More than a dozen County Government departments and agencies will participate in the 60th Annual Montgomery County Agricultural Fair to be held at the Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg August 8 though 16, providing one of the largest presences ever by the County. Most of the departments will be located on one site across from Community Square at the top end of the Fairgrounds that we are calling the County Corner. This will be a virtual "one-stop" shop for residents wanting to ask questions or get information about a variety of County services. Other agencies and programs will be located around the Fairgrounds. The County has always been a part of the Fair, but this year we wanted to try and get as many departments as possible in one location so fairgoers could stop and talk with representatives from various programs and services and get the information they need. There'll also be comment boxes where residents can fill out a brief form with comments and questions about County government issues, programs and services. Then, we'll see they get to the appropriate County department and answered. Located at the "Montgomery Corner" site will be: Board of Elections, Office of Consumer Protection, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Treasury Division (Department of Finance), Montgomery County Historical Society, Montgomery County Public Libraries, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Permitting Services, Public Information Office, Department of Recreation and Montgomery County Public Schools. The site will be marked by the presence of a large MCPS school bus, open for visitors, and a Bank Shot Basketball trailer from the Recreation Department that will allow hoopsters of all ages to test their shooting skills. Additionally, residents can find information about even more County programs at the Public Information Office display that will include brochures and flyers from other agencies. More County programs represented at other locations around the Fairgrounds are: Division of Solid Waste Services/Recycling (DEP), Housing Opportunities Commission, Agricultural Services Division (Economic Development), Ride On (Transportation), Fire and Rescue Service, and Police. The County's information booths will be open from 3 to 10 p.m. on the first day, then from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. thereafter. So, I invite you all to take some time and stop by the County Corner. For more information on the Fair, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov and click on the Fair picture on the home page. - top An appeal: Help local children get ready to learn In an effort to help ensure that all students in Montgomery County Public Schools -- especially those with limited resources -- start school fully ready and equipped to learn, I am urging residents, businesses and community and faith-based organizations to participate in the County's "Ready to Learn!" campaign by conducting or donating to a local school supply drive. It's a simple gesture that can greatly benefit a large number of students. In the 2007-2008 school year, nearly 138,000 students were enrolled in Montgomery County Public Schools. Of those, approximately 36,000 received free and reduced price meals and came from households that are considered low income. These working families are trying to provide the basic daily necessities, so imagine those same families trying to find additional money to buy the school supplies their children are required to have. The campaign provides information on how to conduct a school supply drive and a list of agencies serving low-income families in need of those supplies for their children. To access the information, please go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/volunteer, click on "Ready to Learn!" I commend the Volunteer Center for working with a dozen non-profit partners, including Interfaith Works, Linkages to Learning and the Housing Opportunities Commission, with the goal of providing school supplies to nearly 8,000 students. The "Ready to Learn!" program is part of the County's Seasons of Service series of events that encourages volunteerism and community and corporate giving. Summer is also a good time to spruce up the school grounds so students will have an inviting outdoor environment conducive to learning. The Volunteer Center's website also has a list of school beautification projects to participate in and tips on coordinating a local beautification project. For details on "Ready to Learn!" or school beautification projects, contact the Montgomery County Volunteer Center at 240-777-2600 or email volunteer@montgomerycountymd.gov. - top Helping to Prevent Home Foreclosures Home foreclosures in Montgomery County have impacted an already uncertain economic situation, compromised our quality of life, and visited suffering on families who have seen their piece of the American dream slip between their fingers. Montgomery County had a total of more than 3,000 foreclosure events in the first five months of this year. That compares with 183 foreclosures in the County during the first three months of 2007. The areas hit hardest by foreclosures are Gaithersburg, Germantown, Wheaton, and Aspen Hill. In contrast to other parts of the region, Montgomery County's foreclosures seem to cluster in the sector of starter detached homes and older townhouse purchases. The situation looks to get worse before it gets better. Our estimate is that we'll see 4,300 mortgage loan rate resets in 2008 - and a similar number in 2009. Prevention of home foreclosures before they happen should be the most important priority for us in tackling this critical issue. We have:
While the problem is bigger than any local government alone can handle, we should use our available resources effectively to spread the word, build community partnerships, and prevent as many foreclosures as possible. - top I'm pleased to announce that Karla Silvestre, a native of Guatemala with more than 10 years of experience in education, language policy and youth development, has been named as a new community liaison in the County Executive's Office of Community Partnerships. She will be responsible for working primarily with the Latino community. Most recently, Karla worked as a consultant in the Washington metropolitan area researching and making recommendations on evidence-based youth development programs From 2002 to 2007, she worked for Congreso de Latinos Unidos, a nationally recognized, community-based non-profit in Philadelphia. She created a high performing division defined by high school graduation, post-secondary enrollment and competitive employment for youth in an urban Latino community. Prior to that time, she worked as a language planning consultant for Guatemala's Ministry of Education in the development of a national language policy regarding bilingual education for the 25 Mayan language groups in the country. She also worked at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn-Merck Collaborative for the Enhancement of Science Education. Karla will be an outstanding addition to our Office of Community Partnerships, Her background and experience will be valuable assets to my administration and to the Latino/Hispanic communities that she will be serving. - top Restricted parking legislation As you may know, the County Council has introduced legislation to restrict parking in residential neighborhoods for certain commercial and recreational vehicles. Last year, I directed the formation of a Code Enforcement Work Group, a group comprised largely of Executive Branch staff, to take a hard look at enforcement issues raised by portions of the County Code and make recommendations for possible changes that could better serve County residents. That Work Group will make its report to me within