FREE PARKING NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS AT ROCKVILLE TOWN SQUARE DURING THE HOLIDAYS

With the holiday shopping season fast approaching, and nearby retail meccas Westfield Montgomery Mall, RIO and Downtown Crown beckoning with free parking, Rockville Town Square has announced a Holiday Parking Experience starting November 26, 2014.

In plain terms, parking will be FREE nightly after 6:00 PM, and all-day on weekends from November 26 to January 4, 2015. That should make those 2000 parking spaces a lot more appealing for shoppers, as well as those attending the annual Tree Lighting and Holiday Open House, which will be on Thursday, December 4, from 6:30 to 9:00 PM.

Don't thank the Monopoly guy - thank property owner Federal Realty, surely concerned about keeping the holiday cheer high at a retail center where several tenants have closed in recent months. A second Federal Realty property, Pike & Rose, is also a competitor with Rockville Town Square, but does not have many retail stores open yet. Pike & Rose offers 2 hours of free parking to guests.

I know free parking sure makes me more likely to dine and shop at Rockville Town Square.

HUNGER GAMES MARATHON AT REGAL ROCKVILLE

Extreme fans of the Hunger Games series will want to attend a movie marathon this Thursday, starting at 2:30 PM, at the Regal Rockville theater. Attendees who are members of the Regal Crown Club will receive a limited-edition commemorative keychain. The marathon will conclude with the newest film, Mockingjay - Part 1.

Tickets can be pre-ordered online now.

QUESTIONS ABOUT TIMING, COUNTY COUNCILMAN'S INVOLVEMENT IN MOCO LIQUOR SCANDAL

The shocking results of an investigation by News 4's I-Team into the Montgomery County Department have added to the growing public questioning of why the county is in the liquor business to begin with. But the timing of the revelations, and Councilmember Hans Riemer's quickness to grandstand in a later News 4 sit-down appearance, raise questions. What did he know, and when did he know it? And why did this all go public just 48 hours after Election Day?

Riemer has received tremendous publicity in local media for several years regarding changes he has suggested in county and state liquor regulations. None of those reports indicated that Riemer had received a campaign contribution from at least one liquor license attorney. Riemer's initial proposals did not address public concerns such as the inability to purchase beer and wine at grocery stores in the county, but were more related to expanding the number of people eligible to obtain liquor licenses in the county, and being able to serve liquor without food in county establishments. Now, in this latest interview, Riemer is talking about getting the county out of the business altogether. Which I would welcome. In any case, it's been known for some time that the councilman is eager to change liquor regulations.

Fast forward to immediately after the reports aired. Hans Riemer conveniently was the only county councilmember interviewed for the follow-up report. I'm sure Roger Berliner, Marc Elrich or Nancy Floreen or any other number of councilmembers would have something to say about stolen liquor, and county employees allegedly drinking and driving. But they did not appear. No details have been given so far, but the rapid TV appearance suggests that Riemer was known to the reporters prior to the day the reports aired.

So to get back to the question of, "What did they know, and when did they know it," the News 4 report says the I-Team was following the trucks for several weeks. I think what the taxpayers have a right to know is, when was it known that County DLC drivers were allegedly drinking on the job, and stealing and reselling liquor? Before Election Day, or after? When was Hans Riemer alerted to these findings by News 4 - before Election Day, or after?

If the scandal had become public prior to Election Day, it would have been damaging to Mr. Riemer, County Executive Ike Leggett, and any other council incumbent on the ballot, as each one of them has oversight authority over the DLC.

What was the timeline?

HOLIDAY LIGHTS AT PIKE & ROSE (PHOTOS)

Given the big holiday displays every year at Bethesda Row, I've been wondering what Federal Realty would do for the season at its newest development, Pike & Rose. Those questions were answered this weekend, and I present the festive results here for your pleasure. The tree was not yet lit at this point, but there is plenty of Christmas and Chanakuh spirit in the air even so. Obviously, the scene will be more impressive once Phase 2 of the development has been built out, as the Christmas cheer is limited in distance. But if enough of the new retail stores can open in time, this could be a real sleeper spot for holiday shopping in Montgomery County - particularly for those purchasing apparel.

