 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich this week talks about the County’s largest rooftop solar project installed at an affordable housing complex in Gaithersburg - an accomplishment that garnered a visit to the County from Maryland Governor Wes Moore. The County Executive is very concerned about a 90% increase in opioid-related ER visits by minors over the past year. And he encourages residents to celebrate “Earth Day” this weekend by attending “Greenfest” events in Wheaton on Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23.
A recent Maryland law requires Montgomery County homeowners to have an application on file with the State for a “Homestead Tax Credit” to continue to receive a $692 County “Income Tax Offset Credit” (ITOC) on their annual property tax bills.
 Spring and summer are times when more people get into their vehicles and head out on adventures. However, more miles driven mean increased chances for vehicle break downs, and in some cases, the need for major repairs. When transactions between vehicle owners and car repair businesses in Montgomery County reach serious conflicts, the County’s Office of Consumer Protection often can help.
 The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) this week began its annual Street Sweeping Program. The program will run through June, sweeping more than 4,100 lane miles of residential roadways.
 The 32nd Annual Rockville Science Day will provide free experience for all ages from noon-5 p.m. at the Montgomery College campus in Rockville. Rockville Science Day, hosted by the Rockville Science Center, will feature a variety of science and technology-related exhibits, activities, games and demonstrations including rocket-building (and launching), telescope viewing and a wide variety of robots.
 Montgomery County will celebrate April as “Earth Month” with special events promoting sustainability, conservation and eco-friendliness. Highlights include the two-day GreenFest event in Wheaton at Brookside Gardens and Marian Fryer Plaza, social media campaigns and park clean-ups.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is holding “community conversations” at sites around the County in April and May to talk about long-term priorities and how he will address the Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget. The next event will be a Conversation for the Upcounty from 7-8:30 p.m. on Monday, April 24, at the Sidney Kramer UpCounty Regional Services Office.
Montgomery County’s eighth annual GreenFest is back this year, taking place in two different locations, ‘GreenFest in the Gardens’ will take place at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton on Saturday, April 22. ‘GreenFest in the City’ will happen at Marian Fryer Town Plaza in Downtown Wheaton on Sunday, April 23. Both will be free, family friendly events organized by a coalition of public, nonprofit and university partners.
 William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play will be found at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn with performances April 21-23 and April 28-30 and residents can experience his works in the Third Annual Walking with Shakespeare event on Saturday, April 22, as Gaithersburg’s Arts on the Green celebrates one of the world’s greatest playwrights.
16th annual Kensington ‘Day of the Book Festival’ Will Be Family Friendly Street Event on Sunday, April 23
The 16th Annual Kensington “Day of the Book Festival,” which is a family friendly street festival spanning three blocks of Howard Avenue in the heart of historic Kensington, will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, April 23. The festival will feature authors, poets, literary and community organizations and will have live music on several stages.
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 Montgomery Parks will be blooming with a full lineup of special events and programs in April and May. There will be events for residents 55-and-older, hikes with (and without) dogs, a sale of native plants, outdoor Sunday brunches and a roller disco.
 The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) has introduced a new podcast series to help residents and businesses become more familiar with the permitting process. The first episode is now available.
The Montgomery County Planning Board will hold a work session about the Little Falls Parkway pilot project on Thursday, April 27, during its morning session. The actual time for the session has yet to be set, but will eventually be available. At the work session, the Planning Board will hear Montgomery Parks’ response to public testimony and determine whether to retain the current two-lane configuration between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue and make additional improvements to the roadway.
 Tyehimba Jess, a Pulitzer Prize winner and fiction and poetry author, will be the featured speaker at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 27, at the Gaithersburg Library as Montgomery County Public Libraries continues its “Contemporary Conversations” series with a presentation recognizing National Poetry Month. Mr. Jess will speak at the free event on poetry, creativity and expression and his work as a poet and fiction writer.
 A free Community Science Festival focusing on “in the field” family fun will be hosted by Montgomery Parks at Lake Needwood in Rock Creek Regional Park from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, April 29.
 Finding the best-dressed dog, the one that looks most like its owner and the canine with the best tail wag will all be part of the fun from noon-4 p.m. on Sunday, April 30, when “Paws in the Park” returns to Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm in Gaithersburg. The event is sponsored by the Montgomery County Humane Society in partnership with the City of Gaithersburg.
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold a hybrid public meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26, to discuss progress of the Good Hope Road Shared Use Path Extension project in Silver Spring. Residents will have an opportunity to attend in person at Briggs Chaney Middle School or virtually to ask questions and provide comments.
 Montgomery County local businesses seeking opportunities to become subcontractors for larger entities will be able to meet with more than 50 prime contractors, government agencies and local resources on Tuesday, May 9, when the County Department of Procurement holds a “Meet the Primes” expo from 9 a.m.-noon at the Silver Spring Civic Building.
The spotted lanternfly is a non-native, invasive, sap-eating insect that is considered a nuisance to humans and a threat to plants. Thousands of them can swarm on trees and structures, leaving behind a sticky residue. At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25, Kenton Sumpter will address “Tracking the Spotted Lanternfly: On the Trail of the Destructive Insect” in the latest edition of the free online Montgomery Parks Speaker Series.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Recreation and the County Department of General Services’ Office of Energy and Sustainability (OES) led a ribbon-cutting event Thursday, April 20, at the Bette Carol Thompson Scotland Neighborhood Recreation Center in Potomac to celebrate the center as a new “resiliency hub.” The resiliency hub is designed to provide a haven for the historically Black community by keeping the center powered during electrical grid outages.
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With religious intolerance on the rise across the country, it is incumbent upon historians to document and record those experiences. And all too often, non-Christian religions like Islam are given short shrift in American history. In honor of Eid al-Fitr, Montgomery History will be making available its presentation Muslim Experiences in Montgomery County: A Panel Discussion starting Monday, April 24. The presentation was originally recorded at the 2018 Montgomery History Conference. The replay of the presentation will be available for a one-week period.
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