Montgomery Parks Offers Volunteer Opportunities for Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Service

Montgomery Parks is looking for volunteers interested in participating in the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Weekend of Service Saturday, Jan. 18 through Monday, Jan. 20. Residents are encouraged to volunteer to honor Dr. King's life and legacy and to improve their communities.

Projects include Weed Warrior events to eliminate non-native invasive plant species from parks and trash cleanups to beautify parks and streams. Registration is required to participate in the volunteer events. Visit the Montgomery Parks volunteer webpage to sign up for an MLK Day weekend project or other volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

Montgomery Parks Offers Summer Camps with Registration Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 21

Although there may still be snow on the ground, now is the time to start planning summer schedules. Montgomery Parks summer camp registration begins at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The Summer Camp Guide is available online now and offers a complete listing of camp offerings. More than 75 camps are scheduled this year for a wide range of activities, including sports, science, art and nature.

The camps will be held at Montgomery Parks nature centers, tennis centers, the Cabin John Ice Rink, the Wheaton Sports Pavilion and the South Germantown Golf Range. No camps will be held this year at the Wheaton Ice Arena due to a facility renovation. 

Camps include half-day and full-day options for young people ages 3 to 17, with aftercare available for select camps. Some teen camps include overnight camping. A complete list of camps can be found on ActiveMontgomery.org. Register by Friday, April 4, and receive an early bird discount of $25 off select camps.

Message from the County Executive Marc Elrich

 

Dear Friends,

Well this week’s snow was the first time we’ve had a snow emergency since 2016. It is hard to sum up the massive effort in response to our most significant winter storm in years. The snow was beautiful in some ways, as our Office of Agriculture captured in the picture below and shared on social media. However, the snow also proved to be a challenge our County met and continues to respond to.

The County was in a Cold Emergency Alert most of the week because of the dangerously cold weather. At times, the wind chill made temperatures feel below 20 degrees. Those conditions can result in frostbite on exposed skin within 30 minutes and/or hypothermia. Warning signs can include shivering, exhaustion, confusion and loss of motor skills with your hands. It can also bring about memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness. When infants get too cold, their skin becomes cold to the touch and bright red. They also show very low energy.

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) used 650 snow removal crews throughout the week to remove snow and ice from 1,661 miles of primary roads and more than 3,600 miles of residential streets. We will continue to respond to the public and return to areas where ice remains. You can report ice on the roads by calling 311 or online through our County Snow Portal.

One note about snow removal: our plow drivers aim to make roads passable. Sometimes, that is accomplished during a storm even if bare pavement is not clearly visible. Below are images of passable streets that were plowed and treated by our crews. You can read more from MCDOT here.

This two-tiered storm required more attention on primary roads than initially believed. Some streets proved to be more challenging than others. Because of that, some snow removal crews had to switch to steel-tip plows temporarily. The County prefers to limit the use of that equipment because of the damage it can cause to the road itself.

Our County also worked to keep people without housing out of the cold. Our shelters were at capacity, but in some locations, extra accommodations were made to ensure safety because of the storm.

While a snow day is often fun for kids and those who get the day off work – for our entire government, it is multiple days and long hours of challenging and sometimes dangerous work. This was an all-hands-on-deck effort. That includes work through the County’s Regional Service Centers, 911 and 311 operators. as well as snowplow drivers and bus drivers. Councilmembers also took questions, dealt with issues and put out proactive communications through the storm.

I also want to thank our partners at the State Departments of Transportation, Emergency Management and Police, as well as the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and the National Weather Service for their collaborative efforts.

I want to remind everyone that libraries, senior centers and recreation centers are open during normal hours as places to stay warm. I hope we are done with this bitter cold soon. Thank you to everyone who looked out for and helped their neighbors and communities during this storm.

Watch Out for Water Main Breaks

On Monday, we worked closely with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) to address a significant water main break in downtown Bethesda. WSSC moved quickly to repair the pipe damage, but I do not expect this to be the last water main break we see in the County.

WSSC tracks the Potomac River's temperature because it often correlates with water main breaks. When the river temperature gets too low—like it did this week—they typically see an increase in broken pipes.