Federal Realty's Rockville Town Square seems to be behind Pike & Rose on the decorating schedule; their Bethesda Row development already has its decorations up.

ARCLIGHT CINEMAS OPENS TODAY AT WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL (VIDEO)

Today is the official grand opening of the new 16-screen Arclight Cinemas at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. You may have attended already during the cineplex's "soft opening" over the last couple of weeks. If so, please post a comment on your experience below.

If you haven't gone, it's not too late to order tickets. Curious about what ArcLight has to offer compared to other theaters within driving distance? Watch my video review for a preview of the ArcLight experience, and hear about the concept and dining options directly from ArcLight employees themselves. See the largest-screen auditorium, learn some technical specs, and hear about the brand's selling points - like no advertising before the movie!

Interstellar is the big movie there this weekend, as well as Big Hero 6 - which is not a sequel, despite the title.

PAWS FOR A CAUSE RAISES OVER $400 FOR ANIMAL CHARITY IN ROCKVILLE (PHOTOS)

The Paws for a Cause event this past weekend at Gables Upper Rock drew 200 people - and their dogs - to 200 Upper Rock Circle in Rockville. More than $400 was raised for MCPAW—Montgomery County Partners for Animal Well-Being, a partner of the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center.

In an unexpected bonus, several rescue dogs found prospective homes during the Saturday event.

Attendees enjoyed a dog costume contest, free food truck fare,  free doggie ice cream, face painting, music and more. More than a dozen pet-friendly vendors provided giveaways, merchandise and information, including Tiki’s Playhouse, Metropolitan Emergency Animal Clinic, Sniffers Doggie Retreat, Unleashed by Petco and Whole Pet Central.

Gables Upper Rock gave away a number of pet-themed freebies such as Frisbees, pet food scoops and doggie clean-up bag dispensers.

Now under construction right off the Shady Grove exit of I-270, Gables Upper Rock will offer 441 pet-friendly apartments, along with a private on-site dog park and a dog spa area for bathing and grooming. “We are about creating places where people want to live, and we recognize that more than ever, our residents’ pets are important members of their families,” said Greg Gaisor, Vice President, REIT Operations—East for Gables Residential. “We want our residents, including the four-legged ones, to be content and happy and work to ensure they are.”

WHAT'S OPEN AT PIKE & ROSE (PHOTOS)

Some of the exterior wraps are off at Gap on Grand Park Avenue, in Federal Realty's new Pike & Rose development in White Flint.

Meanwhile, two other tenants have opened this past weekend at the property. iPic Theaters opened Friday, without extending any preview invitation to this blogger, and thereby reaching less total audience. Doesn't seem too smart, given the extensive outreach competitors ArcLight Cinemas and Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema have engaged in prior to opening. The majority of iPic's PR seems to be focused on legacy media like broadcast TV, print newspapers, FM radio and glossy magazines - which probably would strike those who get most of their news via smartphone these days as a bit behind the times. iPic does have a couple of cool promotional spectacles going on at the actual property, though. One was a man on stilts walking around Pike & Rose, and the other was a projection of the Hollywood sign on a blank construction barrier wall.

Women's apparel boutique Francesca's opened Saturday.

With these openings, parking was jammed in the garage off of Grand Park Avenue Saturday. Room to maneuver along the drive aisles inside the garage proved to be quite tight, now that more people are visiting. Parking is indeed free for 2 hours, and no validation is necessary for that. Longer validations for free parking are available from tenants like Del Frisco's Grille and iPic. If confronted with a similar squeeze in the garage, your best bet is to skip Grand Park Avenue, and head to the garage entrance west of it along Old Georgetown Road, just past Del Frisco's Grille's patio.

Stilt walker near
Del Frisco's Grille

AMP sign is lit

"Goodnight from Hollywood"