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| Mid-County Regional Center |
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October 2008
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COUNTY NEWS |
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Isiah Leggett Reports
County Council News
"World of Montgomery" Festival in Wheaton
22nd Annual Montgomery County Community Service Day - October 25th
Mid-County Regional Center To Sponsor Food Drive at Westfield and Del Mercado Giant Food Store
Leggett Announces Completion of Pedestrian Protection Project to Improve Safety on Arcola Avenue
Montgomery County to Hold Voter Registration Drives before Voter Registration Deadline at Public Libraries
Office of Consumer Protection Announces Activities for Hispanic Heritage Festival
Soroptimist International Club Announces 2008-2009 Women's Opportunity Award
Division of Solid Waste Holiday Reminder
County Warns Businesses About Phony Award Scam
Useful County Phone Numbers Available on Palm Card and County Website
The October Edition of the Olney Loop is Ready to Air on Montgomery Access
The Olney Chamber of Commerce's 29th Annual Community Night and Taste of Olney is set for Thursday,
October 2nd
Maryland Senior Olympics in Full Swing
Going Green at Home Fall 2008 Series
Randolph Theatre Hosts Production of "The Missiles of October"
NFL/Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick Competition Postponed to October 2nd
Upcoming Events at Brookside Gardens |
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Isiah Leggett Reports |
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Leggett Announces Speed Camera Revenues to Fully Fund Pedestrian Safety Initiative. Click to view
Leggett Announces New Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director. Click to view
Montgomery County Makes National Spotlight; First Lady and "Money" Magazine Cite County Volunteer Program, Quality of Life
Click to view
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County Council News
(Click on the link to view) http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Council/PressRelease/PR_list.asp |
| Phil Andrews |
| Roger Berliner |
| Marc Elrich |
| Valerie Ervin |
| Nancy Floreen |
| Mike Knapp |
| George Leventhal |
| Donald Praisner |
| Duchy Trachtenberg |
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| "World of Montgomery" Festival in Wheaton |
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| The “World of Montgomery” festival will take place near the Charles W. Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity (11319 Elkin Street, Wheaton, 20902), on the afternoon of Sunday, November 2, 2008. This free, outdoor event is being organized by the Montgomery County Executive's Office of Community Partnerships, the Latino Economic Development Corporation, the Wheaton Urban District and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County. It represents an effort to revive the widely popular, County-sponsored, Ethnic Heritage Festival held in Wheaton and Silver Spring during the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. The festival will feature music and dance performances by County-based artists, and a hands on cultural education area for families and children which will showcase performances, demonstrations, and exhibits.
In addition, a variety of food and hand-made craft vendors drawn from the Wheaton area and the wider County will be present to offer visitors the opportunity to sample a portion of the culinary and artistic diversity for which this County is known. For more information call 240-777-2611 or click here |
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| 22nd Annual Montgomery County Community Service Day - October 25th |
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| Community Service Day is the 4th Saturday in October set aside for community members to come together to volunteer and make a difference in our community. This year’s theme is “Together We Can!” Great opportunities are available for families, businesses, community groups and individuals. Find a project on the list and sign up at www.1-800-volunteer.org/1800Vol/montgomery-county/FindOpportunityAdvancedSearch.do;JSESSIONID=40ec3643ce5907d10a0d8804a14876a968b7b18f537?search=no&distance=surroundingArea&keyword=%22Community+Service+Day+2008%22&cityState=20850&sort=title&showTab=OAE&usingCookieFromSearchBox=true&dir=asc&method=Search .For more information, or to register your own Community Service Day project – click here |
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| Mid-County Regional Center to Sponsor Food Drive at Westfield and Del Mercado Giant Food Stores |
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| As part of Community Service Day, the Mid-County Regional Center will sponsor a food drive at the Westfield and Del Mercado Giant Food stores on Saturday, October 25th from 10:00 am to 2:00 p.m. to benefit the Capt. Joseph Mattingly Food Pantry administered by the Mid-County United Ministries. This is a great opportunity for neighbors to help neighbors! We hope you will stop by and make a contribution. If you wish to make a contribution and won’t be able to meet up with us on October 25th, please feel free to drop your donation off in our offices at 2424 Reedie Drive in Wheaton – Monday through Friday from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. |
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| Leggett Announces Completion of Pedestrian Project to Improve Safety on Arcola Avenue |
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Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett announced that construction of pedestrian safety and traffic calming improvements has been completed on Arcola Avenue between Hoyt Street and Kemp Mill Road in Wheaton. The innovative pedestrian protection improvements installed were successfully used last year by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (DOT) on Connecticut Avenue, where motorist speeds were reduced by about 10 miles per hour (mph).
