Dear Friends,
The County’s Agricultural Fair is open again through Saturday, Aug. 22. I want to thank our farming community for all the work it took to get the fairgrounds ready for the crowds, approximately 1,000 volunteers and 30,000 hours of community service to get everything in place, including a growing number of animals on display.
By now, many people know that the fair features live entertainment, livestock exhibits, and agricultural displays. Others may go for the fair food or carnival rides, but every visit promises family-friendly entertainment.
That includes families whose children are sensitive to loud sounds and flashing lights. This year, organizers are blocking off Monday morning for rides and games to be operated without loud music or distracting visuals. Vendors inside and outside the carnival areas will be asked to apply the same rules at their booths as well. These changes will last from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday.
General admission is $18 at the gate, but kids 11 and under get in free every day.
Montgomery County stands out as a place where agriculture is still valued, even as the region evolves and expands. Our Agricultural Reserve, established in 1981, covers over 93,000 acres and includes more than 900 farms and businesses. It has become a nationally recognized model for farmland preservation, and it continues to contribute to our economy, agritourism, environment, and overall quality of life. Thanks to County leaders protecting this land decades ago, northern Montgomery County avoided the urban sprawl seen in nearby Loudoun and Frederick counties.
During my administration’s past eight years, we’ve worked diligently to preserve both our farms and agricultural heritage.
- I continue to pursue a plan to close the waste incinerator in Dickerson.
- Recently, we moved toward reopening White’s Ferry by taking control of the land and ferry on our side of the river to speed up negotiations with Virginia officials.
However, I’m especially proud of efforts to expand economic opportunities through our growing agritourism industry. Crossvines is a prime example. Now in its third year, Crossvines began from a simple conversation about competing with Virginia wineries. Today, the facility produces award-winning wine, boasts a world-class culinary team at its “Farmhouse Bistro” restaurant, and offers an event space that earned WeddingWire’s “Couple Choice” award for best wedding venues.
Last month, Wine Enthusiast recognized the Chef’s Counter at Burnt Hill Farm in Clarksburg as one of the top winery restaurants globally—one of only thirteen in the U.S. to earn this distinction. Burnt Hill was also previously named one of America’s most beautiful vineyards to visit by Food & Wine.
This year’s 77th County Fair gives us plenty to celebrate. Commemorating our nation and county’s 250th anniversary, the Ag Fair theme is “Barn in the USA,” which resonates with me as a Bruce Springsteen fan. You can watch my conversation with Mike Scheffel, director of our Office of Agriculture, and Marty Svrcek, executive director of the Montgomery County Ag Fair, during this week’s media briefing on our YouTube channel.
The Impact of Losing TPS for Haitians in Montgomery County
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As I noted a few weeks ago, Montgomery County is home to thousands of Haitian families who work, raise children here, run small businesses, and contribute to our community every single day. For many, it has been more than 16 years since they were granted permission to come to the United States and start new lives. Returning to Haiti is dangerous because of political unrest or gang violence.
Late last month, the federal government announced the indiscriminate termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian residents. Haiti is one of 13 countries impacted, as noted in this article. This decision has real, immediate consequences for our neighbors, and we’re already seeing that.
Genevieve Augustin, director of legal services at the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), and Rev. Evans Faustin, CEO of the Caribbean Help Center, were guests on my media briefing this week. They said that the fear and anxiety created by the announcement to end TPS was immediate. Some residents are afraid to go to work or leave the house for fear of being arrested and deported without warning. That will only create additional hardships, with companies losing employees, people left without the means to earn money, and landlords in the position of housing people unable to pay rent.
I hope the courts or public pressure are enough to reverse this inhumane decision impacting so many of our neighbors.
Helping Earthquake Victims in Colombia
I want to extend my sympathy to the many families here in Montgomery County who are worried about loved ones in Colombia. A powerful earthquake struck there on Monday, leaving hundreds dead and even more missing. Our hearts are with families who have lost loved ones, those who are injured, and everyone facing uncertainty in the days ahead.
For community members who wish to help, relief experts recommend contributing financially to established organizations, as on-the-ground challenges make it difficult to deliver donated goods. Trusted organizations providing aid include Catholic Relief Services and the International Organization for Migration.
In moments like this, every dollar entrusted to experienced relief partners can make a meaningful difference.
MACO Conference
I’ll have more next week from my visit to the Eastern Shore for the Maryland Association of Counties (MACO) summer conference. Over eight years as County Executive, I’ve valued MACO’s resources and advocacy, as well as the relationships formed with peers statewide. MACO’s nonpartisan approach highlights how Montgomery County’s issues often mirror those in other jurisdictions, regardless of size or politics. The organization plays a key role in uniting Maryland counties to address shared challenges.
I’m grateful for MACO’s support with the general assembly on reforms that benefit County operations, especially regarding property tax rate differential legislation. This legislation would have enabled us to set different residential and commercial property tax rates, similar to what is permitted in neighboring regions.
Unfortunately, our Council has refused to support this legislation, which, unlike the District and the Northern Virginia counties like Fairfax, has left us unable to adequately fund transportation infrastructure projects. That’s a big problem for economic competitiveness. In Virginia, the major transportation projects they have undertaken are often funded by bonds supported by taxes on commercial property only – something we don’t have the authority to do in Maryland. Counties in Virginia created a large revenue stream that doesn’t come from residents and, for now, doesn’t exist in Montgomery County.
Maryland faces ongoing budget and revenue challenges. I intend to collaborate with MACO and the Montgomery County delegation ahead of the 2027 session to secure the autonomy needed for counties to raise funds for infrastructure.
White House Directive May Cause Back-to-School Vaccination Confusion
Another development this week is not only horrible but also terrible in its timing. Trump signed an executive order rewriting childhood vaccine recommendations.
