Author: MCS Staff

Business

Spark By Hilton to Open in Germantown on Halloween

By MCS Staff

Hilton announced the forthcoming opening of Spark by Hilton Germantown (26260 Goldenrod Lane; 301-428-1300), continuing the company’s focus on the premium economy segment. Spark offers modern hospitality and exceptional essentials at a budget-friendly price. The Germantown property will be the second Spark by Hilton, to debut in less than a year after Hilton announced the new, exciting and fresh hotel brand. It is the first in the Washington Region and the next in what Hilton has announced as a pipeline of more than 400 expansion opportunities in various stages of development around the country.

Per Hilton: Located conveniently off of I-270 in Montgomery County, Spark by Hilton Germantown Washington DC North is perfectly situated to serve the lodging needs of business, government and personal travelers. Savvy travelers will be able to access The Highlands at Germantown Event and Meeting Center, offering a range of special event, celebration, and meeting facilities. The hotel is located within five minutes of the Maryland SoccerPlex and Clarksburg Premium Outlets and is immediately adjacent to Montgomery College and Holy Cross Germantown Hospital. All the amenities and attractions of the nation’s capital are just 45 minutes away, accessible by car or public transportation on the Metro Red Line rail.  The hotel is also close to Fort Meade, the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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Takoma Park

Metropolitan Branch Trail Update: City Awarded Funds to Complete Local Trail Designs

By MCS Staff

In September 2023, the Maryland Department of Transportation announced that the City of Takoma Park was awarded a grant to complete the technical plans for a full upgrade of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT).

The $465,000 award through the state’s Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program will build on the preliminary design efforts completed in June 2023. The preliminary designs propose widening and resurfacing the existing trail, which currently does not meet Montgomery County or industry standards for a high-volume trail of its type. The design also proposed pedestrian-scale lighting, improved crossings, stormwater management infrastructure, and new striping on the trail. The City’s section of the MBT will connect with new sections of the trail in both the DC and Montgomery County, currently under development.

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Entertainment

Gaithersburg’s New 9.54 Acre Park Expected to be Completed By The End of November; May Open to The Public As Early as December

By MCS Staff

Update: The opening has been delayed. New timeframe TBD

The City of Gaithersburg is in the process of developing a 9.54-acre park at 10901 Darnestown Rd. with parking, community gardens, a bicycle skills course (pump track), open space, pavilions, a playground, fitness pods, and a welcome plaza. Originally scheduled to be completed February 2023, there have been some delays. We spoke with City of Gaithersburg project engineer Sunil Prithviraj, who told us that substantial completion is tentatively expected by the third week of November. Currently, crews are preparing to lay asphalt at the entrance of the park and after some finishing touches, the park could be ready to open for the public in December. A video update can be seen below.

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MoCo Police

Takoma Park Police Receives Grant to Enhance Distracted and Impaired Driving Safety Initiatives

By MCS Staff

The Takoma Park Police Department (TPPD) has announced that it has been awarded a grant from the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office (MHSO) for Federal Fiscal Year 2024 to further its commitment to promoting road safety by combating distracted and impaired driving. The amount of money granted to the department has not been disclosed.

According to TPPD, The grant will enable the Takoma Park Police Department to complement its wide-ranging series of initiatives aimed at reducing accidents, injuries, and fatalities caused by distracted driving and impaired driving within our community.  The funding provided by the MHSO will support a range of programs and activities designed to raise awareness and improve safety on our city’s roadways.

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DC Sports

The 10 Washington Commanders Most Likely To Be Traded

By MCS Staff

With a tough loss to the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles sending the Washington Commanders to 3-5 (0-3 in the division) and the trade deadline looming, it appears that the team will trade away at least one of their star players to prepare for what the new ownership group hopes will be a brighter future. With that said, let’s look at the top 10 players most likely to be traded by Washington this week:

10. Terry McLaurin: McLaurin signed a huge deal to remain with Washington prior to last season, but he will be 29 next year and may not be the same receiver by the time this team is built to compete. His cap number is $11 million this year but skyrockets to $24 million next year. With that said, he has consistently been the team’s best player, so we don’t think he’s going anywhere.

