Rockville Beer and Wine is now open

Rockville Beer and Wine has opened at 15809 Frederick Road in the Derwood area across from King Farm. In addition to a fine selection of beer and wines, the store also sells Maryland Lottery tickets. This is in the small strip center between Wendy's and 7-Eleven on MD 355.

Montgomery County Council "reprimands" Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson, 2 commissioners in alcohol controversy

The Montgomery County Council met in closed session yesterday, to discuss recent revelations in a Maryland-National Capital Park And Planning Commission's Office of the Inspector General report that Montgomery County Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson had kept a full bar in his government office. A whistleblower told the OIG that Anderson had pressured others to drink in his office after working hours, a charge Anderson strongly denied. The OIG investigation determined that some commissioners on the Planning Board had also consumed alcohol on the premises. This morning, the Council announced it would be taking a light touch in addressing the alleged behavior, which occurred in a department that has terminated rank-and-file employees in the past for alcohol policy offenses.

A Council press release states that it has chosen to reprimand Anderson, and Planning Board commissioners Carol Rubin and Partap Verma. The Council statement vaguely refers to the OIG report, but does not explicitly mention alcohol, or what the officials are being specifically penalized for. Anderson has previously issued an apology for his actions, stating that he has disposed of the alcohol in his office, and that he only drank after business hours.

This morning's press release states that "the Council has issued reprimands that will result in Chair Anderson losing four weeks of his salary and Vice Chair Verma and Commissioner Rubin each losing one day of their respective salaries. The three commissioners also must attend Employee Assistance Program counseling which is consistent with the Commission’s protocol.”

The press release goes on to say that the “Council is extremely disappointed in the violations of Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) policy by Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson, as detailed in an advisory memorandum from M-NCPPC’s inspector general. The memorandum also found violations of Commission policy by Vice Chair Partap Verma and Planning Board Commissioner Carol Rubin."

Anderson is one of the most powerful public figures in the county, and serves at the pleasure of the Council. Extraordinary legislative steps were taken to allow Anderson to serve an unprecedented third term as chair, at a record salary for the position. Planning Board commissioners also are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the County Council. 

The Council has stated that it will not say anything publicly about the case because it is a personnel matter. That assertion is patently false, because the individuals involved are political appointees holding public offices, not career employees. 

Strong-arm robbery in Rockville parking lot

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery in Rockville Sunday night, October 2, 2022. The robbery was reported in a commercial parking lot in the 2600 block of Research Boulevard at 9:50 PM. That is right off of Shady Grove Road.

Miller's Ale House has closed in Rockville

Miller's Ale House has closed at 1471 Rockville Pike. The restaurant and bar operated there for a decade.  Miller's had a 4.1 out of 5 rating on Google and Facebook, a 3.5 on TripAdvisor and 3 stars on Yelp, so they weren't exactly run out of town. Its closure really is the end of an era, in a way.

When Miller's Ale House opened in 2012, it looked like a new age of nightlife might be upon us in Rockville. Bar Louie and American Tap Room had also just opened at Rockville Town Square. And there were old standbys like Gordon Biersch and Hooters. Look around in 2022, and every single one of those businesses is gone.

This may simply be Rockville's chapter in the larger book of Montgomery County nightlife being slammed shut over the last decade. The county had a good number of bars and nightclubs around 2010, and certainly was positioned to improve with the right policies at the county level. Just the opposite ended up happening.

It started with a major hike in the County energy tax, one that saw businesses like Target and Magruder's having to dim their lighting, posting apologetic signs explaining it was due to the energy tax. A series of other anti-business votes were taken by the Council in the ensuing years, over the objections of business owners.

Melvin Thompson of the Restaurant Association of Maryland warned councilmembers in 2016 that Montgomery County's restaurant sector had gone flat since 2012. In contrast, Thompson noted, Fairfax County's restaurant sector had grown by 6% in the previous year alone. Frederick County's had jumped 5.4% over the same period. The Council ignored Thompson, and passed more taxes (including a whopping 9% property tax increase), more regulations, and a $15 minimum wage. 

At the same time, the Council also lashed out at food trucks. Part of the bubbling up of a potentially vibrant new era of nightlife was the new phenomenon of food trucks, which would park in legal parking spots in busy areas at lunchtime in Bethesda, Rockville and Silver Spring. Some would also park in nightlife areas later, to serve patrons emerging after bars closed for the night. 

The Council banned such mobile food operations, limiting food trucks to private property. Trucks - the majority of which were based in Washington, D.C. - retreated over the Maryland border into the District. Office workers in Friendship Heights had a clear view of trucks still working the lunch hour just over the line in D.C. Montgomery County's food truck scene was gone, with the exception of those who were invited to cater private events, or to park on private property like gas stations.

Over the last decade, at least 21 nightspots closed in downtown Bethesda alone. Incredibly, all of those closures followed the Council's 2012 "Nighttime Economy Initiative." Hyped to the max by some local media outlets at the time, the initiative - along with the rest of the misguided Council actions of the last decade - ended up tanking the nighttime economy countywide. The demise of Miller's is only the latest example of that collapse.

Assault at Rockville grocery store

Rockville City police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a grocery store in the King Farm neigbhorhood yesterday afternoon, October 2, 2022. The assault was reported at a supermarket in the 400 block of Redland Boulevard at 2:20 PM. There is a Safeway store at 403 Redland Boulevard.

Gourmet Bazaar opens in new location in Rockville

Gourmet Bazaar has relocated in Rockville. Back in March, I reported that the Persian deli and grocery store would be moving to 736-A Rockville Pike, and now the move is complete. The family-owned business was founded in 2013. In addition to groceries, they offer a full menu of freshly-prepared carry-out items, so you can pick up a hot lunch or dinner while restocking your pantry.

Hurricane Ian now Tropical Rainstorm Ian In North Carolina, minimal impact so far on Maryland, Rockville

Hurricane Ian is blamed for the deaths of more than 14 people in the southern United States so far, but as Tropical Rainstorm Ian, its outer bands have not made much of a scratch on the Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia areas yet. At this hour, there is only 1 power outage in Montgomery County, caused by a fallen utility pole in the Four Corners area of Silver Spring. Rain has not been constant, and winds have been more breezy than gusty to this point.

Ian's predicted path today and
overnight into Sunday

The National Hurricane Center reports Post-Tropical Cyclone Ian's current location is north of Greensboro, North Carolina, approaching the Virginia border at 10 MPH. Its current maximum sustained winds are only 25 MPH.

Rockville's forecast from the National Weather Service calls for rain or drizzle, and patchy fog for the remainder of this afternoon. Winds will be 16 MPH, with gusts up to 29 MPH. Tonight, rain turning to drizzle at 7:00 PM. Patchy fog will continue to pop up across the area, and the low temperature will be 54 degrees. Wind gusts will top out at 18 MPH.

Sunday morning, those wind gusts will get stronger again, with a maximum gust of 29 MPH. There will be a 90% chance of showers. Sunday night, wind gusts will remain strong at 28 MPH, but rain will taper off after 2:00 AM. Monday will stay breezy, but the forecast has improved with partly sunny conditions for most of the day, and a 30% chance of showers.

Ian caused many major events around the state to be canceled, including the Taste of Bethesda, and the Oceans Calling festival in Ocean City. Public officials and event organizers were put in a difficult position, and have chosen to err on the side of caution in many cases.

Graphics courtesy National Hurricane Center (top)/Accuweather.com (bottom)