Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services will host a virtual town hall from 3:30-5 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, to focus on the status of health in the community. Partners from clinical care settings, government agencies, community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations and academic and research institutions, as well as interested residents, are invited to the free event.
The town hall will include an overview of Public Health Services’ soon-to-be-released Health in Montgomery County 2010-2019: A Surveillance Report on Population Health. It also will have presentations on work being done to improve health outcomes in the areas of infectious disease, HIV/STI, maternal and infant health and chronic diseases such as diabetes. The report includes data and health statistics on all major health topics among County residents and compares local data to State and national benchmarks. Presentations will address disparities that affect health outcomes, particularly those of concern for maternal and infant health.
Attendees will have an opportunity to provide comments and ask questions as the County works to initiate a community-wide response to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes.
To receive login information for the town hall, register in advance.
Three-time Austin Music Award winner Patricia Vonne, an Alt-Americana powerhouse incorporating her special blend of rock, folk, flamenco, bilingual Tex-Mex and Latin music, will be the featured performer on Saturday, April 23, as Gaithersburg’s Arts on the Green opens its 2022 Singer Songwriter Concert Series at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn.
The Singer Songwriter Concert Series annually produces inspiring performances. It celebrates musicians who write, compose and sing their own original material. In addition to the concert experience, patrons can participate in special workshops with the artists for unique insights into the world of the singer songwriter.
All concerts and workshops will be in-person at the Arts Barn, which is located at 311 Kent Square Road in Gaithersburg. Concerts also will be live-streamed. All concerts start at 7:30 p.m. Workshops are held at 3 p.m.
The series is presented by O’Hair Salon + Spa and sponsored in part by Hampton Inn & Suites.
The Singer Songwriter series schedule will include:
Patricia Vonne with Jay Byrd. Saturday, April 23. The three-time Austin Music Award winner is an Alt-Americana powerhouse, incorporating her special blend of rock, folk, flamenco, bilingual Tex-Mex and Latin. She is back with her seventh album, “Top of the Mountain,” on her own Bandolera Records. Along with her many career titles of singer, songwriter, actress and activist, she has recently added award- winning filmmaker. Tickets: $50 combo (workshop and concert), $30 concert only, $35 concert door; $20 livestream. Purchase tickets here.
Seth Glier. Saturday, May 21. The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter also is a producer and multi-instrumentalist. NPR describes his voice as “otherworldly” while praising him as “an engaging performer and storyteller.” His critically acclaimed, emotionally dense catalog of work often draws upon traditional roots music, experimental instrumentation and moody atmospheres that result in soulfully intelligent stories. He is currently on tour and is debuting new music, including his two latest songs, “If It Wasn’t For You” and “Stages,” both released in 2020. Tickets: $50 combo (workshop and concert), $30 concert only, $35 concert door; $20 livestream. Purchase tickets here.
Gretchen Peters. Saturday, June 4. She is considered one of Nashville’s most beloved and compelling artists. Her songs immerse listeners in a world of emotion, digging underneath to expose what is fueling the fire. Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014, Peters has accumulated accolades as a songwriter for artists as diverse as Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, The Neville Brothers, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Bryan Adams and Faith Hill. Her song, “Independence Day,” recorded by Martina McBride, won a CMA Song of the Year award in 1995. She has been nominated for two Grammys, a Golden Globe, and numerous other awards. Tickets: $55 combo (workshop and concert), $35 concert only, $40 concert door; $20 livestream. Purchase tickets here.
Purchase concert series tickets online or call the Arts Barn Box Office at 301-258-6394. For more information, visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/aotg.
The Arts on the Green music series is funded in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC). To discover more about MSAC grants and how they impact Maryland's arts sector, visit www.msac.org.
