CEA Community Conversation: Days of Commemoration

From Left (Back Row):

Rev. Kennedy Kwasi Odzafi (CEA member),  J’amie D’Aguiar (CEA member), Naomi Bloch (CEA member), Jeffrey Lynch (CEA member), Erica Obebe (CEA member), Harry Iceland (CEA member), Gayathri Aluvihare (CEA member)

From Left (Front Row):

Enas Elhanafi (CEA Chair), Councilmember George Leventhal, Mumin Barre (Former CEA member)

On Wednesday, July 20, 2011, The Committee for Ethnic Affairs (CEA) and Councilmember George Leventhal co-hosted a community conversation on the County's Days of Commemoration.

 This meeting took place at the Rockville Memorial Library, located at 21 Maryland Avenue in downtown Rockville from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/libraries/branchinfo/ro.asp

 The legislation for the "Days of Commemoration" was sponsored by Councilmember Leventhal and passed on March 28, 2006 (Bill No. 1-06: Special Days of Commemoration) and signed into law on July 7, 2006. 

 The special law designates certain days of commemoration relating to religious, ethnic and cultural heritage of County residents.

 Councilmember Leventhal and the Committee for Ethnic Affairs felt that it was worthwhile to re-visit this legislation after five years to seek the public's input on how well this legislation is understood by the County and its residents.

 A conversation took place between those in attendance about if any adjustments should be made to this law.  If better public education was needed or if there might be interest in adding additional days to the County’s current list of days of commemoration.

 This program is part of a series under a pilot program developed by the Committee for Ethnic Affairs to encourage and help better facilitate communication among the diverse communities of Montgomery County.

 The CEA advises the County Executive and the County Council on public policy that relates to ethnic affairs and promotes involvement of all ethnic groups in County government as well as other County services and programs.

 For more information on the Committee for Ethnic Affairs and the Days of Commemoration:

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council/pdf/bill/2006/01-06.pdf

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cpstmpl.asp?url=/content/EXEC/partnerships/events/celebrations.asp

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cpstmpl.asp?url=/content/EXEC/partnerships/resources/meetings/CEA/index.asp

Post Contributed by Naomi Bloch

Regional Service Centers

Below is the list of the five regional service centers and their directors:

Silver Spring Regional Services Center

Reemberto Rodriguez, Director

Reemberto.rodriguez@montgomerycountymd.gov 

One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910
240-777-5307 

Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center

Joy Nurmi, Director

joy.nurmi@montgomerycountymd.gov

3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904

240-777-8414

Mid-County Regional Center

Natalie Cantor, Director

natalie.cantor@montgomerycountymd.gov

2424 Reedie Drive, Wheaton, Maryland  20902 

240-777-8101

Upcounty Regional Service Center

Catherine Matthews, Director

catherine.matthews@montgomerycountymd.gov

12900 Middlebrook Road, Suite 1000, Germantown, Maryland 20874

240-777-8047

Western Montgomery 
Kenneth B. J. Hartman, Director

kenneth.hartman@montgomerycountymd.gov 

4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814
(240) 777-8200

Seven Local Communities Participate in National Night Out Against Crime

 Seven communities in the City of Gaithersburg are joining with more than 15,000 across the country to participate in the 28th Annual National Night Out (NNO) Against Crime campaign.

 On Tuesday, August 2 from 7 to 9 p.m., participating neighborhoods will hold events to increase drug prevention awareness, generate support for anti-crime programs, encourage residents to be involved in their communities, and to send a message that neighborhoods are organized to fight back against crime. The NNO programs help bring together residents, law enforcement agencies, local officials, civic groups, and neighborhood organizations. 

 Participating neighborhoods in Gaithersburg include:

Saybrooke – Cookout at the Community Pool, 702 Saybrooke Oaks Boulevard.

Hyde Park (6 – 9 p.m.) – Cookout at their Community Pool, 400 block of Christopher Avenue.

Quince Orchard Park – Outdoor picnic and demonstrations at their Community Center, 500 Highland Ridge Road.

