MCS Staff, Author at The MoCo Show

Edward Garrison Draper Posthumously Admitted to Maryland Bar 166 Years After Being Rejected For Not Being White

Published October 27, 2023 at 7:14AM

The Supreme Court of Maryland held a Special Session on October 26, 2023, for the posthumous bar admission of Edward Garrison Draper, the earliest known individual found fully qualified to practice law in Maryland, but who was denied the privilege of doing so based on his race. The recording of the proceedings can be seen here.

Per the Supreme Court of Maryland: On October 29, 1857, Mr. Draper—a graduate of Dartmouth who had studied the law for more than two years under the guidance of a Maryland attorney—presented himself for examination for admission to the Maryland Bar before Baltimore Superior Court Judge Zachaeus Collins Lee. After the examination, Judge Lee found Mr. Draper to be “qualified in all respects to be admitted to the Bar in Maryland,” except that he was not white. Mr. Draper was thus precluded from practicing law in Maryland based exclusively on the color of his skin.

MCPS

MoCo High School Sports Scores for Oct 26, 2023 (Including Regional Tournaments)

By MCS Staff

Published October 26, 2023 at 11:23PM

Let us know in the comments for any missing scores.

I-270

Four Open House Meetings on Future of I-270 and I-495 To Be Held by MDOT This Fall

By MCS Staff

Published October 26, 2023 at 11:12PM

The Maryland Department of Transportation announces the addition of a fourth open house meeting this fall to engage the public on the American Legion Bridge and 270 Corridor Program and gather community feedback as the program advances. The meetings provide the opportunity for corridor travelers, project neighbors and other stakeholders to directly engage with the program team on potential multimodal transportation solutions for the corridor. The newly announced open house is centrally located in the program corridor:

The series of open houses follow Governor Wes Moore’s August 21 announcement of the path forward for the future of the I-495 and I-270 corridors with a comprehensive program to improve access, opportunity, and quality of life in the Washington region through multimodal enhancements along the I-495 and I-270 corridors, including replacement of the aging American Legion Bridge. The previously announced open houses will take place at three venues along the program corridor:

Education

Statement from Board of Ed. President Karla Silvestre Concerning MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight’s Medical Leave

By MCS Staff

Published October 26, 2023 at 10:53PM

Montgomery County Board of Education President Karla Silvestre made the following statement at the Board’s business meeting today, Thursday, Oct. 26, concerning Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight’s medical leave.

“Dr. McKnight is on temporary medical leave to receive treatment for a persistent health issue. We are in contact with her and happy to report that she is in good condition and recovering at home. During the time she is out of the office, Brian Hull, the current Chief Operating Officer, will serve as Acting Superintendent. The Board sends our support to Dr. McKnight and her family and wish her a speedy recovery and safe return to work.”

Uncategorized

31-Year-Old Man Located Safe and Unharmed After Five Days Missing

By MCS Staff

Published October 26, 2023 at 10:43PM | Updated October 27, 2023 at 7:21AM

Update per Montgomery County Police: Rashawn Williams has been located safe and unharmed. Per Montgomery County Assistant Chief Administrator Dr. Earl Stoddard, “Officer Jon Greene, who specializes in finding missing persons as the MCPD Search Manager, located Mr. Williams and helped return him to his family.”

NBC Washington assignment editor Tom Lynch tweeted that Rashawn Williams was found inside of a room at Glenmont Metro station, where he was since Saturday without food or water. He is recovering at a Montgomery County hospital.

Restaurants

Kusshi Sushi to Open Rockville Town Square Location

By MCS Staff

Published October 26, 2023 at 10:05PM

Kusshi Sushi has officially signed on to take over the space that was home to popular sushi restaurant Sushi Damo at 36G Maryland Ave in Rockville Town Square for over 15 years. Sushi Damo, one of the first tenants of Rockville Town Square, closed permanently on October 1st.

Kusshi Sushi, which has additional MoCo locations in Pike & Rose and Downtown Silver Spring (along with an Arlington Pentagon Row and Tysons Pike 7 Plaza in Northern VA), will be renovating the restaurant and has already submitted drawings to the landlord for approval. They hope to begin construction in early 2024 and open in the spring of 2024. Kusshi is working on keeping the Sushi Damo sushi chef at the restaurant and has also made offers for Sushi Damo servers to join the new restaurant once it opens.

