Greater Olney Civic Association - GOCA

09/20/2026

Today was the one year anniversary of the Olney Community Walk! We’ve held 15 events over the last year, expanding awareness of the Greater Olney Civic Association - GOCA, bringing people to the Olney Farmers and Artists Market, and promoting our local organizations and their leaders who make Olney the best place to live in Montgomery County!

Today was a great walk with the MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Emergency Room team and over the last few weeks of promoting the event we’ve shared their work and future plans to improve the Emergency Room experience. They could use your support, so if you have donated yet, please do!

We have one more walk scheduled for 10/4 with the Sandy Spring Museum and then we begin our winter hibernation. Don’t miss it, see you at the market!

09/14/2026

We have two events left in the Olney Community Run and Walk 2026 season! For our September 20th Olney Community Run and Walk, we're excited to welcome MedStar Montgomery Medical Center as our featured guest organization. This is a great opportunity to learn about MedStar's campaign to renovate the Emergency Department and meet the physicians and caregivers who serve our community.

Join us to meet Dr. Eric Almli, Chair of Emergency Medicine, and other members of the MedStar Montgomery team. Don't wait until an emergency to meet the people who will be there for you and your family.

Can't attend but still want to help? You can support the Emergency Department renovation at giving.medstarhealth.org/medstarhealth/get-involved/donate/MMMCReno,

Read more about the project at medstarhealth.org/philanthropy/get-involved/medstar-montgomery-emergency-department-renovation

There's also a short video on the renovation featuring Karen Rollings of Rollings Home Team: youtube.com/watch?v=FQ2EvB4cmwA

Follow MedStar Montgomery Medical Center on Instagram at , and find them on LinkedIn and Facebook too.

Join us Sunday, September 20 at 11:00 AM at the Olney Farmers and Artists Market, 2829 Olney Sandy Spring Rd, Olney, MD 20832. You'll see the big GOCA tent in the field. From there, we'll take a two-mile walk and return to the market for more conversation.

The Olney Community Run and Walk was created by the Greater Olney Civic Association (GOCA) as a way to bring our community together, connect with local leaders, and inspire healthy habits.

MedStar Montgomery Medical Center is renovating its Emergency Depar...

09/11/2026

A Shared Home for Olney’s Civic Groups: County Council Hearing on September 15
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Olney has an opportunity to create a permanent home for our community’s civic organizations.

The vacant Atlantic Bank Building on Georgia Avenue, formerly associated with Sandy Spring Bank, could become a shared home for GOCA, the Olney Chamber of Commerce, and the Olney Civic Fund - Coordinator of Olney Days. It would also house the Olney Satellite Police Station (Montgomery County Police Department).

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/government/legislative-branch/county-council/how-participate/live-testimony

On September 15 at 1:30 PM, the Montgomery County Council will hold a public hearing on Capital Improvements Program Amendment #27-3, listed on the Council’s agenda as the Olney Community Building and Police Station projects. The amendment would add this project to the County’s capital budget.

Under the proposal, the County would purchase the building with State funding and operate it, creating a permanent, shared space for Olney’s civic organizations in the heart of town.

We need supporters in the room.

📍 Montgomery County Council Office Building
100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville
Third-floor hearing room

How to testify

You can register to testify in person or remotely through the County Council’s website. You can also:

Submit prerecorded testimony
Mail written testimony to the Council office
Call 240-777-7803 to arrange remote phone testimony

Registration closes September 14 at 2:00 PM, the day before the hearing.

Why this matters

The building has sat empty since Sandy Spring Bank moved out. Bringing GOCA, the Town Center, the Chamber, and the Civic Fund together under one roof would give Olney’s civic life a visible, permanent home on Georgia Avenue.

Council members need to hear that the community supports this proposal before they vote on adding it to the County budget.

Please plan to attend the September 15 hearing—or submit written testimony by September 14 at 2:00 PM if you cannot attend.

Olney’s civic organizations deserve a home. Let’s make our voices heard.

