Montco Monthly

December 2023

Below are the latest updates from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Did someone forward you this message? Sign up here to receive fu tur e email updates.

Celebrate the holidays in Montgomery County!

Celebrate the sights, sounds and tastes of the holidays throughout the ages at select Montgomery County Parks, Trails and Historic Sites this month.

Throughout the month of December, visitors are invited to try their hand at unique crafting opportunities, support local artisans at festive craft fairs, experience the evolution of the holiday traditions we hold dear and so much more.

Check out our website calendar for a full rundown of the events taking place and find one - or more - that speaks to you.

View upcoming holiday events

Learn more

Montco celebrates the reopening of Sterigere Street Bridge in Norristown

Last week, the Montgomery County Commissioners were proud to join with other local officials to cut the ribbon on the brand new Sterigere Street Bridge in Norristown.

The new bridge will improve pedestrian safety and accommodate greater traffic flow. Additionally, steps were taken to help preserve the character of the original bridge.

Completed ahead of schedule and under budget, this new structure promises to be a modern, safe and dependable part of our County's transportation infrastructure for years to come.

Congrats to our 2023 Montgomery Award winners!

Five outstanding projects and their creators, as well as a dedicated lifelong advocate of open space preservation, were honored at the 2023 Montgomery Awards celebration last month.

Held in the Schultz Community Center of Meadowood Senior Living in Lansdale, this annual program, sponsored by the Montgomery County Planning Commission, recognizes the best in planning and design, advocacy, and environmental stewardship in Montgomery County and acknowledges the high-quality work and commitment of communities, organizations, and professionals.

The five projects receiving 2023 awards were:

Park to Perkiomen Trail Connector in Upper Salford Township
PV Woods – Lenape Arboretum & Muhlenberg Woods in Perkiomen Township and Lower Frederick Township
SORA West in Conshohocken Borough
The Reserve at Maybrook in Lower Merion Township
Jacob Reiff Park Stream & Floodplain Restoration in Lower Salford Township

In addition to these outstanding projects, Philip A. Smith, a lifelong advocate of open space, trails, and historic preservation, received a 2023 Planning Advocate Award.

Each year, the Montgomery Awards honor those who go above and beyond to enhance our county. This year’s winners demonstrate how vision and collaboration result in exceptional places in Montgomery County.

Meet the winners

December events spotlight

Share feedback: Office of Housing & Community Development

Let us know how our Office of Housing & Community Development is doing!

Join us on Monday, Dec. 11 at noon to offer feedback on the office's Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER).

Attend in person on the second floor of One Montgomery Plaza in Norristown or virtually via Zoom.

The full CAPER document will be posted on our Office of Housing & Community Development website starting on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

Learn more

Car seat checks: Keep your little ones safe on the go

Keep your little one safe on our county roads.

Stop by a check event hosted by our Department of Health and human Services to have your child's seat inspected by a certified safety tech.

Upcoming events:

- Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Montgomery Hose Fire Company in Norristown

- Tuesday, Dec. 19, at Limerick Fire Department in Royersford

- Thursday, Dec. 21, at the Fire Department of Montgomery Township

Now hiring: Be part of the future of Montco HHS

We are seeking a Finance Administrator to join the team at the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.

In this role, you will help oversee a budget of $370M and a team of roughly 35 staffers, all to ensure the continued availability of high-quality, innovative health and wellness services.

Success in this role requires experience managing large budgets, advanced knowledge of complex financing in the county government human services sector, high-level leadership experience, and effective team management.

Learn more or apply

Community bulletin board

Send a holiday greeting to Montco veterans this season

Our Office of Veterans Affairs is spearheading a greeting card drive to bring some much-deserved holiday cheer to area veterans.

If you'd like to send some festive well-wishes to local veterans this holiday season, send in or drop off your holiday cards, kids' drawings or letters, to Karin Smith at karin.smith@montgomerycountypa.

gov.

The deadline to participate in our Veterans Holiday Card Drive is Friday, Dec. 15, so be sure to reach out soon to ensure your greetings reach one of our area's veterans.

Send your greetings

Winter Coat Drive: Support your neighbors in need

Too many Montco residents will have to face the cold without the comfort of a winter coat.

If you are able to do so, please consider supporting the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services' Winter Coat Drive.

New coats in all sizes are welcomed, with infant and children's sizes up to 5T being the most needed.

The drive will run through Friday, Dec. 29, and donations can be brought to our Human Services Center at 1430 Dekalb St. in Norristown.

Donate

Help is out there if you need it: Call or text 9-8-8

It's OK to not feel OK this time of year.

Please know that help is out there and is just a call or text away. If you are having suicidal thoughts, mental health concerns, struggling with substance abuse or are facing some other emotional distress, please reach out to the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Confidential support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Get help

Montgomery County Commissioners

Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr.

Chair

Jamila H. Winder

Vice Chair

Joseph C. Gale

Commissioner

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