The sixth annual Wheaton Arts Parade & Festival poster will be based on the design submitted by K.S. Brenowitz, a Silver Spring resident and graphic artist. The contest was open to all residents of Montgomery County. Following their selection, Brenowitz worked with Wheaton Art Parade designer Josue Martinez of Corinto Gallery to apply the original design to the poster and for use on other promotional materials, including the T-shirt, for the event that will be held on Sunday, Sept. 25, in Downtown Wheaton.
The Wheaton Arts Parade & Festival will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the Wheaton Triangle business district and on the Marian Fryer Plaza. The parade and festival is an opportunity for residents, artists, businesses, and civic organizations to walk together to celebrate art and Wheaton’s diverse community.
At the end of the art parade, the festival will continue with performances, art exhibits and food. More than 50 festival tents are available for artists to exhibit and sell their original artwork and for arts organizations and community organizations to promote their works and activities. For the parade, nearby roads will be closed so marchers can pull giant floats and show off their art, play music and dance. Motorized vehicles are not permitted in the parade.
“The Wheaton Arts Parade and Festival is an amazing experience that every September shows off the Wheaton community at its best,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “This is truly a home-grown event in all respects, right down to having the poster design created by a local artist. As one of the County’s Arts and Entertainment districts, there is so much for people throughout the area to discover in Wheaton and I look forward to this year’s parade and festival.”
As the winner of poster contest, Brenowitz will receive a cash prize of $300. The prize is donated by the Wheaton restaurants Los Chorros and IHOP restaurants—both founding sponsors of the Wheaton Arts Parade.
"IHOP is proud to support our local artists and the Wheaton Arts Parade. As a part of the Wheaton community for over 50 years, said William Moore, owner of the IHOP of Wheaton. “IHOP believes that encouraging works of self-expression and creativity gives our community a unique identity and unifies us as we open ourselves up to new ideas, views, emotions and experiences."
In addition, the sponsors will donate $100 for art supplies to a Montgomery County school selected by Brenowitz.
"Los Chorros Restaurant has served the Wheaton Community for over 33 years,” said Omar Lazo, owner of Los Chorros. “We have been a sponsor for the Wheaton Arts Parade from the very beginning and are so happy to be able to sponsor the talented artists who design the parade posters. We are so happy to support the arts in Wheaton and are excited for the continuing growth of our arts community."
Schools, community organizations and residents are encouraged to make floats for the parade. Entries must be able to be pushed, pulled, carried or worn. Performers can also be part of the parade. There is no fee to participate. The Wheaton Arts Parade organization will conduct summer workshops to help and inspire potential participants to create floats.
The arts parade organization is looking for volunteers who would like to be part of the team that produces the event, including as entertainment coordinators and stage managers. To learn more about the parade and festival, and to view videos of past parades, see the website at
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) currently operates one line of the County’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, branded Flash, in the Colesville Road/Columbia Pike (US 29) corridor. The upgraded bus service is part of a planned network of BRT lines in the County. MCDOT is now in the planning stages for a North Bethesda BRT line and would like residents to assist in determining the street layout, location of stations and the endpoints of the corridor.
MCDOT has established a brief project survey to help refine goals and recommendations for the North Bethesda study. The survey will be open until Friday, April 29.
To participate in the survey, which is available in English and Spanish, residents can go here. Residents can select their preferred language on the dropdown menu located in the top right corner of the survey.
The Flash service on the Colesville Road/Columbia Pike (US 29) line connects the Downtown Silver Spring Transit Center with White Oak, Briggs Chaney and Burtonsville. It has stops along the way.
Flash buses feature bike racks inside, free Wi-Fi service and USB ports. The service—which uses 60-foot-long articulated buses—carries more than 2,100 riders per day on the Colesville Road/Columbia Pike line. Buses run every 15 minutes from 5:30 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week. The service operates twice as often during peak hours.
The US 29 Flash was the first step in creating a network of rapid transit lines in the County. The County is performing preliminary engineering and design for its next two planned Flash corridors along MD 355 (Rockville Pike) and MD 586 (Veirs Mill Road). It also is in the preliminary planning stages for the New Hampshire Avenue and North Bethesda lines.
