In the Richard Montgomery High School football stadium Wednesday night, a sideline packed with teenage girls jumped and cheered as their Springbrook High School teammate ran with a football down the field.  

Eventually, an opposing player from Albert Einstein High School brought the runner to a halt by capturing one of the detachable flags hanging from her uniform. But that didn’t take away from the students’ excitement of almost scoring getting a touchdown in one of the first-ever Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) girls flag football games.  

Wednesday night was the kickoff for the school system’s high school girls flag football season, making MCPS one of four Maryland districts to add the sport to their roster of high school athletic teams while also providing county students an opportunity to participate in a typically male-dominated sport.  

“I’ve been watching football all my life,” said senior Kesare Bakare, a co-captain of the Gaithersburg High School flag football team. “I wanted to be able to play it in an actual [team] setting.” 

Flag football has been gaining popularity over the years, according to CBS, because the fast-paced sport poses less risk of injury when compared to tackle football. The biggest difference between flag and tackle football is the lack of tackling, but there are also other rule differences. The size of the playing field also is smaller and there are fewer players on the field than in traditional football, according to NFL flag football. Organized flag football leagues for all genders have increased over the years, and the sport also will be debuting at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, according to USA Football. 

For Montgomery County, the idea of bringing girls flag football to schools came from student surveys identifying interest in the sport, MCPS Director of Systemwide Athletics Jeffrey Sullivan told MoCo360. After discussions with the Baltimore Ravens and athletic wear company Under Armour brought in grant funding for equipment and uniforms, the sport became a reality for MCPS. Grant funding also paid for other expenses, including coach stipends, transportation and awards, according to MCPS.  

More than 600 students are playing flag football this fall, according to Sullivan. “With every checkpoint, it has more than exceeded the excitement level and the experience for our student athletes and coaches,” he said. 

MCPS joined Baltimore City and Washington County public schools to pilot the girls flag football program this fall, while Frederick County Public Schools entered its second season after piloting the sport last year.  

Wednesday’s opening night took place at four county high schools: Richard Montgomery and Thomas S. Wootton in Rockville, Paint Branch in Burtonsville and Seneca Valley in Germantown. All 25 teams took part in opening ceremonies held at all four high schools and 24 got their first taste of competing in flag football during games played that night.  

“I was at Wootton and Seneca Valley, and the energy was just–it’s hard to put into words,” Sullivan said. “My job ultimately is to create opportunities and spaces for student-athletes to thrive. … It’s really surreal when you’re watching it unfold in front of your eyes.”  

In the lead up to the sport’s debut, Sullivan said the district tried to “build momentum.” It held skills clinics for players interested in joining, opportunities that Tina Fitzpatrick, athletic director at Einstein High School in Kensington, said helped get more students involved.  

“We’re not just like dropping it out of nowhere,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s not up to just our schools to get it off the ground, but we’ve done it kind of together as a collective county effort, which I think shows in the amount of girls that are participating.”  

For Bakare, along with her co-captains Yvette Larios and Edita Kentale, both juniors, joining the Gaithersburg High team came down to wanting to try something new and get involved in a sport they loved. 

“I used to watch YouTube videos of people [playing] flag football,” Kentale said. “I was like, ‘I want to do this. … I want to be part of a team sport where we’re all working together.’ ”  

The three also play other sports, with Bakare and Kentale participating in track and field and Larios swimming and playing soccer. None of the trio had played flag football before, though, an aspect of the new sport that Fitzpatrick said makes it more approachable.  

Larios said the members of the Gaithersburg team have grown close in part because they are learning flag football strategies and rules together. After clinics in June, tryouts and practices for teams began in mid-August in preparation for the September opening.  

“These girls, they’re all brand new,” Larios said. “We’re all starting at the same level and we’re growing together. So, it makes us even closer.”   

However, learning the new sport wasn’t easy, the players said. 

“When you’re not used to people coming at you, a natural instinct is to block or push them away right? So, with flag football, you can’t do that,” Larios said. “So learning how to not push people away when they’re running at you … is really hard.” 

