 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich this week provides an update on the next steps in making sure all votes are counted from the July 19 Maryland primaries, while also thanking the County Board of Elections and its workers for their efforts during the election process. He relays the news that COVID-19 infections are again rising in the County and offers the latest news on recent vandalism at several Bethesda churches. He is glad the final draft of the “Effective Law Enforcement for All” is nearly complete. And County Executive Elrich reflects on the County’s commitment to fair housing.
 The Montgomery County Board of Elections is reminding voters that the unofficial results released on the Board’s website on election night, July 19, for the 2022 Gubernatorial Primary contain only votes cast during Early Voting (July 7-14) and at polling places on Election Day. Mail-in are being counted in a public process by bipartisan teams that started on Thursday, July 21.
 The Montgomery County Annual Farm Tour and Harvest Sale will return after a two-year hiatus on Saturday, July 23, and Sunday, July 24, to highlight Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve. About one-third (93,000 acres) of all County land is protected for agricultural uses under the policy that created the Agricultural Reserve.
Summer is a prime season for homeowners to add or rebuild fences on their properties. The best way to make sure fences are safe—and built according to Montgomery County regulations—is to follow guidance offered by the County’s Department of Permitting Services.
 The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection’s Commercial Food Scraps Recycling Partnership Program has achieved the milestone of recycling more than one million pounds of food scraps collected from businesses and organizations since the program started in May 2020.
 Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months to 5 years, Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has started vaccinating this age group as vaccines are available. However, initial supplies are limited.
 COVID-19 cases are increasing in Montgomery County and throughout the nation as Omicron’s BA.5 variant has become the predominant strain circulating. The BA.5 variant spreads easily, and while symptoms are generally not severe, it is still important to practice recommended COVID-19 prevention steps.
 After 28 months of temporarily suspending fare collection due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation's (MCDOTs) Ride On bus system will resume fare collection on Monday, Aug. 1, on all services, including Ride On, Ride On extRa, Flex, and Flash. Fares will continue to be free throughout July. The new fare will be set at $1.
 Thursday nights are alive with music this summer in Downtown Silver Spring as the free “Silver Spring Thursday Night Concerts” series continues on Veterans Plaza. Concerts are scheduled for 7-9 p.m. each Thursday evening through Aug. 11. The next performance, on July 28, will feature the classic rock and country sound of Route 66.
 The free, family-friendly “Evenings in Olde Towne” concert series will have performances on Thursday nights in 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 The Billy “T” Wilde Band on Thursday, July 28.
 The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched an educational awareness campaign to provide residents, businesses and organizations with ways they can reduce the estimated 124,000 tons of food scraps that are thrown away every year in the County. The “Food is Too Good to Waste—Reducing Food Waste Begins with You” campaign includes a public service announcement entitled Reducing Food Waste Begins With You.
Numbers gambling is an informal street lottery that began in Harlem in the early 20th Century. By 1930, it had spread to cities, suburbs, and rural communities throughout the United States, including Montgomery County. Historian David Rotenstein will discuss “The Numbers Game in the Burbs: Racketeering in Montgomery County” in an online presentation starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 25, presented by Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.
‘Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools: A Force for Change’ Will Be Presented Online Starting Monday, July 25
The life of Julius Rosenwald, an innovative and visionary philanthropist, will be featured in an online presentation of Montgomery History starting Monday, July 25. The presentation will be available for one week in the organization’s video library.
|
 The “Bloom by Strathmore” free summer outdoor concert series will have events at Montgomery County’s Good Hope Neighborhood Recreation Center in Silver Spring through Sept. 10. The series, a partnership between Montgomery County Recreation and Strathmore, captures the essence of Strathmore’s role in the community by helping the arts thrive and ensuring everyone has a chance to experience them.
 The Montgomery County Board of Elections has posted online a list of 55 ballot drop box locations available to voters for the 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election. The ballot drop boxes will remain open until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, July 19. Voters can submit their completed mail-in ballots in any drop box located in Montgomery County.
 The Gaithersburg Children’s Summer Concert Series will conclude at the City Hall Concert Pavilion with a free performance from 10:30-11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, July 27, featuring the music of The Rainbow Rock Band.
Clue the Musical, based on a book by Peter DiPietro and with music by Galen Blum, Wayne Barker and Vinnie Martucci, will be performed on weekends during Aug. 5-21 at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. The presentation is a partnership of The Montgomery Playhouse and Gaithersburg’s Arts on the Green organization.
|