BRT’s unique service include:
Frequent, reliable service.
Bus lanes at intersections that allow buses to keep moving, known as “queue jump lanes.”
Dedicated bus lanes in some parts of the corridor, reducing traffic delays.
Priority green light signaling, allowing for shorter travel times.
Near-level accessible boarding at multiple doors, facilitating quick and efficient boarding and exiting.
Comfortable stations providing weather protection, pre-payment stations and real-time transit information via electronic message boards.
Community-friendly design with enhanced pedestrian walkways and bike facilities.
To learn more about the BRT/Flash Bus Service, visit the Flash website here.
“The Dairy Industry in the Bethesda Area in the First Half of the 20th Century”—and before the building of the Beltway—will be the focus of a virtual presentation of Montgomery History at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26. The presentation was developed in cooperation with the Bethesda Historical Society to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Bethesda.
Development Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Silver Spring gradually made land valuable and led to the demise of dairy farms and creameries in the southern part of Montgomery County by the 1940s.
In the presentation, the early Bethesda area dairy farms and creameries will be identified and located on a map. Some will be discussed in detail.
Sunset Yoga. Thursday, April 28. Long Branch-Arliss Neighborhood Park. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free instruction will be provided by Thrive Yoga studio for beginner yoga. Learn new poses that will enhance your mind, body and soul through step-by-step instructions offered in English and Spanish with pose modifications. No equipment or registration is necessary.
Josiah Henson Museum & Park One Year Anniversary. Saturday, April 23. Josiah Henson Museum & Park. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Light refreshments will be served and there will be a $1 admission. The historic park opened in April 2021 and is the first museum in the United States dedicated to Reverend Josiah Henson. It is built on the former plantation in North Bethesda where he was enslaved prior to self-emancipating to Canada.
Craft Cocktail Series: The Spirits of Spring. Wednesday, April 27. Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park. 6-8 p.m. The Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park’s Craft Cocktail series will open with “The Spirits of Spring,” featuring locally distilled organic liquors from McClintock Distilling. Learn how to muddle, mix and strain the perfect cocktail for every occasion. Whether making a drink for one or for a whole party, this class will prep you for it all. Registration for the class is $48 per person and includes admission, all ingredients and supplies and a take-home recipe card. Participants must be 21 or over.
To view my entire State of the County address, click here.
Dear Friends,
You will notice in lieu of my weekly video this week, I am sharing with you the State of the County address that I delivered today at the Silver Spring Civic Center. I was happy to deliver a lot of good news—especially with the best budget we have seen in many years. The state of Montgomery County is strong and robust, as well as resilient, innovative and equitable.
In this speech, I addressed some of our most pressing challenges, the health and economic hardships from the pandemic, learning loss of our students and concerns about public safety. I also provided updates on our progress on combatting climate change, creating more affordable housing opportunities and on growing our economy.
I was pleased to announce at the State of the County two new exciting affordable housing developments—one in Bethesda and another in the historically black community of Emory Grove. I also announced our efforts to create a biomanufacturing training facility in Silver Spring as another important part of our work to build on our life sciences strengths in the County.
I hope that you are able to take some time to listen to this year’s State of the County speech. We have had an incredible year of successes, even as we continue to address and overcome multiple challenges. It has been my great honor, and the best job I have ever had, to be your County Executive—especially at this critical time in our history. I am proud of what we have accomplished over the last three years as an administration, as a government and as a community.
As I said during the State of the County address, I have been to many places around the country and there is nowhere I would rather be than right here in Montgomery County.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all of you—our County employees, residents, businesses and communities—for your vigilance, dedication, and perseverance.
