 Worldwide events sometimes impact U.S. local communities, and this is the case with the ongoing war in Israel. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich this week talks about a proposal to provide security grants to nonprofit organizations in the County that are at high risk of experiencing hate crimes. He also addresses a Federal grant that will help low-income residents receive free laptop computers. And he encourages residents to join the fun on Sunday, Oct. 15, at the Wheaton Arts Parade and Festival.
Stories in this issue include:
 The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) announced this week that the County is making a $900,000 commitment to help protect nonprofit organizations that have experienced or are at high risk of experiencing hate crimes. OEMHS will administer the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Nonprofit Security Grant that organizations can use to help reduce security expenses.
 The free Rockville Antique and Classic Car Show, which annually is one of the largest car shows on the East Coast, will again feature hundreds of vehicles displayed from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on the lawn of Glenview Mansion at Rockville Civic Center Park. This year’s show is expected to have vehicles from 31 car clubs and will have a special display featuring 75 years of Lotus.
 Every U.S. household can place an order to receive four free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered directly to their home from the U.S. Government.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, along with the County’s regional services offices and community partners, is hosting a series of 10 “Community Conversations” to seek input on the Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget. The next conversation, from 7-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 16, at the County Executive Office Building in Rockville and viewable online, will focus on priority issues for Parent-Teacher Associations.
 The Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center will hold a fee-waived adoption event for dogs 40 pounds and over from Oct 15-31. The “Find Your Boo” adoption event is sponsored by Friends of Montgomery County Animals.
 Bicycles that are no longer being used by some can make a big difference for others. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation’s annual Bicycle Donation Drive will be held on Friday, Oct. 20. The event will make it easy to donate previously owned bikes and ensure they will have a continued impact.
Tickets are now on sale for the annual winter “Garden of Lights” display at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton. Garden of Lights is a half-mile, walk-through, outdoor exhibit featuring more than a million twinkling lights formed into tunnels, flowers, animals and other natural elements.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Councilmember Kristin Mink and the County’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 12 to recognize the first project completed under the Countywide Façade Improvement Program (CFIP). The ceremonies were held at the Hillandale Center, which is located at 10210 New Hampshire Ave. in Silver Spring.
 The salsa of Verny Varela will headline the closing concert of the Wheaton TGIF Friday Encore fall series and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich will lead tributes to Latin leaders and employees on Friday, Oct. 13. The performance is part of a month of concerts that join in the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month The final event in the series, “Que Bonita Bandera,” invites community members to wear the colors representing the diversity of the County.
 Montgomery Parks will host an in-person and online community meeting from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14, to seek design ideas for a new skate park to be built at Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park in Clarksburg. It will be the first of five skate parks built in Montgomery Parks in the coming years, adding to the three existing skate parks in the County.
 A variety of fall harvest festivals and Halloween-themed happenings highlight Montgomery County Recreation’s calendar of special family-friendly events in October. The events will include “Glow-in-the-Dark” pickleball, swimming with pumpkins and haunted houses.
 Montgomery Parks will have a full month of special events in October, including “Eye Spy Train Rides,” Sunday Serenades and a “Frankenskate.”
 A night hike around the Maydale Nature Classroom in Colesville on Saturday, Oct. 14, and the “Witchy Paddle” adventure on Little Seneca Lake on Saturday, Oct. 28, are among the special activities that will be hosted by the nature centers of Montgomery Parks in October.
The Wheaton Arts Parade and Festival, a showcase of creative marching art preceding a day of food, fun and entertainment, will return to Downtown Wheaton on Sunday, Oct. 15. The parade annually features exhibits that can be pushed, pulled, carried, worn or performed—but none that is powered by motors of any kind.
 Residents 18-and-older who are interested in electric scooter lessons will have the opportunity to attend free clinics sponsored by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation on Sunday, Oct. 22, and Saturday, Oct. 28. Participants will be able to take a test ride, learn safety tips and get details on basic scooter laws.
The activity of birding—and how to make sure the popular pastime is accessible to everyone—will be the topic as Freya McGregor will be the featured speaker at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the next presentation of the Montgomery Parks Speaker Series.
 The next in the series of online travelogues presented by Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., will take viewers on a tour of Italy through the perspectives of artist Pamela Betts. The free talk, from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, will entail an overview of an emerging landscape painter's experiences painting in Italy's Cinque Terre region.
 Landscapers are being asked by the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection to participate in a survey on using electric leaf blowers. The County recently approved a law that will phase out use of gas-powered leaf blowers starting July 1, 2025.
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