the next month. One of the major issues to be addressed by the Work Group is the question of parking limits on oversize, commercial, and recreational vehicles. Clearly this is an issue that requires balancing the protection of the quality of life in residential neighborhoods with the need for County residents to park their larger vehicles somewhere and/or earn a living. I favor reasonable restrictions on the parking of larger vehicles, while exempting "light" commercial vehicles such as pick-up trucks, utility vans, and other similar vehicles. Any such regulations must be able to be clearly communicated to the County residents and must be able to be enforced in a clear and consistent manner. I will await the results of my Code Enforcement Work Group before formally taking a position on the Council bill. Together, I believe we can arrive at a solution that can strike the right balance. - top New brochure on proposed Emergency Medical Services Transport Fee available on County website A new brochure that outlines details of the proposed Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Transport fee is now available in both English and Spanish on the County homepage at www.montgomerycountymd.gov . The black-and-white tri-fold brochure will also be available at the County's booth at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, through August 16 in Gaithersburg, and at public libraries and regional services centers. The brochure offers facts about the transport fee, which is projected to raise at least $14 million a year, and will be dedicated to maintaining and enhancing Montgomery County's emergency medical services. County residents will not pay anything under the proposed fee. The fee will be billed directly to residents' insurance companies, which have already factored the cost of patient transport into their rate schedules. The fee for uninsured residents will be waived. For more information about the proposed fee, including testimonials and supporting materials, go to: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/emstransportfee - top AT&T National good for the County The 2008 AT&T National Golf Tournament, held July 1-6 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, generated an estimated $16.8 million in total direct and indirect, positive economic impact to Maryland, including $5.5 million in employee income and nearly 200 jobs. And, the bulk of this impact is concentrated in Montgomery County. This tournament is clearly a huge spectator draw and one of the region's most anticipated professional sporting events, but what this economic impact analysis also demonstrates is that it is clearly a significant economic boon for our local economy. We are very proud to have this impressive event hosted by the world's greatest golfer, Tiger Woods, take place in Montgomery County and we will do all we can to ensure that it stays here for many, many years to come. Some 107,120 spectators attended over six days, with an average daily attendance of more than 25,800. An estimated 10,712 of these spectators stayed overnight in the County. Additionally, the tournament brings sponsors, suppliers, players, caddies, families and media from outside the region who account for an additional 3,000 overnight visits. - top More Economic Development good news Long known as one of the top locations in the country for the bio-tech community, Montgomery County is now proud to have been chosen as the new home for OpGen, Inc., a Madison, WI-based company that has developed the means to more fully map the genome of a microorganism. The company, founded in 2001, comes to Montgomery County with 10 employees and expects to increase its workforce to 70 within the coming year. OpGen will occupy 15,000 square feet in the building on Quince Orchard Rd. formerly occupied by Gene Logic, Inc. The site will serve as company headquarters, in addition to housing a production lab and manufacturing space. OpGen's genome mapping system was used by the FDA in 2006 to pinpoint the source of the salmonella outbreaks from spinach. In addition to the FDA, OpGen's 80 clients also include the Centers for Disease Control. We welcome this news and consider OpGen to be a major addition to the stellar roster of bio-tech firms that are located in Montgomery County. - top I am very pleased that the Defense Department has agreed to take on the task of constructing turn lanes at the North Wood Gate of Bethesda Naval Hospital along Rockville Pike. This project will help remove traffic from the through lanes along Rockville Pike by extending the existing southbound left turn lane into the Navy Med campus, and by creating a new northbound left turn lane into the NIH truck inspection facility. This can be a good beginning toward addressing the many critical traffic congestion challenges created by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision to expand Bethesda Naval - but it is only a beginning. Much remains to be done and getting that done is a priority of mine and of the surrounding community. I appreciate the important support we've received from Senators Mikulski and Cardin and from Congressman Van Hollen. I understand that this project isn't quite a done deal and that DOD must identify the funds within its construction budget for this project. But, clearly, DOD recognizes the importance of ensuring the success of the BRAC-mandated mission at Bethesda Naval Hospital -- to construct the world's finest military medical center -- and that solving the traffic and congestion problems that could result from dramatic growth at the Bethesda campus is an integral part of that mission. - top I thank the Council for their unanimous support of legislation I proposed that will establish a County Commission on Veterans' Affairs. There are approximately 60,000 veterans who call Montgomery County home and we are thankful for their service to our nation. As a Vietnam veteran, I wanted to find a way to hear from these men and women and their families about how we can be responsive to veterans' needs, prepare for the return of active-duty personnel, and welcome them back to our community. Stay tuned for more details this Fall. - top The Mingus Big Band will headline an all-star jazz line-up at the fifth annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival to be held Saturday, September 13 from 2 to 10 p.m., in Downtown Silver Spring. This year, the festival moves to the parking lot behind the Lee Building at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road This festival really has something for everyone, and I invite jazz fans throughout the area to join us for what promises to be an exciting and memorable event. I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to Live Nation's Ted Mankin for his efforts in getting the Mingus Big Band to sign on as headliners at this year's event. This is certainly one of the 'big bands' in the world of jazz and I am very excited about having them come to Silver Spring. The program will kick off at 2 p.m. with a showcase of local talent in the Jazz Ensemble Caravan, a New Orleans-style parade of youth jazz ensembles traveling throughout the community, followed by a band competition. The winning youth ensemble will receive the Silver Spring Jazz Festival Trophy. For more information, call the Silver Spring Regional Services Center at 301-565-7300 or visit www.silverspringdowntown.com. - top We want to continue our community outreach efforts that have, in the past, allowed me to hear from and respond directly to so many of you. In the coming months, there will be opportunities for you to do just that, again. So check out this schedule of Town Hall Meetings, Online Chats and Call In Shows, and let us hear from you. Town Hall Meetings:
On Line Chats
Call Ins
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