Ground Broken in County for State�s First �Fast Track� Project

On July 16, Montgomery County officially became the site of Maryland�s first �Fast Track� approved project that will bring transit-oriented development (TOD) to the White Flint area.

Governor Martin O�Malley and Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown joined Montgomery County officials, including County Executive Ike Leggett and private sector partners, for the groundbreaking.

The Pike & Rose project will be built by First Realty Investment Trust. Ultimately, it will transform 24 acres of asphalt parking lots and an auto-oriented strip retail center into a vibrant, walkable community with housing, retail, office and public spaces located close to the White Flint Metro Station.

Leggett said, �The Pike & Rose groundbreaking, part of the White Flint Transit Oriented Development Plan, represents another successful public-private partnership taking place here in the County. This effort will bring with it new jobs, tax revenue and increased transit ridership � all the elements you look for in an environmentally friendly, smart growth development.  I join with the governor and lieutenant governor in congratulating Pike & Rose, First Realty Investment Trust and the entire team on this important milestone in the transformation of White Flint.�

As part of the County�s plans to concentrate transit-oriented development around the White Flint Metro Station, the State and the County co-designated the White Flint Sector Plan area as a TOD.

The overall plan allows for 17.6 million square feet of development, which would generate $6.9 billion in tax revenues over 30 years. Currently in the White Flint area, about 26 percent of people commute by transit, biking and walking. Under the White Flint Sector Plan, that percentage is projected to nearly double, reaching 50 percent after implementation.

Read the full news release.

Noteworthy Notes

How to be Cool (and Safe) When it�s Hot

With a summer filled so far with higher than average temperatures, Montgomery County health officials encourage residents to keep in mind places where they can stay cool and to take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses.

Most at risk are young children, the elderly and people with health problems, such as asthma, who are susceptible to heat-related illnesses like heat stroke and exhaustion.
Libraries, recreation centers and pools are good places to cool off, along with shopping malls and movie theaters.

To quickly find the location of public facilities, visit My Montgomery at http://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mymontgomery and type in your location.  The website includes locations of pools, parks, libraries, regional services centers, recreation centers, Metro stations, hospitals and golf courses.

Residents with questions about specific locations and hours of operation should call 311.
By taking a few precautions, residents can remain safe and comfortable during summer heat waves:

• Stay indoors whenever possible. 
• Drink plenty of water.
• Check frequently on elderly relatives or neighbors and other at-risk individuals.
• Never leave pets or young children in a car.

Also, knowing the symptoms of heat exposure can prevent a serious heat illness from becoming life threatening.

• Heat cramps � symptoms include painful muscle spasms, usually involving the abdominal muscles or legs;
• Heat exhaustion -- first signs are cool, moist, pale or flushed skin, dizziness, nausea, headache and weakness; and
• Heat stroke -- the most serious sign of overexposure.  Symptoms include red, hot, dry skin, weak pulse, rapid breathing and changes in consciousness.  Seek emergency medical attention by calling 911.

For more information on ways to beat the heat, go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

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Traffic Signal Installed at Dangerous Intersection in Wheaton

The new signal, at the intersection of Claridge and Veirs Mill Rds. (Maryland Route 586), will help protect pedestrians crossing multiple lanes of traffic.

Between 2003 and 2008, 70 accidents occurred at the intersection bordered by St. Catherine Laboure Parish and a highly utilized bus stop.  Three of the accidents resulted in fatalities.

Installation of the traffic signal is the culmination of a multi-year effort by residents, members of the County delegation to the Maryland General Assembly and Councilmember Valerie Ervin, with strong support from Councilmembers Nancy Floreen and Nancy Navarro.

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One-stop Website Highlights County Health Data

Residents and other interested users can find population-based data and information about community health and the social and environmental determinants of health for Montgomery County online at Healthy Montgomery�s website www.healthymontgomery.org.

The site provides data and information on more than 90 topics related to the health and well being of the community and its residents.
Facts on the site include:

• It costs nearly $70,000 for a family of three to live in Montgomery County without receiving any public subsidy for child care, food, housing or transportation.
• One in every 10 teens in Montgomery County has experienced depression in the past year
• Only one-third of the adult population in Montgomery County engages in regular moderate physical activity
• One out of every three residents speaks a language other than English at home. 

Making News

On the Way to London: Olympic Dive Team Makes a Splash in County

US Olympians execute a dive during a training session for the media at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver Aquatic Center in North Bethesda.