Kentlands – Event at their Community Center, 485 Tschiffely Square Road.

Orchard Ponds (5 – 9 p.m.) – Activities at their Community Center located at 945 Clopper Road.

Brighton Village Apartments – Event at their Community Pool, 345 West Side Drive.

Antojitos Restaurant (6 – 9 p.m.) in Olde Towne, holding an event in their parking lot at 12 E. Diamond Avenue.

 Child Identity kits will be distributed for home use, along with informational brochures.

 For more information on Gaithersburg’s NNO programs please call the Gaithersburg Police Department at 301-258-6168, email, dlane@gaithersburgmd.gov, or visit the City’s website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov/police.

73rd Annual Labor Day Parade

The City of Gaithersburg and the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department celebrate the unofficial end of summer with the 73rd Annual Labor Day Parade Monday, September 5, 2011 at 1 p.m. The parade features an assortment of high school marching bands, costumed characters, cars and fire engines, horses, clowns, and more, winding through East Diamond and Russell Avenues in Olde Towne Gaithersburg.  Julie Wright, traffic reporter for WTOP News Radio and part of the Fox 5 Morning News Team, joins the parade as Mistress of Ceremonies. 

Free parking is available in the Olde Towne garage, located at the corner of Olde Towne and South Summit Avenues. Handicap parking is located behind the Victor Litz store on the north side of Diamond Avenue, and behind the Shell station on South Summit Avenue. A shuttle bus will also be provided from the Lakeforest Shopping Center transit station to Gaithersburg Elementary School beginning at noon.

Gaithersburg’s Labor Day Parade is one the City's oldest traditions.  The Gaithersburg Fire Department established a rescue squad in 1938 and that year they hosted traditional fundraising events such as dinners and dances and a Labor Day Parade.  Early parades included a band competition, carnival booths and a dance.  Eventually the carnival and dance aspects ceased to be a profitable way for the department to earn money, but the volunteers did continue to sponsor the Labor Day parade until 1977, when a citizen's committee undertook the task of organizing the end-of-summer festivity.  The event is now coordinated by the City of Gaithersburg Department of Parks Recreation and Culture, with continued support from the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department.  It has been held every year except 1942, during World War II.   

The 73rd Annual Labor Day Parade will be held rain or shine.  For more information call 301-258-6350 or visit the City’s website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov/parade.

Clean Currents to Expand Headquarters in Rockville, Stay in Montgomery County through 2016

The Department of Economic Development today announced that it has awarded Rockville-based green energy firm Clean Currents an Economic Development Fund (EDF) Grant to support the firm’s planned expansion of its headquarters facility.  In return, Clean Currents, a tenant of the Rockville Innovation Center, has committed to keeping its headquarters in Montgomery County through 2016.

“It’s great to get a vote of confidence in our future growth prospects from Montgomery County,” said Gary Skulnik, co-founder of Clean Currents. “We’re proud to be the only green electricity company based in Montgomery County, a place where consumers demand clean energy and where our county leaders are way ahead of the curve in promoting greener practices.”

 Founded in 2005, Clean Currents provides green electricity for homes and businesses in Maryland and Washington, DC.  It is the only energy provider in Maryland that is a certified B-Corporation and that exclusively offers certified green energy products.

“Clean Currents is a shining star within the County’s Business Innovation Network and our Department is proud to support their continued growth and success in Montgomery County for many more years to come,” said Steve Silverman, director of the Department of Economic Development. “Our job is to implement strategic programs to support business and job growth in the County and Clean Currents is a perfect example of this.”

Clean Currents is actively recruiting for two new positions this summer, and has a goal of adding two to five additional new jobs in the second half of the year.

 “Montgomery County is forging a path to a cleaner, greener economy that creates economic growth and innovation, and Clean Currents is very happy to be a big part of that future,” said Skulnik.