Older pipes are most impacted by the colder water, causing them to break. Approximately 40 percent of the water mains in the WSSC system are more than 50 years old. The pipe that broke this week on Wisconsin Avenue was originally installed 93 years ago in 1932. This is another example of the infrastructure investment needs that we need to tend to year after year.

I encourage you to visit WSSC’s website for tips on how to best care for your home's water pipes.

Montgomery County Urges Sustainable Salt Use During Winter Storms

As we clean up from this snowstorm, I want to highlight the collaboration between our Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Department of Transportation (MCDOT) and WSSC Water on the SaltWise campaign.

We have encouraged all our departments to adopt sustainable salt use practices to protect water quality and the environment. For example, MCDOT monitors road temperatures to limit the use of salt brine it applies to the road.

Excessive salt used to de-ice pavement and asphalt can damage our infrastructure and threaten public health. WSSC warns that rising salt levels in rivers cannot be filtered, potentially posing health risks.

By being careful with salt use, you can help reduce salt runoff into drinking water sources like the Potomac and Patuxent rivers.

To be SaltWise:

• Shovel early and often through a storm to prevent ice build-up.
• Limit the amount of salt used to 1 1/2 cups of salt per 10 sidewalk squares or a 20-foot driveway.
• Sweep and reuse excess salt after the ice is gone.

Excessive salt use can be reported by calling 311. Keep our community and our environment in mind all winter long as we work together to safeguard our collective resources. You can learn about the best practices to follow during winter weather by visiting montgomerycountymd.gov/salt.

2025 General Assembly Session Begins

I was glad to attend the opening of the 2025 General Assembly in Annapolis this week. You can find many pictures from that visit here, including the one above with Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.

We have laid out many of our legislative priorities, which you can read here. Today I spoke to the Montgomery County delegation and recognized the challenge at the State with a staggering budget deficit of close to $3 billion. At the same time, I asked that we work together to preserve and prioritize certain strategic investments.

This means continuing to prioritize key investments that are critical to our economic growth and sustainability. Projects like our Flash Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and the Institute for Health Computing are essential not just for our region but for the entire state.

I also support the ongoing conversation about modernizing Maryland’s transportation financing structure to ensure it meets the needs of all regions equitably and effectively. A strong transportation infrastructure is an essential element of economic vibrancy. We learned that from the Amazon bid process, and it is what I hear from nearly every company I have met with. People do not realize that part of the State’s bid for Amazon was a very large investment in transit along the MD 355 corridor. And our BRT is designed as a system that connects residents with jobs. You can read more about our work on BRT here.

We need to invest in our transportation infrastructure, and I told our state partners that we do not expect them to provide all the funding. We want to be partners in this effort and are asking for local authority for differential tax rates to fund transportation infrastructure. It is how Northern Virginia funded the Silver Line and attracted major investment. One major consultant compared our situation vis a vis Northern Virginia. If a company is choosing between us and Fairfax County, and they ask which County can deliver the infrastructure in their master plans in a timely way, a consultant would tell them Virginia will do it, but we have no idea what or when Montgomery County could deliver it. They want certainty that the taxes they pay will be used to build the critical transportation infrastructure. We have so much else going for us, but to score badly on infrastructure is something we should and can fix.

The State will also be discussing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future while navigating the current fiscal realities. I certainly understand the challenges, and we are facing some major financial challenges locally with our school system so we can’t have additional financial burdens passed to local government.

Our local school system has real challenges that have been ignored for too long, independent of the costs associated with the Blueprint. I appreciate that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor is taking this seriously, focusing on things that are most impactful in the classroom, trimming administration and being cognizant of spiraling costs tied to health care insurance. I give the superintendent credit for being frank about the financial situation we are in with our schools and recognizing the need to slim down administrative costs within MCPS. You can see the MCPS proposal here.

As always, I appreciate the partnership we share with the Montgomery County Delegation, Governor Moore and his administration, and the General Assembly. Every time I visit Annapolis, I am there to listen, learn and offer my help in any way that moves our common goals forward.

