Volume 12
Issue 6
September 2019
Long Branch Business League
New ‘4Business’ Program Aims at Improving Business Climate in County: Will it Help Long Branch? On Wednesday, September 11, representatives of the County executive will attend the Long Branch Business League meeting in order to involve local store owners in an ongoing process to improve the County’s business climate.
The next step on the 4Business agenda is a detailed survey that individual business owners are encouraged to complete right now. The survey can be found at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dps/ business/4Business.html )
Over the past half year, County Executive Marc Elrich has organized and attended half a dozen ‘listening sessions’ with county business owners.
Judy Stephenson, who will be speaking at the Sept. 11 Business League meeting, along with Grace Deno, said that changes from all this feedback are already being implemented. Stephenson is head of the County Executive’s small business solutions group.
During those sessions, business owners were given the opportunity to speak their mind openly about pretty much anything — including County action or inaction — that is hindering their success. The Long Branch Business League attended listening sessions held in January and May this year, and spoke up about the need for more attractive sidewalks, better pedestrian lighting, and more attention paid to the homeless in the commercial area. The listening sessions were only the start of a larger, more ambitious process that the office of the executive is calling its 4Business program.
Above: Marc Elrich and Sidney Katz conduct listening session with businesses in Wheaton.
Long Branch Business League September Meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 11, 10 a.m. — 11:30 a.m. Topic: County’s 4Business Program, with Judy Stephenson El Gavilan Restaurant, 8805 Flower Ave., Silver Spring
DiscoverLongBranch.com Discover Long Branch! So Many Events, So Little Time … As far as fun is concerned, Long Branch has been on a roll lately. The Business League and the Parks Department hosted the lively Spring festival and Cinco de Mayo event last May (see picture, top right). In August, for the benefit of area children, the Business League put together its Summer Pool Party Pop-up event, which joined forces with the Parks and also the Recreation Department’s annual Unity Festival (see picture, opposite). This September and October, Long Branch is hosting two more huge events:
Long Branch Festival, Sept. 20—27, 2019
The Long Branch 5K, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019
As noted on its website, LongBranchFest.com, the festival — a partnership with Montgomery Planning — will build awareness of the importance of shared public spaces. The festival is of course also a celebration of the neighborhood, its dynamic and diverse culture — and a chance to highlight the charm of Long Branch’s many locally-owned stores and restaurants.
Long Branch Business News, Paul Grenier, Editor 301-812-4141 pgrenier@MHPartners.org