Maryland Turkish-American Inhabitants (MARTI) Dinner Series

Maryland Turkish-American Inhabitants (MARTI) Requests the honor of your presence at the Annual Intercultural Ramadan Iftar Dinners

Dates:

Thursday, August 4, 2011 at 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 18 2011 at 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.

 Where: MARTI Rockville, 230 N. Washington St. Suite 300 Rockville MD 20850

 Kindly RSVP by email: rsvp@themarti.org

For questions, please call: (410) 858-0416

Watch Ambassador Wegger Chr. Strommen of Norway speak from last year’s Iftar Dinner at our sister organization, Rumi Forum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPCQcHKcsxE

 Maryland Turkish-American Inhabitants (MARTI), a non-profit organization established in December 2003, is dedicated to addressing the social and cultural needs of Turkish-American people living in or around Maryland, as well as promoting intercultural dialogue and friendship through educational and cultural activities.

 www.themarti.org

Vacancies on Montgomery County Boards, Committees and Commissions

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:

Committee on Hate/Violence

Noise Control Advisory Board

Board of Registration for Building Contractors

Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Advisory Council

Community Development Advisory Committee

 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 those selected for appointment are made public as part of the confirmation process.

The Last Five Years Song-Cycle Musical Comes to Arts Barn Stage

 In partnership with Kensington Arts Theatre, the Arts Barn is proud to present The Last Five Years, a contemporary song-cycle musical that ingeniously chronicles the five year life of a marriage.  The show runs August 12 – 28, 2011, with Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.  Tickets are $18, $16 for City of Gaithersburg residents.  The Last Five Years takes a frank look at the break up of a marriage.  Parental guidance is suggested for teens and older due to language and mature subject matter.

 Written by Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Songs for a New World), The Last Five Years is an intensely personal look at the relationship between a writer and an actress told from both points of view. The show is presented in "forward time" as we follow the story of their relationship from Jamie's perspective, starting with their first meeting and following through with their wedding and ultimate breakup. At the same time, Cathy relates the story in "reverse" - starting with their breakup and moving backwards in time until their first meeting at the end of the show. Made up mostly of solo turns, with beautiful music and alternately humorous and heartfelt lyrics, it is only in the middle of the show that Jamie and Cathy come together as Jamie proposes and the two are wed.  Musicals about relationships are nothing new, but The Last Five Years manages to reinvent the familiar formula and offers up one of the brightest, freshest scores of the new century.

The show was named one of Time magazine's top 10 shows of 2001, and Brown took home Drama Desk Awards for both Best Music and Best Lyrics.

The Arts Barn, Gaithersburg’s premier cultural arts facility, is located at 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg.  In addition to theatrical productions staged in partnership with local community groups in its 99-seat theater, the Arts Barn also features an art gallery, two artist-in-residence studios, art classes, camps, workshops, and unique retail from local artisans.  For more information and tickets call 301-258-6394 or visit online at www.gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbarn.  

“Three Guys – Three Points of View” Photography Exhibit at Gaithersburg Activity Center

Photographers Peter Manzelli, Robert Catlett and Harald Hoiland have come together to present a fascinating exhibit of images they’ve titled “Three Guys – Three Points of View.”  Their works will be on display at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg, Maryland from July 22 through September 18, 2011. Viewing hours are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 Peter Manzelli finds stairs amazing. The child in him says, “Look, look what’s there. Let’s go up and see.” By painting on his photographs he is able to establish a closer connection with the subject and enhance the storytelling quality. In Manzelli’s work, stairs are nothing more than a means of moving from one place to another, and yet so much effort is put into making that brief journey as pleasant as possible.

 Robert Catlett has almost 30 years of public service in the District of Columbia, and during this time has observed many faces and places. He tries to creatively and carefully capture the light behind eyes and the souls of neighborhoods he has visited. While taking a photographic vacation to Mexico, Catlett filmed many examples of expressions which are all digitally enhanced with pigmented inks.

 Harald Hoiland’s lifelong interest in photography began in his father’s dark room. In his travels throughout the world, his main focus has been taking pictures of landscapes; however, he has enjoyed watching people and capturing their moments as well as the surrounding architecture.  Hoiland’s works are individually printed with archival inks and papers.  All prints are produced to museum quality standards. 

