Montgomery County willing to mortgage Upcounty's future to nix M-83 Highway

More than half a decade ago, the Montgomery County Council again nixed plans to build the M-83 Midcounty Highway Extended that has long been in the County's master plan. The highway was one of two major infrastructure projects that were essential to the major growth proposed for the Upcounty area, and Clarksburg in particular. When Clarksburg was allowed to grow more than 800% in population earlier this century, its new residents were promised the M-83 Highway, and a Corridor Cities Transitway light rail system that would connect the proposed new growth centers between Rockville and Clarksburg to the Shady Grove Metro station. In the end, however, all of the growth was allowed to occur, and developers reaped their massive profits - but the promised highway and light rail were never built. That display of naked greed by our developer-controlled County Council wasn't enough - now the Council and Planning Board want to remove the M-83 from the master plan altogether, so it can never be built.

Such a move would be a dereliction of duty by the public officials charged with ensuring adequate infrastructure to maintain a functioning transportation system. Montgomery County doesn't have that even today. Imagine what traffic will be like in another decade with leaders who continue to block completion of our master plan highway system.

As a quick review of the correspondence received by the Planning Board ahead of two public meetings and a November public hearing on changes to the master plan reveals, it isn't residents who are asking for the M-83 to be removed from the plan. In fact, the only letter from an actual Upcounty resident on the question is asking the Planning Board to keep the M-83 in the plan. Those who are asking to have the highway removed are the same handful of tiny groups who have tried to block construction of the highway at every turn. M-83 wasn't even up for discussion, until these groups met privately with Montgomery County Planning Department officials earlier this year.

Our anti-highway, war-on-cars Planning Board is all too eager to indulge this ultra-minority request. Shockingly, so is the "leadership" of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. The same MCDOT that once determined that Alternative 9a - the master plan alignment of M-83 - should be constructed, until the Council politically interfered with the department, overruling sound traffic engineering practices with radical ideology.

Montgomery County officials continue to rule against the wishes of their own Upcounty constituents. You know, the folks who pay their salaries, and keep the lights on at the County Council and Planning Department. 

You would think the Planning Department and County Council would at least feel a stinging sense of shame at their disastrous record on growth in the Upcounty.

Think again.

Longtime residents will well remember the talking points planners and Councilmembers alike sold us as they rammed through sector plans for new growth centers like "Science City," Watkins Mill, Damascus, and Clarksburg. There would be job centers right in these areas, so many new residents wouldn't have to drive down I-270 to Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia! There would be vibrant town centers in Clarksburg and Watkins Mill! There would be a library in Clarksburg! There would be an M-83 Highway between Montgomery Village Avenue and Ridge Road, which - given that we knew the vast majority of new Upcounty residents would commute by car - would divert much of the new Clarksburg, Germantown, and Damascus traffic from I-270, MD 355, and little old Brink Road onto a modern parkway that also would include a major new bicycle link! And for those who could be convinced to board a convenient rail transit alternative, there would be a Corridor Cities light rail system!

None of it ever happened. Not one bit of it.

And no politician paid the price. Even in the myriad of scandals surrounding Clarksburg alone, the Council and Planning Department let Derick Berlage be the lone fall guy. Now, after collecting twenty years' worth of fat checks from their developer sugar daddies, they want to kick Upcounty residents where it hurts one more time, really hard.

They'll probably get away with it. Again. The Council is pretty open about the fact that there simply aren't enough votes in the Upcounty to pose a risk to the holders of the At-Large Council seats in the next election year. And the individual Upcounty Council districts have been severely gerrymandered, to ensure that the residents of the various growth areas like Clarksburg, Damascus, and Germantown can't unite to knock out any one Councilmember come election time. They have repeatedly thumbed their nose at Upcounty residents, and privately call County taxpayers "suckers" and "losers."

Getting away with murder doesn't make it right, however. The Planning Department, Planning Board, and County Council will continue to augment and solidify their legacy of shame, failure, embarrassment, reckless irresponsibility, and dereliction of duty. They'll continue to let a handful of special interests, and their developer sugar daddies, block economic growth and progress at every turn. 