“Engineering improvements are critical tools for transforming Montgomery County into a more pedestrian-friendly community,” said Leggett. “DOT is demonstrating that innovative approaches can calm traffic and increase pedestrian safety and comfort. This project is just one of the many things we are doing to reduce pedestrian-related crashes, injuries and fatalities and ensure safe and convenient travel options for our pedestrians.”
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett announced that construction of pedestrian safety and traffic calming improvements has been completed on Arcola Avenue between Hoyt Street and Kemp Mill Road in Wheaton. The innovative pedestrian protection improvements installed were successfully used last year by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (DOT) on Connecticut Avenue, where motorist speeds were reduced by about 10 miles per hour (mph).
“Engineering improvements are critical tools for transforming Montgomery County into a more pedestrian-friendly community,” said Leggett. “DOT is demonstrating that innovative approaches can calm traffic and increase pedestrian safety and comfort. This project is just one of the many things we are doing to reduce pedestrian-related crashes, injuries and fatalities and ensure safe and convenient travel options for our pedestrians.”
The improvement project reduces the number of travel lanes on the roadway to calm traffic and enhance pedestrian safety. For Arcola, the four-lane road has been reduced to one lane in each direction. DOT has installed concrete pedestrian refuge islands, which are areas between lanes of traffic where pedestrians may safely wait. The refuge islands not only help calm traffic, but also reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians. DOT has also installed bump-outs, which extend the curb, also giving pedestrians a shorter distance to cross the road.
“As the school year begins and our children begin their walks to school, I am excited that we are committing the additional resources needed to protect pedestrians and implement the recommendations of the Pedestrian Safety Initiative,” said Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin. “Traffic calming measures, such as those implemented on Arcola Avenue, help to create safe and walkable communities, which decrease our dependence on automobiles, improve the environment, and create a sense of place.”
Other pedestrian safety enhancements include the addition of a two-way center turn lane; relocation of bus stops; and repositioning and striping of crosswalks. Some signs and lighting were enhanced to better accommodate senior motorists and pedestrians. The paved roads, dedicated bus stop sites, and newly painted pedestrian crossing points have made a wonderful improvement to the busy Kemp Mill neighborhood,” said Alec Stone, former president of the Kemp Mill Civic Association. Residents feel the ‘road diet’ has helped calm the traffic and hope the morning congestion will be greatly relieved. The County was responsive to the community's requests and has worked well with us to find a safe and attractive solution.” For more information about the County’s Pedestrian Safety program, go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/walk or call 240-777-7170. |
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| Montgomery County to Hold Voter Registration Drives before Voter Registration Deadline at Public Libraries |
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The Montgomery County Board of Elections will conduct voter registration before the voter registration deadline, Tuesday, October 14, 2008, at local public libraries according to the schedule below. In order to become a registered voter, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, live in Maryland, and be at least 18 years of age on or before Tuesday, November 4, 2008.