Please note that all images are copyrighted by the artists. For more information please contact Andi Rosati at 301-258-6394 or arosati@gaithersburgmd.gov.

Hungry for Music, Montgomery Sister Cities join forces to support El Salvadoran youth

Hungry for Music and Montgomery County Sister Cities have joined to provide musical instruments for the youth of Morazan, El Salvador – the first sister city in a county program that hopes to expand to cities throughout the world. With the help of Hungry for Music, a Takoma Park-based charity that donates musical instruments to underserved children, the mission is to raise $2,500 to purchase instruments through a vendor in El Salvador and support a city youth development program and boost the local economy. The fundraising drive, which began July 1, will run through July 25.

“Montgomery County’s Sister Cities program will help to enrich our community by building relationships around the world to promote cultural, educational and economic development opportunities,” County Executive Ike Leggett said.

During a 2010 trip to Morazan, a Montgomery County Sister Cities delegation toured a newly built House of Culture community center in Perquin. The city’s mayor  asked the delegation for musical instruments to create an out-of-school music program. The delegation later decided this request was one they would fulfill first. Delegation member Bruce Adams, director of the county’s Office of Community Partnerships and founder of the Bethesda Big Train baseball team, had worked with Hungry for Music founder and director Jeff Campbell and turned to that charity, which has donated more than 5,000 instruments to youth across the United States and abroad. In this case, the instruments will be purchased in El Salvador, working with businesses there to supply and transport them.

You can support the campaign by buying a raffle ticket for a First Act electric guitar (valued at $2,000) at Bethesda Big Train games, Strathmore Summer Concert Series shows or Focus Music’s Rockville show July 12. Donations also can be made online at www.hungryformusic.org.

Here is what a typical donation could buy for Perquin’s House of Culture: $20, cowbell/percussion; $75, acoustic guitar; $100, violin; $150, electric guitar, $200 electric bass.

During the last week in July, Leggett, former U.S. Rep. Connie Morella, Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez and County Council member George Leventhal are leading a 65-person delegation to return to Morazan, a rural department (the equivalent of a state) in eastern El Salvador, formalize the Sister City relationship. Funds for the musical instruments will be presented at that time.

The independent, nonprofit Montgomery County Sister Cities Inc., chaired by former Town of Chevy Chase mayor Bill Hudnut, was established to connect the county to the world by encouraging and fostering friendship, partnership and mutual cooperation through educational, cultural, social, economic, humanitarian and charitable exchanges. Morazan was chosen in part because El Salvador is the number one country of origin of Montgomery County’s immigrant population. Beit Shemesh, Israel, will become the county’s second sister city in the fall of 2011.

Sister Cities’ objectives include encouraging the people of Montgomery County and those of similar communities in other nations to acquire information about each other and to understand one another as individuals, as members of their community, as citizens of their country, and as part of the family of nations. It also hopes to foster a continuing relationship of mutual concern between Montgomery County residents and the people of similar communities in other nations. The Sister Cities group also plans to participate as an organization in the fostering and publicizing of local, state and national programs of international cooperation.

Hungry for Music, founded in 1994, donated a single-year record 512 instruments in 2010, including about 50 in Montgomery County. Says Campbell: "Most anyone will attest to the healing power of music; its ability to soothe in times of tension, its ability to transform sadness and aggression into hope and creativity."

For more information, see the Sister Cities website, http://montgomerysistercities.org.

You can contact Bruce Adams at the Office of Community Partnerships in Rockville, 240-777-2558, or by email at bruce.adams@montgomerycountymd.gov

Jeff Campbell is available for interviews at 202-674-3000 or via email at hungryformusic@att.net

 Venue websites: www.bigtrain.org, www.strathmore.org, www.focusmusic.org

See the Tigers Take on the Orioles in Baltimore August 12

 The City of Gaithersburg is hosting a bus trip to see the Detroit Tigers take on the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD on Friday, August 12, 2011.  Game time is 7:05 p.m.  Seats are limited and the deadline for registration is Wednesday, July 13.

