The Committee for Ethnic Affairs advises the Montgomery County, MD County Executive and County Council on public policy that relates to ethnic affairs; promotes maximum involvement of all ethnic groups in the County in government, business and community affairs.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Election Judges with Spanish Speaking Fluency Needed for 2012 Presidential General Election

Election Judges with Spanish Speaking Fluency Needed for 2012 Presidential General Election

As mandated by Section 203 of the 1975 Voting Rights Act, the Montgomery County Board of Elections is seeking individuals with Spanish speaking fluency to serve as election judges at polling places on General Election Day, Tuesday, November 6, 2012. In accordance with the Election Law of Maryland, judges must be registered to vote in the State of Maryland, 18 years of age or older, and a U.S. citizen. Judges must also be able to speak, read, and write in English. Montgomery County residency is not a pre-requisite to serve. All judges will be compensated for training and for Election Day service. If you are interested in taking a leadership position in your community on Election Day, please contact the Montgomery County Board of Elections at 240-777-8532, download an election judge questionnaire from our website at www.777vote.org, or e-mail Dr. Gilberto Zelaya at gilberto.zelaya@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Se necesitan Jueces Electorales con dominio del Español para la Elección General Presidencial del 2012Por orden de la Sección 203 de la Ley del Derecho al Voto de 1975, el Condado de Montgomery está buscando a personas con el dominio del español para servir como jueces electorales en los centros electorales para el Día de la Elección General, martes, 6 de Noviembre del 2012. De acuerdo con la Ley Electoral de Maryland los jueces tienen que ser ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos, tener 18 años de edad o mayores, y estar registrados para votar en el Estado de Maryland. Además, también tienen que hablar, leer, y escribir en ingles. Residencia en el Condado de Montgomery no es requisito para servir como juez. Todos los Jueces serán compensados por su entrenamiento y por sus servicios durante el Día de la Elección. Si está interesado en tomar una posición de liderazgo en su comunidad el Día de la Elección, por favor comuníquese con la Junta Electoral de Condado de Montgomery al 240-777-8533. También puede bajar una solicitud del Internet en www.777vote.org o comunicarse por correo electrónico con el Dr. Gilberto Zelaya a gilberto.zelaya@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to be Held For the White Oak Community Recreation Center

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to be Held For the White Oak Community Recreation Center

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett will participate in a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for the new White Oak Community Recreation Center on Saturday, June 23 at 11:30 a.m. The center is located at 1700 April Lane in Silver Spring. “This is a much needed center, and we are very pleased to open this exceptional facility,” said Montgomery County Recreation Director Gabriel Albornoz. “Staff in the departments of Recreation and General Services have worked hard to build an environmentally friendly center that will provide recreation and leisure programming to the White Oak community.” The new center sits on 10 acres and provides a spacious social hall with full-service kitchen, community rooms and an expansive arts and crafts studio. The exercise and fitness amenities include a full-size gymnasium, state-of-the-art exercise and fitness room, outdoor athletic courts and playgrounds, skate spot, multiple purpose athletic fields and Montgomery County Recreation’s first rock climbing wall. An additional unique feature of the center is the dedicated space that will serve as the White Oak Community Senior Center.

The ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony is open to the public. For more information, call Montgomery County Recreation at 240-777-6820, or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec.

Montgomery County Board Vacancies

Montgomery County Board Vacancies

County Executive Isiah Leggett is committed to representation on all of the County’s boards, committees, and commissions that is reflective of, and responsive to, our County’s residents. Public participation contributes to the work of County government and provides an important service to the community when a variety of issues, concerns, and viewpoints are presented. Currently, there is a valuable opportunity to serve on the following:

Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs
Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee

The deadline for application is June 27, 2012. Please share this notice with anyone who may be interested. You may access vacancy announcements for boards, committees, and commissions through the following link. http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/exec/vacancies/pr_list.asp Applicants of diverse backgrounds, professions, gender, geography, disability and ethnicity are encouraged to apply. An application, consisting of a brief cover letter and resume, should be sent by mail to County Executive Isiah Leggett, 101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Rockville, MD 20850, or by email to countyexecutive.boards@montgomerycountymd.gov. Home and employment addresses, as well as contact phone numbers and email addresses should be included. If appropriate, applicants should indicate the position for which they are applying.

Members of County boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time. Members of these boards are eligible for reimbursement for travel and dependent care for meetings attended. Leggett’s appointments are subject to confirmation by the County Council. Applications of individuals selected for appointment are made public as part of the confirmation process.

Contact: Beth Gochrach: 240-777-2528For Immediate Release: June 6, 2012

Summer Reading Program to be Held At Montgomery County Public Libraries

Summer Reading Program to be Held At Montgomery County Public Libraries Beginning June 12

Fun Programs Scheduled; Online Registration Available Children and teens in all age ranges are invited to participate in this year’s Summer Reading Program at Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) which will run from June 12 to August 11. The themes are “Read to Me” for birth thru Pre-K; “Dream Big” for children K thru 6; and "Own the Night" for teens. Participants can sign up for the program and keep track of the books they read, or have read to them, using the designated summer reading registration computer or a public computer in the library, at home or elsewhere. Registration, available at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library, begins June 12. The Summer Reading Program is offered on three levels:Read to Me! is for children from birth to five years old. Parents or caregivers can sign up their children. After reading at least five books, an online certificate can be printed out from the computer.Kids Read! is for children from ages 6 to 12. Kids can sign up and read at least five books to earn a certificate, which can be printed out from the computer.Teens Read! is for teens in middle and high school. Teens who read four books or more earn a certificate, which can be printed out from the computer. Recommended reading lists by grade will be available on the Library’s website.Magicians, musicians, storytellers, jugglers, and puppets are among the various entertainers that will perform for children at all MCPL branches this summer. Schedules of programs are on the library’s calendar of events and flyers will be available at the branches.

