Montgomery County leaders host special panel ahead of County’s 250th anniversary

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) – The U.S. is preparing to celebrate its 250^th anniversary next year, and so is Montgomery County.

On Wednesday, county leaders held a special panel in Rockville to discuss the historic anniversary.

Montgomery County Council President Kate Stewart led the conversation. The discussion focused on what panelists enjoy about Montgomery County and what they think can be improved.

“It’s important that we take the time to celebrate and also to look back to learn lessons from our history, and to also look at how that history informs our policies and programs today,” Stewart said.

Panelists said it’s important to learn from the past and present to build a brighter future for Montgomery County.

“When I think about the past, it requires healing. The present requires intentionality and commitment. And the future requires hope,” Darcell Graham, director of Montgomery County Public Libraries, said.

Montgomery Planning’s Acting Historic Preservation Division Chief Rebeccah Ballo said that “history is adventure.”

“History is drama. History is life to me, that’s why it’s always so interesting. So, really taking stock of where we are right now and then setting ourselves up for the future,” Ballo said.

Montgomery County Commission for Women Chair Sheena Foster said Montgomery County has grown significantly in the last two-and-a-half centuries, but there’s still work to be done.

“Even though we’re on the precipice of being 250 years old,” Foster said, “We’re still very young, and we still have a long way to go. We’ve done some incredible things over the years, so it means progress.”

The Montgomery History organization is building a history center to commemorate Montgomery County’s 250^th anniversary. It’s expected to open next summer.