And there are aspects of the game and plenty of new vocabulary that the girls said they had to get used to. It took a lot of repetition to remember lingo such as “blitzer” or “line of scrimmage,” and even more repetition to memorize strategic plays. 

Despite the challenges, they said they learned about the value of teamwork–especially Kentale and Bakare, who typically compete in non-team sports.  

“One of my coaches said, ‘How you do anything is how you do everything,’ ” Kentale said. “We need to all work together because if one person is down and we don’t try everything to pick them up, it’s going to affect us as a team and how we play.” 

Plus playing flag football has been a lot of fun, both for the players and Jeremy Brown, coach of the Gaithersburg High team. 

“I’m just having a lot of fun working with them and seeing them compete,” Brown said. “I’m coming up with a scheme and what not to win games, but I’m also teaching a lot about the sport and strategy.” 

Brown said providing students with more opportunities to play sports gives them the chance to learn how to be a team member as well as how to lose and to deal with adversity. 

“If an opportunity comes up and you feel like you’re down to do it, having options like this is really, really good,” Larios said. “You learn more about yourself as an individual, and you also learn more about opportunities that you can get.”  

Those new opportunities are reflected in the division names for the 25 flag football teams: Dreamers, Pioneers, Innovators and Trailblazers. Sullivan said the divisions were intentionally named “for what our students are doing with this initiative.”  

“This really allows girls … an opportunity to play football for some of us [who] actually enjoy the sport,” Kentale said. “It shows that women can also do anything.”  

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This story, published at 4:53 p.m. Sept. 5, 2024, was updated at 8:55 p.m. to provide more information about the incident and to clarify where it occurred.

Two Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students were arrested Tuesday following a shooting in the Wheaton-Glenmont area that did not result in any injuries, according to county police and school officials.  

The two boys, ages 15 and 13, are “being charged with multiple charges of first-degree assault” following a shooting in the 2300 block of Glenmont Circle, police said Thursday night in a statement.

On Wednesday, the principals of three nearby schools–Odessa Shannon Middle School and John F. Kennedy and Wheaton high schools–sent a community letter concerning the incident. According to the letter, police made the principals aware Wednesday of a “serious incident” that had occurred Tuesday near the schools. 

According to Montgomery County police, officers responded shortly after 3:30 p.m. to a report of a shooting in progress.

Detectives determined the two students were involved in a confrontation with several other juveniles during which “a handgun was displayed,” police said in the statement. The juveniles “ran away and the suspects chased after them.” 

A short time later, the 15-year-old suspect shot at the occupants of a vehicle in the area of the 2300 block of Glenmont Circle, police said. The two occupants were not injured. Shell casings were recovered from the scene.

The two suspects are in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Services, police said.

Neither the police statement nor the community letter identified the students or said which school they attended.  

The community letter did note that an “investigation and any resulting actions are a police matter, not a school disciplinary matter,” as defined by a memorandum of understanding between MCPS and county police.

MCPS can’t share additional information due to student privacy laws, specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), according to the letter.  

“While this may understandably pose frustrations, particularly in contexts where transparency is desired, it’s crucial to recognize that these regulations are in place to uphold the safety and privacy rights of all students, even those who may be subjects of a criminal investigation,” the letter said.  

In the letter, the principals asked families to “reinforce at home that violence is not ever a good choice to resolve conflict; students should reach out to a trusted adult at home or in school to seek help resolving conflict.” 

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Editor’s note: This story, published at 3:55 p.m. Sept. 5, 2024, was updated at 10:03 a.m. Sept. 6, 2024, to provide more information about the incident.

A man who barricaded himself Thursday in a vacant Chevy Chase house during an alleged burglary has been taken into custody, according to the Montgomery County division of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police.  

Park police posted on social media that officers responded at roughly 9:47 a.m. to the 5300 block of Willard Avenue in Chevy Chase for reports of a burglary at a vacant house on park property. Willard Avenue is next to Willard Avenue Neighborhood Park.  

An individual armed with a knife was found inside and he ultimately barricaded himself in the home, according to park police. Park police identified the man as 66-year-old Jose Angel Diaz-Vasquez on Thursday night. 