This is something that the American Academy of Pediatrics immediately came out against, encouraging parents to rely on pediatricians for vaccination recommendations and not the White House or Secretary Kennedy. They point out that there is no new evidence to justify significant changes to childhood immunization guidance.
The Maryland Department of Health is also on record coming out against the new directive tied to Trump’s executive order. This is Immunization Awareness Month because it is important for children to be up to date on their vaccines as we start another school year. It is not a good time to send mixed messages and confuse parents. I want to remind the media to rely on trusted sources who follow the science behind vaccines, not the people who come to their own conclusions based on a warped sense of reality. To be blunt, medical advice coming from Trump or Kennedy should be ignored as it’s devoid of evidence to back it up.
MCPS Regional Back-to-School Fairs and Immunization Information
There is a new way for parents and students to get ready for the school year. Montgomery County Public Schools has introduced a regional approach to its annual back-to-school fairs, all of which will be held on Saturday, Aug. 22.
The change will help make it easier for more families to attend and connect with resources they can use. This also helps introduce parents to the service providers that directly support the schools their kids attend. Our Department of Health and Human Services will have representatives at some of the school fairs to provide free back-to-school immunizations and answer questions about physicals and mental health concerns.
Each of the six back-to-school fairs will feature easy-to-navigate zones where families can find exactly what they need, whether it’s student registration, technology support, school meal information, communication tools, school supplies, or schedules.
The regional fairs, which will be held at area high schools, are listed below:
- Albert Einstein, 9 a.m.–noon (Albert Einstein, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Montgomery Blair, Northwood, Walt Whitman cluster schools)
- Paint Branch, 9 a.m.–noon (James Hubert Blake, Paint Branch, Sherwood, Springbrook cluster schools)
- Wheaton, 3–6 p.m. (John F. Kennedy, Walter Johnson, Wheaton/Thomas Edison, Charles W. Woodward cluster schools)
- Richard Montgomery, 1–4 p.m. (Winston Churchill, Richard Montgomery, Rockville, Thomas S. Wootton cluster schools)
- Gaithersburg, 9 a.m.–noon (Gaithersburg, Col. Zadok Magruder, Quince Orchard, Watkins Mill cluster schools)
- Seneca Valley, 3–6 p.m. (Clarksburg, Damascus, Northwest, Poolesville, Seneca Valley cluster schools)
I know this is a little different than what families are used to, but school leaders believe this is the best way to prepare students and families for the start of the school year. The idea is to bring together MCPS staff from transportation, technology, special education, multilingual services, mental health, and other central offices, all in one location. I hope you’re able to make it.
To learn more about MCPS back-to-school resources and information, visit montgomeryschoolsmd.org.
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Information about the County’s Back-to-School Immunization Clinics can be found on the DHHS Vaccines for Children webpage. To schedule an appointment or confirm clinic hours, call one of the following Montgomery County immunization clinics:
- Dennis Avenue Health Center: 240-777-1050
- Germantown Health Center: 240-777-3380
- Silver Spring Health Center: 240-777-3160
- School Health Services Immunization Center: 240-740-4430
Immunization visits are being scheduled through Friday, Sept. 25.
New Work on Bike Lanes Begins, More Being Planned
There is an important update from our Department of Transportation affecting more than 2 miles of bike lanes near some of our largest communities.
If you’re a regular cyclist, you’ve probably already noticed construction underway on several bicycle infrastructure projects along portions of the Capital Crescent Trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring, the Metropolitan Branch Trail in Silver Spring, and a neighborhood greenway along McComas Avenue in Wheaton.
Since 2022, we’ve built more than 17 miles of bike-friendly pathways. The county now has 112 miles of bike lanes, shoulders, and separated cycle tracks in total. That’s real progress.
We’re also building a secure bike parking facility in Downtown Silver Spring in the base of Garage 5 on Dixon Avenue that will open this fall.
All of this moves toward a transportation network that gives our residents real options besides driving. The Metropolitan Branch Trail, for example, will connect Silver Spring’s transit center, Montgomery College, and Takoma Park — and eventually extend all the way to Union Station and the National Mall. When we connect those dots, biking becomes a genuinely practical way to get to work, school, or transit.
You can learn more about more than a dozen other projects in the design phase and follow their progress through the MCDOT press release on bicycle infrastructure. Our goal is safer streets, better connections, and a County where you have real choices about how you get around.
Honoring Beryl L. Feinberg
I want to extend my condolences to the family of Beryl L. Feinberg. Her nearly four decades of public service in Montgomery County and the City of Rockville served us well.
Beryl gave 28 years to Montgomery County Government, including 15 at the Office of Management and Budget. That’s where she helped shape spending decisions that affect every resident’s life — from the schools our children attend to the facilities where our employees serve the public. She finished her County career as deputy director and chief operating officer at the Department of General Services. Colleagues across the executive and legislative branches knew her as rigorous, principled, and unfailingly prepared.
Her service did not end when she retired. Beryl went on to serve three terms on the Rockville City Council. Most recently, she brought her expertise back to our County Government as a member of the Board of Investment Trustees, helping to safeguard the retirement security of the County employees. It was quiet, demanding, largely unseen work, and Beryl did it with characteristic care — because she understood that behind every number was a family counting on it.
She also gave her time to Montgomery Hospice, Sunflower Bakery, and the Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families — organizations that care for people at their most vulnerable.
That’s a life of service that anyone would be proud of. I was proud to call her my friend, and, on behalf of all Montgomery County residents, I want to thank Beryl’s family for sharing her with us.
As always, my appreciation for all of you,
Marc Elrich
County Executive
Read the original article at mcgov