We've seen the results of the failure to build the M-83 Highway, the new Potomac River crossing of I-370 to the Dulles area in Virginia, the Rockville Freeway, the Northwest Freeway, the North-Central Freeway, and the Northern Parkway in Montgomery County. Residents sitting in traffic. Higher shipping prices. Job creation and business growth numbers at or near the bottom in the D.C. region. And a failure to attract a single new major corporate headquarters in over a quarter century.

Heckuva job, Brownie!!

Rockville police chief resigns

Rockville City Police Chief Victor Brito has resigned. His resignation was announced by City Manager Jeff Mihelich this afternoon, but no reason for Brito's departure was given. Brito's six-year career as chief will conclude on Friday, November 22, 2024. "As the city is committed to ensuring the public’s safety, recruitment for a new police chief will begin in the near future," Mihelich said in his statement. "On behalf of the community and the Mayor and Council, I would like to thank Chief Brito for his service to protecting and serving the City of Rockville."

Rockville police release more photos of double-stabbing suspect

Rockville City police detectives have obtained some clearer images of the suspect they are seeking in connection with the double stabbing that took place near the Twinbrook Metro station on October 13, 2024. The two male victims in the case were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Anyone who can help identify the suspect, or have any information about this incident, is asked to contact the RCPD Criminal Investigations Unit at 240-314-8900, or at Detectives@RockvilleMD.Gov.

"This product supports genocide" stickers appear on products at Rockville store

Rockville City police were called to a store in the King Farm area, after stickers reading "This product supports genocide" were placed on products there on October 6, 2024. The store was in the 400 block of Redland Boulevard, but was not identified by police. Around 7:00 AM that morning, police say, one or more individuals affixed the stickers to packages of "wafers" at the store. The action took place a day before the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, in which 1,200 people died, and more than 200 were taken hostage.

Similar stickers have been seen worldwide in recent months, and in some cases, have led to supermarket chains apologizing to customers. They are posted by activists supporting Palestinians in the war in Gaza that followed the October 7, 2023 attacks, in which 41,900 Palestinians have died so far, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The stickers have been placed on products that are either imported from Israel, or items like Pampers diapers, Sabra hummus, and Coffee Mate, produced by companies that have been accused - sometimes erroneously - of financially supporting Israel in one form or another. 

The stickers are part of the larger Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign that has been waged against Israel long before 2023. Many opponents of the BDS effort say it is anti-semitic, and that such stickers qualify as hate speech, which is likely why the police became involved here.

Kelly's Cajun Grill opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Kelly's Cajun Grill has opened in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The fast-casual chain was founded in 1991, and is best known as the Home of the Famous Bourbon Chicken. Other popular dishes on the menu includes Lemon Chicken, Steak and Shrimp, and Shrimp Etouffee. The chain says that its streamlined menu allows for very fresh ingredients, and an efficient kitchen operation.

Westfield has a wonderful description of the new food court tenant. "The menu at Kelly’s Cajun Grill is based on a very old concept of cooking that originated in southern France. This distinct cooking style made its way from France to Nova Scotia, eventually settling in Louisiana. As the menu traveled further south to the state of Louisiana, flavors were enhanced and spices were added, making it a more local cooking style for Cajun people. For many years it remained a specialty of the Louisiana Bayou country -- until the rest of the world discovered it." I gar-on-tee!!

Rockville police seeking this suspect in Barnes & Noble thefts

Can you identify this suspect in a series of thefts from Barnes & Noble at 1603 Rockville Pike at Congressional Plaza? Rockville City police released these photos today in an effort to identify and locate the alleged shoplifter. Anyone with information about the suspect, or these incidents, is asked to contact Cpl. Jessica Rogers at 240-314-8940, or at JRogers@RockvilleMD.Gov.

UNIQLO opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

UNIQLO is coming to Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Japanese casual wear retailer will be located on Level 2, in the space just vacated by Express and Express Men. That's quite an upgrade, in my opinion. UNIQLO will probably join J.Crew as the most productive apparel-shopping destinations at the mall - for men, at least - along with Macy's and Nordstrom. Will UNIQLO open in time for Black Friday? Stay tuned!