This week, I welcomed Del. Julie Palakovich Carr to my media briefing. She is chair of the Montgomery County House Delegation and also serves on the Ways and Means and Joint Audit and Evaluation committees. Here is a link to her comments.

Attainable Housing Strategies Update

This week County Council Vice President Will Jawando and Councilmember Kristin Mink expressed their concerns about the Attainable Housing Strategies (AHS) Initiative. Montgomery Planning put AHS forward for Council consideration last summer, and it was the subject of multiple community meetings this past fall.

In his statement, Councilmember Jawando suggested putting recommendations from this plan on hold indefinitely.

Councilmember Mink, in a statement posted here, said the feedback she received leads her to believe that AHS is not where we should be focusing our energy.

As many of you know, I share their concerns. As I have repeatedly said (in this video and other forums) since the Attainable Housing plan was shared publicly, it does not address our most pressing need, which is affordable housing. Spending time and resources on any housing plan that does not add to, protect or preserve our affordable housing stock does not help us address our goals. As Councilmember Jawando said, stable and affordable housing is a critical issue for individuals and families that cannot wait.

The community has not asked for this, and in fact, when there was an opportunity for public feedback, it was overwhelmingly negative. Those concerns should be taken seriously.

The plan is flawed because it does not reflect what people want–and that’s just the starting point. The infuriating thing is that we already have master plans in place that took community feedback into consideration when developing these growth plans. I was on one of those planning committees under then County Executive Doug Duncan and I saw the value in bringing people together to discuss the shape of development to make sure everybody’s needs were met in an honest and meaningful way. Residents on the eastern side of the County and the western side are examples of population clusters that very clearly have serious concerns with AHS.

The AHS proposal would upzone 82 percent of single-family homes. That would be an enormous change for our County that we would not be ready for. Not only that but it is not necessary to account for projected growth. The Planning Board refuses to acknowledge updated projections and the analysis from the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) that said, way back in 2019 when this started, that we do not need to rezone in the way the AHS proposes we do. It is ludicrous and outrageous that the Planning Board refuses to acknowledge that this County and all counties in the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments have already planned for future growth.

The plan put forward by Montgomery Planning would not solve the issues of affordability and yet they continue to push it despite clear opposition and serious concerns. Their approach is unnecessary and completely outside the County’s tradition of planning.

Health Update

This week, we saw our COVID-19 hospitalization numbers double. If this had been any year since the start of the pandemic, that would have been alarming. In this case, it meant we went from 16 to 32 patients since the last week of reporting. That is a far cry from where we were last year at this time, with nearly 100 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Flu-like symptoms were also a driving force behind more doctor’s office visits in the latest update from the Maryland Health Department.

I also want to share the following stories published by the press that highlight some of the great work and expertise we have working for you in Montgomery County.

‘Every day was hand-to-hand combat’: Officials five years after COVID arrived in Montgomery County

Here's a look at new laws taking effect in Maryland starting New Year's Day

What you need to know about the continued surveillance of bird flu after first U.S. death

In this next story, our Director of Transportation Chris Conklin discusses the possibility that federal workers may have to return to the office five days a week and he urges them to use our Ride On buses and other public transit to get to their offices.

Return to the office for federal workers

Lastly, I want to remind everyone that the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Strathmore is taking place on Sunday, Jan. 19. Read more about it in this newsletter.

I know that has been a lot to read and review, but it should convey that I am excited to start a new year and meet the challenges ahead.

As always, my appreciation for all of you,



Marc Elrich

County Executive

SaltWise Campaign Launched, Encouraging Sustainable Salt Practices Amid Icy Conditions

As Montgomery County residents navigate icy conditions following this week's snow, the Montgomery County Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Transportation (MCDOT), and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC Water) are urging residents and businesses to moderate salt usage during winter weather events.

The 2025 SaltWise campaign aims to increase awareness of the environmental and water quality impacts caused by excessive salt application during snow and ice events.

Read the News Release.

Helpful Winter Weather Resources

 

This week brought the first significant snow in several years, and residents may have questions about who to ask for information, how to get updates on snowplowing, who to report a power outage to and how to report other issues and concerns. The following is a list of winter resources available to residents throughout the season.  

