Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda welcomes back Fresh Tomato Pie

Fans of Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana know that summer means the return of the chain's famous Fresh Tomato Pie. The seasonal favorite is now back through September 30 at all Frank Pepe locations, including here in Montgomery County at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Pepe's hasn't been open that long here, so you may be wondering what is on the Fresh Tomato Pie. Fresh, native tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, garlic, basil, grated Pecorino Romano cheese and a touch of imported olive oil, atop the pizzeria’s signature crispy-chewy, slightly-charred crust.

Photo courtesy Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

 

Rockville Mayor & Council ask for more time to study new I-495/I-270 Managed Lanes material

Rockville's Mayor and Council last night voted to approve a letter to Maryland state officials seeking more time for the city to review new material related to the controversial I-495/I-270 Managed Lanes highway expansion study. There are 26,000 pages of new environmental impact study results, Councilmember Mark Pierzchala noted. He added that local stakeholders also need more time to "validate" new modeling used by the state of Maryland for the project. 

The proposed expansion championed by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) would include new toll lanes along both interstates, widening of the highways to accommodate those lanes, and a future connection to tolled Express Lanes on the Virginia side of the American Legion Bridge. Residents in affected areas of Rockville, Bethesda and Silver Spring have expressed opposition to the environmental impacts of the plan, and potential taking of homes for the project.

Strong-arm robbery and assault at Rockville gas station

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery of a gas station in the Derwood area of Rockville yesterday afternoon. At least one person was the victim of a 2nd-degree assault and an aggravated assault during the robbery. The robbery was reported at a gas station in the 15800 block of Frederick Road at 3:14 PM Sunday. There is a 7-Eleven gas station and a Marathon gas station on that block.

Montgomery County slow to react to Bethesda church attacks

Montgomery County government initially kept quiet about the first two arson and vandalism attacks at Bethesda churches early Saturday, and County leaders have been slow to react to the third yesterday morning. County officials made no public announcement of several fires being set at North Bethesda United Methodist Church, and of the cemetery being vandalized at the Wildwood Baptist Church next door Saturday until late the next morning, about 10 hours after a third attack at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church. Arson and property damage at St. Jane's was significant enough that Sunday Masses had to be relocated to a gymnasium.

Coverage of the church attacks by local media has not yet delved into why the public was not informed Saturday of the first attacks. No report I've seen so far challenges County leaders as to why they did not make the initial two attacks public until more than 24 hours later. Had they been announced, perhaps other houses of worship and the public could have been on heightened alert; there's no evidence Montgomery County itself stepped up protection of nearby churches, as the arson Sunday morning would seem to confirm.

County elected officials' reaction to the weekend church attacks has been slow, underwhelming or non-existent. County Councilmember Andrew Friedson (D), who represents the area where all three houses of worship were vandalized, did not weigh in on the matter until very late Sunday evening on Twitter. Councilmembers Will Jawando (D -At-Large) and Gabe Albornoz (D - At-Large) tweeted at about the same time late Sunday. So far, no County elected official has outlined any actions they are taking in response.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) had still not issued a formal press release on the County website as of this writing, and had not commented on Twitter or Facebook. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen (D) has been silent on the attacks, despite a media event this past March at which he said, "It is a sad sign of the times that we have to be protecting places of worship, but it is a reality of the times.” His colleague, Ben Cardin (D), hasn't spoken out, either. Congressman Jamie Raskin (D), who represents Bethesda, hasn't issued a press release or social media statement as of this hour.

No press release yet from
Montgomery County police

Attacks of this nature are hate crimes and acts of domestic terrorism. But as of this morning, there is no press release from Montgomery County police on these high-profile crimes.

No visible police patrols or presence were
seen at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
in downtown Bethesda on the "night of rage"
two weeks ago, nor last night following this
weekend's attacks at other Bethesda churches

The tepid response by Montgomery County to these events is not new this summer. In the evening and early morning following the controversial Supreme Court decision two weeks ago, there was no visible sign of stepped-up patrols at any Catholic churches I went by in the County. That was despite a warning of a "night of rage" by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to parishes nationwide, which said domestic terror incidents could be expected at Catholic churches. That night - and last night, following the disturbing events of the weekend - there was no visible sign of law enforcement outside of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in downtown Bethesda.

Assault reported at Rockville drugstore

An individual reported having been the victim of a 2nd-degree assault at a drugstore in Rockville Friday night. Rockville City police were called to a pharmacy in the 400 block of Hungerford Drive at 9:45 PM. There is a Walgreens store on that block of Hungerford.

Maryland governor candidate Doug Gansler calls for gun safe zones similar to New York state legislation

Maryland gubernatorial candidate
Doug Gansler speaks to reporters in
Chevy Chase

Former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, a Democratic candidate for governor, is calling for new legislation to restrict the right to carry a concealed firearm in designated areas. The U.S. Supreme Court recently affirmed concealed carry as a right under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In response to that decision in a New York case, NY Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation on July 1 that would place new barriers and hurdles to acquiring a concealed carry license in that state, and restrict the right to concealed carry in specified locations.

Gansler said he supports passing similar restrictions in Maryland, at a press conference at an early voting site in Chevy Chase Thursday. Areas where licensed citizens would still be prohibited from carrying a concealed weapon in New York state include transit stations and vehicles, parks, theaters, stadiums, museums, bars, casinos, and "sensitive areas" such as Times Square. 

Current Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) this past week ordered the Maryland State Police to comply with the Supreme Court directive, making the state a shall-issue jurisdiction. Gansler said Hogan had no choice but to follow the new law, but argued that he should have ensured Maryland had the type of limitations that New York now has.

“We need to have safeguards, because no one wants to have guns in schools, in libraries, on the Metro, on the bus, on playgrounds, at polling places, at places where alcohol is being served,” Gansler said outside the Jane E. Lawton Community Recreation Center, as early voting got underway. “Those are easy to do. For whatever reason, Governor Hogan decided not to do that. We need to have a groundswell of support to make sure that we have limitations in place to keep people safe.”

New York's new restrictions are expected to be challenged in court, as they would make it very difficult to exercise the right to concealed carry from a practical standpoint. The remaining areas where one could carry a firearm are few, and many of the designated areas are precisely where gun rights advocates say an individual would most want a self-defense capability. Gun rights advocates also note that concealed carry license holders have not been shown to be a major source of gun-related crimes in America. “You rarely hear of an instance where a CCL holder is using their firearm in an unlawful manner,” an Illinois State Police spokesman told the Chicago Tribune in 2018. “They’re generally law-abiding citizens, and they’ve gone to great lengths to get to where they’re at to have a CCL. And they’ve taken training to get there. And most of them, they understand what the requirements are to use force to defend themselves.”

Pickpocket strikes at Rockville shopping center

Rockville City police responded to a report of a pickpocketing incident at a shopping center in the Twinbrook area yesterday afternoon. The incident was reported in a commercial parking lot in the 1900 block of Veirs Mill Road at 1:21 PM. Watch your wallet, and remember to not leave purses unattended in shopping carts.