Montgomery County Council pushing plastic bag ban

The Montgomery County Council has only done three things this century: raise taxes, drive business away from and out of the county, and ban stuff. You won't be surprised to hear that they are at it again, with another new law that will do all three. As a body that only copies legislation from other jurisdictions around the country, they're actually a bit late to the table on this one, but they're going to try and ban plastic bags. That goes for grocery stores, and restaurant takeout.

The ban also includes a new tax. There's already a tax on each bag you receive at a business. The deceptively-titled Bring Your Own Bag Bill will ban plastic bags altogether, and place a 10-cent tax on paper bags. They'll say you won't have to pay it, if you remember to bring your stained and germ-ridden reusable shopping bags with you. The press release falsely claims that the bill will create "a more sustainable future for the County," and "improve the effectiveness of the carryout bag tax law." 

If you ask yourself - or anyone outside of the small world of the Montgomery County cartel - to name one thing the Council has done to improve the quality of life since 2000, good luck getting an answer. They haven't. They've just raised taxes, driven business away, and banned stuff. To be fair, they've also jacked up your health insurance premiums with the ambulance fee, and your auto insurance premiums by defunding the police, leading to skyrocketing auto theft and stolen auto parts. Heckuva job, Brownie!

The faces change, but the Council stays the same since the cartel seized control of it in 2002. Smug, arrogant, and corrupt, with delusions of innovation, while plagiarizing the dumbest legislation from Eugene, Oregon to Sacramento, California. Your taxes go up, and so do their salaries, just like Bell, California. They said a bag tax would save the environment, just like they claimed natural gas was the solution to global warming. Lies, all lies, that evaporated as quickly as the Council-mandated paper straw does in your iced coffee. Incompetence combined with autocratic power is a recipe for failure, which is all we've seen in Montgomery County this century. 

But this is what a majority of Montgomery County voters continue to vote for, and they're getting exactly what they wanted. As the writer from another Maryland jurisdiction where voters don't have the heart to punish the elected officials who reliably fail them once wrote, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.”

Rockville police release first photo of suspect in double stabbing

Rockville City police have released the first image of the suspect in the October 13 double stabbing near the Twinbrook Metro station. Detectives acknowledge the photo is blurry, and are still working to obtain clearer pictures and videos of the suspect from nearby surveillance cameras. Shortly before 5:30 PM on the 13th, police responded to a report of a stabbing at the Metro station. A separate call then came in for another stabbing victim in the nearby 1500 block of Rockville Pike. Both adult male victims were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police describe the suspect whom they are searching for as a Black male wearing all black clothing. The community is urged to remain aware of their surroundings while the suspect remains at large, and to call 911 if they see the suspect or observe any suspicious activity. Rockville police are expected to step up patrols in that area of the city as the search continues, the department said in a statement after Sunday's stabbing.

If anyone was in the area of the Twinbrook Metro station - or in the area of the 1500 block of Rockville Pike - Sunday evening and recalls seeing anyone matching this description, they are asked to contact RCPD criminal investigators at 240-314-8900 or at Detectives@RockvilleMD.Gov with any information, photos, or videos they can provide. Callers may elect to remain anonymous. Rockville detectives are coordinating their investigation with Metro Transit Police. 

Montgomery County's second Sheetz store nears approval

The Final Site Plan for the second Gaithersburg location of Sheetz will go before the city's Planning Commission this Wednesday night, October 16, 2024 for possible approval. Proposed for the parking lot of the Walnut Hill Shopping Center at 16529 S. Frederick Avenue are a 4959-square-foot Sheetz convenience store, with six, double-sided gasoline filling stations. The plan also includes new east and west sidewalk connections to increase pedestrian access to the site, a new retaining wall and fence to be constructed to the east of the site, and a new trash enclosure facing South Westland Drive. Planning staff are recommending approval of the site plan with conditions, including correction of minor drafting errors on the Final Site and Forest Conservation plans, and revision of the recently-approved comprehensive sign plan for the shopping center to include the new Sheetz signage.

Kapow Buddy soft opening October 15-19 at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Kapow Buddy is gearing up to serve its first customers at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda starting tomorrow, October 15, 2024. A soft-opening will be held from Tuesday through Saturday, October 19, with prices 50%-off, according to a sign posted on the gate of the fast casual Thai restaurant. Another permanent sign inside gives the inside scoop on Kapow Buddy's "secret ingredient," Holy Basil Leaves. As you can see in the photos below, they will also have easy touchscreen ordering. Look for Kapow Buddy starting tomorrow on Level 1, in the Old Navy wing of the mall.