Local media and residents had a couple of unique opportunities to see the U.S. Olympic Team�Diving during the four days of training sessions held in the County before the team departed for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Montgomery County Recreation hosted a media-only training session for the team on July 14 at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver Aquatic Center in North Bethesda. Members of the media filmed and interviewed team members during the session.

The following day, the Olympians participated in a special exhibition at the Germantown Indoor Swim Center. In addition to elected officials and residents, the full-house audience included Olympic Champion diver Greg Louganis, who is serving as a mentor to the US team.

Inside word has it that the team was very happy with the facilities here in Montgomery County and that they were accessible and friendly to both Recreation staff, other swimmers and the public, in general, signing autographs and talking with young people.

See the team in Montgomery County on YouTube.

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Gazette Editorial Commends County�s �Latest Milestone� in Recycling

In the past 60 days, the County has taken two more giant steps to enhance its reputation as a local leader in recycling efforts.

The first step came in May when County Executive Ike Leggett announced establishment of a new, higher recycling goal -- 70 percent of the waste stream being recycled by the end of 2020. The new goal would be one of the highest among jurisdictions in the metropolitan region, as well as other counties across the United States.

The second step came at the end of June when the Executive announced that residents of single-family homes receiving County recycling pick ups can now add PET thermoform plastics to their recycling bins. [See photo.]

PET plastic is used to make items such as cups and rigid packaging. It is a transparent, lightweight, strong, safe, shatterproof and recyclable packaging material commonly used to package fresh fruits and vegetables, bakery items, prepared foods and salads, and deli items.

Both announcements were lauded by The Gazette in a July 11 editorial entitled �Recycling strides.� Adding clamshell containers, the editorial stated, �is the latest milestone in the county�s recycling program which is getting even more ambitious after the county executive raised the goal on how much of the county�s trash�should be recycled by 2020.�

Read the full editorial.

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Correction and Rehabilitation Program Featured on Channel 7

Turning lives around is more than a phrase at the County�s Correctional Facility in Clarksburg.

It�s a fact, thanks to a comprehensive work program that teaches life skills to inmates learning how to make new starts for themselves.

ABC 7 News (WJLA) recently detailed the program, a dedicated career coach and the positive impact both are having on inmates.

Watch and/or read the story.

Mark Your Calendar

July 26 -- Silver Spring Swings concert series: The Eddie Becker Band, Rock, Soul and R&B. 7 to 9 p.m. Veterans Plaza at the Silver Spring Civic Building, Ellsworth Dr. and Fenton St .  Performances canceled due to weather only if it is raining at 7 p.m. Performance features a mix of oldies, soul music, rock, R&B, jazz, blues and originals.  The band is a cooperative of musicians from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. The series features a raffle that opens at 6:30 p.m. and is awarded during intermission. Also, prizes for adults, plus toys and gifts for kids. Presented by Discovery Communications, with the support of Montgomery County Recreation, the Silver Spring Urban District and The Gazette Newspapers. Call 240-777-6821 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec.

August 2 � Silver Spring Swings concert series: Big Sur, Traditional Rock and Roll. 7 to 9 p.m. Veterans Plaza at the Silver Spring Civic Building, Ellsworth Dr. and Fenton St.  Performances canceled due to weather only if it is raining at 7 p.m. Big Sur has been playing traditional rock and roll for more than 10 years.  The series features a raffle that opens at 6:30 p.m. and is awarded during intermission. Also, prizes for adults, plus toys and gifts for kids. Presented by Discovery Communications, with the support of Montgomery County Recreation, the Silver Spring Urban District and The Gazette Newspapers. Call 240-777-6821 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec.

Sunday, August 5 � Salvadoran American Festival, 2424 Reedie Dr., Wheaton. Noon � 6 p.m. The free event will include the 1st Annual Latino Health Fair, providing health screenings and information in Spanish on how to access state and community-based services. Renew a passport through the Salvadoran Consulate. Enjoy traditional foods, crafts, activities for children and live music. Contact Elizabeth Ortega at 240-777-6973 or 240-370-8351 (cell) or visit www.cotsa.org.

Online Indexes for Death Records, Cemeteries and Obituaries - Latest Additions

The Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records Directory (USA) has been updated with links to the following items...

