County Executive Jan Gardner announced that the Senior Services Division has initiated the process for Frederick County to become certified as a "Dementia Friendly" community through Dementia Friendly America. This national initiative educates the public, supports families touched by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and promotes meaningful participation in community life.

"The new Senior Services Division is working hard to create a culture that embraces individuals with dementia," Executive Gardner said. "Our goal is for everyone to live as independently as possible, for as long as possible, in the community they call home."

Frederick County is leading the way by offering "Dementia Live" training to health care providers, caregivers and first responders about what a person with cognitive problems may be experiencing. Participants use specialized gear to simulate what it is like for someone with dementia to complete basic tasks. They experience sensory changes and confusion, which enable them to develop a deeper understanding of those living with dementia.

Over 400 first responders in the county’s Division of Fire & Rescue Services will receive Dementia Live training to experience the obstacles some of their patients must cope with.

In its first year, the Senior Services Division has implemented a wide range of programs and added valuable resources for seniors in Frederick County. A Virtual Learning Center offers an informative series of videos on tax credits and Medicare, a series of nutritional videos with easy-to-make recipes, and a section devoted to caregivers.

Executive Gardner also announced that the division would offer a new, easy-to-remember phone number for Senior Services – 301-600-1234. For more information, visit www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/SeniorServices.

TransIT's Summer Passes to Start June 1st

Beginning on June 1st, children 4 to 12 and students ages 13 to 22 will be able to use their summer passes; Summer Kid Pass or Summer Student Pass when boarding TransIT shuttles and Connectors. The passes will be valid until August 31st.

Summer Kid Pass (ages 4-12): First offered in 2018, the Summer Kid Pass will again be available this summer for children ages 4-12. The pass will be free and children who obtain a Summer Kid Pass will receive unlimited rides on all TransIT shuttles and Connectors when accompanied by an adult from June 1st through August 31st. Free fare is not eligible without a physical pass. The Summer Kid Pass can be obtained at the following locations. Children ages 10-12 should show proof of age with a student ID.

Summer Student Pass (ages 13-22): The Summer Student Pass, also commonly referred to as the Summer Freedom Pass, is a $15 pass for unlimited rides on all TransIT shuttles and Connectors from June 1st through August 31st. Summer Student Passes can be purchased on our mobile ticketing app, Token Transit, by mail, or at the following locations. Students must have a student ID when boarding the bus and when purchasing the pass.

For more information about TransIT Services of Frederick County, please call us at 301-600-2065, or visit www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/TransIT.

Community Partnership Grant Awards

Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner announced awards to 24 local organizations through the county’s Community Partnership Grant program for Fiscal Year 2020. She expressed appreciation to the human service nonprofit agencies that help others reach their potential and share in the community’s prosperity. Grants will provide job skills and education for homeless youth; medical, dental care and prescription medicines to those who cannot afford the care they need; home repairs for veterans, seniors and those with disabilities; food for children who would not otherwise eat on weekends or during school breaks; crisis services to residents facing addiction, and many other services.

"These grants strengthen our community and make sure Frederick County is a great place to live for everyone," said Executive Gardner. "They allow us to leverage our efforts and resources so we can make a bigger difference with our human services nonprofit partners. We’re working together to ensure a bright future for our citizens."

Executive Gardner launched the Community Partnership Grants program four years ago to restore the county’s longstanding partnership with human service nonprofit agencies. The program leverages county resources, avoids duplication of effort and establishes a strong functional collaboration to meet the human service needs in the community. The county saves tax dollars working with the community organizations through early intervention and prevention.

Of the 42 competitive applications received for the grants, an independent panel selected grantees to meet needs in one of three categories – housing, seniors and community needs. Funds will be used for one-time purchases, ongoing programs, or both. For more information, visit www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/CommunityPartnershipGrants or contact the Frederick County Division of Citizens Services at 301-600-1454.

Kite to Open Biologics Manufacturing Facility in Frederick County

Kite Pharma, a California-based biopharmaceutical company that develops innovative cancer immunotherapies, announced plans today to open a new biologics manufacturing facility in Frederick County that will produce innovative cell therapies for people with cancer. A Gilead company, Kite will open the new facility on a 20-acre site in the Urbana Corporate Center, with plans to create a significant number of job opportunities.

"This is great news for Frederick County," Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner said. "Our businesses on are on the leading edge of finding the cure for cancer. We’re excited to welcome Kite to our life science and biopharma family. We were pleased to fast-track their project and want them to know our support will continue into the future. Frederick County is a great place to do business."

"This new facility in Urbana builds on our substantial technical capabilities and rapid progress in making personalized chimeric antigen receptor T and T cell receptor cell therapies for people with cancer," said Tim Moore, Executive Vice President of Technical Operations at Kite. "As we advance our industry-leading cell therapy pipeline and seek to help a growing number of people with cancer, expanding and investing in our manufacturing capabilities is essential. With the Urbana site, we will have the opportunity to build and design the facility tailored to our own innovative processes and with state-of-the-art features that will enable us to meet the future needs for cell therapies."

With this new facility, Kite will significantly expand its ability to manufacture commercially available and investigational cell therapies. The Urbana facility will become part of Kite’s growing commercial manufacturing network that includes sites in California and the Netherlands.

Tom Natelli, owner of Urbana developer Natelli Communities, said: "It takes a coordinated effort by Frederick County, working in concert with the local business community, to meet the unique requirements of Global Companies like Kite (Gilead). Today's news was largely made possible by Jan Gardner's leadership and commitment to bringing high-quality job opportunities to Frederick County for the long-term benefit of our community. Jan and her professional staff have been just outstanding, and I doubt any other regional jurisdiction could have delivered the way she and her team did to pave the way for this fantastic outcome for the County."

At the new facility, Kite will continue work on a cutting-edge treatment for cancer called CAR-T therapy, which uses bioengineering to retrain a patient’s infection-fighting white blood cells to destroy cancer cells.