Japong Bakery to open in Rockville

Japong Bakery is coming to the Ritchie Center at 785 Rockville Pike. The bakery is scheduled to open September 30 in the former Mr. Banh Mi space.

Japong will offer the top-selling pastries from across Asia, but the selections include some familiar in the West, including cream puffs, cheesecakes and gourmet cakes. Their breads and pastries are made fresh with their exclusive Sourdough recipe. Among the Asian selections are Egg Tarts, a baked pastry crust filled with egg custard.

In related news, Pho 95 in the same shopping center is currently renovating their space.

Councilmember wants to clarify relationship between Mayor & Council and Rockville Sister Cities Corporation

Rockville City Councilmember Mark Pierzchala wants the Mayor and Council to discuss and clarify the relationship between that body and the Rockville Sister Cities. It is unclear what the full purpose of the proposed discussion is, but Pierzchala mentioned that he would like to know what input the Mayor and Council have in terminating Rockville's relationship with a sister city, and the establishment of new ties with a different one.

"It's very unclear in my mind when the Mayor and Council should be chiming in," Pierzchala said at Monday night's Mayor and Council meeting. He said he wants to "define the relationship" between the Rockville Sister City Corporation and the Mayor & Council, and explore the evolution of that relationship and their respective roles over the last 30 years.

The Rockville Sister City Corporation, as it is officially known, was founded as a non-profit in 1987. Rockville's current sister cities are Pinneberg, Germany and Jiaxing, China.

A discussion item has tentatively been added to the next meeting's agenda. That agenda had not been posted on the City website as of this writing.

Mayor wants to know why Rockville election board is defying request to appear at City Council

Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton and Councilmember Beryl Feinberg are seeking answers as to why the Board of Supervisors of Elections is refusing to appear before the City Council to brief them on the switch to voting-by-mail, that will occur with the next City election in 2019.  Newton and Feinberg queried Deputy City Clerk Sara Taylor-Farrell and City Attorney Debra Yerg Daniel about the delay in updating officials on their plans and progress on the new voting system.

"I'm a little concerned, because this is a huge deal," Newton said. Feinberg too expressed concerns over the delay given the enormity of the task ahead, calling the new system a "sea change" for the city. She said she wanted to know where exactly the Board is in implementing voting by mail.

Daniel said the Board technically does not have to appear at the request of the Mayor and Council, because they are a separately-chartered body in charge of elections. Staff and Councilmember Virginia Onley said the Board is understaffed, and that their request for additional staffing funds from the Mayor and Council may have to be acted upon before the Board will agree to appear.

Onley suggested discussing the staffing problem with the Board, even if the conversation must be held out of public view. "If it's offline, then let's discuss it offline," Onley suggested. Daniel said an offline discussion could be held in closed session. The Mayor and Council have a closed session today at 4:00 PM at the Cottage at Glenview Mansion, at 603 Edmonston Drive, where the matter may now be discussed. That closed session is, of course, closed to the public.

They will also be discussing something related to the Office of the City Clerk, the original reason for the closed session.

Golden Samovar closed in Rockville after flood

Golden Samovar is closed at Rockville Town Square. The restaurant says the closure is due to repeated flooding of its space from the apartments located upstairs, and that it will not reopen "until the issue is resolved."

However, the restaurant's website is currently down, as well. I know there is a basis in truth for the flooding explanation, because the restaurant indeed closed temporarily in late May, due to water from the apartments upstairs. They then reopened.

We will have to stay tuned here. It would be truly sad to lose Golden Samovar, as we are in great need of Russian and Eastern European restaurants in Montgomery County.

Derwood man missing

Montgomery County police are seeking the public's help in finding a missing Derwood man. Marvin Darnell Obrien, 33, lives in a group home on Granby Road. He was last seen by caretakers there on September 7, when police say he left the home on foot.

Police describe Obrien as an African American male, approximately 5’9″ to 6’ 1” tall and weighing 160 pounds. He has short black hair, brown eyes, and a tattoo located on his forehead.

Anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of Marvin Darnell Obrien is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 (answers 24-7).

Mayor and Council to consider abandonment of easement along Veirs Mill Road

Rockville's Mayor and Council will hold a public hearing on the potential abandonment of a City right-of-way easement located on the property of 2131 Veirs Mill Road. According to 1976 documents, the easement was granted to the Mayor and Council of Rockville at that time "for use as a public road or 'service road' to facilitate the interior flow of traffic along Viers (sic) Mill Road.

It's intriguing that an abandonment could occur prior to final decisions being made about the impact and needed right-of-way for the Bus Rapid Transit boondoggle planned for Veirs Mill. Quite a few homes and businesses will be partially or entirely condemned if that plan goes forward as generally described now. There is currently a bus stop in front of the subject property.

The current property owner is seeking the abandonment of the easement because it would hinder a building addition, and future redevelopment of the property, according to the applicant's attorney. A public hearing on the abandonment will be held at the Mayor and Council meeting on Monday, September 17, 2018 at 7:00 PM at City Hall.

Sprint proposes adding new cell tower on Rockville water tank

Sprint has applied to construct a new telecommunications tower on an existing water tank in Rockville. The tank is located at 13890 Glen Mill Road. In addition to the tower, related equipment would also be located on the ground nearby.

The only public comment being accepted at this time is on potential effects you feel the tower would have on any existing historic property that is either on, or eligible for, the National Register of Historic Places.

Comments on that issue can be received by Andrew Smith at 260-385-6999. The site is located across from Lakewood Country Club, and is down the road from Lakewood Elementary School. It is also surrounded by single-family homes.