 Hate crimes that continue throughout the nation are foremost on the mind of County Executive Marc Elrich in his weekly message to residents. He also provides an update on the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the County and the region. He is optimistic about how the new IgnITe Hub could impact the future. He also offers his thoughts on former County Executive Sidney Kramer, who passed away earlier this week.
 The number of COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County and the Washington Region is rising again, leading County officials to offer precautionary recommendations to prevent further community spread of the virus. The increase in transmission, both within the County and in other jurisdictions around the region, has outpaced the rise in other parts of Maryland.
 Montgomery County’s recycling rate of 58.94 percent of solid waste created tops all other counties in Maryland, according to statistics released by the Maryland Department of the Environment. The report was for 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Councilmember Craig Rice, Montgomery College President Jermaine F. Williams, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight and representatives from Apple, Inc. were among those recently joining MCPS students, business leaders and community members to celebrate the grand opening of the ignITe Hub at Montgomery College’s Rockville campus.
 The Gaithersburg Book Festival will return as an in-person free event from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, at its new, larger location at Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm in Gaithersburg. The festival will feature more than 120 best-selling and award-winning authors.
The Washington Region’s annual support of national Bike to Work Day will be held on Friday, May 20, and Montgomery County intends to be fully involved once again. Registration for the event is now open. The first 15,000 bicyclists who register and participate will get a free T-shirt and are automatically entered into a raffle for a chance to win a new bike.
 The Montgomery County Department of Transportation’s (MCDOTs) Division of Highway Services will conclude its celebration of national “Public Works Week” with a free, family-friendly “Truck Day” on Saturday, May 21, that will allow residents to tour and sit in County vehicles.
 The Long Branch Community Recreation and Senior Center, located at 8700 Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring, reopened to the public on Monday, May 16. A special reopening event will take place from noon-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. The free celebration will include dancing, music, food, inflatables, face painting and games.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich will join Poolesville residents for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 21, to celebrate the grand reopening of the newly refreshed Montgomery County Public Libraries’ (MCPL) Maggie Nightingale branch located at 19633 Fisher Ave. in Poolesville.
 A wide range of free music and entertainment will be featured on Veterans Plaza in Downtown Silver Spring throughout the spring in the “Twilight Tuesdays” series presented by Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.
 Montgomery County Ride On bus riders can donate non-perishable food to the County Department of Transportation’s (MCDOT) Ride On food drive from May 15-22. Non-perishable food items can be dropped off on all Ride On, extRa, Flex and Flash buses. A food donation bag will be available next to the farebox.
 The Montgomery County Office of Procurement will hold a special event from 9 a.m.-noon on Tuesday, May 24, to provide details and success stories regarding its Minority, Female and Disabled-Owned Business Program. County Executive Marc Elrich will provide the welcome remarks for the event.
 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have approved giving a second booster dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for certain groups. Montgomery County-operated clinics are now providing the second booster dose to eligible residents.
 Montgomery County residents can pick up free at-home polymerase chain reaction COVID-19 test kits at locations throughout the community. The "20/20 GeneSystems" tests are available to County residents while supplies last. Residents can receive a maximum of two test kits per person (each kit contains one test) per visit.
 The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services is offering homeowners free residential deck maintenance inspections during the month of May as part of its annual celebration of “Building Safety Month.” Since the deck safety program was announced in mid-April, more than 700 homeowners have requested deck inspections, which is higher than any previous year since the program began in 2009.
Many homeowners are planning home improvement projects this spring and summer, which makes the recognition of May as “Building Safety Month” especially timely. On the latest edition of the “What’s Happening MoCo” podcast, James Sackett, residential inspections manager for the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services will talk about the importance of scheduling a free residential deck maintenance inspection and how to know when a home project needs a permit to proceed.
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“Offutt’s Crossroads: The early History of Potomac and Its Founding Family’ will be the focus on a Montgomery History online presentation at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24. The talk and slide presentation will cover the “first family” of Potomac. The area of Montgomery County was originally named Offutt’s Crossroads, after the family.
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Montgomery County has expanded its public education and government programming with the launch of a new high-definition (HD) Montgomery County Public Schools TV (MCPS-TV) cable channel through cable provider Comcast. The new addition, which began broadcasting on May 4, is Xfinity Channel 1071.
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The Wheaton Arts Parade Gallery is seeking artist entries for a new eight-week show entitled “Spirit of Summer” that will run from June 10-July 31 at Westfield Wheaton. The exhibit will feature the works of 20-25 artists and offer the opportunity for them to sell their original, professional quality artwork. Entries must be submitted by Monday, May 30.
 The Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs is honoring many “Fallen Hometown Heroes” with County connections dating back to World War I with detailed tributes displayed on a special website created by the commission. The tribute is especially notable as the County prepares to commemorate Memorial Day on Monday, May 30.
 Three Montgomery County advisory boards will co-host "Break the Taboo-A," a virtual forum on youth mental health and substance use, from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, May 19. The forum, designed for youth, parents and guardians, will highlight signs of youth mental health and substance use concerns and where to find resources in the community.
 Stand-up comedian Danny Rouhier will be performing at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 20, at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. His fast-paced and clever act includes dozens of voices and characters.
 The Long Branch Parks Initiative a comprehensive look at the parks, trails, amenities and recreational programs in the area, is the focus of a study by Montgomery Parks, which is part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The initiative is aimed at identifying what needs to be improved or added so the parks can better serve the Long Branch area.
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