Maryland General Assembly Concludes 2022 Session as County Delegation Achieves $287 Million in Investments for County
I was in Annapolis on Monday for the last day of the 2022 Maryland General Assembly session and was pleased to extend my thanks and gratitude to all the Montgomery County Senate and House delegation members for their extraordinary work. Under the leadership of delegation chairs Senator Ben Kramer and Delegate Marc Korman, and the efforts of the 32-member delegation resulted in $287 million dollars of new State investments that will be directed to projects located within the County. This is in addition to the $1.2 billion in State aid to support Montgomery County Public Schools, our libraries and our public safety efforts.
John F. Kennedy was quoted as saying, ‘The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.’ This is exactly what the Maryland General Assembly did this year with its historic State budget surpluses.
This year, the General Assembly moved important legislation on combatting climate change, banning ghost guns, protecting reproductive rights, increasing access to paid Family and Medical Leave, expanding the right to collective bargaining and adding protections for prevailing wage.
I also was pleased to see that there was finally progress on cannabis legislation. Passage of this legislation will enable voters to ratify the choice to legalize cannabis. The war on cannabis has been a failure for generations and there is a need to do better in all aspects of policy—from business development to criminal justice. This legislation will create a more equitable and fair system.
I am also glad that the Maryland Makerspace Initiative Program passed. Makerspace programs allow for a new generation to discover a new passion, industry and career. The legislation provides studio space to entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofits and artists.
Congratulations to our State Senate and House delegation for a successful session and our appreciation for their hard work and advocacy.
County COVID Cases Three Times Higher Than a Month Ago
The County’s current COVID-19 case rate continues to increase and is approximately three times higher than one month ago. The current rate is as high as the County peak rate during Delta surge last August. Currently, 85 percent of the cases we are seeing derive from the BA.2 subvariant. The County’s case rate has risen faster than the rest of the State.
Our schools are out on spring break this week, and many of our residents are travelling and gathering with friends for Ramadan, Passover and the Easter holidays. Our projections are showing that we are going to see these case trends likely worsen for the next couple of weeks before they get potentially get better.
The good news is that our hospitalization rates remain low, but we must monitor them closely over the upcoming weeks as we weather this increase in transmissions. Due to our low hospitalization rates, we remain in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Low” community level. However, our neighbors in Arlington County just increased to the CDC’s “Medium” community level, so we must remain vigilant.
Montgomery County Is Nearing 90 Percent “Fully Vaccinated,” But Only 54 Percent Boosted
We are fortunate to have a highly vaccinated population. Currently, 88 percent of our total population is fully vaccinated. However, only 54 percent of our total population is currently boosted. We must continue to address this discrepancy. There is a 94 percent better chance of not having severe COVID and being hospitalized when someone is vaccinated and boosted as compared to being unvaccinated. If there is anything we have learned over the last year since the vaccines became available, it is that they work!
We are also making progress in getting vaccinations for our ages 5-11 group. Our current vaccination status for this age cohort is 62 percent fully vaccinated. This compares favorably to a recent CNN review of U.S. vaccination rates that reported less than 28 percent of this age range are vaccinated nationwide. Even though our County is doing much better than the national average, we still have 38 percent of our 5–11-year olds not fully vaccinated. We must do better. A study published last week by the New England Journal of Medicine found that vaccination reduced the risk of hospitalization for 5- to 11-year-olds by 68 percent during the Omicron wave.
Have COVID Questions or Concerns? Talk to DHHS
Our Department of Health and Human Services continues its efforts to get our community vaccinated and boosted. Over the upcoming weeks, DHHS will be having virtual community conversations with our five regional service centers. This week, it started this series in East County and will continue to the four other service areas over the upcoming weeks.
I encourage residents to attend these conversations. Our experts will be happy to address all COVID-related questions or any other health or social services DHHS provides. Over the last two years, DHHS has been the lead department in dealing with the pandemic, but it also has continued to work and focus on all areas of health and wellness. I appreciate their consistent and persistent efforts to engage our community.
