City of Rockville temporarily suspends collection of yard waste

The City of Rockville just announced a temporary suspension of yard waste collection. This includes items like grass clippings, leaves and garden waste. Service disruptions may continue into next week, the announcement stated. 

All other trash and recycling should be picked up on schedule. No explanation for the reason for the disruptions was given, but staffing shortages were cited in August when some communities' yard waste was not collected. 

Photo via City of Rockville

Èkó House, El Mercat Bar de Tapas to open at Rockville Town Square

Here's an update on my earlier scoop that broke the news on two new restaurants coming to Rockville Town Square. El Mercat Bar de Tapas will serve traditional Spanish tapas, paellas, gambas al ajillo, patatas bravas, Tortilla Española as well as sangria, wines and beer. It will have seating for 60 indoors, and offer outdoor patio seating next spring.

The bigger news is that Lagos Bar & Grill has had a last minute name change to Èkó House. There is also more information about menu and the interior layout planned. As expected from the original name, it will be a Nigerian restaurant. Dishes served will include Suya, a spicy meal made with beef, lamb, or chicken; Nigerian Jollof rice; Nigerian yams; peppered soups; sauteed spinach; collard greens; and more. There are plans to rotate visiting African chefs through the kitchen over time, as well as to feature artists from across the African continent.

Its large 6500 square foot interior will have a private room for events.“Èkó House will provide a sophisticated blend of flavors, allowing Nigerians living in the community to reminisce of home, while introducing others to our cuisine, flavors and lively culture,” Èkó House co-founder Francis Odiase said in a statement this morning. “Rockville is one of my favorite neighborhoods to visit with the family, so we are excited to bring the vibrant features of Lagos here," co-founder Yomi Ajao added. "With its family friendly atmosphere and diverse cuisines, the addition of a Nigerian restaurant will make Rockville Town Square the place to be.” 

Carnival this weekend at Montgomery Mall

Football isn't the only thing returning this fall. It's also fall carnival season. Jolly Shows' popular traveling carnival is at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this weekend through Sunday night. 

The family-owned carnival will be here through September 12, 2021, and features rides, midway games and, of course, all of your favorite fair foods. It opens at 5:00 PM tonight, 1:00 PM on Saturday, and 3:00 PM on Sunday. You can order tickets in advance on the Jolly Shows website, or at the carnival.

"Must be this tall to ride" list

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana Montgomery Mall update (Photos)

Here's an update on the eagerly-awaited Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Not much has been constructed inside yet, but several pallets of material from HarbisonWalker International have been rolled into the space. HWI manufactures heat-refracting products, including those used in various types of high-heat pizza ovens. So we're a long way from opening day, but here is more proof the pizzeria project is still moving forward.

Second Derwood McDonald's to get renovated interior

Renovations are ahead for the McDonald's at 16701 Crabbs Branch Way in The Grove shopping center. Unlike the complete overhaul seen at the other McDonald's in Derwood recently, this project will update the interior of the restaurant. 

This location already got a remodel to a newer McDonald's exterior design in the last decade. Other Rockville-area McDonald's have gotten varying degrees of updates in recent years, including the flagship Rockville Pike and White Flint locations.

Montgomery County residents in parks, grocery stores more than before the pandemic, data shows

Residents still not going back to the

office, transit, or general shopping 

in great numbers

Montgomery County residents are shopping inside grocery and drug stores in larger numbers than they were before the pandemic, the latest Google Mobility data show. They're making even greater use of parks than before Covid-19 officially arrived last spring. Other travel hasn't bounced back as strongly, such as going into the office, or commuting there by transit. And in-person retail shopping for items other than groceries and medicine remains sluggish, in relative comparison.

Using a baseline of mobility data Google collected from Montgomery County residents' devices between January 3 and February 6, 2020, behavioral changes are evident. The latest Google data covers the period between Monday, July 19, 2021, and Monday, August 30, 2021.

Hillwood Manor Park in Takoma Park

Over the last half of this summer, County residents were using parks 28% more than they were at the start of 2020. One caveat to that: the new data covers a warm, summer period, while the baseline was taken during the height of winter.

Safeway in Damascus

A more apples-to-apples comparison is in grocery and pharmacy shopping; the latter surges during winter months. But during late summer 2021, County residents were going into grocery stores and drugstores 7% more than they were during the height of cold and flu season in early 2020. There has been an increasing strain on grocery supply lines again in recent weeks, as evidenced by Costco reinstating limits on the number of some items that may be purchased, such as paper towels and toilet paper. Business Insider reports that shortages are the result of panic buying over the Delta variant, and of labor shortages affecting the ability to produce, ship and restock merchandise.

CVS Pharmacy

Residents aren't shopping in other types of retail stores, or traveling for non-park recreational activities as much, though. "Retail and recreation" travel was down 12% in late summer this year, compared to early 2020. One would expect recreation to be higher in summer than in midwinter, so that is a notable decline.

Metro Red Line train in Rockville

Travel to workplaces looks better than it was during the lockdowns and peaks of the pandemic, but still follows the national trend of those working from home continuing to do so where possible. Workplace travel was 44% lower in late summer 2021 in Montgomery County than it was in January-February 2020. Those traveling for any reason are often still wary of using public transit. Bus and rail commuting was down 42% in recent weeks, compared to early 2020.

One thing many residents are doing is continuing to stay home. Despite warm weather, County residents stayed at home 11% more over the last six weeks than they did in frigid January-February 2020.

LensCrafters coming to Pike & Rose

LensCrafters is coming to Pike & Rose. The eyewear retailer will be located at 901 Rose Avenue. LensCrafters is also a tenant at Federal Realty's Bethesda Row. It currently has locations at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, and at Edmonston Crossing in Rockville.