Montgomery County issues hypothermia alert

The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security has issued a Hypothermia Alert for Monday, April 10, 2023, between the hours of 2:00 AM and 10:00 AM. During that time, the wind chill is forecast to be below 32 degrees. 

A Hypothermia Alert means that conditions present a danger of hypothermia or frostbite to those outdoors for extended periods. Dress warmly and wear layers if you must spend significant time outdoors during the hours covered by the alert. If you have safety concerns about people or pets, you are asked to call 301-279-8000.

Gaithersburg non-profit awarded grant from MTV

Passion 4 Learning, a Gaithersburg non-profit that helps prepare economically-disadvantaged students for educational and life success through STEM enrichment and college-readiness programs, has won a grant from MTV.  Twenty-two organizations across the country have received grants from MTV Entertainment Studios that will be used for programs and events related to Mental Health Action Day on May 18, 2023.

The grant provided to Passion 4 Learning will help fund the organization's "Take Action! For Mental Wellness" event on Mental Health Action Day 2023. According to MTV, the event "will provide an opportunity for high-school and college-aged students to take a meaningful break from the hustle and grind of AP tests and final exams and discover strategies for reclaiming their mental wellness through guided meditation and deep relaxation. This event will be hosted at the Takoma Park/ Silver Spring campus of Montgomery College and will be open both to students and to the local community."

Montgomery County under Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 10 PM

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for central and southern Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C., effective until 10:00 PM tonight, April 6, 2023. Violent thunderstorms are expected. Isolated wind gusts up to 70 MPH and large hail are possible. It is currently 85 degrees, but temperatures tonight will plunge into the 40s after the storms pass through the area.

Make sure your phone is charged, and that you have fresh batteries in your flashlight. Keep a battery-powered radio nearby, and retrieve any objects that might be blown around by winds from your yard or balcony.

Roller Disco night in Germantown April 14

Prepare to time travel back to the 1970s and 1980s on Friday, April 14, 2023! A Roller Disco event will be held that evening from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the inline skating rink at Ridge Road Recreational Park, located at 21155 Frederick Road in Germantown. Only roller skates and inline skates are allowed inside the rink.

The event will feature a live DJ, and food for purchase from O’Boy Pizza, Catalyst Hot Dogs, Trippy Tacos, and Clayboys Shaved Ice. Attendees must bring their own skates. Seating is available, but guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets to have a picnic on the grass.

The event is open to people of all ages, and is free to attend. “We are excited to bring Roller Disco to the community,” Montgomery Parks Activation Program Manager Michael Coppersmith said. “We encourage guests to go all-out and embrace the theme, and enjoy music from the ‘70s and ‘80s.”

Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein announces he will retire

Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein announced this morning that he will retire after 31 years of service with the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service. He has served as chief for 8 of those years. Goldstein's last day will be June 30, 2023. MCFRS has been considered one of the top fire departments in the nation under his leadership.

“Chief Goldstein has given this County so much since he first started with the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department in 1987,” County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement this morning. “We have leaned on his expertise and skills as a leader and watched the department grow under his leadership. Over the past few years, Chief Goldstein has worked with me and other County leaders to make this a smooth transition and I thank him for his service to the men and women of MCFRS and the people of this County.” 

Goldstein has accepted the Fire Chief position for Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue in Kelso, Washington and will begin serving in that post July 17. “It is my honor and pleasure to be part of this great department and to have the opportunity to serve as your fire chief,” Goldstein said in a statement.

Signage installed at Charleys Philly Steaks inside Walmart in Germantown

The signs are up at Charleys Philly Steaks inside the Walmart at 20910 Frederick Road in Germantown. It was sad to see one of the best restaurants in the world, McDonald's, leave the store. But the sandwiches at Charleys are much bigger, and may be perfect after working up an appetite pushing your shopping cart up and down the aisles of Walmart. Columbus, Ohio-based Charleys has also added this location to its website, and has indicated what the operating hours will be.

Montgomery County Council bill would permanently eliminate Office of the People's Counsel

A bill introduced by Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson (D - District 1) would permanently eliminate the Office of the People's Counsel. The office, which was able to assist residents with land use and development issues, and could represent the interests of the public in some land use proceedings, hasn't been funded by the Council since FY-2010. Developer-funded councilmembers used the budget shortfall as an excuse to "temporarily" get rid of the position starting in FY-2011, and, of course, never restored funding since. 

Bill 18-23, co-sponsored by Councilmember Dawn Leudtke (D - District 7), would create a new office, called the Community Zoning and Land Use Resource Office. It would completely gut the functions of the People's Counsel that made it beneficial for residents, but a pain for development interests. The "officer' of the new office would no longer be an attorney. They would no longer be allowed to participate or advocate for the public in administrative proceedings. That would be a big win for developers, as the People's Counsel as currently defined in County code can introduce evidence, call and cross-examine witnesses, and point out when the County or a developer is in violation of County code and regulations.

The reason this is happening is that County Executive Marc Elrich (D) has made a firm point of wanting to have funding for the Office of the People's Counsel finally restored in the FY-2024 operating budget. Much like the bait-and-switch soundalike bills on expanding the Council size and rent stabilization, which sounded like what advocates wanted but prevent the substantive change of the competing proposals, the "Community Zoning and Land Use Resource Office" is as much like the Office of the People's Counsel as the German Democratic Republic was democratic. 

In short, Bill 18-23 is a totally-cynical move to kill off the People's Counsel permanently, as it is getting harder and harder for the Council to explain year after year why it is not funding an office that exists solely to help residents. As you can imagine, it's difficult to publicly announce that you don't want to fund an office that exists solely to help your constituents and protect their interests.  Thus the bait-and-switch. A public hearing on Bill 18-23 is currently scheduled for April 18, 2023 at 1:30 PM.