The bus will leave from the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 S. Frederick Avenue, at 4:30 p.m. and will depart the stadium 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game.  The cost per person is $50 and includes bus transportation, ticket in the left field section, and all you can eat hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, ice cream, nachos, salad, soda, and lemonade. 

Please note that pre-registration is required and anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.  Refunds will only be made if the trip is cancelled due to inclement weather or insufficient number of participants.

Registration forms are available online at www.gaithersburgmd.gov or call 301-258-6350 for more information.

Reminder of this evening ‘Days of Commemoration’ Forum (7:00pm - Rockville Library).

Join us to be part of the conversation, your feedback is needed!

Montgomery Ethnic Affairs Committee and Councilmember George Leventhal To Host Community Forum July 20


Montgomery County’s Committee of Ethnic Affairs (CEA), the County’s Office of Community Partnerships and the office of Councilmember George Leventhal are inviting residents to offer opinions in a community conversation on the County’s “Days of Commemoration.” The forum will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20, in the first ......floor meeting room of the Rockville Library at 21 Maryland Ave. The original legislation for the Days of Commemoration was passed on March 28, 2006 (Bill No. 1-06: Special Days of Commemoration) and signed into law on July 7, 2006. This special law designates certain days of commemoration relating to the religious, ethnic, and cultural heritage of County residents.

Please visit the following link to view the press release:
http://www.montgomerycount​ymd.gov/Apps/Council/Press​Release/PR_details.asp?PrI​D=7764


This program is part of a series under a pilot program developed by the Committee for Ethnic Affairs to encourage communication among the diverse ethnic communities of Montgomery County. CEA is composed of residents and its role is to bridge the cultural diversity of all ethnic groups in the county. The CEA advises the county executive and the County Council on public policy that relates to ethnic affairs and promotes maximum involvement of all ethnic groups in the county government and other county services and programs.

The CEA also assists the county and its Office of Community Partnerships in organizing the World of Montgomery Festival, the county's annual ethnic heritage festival.

For more information on the initial Days of Commemoration legislation, go to: http://www.montgomerycount​ymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=%2​Fcontent%2Fexec%2Fcommemor​ation%2Findex.asp

Please feel free to forward and share with your network and the community..

We hope that you can join us to be part of the conversation!

Enas Elhanafi
Chair, Committee for Ethnic Affairs
Montgomery County, Maryland

To Follow CEA Blog go to: http://committeeforethnica​ffairs-md.blogspot.com/
To Like CEA Facebook go to: http://www.facebook.com/CE​AMD

Event Flier: ‘Days of Commemoration’ Fourm

Press Release: ‘Days of Commemoration’ Fourm on Wed., July 20

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Council/PressRelease/PR_details.asp?PrID=7764

Montgomery Ethnic Affairs Committee and Councilmember George Leventhal
To Host Forum on the County’s

‘Days of Commemoration’ on Wed., July 20

Forum in Rockville Will Ask if New Holidays Should Be Recognized, Whether Changes Needed for Others



ROCKVILLE, Md., July 15, 2011—Montgomery County’s Committee of Ethnic Affairs (CEA), the County’s Office of Community Partnerships and the office of Councilmember George Leventhal are inviting residents to offer opinions in a community conversation on the County’s “Days of Commemoration.” The forum will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20, in the first floor meeting room of the Rockville Library at 21 Maryland Ave.

The CEA and Councilmember Leventhal’s office will be seeking the thoughts of residents in regard to whether anything should be changed in the way holidays are currently recognized. The forum also will seek opinions on whether new holidays should be added to the County calendar. The forum also will offer an opportunity to ask general questions about the days of commemoration.

The original legislation for the Days of Commemoration was passed on March 28, 2006 (Bill No. 1-06: Special Days of Commemoration) and signed into law on July 7, 2006. The special law designates certain days of commemoration relating to the religious, ethnic and cultural heritage of County residents.