California
 - California Death Index 1905-1939 at FamilySearch (browsable images arranged alphabetically by name)
 - Los Angeles County: Mt. Olive and Broadway Cemetery Burials (Whittier, CA); See: Online Los Angeles County Death Indexes, Records and Obituaries
 - Sacramento County Burial Grounds: Indigent Burials (large PDF file)
 - San Joaquin County Public Library Obituary Index, 1850-1991 (from FamilySearch) includes digitized images of the obituaries

Colorado
 - Arapahoe County: Mount Nebo Memorial Park - Cemetery Burials (in Aurora, Colorado)

Florida
 - Palm Beach County Official Records Search 1968-recent (includes marriage licenses and some estate death certificates)

Georgia
 - Richmond County: Augusta Graveside Project (burials in city maintained cemeteries; work in progress)

Illinois
 - DeKalb County Online Genealogy Search; for birth certificates (75 years or older), marriage licenses (50 years or older), death certificates (20 years or older) and naturalization certificates (100 years or older)
 - McDonough County Probate Case Files Index 1833-1925
 - Sangamon County Probate Case Files Index 1821-1906 (update: more years added)

Iowa
 - State Historical Society of Iowa Death Indexes c.1917-c.1933 (PDF files for some Iowa counties; coverage varies by county)
 - Louisa County Cemeteries

Kentucky
 - Jessamine County: Maple Grove Cemetery Burials (in Nicholasville, KY)
 - Meade County Cemetery Inscriptions

Massachusetts
 - Bristol County: Fall River Herald News Obituary Index 1951-2010 (some years missing; Excel files)
 - Suffolk County: Boston Globe and Herald Obituary Database 1953-2010 (indexes full length obituaries only, no death notices) update: more years added

Michigan
 - Menominee County: Riverside Cemetery Burials (in Menominee, Michigan)
 - Oakland County: Farmington Library Obituaries Index 1890-1999 (also indexes some marriages and cemetery burials)
 - Wayne County Death Records Indexes 1934-1953 (excluding the City of Detroit); See: Online Detroit and Wayne County Death Records and Indexes

Minnesota
 - Norman County Death Index 1871-1981 (also has other genealogy indexes)
 - Sherburne County Genealogy Indexes (includes indexes for obituaries, deaths 1870-1923, cemetery burials and more)

Missouri
 - Missouri Death Certificates Index and Images 1910-1961 (update: year 1961 added)
 - Jackson County: City of Lee's Summit Cemetery Map (includes burial search; requires Flash)
 - St. Louis: Bellefontaine Cemetery Association Map (includes burial search; requires Flash)
 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch Obituary Index (covers 1880-1930, 1942-1945, 1960-1969, and 1992-2011) update: year 2011 added
 - for the above 2, see: Online St. Louis, Missouri Death Records, Indexes & Obituaries

New Hampshire
 - Sullivan County: A Survey of Springfield, New Hampshire's Small Cemeteries and Single Graves

New Mexico
 - New Mexico: County Death Records 1907-1952, for Sandoval, Socorro, and Valencia Counties (browsable images; coverage varies by county) from FamilySearch

New Jersey
 - New Jersey Death Records Index, June 1878-June 1888 (update: more months added)

Ohio
 - Montgomery County: Calvary Cemetery Burials (Catholic Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio)

Pennsylvania
 - Pennsylvania Death Records Indexes 1906-1961 (PDF files; you must search each year separately; for some years surnames are listed by Soundex code)
 - Blair County Death Records Indexes (from the Blair County Genealogical Society)
 - Delaware County Archives (includes indexes for births, marriages, deaths, wills, veteran's graves and other items)
 - Westmoreland County: Baltzer Meyer Historical Society Index of Obituaries (for Greensburg, Pennsylvania)

Tennessee
 - Montgomery County Archives Search (includes indexes for obituaries, early wills or probates, marriages, and other items)

Texas
- Dallas Area Cemeteries (from the Dallas Genealogical Society)

Utah
- Utah Death Certificates 1904-1961 (update: years 1959-1961 added; 1961 is not yet indexed)

Virginia
 - Winchester Evening Star Obituary Index 1896-1912 (from the Handley Regional Library) also has a link for Mount Hebron Cemetery Burials
 - Winchester Evening Star Obituaries, 1899-1909 (digitized images from FamilySearch)

Washington
 - South King County Genealogical Society Indexes (includes indexes for obituaries, cemeteries, marriages and births)

Wisconsin
 - Eau Claire Historical Search; including Obituary and Cemetery Indexes

Wyoming
 - Sweetwater County: Burial Index for Riverview Cemetery in Green River, Wyoming

See: Online Searchable Death Records Indexes and Obituaries