Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Offers Free Safety Checks

Daylight savings time ended this weekend and the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service is urging all residents to test their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when they change their clocks this weekend.

A new law aimed at reducing home fire deaths went into effect in Maryland on 7/1/2013 and may affect you! The law requires the replacement of any battery-only operated smoke alarms with units powered by 10-year, seal-in, long-life batteries by January 1, 2018. Smoke alarm technology has advanced over the years and the recent legislative update to Maryland’s Smoke Alarm Law is part of a nationwide trend to ensure future smoke alarm replacements possess this new technology.

Did you know? ALL smoke alarms, hard-wired and battery-powered, have expiration dates and need to be replaced every 10 years. If your smoke alarm has been on the job since 2005 --- it's time to replace it!

Working smoke alarms more than DOUBLE your chances of surviving a fire. To request a free home visit go to Smoke Alarm Installation Program

REMEMBER: It is never acceptable to remove required hard-wired smoke alarms and replace them with any type of battery-only smoke alarm.

Peer Group Discussions for Older Drivers Who May be Considering Giving Up their License

The County’s Transportation Department’s Division of Transit Services in partnership with the Jewish Council for the Aging is holding small support group discussions for older adults who are considering the changes that take place with aging that may affect one’s ability to drive safely. These free sessions are sponsored by the Connect-A-Ride program.

Small groups of older adults meet once a week for three weeks. Each 90-minute session is led by a facilitator. At the last meeting, a Certified Mobility Specialist from Connect-A-Ride will share information about transportation options that can help older adults stay mobile when they stop driving.

For more information or to register, visit Connect-A-Ride online or call 301-738-3252, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Leave a message at other times.)

Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation program featured on PBS Broken Justice Series.

The County’s Department of Correction and Rehabilitation was recently recognized on the Public Broadcasting Station’s (PBS) “Broken Justice” series. The program highlights three individuals transitioning from incarceration and the re-entry services which support community integration into meaningful employment.

The re-entry program, initiated by a partnership of the County’s WorkSource Investment Board and DOCR connects the County’s correctional facilities and the American Job Center WorkSource system. This unique and innovative approach to facilitating offender reemployment creates an American Job Center within the walls of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility that is linked to the existing community-based American Job Centers.

Watch the full program here http://www.pbs.org/newshour/data/broken-justice/revolving-door/

Highlights from the World of Montgomery Festival

The Seventh Annual World of Montgomery Festival was held on Sunday, October 18 and brought together a broad range of cultures. Thousands of people participated in the annual festival held this year at the Rockville Campus of Montgomery College. Festival-goers enjoyed a global kitchen with international chefs offering live classes on regional cooking; a Parade of Cultures, a variety of tents in the International Village where children and adults made their own traditional crafts, two stages of entertainment, a craft market, ethnic food vendors and fun activities for the whole family. Check out some highlights of the event here: World of Montgomery

Live Discussion with County Executive Ike Leggett

The next on-line discussion with County Executive Ike Leggett will be held on November 17 from 1 to 2 pm. The on-line interactive forum allows residents to send questions directly to Leggett. Questions may be submitted prior to the chat and will be answered as time allows during the scheduled discussion. Questions may be submitted here Questions may be submitted here. On November 17, the discussion may be viewed at Virtual Town Hall Discussion

Jewish Council for Aging Is a Gateway to Career Services for Older Adults

The Jewish Council for the Aging in Rockville offers the Career Gateway Program to help adults age 50 and older. The program aims to assist those seeking a new job or branch to a new career.

Each session of the Career Gateway features 30 hours of small-group classroom instruction over five days, comprehensive take-home materials, practical exercises, and a long-term mentor – all for only $75. Sessions are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• November 9, 10, 13, 16 and 18, 2015
• January 20, 22, 25, 27 and 29, 2016
• February 22, 24, 26, 29 and March 2, 2016
• April 4, 6, 8, 11 and 13, 2016

For more information go to: Career Gateway Program

7th Annual World of Montgomery Festival Comes to Rockville

Montgomery County celebrates the global cultural heritages of Montgomery County at the annual World of Montgomery Festival. The festival, now in its seventh year, will be held at Montgomery College (Rockville) on Sunday, October 18 from noon to 5 p.m.

The free festival includes an international village, a global kitchen with chef demonstrations of traditional ethnic food, a craft market, a Parade of Cultures, two performance stages of traditional dance and music, traditional arts and fun interactive activities for the whole family.

For more information on the festival visit worldofmontgomery.com.

• Five ways to maximize your travels through World of Montgomery 2015
• 5 Tips para disfrutar del festival World of Montgomery
• What others are saying about World of Montgomery
• What others are saying about World of Montgomery: Bruce Adams

Honor and Gratitude: Montgomery Salutes Vietnam Veterans

Tom Murphy, a Rockville attorney and County resident who was seriously wounded in Vietnam and recovered in nearby Walter Reed Army Hospital, will be among the featured speakers on Saturday, October 24 at a ceremony to salute Montgomery County’s more than 13,000 Vietnam veterans. The ceremony will take place at the Universities at Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Dr., Rockville at 10:30 a.m.

County Executive and Vietnam veteran Ike Leggett, Council President George Leventhal and other Councilmembers will lead the ceremony. Bob Schieffer, who recently retired as host of the CBS show Face the Nation, will serve as host and guest speaker. The event will be recorded and broadcast on many of the public cable television channels that compose the County’s PEG (Public, Education, Government) media organization, which is hosting the event. In addition, the PEG organization will be recording the stories of many of the veterans for a documentary.

Event organizers are currently seeking Vietnam veterans. Veterans, or family and friends of veterans, interested in the event should call 301-424-1730 / ext. 350.

For more information about the ceremony go to www.mocovietnamvets.org.

Montgomery Parks to Celebrate the Opening of the Germantown Town Center Urban Park

Montgomery Parks, in partnership with the Germantown Library, BlackRock Center for the Arts and the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce will unveil its newest urban park on October 17, 5 – 7 p.m. at 12280 Middlebrook Rd. near the rear entrance of the Germantown Library.

The free event will feature live jazz, food samples, fun activities for families including a story walk, story time, bubble activities and more.

Situated on eight acres adjacent to the Germantown Library, the new park includes many unique features such as:

• Interpretive trails and boardwalks 
• Lawn and gathering areas 
• Lighting, overlook terraces and braided pathways 
• Enhanced wetland areas for education and interpretation of nature 

Read more about the park at Germantown Town Center Urban Park

Arts and Humanities Award Winners to be Honored; Free Tickets Now Available

County Executive Isiah Leggett and Mrs. Leggett will honor nine community leaders for their contributions to the County’s art and cultural community at the Annual County Executive’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities. This event will be held Monday, October 26 at 7 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center, Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring. Reserve your free tickets from 2015executivesawards.eventbrite.com.

Now in its 14th year, the awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made a difference in Montgomery County through the arts and humanities. There will be performances by Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras at Strathmore, Sutradhar Institute of Dance and Related Arts and other local artists.

For more information, or to order tickets visit: www.creativemoco.com/executives-awards.