 County Executive Marc Elrich thanks the Montgomery County Delegation to the General Assembly for its many accomplishments in this year’s session. Among the legislation passed was a measure that will move the County closer to implementing “Community Choice Energy.” He also addresses how the “pause” of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines will impact Montgomery County’s vaccine program.
 More than 43 percent of Montgomery County residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination and more than one-quarter of residents are fully vaccinated, according to statistics from the State of Maryland as of today, Thursday, April 15. The County this week joined most states in pausing use of the Johnson & Johnson (J & J) vaccines pending a medical review, but the County is doing everything possible to minimize the impact of that halted supply.
An amended Montgomery County Board of Health regulation to provide guidance regarding summer camps was unanimously approved this week by the County Council.
|
“Next Steps of Economic Recovery” will be the theme from noon-1 p.m. on Friday, April 16, when Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Economic Revitalization and Recovery program continues its series of virtual town hall meetings to keep businesses informed on strategies for doing business as the health crisis continues.
|
 Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Information Portal provides a variety of breakdowns on how the virus has impacted the County. The statistics are updated to reflect the most recent reports during the health crisis. Among the information available is how many positive cases have been reported in each zip code in the County. New to the dashboard is how many vaccinations have been given by zip code.
 Montgomery County Public School students are returning to in-person instruction in the next steps of recovery from the COVID-19 health crisis and spring weather has arrived. That combination has the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) and its Safe Routes to Schools program encouraging parents to organize a “Walking School Bus” to enable young students to safely walk to the schools in their neighborhoods. Walking school buses provide a safe and fun way for children to get physical activity as they travel to and from school—with adult supervision.
Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL), in partnership with Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Inc. (FOLMC), is presenting the fourth “Just for the Record –A Vinyl Day” event from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 17. The COVID-19 health crisis will make this year’s event virtual as lovers of music on vinyl join to celebrate the music, the culture and the special sound a diamond-tipped needle produces.
|
Montgomery County’s annual GreenFest—a month-long celebration of the environment—is continuing with its series of free online and in-person events throughout April. The activities will include educational workshops, an environmental film festival and family friendly games and scavenger hunts. Upcoming events include “Become a Community Scientist in Your Own Backyard” and the DC Environmental Film Festival.
Carousels are timeless, family-fun adventures that get more intriguing with as they age. Montgomery County has three historic carousels—two that are more than 100 years old—and they are ready as the spring warm weather has returned.
 The State of Maryland has provided $10 million to expand the Powerline Trail, a multi-use trail built within the Pepco right-of-way, to complete what will eventually be a 13-mile trail from South Germantown Recreational Park to Cabin John Regional Park in Bethesda.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has started work along a half-mile portion of Jones Bridge Road in North Chevy Chase that includes the busy intersection of MD 185 (Connecticut Avenue) at Kensington Parkway. The work is being done in conjunction with the Federal government’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in North Chevy Chase.
|
 Montgomery County Public Libraries is offering free online workshops and one-on-one sessions to assist job seekers and entrepreneurs throughout April. All workshops are free and offered virtually.
Each April, Montgomery Parks of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and its partners host the “Shine Brighter Together” campaign to raise awareness of autism as part of a celebration of Autism Acceptance Month. Jennene Blakely, inclusion and community outreach specialist for Montgomery Parks, talked about this year’s campaign on the latest episode of the What’s Happening MoCo podcast. The podcast highlights people and programs important to the residents of Montgomery County
|
Montgomery County has selected the Montgomery County Green Bank as the new administrator for the Montgomery County Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing program. C-PACE is an innovative financing tool used in more than 283,000 projects nationwide to implement energy efficiency and clean energy upgrades to commercial buildings and overcome conventional financing challenges.
|
 "Confronting Barriers to Mental Health and Addiction Services" will be the next in the series of free virtual mental health forums conducted by Montgomery County. The forum will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, May 6.
|
