 The importance of Juneteenth, and the many events that will happen over the coming weekend as part of the celebration, are foremost on the mind of County Executive Marc Elrich. He also talks about two important events occurring in Silver Spring on Saturday, June 18: the renaming of the Silver Spring Library for the late Brigadier General Charles McGee and the all-day 13th Annual Silver Spring Blues Festival. County Executive Elrich discusses the need for temporary rent stabilization legislation and proposed legislation that require future buildings be built as fully electric-powered. And he salutes Myles Frost, a Wootton High School graduate who this week won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Michael Jackson in the Broadway spectacular “MJ The Musical.”
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Silver Spring Blues Week is continuing with another live event on Friday, June 17, and will conclude with a star-filled lineup for the 13th Annual Silver Spring Blues Festival on Saturday, June 18. The event is presented by Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.
 Montgomery County’s 25th Juneteenth Celebration will be held at the BlackRock Center for the Arts from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday, June 18. This will mark the first official observance of Juneteenth as both a national and County paid holiday.
 The Montgomery County Government will observe special hours, and in some cases, closings at it formally observes Juneteenth on Monday, June 20.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Council President Gaba Albornoz and County Councilmember Will Jawando will join family members of late Brigadier General Charles E. McGee at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, in a formal ceremony to rename the Silver Spring branch of the Montgomery County Library system as the “Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library.”
 Montgomery County will host two Independence Day fireworks displays and family gatherings this year, one on in Kensington on Saturday, July 2, and the other on Monday, July 4, in Germantown.
 The Montgomery County Public Libraries’ (MCPL) Summer Reading Challenge has started. This year’s theme is “Oceans of Possibilities.” Children and teens are invited to sign up online or in-person at any branch. The reading challenge will continue through Aug. 31.
 Progress of continuing work on the Purple Line, including introduction of the new contractor, are the focus of a series of in-person meetings being held by the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA).
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation will have a series of events to seek input on the planned expansion of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, branded Flash, on New Hampshire Avenue, North Bethesda and MD 355. Flash bus corridors provide frequent, upgraded bus services on highly traveled corridors. The next scheduled event, regarding the New Hampshire Avenue line, will be from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, at CHI Centers, Inc., which is located at 10501 New Hampshire Ave. in Silver Spring.
 Montgomery County is planning for the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months to 4 years old. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now considering approval of vaccines for that age group. Currently, County-operated clinics are providing booster shots for all residents 5-and-over.
 Montgomery County residents have several ways to get tested for COVID-19.
 Montgomery County Recreation is offering seniors 55 and older the opportunity to participate in “Senior Adventures,” a pair of three-day camps that can help seniors make connections with fun activities while also exploring enjoyable places in the community. The camps will be held over the four-day period from June 21-24 based at the Long Branch Senior Center in Silver Spring and June 28-30 based at the Damascus Senior Center.
 A virtual tour of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center will be presented by Park Ranger Cierra Maszkiewicz starting Monday, June 20. The park, which sits on the trailhead for the 125‐mile Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, provides an in-depth understanding of Ms. Tubman’s early years spent in Maryland’s Choptank River Region.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and County Councilmember Hans Riemer this week announced introduction of the Comprehensive Building Decarbonization legislation. Bill 13-22, which will now be considered by the County Council, would require the County to issue all-electric building standards for new construction, major renovations and additions by Jan. 1, 2024. The legislation is the first of its kind in Maryland.
 Montgomery County is continuing its celebration of June as “Pride Month” with the release of its first-ever survey of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ+) residents. The survey will collect anonymous information about health and wellness, access to resources and services, experiences of discrimination and other aspects of residents’ life in the community. The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, July 15.
 The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence, will offer a free community-based Diabetes Self-Management Program beginning Wednesday, June 22. The six-week series will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the Germantown Library.
 The Gwendolyn E. Coffield Community Recreation Center in Silver Spring reopened to the public earlier this week. On Saturday, June 18, the center will host a reopening celebration.
 Montgomery Parks will host a full month of special events in June that celebrate Father’s Day, Juneteenth, Pride Month and highlight the County’s outstanding parks.
 The free, family-friendly “Evenings in Olde Towne” concert series will have performances on Thursday nights in June, July and September at the City Hall Concert Pavilion in Olde Towne Gaithersburg. All concerts will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. The next show will feature “The Sidleys” on Thursday, June 23.
 Gaithersburg’s Children’s Summer Concert Series returns to the City Hall Concert Pavilion on Wednesdays in June and July, with free performances from 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Wednesdays. The series will begin with the music of Uncle Devin on June 22.
The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) has been named as the ninth and newest fund manager in the Maryland Small, Minority and Women-Owned Business Program, also known as the Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) Program. MCEDC has partnered with the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) to be the program’s fiduciary agent.
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