AHCA News

October 4, 2024 Message from the County Executive Marc Elrich Dear Friends: This week I want to address two proposals by the Planning Board before the County Council: the Attainable Housing Strategies initiative and the Growth and Infrastructure Policy (GIP). I want to first address my concerns about the Attainable Housing Strategies and then I address the GIP, which must be adopted by November 15, and which will be a revenue loser for the County and pass more costs on to residents. The GIP is related to the Attainable Housing Strategies because it is supposed to be the tool to provide adequate public facilities that must accompany development. Click here to read the full message...

Follow this link  for information on getting free COVID tests available t o Marylanders.   Updated rapid tests are expected to be able to detect newer variants just as a new COVID variant arrives in Maryland. This notice came from the Rockville Patch, which you can sign up for here.

  The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) invites residents to join the “Ready Montgomery Seminar” hosted at the Wheaton Community Recreation Center, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7. The seminar and training session will encourage residents to think beyond the traditional steps for emergency preparedness. It will introduce ways they can be active participants in their safety and the safety of those around them in the event of an emergency or during a disaster. The Wheaton Community Recreation Center is located at 11701 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring.  Registration  for the event is required. Residents 14-and-over are encouraged to participate. Read the full bulletin here...

 On August 6, 2024 - the first Tuesday in August - we held our second annual National Night Out gathering in the Aspen Hill neighborhood.   We had our first National Night Out (NNO) in 2023, in the Aspen Hill Library parking lot, with the inspiration and energetic leadership of our dear KC Chronopoulos, of beloved memory.  We almost didn't have the event this year, but we had the good fortune to have members J D'Ann Melnick and Kendra Wells step forward and put together a great evening in record time!!  The event was held in the parking lot of Earle B Wood Middle School. The band Doll Apartments kept the mood festive with great music, and yummy food and ice cream from  Virginia Grill .  There were activities for the kids, including painting rocks, corn hole, giant Connect Four, and a bubble machine. The following local groups participated: Interfaith Works Friends of the Library Montgomery County Nurture our Neighbor Food Ministry   St. John's...

Our own ACHA board member, Samnang Wu, was awarded the Mid-County Citizen's Advisory Board Citizen of the Year Award by the Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce on October 18, 2023. In addition, Samnang  is one of seven people chosen to receive the Working Woman Award at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Samnang was chosen for her work serving immigrants to America from Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. For more than 32 years, she has provided them with cultural outreach and education on tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV, AIDS, STDs and family planning. Describing the award as meaningful and special, Samnang told VOA "I share this award with all Cambodians who came to the US and work hard for your honor. We live on our work and we learn to learn hard.”  Samnang and her daughter survived the Khmer Rouge genocide before coming to America. But her husband was killed in the regime. VOA Khmer's Pin Sisovann has her story from Washington. You can view the VOA story...