Everything Old is New Again -- Olney Library Reopens Following Redesign, Renovation

The redesigned and renovated Olney Library opened for business on Saturday, March 15, with a large crowd of eager library customers on hand to celebrate the reopening of the new, larger facility at 3500 Olney Laytonsville Rd.

A major change for the new library is that more hours (19 more each week than before) have been added to the schedule, bringing it in line with the larger libraries in the system.

Although the new structure is dramatically different from the original library that opened in 1981, parts of the old building remain. On the outside, customers will recognize the distinctive “Delights of Reading” mosaic artwork that was transferred from the original building to the portion of the new structure overlooking the stormwater management area. Inside, bricks and wood paneling from the original building were included.

The Olney Library will be open Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

To reach the library, call 240-773-9545. The branch manager is Joseph Eagan. For additional information about the library, programs, etc., visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/branches/olney.html.

See more information in the news release.

National Conference on Ending Poverty to be Held in Silver Spring

County Executive Ike Leggett will present opening remarks at The National Conference on Ending Poverty on Saturday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place.

The conference, sponsored by A Wider Circle, in collaboration with the County’s Office of Community Partnerships, will feature presentations by national and regional experts and community leaders. There also will be a discussion by individuals who have risen out of poverty and understand the challenges firsthand.

Tickets are $20 or $10 for students.

For information or to register, visit www.awidercircle.org or call 301-609-3504.

Free Community Forum on Bullying in Schools

A free community forum and discussion about bullying in schools will be held on Saturday, March 29 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus of Montgomery College, Cultural Arts Center, 7995 Georgia Ave.

Entitled “Bullying in Schools: A Community Symposium on Prevention and Intervention Strategies,” the event is co-hosted by the Office of Human Rights, the Committee on Hate/Violence and Montgomery College.

The keynote speaker and panel moderator will be National Youth Advocate Johnnie Williams III. Panelists will include students from Montgomery County Public Schools.

Sign language interpreter services will be provided only upon request with notice as far in advance as possible, but no less than 72 hours prior to the event. If these or other services or aids are needed to participate, call 240-777-8450 or email human-rights.administration@montgomerycountymd.gov.

For more information, contact the Office of Human Rights at 240-777-8450.

Public Hearings on Proposed FY15 Operating Budget

Residents can provide input on the County’s Fiscal Year 2015 Operating Budget at any one of five public hearings, hosted by the County Council, between April 8 and 10. Residents also can offer comments on the FY15-20 County Capital Improvements Program, the FY15 Capital Budget and the WSSC FY15-20 Capital Improvements Program.

The hearings will be held in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville according to the following schedule:

Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m.; Wednesday, April 9, at 1:30 and 7 p.m.: and on Thursday, April 10 at 1:30 and 7 p.m.

The hearings will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM -- Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon) and also will be available via streaming through the County website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ccm.

The number of speaker spots available for the week is limited. To register to speak, residents should call 240-777-7803. The deadline to sign up to testify for 1:30 p.m. hearings is 5 p.m. the day before the hearing. The sign-up deadline for 7:30 p.m. hearings is 10 a.m. the day of the hearing.

In addition to speaking at the public hearings, residents can offer comments on the budget by emailing county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov; via regular mail to: County Council, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850; or by calling the Council’s budget hotline at 240-777-7802.

Get more information on the budget and the work of the Council and its committees on the budget.

Council Leaders Urge School Board Support for Healthier Food Options Program

County Council President Craig Rice and Vice President George Leventhal have written to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Joshua Starr urging MCPS to support a program that would provide healthier food options for students.

The letter includes eight recommendations for action by the Board of Education from Real Foods for Kids, a non-profit organization that is committed to educating children and adults about the importance of healthy eating and school food nutrition.

The Council leaders said they “believe these changes would go far in improving student health and would encourage smarter, healthier food choices."

Read entire letter with recommendations.