The B12 Store rebrands at Montgomery Mall

The B12 Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda has rebranded. It is now known as Vydration. The shop offers primarily preventative healthcare via vitamin injections and IV therapy. Clients apparently find that it offers benefits, as the store has a perfect 5-star rating after a whopping 254 Google reviews, tough for any business to pull off. Look for Vydration on Level 1 of the mall, next to Häagen-Dazs.

Rockville office building, beer store burglarized 15 minutes apart

Two Rockville properties were broken into within a 15 minute period Thursday night, October 10, 2024. Rockville City police responded to a report of a burglary at a beer and wine store in the 100 block of Congressional Lane at 11:23 PM. Fifteen minutes later, a burglary occurred at a nearby office building in the 1500 block of Rockville Pike. Officers responding to both scenes found evidence of forced entry at the properties.

Montgomery Mall toy store's final days mean discounts of 70-90% off

These appear to be the final days of Alex Baby & Toys at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Discounts at the short-lived toy store are now 70-90% off on everything in the store. Everything that's left, I should add, as shelves are growing bare - and when they do, the shelves themselves disappear from the sales floor, as you can see in the pictures below. Not surprisingly, there were plenty of Black Adam toys left. Look for Alex Baby & Toys on Level 1 of the mall in the Old Navy wing.

LEGO thief strikes again in Rockville

LEGO superfans just can't stop collecting these expensive block-building sets, and one LEGO-loving thief in Rockville is no exception. A suspect driving a beige Buick LeSabre struck again on October 1, 2024 at 11:00 AM. He entered a store in the 1600 block of Rockville Pike, which appears to be at Congressional Plaza, and allegedly stole two LEGO sets. 

A man of similar description, once again driving a beige Buick getaway car, stole an unspecified number of LEGO sets from the same location on September 27. That day, he fled the store through a rear door, and drove off in the Buick.

Rockville City police describe the suspect as a Hispanic male, 40 to 60 years of age, clean shaven with dark brown hair and glasses. On October 1, he was wearing a dark blue shirt with yellow letters, white shorts, and a dark green/gray cap. During the first alleged LEGO heist, he wore a dark blue shirt with the word "Wolverines" in yellow letters (sound familiar?), light blue jeans, a dark blue rain jacket and a (take a wild guess) dark green/gray cap.

If you can identify the suspect, or have any information about either theft, call police at 240-314-8900.

The Jam opens at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

The Jam has opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. An art gallery, it replaces Wentworth Gallery in this spot. It is certainly more political than Wentworth, which leaned heavily toward celebrity artists who were aiming at a wealthy, broader audience. Look for The Jam on Level 2 of the mall, right outside of Nordstrom.

Annapolis migrant-arrival drill raises eyebrows as state officials deny imminent influx

Maryland State Senator Justin Ready
questioned the use of taxpayer dollars for
a migrant-arrival "drill" Tuesday

A curious preparedness exercise by the Maryland Department of Emergency Management caught the attention of Republican lawmakers and Baltimore media outlets. Using actors posing as newly-arrived migrants being bused into the state capital on Tuesday, emergency personnel simulated their response to a now-familar scene in cities across America. The "drill" included actors pouring out of buses, and the conversion of two buildings in Annapolis into short-term migrant shelters. 

WBFF Fox Baltimore 45 and The Baltimore Sun reported on the exercise yesterday. The two media outlets share an owner, and quoted alarmed GOP elected officials who felt this could be a dry run with a purpose. "It sounds to me like the state is thirsty for this to happen," State Senator Justin Ready (R - District 5) said. State officials told Fox 45 and the Sun that they are not aware of any immediate plans for a major influx of new migrants to Maryland. 

Some immigration supporters on social media decried the reports as fearmongering. Most other news outlets ignored the state exercise.

Such an event would hardly qualify as a shock in Maryland, however. The state has accepted the most unaccompanied migrant children of any in America since 2015, and added 33,000 migrants to its population between 2022 and 2023 alone, according to CASA of Maryland. 

