Holiday Schedule for Christmas and New Year’s Day

Montgomery County government will observe the following holiday schedule for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays:

• County Offices – closed Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2
• Libraries – closed December 25, 26 and January 1, 2
• County Liquor stores – Saturday, December 24 and Saturday, December 31, all Department of Liquor Control (DLC) stores will be open 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Stores will be closed Sunday, December 25 and Sunday, January 1, 2017
• Recreation – All facilities and programs closed December 25 and January 1. Senior centers are closed December 24 through January 2. For information on schedules for aquatic facilities and community centers during the holiday week.
• Montgomery Parks - for the holiday operating schedule on Parks’ facilities visit www.MontgomeryParks.org
•  Ride On – Saturday, December 24: Saturday schedule with limited late evening service. Trips scheduled to depart from the terminal at 10:01 p.m. or later will NOT depart. Sunday, December 25: Sunday schedule. Monday, December 26: Sunday schedule (Christmas Day - observed). Sunday, January 1: Sunday schedule; Monday, January 2: Sunday schedule (New Year's Day - observed) 
• Metrorail – Information available at website
• Metrobus – Information available at website
• TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) – Closed December 25, 26 and January 1,2
• Transfer Station and Poolesville Beauty Spot– closed on December 25 and January 1
• Refuse/recycling pickup – will operate as scheduled
• The Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station – closed December 25, January 1
• Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters – free
• MCPS Schools and Administrative Offices – Schools and offices closed Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2; no school for students and teachers December 26 – January 2
• State offices and courts – closed Monday, December 26 and Monday, January 2

Council Elects Roger Berliner as President; Hans Riemer as Vice President for 2016-17

The Montgomery County Council unanimously elected Roger Berliner as president and Hans Riemer as vice president of the Council on December 6. They will serve one-year terms as officers of the Council.

Council President Berliner, who represents Council District 1, served as Council vice president for the past year. He is beginning his 11th year on the Council and previously served as Council president in 2011-12. He succeeds Nancy Floreen, who served as Council President for 2015-2016.

Council Vice President Hans Riemer, first elected to the County Council in 2010, represents one million Montgomery County residents as an At-Large Member. Hans has dedicated his public service career to creating opportunity for all people to achieve their potential. As a Councilmember, he works towards this vision by advocating to fund public education and public transportation, early childhood programs, libraries, recreation, human services, housing and economic development

Read more from press release.

Montgomery County's 2016 Team USA Olympians Honored at a Special Ceremony Hosted by County Executive Ike Leggett

County Executive Ike Leggett honored Montgomery County’s 2016 Team USA Olympians in a standing-room-only event on Dec. 19. The celebration held at the Silver Spring Civic Building, located at One Veterans Place, recognized Montgomery County’s four athletes who represented the U.S. in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Joining Leggett were Olympians Jack Conger, Katie Ledecky and Ashley Nee. Helen Maroulis was unable to attend. The U.S. is the first country in 40 years to top the medal chart in every category to earn 46 gold medals. Six of those medals were won by Montgomery County Olympians.

Jack Conger from Rockville competed in the 4 x 200m freestyle swimming event. Conger earned a gold medal for the Men’s 4 X 200m freestyle relay swimming.

Katie Ledecky from Bethesda is a gold medalist from the 2012 Olympics who competed in the 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 4 x 200m freestyle and 4 X 100m freestyle relay. Ledecky earned a silver and four gold medals at the 2016 Olympics.

Ashley Nee from Darnestown competed in the canoe slalom. Nee overcame a past serious shoulder injury and the disappointment of just missing placement on the 2012 Team USA for the London games.

Helen Maroulis made history when she defeated Japan's 13-time world champion, giving Team USA its first women's wrestling gold medal in Olympic history. Maroulis competed in the freestyle 53 kg.

The ceremony included a joint proclamation presented by Leggett and Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner. Gabe Albornoz, director of the Montgomery County Recreation Department served as Master of Ceremonies for the event which included rousing music by the Richard Montgomery High School Band under the direction of Dr. Peter Perry.

Other highlights for the event included a presentation of fan mail from Montgomery County Public Library Director Parker Hamilton, the Chairperson of the Maryland Commission for Women Lee Banchu announced that Katie Ledecky and Helen Maroulis would be inducted into the Maryland Sports Hall of Fame in March and Jacqueline Keenan, marketing manager for Rockville Town Square, presented the athletes with two 8-foot flip flops that had been signed by hundreds of residents to show support of the athletes during the 2016 Rio Games.

The best part of the event for many of the kids who attended the ceremony came when they got to meet the athletes and get a quick photograph.



For more information about the event, check;

• Press release
• Watch video from YouTube 
• View photos from Flickr

Improperly Disposed Ashes Destroyed Residents Home; Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services Remind Residents to Follow Safety Guidelines When Disposing of Ashes

There is nothing quite like a warm fire in the fireplace to help keep warm when chilly outside temperatures have you shivering to the bone. As pretty as a cozy fire may look, things can turn ugly mighty quickly if you don’t take proper precautions with ashes.

On Tuesday, December 20 MCFRS responded to a fire started in a County resident's home. The fire started in the attached garage from ashes placed in an open pan with ash from a fire. This is the fourth fire that MCFRS has responded to this year that has started from ashes which residents believe had cooled. Fortunately, no one was physically hurt in the fire, however, the accident reportedly caused $700,000 in damages.

