Best Holiday Gift for Dog or Cat

Make sure your dog or cat has a valid rabies vaccination and a Montgomery County Pet License. Dogs and cats four months or older must wear current rabies and pet license tags. This can help save your pet’s life. If your dog or cat is lost during this busy holiday season, an immediately visible license tag on your pet’s collar is the fastest way to be reunited with your lost pet. It can only be issued with proof of vaccination against the rabies virus. Learn more from County animal services website.

If you love them, you’ll license them…and it’s the law!

Light in Deepest Night

An Advent Concert in Remembrance of the Victims of Gun Violence and in Hope for a More Peaceful World. View County calendar.

Living in Montgomery County is a far cry from 'The Real Housewives'.

It is easy to switch channels when the drama becomes too much on reality television, however, County residents dealing with real life situations do not have the convenience of a remote control shut-off when coping with real-life issues.

Read Councilmember Nancy Navarro's Washington Post article, which highlighted the differences of ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac’ and County families who struggle with situations such as affording nutritious lunches for their children, fleeing violence in Central America or the teenager walking to the food bank because her mother is holding down three jobs trying to make ends meet for the family.

County Executive Ike Leggett met with members of Montgomery Agricultural Producers

County Executive Ike Leggett met with members of Montgomery Agricultural Producers (MAP), a non-profit organization representing the County’s agricultural producers. MAP is the voice of those residents of Montgomery County who work to protect the precious resource we call the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve. Pictured (l to r) are: Eric Spates, Jeremy Criss, Bob Cissel, Ike Leggett, Michael Jamison, Randy Stabler, and Wade Butler.

Public Forum on Trafficking and Minors

An upcoming public forum is scheduled to examine the increased prevalence of children at risk to sexual trafficking. The discussion aims to provide information on children, many of whom have fled the violence of their home countries, who are at a greater risk because of their separation from family, language and education barriers and lack of shelter.

The session will include discussion on the complexities on the issues, achievable legislative interventions and best practices in dealing with this vulnerable population.

This meeting is sponsored by County Executive Leggett, Councilmembers Hucker and Reimer, the District 20 delegation, Safe Silver Spring and the Montgomery County Human Trafficking Task Force.

Leggett established the Montgomery County Human Trafficking Task Force in 2014 to develop coordinated strategies for prevention and eradication to best address the issue in Montgomery County.

The free session, which is open to the public is scheduled for December 10. It will begin at 7 p.m. at the Montgomery College (Takoma Park campus) 7977 Georgia Avenue, at the Health Sciences Center, Room 222, Silver Spring. For more information visit County calendar.

Volunteer Celebrated 102nd Birthday

Ed Garbe and Gilchrist
 Center staff Paola Bichara

The Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity (Gilchrist Center) recently held a special celebration for volunteer Ed Garbe, who celebrated his 102-year-old birthday.

Garbe volunteers with the Gilchrist Center’s English Conversation Club, which supports residents who speak English as a second language to understand language essentials, pronunciation and social and cultural norms.

Garbe, a retired industrial engineer from New York, is one of the hundreds of volunteers who support the Gilchrist Center to reach its goal of serving the immigrant and minority populations in the County.

Perhaps, it makes sense to follow this centenarian’s direction and choose volunteering as a secret weapon toward life longevity.

Court Watch Releases New Study

Court Watch, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that fights domestic violence has released a study called "Abusers with Guns: The Critical Role of Maryland’s Courts in Reducing Lethal Risks to Domestic Violence Victims".

The research indicated that judges told only 1 out of 126 convicted domestic violence offenders they were banned from possessing or purchasing guns even though studies support that when an abuser has access to a gun the chances of a victim being killed rises 500%.

Read the complete study (pdf).

Montgomery Parks is Seeking Input for Future Updates to Wheaton Regional Park

Park planners are looking for public input on future updates to the Wheaton Regional Park Master Plan.

The plan, dating back to 1987, is being updated to accommodate the changing needs of the area and communities. Find out how to share your ideas at Wheaton Regional Park Feedback.

Montgomery County Teachers Pays Competitive

Montgomery County, a community that values its great public schools, realizes that teachers are the proletariats to the success of a quality school system. To recruit and retain the best teachers, Montgomery County has highly competitive salaries for teachers as compared to other local municipalities.

For more read this Washington Post Article on Teacher Salaries.

Montgomery County Public Schools Capital Improvement Budget Submitted

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) recommended Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Capital Budget and the FY 2017-2022 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget was submitted by Interim Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Larry Bowers in late October.

Following the budget release Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot reportedly criticized MCPS for higher-than-necessary school construction costs in the county. Bowers followed up with a letter to Franchot (pdf) which cited the need for capital funding to address the growing need for additional classroom space and revitalization and expansion of program space.

The County Executive will publish his CIP recommendation for all county agencies in mid-January for County Council discussion and action.