Education

MCPS: Five Things To Know For October 26th

By MCS Staff

Published October 26, 2023 at 8:01PM

MCPS has sent its community message with five things to know for Thursday, October 26th. The full message can be seen below:

Halloween can be a fun time with friends and neighbors. However, it is also a high-risk time for injuries. Even if you are not participating in Halloween activities, you can take action to keep our neighborhoods safe:

Germantown

A Look at Maryland’s Largest High School

By MCS Staff

Published October 26, 2023 at 4:16PM | Updated October 26, 2023 at 7:29PM

Before it became the largest high school in Maryland, in terms of square footage (here’s a list of the 20 largest by enrollment), Seneca Valley High School (19401 Crystal Rock Dr. Germantown, MD) opened in its original building in 1974. The school sits on land that was once the site of a dairy farm owned by baseball player Walter Johnson. Johnson purchased the land in 1935 and lived there with his family until his death in 1946. It was Germantown’s only high school until Northwest opened in 1998.

In its first year of operation, the 1974-1975 school year, under Principal Nathan Pearson, Seneca Valley hosted students in grades seven through ten. In the following 1975-1976 school year, the school operated grades nine through eleven, with 8th graders transferring to the newly opened Ridgeview Junior High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. During the 1976-1977 school year, Seneca Valley became a senior high school, hosting grades ten through twelve, and graduating its first class in June 1977. Finally in 1988, Seneca Valley changed to its present state of full-fledged high school with grades 9-12. The original school building was demolished in 2020 and replaced with a new building on-site in 2021.

Bethesda

The Ghosts of Glen Echo

By MCS Staff

Published October 26, 2023 at 3:31PM

Glen Echo Park was first developed in 1891 as a National Chautauqua Assembly, which taught the sciences, arts, languages, and literature. The Chautauqua lasted for just one season, and by the early 1900s, the site had become Glen Echo Amusement Park — the premier amusement park serving the Washington area until 1968, when it closed (learn more about the civil rights story here). Below we will share with you a tragic tale that has become somewhat of a local ghost story. A video of what Glen Echo Park looks like today can be seen below.

Glen Echo Park was home to the “Coaster Dips” roller coaster. The popular attraction opened in May 1921 and remained until the park closed in 1968. Coaster Dips was nearly 70 feet tall, and the Potomac River could be seen in the distance before plummeting to the bottom of the rickety wooden coaster. Tragically, William J. Lawrence, a 21-year-old Washington drug clerk, fell from the coaster in 1929. According to local legend, screams from the coaster echo into the late evening hours on clear nights. Per the Washington Post in 1929:

DMV

Metrorail to Open Two Hours Early For Marine Corps Marathon, Oct. 29

By MCS Staff

Published October 26, 2023 at 1:52PM

Per WMATA: If you’re headed off to the races for the 2023 Marine Corps Marathon, Metrorail will get you there starting at 5 a.m. on race day, Sunday, October 29. All lines will open early, with no scheduled track work, to get you to the start line conveniently located off the Blue or Yellow lines.

Metro is the quickest way to get around to avoid traffic and road closures. Spectators can cheer on their favorite runners by hopping on Metro to the nearest station along the course. All lines will operate frequent all-day service and fares are an affordable $2 flat rate for any one-way trip.

Crime

Body of Man Who Killed Maryland Circuit Court Judge Found in Wooded Area Late Thursday Morning

By MCS Staff

Published October 26, 2023 at 1:17PM

Per the Washington County Sheriff’s Office: “On October 26, 2023, at approximately 11:00 AM, during an expanded evidentiary search in the Williamsport, MD area, a deceased person was located. The deceased individual has been positively identified as Pedro Argote, the suspect wanted for the murder of Maryland Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson.

The deceased was located in a heavily wooded area between Clear Spring Road and Bottom Road approximately 1 mile North West of where the suspect vehicle was found. A press conference has been scheduled for 3 PM and will be held at the Washington County Administration Building, 100 West Washington Street, Hagerstown, MD.”