Each year, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responds to fires that are caused by improper disposal of hot coals or ashes from fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, grills or outside fire rings designed for use on decks or patios. The truth is that coals and ashes from fires can remain hot for days after a fire is out. Treat all ashes and coals as HOT ashes, even when you think they have had enough time to cool. Your garage, house or deck are unsafe locations for ashes to cool and have been the site of many recent and devastating fires both locally and nationally.

MCFRS reminds resident to be safe and treat all ashes and coals as hot ashes, even when you think they have had enough time to cool. Your garage, house or deck are unsafe locations for ashes to cool. When messing with ashes, making a bad judgment call can become a deadly error.

Take time to review these important safety messages from MCFRS to keep you and your family safe.

• Press Release.
• Fireplace and wood stove safty guide (pdf)
• Fireplace and Wood Stove Ashes (pdf)

Leggett Taps Private Sector Executive Robert Dorfman to Head County Department of Liquor Control

County Executive Ike Leggett appointed Robert M. Dorfman as the Director for the County’s Department of Liquor Control (DLC), which manages the wholesale distribution of alcohol and the retail sale of liquor in the County. The DLC generates nearly $21 million annually in profit to County taxpayers while better protecting public health and public safety.

Dorfman, who lives in North Potomac, brings to the table a broad range of private sector experience and proven turnaround skills. Dorfman has served in several senior level executive positions at Marriott International. Among those, he was President of Host International, the world leader in airport, travel plazas and sports and entertainment food and beverage operations (responsible for $1.5 billion in annual income and 25,000 employees.) He was the nation’s second largest franchisee of Five Guys (operating 35 locations in Florida, Texas, and Ohio), and was President and Chief Operating Officer of TrustHouse Services Group, the sixth-largest contract services company in the United States.

Most recently, he served as Managing Partner of two World of Beer franchises in Virginia. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the County Council.

Make Martin Luther King Day a Day ON and not a Day OFF!

Join thousands of other residents in honoring Dr. King’s life and teachings by taking part in Montgomery County’s Martin Luther King Day of Service 2017 on Monday, Jan. 16. This annual event, organized by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center and many other partnering agencies, will feature a wide variety of coordinated family-friendly service projects at locations across the County, providing residents of all ages with ways to help our community. Projects will include everything from packaging food for the hungry and making dog toys for an animal shelter to creating blankets for hospices and crafting appreciation cards for military troops. There will be numerous service projects planned for that day by service agencies and nonprofits throughout our region.

More information is available at volunteer center website.

County Officials Celebrate Ribbon Cutting for Progress Place; Services to Homeless Begins on Coldest Day of the Season

With temperatures not rising above freezing on December 16, it seemed spot-on that services began at the newly built Progress Place in downtown Silver Spring. The 39,000 square-feet facility serves the homeless through a successful partnership between government, private development and non-profit partners who work together to serve those in need of services and shelter.

County Executive Isiah Leggett joined by County Councilmembers Nancy Floreen, Tom Hucker and George Leventhal, Department of General Services Director David Dise, Health and Human Services Director Uma Ahluwalia and non-profit partners to cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of Progress Place on December 10. Residents will begin moving into the facility the first week in January.

• For more information about the facility, check press release.
• See news in a Bethesda Beat article.

Leggett Featured as Keynote Presenter for the Committee for Montgomery’s Annual Legislative Breakfast

For more than two decades, County leaders have considered the Committee for Montgomery’s Annual Legislative Breakfast the unofficial kick off of the legislative season. This year’s event held on December 15 featured County Executive Ike Leggett and Baltimore City’s Mayor Catherine Pugh as keynote speakers who discussed how the two jurisdictions can work together to strengthen their economies.

Hundreds of County and Maryland state leaders attended the event held at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in North Bethesda. To view the keynote presentation, go to https://youtu.be/exbVuLMIWms

Groundbreaking Held for Good Hope Neighborhood Recreation Center

The cold temperatures did not stop the community from coming out to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Good Hope Neighborhood Recreation Center on December 10. Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett joined over a hundred residents to break ground to begin the demolishment of the existing structure and start construction of the new facility. The new Center will be located at 14715 Good Hope Road in Silver Spring on the same site of the former facility.

Joining Leggett were County Council President Roger Berliner, County Councilmember Nancy Floreen, Councilmember Hans Riemer, Department of Recreation Director Gabe Albornoz and Department of General Services Director David Dise.

Other participants included Michael F. Riley, director of the Montgomery County Department of Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission; Eliot Pfanstiehl, CEO, Strathmore Hall Foundation, Inc.; and representatives from Action in Montgomery.

The new 14,000-square-foot building will be more than twice the size of the original structure, vastly increasing capacity and making it more useful to the community. The new building will be located at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Good Hope Park on the site of the existing parking lot. The new parking lot will be built on the site of the old building after it is demolished.

For more information check press release.

Community Guide for Immigrant Residents of Montgomery County Available Now

The Gilchrist Center has created a community guide that provides resources to help immigrants understand their rights. Included in the Guide are links to fact sheets and contact information for useful local and national resources. The Guide is available online.