 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is enthusiastically starting 2023 with a list of priorities and projects he would like to see implemented. In his message this week, he also addresses the increase in COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations, while encouraging residents to get booster vaccinations. He talks about paying attention to emergency vehicles in action on the sides of roadways after several police cruisers were struck recently by inattentive drivers. And he wants Long Branch residents in need to know they can receive new or gently used coats at a special event at the Long Branch Community Recreation Center on Friday, Jan. 6.
 Montgomery County Recreation will host two free summer camp fairs to help families plan for their children’s summer activities. The fairs will be held on Saturday, Jan. 7, and Sunday, Jan. 22. Registration for summer camp programs opens on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
 Montgomery County Recreation Center membership passes will be free for County residents in 2023. A free pass will provide access to fully equipped fitness rooms, open gym (drop-in) activities and game rooms at any community recreation center during regularly scheduled hours.
 The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging residents to put live-cut Christmas trees curbside for recycling and give the trees a second life after the holidays.
 Free coats of all sizes will be distributed to those in need from 4-7- p.m. on Friday, Jan. 6, at the Long Branch Community Recreation Center in Silver Spring. More than 400 new or gently used coats have been donated in a coat drive that began on Dec. 27.
 Registration is now open for the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights 2023 Maryland Civil Rights Educational Freedom Experience. The annual bus tour retraces the Freedom Trail, the Montgomery (Ala.) Bus Boycott, the Greensboro sit-ins, voting rights and other significant events of the Civil Rights movement.
 The Policing Advisory Commission (PAC) of Montgomery County will hold a virtual public forum at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 9, to solicit community testimony and feedback on traffic enforcement by the Montgomery County Police Department. Other police departments—municipalities, park police, state police, etc.—are not under the PAC’s purview.
 A varied lineup of special events and programs will be held throughout January by Montgomery Parks, including a treasure hunt in Wheaton Regional Park, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day volunteer opportunities and many outdoor adventures.
 Anyone who has wondered about what it would be like to travel in Svalbarda, the Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, will get to hear first-hand from veteran traveler Carol Lite in a special online presentation from Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19.
 Montgomery History will hold its 17th Annual Montgomery County History Conference as an online event Jan. 21, 25 and 28. The conference will offer a myriad of opportunities to participate, including three keynote sessions, 12 breakout sessions and a film screening.
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A panel assembled as part of the “Follow Your Bliss” virtual series presented by Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, will encourage participants to get the new year off to a good start with its focus of How Taking the Road Less Travelled Can Lead to Your Best Life.
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 Montgomery County’s annual “Point-In-Time (PIT) Street Count is scheduled for the overnight hours of Wednesday, Jan. 25, and volunteers are needed to help survey unsheltered individuals and households. The County Continuum of Care, the County’s local planning body that coordinates housing, services and funding for homeless families and individuals, organizes the effort in partnership with service providers in the community.
 Ready for a change? Whether you are looking to switch careers, re-enter the workforce or create a meaningful retirement, there may be the right inspiration for you from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 11, in the free online presentation “Reinventing Yourself Later in Life.” The discussion will be led by motivational speaker and voice over star Laura Doman.
 Montgomery County Public Libraries will offer online workshops and one-on-one sessions geared toward assisting job seekers throughout January. All workshops are free.
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