Alert Montgomery

Alert Montgomery is a valuable tool for receiving emergency alerts, event updates, warnings and instructions delivered directly to your email or device. Sign up for Montgomery County's  Alert Montgomery. 

Helping the Unhoused

During extreme cold emergencies and winter storms, staff from the Department of Health and Human Services and community-based partners reach out to unhoused individuals and urge them to seek shelter. The County will activate emergency shelters as needed. Residents concerned about the well-being of someone who is unhoused can call the 24-hour Homeless Information Line at 240-907-2688. Outreach partners will attempt to locate the individual and urge them to come indoors to a shelter. If someone is seeking shelter, call the Crisis Center at 240-777-4000. The County may be able to offer transportation to a shelter. Outreach teams can help get someone to a shelter and if the Montgomery County Police Department encounters an unhoused individual, they provide transportation to one of the emergency shelters.

Winter Storm Information Portal

Residents often have questions about the status of plowing in their neighborhood. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) crews begin plowing and salting primary roads at the beginning of a storm before plowing and salting secondary roads and residential neighborhoods. Residents can check plowing operations and submit service requests for missed streets after plowing operations end.

MCDOT is responsible for clearing snow on 5,300 miles of County roads, including 1,608 emergency primary routes and more than 3,600 residential roads. Primary routes are kept clear as a priority for emergency vehicle access. The Maryland State Highway Administration is responsible for clearing all State roads in the County, including those designated by numbers. Find out who maintains your street on the Snow Information Portal.

MC311 Customer Service Center

MC311 is the County’s source for non-emergency government information and services. Residents can contact MC311 for information about a variety of issues, such as questions about County services offered during a storm or affected by a storm, including bulk trash or recycling bin pick-ups, fallen trees blocking roadways or sidewalks, road or sidewalk repair, shelter options, street light outages, streets not cleared within 24-36 hours after the storm ends and transit schedule changes.

MC311 is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call 3-1-1 within the County or, if outside the County, call 240-777-0311 or visit the MC311 website.

Utility Service Disruptions

To report a loss of power or other utility, reach out to the specific utility (electric, gas and water). 

If you see a downed power line, leave the area immediately and report it to Pepco. Contact the Pepco Outage Center to report an outage via the online portal. You also can text OUT to 48710 or call 1-877-737-2662:

• Pepco (Electricity): 1-877-737-2662 or Pepco Outage Center.
• Washington Gas (Gas Leaks): 1-844-927-4427 or Washington Gas Emergency.
• WSSC Water (Water and Sewer): 1-800-828-6439 or WSSC Customer Service.

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Stay Informed

For the latest snow-related updates, visit the County's Snow Information Portal and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X @MontgomeryCoMD. Visit the County’s website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov for additional information.

For the latest updates on road conditions, closures and other storm-related information, check the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security on X for updates @ReadyMontgomery.

Keep Pets Safe This Winter

Between our recent snow and frigid temperatures forecast for the upcoming week, it’s important to remind residents that during an extreme cold alert, Executive Regulation 17-17 is in place. Leaving animals outside unattended in dangerous conditions is against the law. If you see a pet in danger, call 301-279-8000. Other tips to help take care of pets:

• Even with a natural fur coat, winter can be deadly for your pets unless they are properly cared for.
• Keep them warm and dry, and indoors whenever possible.
• Provide plenty of food and water. Dehydration is especially important in winter.
• When outside, keep them bundled up. Limit outside time and thoroughly clean (including paws) when bringing them inside.
• Monitor pets for signs of hypothermia, which can include shivering, lethargy and cold ears or paws, followed by more severe symptoms, which can include muscle stiffness, lack of coordination, confusion and slowed breathing. If you notice moderate or severe symptoms, seek immediate veterinary care.
• Geriatric pets, those with underlying health conditions and dogs with thin coats may need extra precautions. 

Check the County’s Animal Services and Adoption Center website for more information.

Montgomery County to Host Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration, Jan. 19

Montgomery County will host a free celebration to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda. The celebration will feature music, storytelling, local talent and celebrity guest appearances. The Music Center is located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane.

