Happy New Year. The new decade kicks off with live local music at the American Legion on Friday and a children’s concert Sunday at Grace Episcopal Church. For the community minded, there is an interagency meeting on homelessness Tuesday afternoon, a meeting on the next phase of the Studio Plaza development Wednesday, and a chance to participate in an online chat with the county executive on Thursday.
The county has released its schedule of closings for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. All county offices will be closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. State offices also will be closed on those two days; in addition, the governor declared Dec. 24 would be a holiday for state workers.
The Montgomery County Planning Board has approved a new set of standards for streetscaping downtown Silver Spring, the agency announced. The Silver Spring Streetscape Technical Manual has been in use since 1992. The current revisions are the result of work that began in the fall of 2017.
The Montgomery County Council yesterday unanimously adopted Bill 14-19 to create a Policing Advisory Commission. The commission’s goal is to improve council oversight of the county’s police department. In addition, it’s intended to increase the community’s trust in police by advising the council on certain police matters, including best practices, policies and programs.
Councilmember Tom Hucker (D-District 5) was elected vice president of the County Council for a one-year term. Traditionally, election as vice president is a precursor to being chosen as council president the following year.
County students in grades six through 12 can win up to $750 in a contest seeking video public service announcements about the dangers of vaping. Healthy Montgomery, the county’s community health improvement program, and Montgomery County Public Schools are cosponsoring the contest as part of an anti-vaping tobacco prevention campaign in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services.
The county’s Planning Department has launched a Pedestrian Level of Comfort Map to help evaluate the public’s comfort level when walking along sidewalks, pathways and trails, and through street crossings. The online, interactive map includes the department’s scoring of local pedestrian networks, which are rated from “unacceptable” up to “very comfortable.”
The county has announced its schedule of closures for Thanksgiving Day Thursday, Nov. 28. All county offices, libraries and liquor stores will be closed, as will state offices and courts.
The county is looking for volunteers to assist with various aspects of the annual Thanksgiving parade this Saturday, Nov. 23. Volunteers must be at least 13 or older and plan to meet at the civic building, then expect to remain at the parade site from 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Opportunities include dressing up in costumes as elves or pilgrims to ride on floats, as penguins or reindeer to walk in the parade, to walk along and handle balloons and other inflatables, or act as unit leaders.