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Entertainment

Ghost Story: Maryland’s Headless Horseman

By MCS Staff

From the Montgomery County Sentinel in 1876: “As the story goes, during the Civil War a soldier was decapitated by a saber in a skirmish around what is now Game Preserve Road. After the fight, his fellow soldiers hastily buried him in an unmarked grave, even though they couldn’t find his head to bury with his body.”

The story has been passed down for many generations and many have told tales about the supposed unmarked grave of the headless man. Some have recalled strange noises and apparitions with glowing eyes. Others have seen the figure of a headless soldier (sometimes on a horse and sometimes without it), while many have driven down the Gaithersburg, Maryland road several times and have stated they’ve never noticed anything out of the ordinary. NBC Washington’s Melissa Mollet highlighted the 150-year-old road in a video last year (available below).

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Arts

Gomez Addams (Actor John Astin) is a Maryland Native Who Was Raised in Montgomery County

By MCS Staff

John Astin, 93, who is perhaps best known for starring in the 1960s version of The Addams Family as patriarch Gomez Addams, is a Maryland native who was born in Baltimore and raised in Bethesda. Astin was born in Baltimore to Margaret Linnie (née Mackenzie) and Dr. Allen Varley Astin, who was the director of the National Bureau of Standards, now the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). At that time, Astin and his family resided on Battery Lane in Bethesda. Astin graduated from Johns Hopkins University (also in Maryland) in 1952.  He studied drama while at Johns Hopkins and was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at Johns Hopkins.

Astin got his start in theater, appearing on Broadway in the 50s. His first big film break came with a small role in West Side Story in 1961. Actor Tony Randall, famous for his role as Felix Unger in The Odd Couple, spotted Astin’s knack for comedic roles, which led to guest starring roles on the sitcoms Dennis the Menace, The Donna Reed Show, and more. During the 1962–63 television season, Astin had his first lead in a television series, the ABC sitcom I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster, co-starring with Marty Ingels. By the time I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster gained a following and started winning its time slot, ABC had already canceled the show after a total of 32 episodes were produced.

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Aspen Hill

Driver Backs Into Building in Stoney Mill Square (Near Korean Korner) Sunday Evening

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) have responded to the 12200blk Veirs Mill Rd., near Randolph Rd. (in the area of Korean Corner), for a collision involving a driver backing a vehicle up into the building in the Stoney Mill Square shopping center at approximately 5:30pm.

The vehicle primarily hit the entrance of Quickway and partially hit the entrance of King Pollo. Several units have responded and a building inspector has been requested. One witness has claimed that a driver hit another car before backing into the building. No word on injuries or a cause for the collision at this moment. Featured photo courtesy of Claudia Reyes (@ok_calirey)

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Beyond MoCo

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Intercepts 46 Pounds of Ketamine Concealed in Air Cargo from Cameroon at Dulles

By MCS Staff

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized about 46 pounds of ketamine, an animal tranquilizer abused by users, in an air cargo shipment from Cameroon on October 10 at Washington Dulles International Airport.

According to CBP: CBP agriculture specialists examined a shipment manifested as “Garri and Water FuFu” that was destined to an address in Washington, D.C. Inside the shipment, agriculture specialists found five packages labeled as Water Fufu, a solid porridge made from puree of cassava or other starchy products, and two packages labeled as Garri, flour produced from cassava root.

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Restaurants

Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream Opens First of Two MoCo Locations

By MCS Staff

Mimi’s Handmade ice cream has officially “soft opened” its first Montgomery County location in Federal Plaza at 12274 Rockville Pike Suite E. It has taken over the space previously occupied by Yogi Castle. Yogi Castle closed permanently this spring and Mimi’s Handmade took possession of the space in May. The ice cream shop hoped to open by the end of the summer but had to settle for a beautiful fall weekend.

Mimi’s Handmade will also be opening a second Montgomery County location in The Heights food hall, which is stated to open soon. Mimi’s opened its first location in Arlington in the summer of 2021. Mimi’s is named for one of owner Rollin Amore’s two daughters. He credits his extensive travels over the last 30 years for the unique flavors like roasted banana nut, olive OYL, butterfly pea, maple cashew, and more, offered at the ice cream shop. The shop offers a wide variety of other flavors, including more traditional options.

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