 County Executive Marc Elrich this week talks about the County hosting the Bisnow Life Sciences Conference and how Montgomery is well-positioned to continue its growth as one of the nation’s leading areas for life sciences. That effort was enhanced with the dedication of the Great Seneca Transit Network that will increase transportation options in the Rockville-Gaithersburg life sciences hub. County Executive Elrich encourages residents to attend one his “Community Conversations” on the Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget, with the next sessions on Sept. 16 in Wheaton and Sept. 18 in Bethesda. And he hopes many residents will participate in the community survey that asks about County services and the overall feelings about the quality of life.
Stories in this issue include:
 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 Operating Budget. The next conversation will be from 7-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 16, at the Wheaton Community Recreation Center.
 Montgomery County's 2024 online resident survey, which is now accessible on the County’s website, aims to gather feedback on local government services and the perception of overall quality of life in the County. The survey will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 30.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration will improve the riding surface on Layhill Road (MD 182) in Silver Spring and Wilson Lane (MD 188) in Bethesda starting Monday, Sept. 16. Crews will work Sundays through Thursdays 8 p.m.-5 a.m. The pavement improvement projects should be complete by early October, weather permitting.
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The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) this week started its semi-annual interior washdown to degrease and clean 21 County-owned parking garages in Silver Spring, Bethesda and Wheaton. The cleanings began in the Bethesda garages this week and are scheduled to conclude in the Silver Spring garages on Sunday, Nov. 3. The washings will occur on nights and weekends.
 Registration for Montgomery County Recreation’s youth basketball programs will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 30. The program fosters the development of basketball fundamentals while also advancing skills in discipline, friendship, sportsmanship and teamwork.
 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.
The 10th annual Montgomery County “Friendship Picnic” will again bring people of many cultures and faiths together to celebrate the diversity of the County. The free picnic, whose goal is to enable people to make new friends and to build a stronger community, will be held from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, at Wheaton Regional Park.
 Otho Trundle’s barn, thought to have been built around 1830, will turn 200 in a few years. About 30 acres remain of the property in Dickerson, which is believed to have hosted Northern Civil War soldiers as they spent time resting when the Confederate Army passed right by on their Maryland Campaign of 1862. The effort to save Otho Trundle’s Barn will be the subject of a free virtual presentation of Montgomery History at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19.
Native plant sales, a wildflower walk and “Etch and Sip: Craft Beers” are among the special programs that will be offered in September by the nature centers of Montgomery Parks.
Montgomery County is reminding homeowners with septic systems about the importance of knowing where their septic system is located, what it does and how to take care of it as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 12th anniversary of “SepticSmart Week” nears from Sept. 16-20. The annual event is designed to remind homeowners and communities about the importance of properly maintaining a septic system.
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection will support events and activities celebrating “Latino Conservation Week” (LCW) from Sept. 14-21. This year marks the 11th annual LCW taking place during Hispanic Heritage Month.
 Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is one of the featured guests in the latest edition of the What’s Happening MoCo podcast that includes interviews with Montgomery County and State leaders that were recorded live at the recent Maryland Association of Counties summer conference in Ocean City. Attorney General Brown shared details of his role in protecting Marylanders from scammers and crooks, as well as an ambitious initiative to examine the problem of over-incarceration, particularly among young African American men.
The free Friday summer concert series in Rockville Town Square will conclude on Friday, Sept. 20, with classic rock band The National Bohemians playing from 6-9 p.m.
 The acoustic sounds of The Threetles, who songs cover The Beatles, will headline the Kensington Historical Society’s free morning concert series at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, in Howard Avenue Park in Kensington.
The newest episode of the County Cable Montgomery (CCM) show “Make a Difference” focuses on many aspects of “Student Service Learning Hours” that Montgomery County Public Schools students need to complete as a graduation requirement. The show is available on the County cable station and via several other formats.
The Montgomery County Commission for Women will host a free community event from 6:30-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18, on navigating fraud, scams and AI risks. It will be a hybrid event, with the in-person component at the Executive Office Building in Rockville.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Council President Andrew Friedson and other State and local officials and the County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) this week celebrated the launch of Phase 1 of the Great Seneca Transit Network (GSTN) at the Traville Gateway Transit Center in Rockville.
The Eighth 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, Sept. 29. The parade annually features art that can be pushed, pulled, carried, worn or performed—but none that is driven by motors vehicles.
Montgomery County Public Libraries is partnering with the Sandy Spring Museum for the 2024-25 National Endowment for the Arts “Big Read.” This year's program will explore the themes of community, history and identity through a variety of public programming and exhibits designed to engage and inspire. The program will kick off with a reception at the Sandy Spring Museum from 7-8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, and will continue for 10 months with a series of events across the County.
 Stories of the “Brave Women of the Underground Railroad” and the “History of Woodlawn Plantation,” the 200-year-old former Quaker plantation, will be featured in the Montgomery Parks September and October History Hour lecture series. Park historians will present the sessions from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, and Thursday, Oct. 17, at Josiah Henson Museum and Park in North Bethesda.
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