‘Test to Treat’ Launched Providing Easier Access to COVID Treatments
This week, we launched the “Test to Treat Initiative” in Montgomery County. COVID treatments are another tool to help combat COVID and reduce severe cases and increased hospitalizations. But these treatments must start early to work.
COVID-19 medications are now available through doctors and local pharmacies. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, do not wait to get treated. You must start oral medication within five days of your first COVID-19 symptoms.
Test to Treat locations provide faster, easier access to medicine. Please visit this website to find the nearest location to access these treatments.
Seeking Applicants for New Police Accountability Board and Administrative Charging Committee
We launched the application portal for our newly formed Police Accountability Board (PAB) and Administrative Charging Committee (ACC) last week.
Even though we are waiting for the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to publish its regulations on these important boards, we knew we needed to move forward to meet the July 1 timeline established by State law.
Last week, I visited the Silver Creek Senior Living Apartments in Kensington. Silver Creek is affordable housing for seniors with resident engagement services, a community room, amenities and several transit options. It is well-located near stores, restaurants and the Kensington Park Library.
To support construction of the affordable housing for seniors at Silver Creek, the County provided an $8.9 million Housing Initiative Fund loan to create 94 affordable housing units for residents ages 62 and over. The new building at Silver Creek will have 10 units available at 30 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), 69 units at 60 percent of the AMI and 15 units at 80 percent of the AMI.
Too many of our over-62 residents are having to make unthinkable decisions between affording to pay their rent, their medications and their food. Providing affordable housing options to our seniors is an urgent priority.
We welcome a project like Silver Creek Senior Living Apartments and I appreciate the work of our Department of Housing and Community Affairs to help provide financing for this project.
Trapping Trash to Protect Our Waterways
As we continue to celebrate Earth Month, I was pleased to announce the installation of the County’s first “litter trap” that will catch trash flowing down a stream or river.
The trap will float in the Lockridge Drive Tributary and capture litter. Using the stream current, it will guide debris into the trap and prevent it from flowing downstream to the Anacostia River and into the Chesapeake Bay.
Plastic bottles make up 60 percent of all the trash that is found floating on the Anacostia River. The best way to reduce trash in our waterways is not to litter at all, but this litter trap is another way to make sure that we are not leaving environmentally harmful trash behind. I want to thank the Department of Environmental Protection, as well as the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Anacostia Riverkeeper—our partners in finding innovative ways to clean up our streams and creeks.
We are proud to support funding for projects such as the Litter Trap and to work with these local groups committed to cleaning their communities. These programs provide jobs, create awareness and build community support for protecting our environment.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich this week applauded the Montgomery County Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly for its work during the 2022 session, which concluded on Monday, April 11. During the session, the General Assembly addressed the systemic underfunding of key priorities by using the State’s historic budget surplus. In addition, members secured important legislative victories such as increasing education funding, capital expenditures, passing significant climate change regulations, banning ghost guns, protecting reproductive rights, extending family medical leave to more workers and providing new State and County programs to spur jobs, economic development and workforce training.
“I want to extend my thanks and gratitude to the Montgomery County Senate and House delegation members for their extraordinary work during this year’s General Assembly session,” said County Executive Elrich. “Under the leadership of delegation chairs Senator Kramer and Delegate Korman, the efforts of the 32-member delegation resulted in $287 million of new State capital investments that will be directed to projects located within the County. This is in addition to the $1.2 billion in State aid to support Montgomery County Public Schools, our libraries and our public safety efforts. John F. Kennedy was quoted as saying, ‘The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.’ This is exactly what the Maryland General Assembly did this year with its historic State budget surpluses that were fueled by Federal spending to support the U.S. economy through the pandemic.”
