Bethesda

Allbirds will bring its New Zealand-American global lifestyle brand, that has garnered a lot of success online in recent years, to Bethesda Row between Levain Bakery and Apple. Signage is now up at the upcoming location, which will open later this year (no date available yet).

Allbirds joins a premium lineup of recently opened or soon to be opened retail, spa/services, and dining destinations in the neighborhood including:


Poolesville

The National Park Service owns about 65 acres of land around White’s Ferry and are developing a master plan for the area. The first planning session about the master plan was presented by a contractor running the project earlier this month. They outlined a preliminary sketch of proposed improvements for the land, which are designed around outdoor recreation activities.

A major charge of the C & O Canal Park system is to help educate the public about the history of the canal. The new plan does not include any facilities or projects focusing on the history of the area where White’s Ferry is situated. At one time, some 100 ferries crossed the Potomac. They were a vital part of the canal’s operations, bringing grain, finished goods and materials across the river to be sent up and down the canal for processing and use. There was once a granary at Whites Ferry itself. You can see its remains as you drive into the Ferry.


Business

Earlier this month, QIAGEN N.V.  (which has its United States headquarters in Germantown) announced that it signed agreements to acquire a 96% majority ownership stake in BLIRT SA (Polish Stock Exchange: BLR), a manufacturer of recombinant enzymes for the life science industry based in Gdansk, Poland. 

Per the press release: BLIRT develops, manufactures and commercializes standardized and customized solutions for proteins and enzymes as well as molecular biology reagents. Its offering includes proteins and enzymes that are critical to the life sciences industry and diagnostic kit manufacturers, especially for non-COVID-19 applications. BLIRT, founded in 1994 in Gdansk, Poland, has approximately 90 employees and generated 2021 sales of less than $10 million.


Business

Last month, Gaithersburg-based Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, Inc. (“APT”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to providing therapies to treat infectious diseases, announced that the AMR Action Fund has added $20 million to an existing $41 million Series B round as a co-investor, bringing the Series B total to $61 million. The new funding follows initial Series B closing in May 2021 and will be used to accelerate clinical trials against Prosthetic Joint Infection (PJI) and Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis (DFO).

Per the press release: The round was initiated in May 2021 and led by Deerfield Management Company, with participation from a second institutional investor and Mayo Clinic. Proceeds of the AMR Action Fund’s investment are primarily intended to support APT’s clinical trials to address substantial unmet patient needs in Prosthetic Joint Infection (PJI) and Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis (DFO).


MoCoSnow

Coming off of a very warm Memorial Day, temperatures are expected to reach the mid 90s today (Tuesday, 5/31) and tomorrow (Wednesday, 6/1). Today is expected to get to about 93° and tomorrow to 94° with humidity expected to accompany the high temps, making both days feel around 100°.

Thursday will cool down a bit, with expected highs just over 80° And some thunderstorms coming out way before a cooler Friday with high temperatures in the upper 70s. As of now the weekend is looking nice with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s.


Gaithersburg

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Maryland

Maryland men’s lacrosse has won the National Championship completed its undefeated season by defeating Cornell 9-7, becoming the first team to complete an undefeated season with a championship since UVA in 2006.

The Terps, who finished the season 18-0, were helped by three MoCo natives– Matthew Copp, Zach Wittier; and Alex Smith. One additional player, John Geppert, attended high school in MoCo (Landon), but is from D.C.


Education

The details emerging concerning how the gunman gained access to the school and the police response have raised questions across the country about school safety. At this time, not all facts are known, but I want to share with you what we do in MCPS to ensure safety and to be prepared against these types of attacks. Our preparedness is rooted in four key areas.

The questions now being asked about the police response during the school shooting in Texas, and specifically, the time it allegedly took to enter the classroom, have prompted a conversation with our police partners. We have since reaffirmed with Montgomery County Police that their policy and training regarding an active shooter situation  is that the first responding officer(s) would immediately move to preserve life. This is accomplished by actively engaging any suspect who may demonstrate imminent harm to any student or staff member inside or outside any school in Montgomery County. Our allied law enforcement partners also support this approach.  


Bethesda

Last March, Foxtrot, the modern corner store, café and delivery market, announced its continued DMV expansion with the planned opening of its first Maryland location at Bethesda Row (7262 Woodmont Avenue). It will be moving in to the space currently occupied by Mussel Bar & Grille, which closed in April.

Now, Foxtrot has put up “coming soon” signage in the windows ahead of a planned fall opening. Foxtrot will serve as a neighborhood destination where Bethesda residents can gather to grab a coffee, enjoy a meal, or pick up pantry staples and a bottle of wine.


Education

A celebration of life for longtime MCPS physical education teacher, Mr. William S. Allen, will be held at Earle B Wood Middle School on Saturday, June 11th from 1pm until 3pm.

Mr. Allen was a physical education teacher at Wood Middle School for 52 years before retiring last June. He passed away on Friday, May 20th at the age of 76.


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