Rockville mayor to discuss State of the City September 21

Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton will participate in a discussion of the State of the City tomorrow morning, Thursday, September 21, 2023, at 9:00 AM at Glenview Mansion at 603 Edmonston Drive in Rockville. The discussion is being hosted by the Greater Rockville Chamber of Commerce. Brian Barkley, public policy chair for the Chamber, will lead the discussion and ask questions. Questions may be submitted in advance by emailing marji@rockvillechamber.org. The event is free and open to the public.

Purse snatched at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a purse snatching at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda on Sunday afternoon, September 17, 2023. It was reported at the mall at 3:50 PM. The purse was left unattended, rather than being forcibly grabbed, in this case. Remember to keep an eye on your purse while shopping, as apparently someone else at the mall has an eye on it, too.

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando introduces bill to eliminate tipped minimum wage

Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D - At-Large) introduced a bill today that would eliminate tipped minimum wages in the county by 2028. Restaurant servers, bartenders and other tipped service workers currently can be paid less than the County's minimum wage, because they theoretically will achieve the minimum wage amount through customer tips. Jawando's bill, which is also supported by Councilmember Kristin Mink (D), would phase out the tipped minimum wage over the next five years, and require restaurant owners to pay all staff the current County minimum wage. His U.S. Senate campaign is touting the bill as the latest example of Jawando's progressive leadership on the Council, at a time when his leading progressive opponent, Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, is under fire from a new Intercept article that raises doubts about her past positions on crime and civil liberties issues.

“Even while running a high-stakes and fast-paced campaign for the U.S. Senate, Will is continuing to fight each and every day for his constituents in Montgomery County and embodying the core message of this campaign: to build a shared prosperity that lifts everybody up, no matter who you are or where you come from," Jawando's campaign communications director Benny Stanislawski said in a statement today. "Today’s bill is a perfect example of this, and his tried and true approach to public service. From successfully passing historic rent stabilization, to a pilot guaranteed income program, and community-informed policing in Montgomery County, Will is without a doubt the most effective legislator in the race. Today’s bill will likely become law and completely reshape the lived experience of countless working-class residents of the county."

Similar bills and laws in other jurisdictions have been highly-controversial and divisive. Restaurant owners fear their already-slim profit margins getting thinner, having to boost the wages they pay employees directly by more than $10 an hour each. Some servers and bartenders, who say they now regularly earn more than minimum wage via tips, have even opposed similar laws elsewhere. Their concern has been that word of the law - and the new service charges that restaurants add to customer tabs in the wake of their passage - will encourage customers to cut back or eliminate tipping altogether. Jawando does not believe this will be the case, but says he is proposing a second bill that would ensure service charges go to restaurant workers, rather than to the restaurant owners.

Police investigate assault at Rockville hotel

Rockville City police were called to a hotel after an individual reported having been the victim of an assault there yesterday morning, September 18, 2023. The assault was reported at a hotel in the 16000 block of Shady Grove Road at 10:09 AM Monday. That is the Red Roof Inn.

Rockville City Council candidate Izola Shaw announces endorsements

Izola Shaw, a 2023 candidate for the Rockville City Council, announced a long list of endorsements at a fundraising event. Elected officials endorsing Shaw so far are Montgomery County Councilmembers Will Jawando and Kate Stewart, Gaithersburg City Councilmembers Lisa Henderson and Robert Wu, and former Rockville City Council member Virginia Onley. “I am proud to support Izola Shaw for Rockville City Council,” Jawando said in a statement Monday. “She has a proven track record of community service and policy experience. Our County has benefited from her dedicated work to advance equity.”

Shaw has also received the endorsement of several community leaders, activists and organizations. These include Progressive Maryland and CASA in Action. Among the individuals supporting Shaw are Rockville resident and community faith leader Rabbi Rain Zohav, Rockville resident and activist for peace Dr. Jeni Stepanek, community organizer Alex Vazquez, and Rockville resident and community organizer Sandy Shan. Also endorsing Shaw is Dr. Tasnuva Khan. In addition to her position as a the pharmacy manager at Adventist Shady Grove Hospital, Dr. Khan is a co-founder of the Muslim Voices Coalition, an activist for social justice, and a community organizer. She is also the project director of the Faith and Vaccines project at Resolve, a nongovernmental organization focused on social, health and environmental issues and partnerships.

“Izola Shaw is someone who ‘walks the walk,’" Rabbi Zohav said in a statement. "She demonstrates what it really means to reach out, engage, and empower people from all walks of life in the decisions that directly affect them. She embodies the values of love and respect for all of our neighbors — goals our community strives to build. For these reasons, especially at this moment in time, Izola Shaw is uniquely qualified to serve on the Rockville City Council.” 

Shaw has a professional background in community and economic development, having worked at all levels of government, and as a leader of development projects in 12 African countries. Closer to home in Rockville, Shaw has served as a member of the Rockville Charter Review Commission, where she focused on initiatives that could broaden civic involvement and outreach. During the pandemic, she successfully advocated for a temporary freeze on rent increases in the city.

"[My] vision for Rockville is simple yet powerful," Shaw said in a statement. "I want to ensure that all residents receive the quality services they need and have the opportunity to engage in making policies that directly impact their lives. No one should be left on the sidelines, and I have a unique ability to break down barriers to civic participation."

"You will hear a lot of buzzwords in this race like ‘government equity,' ‘diversifying our workforce’ and ‘more representation.’ If candidates are not working to build support from different communities across our beautiful diverse City and addressing those communities’ needs, then they are just words."

Shaw is running for the City Council as a member of the Rockville United slate in the November election.

Photo courtesy Friends of Izola Shaw

Rockville Wegmans construction update (Photos)

Work continues to advance at the construction site of the future Rockville Wegmans grocery store at the Twinbrook Quarter development at the corner of Halpine Road and Rockville Pike. While the exterior continues to look closer to the finish line, nothing has been constructed on the grocery store's interior yet. Developer B.F. Saul says it will turn the shell of the grocery store space over to Wegmans' interior fit-out contractor in the early spring of 2024. As I reported previously, the supermarket will open in 2025.

Regrading of the road surface of Halpine at Chapman Avenue is now underway, and is expected to continue for a few weeks. Stacks of Belden pre-blended bricks can be seen at the site. The brick facade of the building is now about 85% complete, according to B. F. Saul. Storefront spaces should be enclosed by the end of 2022. Contractors have begun tarring the roof.

While no work has been done on the Wegmans interior, the same cannot be said for the apartment building interior. Drywall is now being installed in the residential units on the second floor. Installers will progress upward to higher floors as the fall season goes on.

Rockville police respond to 3rd assault in 5 weeks at same grocery store

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a grocery store in the 600 block of Hungerford Drive Friday afternoon, September 15, 2023. The assault was reported at 12:00 PM. That's the same Giant supermarket where an employee was punched last month, less than 24 hours after another aggravated assault was reported there August 11. Friday's incident makes this the third time in five weeks that police have responded to an assault call at the store.