According to a statement from park police, Diaz-Vasquez was armed and illegally occupying a vacant park building. When officers attempted to enter the house, the suspect threatened the officers with a knife and refused to vacate the property, park police said in a statement. 

Park police called Montgomery County Police SWAT to the scene, and the suspect was eventually removed from the house and arrested.

At roughly 2:27 p.m., the man was taken into custody without injuries to himself or any officers, park police said on social media.  

No one was injured in the incident, and police are still investigating what occurred. 

This story will be updated as more information becomes available. 

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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and county police plan to focus more on communication and collaboration when addressing school safety, according to district and police officials.  

With new MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor making safety the district’s “No. 1 priority,” former police Chief Marcus Jones, who’s now serving as the head of security and compliance for the school system, said he’s developing a culture that requires all employees to focus on keeping schools safe.  

“It’s more than just the security team and the police department providing those [safety nets],” Jones said Wednesday during the county government’s weekly press briefing. “And so we have this … motto that says, ‘It’s my job, it’s your job, it’s our job. We’re all in this together.’”  

Acting Assistant Chief David McBain said communication is an “overwhelming positive” for the police and the school system going into the new year. McBain said the police department has met with Jones and Taylor, as well as meeting with athletic coordinators to address safety at sporting events.  

The 2023-2024 school year faced several safety issues, including numerous bomb threats, a Paint Branch High School student charged for on-campus gun possession and brawls breaking out at football games.  

“We’re coordinating our efforts to just provide a safe school year for our kids, but inside the school, outside the school, around the schools, and obviously, to provide safe routes to school,” McBain said. 

One example of communication that McBain highlighted is when the police department releases information about potential concerns, such as when incidents happen off campus that might impact the school day, to MCPS soon after receiving it regardless of the time of day. McBain said this helps give schools time to prepare to handle a potential incident.   

While the district is planning to implement some security measures such as installing vape detectors, making the wearing of student IDs mandatory and reforming the way serious incidents are reported, others, such as the operation of the Community Engagement Officer (CEO) program, are just getting clarified. Determining whether the district should install weapons detectors is also in the very early stages of exploration, Jones said, noting security staff will be more visible to address drug-related concerns.  

Jones has said there’s confusion surrounding the CEO program, in which police officers are assigned to high school clusters, but don’t patrol within schools. Instead of changing the program this school year, officials are clarifying expectations. McBain said officers won’t be patrolling hallways but will use offices in high schools to be available to staff and students when needed. There are 21 CEOs assigned to high school clusters and the police department is actively filling another position, he said.  

In addition to the 21 CEOs, MCPS has more than 280 security staff, plus counseling staff and principals, to address safety concerns.  

Before the school year began Aug. 26, CEOs and MCPS security staff trained together to ensure that everyone understood their roles within the school system, Jones said. He also noted there are 70 principals who are in their first or second year as leaders who will be given assistance to understand the different roles between CEOs and security staff as well.   

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A 12-year-old boy from Washington, D.C., is accused of breaking into several Montgomery County auto dealerships in Bethesda and Rockville during the past weeks, but can’t be arrested because of Maryland laws that prohibit charging children younger than 13 with certain crimes, according to county police officials.  

The boy allegedly committed burglaries five times in August and on Monday at several high-end car dealerships, including BMW, Audi, Porsche and Jaguar, police officials told MoCo360 via email. The suspect was apprehended on “multiple occasions,” police said.

Also, between 6:20 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, an “unknown subject” who’s believed to be the same minor entered a business in the 12100 block of Parklawn Drive in Rockville, stole a vehicle and fled the scene, according to police. At roughly 11:30 p.m., the stolen vehicle was found and stopped near University Boulevard and Franklin Avenue in Silver Spring. 

The boy was apprehended without incident and returned to the custody of his guardian, according to police. Officials said the age of the child limits the information they can release about the case.  

Because of state laws, police have had to navigate the incidents differently than they would have if the suspect was age 13 or older, Acting Assistant Chief David McBain said during a Wednesday press briefing.  

