This week County Executive Marc Elrich highlights crime statistics, which show an overall decrease in crime, and reviews Montgomery County Police Department efforts to recruit more officers and use technology to help address crime. He also talks about preparing for winter and 2025. In case you missed the Top 10 of 2024 video, we are sharing it again this week.
Stories in this issue include:
 The Montgomery County Volunteer Center invites residents of all ages to join this year’s MLK Day of Service events on Saturday, Jan. 18 and Sunday, Jan. 19 and make a meaningful impact in the community.
Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection is collecting live-cut holiday trees, which are shredded and chipped into mulch. Trees can be placed out for yard trim recycling collection service on your regular recycling collection day.
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.
 Join Montgomery County Fire Rescue Service for an on-site hiring info session from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8 and 22 and from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Jan. 11 and 25 at the Public Safety Training Academy (PSTA). The PSTA is located at 8751 Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg.
 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 the Germantown Community Recreation Center, located at 18905 Kingsview Road. On Saturday Jan. 11, the East County Community Recreation Center, located at 3310 Gateshead Manor Way in Silver Spring, will host a fair.
 The Montgomery County Commission for Women will host its 45th Annual Women’s Legislative Briefing (WLB), at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG). USG is located at 9630 Gudelsky Drive in Rockville.
The Damascus branch of Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) will close its doors at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, for an extensive renovation project. Located at 9701 Main Street in Damascus, the library is expected to remain closed for approximately 20 to 22 months. Plans are to reopen in fall 2026.
 The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Community and Population Health program—in partnership with the Maryland Living Well Center of Excellence—is offering a six-week, free online program to help people manage diabetes. Starting Jan. 15, all sessions of the Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) will be held on Wednesdays from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
 Montgomery County will conduct its annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count to identify unhoused individuals from 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, to 3 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 30, and volunteers are needed to assist with this important effort. The PIT count provides a snapshot of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community on a single night. Volunteers will be deployed in areas where unhoused individuals are known to shelter or congregate, engaging those they encounter to participate in a brief survey.
Breath and movement flow yoga, learning how naturalists take of birds of prey and making your own native seed winter sowing containers are among the special events and programs that are sponsored by Montgomery Parks in January.
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