“This legislation is a major step in the County paying tribute to, and acknowledging, the constant changing race and ethnic composition of residents,” said Enas Elhanafi, chair of the CEA. “The upcoming forum is an even greater step for County residents to help local government to expand its knowledge and appreciation of how diverse we are. We certainly encourage citizens to attend the event to foster awareness and appreciation for the County’s diversity.”

Ms. Elhanafi serves on the Committee for Ethnic Affairs, a public board, with 16 other community members.

"The Days of Commemoration bill was intended to give appropriate recognition to many different dates with great meaning for important parts of our community,” said Councilmember Leventhal. “We recognize the separation between church and state, yet government offices in the United States historically close on Christmas. We cannot close the government for every day that has cultural or religious significance, but through the Days of Commemoration, we can educate ourselves about the customs and interests of our neighbors and friends. This forum will help us to assess how effective this legislation has been and whether it can be improved."

This program is part of a series under a pilot program developed by the Committee for Ethnic Affairs to encourage communication among the diverse ethnic communities of Montgomery County. CEA is composed of residents and its role is to bridge the cultural diversity of all ethnic groups in the County. The CEA advises the County Executive and the County Council on public policy that relates to ethnic affairs and promotes maximum involvement of all ethnic groups in the County government and other County services and programs.

The CEA also assists the County and its Office of Community Partnerships in organizing the World of Montgomery Festival, the County’s annual ethnic heritage festival.

For more information on the initial Days of Commemoration legislation, go to: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/exec/commemoration/index.asp

For more information on the Committee for Ethnic Affairs, go to its Facebook page for the latest updates on the event.

# # #

Montgomery Ethnic Affairs Committee and Councilmember George Leventhal To Host Community Forum July 20

The CEA and Councilmember Leventhal's office will be seeking the thoughts of residents in regard to whether anything should be changed in the way holidays are currently recognized. The forum also will seek opinions on whether new holidays should be added to the county calendar. The forum also will offer an opportunity to ask general questions about the days of commemoration.

Date: Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Time: 7 p.m.
Location:
First floor meeting room
Rockville Library
21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850

The original legislation for the Days of Commemoration was passed on March 28, 2006 (Bill No. 1-06: Special Days of Commemoration) and signed into law on July 7, 2006. This special law designates certain days of commemoration relating to the religious, ethnic, and cultural heritage of County residents.

"This legislation is a major step in the County paying tribute to, and acknowledging, the constant changing race and ethnic composition of residents," said Enas Elhanafi, chair of the CEA. "The upcoming forum is an even greater step for county residents to help local government to expand its knowledge and appreciation of how diverse we are. We certainly encourage citizens to attend the event to foster awareness and appreciation for the County's diversity."

Ms. Elhanafi serves on the Committee for Ethnic Affairs, a public board composed of 16 other community members.

"This forum will help us to assess how effective this legislation has been and whether it can be improved," said Councilmember Leventhal.

This program is part of a series under a pilot program developed by the Committee for Ethnic Affairs to encourage communication among the diverse ethnic communities of Montgomery County. CEA is composed of residents and its role is to bridge the cultural diversity of all ethnic groups in the county. The CEA advises the county executive and the County Council on public policy that relates to ethnic affairs and promotes maximum involvement of all ethnic groups in the county government and other county services and programs.

The CEA also assists the county and its Office of Community Partnerships in organizing the World of Montgomery Festival, the county's annual ethnic heritage festival.

Please visit the following link to view the press release:
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Council/PressRelease/PR_details.asp?PrID=7764

Also, attached, copies of the event flier and the press release. Please feel free to forward and share with your network and the community..

For more information on the initial Days of Commemoration legislation, go to: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/exec/commemoration/index.asp

For more information on the Committee for Ethnic Affairs, go to its Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/CEAMD) for the latest updates on the event or contact Enas Elhanafi at eelhanafi@gmail.com

To like the CEA Facebook go to: http://www.facebook.com/CEAMD