08/21/2026

🚌 School is back—and so are school buses, bus stops, and lots of kids on our neighborhood roads.

A quick reminder from Montgomery County as MCPS students head back to school: when a school bus stops with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended, STOP.

🚨 Maryland law requires drivers to stop at least 20 feet from the bus and remain stopped until the signals are off and the bus is moving again. Passing a stopped school bus isn't just dangerous—it can result in a $250 camera citation, or a fine of up to $570 and 3 points if you're stopped by police.

Please slow down, stay alert around bus stops and school zones, and give students the time and space they need to get to school safely.

Let's make getting to and from school safely everyone's priority. ❤️

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/news/montgomery-county-public-safety-officials-urge-drivers-stop-buses-watch-kids-students-return-school-tuesday

08/08/2026

We hope to see you all there!

Olney Brookeville Sandy Spring Ashton MD
Only in Olney (+Brookeville, Sandy Spring, Ashton, Laytonsville, Rockville)
Greater Olney Civic Association - GOCA
Olney Farmers and Artists Market
Olney Chamber of Commerce
Olney Civic Fund - Coordinator of Olney Days

08/03/2026

Come out in support of our community businesses and find the Greater Olney Civic Association - GOCA booth! We’d love to meet you!

06/10/2026

Wondering where to find the actual MCPS and Montgomery County budget documents?

Many of the source documents are available online for anyone to review.

These websites include:
📚 MCPS Board of Education budget documents, including:

The Superintendent's recommended budget
The Board of Education's approved budget request
Final adopted MCPS budgets
Capital Improvement Program (school construction) documents

🏛️ Montgomery County budget documents, including:

The County Executive's recommended budget
County Council-approved operating budgets
Capital budgets and CIP documents
Budget work session materials and archives

Whether you're interested in understanding how education funding decisions are made, following a specific school construction project, or simply becoming a more informed resident, these resources provide direct access to the information behind the headlines.

MCPS Budget Information:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/budget/

Montgomery County Budget Information:
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/resources/operating-capital-budget-updates.html

Have you used these resources before? What information do you find most helpful when following the County budget process?

05/19/2026

Did you know that the Greater Olney Civic Association - GOCA represents community associations, HOAs, civic groups, and other neighborhood organizations throughout the Greater Olney area?

You can now view GOCA’s current member organizations on our website (https://www.goca.org/about-goca/). This list will be updated regularly to reflect those organizations which have paid their yearly membership dues.

If your neighborhood, HOA, condo association, or civic group is not listed, we encourage you to reach out to your community leadership to ask about representation and participation in GOCA.

Think you should be on this list? Make sure to visit our Members Hub (https://www.goca.org/contact-form/how-to-join/) or contact [email protected] for more information.

GOCA helps connect neighborhoods with local government, planning, transportation, public safety, development, and community issues that impact Greater Olney as a whole. Broader participation helps ensure more voices from across our community are represented in these discussions.

05/19/2026

On Sunday evening, the Greater Olney Civic Association - GOCA held a Montgomery County Executive Candidates' Forum in front of a packed house at the Olney Theatre Center. It was a tremendous event, where all three leading candidates impressed us with their thoughtful and passionate responses.

Thank you to all the staff at Olney Theatre Center who ensured this event ran smoothly and for consistently supporting our local community.

Special shout-outs to Barbara Falcigno and Kristen Prophet for their excellent moderating skills as well as to Matt Quinn for taking the lead in organizing this special event.

Thank you to everyone who had submitted questions-- the overwhelming number of questions received demonstrates the dedication our community has to being informed!

Please be sure to get out there and VOTE. 🗳️For the 2026 Gubernatorial Primary Election, early voting will be available from Thursday, June 11, 2026-Thursday, June 18, 2026, with election day taking place on June 23, 2026. For more information, visit: https://elections.maryland.gov/index.html.

Councilmember Evan Glass, Will Jawando, Councilmember Andrew Friedson

04/29/2026

Join us on May 12th at 7pm! More information may be found at GOCA.org.