Suki Hana sushi bar "opening soon" at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

Here's a look at the new Suki Hana Japan sushi bar, "opening soon" in the Dining Terrace food court at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, according to a message emblazoned in large type on the side of the counter. Signage and menu screens have been installed. There will be a pretty standard selection of popular sushi rolls, along with poke bowls, seaweed or avocado salad, shumai or gyoza dumplings and edamame.

Bethesda Juneteenth event to be meaningful celebration with march to save a Montgomery County Black cemetery

Macedonia Baptist Church at 5119 River Road in Bethesda will host a Juneteenth celebration this Sunday, June 19, 2022 from 2:00-4:00 PM. The event will be about a current civil rights struggle as much as a remembrance of past history, as the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition will lead a march from the church to the nearby site of the Moses African Cemetery. Desecrated by construction workers building the Westwood Tower apartments in the late 1960s, the majority of the gravesites remain hidden under paved parking spaces at the apartment tower, and on a second site across the Willett Branch stream next to the self-storage construction site behind McDonald's. The church and coalition have been battling Montgomery County officials and developers to restore and memorialize the burial ground, prevent any further construction on it, and potentially transfer stewardship of the land to the church.

A banner will be raised on the Capital Crescent Trail bridge over River Road during the ceremony, and a traditional African libation ritual will be presented by Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Speakers at the event will include former resident of the lost black community on River Road Harvey Matthews, historian C.R. Gibbs, County Council At-Large candidate Brandy Brooks, Circuit Court Judge candidate Marylin Pierre, and activist Robert Stubblefield. 

Musical and dance performers will include Luci Murphy, Karen Wilson Ama Ethefu, Freedome Nsaroma Lee-El, Martha Peterson, and EverGreen Productions. Representatives from the Poor People's Campaign, UNIA, Party for Socialism and Liberation, The Claudia Jones Organization, and the Green Party will also be in attendance.

It will be a celebration, and also a tremendous educational opportunity to learn more about not only the past, but the direct legacy of that past in our own community of Bethesda and Montgomery County. Impacts of the loss of the River Road community in the 1960s included former residents moving and making major contributions to historic and growing African-American communities in East Rockville, Silver Spring and beyond, while still representing that living legacy of the Loughborough plantation in Bethesda. That makes this event of interest to residents of the entire Washington, D.C. region seeking meaningful ways to celebrate Juneteenth this year.

Police investigate report of shots fired in Twinbrook area of Rockville

Montgomery County police responded to a 911 caller who reported hearing shots fired in the vicinity of a Rockville apartment complex early yesterday morning. The incident was reported in an apartment parking lot in the 12900 block of Twinbrook Parkway at 3:05 AM Tuesday morning. 

There has been an increase in "shots fired" calls to police in Rockville, and in Montgomery County, over the last two years. In March, shots were fired at the Fireside Park Apartments, and police located a discarded firearm on the property after responding. Last year, police responded twice to shots-fired calls in the Broadwood Manor neighborhood, finding shell casings in at least one of those incidents.

South Block sets opening date in Rockville

South Block has announced its long-awaited opening date at Pike & Rose in Rockville. The healthy smoothie and acai bowl restaurant will open on June 21, 2022 at 11803 Grand Park Avenue. This will be the local chain's first Maryland location.

Assault at Rockville bar

Rockville City police responded to a report of an assault at a bar this past Saturday night, June 11, 2022. The assault was reported at a bar in the 100 block of Gibbs Street at 9:37 PM. That is at Rockville Town Square.

Hans Riemer raises $1 million in Montgomery County Executive race

Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer (D) has passed the $1 million fundraising mark in the race for County Executive, his campaign announced this morning. The million-dollar haul caps a week of good news for Riemer. A Data for Progress poll last week found that, while incumbent Marc Elrich (D) had the most support at 33%, Riemer is tied for second with businessman David Blair at 14%. Blair is self-funding his campaign, and spent $5.7 million in his 2018 bid for the same office; he can't be pleased to find he is tied with a candidate who is using public financing with $250 maximum individual contributions.

Riemer's campaign noted that his fundraising total of $1.04 million through June 12 now exceeds the amount spent by Elrich, Roger Berliner, Rose Krasnow, George Leventhal, and Bill Frick in the 2018 Democratic primary race for executive. He also holds the new record for most individual contributions in a campaign for County Executive in a primary in the past decade.

"This report puts numbers behind what I see everyday on the campaign trail -- our supporters are fired up to bring new leadership to Montgomery County,” Riemer said in a statement this morning. “Enthusiasm determines who wins and loses primaries,” Riemer campaign manager Aziz Yakub said. “With this fundraising milestone, we will have the resources to reach voters with a powerful media campaign. Although we’ll keep raising, I am confident that we’ll have enough to win despite what any other candidate may spend."

Blair has hit the airwaves with a barrage of ads on local broadcast TV stations over the last week, showing what his budget will allow. That will put pressure on Riemer, Elrich and businessman Peter James (D) to boost media exposure in the final weeks before the July 19 primary. Republicans Shelly Skolnick and Reardon Sullivan are also running for executive, as is Devin Battley for the Green Party.

Shady Grove Road, Chevy Chase Lake Amazon Fresh stores to offer Just Walk Out technology

The future Amazon Fresh grocery stores at Chevy Chase Lake and on Shady Grove Road on the border of Rockville and Gaithersburg will feature the Just Walk Out payment technology, an Amazon spokesperson said. That system allows the shopper to scan an in-store QR code on their Amazon app, or insert a credit or debit card, to open the Just Walk Out gates upon entering the store. Everything put in and out of the shopping cart will automatically be tabulated as the shopper travels through the store. To check out, the customer simply scans their app, or inserts the same card, to exit the store.

Shady Grove Road at 270 Center

Shady Grove is the closest to opening, and work is far along at the Chevy Chase Lake store, but the Amazon spokesperson said there are no official opening dates set for either location. As you can see, the sign is now up at the Shady Grove store in the 270 Center. If you look at the interior photos, you'll notice many sensors and cameras hanging from the ceiling. You'll also notice the shelves are not stocked yet.

Three Amazon Fresh stores are in the process of opening across the river in Northern Virginia, and also offer the Just Walk Out shopping experience. The Manasssas store opened last week at 7807 Sudley Road. Lorton's Amazon Fresh will open June 23 at 9409 Lorton Market Street. A third store in Arlington will be opening soon at 1550 Crystal Drive. All Amazon Fresh stores offer a $15.50-an-hour starting wage, and donate surplus food to local food banks in each jurisdiction.