Saturday, October 4, 2008, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Aspen Hill Library, 4407 Aspen Hill Road, Rockville, MD 20853, 240-773-9410; TTY: 301-871-2097
Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Road, 240-777-0970, TTY: 301-657-0840
Damascus Library, 9701 Main Street, 240-773-9444, TTY: 301-253-0148
Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20817, 240-777-0922, TTY: 301-897-2203
Fairland Library, 14910 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, 240-773-9460, MD Relay: 711
Gaithersburg Library, 18330 Montgomery Village Avenue, 240-773-9490, TTY: 301-840-2641
Germantown Library, 19840 Century Boulevard, 240-777-0110, TTY: 240-777-0901
Kensington Park Library, 4201 Knowles Avenue, 240-773-9515, TTY: 301-897-2250
Long Branch Library, 8800 Garland Avenue, Silver Spring, 240-777-0910, TTY: 301-565-7662
Olney Library, 3500 Olney-Laytonsville Road, 240-773-9545, TTY: 301-570-1221
Potomac Library, 10101 Glenolden Drive, 240-777-0690, TTY: 301-765-4083
Quince Orchard Library, 15831 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, 240-777-0200
Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, 240-777-0140, TTY: 240-777-0902
Silver Spring Library, 8901 Colesville Road, 240-773-9420, TTY: 301-565-7505
Wheaton Library, 11701 Georgia Avenue, 240-777-0678, TTY: 301-929-5524
White Oak Library, 11701 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, 240-773-9555
Sunday, October 5, 2008, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Road, 240-777-0970, TTY: 301-657-0840
Fairland Library, 14910 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, 240-773-9460, MD Relay: 711
Gaithersburg Library, 18330 Montgomery Village Avenue, 240-773-9490, TTY: 301-840-2641
Germantown Library, 19840 Century Boulevard, 240-777-0110, TTY: 240-777-0901
Olney Library, 3500 Olney-Laytonsville Road, 240-773-9545, TTY: 301-570-1221
Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, 240-777-0140, TTY: 240-777-0902
Silver Spring Library, 8901 Colesville Road, 240-773-9420, TTY: 301-565-7505
Wheaton Library, 11701 Georgia Avenue, 240-777-0678, TTY: 301-929-5524
For additional information, contact Gilberto Zelaya at 240-777-8532 or email gilberto.zelaya@montgomerycountymd.gov
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Office of Consumer Protection Announces Activities for Hispanic Heritage Month |
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In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 – October 15, Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) is focusing its consumer education activities on the Hispanic community and will be participating at several health fairs and community festivals in the county. “We want to make sure that Spanish speaking residents in the County know that we are here to help them become informed and confident consumers,” said OCP Director Eric Friedman.
The kick off event was a free educational seminar on September 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Mid-County Regional Center located at 2424 Reedie Drive, Wheaton. Speakers from OCP and the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation addressed how to choose a money transmitting company and how to select a moving/shipping company. OCP representatives also distributed information on the digital television transition, credit, purchasing a car and other consumer topics. Two digital converter boxes and two paper shredders were awarded as door prizes. Light refreshments were served. The Office of Consumer Protection investigates thousands of complaints each year involving automotive sales and repairs, new home purchases, home improvements, credit and financial issues, retail sales, internet services and most other consumer transactions. OCP provides pre-purchase information to consumers, as well as speakers to the community on consumer issues.
For more information, to receive advice or to file a complaint, call 240-777-3636 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/consumer |
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| Soroptomist International Announces 2008-2009 Women's Opportunity Award |
 The Soroptimist Club of Upper Montgomery County is now accepting applications for their 2008-2009 Women's Opportunity Award. |
| The Women's Opportunity Award is a cash award, not a scholarship, for female heads of household, who are attending, or have been accepted to, a vocational/skills training program, or an undergraduate degree program. The program begins at the club level, where award amounts vary. Local winners then become eligible to receive region-level awards funded by Soroptimist International of the Americas - one $5,000 first place award, and two $3,000 awards. The South Atlantic Region also funds one $1,000 award. First place winners become eligible to receive one of three $10,000 finalist awards awarded at the Federation level.
In addition to education enrollment requirements above, applicants must demonstrate financial need, and cannot have already earned an undergraduate degree. Applications should be submitted to Soroptimist International of Upper Montgomery County no later than December 15. For more information and to receive an application, send your request to opportunityaward@yahoo.com |
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| Division of Solid Waste Holiday Reminder |
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Columbus Day:
Monday, October 13, 2008 - Columbus Day - is a regular recycling and trash collection day. All County-provided recycling and trash collections will be made on their normal schedule.