Highlights of significant legislation passed that were priorities for Montgomery County:
Climate Solutions Now Act (SB528) – Provides a wholesale change in the State’s approach to climate change by setting ambitious goals for carbon reduction and reducing emissions from transportation and buildings. It takes bold steps to correct environmental injustices and approach infrastructure from a holistic standpoint while enabling the State government to lead by example. The legislation also incorporates some of the County’s policies that are in the Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) legislation pending before the County Council
Ban on Ghost Guns (SB387/HB425) – Thanks to the leadership of Attorney General Brian Frosh, Senator Susan Lee, Delegate Lesley Lopez, Senator Will Smith, and Delegate David Moon, the State is now leading the nation in banning ghost guns – or untraceable guns made from kits purchased online – from the State. Montgomery County has had several instances of ghost gun usage in criminal incidents. The County strongly supported this legislation
Abortion Care Access Act (HB937) – The right to an abortion is under attack from some of the highest levels of Federal government and around the country. Montgomery County and Maryland have led the country in protecting a woman’s right to an abortion. This legislation, sponsored by Delegate Ariana Kelly, furthers access to health care providers who can safely provide women with increased options should they need access
Family and Medical Leave (SB275) – The country lags behind the rest of the world in ensuring paid leave to take care of a newborn child, a family member dealing with an illness, an aging parent or other needs. Legislation enacted this year will put Maryland on a path that will allow employees to access paid leave insurance.
Maryland Makerspace Initiative Program (SB453) – Makerspace programs allow for a new generation to discover a new passion, industry and career. Makerspaces allow for people to use industrial tools, including metal/welding, woodworking, digital fabrication, sewing, electronics, 3D printing and digital media, to use for all ages. The legislation will provide studio space to entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofits and artists. This is a valuable opportunity for Montgomery County and the funding will bring these to fruition.
Progress on a More Just, Equitable and Progressive Policy on Cannabis (HB1 and HB837) – The war on cannabis has been a failure, and there is a need to do better in all aspects of policy—from business development to criminal justice. Passage of this legislation will enable voters to ratify the choice to legalize cannabis—which County Executive Elrich encourage all voters to do. The legislation passed will create a more equitable and fair system. Some details still need to be worked out next year, but this is a monumental step for the State.
Expanded Right to Collective Bargaining and Protections for Prevailing Wage (HB580; HB90; HB374; SB1/HB145; SB259/HB611) – As a longtime supporter of Organized Labor, County Executive Elrich supported the legislation that expands the right to collective bargaining, expands the applicability of prevailing wage and ensures accountability for prevailing wages. Workers are at their best when they are well paid and are on equal negotiating level with management. These bills will help level the playing field
Highlights of State infrastructure investments to Montgomery County:
$120 million for transportation, including funding for the County’s new bus rapid transit system (BRT), zero emissions buses, the Bethesda South Metro station entrance and a new north entrance at the White Flint Metro Station. Funding also was provided for a new bike trail and pedestrian investments. An amendment to legislation supporting new investments in sports facilities around the State will result in a multi-year commitment of State funding to support the continued development of the County’s BRT system.
$59 million for public K-16 education. This includes several major Montgomery College projects and funding for Montgomery County Public Schools (which does not reflect any allocations from the $420 million in “Built to Learn” funds earmarked for County schools).
$35 million for parks and playgrounds.
$20 million for health facilities, including full funding of the County’s new Restoration Center that will provide behavioral health services for those in crisis.
$16 million for the White Flint redevelopment project that will help support a national epicenter of computationally enabled life sciences research.
Men’s and women’s professional golf will be returning to the Greater Washington area for the first time in three years with the PGA Wells Fargo Championship to be held May 5-8, at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda from June 23-26.
The region has not hosted a professional golf tournament since the 2018 PGA Quicken Loans National was held at TPC Potomac. After this year, the Wells Fargo Championship will return to its home base at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. Quail Hollow is hosting the Presidents Cup in September (following a postponement in 2021 because of the pandemic), compelling the PGA Tour to find an alternate site.
Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, who finished second in the Masters last week, is the defending Wells Fargo champion and is expected to compete in this year’s tournament. Olympic gold medalist Nelly Korda, the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner, is expected to defend her title in June.
Both tournaments are expected to be big boosts to the Montgomery County economy.
“Montgomery County is proud to be hosting the Wells Fargo Championship in May, the KPMG Women’s Championship in June this year and is scheduled to be a host of national tournaments for years to come,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Montgomery County’s golf courses attract players from throughout the region annually, and our economy will clearly benefit from these tournaments being hosted in the County.”
The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, Visit Montgomery, the Maryland Sports Commission and the Maryland Department of Commerce commissioned an economic impact assessment of hosting a professional golf tournament in the County, with a focus on the Wells Fargo Championship. Sage Policy Group, Inc. did the assessment.
The analysis projected that the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship will generate nearly $30 million overall in economic activity to the Maryland economy, with more than $17 million in visitor spending to Montgomery County, that would not have occurred without the tournament. Statewide, the Wells Fargo Championship is expected to support 249 jobs, more than $10 million in associated labor income, approximately $175,000 in local tax revenues and $1.6 million in income and sales tax revenues for the State of Maryland.
“Not only will the country be watching some of the leading men and women golfers play locally here, but we will also be able to introduce Montgomery County to the world, especially with such expected international fields of players in both tournaments,” said County Council President Gabe Albornoz.
The 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is the first of eight professional and amateur championship tournaments that the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America has committed to Congressional Country Club over the next 15 years. The other championship tournaments include the 2024 Junior PGA Championship, the 2025 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, the 2027 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the 2029 PGA Professional Championship, the 2031 PGA Championship, the 2033 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and the 2037 Ryder Cup.
"After a three-year absence and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the appetite for a return of professional golf to the region is very strong,” said Benjamin H. Wu, president and CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation. “It’s highly unusual for there to be such a concentration of the world’s best golfing talent in one area in a span of just a few weeks. With two championship tournaments this year, and the PGA’s commitment through the next 15 years, golf will provide Montgomery County with a robust economic contribution through at least 2037.”
This year’s 42nd annual Building Safety Month campaign, “Safety for All: Building Codes in Action,” raises awareness about the importance of building codes in ensuring safety where people live, work and learn. Homes and buildings built in compliance with building safety codes, and the officials who enforce the codes, are essential to help communities become affordable, resilient and energy and water efficient.
“Our free, residential deck inspection program is designed to keep Montgomery County residents informed about deck maintenance and to help them and their guests stay safe,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “These appointments take less than 15 minutes. We encourage County residents to take advantage of this opportunity and schedule a deck maintenance inspection so they can learn firsthand from our inspectors about the condition of their deck.”
Residents should call the County’s central call system at MC311 or 240-777-0311 to learn more about the deck inspection program and to schedule an inspection. Residents also can schedule an inspection online by visiting the DPS website and submitting a service request. The requests may not be anonymous. In the description section of the online form, residents should note they are requesting a deck maintenance inspection and include the property address and contact information at the top of the form.
“Once on site, an inspector will check the support structure of the deck, ledger attachment and the overall condition of the structure,” said Jim Sackett, DPS residential inspections manager. “Since the program began in 2009, more than 1,400 decks have been inspected as part of this program.”
The County does not provide free deck inspections in the cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville because the municipalities have their own permitting departments and protocols.
This year’s Building Safety Month weekly campaign themes will include:
May 1-8: Planning for a Safe and Sustainable Tomorrow
May 9-15: Exploring Careers in Building Safety
May 16-22: Understanding the Four Phases of Emergency Management
May 23-31: Creating a Safe and Abundant Water Supply
County Executive Elrich and the County Council are scheduled to issue a joint Building Safety Month proclamation on Tuesday, May 10.
Learn more about Building Safety Month at www.buildingsafetymonth.org and join the conversation on social media using #MoCoDPS and #BuildingSafety365.
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