Ding Tea opening in Rockville

Rockville is nearing "peak bubble tea," and the latest addition will be Ding Tea in the Ritchie Center, opening soon at 785-C Rockville Pike. It will be in the space next to Kiin Imm Thai.

eyebobs opens, Crabtree & Evelyn closes at Westfield Montgomery Mall

Westfield Montgomery Mall is one up and one down in tenants. Designer eyewear boutique eyebobs has opened on Level 2. Meanwhile, Crabtree & Evelyn has permanently closed.

China Garden sets soft opening date in Rockville

China Garden is finally happening. The restaurant's owners told me last night that they have scheduled a soft opening for their long-delayed new location at 11333 Woodglen Drive in the White Flint area of Rockville. China Garden will open on July 12, 2019 at 11:00 AM for lunch.

Specializing in dim sum and authentic Cantonese cuisine, China Garden has operated since 1973 in its original Virginia location. All of their chefs are recruited directly from Hong Kong.

KFC Cheetos Chicken sandwich arrives in Rockville/Cheetos Lovers Box Review

KFC launched its limited-time-only Cheetos Chicken Sandwich nationwide yesterday. The sandwich contains a crispy chicken breast brushed with a cheesy Cheetos sauce, served atop a layer of Cheetos and mayonnaise on a bakery roll. It comes in a special Chester Cheetah box.

For larger appetites, there is the Cheetos Lovers Box. For just under $10, you get the Cheetos Chicken sandwich, Cheetos popcorn chicken, potato wedges, mac & cheese and a medium drink. There is no special box for the Cheetos Lovers Box, unfortunately. Watch my review of the sandwich and Cheetos Lovers Box for a full evaluation.

Rockville cooling centers to open if temperature reaches 95 degrees, or Code Red alert issued

The City of Rockville will open four designated cooling centers should the temperature reach 95 degrees or higher - or if a Code Red air quality alert is issued - today or any other day. Visitors can rest for free in the designated public area inside the cooling center. Those wanting to utilize fitness centers, computer labs or other amenities can upgrade by paying a fee. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Rockville's cooling centers are at the following locations:

• Lincoln Park Community Center, 357 Frederick Ave.
• Thomas Farm Community Center, 700 Fallsgrove Drive.
• Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, 12920 Twinbrook Parkway.
• Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive.

After banning circus animals, MoCo gets one-man circus

The Montgomery County Council is infamously known for debating at length, and then approving, a ban on circus animals - at the same time as once-major County employer Discovery Communications was being wooed to relocate by other jurisdictions. Sadness ensued for all, as Montgomery County wound up losing both circuses and the Discovery Channel headquarters. But, now through Sunday, July 7 at Strathmore, it's David Dimitri to the rescue! The son of legendary clown Jakob Dimitri is bringing a one-man circus to Montgomery County, L'homme Cirque.

Dimitri will fire himself out of a cannon as a human cannonball. He will walk the high wire. Strathmore promises he will balance these and other daring feats with "humor, poetry and an accordion serenade." At the climax of the performance, Dimitri will open the top of the tent, and the audience will witness him disappear "into the sky" on the high wire.

The one-man circus is one contingency the anti-circus County Council apparently did not anticipate, and thereby is legal. Teeth are assuredly gnashing at 100 Maryland Avenue, but the show must! go! on! True to the Montgomery Way, though, Dimitri was required to get a permit from the County to erect his tent on the Strathmore property. Big Government for the Big Tent!

You can buy tickets online, and watch a trailer for Dimitri's L'homme Cirque:

Mayor Newton to run for reelection with Rockville Forward slate

Incumbent Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton
is seeking a third term

Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton is running for a third term, she announced last Friday. In an effort to bring a more collegial, less-divisive approach to the fractured City Council, Newton will run as part of a slate this time. She and Councilmember Beryl Feinberg have each won election multiple times as independent candidates, but other potential Newton allies have been defeated by the ongoing Team Rockville slate in recent elections. Newton's Rockville Forward slate should deliver a much more competitive choice for voters this November.

