Leggett Heartened by Governor’s Purple Line Announcement

Following Governor Larry Hogan’s announcement on June 25 that he would “be moving forward” with some funding for the 16-mile light rail Purple Line from Bethesda to New Carrollton, County Executive Ike Leggett issued the following response:

“I am heartened by the Governor’s decision today.

“I look forward to further discussions with the Governor over every aspect of the Purple Line – cost, design, construction schedule, and the role Montgomery County will be able to play in making the Purple Line a reality.

“Enabling people to move around the Washington, D.C. Metro area is extremely important to our overall quality of life. It is important for us to continue to invest in new businesses that create jobs and grow our tax base. Montgomery County benefits. Prince George’s County benefits. And, the State of Maryland really benefits.

“That’s the message I recently delivered to Governor Larry Hogan when I met with him to further discuss the need to build the Purple Line.

“That is what I believe the Purple Line is all about.”


Read the Purple Line Preliminary Economic Impact Study Part 1: Update  and the Purple Line Preliminary Economic Impact Study Part 2: Update.

County’s Holiday Schedule and Fireworks for Independence Day

County residents don’t have to go far to enjoy traditional fireworks celebrations on the Fourth. Mid-County Sparkles and Germantown Glory are presenting evenings of entertainment, family fun and, of course, fireworks.

Montgomery County government will observe the following holiday schedule for Independence Day on Friday, July 3 (observed):

• County Offices – closed
• Libraries – closed
• County liquor stores – open (open on July 4, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
• Recreation – all indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities will be open as scheduled; on July 4 the Germantown Indoor Swim Center will close at 3 p.m., all other aquatic facilities will close at 6 p.m.; swim lessons will meet as scheduled; administrative offices, senior centers and community recreation centers will be closed
• Montgomery Parks -- most Parks facilities are open during holiday weekend. For operating schedules, visit www.MontgomeryParks.org. 
• Ride On – Saturday schedule
• Metrobus – Saturday schedule (Saturday supplemental on July 4)
• Metrorail – Saturday schedule (special service on July 4)
• TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) – closed
• Refuse/recycling pickup – regular collection (no collection on Saturday, July 4*)
• Transfer Station – open (closed on Saturday, July 4)
• Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – free
• MCPS Administrative Offices – closed
• State offices and courts – closed

*There will not be a “slide;” regular collection services will be provided the week before and after the holiday.

Residents Encouraged to Make this a “Summer of Safety”

To help provide residents with essential safety information throughout the summer months, the County has rolled out “Summer of Safety,” a comprehensive educational, social media and online resource of safety and prevention information geared to the season. The goal of the campaign is to improve safety by raising awareness about common summertime risks and provide a County-unified information resource for ways to reduce risks and prevent hazards.

Daily safety message tweets using “#MoCoSafety” are being sent from the Montgomery County and other County departments’ Twitter feeds to alert followers to new safety information that will be added to the Summer of Safety web page from June 22 through August 30.

Those without access to -- or who prefer not to use -- social media, can sign up on the Summer of Safety web page for weekly email delivery of the safety tips.

The tips focus on safety issues that affect everyone and are related to: pedestrians, swimming pool use, summer storms, picnics and cook-outs, 4th of July, preventing Lyme disease, life-saving methods such as CPR and other topics. Every Monday, the campaign will introduce new safety topic messages and post any “this-just-in” safety and event information based on what’s going on in the news.

Fourth of July, the first holiday of the official summer season is coming up. Opportunities for weekend partying abound. The Summer of Safety tips really sparkle with what you need to know to stay safe regarding fireworks, grilling, picnicking and making sure your second-story deck can hold a partying crowd.

See ”What’s on the Grill “safety tips and check out information on the County’s fireworks celebrations.

Silver Spring Library Opens with Fanfare, Large Turnout

See 'photo slider' above.

Downtown Silver Spring’s latest landmark – the new Silver Spring Library – opened on June 20 to a steady stream of 3,960 customers and visitors between noon and 6 p.m., many of whom did more than just check out the building – they checked out materials; too, 4,380 items to be exact.

The ribbon cutting ceremony drew a crowd of approximately 500 persons of all ages. As word spread around the area, the hashtag #900Wayne took 16th place in the Top 20 of Washington's Trends for Saturday, June 20.

Located at the intersection of Wayne Ave. and Fenton St. (900 Wayne Ave.), the County’s newest urban library occupies about 63,000 gross square feet on the top three floors of the approximately 90,000 gross square foot structure.

Kefa Café, a Silver Spring-based coffee house/eatery serving gourmet, organic, fair trade coffee, pastries and sandwiches, is on the first floor by the Fenton Street entrance near the escalators.

