 County Executive Marc Elrich this week encourages everyone to have a safe July 4 weekend, but he also says two recent rulings from the Supreme Court—overturning Roe v. Wade and a New York State gun law—are reminders that we must constantly fight for the rights for which Independence Day stands. To keep drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists safe over the holiday, he notes that the County will have special enforcement teams out as part of its Vision Zero Initiative. He talks about the County's efforts to have young children vaccinated for COVID-19 and he discusses an extension of a law that will allow eligible senior homeowners to continue getting a property tax credit.  Montgomery County will host two Independence Day fireworks displays and family gatherings this year, one in Kensington on Saturday, July 2, and the other on Monday, July 4, in Germantown.  The Montgomery County Government, and programs that impact County residents, will observe schedule and program changes for the formal observance of Independence Day on Monday, July 4. In some cases, services also will have schedule changes on Sunday, July 3. Montgomery County recently showcased its expanded early warning Flood Sensor Program that can alert residents sooner about flooded roadways, potential dam failures and streams overflowing their banks. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich was among those at a demonstration of one of the 35 high-tech sensors in Germantown. The U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate is providing the County with the sensors.  Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months to 5 years, Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has started vaccinating this age group as vaccines are available. However, initial supplies are limited.  Montgomery County residents have several ways to get tested for COVID-19.  Tickets to Montgomery County Recreation's seven outdoor pools this year are available online for pre-purchase. Tickets for the holiday on Monday, July 4, are now available. Tickets are available at a discounted rate of $5 per person.  Thursday nights are alive with music this summer in Downtown Silver Spring as the free "Silver Spring Thursday Night Concerts" series continues on Veterans Plaza. Concert series are scheduled for 7-9 p.m. each Thursday evening through Aug. 11. The next performance, on July 7, will feature Baltimore-based rockabilly artist Josh Christina.  The free, family-friendly "Evenings in Olde Towne" concert series will have performances on Thursday nights in June, July and September at the City Hall Concert Pavilion in Olde Towne Gaithersburg. All concerts will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. The next show will feature "The Breakaways Band" on Thursday, July 7. Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center is holding a fee-waived adoption event for all dogs 40l pounds and over and small animals from Thursday, June 30, through Thursday, July 7. The "Let Freedom Right" event is sponsored by Friends of Montgomery County Animals.  A new Hotel Relief Grant Program is set to launch on Friday, July 1, for Montgomery County hotels with 10 or more rooms and Bed and Breakfasts with five or more rooms. The ownership of these facilities must be based in Maryland and be able to demonstrate a loss of revenue of 25 percent or more from September 2021 through January 2022 compared to September 2019 through January 2020. Up to $500 per room in Hotel Relief Grant money is available.  'The Life and Hats of Milliner Mae Reeves: A Conversation with Her Daughter, Donna Limerick' to be Presented by Montgomery History on Tuesday, July 5 One of the many extraordinary exhibits in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is Mae's Millinery Shop. Lifted nearly complete from its original home in Philadelphia, it is now recognized as a historical treasure. At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5, "The Life and Hats of Milliner Mae Reeves" will be featured in a free online presentation from Montgomery History. |  Montgomery County Executive Elrich, County Council President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Tom Hucker and Will Jawando recently joined with other County officials to unveil one of two newly installed "Welcome to Burtonsville" signs. The County's Department of Housing and Community Affairs' Neighborhood Revitalization Section facilitated installation of the signs in the community in the northeastern part of the County. The Montgomery County Board of Elections has posted online a list of 55 ballot drop box locations available to voters for the 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election. The ballot drop boxes will remain open until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, July 19. Voters can submit their completed mail-in ballots in any drop box located in Montgomery County.  Early voting in Montgomery County for the 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election will be available at 14 early voting centers from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Thursday, July 7, through Thursday, July 14, including Saturday and Sunday. Montgomery County Department of Transportation Ride On bus service has several routes available to transport voters to the early voting centers located throughout the County.  The Community Action Agency's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, Montgomery County's only year-round VITA program, is offering free tax help for the current year (2021), prior years (2018-20) and for amended returns. Virtual and in-person appointments are available for County residents with household incomes of $58,000 or less.  Gaithersburg's Children's Summer Concert Series continues at the City Hall Concert Pavilion on Wednesdays in July with free performances from 10:30-11:15 a.m. The next performance will feature the music of "The Bubbas" on July 6. The Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy will distribute a total of $1,345,000 in grants in Fiscal Year 2023 to 23 organizations to support adult English literacy programs across Montgomery County. The grants will help equip the organizations in their efforts to host adult literacy classes and work with some of the more than 125,000 adults in Montgomery County who report that they speak English "less than very well."  Gaithersburg's Arts on the Green and A Taste for Murder Productions will present "Kill Again's Island," an interactive murder mystery complete with clues and a buffet of delectable sweet treats on Friday, July 15 (8 p.m.), and Thursday, July 16 (2 and 8 p.m.). The performances will be at the historic Kentlands Mansion.  "Funding Support for Nonprofits" and "Recursos para Hacer Crecer Su Negocio" will be the next online seminars in the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation's series of webinars on "Getting Things Done in Montgomery County." The seminars will be presented Thursday, July 7, and Wednesday, July 13, respectively. | | 
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