In 2022, state lawmakers passed bills that prevent kids younger than age 13 from being subject to juvenile court jurisdiction for delinquency proceedings and from being charged with a crime, except for serious violent crimes such as murder, according to the Associated Press.  

In May 2024, Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed into law a juvenile law reform package that expanded the jurisdiction of juvenile courts over children ages 10 to 12 who are charged with serious offenses such as sex offenses, gun violations, auto theft and animal cruelty, according to CBS Baltimore. However, that law won’t go into effect until November, according to Maryland Matters.  

“We are actually actively working with the D.C. government, the police department and the [state Department of Juvenile Services] in order to coordinate a resolution,” McBain said. “That young individual is in need of some supervision, and I think it’s critical that he gets that.”  

McBain said that despite the legislation, police can urge the Department of Juvenile Services to take the child into protective custody.  

County Chief Administrative Officer Rich Madaleno said the situation has led to some frustration, but the county is communicating with state officials about the matter. Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Earl Stoddard said he’s spoken with the Department of Juvenile Services and the State’s Attorney’s office about the boy.  

“The people who need to be working on this issue, who can get this young person help, are working on it,” Stoddard said. 

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The Bullis School community is mourning the loss of head football coach Ray Butler after the “deeply respected” coach and mentor died Monday night, the school announced Tuesday.  

According to a statement from the Potomac private school, Butler died peacefully, surrounded by family. The statement didn’t specify the cause of death, but a GoFundMe started by a Bullis parent said Butler suffered a massive brain hemorrhage on Aug. 24 and was in the ICU.  

“His passing has left a significant void, particularly among the students and athletes who were inspired by his guidance and care,” the statement said.  

Butler began his time at Bullis as a member of the security team and an assistant football coach. In these dual roles, he was “more than just a protector of the campus”–he was also a mentor and “positive force” in the lives of Bullis students, the statement said. Butler took on the role of head varsity football coach in 2023.  

As a head coach, Butler continued to “shape the lives of his players with his calm demeanor, compassion, and unwavering dedication,” the school’s statement said.  

“He committed himself fully to them — in-season or out, rain or shine, win or lose,” the school said.  

According to NBC4 Washington, Bullis Head of School Christian G. Sullivan said in a letter that Butler made a “profound impact” on the lives of students.  

“His legacy at Bullis will be remembered not only for the victories he led but for the countless lives he touched with his kindness, patience, and steadfast dedication,” the letter said. 

Shawn Yancy, a news anchor for NBC4 in Washington, D.C., and the mother of two former Bullis football players, paid tribute to Butler during the station’s 11 p.m. broadcast Tuesday night, saying Butler had a “remarkable impact.”  

“For him, it was always about the young men, it was always about the kids that he coached,” Yancy said. “He was … a gentle, kind man but his spirit and his motivation were huge.”  

Social media also lit up with tributes to the coach, including from other private school football programs including the Potomac School.  Others, including parents, former students and County Councilmember Will Jawando shared that Butler had been a pillar in the community. 

Bullis’s statement said funeral arrangements for Butler will be shared once they’re available. The school didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.  

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Montgomery County police have identified the 34-year-old man killed in a shooting in Silver Spring on Labor Day, according to authorities.   

Jamar Emmanuel Jenifer of Washington, D.C., was found suffering from apparent gunshot wounds in the 8000 block of 13^th Street in Silver Spring, police said Tuesday in a statement. 

Police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews responded at about 9:42 a.m. to the scene, which is about a block from the county line with Washington, D.C.   

Despite lifesaving efforts, Jenifer was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the statement. 

Police don’t have a suspect in custody and detectives are investigating the death as a homicide, the statement said.  

Police are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of anyone involved, the statement said. Anyone with information is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org or to call 1-866-411-8477.  

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Editor’s note: This article, originally published at 11:38 a.m. on Sept. 3, 2024, was updated at 3:55 p.m. on Sept. 3, 2024, to include statements from the defendants’ lawyers.

Three men, identified by Montgomery County police as MS-13 gang members, were found guilty in a fatal November 2022 shooting in Silver Spring that resulted in the death of a 19-year-old man, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.  

