Rockville LensCrafters store opening soon

The sign is up at the future LensCrafters location at 901 Rose Avenue at the Pike & Rose development in Rockville. Last night, it was already lit. The eyewear retailer had planned an April 4 opening for this store, but that date came and went. LensCrafters will soon square off against competitor Warby Parker, which is also opening a store at Pike & Rose this year. 

Wes Moore wins, Doug Gansler a surprise second in Western Maryland Democratic Summit straw poll

Wes Moore (right) and running mate
Aruna Miller after winning 2022
Western Maryland Democratic Summit
straw poll in MD governor race

Democrat Wes Moore continues to gain momentum as he attempts to break away from a crowded field in the July 19 Maryland gubernatorial primary, taking first place with 153 votes in what many consider the first major contest in a statewide race, the 2022 Western Maryland Democratic Summit straw poll. That might not have been too shocking, but the real surprise was the second-place finish by former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, who beat once-assumed-to-be-frontrunner Peter Franchot 7 to 1 in the poll with 71 votes.

Former Montgomery County Councilmember and U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez took a distant third place with 48 votes, John King with 45 votes, Peter Franchot in a big dropoff at only 10 votes, Ashwani Jain at 5 votes, Rushern Baker and Jon Baron tied at 2 votes apiece, and Jerome Segal bringing up the rear with a single vote.

"Today's straw poll results from the #WesternMaryland #DemSummit2022 speak for themselves," Moore tweeted after the vote. "Our movement is strong statewide, and Marylanders are excited about the opportunity our vision presents. Together, we will build a state where we leave no one behind."

Doug Gansler

The Gansler campaign was thrilled with the result, which it did not find as surprising, because their candidate has been gaining notice locally for having a presence west of Hagerstown in this campaign. “Candidates like former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, a Democrat, and Kelly M. Schulz, a Republican, former state delegate and labor secretary under Gov. Larry Hogan, have come through the region during the course of the campaign” the Cumberland Times-News editorial board opined. “[M]ost [of the other candidates] have been ghosts, relegated to the eastern half of the state, more a series of pictures and words than person.” 

Gansler and running mate Candace Hollingsworth, a former mayor of Hyattsville, thanked voters for the strong show of support at the Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Flintstone, Maryland. “I’m grateful to all the Western Maryland Democrats who cast their vote for Candace and me in today’s straw poll, and as governor I will make sure the rural parts of Maryland help lead the way as we build a better, safer and greener future for our state,” Gansler said in a statement. “This is a two-person race, and crime is the number one issue voters care about. As a former prosecutor and attorney general, I am the candidate best-equipped — in fact, I am the only candidate at all equipped — to address the massive rise in crime across our state and make Maryland safe.”

“Peter Franchot’s entire rationale for his candidacy just completely fell apart; he is not the candidate who runs strongest statewide. Doug beat Franchot 7 to 1 in a region of the state where Franchot himself claims to be strong,” Gansler campaign manager Shaun Daniels said after the vote. “This is the first public poll where Democrats put pen to paper to publicly declare their choices. Doug Gansler placed second, far outpacing the next place finishers. It is obvious the field is narrowing. We have more than a million dollars on hand and every Democrat in Maryland is going to know that Doug and Candace are the best candidates, not just to take on Kelly Schulz in November, but to keep us safe.”

Gansler has been endorsed by Western Maryland’s only Democratic Senator, Sen. Ron Young.

Gas prices top $5.00 in Bethesda, as low as $4.25 in Rockville as drivers get pounded at the pumps in Maryland

Montgomery County gas prices are now higher than they were at the worst inflationary period in March 2022. Prices had dropped after Maryland instituted a temporary gas tax holiday, but have come roaring back since it expired on April 17, picking up steam in recent weeks.

The Exxon at 7975 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda, where there are few gas stations left, was at $4.99 and 9/10 cents Saturday in Bethesda. As of noon today, Google is giving the station's price for regular as $5.00 even. Liberty stations at the edge of downtown Bethesda were also at $4.99 as Sunday began. According to Gas Buddy, regular is $4.69 at Sunoco at 5201 River Road in Bethesda, where prices are usually significantly cheaper than downtown.

Gas is already over $5.00 at some stations. Exxon in Brookmont, a "last gas" stop before you hit the D.C. line out of Montgomery County, is charging $5.39, according to Gas Buddy. 

Drivers are faring much better than that elsewhere in Montgomery County. Regular is "only" $4.25 at Carroll Motor Fuels at 12600 Twinbrook Parkway in Rockville as of two hours ago. It's $4.28 at Fast Fuels on the main drag in Damascus, at 9871 Main Street. In Kensington, Econoway is charging $4.29, as is the Sunoco at 18001 Mateny Road in Germantown. Yet it is 10 cents more at the other Germantown Sunoco at 19738 Germantown Road, according to Gas Buddy.

Aggravated assault reported in Regents Square neighborhood of Rockville

Montgomery County police responded to a report of an aggravated assault outside of a residence in the Regents Square community of Rockville early Friday morning, May 13, 2022. The assault, which involved a weapon that was not identified as a firearm, was reported in the 700 block of Azalea Drive, according to crime data. That is right next to I-270.

Assault at Rockville shopping center

Rockville City police were called to a shopping center to investigate a report of an assault Wednesday afternoon, May 11, 2022. An individual told officers they had been the victim of a 2nd-degree assault in the parking lot of the Fallsgrove Village Center at 1:28 PM, according to crime data.

Several injured in Rockville collision on Maryland Avenue

A traffic accident in Rockville sent several people to local hospitals this afternoon. The collision occurred on Maryland Avenue near the intersection with W. Argyle Street at 5:45 PM, according to Rockville City police. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening, RCPD said. Maryland Avenue was temporarily closed for rescue operations and accident investigation.

Photo courtesy RCPD

Hello Betty boat bar opens for summer in Rockville

The boat bar has opened for summer at Hello Betty, the new seafood restaurant at Pike & Rose. It is located inside the Canopy by Hilton hotel at 940 Rose Avenue. But you can take a short cut right to the bar through the blue and yellow door on the Grand Park Avenue side of the hotel. A christening ceremony will be held for the boat bar - and, yes, it is a real boat - on May 26, 2022 at 7:00 PM, and will include a complimentary champagne toast.

Photos by Alison Tremblay