All programs are funded by the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Inc. (FOLMC) and by local Friends of the Library chapters.Summer Reading t-shirts are on sale through the FOLMC. For more information, call 240-777-0020.To request ADA program accommodations for any of the Summer Reading programs, call the library hosting the program at least five work days in advance.

For more information about the program, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library.

Observatory, Museum Tours and Exhibits Availableon Heritage Day

Observatory, Museum Tours and Exhibits Availableon Heritage Day

The Gaithersburg Community Museum and the Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory are among 32 historical sites participating in Montgomery County Heritage Days, June 23 and 24, 2012. This 15th annual event celebrates and showcases the County’s rich history with music, dance, food, and children's activities. All Heritage Days events are free. In Gaithersburg, the following will take place on Saturday, June 23, 2012: The Gaithersburg Community Museum10 – 4 p.m. 9 South Summit AvenueVisit the restored 1884 B&O Railroad Station complex, site of the Gaithersburg Community Museum, History Park and rolling stock exhibit. Participate in “Train Day at the Museum” presented by Bantrak T Trak Division. Visitors can view the model train display and tour a caboose filled with local train history. See the 1918 steam locomotive and local history exhibits in the museum. Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory10 – 4 p.m.100 DeSellum AvenueTake a self-guided tour of the newly opened interpretive park. Built in 1899 as one of six around the globe, the Observatory played an important role in the efforts of scientists to determine the wobble of the Earth on its polar axis to aid in navigation. Ground markers are still used for GPS purposes today. For more information on the activities in Gaithersburg please contact the Gaithersburg Community Museum at 301-258-6160 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/museum. For more information on Montgomery County Heritage Days please visit www.heritagemontgomery.org. This project is supported by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, Montgomery County Government, Comcast Communications, and the Gazette Newspapers.

Nominations Sought for Arts and Humanities Awards

Nominations Sought for Arts and Humanities Awards Montgomery

County Executive Isiah Leggett is seeking nominations for the annual County Executive’s Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Awards to be presented at a special ceremony on Monday, October 22. Now in its 11th year, the Executive’s Awards are the most prestigious honors conferred by Montgomery County on individual artists, scholars, organizations and cultural patrons.

The following recognitions will be presented: the Education Award, Community Award, Volunteer Award, Outstanding Artist or Scholar Award, Business or Individual Patron Award and Emerging Leader Award.

Past recipients include Drs. Jeffrey and Carolyn Leonard, Shizumi Shigeto Manale and The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Members of the community are invited to nominate an individual or group worthy of an award. The deadline for nominations is July 13.“These are the most prestigious honors conferred by the County on individual artists and scholars, organizations and patrons of the arts and humanities,” said Leggett.

For details and nominating instructions, visit the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County’s website at http://creativemoco.com/executives-awards.

Recognize Outstanding Youth Volunteers!

Recognize Outstanding Youth Volunteers!

Deadline for Nominations: August 17, 2012

Honor Rows Youth Volunteer Recognition Program The Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism, the Baltimore Ravens, WBAL, and M&T Bank invite you to nominate a youth group or youth organization for the 13th Annual "Honor Rows" Program, honoring outstanding service to communities across Maryland. During each Baltimore Ravens home game throughout the 2012 regular season, the Honor Rows program will salute those youth who provide outstanding service to our communities. Honorees will be selected by a panel of youth service leaders, with the assistance of Baltimore Ravens, GOSV, WBAL, and M&T Bank staff, and will receive:Up to 100 tickets per group to attend a Baltimore Ravens game at M&T Bank Stadium (groups must provide own transportation), "Honor Rows" T-shirts (to be worn during the game), Official in-game recognition of honorees on RavensVision, andWBAL promotion.Applications are due online no later than August 17th. Find a sample nomination and the online form here. Get those nominations in early!

Fireworks, Concert Highlight Gaithersburg’s 4th of July Celebration

Fireworks, Concert Highlight Gaithersburg’s 4th of July Celebration

Celebrate our nation's independence with friends and family as the entire community comes together for food, music, and fireworks on Wednesday, July 4. Gaithersburg once again presents its Independence Day Celebration at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Gates open at 5 p.m. A lively two-hour concert featuring live music by Back to Zero, a versatile band based out of Arlington, Virginia, starts at 7 p.m. A few brief remarks from the Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council will be made at 8 p.m. The exciting fireworks display launches at dusk (approximately 9:25 p.m.). In the event of rain, the fireworks only will be held on Thursday, July 5. The Montgomery County Fairgrounds is located at 16 Chestnut Street in Gaithersburg. Walk in at Chestnut or Dalamar Streets; the Perry Parkway entrance to the Fairgrounds will be closed. No unauthorized cars will be allowed in the Fairgrounds. Those with handicap tags or stickers will be allowed access to the Fairgrounds through the gates at the Dalamar Street entrance.

Attendees are welcome to bring their own food and blankets to enjoy a picnic during the event. Food will also be sold at the celebration. For safety reasons, the following are strictly prohibited: alcoholic beverages, glass containers, rollerblades, skates, bikes, pets, and fireworks of any kind. Gaithersburg's 4th of July Celebration is sponsored in part by the Montgomery County Agricultural Center.

For information please call 301-258-6350 or email parksrec@gaithersburgmd.gov.