Big Lots closing in Germantown, Montgomery Village store to stay open for now

Big Lots is closing at 20926 Frederick Road at the Milestone Shopping Center in Germantown. This is one of 46 additional Big Lots store closures found on a list posted by Columbus Business First. Fortunately, the Big Lots in Montgomery Village is not on the list. Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 9, 2024, the latest victim of America's vanishing middle class. 

Cyclist damages Rockville store over "no-shirt, no-service" policy

A shirtless cyclist became enraged when blocked from entering a Rockville store by an employee. The suspect attempted to enter the business in the 100 block of Rollins Avenue at 7:47 AM on September 28, 2024. When denied entry for not wearing a shirt, the cyclist lunged toward an employee and damaged a store window, Rockville City police allege. The suspect fled on their bicycle. Police have not released a description of the suspect.

Mui modern Japanese restaurant "coming soon" to Rockville

Mui is "coming soon" to Rockville Pike, according to signage posted at the restaurant's future storefront at 967 Rose Avenue at Pike & Rose. The modern Japanese restaurant is anticipated to open this winter. Taking over a large space that previously belonged to Asian food hall The Block, the spacial dimensions and Japanese cuisine of Mui remind me of the Kabu Japanese Steakhouse that opened in a massive space at the Rockville Metro II office building. 

Inspired by the modern cuisine of Japan, the menu at Mui will combine traditional and innovative new dishes. Seafood and meat will be cooked on a Robata grill. Like many top sushi restaurants in the region, Mui will offer an omakase dining option, which will leave the selection to the chef, who will surprise and delight diners with their latest creations.

A wine and champagne list will join a curated selection of cocktails. These will be complimented by a menu of fine agave, scotch and sake brands. The coming-soon signage gives a preview of what the restaurant's interior will look like when completed this winter. 

NIST awards potential $1.5 million to develop regenerative medicine curricula

Gaithersburg's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded a potential $1.5 million to two organizations, with the goal of developing regenerative medicine standards curricula. Brammer Bio, LLC, and Gaithersburg's own Standards Coordinating Body (SCB) for Gene, Cell and Regenerative Medicines and Cell-Based Drug Discovery, will each receive $250,000 per year, with the option to renew for up to three addition years of funding. 

Regenerative medicine includes cell therapy, gene therapy, and therapeutic tissue engineering. It relies on the human body's own healing abilities to regenerate or replace damaged organs, cells, and tissue. As a rapidly-growing field in medicine and research, regenerative medicine is a promising new avenue in preventing, treating, and curing cancer and genetic disorders.

NIST was charged by the U.S. Congress last year to help develop the regenerative medicine workforce of the future. It oversaw a competitive process earlier this year, through which the two winning organizations were identified. Now these organizations will endeavor to create training programs on the standards, protocols, and measurements that will provide a foundation for the field going forward.

“We are thrilled to announce our new partnerships to develop an innovative standards education program, paving the way for flexible and immersive learning experiences that support advanced biomanufacturing,” Sheng Lin-Gibson, chief of NIST’s Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, said in a statement this morning. “These educational programs will facilitate the adoption of standards and best practices to increase quality and consistency of advanced therapies and ultimately bring down costs.”

Photo courtesy Robert Rathe/NIST

Mother and child assaulted at Rockville park

A mother and her child were both physically assaulted at a Rockville park on September 28, 2024, according to Rockville City police. Around 7:00 PM at Montrose Park at 451 Congressional Lane, the child was punched in the face by a juvenile male. When the child's mother confronted the juvenile assailant, she was assaulted by a female of unspecified age. No description of the assailants has been released as of this writing.

Rockville celebrates Piketoberfest 2024 (Photos)

One day after downtown Bethesda held its biggest annual event, one of the biggest fall events returned to Rockville Pike for 2024. Piketoberfest at Pike & Rose brought out the masses for four hours of food, live music, games, and a craft beer garden. My favorite pumpkin man returned to preside over the festivities for another year. There was even a rock climbing tower for the daredevils in the crowd. Good fortune prevailed on the weather front, as the event fell squarely between two hurricane rain events.