If you have any questions or concerns about your County provided collection, please call 240-777-6410.
Note: If you (or your community) have a private contract for your trash collection, our schedule announcement may not apply to your trash service - check with your hauler or community manager. |
County Warns Businesses About Phony Award Scam |
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Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) is warning local businesses and organizations not to be fooled by email messages stating that they have been selected to win an award. The email messages are deceptive solicitations seeking payment for worthless awards.
These “vanity award scams” are one of several common schemes that target businesses and organizations nationwide. A local organization recently contacted Montgomery County’s Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center to report that they had received a suspicious email message requesting payment to receive a plaque commemorating their prestigious award.
The suspicious message was sent from the “U.S. Local Business Association” with a Washington, D.C. address. This message instructed the recipient to provide certain information in order to purchase a plaque and press release. The sender of these messages is operating out of a local mail drop, provides no telephone number, and appears to be soliciting payments for a plaque regarding a meaningless award.
“When these familiar scams pop up in Montgomery County we want to get the word out to our local businesses and organizations not to fall prey to such deception,” said OCP Director Eric Friedman. “We work closely with the regional service centers to learn what is going on in Montgomery County so that we can respond quickly.”
Consumers, businesses and organizations should be wary of any solicitations disguised as award notifications. For more information, to receive advice or to file a complaint, call 240-777-3636 or visit OCP’s website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/consumer.
The Office of Consumer Protection investigates thousands of complaints each year involving automotive sales and repairs, new home purchases, home improvements, credit and financial issues, retail sales, internet services and most other consumer transactions. OCP provides pre-purchase information to consumers, as well as speakers to the community on consumer issues. |
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| Useful County Phone Numbers Available on Palm Card and County Website; Cards Available in English and Spanish |
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| Montgomery County has recently updated its “Useful County Phone Numbers” card and it is now available in both English and Spanish on the County homepage at www.montgomerycountymd.gov.
The two-sided, envelope-sized card contains County phone numbers from Abandoned Vehicles to Zoning Information. A useful card for every County resident, the cards offer a quick listing of popular and useful County phone numbers. Included are phone numbers that residents can call for snow removal, recycling and trash collection, animal services and much more. The cards are also available in County libraries, regional service centers and senior centers. For more information, call 240-777-6530. |
| The Olney Edition of the Olney Loop is Ready to Air on Montgomery Access |
| The October edition of the Olney Loop will begin airing on Wednesday, October 1st on Montgomery Access, Channel 21 on both Comcast and Verizon Fios. The show is repeated weekly on Wednesdays at 6 p.m and Sundays at 9:30 p.m. So, you have lots of opportunities to catch each month’s show. The main goal of the show is to answer questions from people in the area about Olney – history, traditions, events, etc.
The October Olney Loop features a lot of new stories, drawing in more community events around Olney:
- A plug for more election judges
- Olney’s 9-11 vigil (How it started and 9/11/08 coverage)
- Attitudes get stronger among Georgia Ave demonstrators as Election Day draws near
- Fletchers offers vets a free car wash (Plugging this in October because by November it will be old news)
- The Olney Lions Club
- Senior Olympics in Olney
- Olney's coffee house with live bands from Montgomery County drawing over 100 plus at Oakdale-Emory Methodist Church
- Olney Skate Park (as it closes late November due to weather)
If there is something you always wanted to know about Olney, send your question to Lisa Stancik at lstancik@goca.org |
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| The Olney Chamber of Commerce's 29th Annual Community Night and Taste of Olney is Set for Thursday, October 2nd |
| The Olney Chamber of Commerce’s 29th Annual Community Night and Taste of Olney will take place on Thursday, October 2nd from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Longwood Community Center. Come and learn about businesses, civic groups, non-profit groups, and a few government agencies that service the greater Olney community. Admission is free, and a variety of foods from local restaurants are available for purchase at the Taste. |
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| Maryland Senior Olympics in Full Swing |
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| The Maryland Senior Olympics (MSO) officially got underway on August 30 when more than 200 senior athletes participated in a 5k race at the Kentlands in Gaithersburg. Following that race, events have been held around the state in badminton, basketball, billiards, bowling, lawn bowling, line dancing and shuffleboard. “The games are not only an opportunity for competition among the athletes, but provide a time of socializing and camaraderie,” said MSO Executive Director Ted Wroth. “The athletes genuinely look forward to the competition against old friends and athletic foes, and it’s really amazing to see their energy, determination and skill.” More than 2,000 athletes over the age of 50 compete in the Maryland Senior Olympics. Many will advance to the National Senior Games to be held in August 2009 in San Francisco. For more information on the games, go to www.mdseniorolympics.org or call 240-777-8080. |
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| Going Green at Home Fall 2008 Series: Building Green Homes |
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The Montgomery County Planning Department is offering informative sessions about ways to reduce energy use and cost and reduce impact on the environment.The Going Green at Home Fall 2008 series: Building Green Homes focuses on creating green designs taking advantage of natural lighting and using recycled materials.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR THE HOME
Wednesday, October 1, at 7 p.m.
