and a walk through the wildflowers of the Locust Grove Nature Center in Bethesda.
The August schedule of special events at nature centers will include:
Per Montgomery County: Shoppers in Maryland can continue to save by not paying the State sales tax of six percent on qualifying clothing and footwear priced $100 or less through midnight on Saturday, Aug. 19. The first $40 of back/bookbag sales also qualify.
“Clothing or footwear” means an article of apparel designed to be worn on or about the human body, states the definition from the Office of the Maryland Comptroller. “Accessory items” include, but are not limited to, jewelry, watches, watchbands, handbags, handkerchiefs, umbrellas, scarves, ties, headbands and belt buckles.
Per Montgomery County: The 16th Annual “Bluegrass on the Farm” festival on Saturday, Sept. 9, will feature a hayride full of top entertainers at the Montgomery County Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood. Top performers scheduled include Big Howdy, the Red Line Ramblers and Karen Collins and the BackRoads Band.
The scenic 455-acre park offers lots of lawn seating. Concert attendees should bring their own chairs or blankets for seating and can bring their own food. There will be food available for purchase on site. Attendees also can bring their own instruments to jam before the show or between acts. Parking is free and leashed pets are welcome.
Montgomery County, MD is commonly known as being a suburb of the nation’s capital, but what might surprise some is that it is also home to a thriving biotech ecosystem. With over 350 life sciences companies, including global brands like AstraZeneca, United Therapeutics, and Novavax, Montgomery County anchors the third largest biophama hub in the U.S., behind only Boston and San Francisco.
Running annually in Washington D.C. for over 25 years, World Vaccine Congress attracts an international audience from over 80 countries and convenes more than 3,000 people to learn about the latest trends, research, and technologies in the vaccine industry. This year, Montgomery County took center stage, with a featured session on the extensive Biologics Value Chain in the County, as well as a session during which County Executive Marc Elrich spoke about the extensive resources available to companies here, and an exhibit space showcasing these resources.
A Complete Biologics Value Chain in One Region
One of the defining strengths of Montgomery County is its ability to support the full lifecycle of biologics, all the way from early research to large-scale manufacturing. During the panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Stefanie Trop, Director of Life Sciences at the Maryland Department of Commerce, local leaders emphasized that the region’s strength lies in its network of partners who work collaboratively across discovery, development, testing, and production. Panelists from companies in all stages of the value chain spectrum included Dr. Andrew Lees, Founder of Fina Biosolutions, Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies at AstraZeneca, Dr. Helen Sabzevari President & CEO of Precigen, and Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer of Integrated BioTherapeutics.
This end-to-end capability in close geographical proximity gives companies a unique advantage and is rare to find in other markets, even established ones like San Francisco and Boston. In fact, only a handful of places worldwide offer the combination of infrastructure, expertise, and collaboration found in Montgomery County and if diversity, education and population density are taken into consideration – then Montgomery County standouts even more.
“Gaithersburg is one of the six places in the world where we can do what we’re doing,” explained Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, AstraZeneca. “We have the right partners at every step of the value chain [in Montgomery County].”
A Strong Partnership Network
Biotech breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation. They depend on strong partnerships between private companies, local and state governments, academic institutions, and workforce training organizations. Montgomery County has intentionally cultivated these connections, making collaboration and coordination defining characteristics of its life sciences ecosystem.
Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer at IBT Bioservices, a full service CRO offering clinical & preclinical contract research services, says the company’s close partnerships between them and local stakeholders have been crucial to its success. “As a Rockville-based company, we’re grateful for the partnership and support from city, County, and state leaders,” explained Dr. Holtsberg. “These programs have helped fuel our growth, and we’re excited about the continued momentum of our community.” (more…)
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration has initiated a safety study along MD 190 (River Road) from Springfield Drive to Little Falls Parkway in Montgomery County. The purpose of the study is to improve pedestrians’ and bicyclists’ safety along approximately 4,000 linear feet of MD 190, which includes multiple driveways and nine intersections. The study is expected to be completed summer 2023 and the results will be presented during a virtual meeting on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 6:30-8 p.m.
The virtual meeting will be held on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 6:30-8 p.m. Details are available on the State Highway Administration-District 3 Web page: https://bit.ly/MDOTSHA-D3. You may attend by using Microsoft Teams Live or by calling 1-443-409-5228, Conference ID: ID: 302 157 731# on your phone. Those calling in will be able to hear the presenters and discussion but will be unable to see the presentation.
