 As the County reaches a venerable milestone in vaccination rates, County Executive Marc Elrich cautions us to not let our guard down in the advent of another variant of the COVID-19 virus. He also reminds us of the importance of giving back to our richly diverse community during this holiday season; shopping small and local so we're #KeepingMoneyInMontgomery and praises Marriott's decision to build and grow in the County. County Executive Elrich commemorates World AIDS Day and celebrates the 66th Anniversary of the decision Rosa Parks made on December 1, 1955 to sit down in order to stand up.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass, a member of the Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee, were joined this week by Council President Tom Hucker; State Delegates Jheanelle Wilkins, Lorig Charkoudian and David Moon; Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart; Javier Rivas from the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC); and business leaders to announce that $231,000 has been appropriated to the County by the Maryland Department of Commerce to assist small businesses that have lost revenue due to the Purple Line construction.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich proclaimed Wed., Dec. 1, as “Rosa Parks Day” to recognize the American hero’s refusal to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Ala., bus on Dec. 1, 1955. To honor Ms. Parks, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation placed placards about her in its transit vehicles and promoted the day through social media and ongoing policy and program efforts.
Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer Protection, which has been recognized as one of the nation’s foremost and oldest government consumer protection agencies, is inviting the public to join its 50th anniversary celebration at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 6, in the Council Office Building’s first floor auditorium in Rockville. The event will celebrate the office’s five decades of accomplishments.
 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 from the State of Maryland during the health crisis. Among the information available is how many positive cases have been reported in each zip code in the County.
Celebrating Wildlife, a free art exhibit featuring beautiful fauna ranging from tiny insects to some of the largest creatures on earth, will be on display through Jan. 30 at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. The exhibit, which features the work of 20 artists, was juried by painter and Gaithersburg Police Officer John Duke and photographer George Smith.
Free Ride On bus service will be extended through July 2. Early in the COVID-19 health crisis, the fares were suspended and a series of actions has continued the free service.
Some think of December as the most wonderful time of the year, and Montgomery County Recreation has numerous holiday events to bring out the spirit of the season. The activities will include such things as a holiday craft show; letters to Santa: a pancake breakfast; musical activities; and arts and crafts. The events will take place at community recreation centers located throughout the County.
 The Silver Spring Arts and Entertainment District has a season full of holiday events to enjoy this winter. Upcoming events in Silver Spring include activities from the more than 100 arts and humanities organizations, popular arts venues, attractions and entertainment businesses in the Arts and Entertainment District.
Wheaton’s Arts & Entertainment District and its surrounding region will have a wide variety of holiday celebrations and events throughout the winter season. There will be activities for the whole family—including the family pets.
 Montgomery Parks will host a free, online, speaker series on Little Island, a unique new public park in New York City built on the Hudson River. The session takes place on at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 7, and will feature Michael Wiggins, the director of education and community relations for Little Island.
 A free webinar sponsored by the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 8, will provide details for businesses of all sizes on incentives that could allow current County companies to expand or assist other businesses in relocating to Montgomery.
 Companies interested in potentially doing business with the Montgomery County Government and earning government contracts can learn about the process and opportunities available at a “Procurement Fair” that will be hosted virtually by the Office of Procurement from 8:30 a.m.-noon on Wednesday, Dec. 15. There is no cost to attend the fair.
 The Montgomery County Revenue Authority (MCRA), which operates the County Airpark in Gaithersburg, will hold a virtual public meeting regarding the Airpark from 6:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14. The meeting will be held virtually, but it will include an open forum that will feature up to 25 speakers. A work session on “noise issues” will follow the open forum.
“Visit Montgomery,” the official destination marketing organization for Montgomery County, received two tourism achievement awards during the recent 40th Annual Maryland Travel & Tourism Summit (MTTS) in Hanover. The awards were in the categories of “Leveraging Partnerships” from the Maryland Office of Tourism and “Collaborative Partnership” from the Maryland Tourism Coalition.
Montgomery County Public Libraries is offering online workshops and one-on-one sessions geared toward assisting job seekers and entrepreneurs throughout December. All workshops are free and offered virtually.
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