Kensington Public Library
4201 Knowles Avenue, Kensington
Monday, November 3, at 7 p.m.
Gaithersburg Library, 18330 Montgomery Village Avenue, Gaithersburg
GREEN HOME REMODELING: WORKING WITH A GREEN ARCHITECT
Wednesday, October 29, at 7 p.m.
Gaithersburg Library, 18330 Montgomery Village Ave., Gaithersburg
Monday, November 3, at 7 p.m.
Kensington Public Library, 4201 Knowles Ave. Kensington |
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| Randolph Theatre Hosts Production of "The Missiles of October" |
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Montgomery County’s Randolph Theatre will host The Heritage Theatre Company’s production of “The Missiles of October,” October 17 through November 22. The theatre is located at 4010 Randolph Road, Wheaton.
The Heritage Theatre Company, a small, non-profit professional theatre company based in Montgomery County, will present the stage adaptation of Stanley R. Greenberg’s 1974 Emmy Award winning television drama which details the events leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Last year, the theatre company presented “Profiles in Courage,” marking the 50th anniversary of the book having won the Pulitzer Prize.
The final performance on November 22 marks the 45th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, who was in office during this time in history. For information about performance dates and times or to purchase tickets, go to www.theheritagetheatre.org or call 301-770-9080. |
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| NFL/Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick Competition Postponed to October 2nd |
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Thursday, October 2nd, 5 p.m. at Longwood Community Center
19300 Georgia Avenue, Olney
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Punt, Pass and Kick (PPK) encourages boys and girls ages 8 to 15 to showcase their talents in punting, passing and kicking a youth-sized football. Scoring is based on distance and accuracy. First, second and third place ribbons will be awarded for each of eight age groups. Due to expected inclement weather, the competition has been rescheduled from this Sunday to Thursday, October 2 at Longwood Community Center and will run in conjunction with Olney Community Night. For more information and application visit Youth Football or call Lieutenant Brian Smith at 240-876-6760 or 1-443-624-3084 |
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| Upcoming Events at Brookside Gardens |
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If there are items you would like to have included in our newsletter
please email us at
midcty.citizen@montgomerycountymd.gov |
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The Mid-County Sparkler is posted monthly on the web by the
Mid-County Regional Center at
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/MIDCOUNTY
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If you would like to be added to our email list, go to http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/, type “eSubscribe” in the search box located under the header on the upper left hand side of the screen.On the screen which appears simply fill out the top part of the form and scroll down to "Regional Services Centers" where you can click the box next to "Mid-County Sparkler". You may find interesting information from other County agencies available through this system and you may sign up for as many as you like.
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Isiah Leggett, County Executive, Montgomery County
Natalie Cantor, Director, Mid-County Regional Center
2424 Reedie Drive
Wheaton, Maryland 20902
(240) 777-8100
E-mail comments, questions, or any suggestions about this website e-mail to
midcty.citizen@montgomerycountymd.gov or mail to
Mid-County Regional Center
2424 Reedie Drive
Wheaton, Maryland 20902 |
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