Join Kaiser Permanente for Healthy at the Harbor, a free community health and wellness event taking place Saturday, June 6, from 11 am to 4 pm at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Bring your family and friends for free full day of fun, fitness, and preventive care along the waterfront.
Throughout the day, Kaiser Permanente nurses and physicians will offer no-cost health screenings, alongside a health and wellness expo focused on preventive care education. A lively Kids’ Zone will keep children active and entertained with spin-art bikes, face painting, balloon art, games, and more.
Per Montgomery County: An amendment to Montgomery County Code Chapter 8-27 regarding the demolition or removal of buildings will go into effect on Monday, Aug. 21, to ensure that when a residential building is demolished or substantially demolished, a demolition permit will be required. The law also will require any new home rebuilt on that site have a new home building permit. The County’s Department of Permitting Services (DPS) issues the permits.
The amended legislation redefines the term demolition to include removal of two-thirds (67 percent) of first story exterior walls of a single-family or two-family dwelling (duplex or townhouse) or if less than one-third of existing first-floor exterior walls (enclosing a habitable space of a house) are left in place above the basement or foundation.
Per Montgomery County: Americorps, which has been helping recent high school graduates build confidence and skills to advance to their next steps in life, is seeking to recruit recent graduates who are wondering about their future. As part of “Project Change,” Americorps volunteers would be placed in a variety of positions, earning stipends for their work.
Applications are now being accepted for positions that will be filled soon.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich made the following statement via social media: “Montgomery County’s Urban Search and Rescue team today is on its way to assist and will use its training and equipment in this massive recovery effort in Hawaii led by Maui County, the State of Hawaii, and FEMA. Our Montgomery County Urban Search and Rescue team is part of a highly specialized 70-member group known as Maryland Task Force 1. This team is among the best in the country, so it has experience with situations like this. It is my hope that its presence will help bring closure to the families impacted by this terrible tragedy.
Our thoughts go out to the people of Maui County and the people of Hawaii as they deal with this unthinkable event. This assignment will be difficult for all the search and rescue teams that have been deployed. I want to thank them for their unwavering commitment to assist others in their time of need. The search and rescue teams will make sure people in need get the help they deserve.
Jolloff Etcetera recently opened at 11237 New Hampshire Avenue, which was the longtime home of Hunan Manor (there for 20 years by most recent ownership group) until it closed permanently in February 2022. The restaurant is located in the White Oak Shopping Center near Dollar City and Montgomery County liquor store.
Jolloff Etcetera offers Nigerian cuisine and opened its first location in nearby Hyattsville, MD (Prince George’s County). The menu offers a variety of Nigerian cuisine, including Jolloff rice, grilled fish, fried rice, multiple soups, and more. Featured photo courtesy of Jolloff Etcetera.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a report of “someone burning clothes on the top floor” of the Glenmont Metro Parking garage at approximately 11am on Wednesday morning.
According to MCFRS Assistant Chief David Pazos, Metro employees were able to extinguish the burning clothes on the top floor of the garage. There were no injuries and no extension of the fire. “Metro Police has taken over the scene while the fire department units go in-service.” No details currently available on why the fire was started. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.
The Rockville City Police Department will be holding a gun buyback event on Saturday, August 26, from 9am-1pm at RedGate Park in Rockville. Last year over 300 hundred guns were turned at similar event. Full details below:
The Rockville City Police Department, in partnership with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office and Montgomery County Public Schools, will host a gun buyback event from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at RedGate Park – 14500 Avery Road, Rockville, MD 20850.
Permanent signage is up for Akira Ramen & Izakaya in Gaithersburg. The restaurant will be located next to Ela Mesa Taste of Greece (109 Paramount Park Drive) in the Spectrum Town Center. Construction is progressing, but there’s plenty of work left to go before there’s a better idea of when the restaurant will open. Akira’s first restaurant opened in 2017 at The Galvan in Rockville.
Per Akira: At Akira Ramen, we specialize in taking the authentic ramen experience to the next level. First, we offer unique in-house broth that would suit everyones’ taste: Tonkatsu salt, Miso, Shoyu and Vegetable broth. With extra toppings as an option, you can customize your ramen anytime. Second, our thin and curly noodles are made in-house daily.