On Friday night, a Montgomery County Circuit Court jury convicted Junior Francisco Del-Cid, 20, of Takoma Park and Elmer Lopez-Cortez, 25, and Elvin Guzman-Machado, 20, both of Silver Spring, of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and other charges in a shooting that killed Willians Anderson Alberto Cruz of Hyattsville and injured two others, the county state’s attorney’s office said Tuesday in a statement.  

The three men were also convicted of participation in a criminal organization resulting in death—the first time a defendant has been convicted of the charge in Montgomery County, the statement said. In addition, they were convicted of three counts of attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and four counts of use of a firearm during a crime of violence.  

Each man faces life in prison without parole and four additional, consecutive life sentences plus 105 years during a Jan. 31 sentencing hearing.  

A fourth co-defendant, Jonathan Leon-Chacon, 26, of Silver Spring is set to go to trial on June 16, according to the statement.  

According to police, the shooting occurred Nov. 9, 2022. Officers responded before 4 a.m. for a report of shots fired in the 100 block of Colony Road. Officers found three men suffering from gunshot wounds. Cruz was found with multiple gunshot wounds in a wooded area nearby, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.  

The victims and defendants didn’t know each other before the shooting, according to the state’s attorney’s office.  

County police identified Del-Cid, Lopez-Cortez and Guzman-Machado as members of the La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, the statement said. The motive for the shooting was retribution for defacing gang graffiti in a forested area next to the parking lot where the shooting occurred, according to the statement.  

After the defendants became convinced the three men were responsible for the defacing, Del-Cid and Lopez-Cortez opened fire on the victims, according to the statement. Guzman-Machado and Leon-Chacon waited in a getaway vehicle. 

Guzman-Machado’s lawyer, Alan Drew, said they were both disappointed in the verdict. 

“I believe the jury disregarded the overwhelming evidence that my client was merely present in a vehicle and had no idea of what would transpire outside of the vehicle,” Drew told MoCo360 in an email. “After sentencing in February, an appeal will be noted on his behalf.” 

Mauricio Barreiro, the lawyer representing Lopez-Cortez, said the case “may be coming back on appeal.” 

“The State won this trial and the defense lost.  Sentencing is not completed.  The appeal is not completed.  No one is giving up now,” Barreiro said in an email. “We trust the Md. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Maryland in reviewing and righting any wrongs. “

Del-Cid’s lawyer, Adedoyin Euphus Belu-John, was in trial on Tuesday and didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The other two men who were shot were treated at a hospital for their injuries. A fourth uninjured male was found at the scene, according to the statement.  

Del-Cid, Lopez-Cortez, Guzman-Machado and Leon-Chacon were arrested in December 2022, according to police.  

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Montgomery County police identified a Gaithersburg resident and a Laurel man as the two people involved in Thursday morning’s apparent murder-suicide shooting in Rockville.  

The victim, Civil Jean Calixte, 60, of Gaithersburg, was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds after officers responded to the report of a shooting at the 14900 block of Southlawn Lane at roughly 7:50 a.m. Thursday, police said Friday in a statement.  

After police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) crews rendered aid, Calixte was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.  

A witness reported that the suspect, later identified as 53-year-old Dario Villard of Laurel, shot Calixte and fled in a gray Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, the statement said.  

Shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday, a responding officer who spotted the truck near the intersection of Avery and Norbeck roads conducted a felony traffic stop and heard a gunshot, according to police. 

Villard was found inside the truck with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. MCFRS crews provided aid and transported Villard to a local hospital where he later died. Police recovered a handgun from inside the truck, the statement said.  

Calixte’s death is being investigated as a homicide and Villard’s death as a suicide, police said. The statement did not say where either man lived. 

County police spokesperson Shiera Goff said Thursday the two men who died were “known to each other.” 

Calixte and Villard were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where autopsies were scheduled for Friday. 

The incident has been connected to a domestic-related shooting Wednesday evening in Laurel, according to authorities. The victim in that shooting in the 14200 block of Westmeath Drive was in “critical but stable condition” as of Thursday morning, according to Laurel police. 

Laurel police were seeking Villard, who was facing an attempted first-degree murder charge related to Wednesday’s shooting, according to the statement.  

