The featured guests on this week’s En Sintonía con el Concejo del Condado de Montgomery (In Tune with the Montgomery County Council) will include Dr. Gilberto Zelaya, community engagement and public information officer at the Montgomery County Board of Elections; Montgomery County Councilmember Natali Fani-González, who serves as the chair of the Council's Economic Development (ECON) Committee; and Edith Lozada, Spanish communications specialist and Spanish language public information officer at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The show will air on Friday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. on Radio America (WILC 900AM) and is streamed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. 

The radio show will begin by discussing the upcoming 2024 Presidential General Election. Voters have several options for casting their ballots: early voting, vote-by-mail, and in-person voting at their designated polling places on Election Day, which is Nov. 5. Early voting will occur from Oct. 24 through Oct. 31. If you are not registered to vote, all eligible Maryland residents can register at polling places during early voting and on Election Day. For those already registered in Maryland, you can verify your voter registration by visiting the Voter Lookup page at maryland.gov or by texting CHECK to 77788. Dr. Zelaya will provide all the details. 

The second interview will feature special guest Councilmember Fani-González. She will discuss the Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative and efforts to tackle youth vaping. This includes the next steps in reviewing the Montgomery County Planning Board's proposal, which aims to implement regulations that would allow for the construction of duplexes and other housing models in various areas of the County. This initiative is part of a broader effort to alleviate the nationwide affordable housing crisis. Additionally, Councilmember Fani-González will elaborate on the $2 million recently approved by the Council that will be used to install vape detection systems in high schools.  

The radio show will conclude with important information about how MCPS is seeking feedback to finalize the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school calendar. Parents and guardians are encouraged to take a moment to complete the survey and share their input. MCPS will consider various factors, including educational interests, operational needs, mandated school closures by state law, compliance with minimum instructional days and credit hour requirements, as well as inclement weather and other emergencies. Additionally, staff professional development days, early release days, and alignment with assessment schedules will be taken into account. Ms. Lozada will provide all the details. 

The Montgomery County Council and Radio America have entered a partnership that provides the Latino community with key information on issues and programs. The partnership also provides a forum for residents to express their views and ask questions. The partnership includes the weekly one-hour show each Friday on the Washington metropolitan area’s most popular Spanish language station. 

Each week, the show features host Marcela Rodriguez, Council program manager and public information officer, and guests talking about important issues before the Council and provides information about programs offered by the County to help residents.