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April 2013 |
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Public Hearings on Operating Budget |
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County Population Surpasses One Million |
Do you feel like one in a million? You should. According to the Planning Department at M-NCPPC, Montgomery County has reached the one million mark.
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Open for Business |
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Earth Month Activities |
It’s finally time to put down your snow shovel and pick up your garden shovel. Here are some great ways to celebrate Earth Month, and all of them are approved for Student Service Learning hours for Montgomery County Public School students. April 2, 6, 13 and 27 – Montgomery Parks Annual Garlic Mustard Pull. Help remove one of the fastest spreading, non-native, invasive weeds. Volunteers under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Dress appropriately for the weather and to be out in the woods. For more information go to www.WeedWarrior.org or call 301-495-2504.
Saturday, April 6, 9 a.m. - noon – Alice Ferguson Foundation’s 25th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. Volunteers will pick up trash from hundreds of cleanup sites around the region. To find a site, visit www.potomaccleanup.org, or call 202-973-8203.
Saturday, April 6, 9 a.m. – noon – Rock Creek Conservancy Extreme Cleanup. Clean up the streams of Rock Creek and its tributaries, the parks connected to Rock Creek and the neighborhoods near Rock Creek where trash originates. Over 50 locations are available. Visit www.rockcreekconservancy.org for more information or call 301-775-2960.
Saturday, April 13, 9 a.m. – noon – Montgomery County Road Runners Club Rock Creek Trail Cleanup. Take part in the cleanup of the Rock Creek Trail, the Matthew Henson Trail and feeder paths as well as dry feeder streams, roadways, playgrounds and the Lake Needwood area. For more information go to www.mcrrc.org or call 301-933-2919.
Saturday, April 20, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Montgomery Parks Cabin John Trail Workday. Improve the Cabin John Natural Surface Trail in Bethesda. Volunteer trail workdays typically include repairing eroded tread surfaces, stabilizing drainage issues, and building new trails and bridges. For more information, go to www.MontgomeryTrails.org or call 301-495-2504.
Saturday, April 20, 9 a.m. – noon – Anacostia Watershed Society Cleanup. Take part at 20 different cleanup sites along the Anacostia Watershed. For more information, visit www.anacostiaws.org/earthday2013 or call 301-699-6204.
Sunday, April 21, 9 a.m. – noon – WSSC Invasive Weed Removal. Help get rid of kudzu and other weeds so the trees and wildlife can thrive. Students under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, visit www.wsscwater.com or call 301-206-8233.
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Fast Fact |
Montgomery County ranks among counties with the highest median incomes. We take pride in being the economic engine of Maryland. Our schools make the lists of the best in the nation. Yet we have pockets of poverty that are not easily seen. Families of working poor and people whose circumstances have taken dramatic turns for the worse due to the economic conditions of the past few years make up an increasing portion of our community.
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Green Tip of the Month |
Now is a great time to plant a tree, especially if you have a $25 coupon. Visit the Planning Department’s Leaves for Neighborhoods site to learn more about this great program designed to increase the county’s tree canopy on residential property. Trees have many environmental benefits, including protecting soil and preventing erosion; absorbing carbon dioxide and improving local air quality; and filtering stormwater runoff to improve water quality.
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Let's Talk |
Is your community organization hosting a public meeting? Please let me know how I can help. I am happy to assist residents in understanding pending bills or in finding ways to get involved in the political process. Even more important, I want to hear about what matters to you. Send your meeting notices to councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-7959 if you would like me to address a particular topic with your group.
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