Stories from the NFCCA Newsletter, the “Northwood News” |
Free at-home PCR test kits for COVID-19 continue to be available from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., seven days a week, at the Dennis Avenue Health Center of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (2000 Dennis Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20902). Bring identification with your current address as the tests are only for county residents. PCR tests detect the presence of the COVID-19 virus in your body. Residents register when they pick the tests up, administer the tests at home, and return the kits to 2000 Dennis Avenue for laboratory processing. Test results are emailed to residents within 48 hours. In-person PCR testing also continues. For locations and more information, call 311 (or 240.777.0311) or visit montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/testing.html.
On July 19, there will be a primary election. In Maryland, primary election votes are within your registered party. Registered Democrats vote among the Democratic candidates, Republicans vote for Republican candidates, and “unaffiliated voters” (called Independent voters in some other states) vote only for positions such as the Board of Education that are not party-based. In Montgomery County, the County Executive and several County Council seats are up for election. In Maryland, the governor and legislators are also up for election.
In 2020, every registered voter was given an automatic option of mailing in their ballot. This year, you have to request a mail-in ballot by 21 June if you don’t want to go in-person to an Early Voting Center or to vote on election day. Letters to request mail-in ballots were sent to all registered voters from the Maryland Board of Elections. Maryland has same-day voter registration at the polls as well.
Do you want to support fair elections? Consider volunteering with the Montgomery County Board of Elections. There is a great need for volunteers for the upcoming primary election on 19 July, in the Early Voting Centers, and in the general election in November. Volunteers participate in online and in-person training, and receive a stipend after fulfilling their commitment to work on Election Day. I have volunteered since 2016 and I’ve found it to be very rewarding to be among members of different political parties working together to ensure voters exercise their right to vote. Information on volunteering, redistricting maps, voter registration information, and more can be found at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Elections or by calling 311 (240.777.0311).
The County’s Future Vote program is one of only two programs in the U.S. that allow teens who are registered to vote but under 18 years old to volunteer at election polling sites. Participating teens earn Student Service Learning hours. I have met teens who were inspired by their volunteer experience to return as volunteers, recruit others to participate in Future Vote, and who encouraged friends and family to vote in elections. Check out www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Elections/FutureVote/faq.html for details.
If you’re not sure who to vote for, the League of Women Voters is a great resource. The League sends each candidate on the ballot a questionnaire and publishes their responses. The League of Women Voters can be found online at www.lwv.org. [See page one for candidates forumat the June meeting.]
Does your lawn crave shade? Free native Maryland shade trees can be requested from the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. I’ve heard from a neighbor that it can take a while for the free tree to arrive but, to me, a free tree is a long-term investment worth checking out. Trees are delivered at 10 feet tall and can grow to 50 feet. More information is available at treemontgomery.org or call 311.
Thank you for reading about these services for the betterment of our community. Information is power and kindness is contagious. Pass it on!
[Melissa E. Ferguson is a writer, editor, and project management expert. She has lived in North Four Corners since 2013, and Montgomery County since 1996.] ■
© 2022 NFCCA [Source: https://nfcca.org/news/nn202206f.html]