 Montgomery County Public Schools this week started the 2024-25 school year and County Executive Marc Elrich addresses how efforts to keep schools safe will include pilot programs for student use of cell phones and social media. He thanks the Metro construction teams that stayed on schedule to reopen four Red Line stations this week—as promised. He also thanks the patient commuters who managed their lives around the closed stations throughout the summer. And as the Labor Day holiday weekend approaches, he reflects on the contributions labor unions have made to the strength of the U.S. economy.
Stories in this issue include:
 The City of Gaithersburg and the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department will celebrate the unofficial end of summer with the 86th Annual Labor Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 2, at a new start time at 10 a.m. This year’s emcee is Larry Miller, a multiple-Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning morning news anchor and consumer investigative reporter for WUSA 9-TV in Washington, D.C.
 The Labor Day traditions of the Town of Kensington will continue from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2, with the 56th Annual Kensington Labor Day Parade and Festival. The parade will include marching bands, equestrian show groups, dance groups, floats, ambassadors and Kensington Volunteer Fire Department vehicles.
The Montgomery County Government, and programs that impact County residents, will have holiday schedule and program changes for the observance of Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2.
Almost seven miles of bus-only lanes on State roads within Montgomery County will stay in place through at least December as part of an extended pilot project agreement among the Maryland and Montgomery County departments of transportation and Metro.
The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Community and Population Health program—in partnership with the Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence—is offering a six-week free online service to help people manage diabetes. Starting Sept. 12, most sessions of the Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) will be held on Thursdays from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, along with the County’s regional services offices and community partners, will host 11 “Community Conversations” throughout September and October to seek input on the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Operating Budget. The first conversation will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, in the social hall at the White Oak Community Recreation Center in Silver Spring.
 The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold a virtual public information meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, to discuss the proposed Bradley Boulevard (MD 191) at Wilson Lane (MD 188) Intersection Improvements project in Bethesda. Residents will have an opportunity to provide comments and ask questions.
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, is offering $750,000 in grant funding for local, community-driven initiatives aimed at improving water quality. Through the Clean Water Montgomery Grant Program, County nonprofit organizations—including local watershed groups, homeowner and community associations, faith-based organizations and service and civic groups—may be eligible for grants ranging from $40,000 to $100,000 to support their projects to improve water quality and stream health.
The Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame, which already has inducted some of the most notable people in sports history—from the County and in the sports world overall—is now looking for nominees for its next class of inductees. Anyone can submit a nomination and addition to others who have excelled in their respective sports, the nonprofit organization is seeking nominations of people who have contributed to sports in other ways.
 The end of summer is often the time homeowners do major cleanups of garages and basements. Often, they find bicycles that need a new home. The Montgomery County Department of Transportation is asking for residents to donate bikes to make a difference in their local community.
 Free summer concerts continue in Rockville Town Square from 6-9 p.m. most Friday nights through Sept. 20. The series will feature a variety of performers, with the next performance, on Friday, Sept. 6, highlighted by the classic rock of Midnight Elixir.
The old-time tunes and Celtic music of Murphy and Flannagan will headline the Kensington Historical Society’s free morning concert series at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, in Howard Avenue Park in Kensington.
 Students and alumni of Montgomery College can submit designs to inspire new voters to register and come to the polls in a banner design contest sponsored by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC). The contest winner will earn $1,500. Entries must be submitted by Friday, Sept. 13.
 The Federal government has awarded Maryland $267 million to ensure that all residents have access to 100/20 Mbps broadband internet service. To receive funding, locations where residents are receiving slower service must be on recently released internet service eligibility maps. Montgomery County is now asking residents who are receiving slower service to notify it before Thursday, Sept. 5, so it can file any challenges to the eligibility maps as part of the Federal grant process.
The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security invites residents to join the “Ready Montgomery Seminar” at the Wheaton Community Recreation Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7. The seminar and training session will encourage residents to think beyond the traditional steps for emergency preparedness. It will introduce ways they can be active participants in their safety and the safety of those around them in the event of an emergency or during a disaster.
 The Montgomery Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood will be filled with music from noon-6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, for the 17th Annual “Bluegrass on the Farm” festival. King Street Bluegrass, The Shannon Bielski Duo and The Poor Ellen Smith Band will be the headline performers.
 The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will offer adult bike classes in September, October and November at various sites around the County. The classes are taught by experienced Washington Area Bicyclist Association instructors and include Learn to Ride and Basic Skills classes. MCDOT also will offer four free, walk-up e-scooter classes following select bike classes.
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation will adjust 23 Ride On bus route service schedules and add two new high frequency limited stop extRa bus routes starting Sunday, Sept. 8. Although service levels are staying relatively the same, the changes reflect a shift of resources to allow for more reliable service where there is higher demand.
The Montgomery County Office of Procurement and Department of Finance will launch a new vendor registration system on Monday, Sept. 2. The Montgomery County Vendor Registration System (CVRS) is the one-stop registration system for anyone who is interested in doing business with or receiving payments from the County. The new CVRS will replace the current system and will be used to register businesses and individuals who receive payments for providing services to the County or recipients of grants and other forms of payment.
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 Montgomery History will lead “Button Farm Almanac,” a guided tour of the Button Farm Living History Center in Germantown, starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14. Led by historian and Menare founder Tony Cohen, the tour will be a behind-the-scenes reveal of the Button Farm’s history and environs.
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The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration will host a public informational workshop from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, in Silver Spring to provide information and receive feedback on proposals to improve pedestrian access and safety along MD 650 (New Hampshire Avenue) in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
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