The third floor is the entry floor to the library portion of the building with access provided from both the Wayne Ave. and Fenton St. entrances.

Read more details in the news release or stop by the library and see its many features for yourself. The library is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.

2015: Year of the Veteran in Montgomery County

By proclaiming 2015 as the Year of the Veteran and Their Families, County officials are encouraging all residents to honor veterans and their families for their courage and sacrifice.

Download a copy of the proclamation (pdf). To request an alternative format of the proclamation, call 240-777-1246 (V), MD Relay 711.

"Honor and Gratitude: A Salute to Montgomery County's Vietnam Veterans" will be held on October 24 at The Universities of Shady Grove, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The event will honor and thank Vietnam Veterans, Vietnam Era Veterans, Gold Star wives and mothers and significant others. Sponsored by the Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs in partnership with Montgomery County Media and the County Council.

To check on updates about the event, visit the Veterans’ Affairs homepage.

Be a Hero this Summer…READ!

Every hero has a story, and children (birth to 12 years old) and teens (ages 13 through 17) – can learn about heroes and a variety of other subjects during Montgomery County Public Libraries’ (MCPL) Summer Reading program from now through August 9.

Each branch will host free programs, such as magic shows, live animals and music, with many of the programs focusing on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math). The programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County Inc.; local chapters of the Friends of the Library; and MCPL.

To ensure all children and teens can participate, any overdue fines on their library accounts can be reduced by reading and then earning “Library Bucks.” More information about this program is available at each MCPL branch.

To register, just visit any of the 21 branches or sign up on MCPL’s website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library.

Butterflies are Back at Brookside

Brookside Gardens has announced the return of its popular seasonal Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly and Caterpillar exhibit featuring hundreds of live butterflies from all over the world.

The exhibit is open from now to October 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Fee: $8, ages 13 and up; $5, ages 3-12; Free, ages 0-2

Get more information about the exhibit.

Paper, Paper and…the Most Paper (and People) Ever

The figures are in and they show that the latest paper shredding and recycling event hosted by Montgomery County, Montgomery College, NBC4, Allstate and Shred-It, held on June 20 at Montgomery College, Rockville campus, was the largest, most successful event of its type to date.

According to figures from the Division of Solid Waste Services (DSWS), the event:

• served 3,308 cars;
• shredded and recycled about 42 tons of paper;
• recycled nearly 5 tons of cardboard boxes; and
• was supported by 29 volunteers.

Missed this event? Sign up for our paper shredding updates and reminders to be among the first to know about future shredding and recycling opportunities.

DSWS thanks everyone in the record-setting crowd who helped us recycle more and set a record in the process.

See more.

Homeland Security Secretary Attends Session on County’s Model on Social Cohesion, Public Safety

Officials attending were (from left): Rev. Mansfield Kaseman, Interfaith community liaison in the Office of Community Partnerships; County Executive Ike Leggett; Police Chief Tom Manger; Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson; David Gersten, CVE coordinator for DHS; an Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties for DHS; and Dr. Hedieh Mirahmadi, WORDE founder and president. 

County Executive Ike Leggett recently welcomed Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to a meeting at the International Cultural Center in Montgomery Village to hear about the County’s model for achieving social cohesion and public safety developed through the Faith Community Working Group (FCWG) in partnership with the World Organization for Research Development and Education (WORDE). The model is being promoted across the country, and representatives from 34 countries have come to study it. Dr. Hedieh Mirahmadi, founder and president of WORDE, has spoken on it in Canada, Denmark and England.

Attended by 120 persons, the meeting, was an opportunity for community stakeholders to demonstrate both the dynamic relationships fostered through the establishment of the FCWG and the community’s commitment to collaborating with local and federal government officials to discuss ways to improve public safety.

County Earns National Gold Excellence Award for Integrated Solid Waste Management System, Programs and Facilities to Manage Waste, Recycling

The Division of Solid Waste Services (Department of Environmental Protection) has earned the Gold Excellence Award in the Integrated Solid Waste Management Systems category from the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA).

The annual Excellence Awards Program recognizes outstanding solid waste programs and facilities that demonstrate environmentally and economically sound solid waste management practices. The award-winning programs and facilities use effective technologies and processes, safeguard health and safety, and include successful public education and outreach programs.

The County’s integrated solid waste management system consists of: 

• interrelated programs that promote waste reduction and recycling; 
• a full range of brick-and-mortar facilities -- including a recycling center, transfer station, household hazardous waste center, yard trim composting facility and a resource recovery facility; and 
• a combination of modern collection services and top-quality customer service focus.

Read more in the news release.