This Saturday, October 29, the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department and the Town of Kensington are once again hosting their annual Halloween Movie Night. “Hotel Transylvania” will be shown at dusk in St. Paul Park on the big screen. Costumes are encouraged for all attendees.
The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department and the Town of Kensington will have refreshments available for purchase in the Park, including pizza, popcorn, and candy.
For 18 months, Councilmembers have been working with staff and listening to suggestions from residents across Montgomery County to develop a general plan for the County’s future. The Council’s revised version of the Planning, Housing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee Draft of Thrive Montgomery 2050 contains the text and supporting maps for a comprehensive amendment to Montgomery County’s current General Plan (On Wedges and Corridors).
“Thrive is a compelling vision for Montgomery County’s future and lays a framework to preserve things that make our community great, while meeting the unique needs of our growing County,” Council President Gabe Albornoz said. “We’re grateful to everyone who engaged with us and shared valuable insights that helped inform our decision-making. Throughout this process, the Council has made time to incorporate voices from communities across the County and gather diverse perspectives and input.”
The Montgomery County Police Department – Autism/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Unit will be conducting a driver safety course on Tuesday, November 1, from 2-6pm at Public Safety Headquarters (100 Edison Park Drive) in Gaithersburg to teach those with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities the importance of being a safe driver and what to do if they are pulled over or in an accident. Per MCPD:
The Montgomery County Autism/IDD Unit was established in 2004 and provides a broad approach to safety and action, along with awareness, for those with autism and other intellectual disabilities.”
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) we’re called to the scene of a dump truck fire on the ICC (200) between New Hampshire and Layhill Rd, according to Lt. Franco Martinez.
Units were able to extinguish the fire that came from the brakes of the dump truck. Some lanes are still blocked due to continued fire activity. Featured photo courtesy of Yael Azrad.
Exterior construction appears to be complete at the upcoming CVS location in the Kentlands. The fencing that surrounded the construction site for the last few months has been removed, but there is still work left to do on the surrounding parking lot and interior of the store (photos below). While an opening date has not been provided, it’s very possible that CVS could open in the next couple months.
We first reported that CVS would be taking over the old Tommy Joe’s/Boulevard Tavern/Brasserie Beck/O’Donnell’s location in the Kentlands back in 2019, and it took a while for demolition/construction to get started, but things have moved quickly in recent months.
Following months of delays due to flooding at the site, construction has continued at the upcoming Shake Shack location in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood. As shown in the featured photo, the frame of the building has gone up and it should construction of the building should move quickly from here, weather permitting. While an opening timeframe hasn’t been provided, we’d expect the restaurant to open in the first half of 2023.
Background: On July 8, 2021, Shake Shack was granted approval for the construction of a 4,700 square foot building with outdoor seating as the second of three commercial infill sites totaling 16,000 square feet along Kentlands Square Place. The burger chain was granted its license to sell beer and wine on the premises during its Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) hearing on January 6th of 2022, and prepared to break ground in February. Construction began in March, but stalled after flooding that occurred over the summer.
School District on Track to Have 326 Electric School Buses in Three Years and an Entirely Electric School Bus Fleet in 10 Years
Per MCPS: Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), one of the nation’s largest school districts, and Highland Electric Fleets (Highland), the leading provider of school bus fleet electrification-as-a-service in North America, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the country’s single largest deployment of electric school buses at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda.
Dany Flores-Lopez, an animal services officer with the Montgomery County Office of Animal Services (OAS), has been named the 2022 Humane Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by the National Animal Care and Control Association (NACA). The award is presented to an individual whose exceptional performance and work in the field of humane law enforcement has demonstrated a strong commitment to the safety and welfare of the animals in their community.
NACA has been presenting national awards for 25 years to individuals who have been directly involved in the animal care and control profession for a minimum of five years and are individual NACA members.Officer Flores-Lopez began his career with animals as a kennel attendant at the Montgomery County Humane Society before working as an animal control officer with the City of Gaithersburg. He was hired by the County in 2013. “I fell in love with animal care at a young age, but to be able to grow up and achieve my dream job is indescribable,” said Officer Flores-Lopez.
Montgomery County Council press release: On Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. Councilmember Andrew Friedson will co-host a virtual event titled “Why Everyone Should Be Concerned About Fetal and Infant Mortality,” with speakers and panelists from the Montgomery County Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Board Community Action Team, Montgomery County (MD) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Aaliyah in Action, and the African American Health Program. Sign up at http://bit.ly/FIMPanel
Each year, approximately 100 pregnant people in Montgomery County experience a pregnancy loss or death of their infant. The rate for Black women, 6.2 per 1,000 live births, is double the rate for white or Hispanic women. These tragic losses happen across the socioeconomic spectrum to those who are privately insured as well as those who receive Medicaid for their health care.
1. Quince Orchard 8-0 (LW 1)
The Cougars overcame a rocky start to dispatch rival Northwest 41-6. RB Iverson Howard ran for 85 yards on 10 attempts and 1 TD. With the victory Quince Orchard clinched the #1 seed in the 4A West Region. They will travel to Clarksburg on Friday to close out the regular season.
Bethesda based clothing line Collars & Co. will be featured on the November 11 episode of Shark Tank on ABC. According to their website, Collars & Co.’s mission is to “provide men and women with extremely high quality clothing that not only looks great, but feels amazing as well.” Their signature item is the “Dress Collar Polo”, a buttery soft polo with a standard English spread collar that is said to be more comfortable than a normal collard shirt. Additional information about the episode below, courtesy ABC:
“Peter Jones CBE, global investor and Dragon on BBC’s “Dragon’s Den” returns to the Tank. First into the Tank is an entrepreneur from Bethesda, Maryland, who presents his luxury apparel line designed to elevate one’s office look and help them escape the office feel. An entrepreneur from Spokane, Washington, pitches his portable solution to enjoying beverages on tap and take the party wherever one goes; while an entrepreneur from San Diego, California, hopes the Sharks go bananas for his stylish fruit preservation device. A husband and wife from Plano, Texas, hope to get the Sharks buzzing in the Tank with their re-imagined, higher-alcohol level, fruit-infused wine collection on an all-new episode of “Shark Tank” airing FRIDAY, NOV. 11 (8:00-9:01 p.m. EST), on ABC. Watch episodes on demand and on Hulu the day following the premiere.