This year’s event, “A View from the Bridge: Injustice, Resistance and Hope,” will honor Dr. King’s legacy while exploring the powerful stories of three iconic bridges that symbolize key moments in the history of civil rights in America.

The celebration will feature performances by Spur of the Moment, Daryl Davis, Shirleta Settles, Iziz la Enfermera de la Salsa, Concert Chorale of Washington, Miss Chief Rocka, Akhmedova Ballet Academy and John Sellman Jr.

The event is free, but tickets are required. For ticket information, visit the Strathmore website or the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights website. Free parking is available in the adjacent parking garage.

In addition to the celebration, Montgomery County’s Office of Human Rights and the Montgomery County Volunteer Center have partnered with Interfaith Works for a special Day of Service—the “Fill A Truck” initiative.

Organizers invite community members and attendees of the Strathmore program to participate in this meaningful act of kindness by donating toiletry items for the County’s homeless shelters.

Suggested new items for donation include portable shower caddies (for carrying items), bars of soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, lotion, lip balms, travel-size shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, new washcloths and towels. New gloves and socks are also needed.

Donations can be dropped off at the Music Center at Strathmore between 3:30-5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19. Day of Service Projects across Montgomery County are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 18, and Sunday, Jan. 19. Visit the Volunteer Center website for more information. Some events are filled and do not require additional volunteers.

Free, Nationally Recognized Six-Week Virtual Diabetes Management Workshop Starts Wednesday, Jan. 15

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Community and Population Health program—in partnership with the Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence—is offering a six-week, free online workshop to help people manage diabetes. Starting Jan. 15, all sessions of the Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) will be held on Wednesdays from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Additional classes will be on Jan. 22, 29 and Feb. 5, 12 and 19. Registration is required.

Participants will learn how to stay active, make better food choices, solve problems, make decisions and cope with the challenges of living with diabetes. The workshop also covers ways to improve eating habits, get more exercise and keep a healthy weight.

The workshop may be especially beneficial for residents in the following zip codes, where diabetes rates are higher than in other parts of the County: 20871, 20872, 20874, 20876, 20877, 20879, 20886 and 20912.

People with diabetes or those who care for someone with diabetes can register for the DSMP workshop online or by contacting Duwem Onwubiko at 240-777-1858.

Montgomery County Summer Camp Registration Begins Tuesday, Jan. 21

Montgomery County Recreation is once again hosting safe, fun and exciting camps that promote children's active and healthy lifestyles this summer. Camp registration begins at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21 for County residents.

Non-County residents will be able to register beginning Thursday, Jan. 23.  

Montgomery County Recreation camps offer a broad range of summer programs located across the County. Campers will spend most of their time outdoors with an emphasis on safety and fun. Explore the digital program GUIDE ahead of registration day and use the ActiveMONTGOMERY wish list feature to get ready for registration.

Applications are currently being accepted for 2025 Rec Assist, which provides eligible County residents an opportunity to receive a scholarship to use toward Recreation programs. Once approved, eligible residents will receive $400 on their account.

For more information about registration, visit the website or call the customer service team at 240-777-6840. On registration day, online registration at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org is encouraged. The administrative office, located at 2425 Reedie Drive, 10th Floor, Wheaton, will also open at 6:30 a.m. to support customers with in-person registration.

Job Seekers 50-and-Older Can Benefit from Free Virtual Job Fair on Tuesday, Jan. 21

Job seekers 50 and older could benefit from a free virtual job fair from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Age-friendly employers are also being sought to participate in the event, which is being co-sponsored by Montgomery County Government and the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington (JCA). To learn more about the job fair, and to register to participate, click here. Participants can join the Expo, exit, and rejoin the Expo as their schedule permits.

The event will start with two workshops created for people 50 and older seeking new positions. From noon to 3:45 p.m., guest speakers will include representatives from area employers with job openings. They will answer (live) questions in Chat. When their presentation and question-and-answer session is over, they will join Chat to answer additional questions. When they are in Chat, they respond directly to the person who asked the question.