On Thursday morning, Laurel detectives responded to the Rockville shooting scene and connected the Toyota Tacoma to Wednesday’s shooting.  

Laurel police did not respond Friday to MoCo360’s request for comment. 

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With the nation celebrating Labor Day on Monday, here’s what will be open and closed across Montgomery County, according to local governments, as well as details for local parades.  

Parades

Kensington’s Labor Day Parade and Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday. The parade will step off from Plyers Mill Road and following a route to Noyes Library. The festival will be held along Armory Avenue and feature live music, vendors and bounce houses for kids.

This year’s Gaithersburg’s Labor Day Parade will start at a new time—10 a.m.—and run until noon along East Diamond and Russell avenues.

Montgomery County 

County offices — closed 

MC 311, nonemergency government information and services — closed  

State offices and courts — closed 

State Motor Vehicle Administration offices and Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program stations — closed 

Libraries — closed  Sunday and Monday 

Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) — all stores open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Department of Permitting Services — closed 

Ride OnBus Service —  operating on a Sunday schedule. View route schedules here. 

Ride On extRa and Flex bus services — will not be in service. 

Ride On FlashBus Service — The Orange Route will operate on a weekend/holiday schedule while the Blue Route (typically, weekday only) will not be in service. 

TRiPS Silver Spring commuter store — open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

TRiPS mobile commuter store — closed 

MARC Train — no trains operating. 

Metrorail — operating on a Sunday holiday schedule with trains running from 7 a.m. to midnight. View metro information here.

Metrobus — operating on a Sunday schedule 

Public parking garages, lots, curbside meters — free 

County-provided trash and recycling collections — No collections on Monday. Collections for the remainder of the week will slide one day, with the final collections on Saturday. 

Shady Grove Transfer Station and Recycling Center — closed. 

Department of Recreation Outdoor Pools — open 

Recreation, senior and indoor aquatic centers — closed 

Montgomery Parks — Operating hours and events for county parks can be found here.  

Parades — Kensington and Gaithersburg both have a Labor Day parade in honor of the holiday. Kensington’s Labor Day Parade will be Sept. 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Plyers Mill Road to Noyes Library. Gaithersburg’s Labor Day Parade will be Sept. 2 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Olde Town Plaza 1 South Summit Avenue.

Rockville 

City Hall and government — closed 

Lincoln Park, Thomas Farm and Twinbrook community centers — closed  

Rockville Senior Center — closed 

Croydon Creek Nature Center (typically closed Mondays) — closed 

F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre and box office (typically closed Mondays) — closed 

Glenview Mansion — closed 

Rockville Civic Center business office — closed 

Rockville Skate Park (closed Mondays in the fall) — closed 

Rockville Swim and Fitness Center — open. The outdoor recreation pool is closed for renovations. The outdoor fitness pool will offer recreation swim hours over the holiday weekend. All customers should enter and exit via the indoor complex. For swim and fitness center facility hours and additional information, visit www.rockvillemd.gov/swimcenter. 

Recycling and trash collections — No collections on Monday. Collections will occur one day later than usual throughout the week. For more information on recycling and trash collection, visit www.rockvillemd.gov/recycling-trash or call 240-314-8568. 

City-owned parking meters — free. Learn more at www.rockvillemd.gov or call 240-314-5000. 

Gaithersburg  

Most city facilities and offices are closed Monday with the exception of the following: 

Police department administrative offices — open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

The Community Museum — open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

The Water Park — open from 12 to 5 p.m. for city residents and aquatics members only. 

The Miniature Golf Course — open from 12 to 6 p.m. 

The Skate Park — open from 12 to 6 p.m. 

Interactive Water Feature at Olde Towne Plaza — open from 12 to 7 p.m. 

Recycling — to be collected the preceding Saturday. Bulk pick up is unavailable. 

Mayor and City Council to hold regular session on Tuesday 

Takoma Park  

City offices — closed  

City facilities — closed 

Public library — closed   

Yard waste collection — No collections on Monday. Collection will resume Sept. 9. View the Holiday Collection Schedule page for more information. 

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