 This week County Executive Marc Elrich highlights the continuation of Recreation’s free RecFIT passes in 2025. He shares some positive news about budget projections, while remaining cautious as a new Presidential administration begins. Following up on the semi-annual Maryland Association of Counties meeting, he discusses the upcoming 2025 Maryland General Assembly session and the importance of Maryland tackling the issue of taxation policies for corporations.
Stories in this issue include:
Montgomery County’s Office of Human Rights (OHR) will honor six individuals for their contributions to advancing human and civil rights in the County at the 13th biennial Human Rights Hall of Fame induction ceremony, set for 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown.
 Montgomery County Recreation’s RecFit passes will continue to be free for County residents in 2025. The free RecFit pass provides 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 Transportation (MCDOT) announced that ridership on the Ride On bus system is up twenty percent over last year, the second-highest boost in bus ridership in the country among transit systems serving between 15 million and 50 million riders annually.
 The Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) is alerting residents of an increase in package delivery scams involving fraudulent text messages that appear to be from the United States Postal Service (USPS). The scam, known as “smishing,” is a form of phishing where scammers use deceptive text messages to steal personal or financial information.
A new hate-bias incident complaint portal and hotline simplifies the process for reporting incidents to the Montgomery County Police Department. Residents can report a hate-bias incident by visiting montgomerycountymd.gov/report-hate or calling the County’s 311 Call Center from 7 a.m.–7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Read the press release.
 Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (MCASAC) will hold a waived-fee adoption event for all pets Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14 and Dec. 15. The ‘Home for the Holidays’ event aims to clear the shelter for the holidays.
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) “2024 Year in Review” video highlights the innovation, achievements and environmental stewardship the County is making towards meeting the goals of the Climate Action Plan.
 Join the Capital Trolley Museum for a festive "Holiday Trolley Ride" from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14-15 and Friday-Sunday, Dec. 20-22. Visit with Santa on the mile-long woodland railroad, featuring a holiday ride on historic street cars. Enjoy a model railroad display in collaboration with the Washington, Virginia & Maryland Garden Railway Society, crafts for children, photo opportunities, hot chocolate and treats.
 For nearly 160 years, the Almshouse at the Montgomery County Poor Farm was the last resort for poor people who were unable to take care of themselves due to physical, mental and developmental disabilities. At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17, “The Montgomery County Poor Farm and Almshouse: Its History and People” will be the focus of a free online presentation of Montgomery History.
 Montgomery County Recreation is now accepting applications for 2025 Rec Assist, the department’s financial assistance program. Rec Assist provides County residents who receive eligible public assistance an opportunity to receive a scholarship to use toward most Recreation classes, activities and memberships that have a cost associated with them.
 The annual exhibit of model trains at Brookside Gardens, an adventure searching for the world’s rarest species and winter skating shows at the Cabin John Ice Rink and Wheaton Ice Arena are among the special events and programs that will be sponsored by Montgomery Parks in December.
Montgomery County Recreation is hosting two free summer camp fairs in January to help families plan for their children’s summer activities. The first will take place on Sunday, Jan. 5 at Germantown Community Recreation Center, located at 18905 Kingsview Road. The East County Community Recreation Center, located at 3310 Gateshead Manor Way in Silver Spring, will host a fair on Saturday, Jan. 11. Both fairs will take place from 1 – 4 p.m.
The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Summer RISE Program is seeking businesses, nonprofits, higher education institutions and government agencies to host rising MCPS juniors and seniors this summer. Summer RISE provides students with valuable opportunities to explore careers aligned with their interests, helping them make informed decisions about their college or career paths.
 Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL), in collaboration with the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Washington Wizards and Friends of the Library Montgomery County (FOLMC), invites readers up to age 18 to participate in the 2025 Winter Reading Challenge, which will run from Saturday, Dec. 21 through Sunday, March 16, 2025. This year’s theme, “Active Bodies, Active Minds,” encourages participants to embrace reading and physical activity, providing a fun and healthy way to begin the New Year.
Montgomery County has implemented a winter closure of the Wheaton "Streetery," located on a portion of Price Avenue at Elkin Street in Wheaton. The Streetery comprises streets closed off to vehicles, enabling restaurants to offer outdoor dining spaces for customers and areas for residents to gather.
 As the calendar year comes to a close, a reminder that the second installment of real property tax payments is due on Dec. 31.
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