Panhandling: It’s Not Safe; It Doesn’t Help

With the coming of spring, motorists in the County may notice that panhandlers have returned to local intersections. County officials want to remind residents of the campaign launched last fall to address panhandling in Montgomery County.

The campaign, that asks that those who want to help to “Give a hand up, not a handout,” provides information about how to help panhandlers by donating to local resources that can provide assistance to those in need.

And, while panhandling is legal under the First Amendment, the simple truth is that giving cash to panhandlers doesn’t help. Those who work daily with panhandlers in homeless advocacy and other social service groups know that most panhandlers use the money they collect to support their addictions – drugs, alcohol and tobacco. None of that helps panhandlers solve their problems.

Panhandling also can cause distracted drivers and dangerous intersections.

Also, it has proven difficult to determine how the money collected will be spent. Most panhandlers are not homeless. Many come from outside Montgomery County, or even outside the state. For some, panhandling is a profession.

Extensive information about the campaign and how to provide assistance to panhandlers is available at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/panhandling/.

Success of County’s Balanced Approach to Addressing Economic Challenges Cited in Article

How a “balanced approach” to facing the challenges of the recent economic downturn has helped position the County to recover, is among the examples featured in an American City and County article entitled “Blowing up the benefits package.”

In the piece, reporter Robert Barkin notes that “Governments of all sizes are taking a strategic view of their human resource operations to assess how they can fulfill their mission in an era when cutbacks in pensions, wages, benefits and personnel have fundamentally changed the workplace.”

Montgomery County is one of various examples cited by Barkin of actions taken by local jurisdictions across the country.

Read special sidebar on Montgomery County entitled “Large benefit cuts help close budget deficits.” Included are quotes from County Executive Ike Leggett and Human Resources Director Joseph Adler.

Recreation Department Hosts Free Job Fair

Montgomery County Recreation will host a free job fair for summer camp workers and year-round temporary staff on Friday, March 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center, 14625 Bauer Dr., Rockville.

Each year, the Recreation Department hires more than 300 summer camp and temporary staff to fill positions that include camp counselors, pool aides and therapeutic recreation assistants. Representatives from aquatics, community centers, summer programs, teen programs and therapeutic recreation will be on hand to discuss the part-time temporary jobs available and offer on-site pre-screening interviews.

The fair targets youth 16 years of age and older, college students and teachers. No pre-registration is required.

For more information call 240-777-6810.

Heritage Montgomery Debuts Documentary on Five Local Historic African American Church Communities; Public Invited to Free Screening

Between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, 40 African American churches were constructed in Montgomery County. It was here where generations of black families created their own spiritual, social and educational opportunities.

Heritage Montgomery (HM) has produced a new 60-minute documentary video featuring five of these historic church communities. Entitled "Community Cornerstones: African American Communities in Montgomery County, Maryland," the video includes reminiscences by church elders whose words explain how these communities developed, illustrate life in segregated times and convey their pride in the accomplishments of their ancestors.

On March 25, HM will host a free public screening of Community Cornerstones at The Universities at Shady Grove, Auditorium, Building I, 9630 Gudelsky Dr., Rockville. A reception will be held at 6:30 p.m., followed by the screening at 7:30.

Because seating is limited, attendees must RSVP to heritagemontgomery@gmail.com.

How to “Heart Your Parks” When you Shop

Three parks in Montgomery Parks system, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, have been selected for “Heart Your Park,” a program introduced as part of Macy’s “Secret Garden” campaign that aims to raise awareness and dollars for local parks across the country.

Through March 31, customers can support Cabin John Regional Park, Flower Hill Local Park and Wheaton Regional Park by donating $1 or more at the register of the Macy’s store located in each area. Stores and corresponding parks are listed in the news release. One-hundred percent of the donations will benefit the parks, and Macy’s will match the total customer donations across all stores, dollar for dollar, up to $250,000 in total.

Macy’s stores across the country have each selected a local park or green space in their community to support through the program. Donations will go toward making improvements, such as maintaining trails, playgrounds, and ball fields, and everything in between.