The wild card in predicting the impact of the slate this year will be the introduction of voting by mail. In theory, voter participation should rise, including the number of citizens voting who do not regularly follow city politics and personalities. How those less-engaged voters will perceive the differences between the two slates, and the value of incumbency, will be two interesting outcomes to watch. Any three victorious members of one slate can give that faction a three-vote majority on the Council.

Rockville Forward consists of Newton, Feinberg, and three "newcomers" who actually have been extensively-involved in civic activities for quite a while. 

As Mayor, Newton has helped protect the suburban character of Rockville with smart appointments to the city's Planning Commission, who successfully scaled-back the original high-density urban vision for the Rockville Pike Plan. Among the issues she has high on her agenda for a third term are the future of the RedGate golf course property, ironing out parking and business challenges in the Town Center area, affordable housing and the potential for a new pedestrian crossing of the CSX railroad tracks between Twinbrook and B.F. Saul's Wegmans-anchored Twinbrook Quarter development.

Monique Ashton

Monique Ashton was a finalist for the ultimately-unfilled Council vacancy earlier this year. A 15-year Rockville resident, Ashton has served as a school cluster coordinator, neighborhood captain, and as a member of the recent Adequate Public Facilities Work Group. She also has executive business experience, and has been an advocate for small businesses in the city. 

Beryl Feinberg

Feinberg has lived in Rockville for 25 years, and describes herself as a "neighborhood-centric" candidate. She is frequently allied with Newton on issues such as preserving the quality of life and small-town feel of the city, and on school overcrowding. With a long career in Montgomery County Government, Feinberg has also taken the lead on fiscal accountability and the procurement process.

Kuan Lee

Social Security Administration Attorney Kuan Lee is Chair of the King Farm External Affairs Committee and an appointed member of the Rockville Financial Advisory Board. He was also a past appointee to the Rockville Board of Appeals. Lee is a volunteer with the Rockville Sister Cities Corporation and the King Farm Neighbors Village. In addition to his resume, Lee also offers a surprisingly-rare chance for voters to help elect a Council that "looks like Rockville." Even as Rockville has gained one of the largest and most-prominent Asian communities in the D.C. region, like the Montgomery County Council, its elected offices have not included any Asian-Americans.

Suzan Pitman

Suzan Pitman is President of the East Rockville Civic Association, and played a major role in the master plan update process for that community. She has been a prominent voice in debates on major community issues of recent years, such as testifying before the County Planning Board to stop a school bus depot from being dropped into the residential Westmore neighborhood. The Board ended up voting against the depot.

Independent Rockville City Council
candidate Brigitta Mullican

Rockville Forward will take on Team Rockville, and independent City Council candidate Brigitta Mullican.

Virginia Onley

Team Rockville is led by mayoral candiate Virginia Onley, who has served two terms on the City Council and on nine city boards and commissions. She brings business experience to the table with 35 years as an employee of IBM, once a major employer with offices in the County. Onley cites her fiscal responsibility and consistent votes against tax increases as strengths.

Cynthia Cotte Griffiths

Joining Onley on the Team Rockville slate are incumbent Mark Pierzchala, and Cynthia Cotte Griffiths, James Hedrick, and David Myles.

James Hedrick

Mullican, Griffiths, and Hedrick had previously announced their candidacies prior to the formation of the two slates. 

Mark Pierzchala

Pierzchala has served several terms on the City Council, and has previously run for mayor. One of the most-vocal supporters of bicycle safety and facilities in Rockville, he is also one of the few politicians who actually uses a bike as a major mode of transportation, rather than just talking about it. Pierzchala also touts his efforts in stopping the school bus depot, as well as in fighting the widening of I-270 through Rockville. He served as President of the College Gardens Civic Association from 2004-2008.

David Myles

Myles is a U.S. Navy veteran and pediatrician who lives in Tower Oaks. He is a member of the city's Rockville Goes Purple opioid-awareness planning committee, the physician representative on the Montgomery County Mental Health Advisory Committee, and provides pro-bono medical care at Holy Cross Hospital.

The election winners will each serve a four year term. Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in the city this October, and must be received by mail or in person at City Hall by 8:00 PM on November 5, 2019. 

If you aren't registered to vote, click here. If you are a registered voter in Maryland and live within the city limits of Rockville, you are already registered to vote in the City election.