MCS Staff, Author at The MoCo Show

MoCo Native and Good Counsel Alumna, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Stars in Upcoming ‘The Color Purple’ Remake

Published May 24, 2023 at 7:47AM

Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, a Montgomery County native and 2011 graduate of Good Counsel in Olney, will star as young Celine in the upcoming remake of The Color Purple. The movie portrays the story of the life-long struggles of an African American woman living in the south during the early 1900s and is a remake of the 1985 classic film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, and Oprah Winfrey that was directed by Steven Spielberg.

Mpasi will play lead character Celie Harris Johnson in her younger years, with Fantasia Barrino playing the lead character as an older adult. Per a bio on Coverfly, Mpasi “is the joyful daughter of Congolese immigrants. An alumna of Elon University, this actress, writer, comedian, and singer was seen in Broadway’s The Lion King and desires to tell stories showcasing the excellence of underrepresented people through a comedic lens.”

Maryland

“Marylanders Should Be Wary of Deceptive Online Sports Betting Companies and Scams” – Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown

By MCS Staff

Published May 24, 2023 at 7:24AM

Online sports betting is prevalent and easier to access, now that it is legal in Maryland. Consumers should not forget that they are gambling with real money and that they can suffer devastating financial losses if their gambling becomes problematic. For assistance with problem gambling, Marylanders can visit the Maryland Alliance for Responsible Gambling at https://www.mdgamblinghelp.org/ or call 1-800-Gambler.

Education

Former Maryland/NBA Star Walt Williams Will Speak at Sherwood’s Graduation

By MCS Staff

Published May 24, 2023 at 7:17AM

“The Wizard” Walt Williams will give the commencement speech at Sherwood High School on Friday, June 9th. Williams is a D.C. native who was a star at the University of Maryland before being taken with the 7th pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. His NBA career spanned over a decade, scoring over 8,000 points with nearly 1,000 made three pointers.

Williams is a MoCo resident with three sons who have all attended Sherwood High School. He was even an assistant basketball coach for the team for a couple years while two of his sons played basketball for Sherwood. Sherwood’s graduation will take place at UMBC on Friday, June 9th at 2:30pm.

Education

MCPS Students Build Home in Layhill as Part of Edison’s Students Construction Trades Foundation

By MCS Staff

Published May 24, 2023 at 6:44AM

Montgomery County Students Construction Trades Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit foundation established cooperatively by the Montgomery County business and professional community and Montgomery County Public Schools to promote and encourage the interests of career education related to construction. Students actively participate each year in the Young American Design/Build Project, and this year they’ve built their 43rd Young American home in Layhill (photos below courtesy of Councilmembers Natali Fani-Gonzalez and Kate Stewart).

The Construction Technology Programs consist of courses in:

DC Sports

“Nah, Doesn’t Interest Me” – Marc Elrich on a Commanders Stadium in MoCo

By MCS Staff

Published May 23, 2023 at 8:40PM

“Nah, doesn’t interest me,” County Executive Marc Elrich said regarding MoCo putting in a bid for the Commanders new stadium, in an interview with the Washington Business Journal.

The team is currently in the process of being sold– coincidentally from one MoCo native (Dan Snyder) to another (Josh Harris), but Elrich stated that “people who makes deals for stadiums get their clocks cleaned” and that he’s “got enough problems in the county without having another drain on the county budget and a bunch of lousy jobs for people making minimal wages so I can have a billionaire raking in all this money.”

Restaurants

Krispy Kreme is Offering a Free Original Glaze Dozen to Graduating Seniors on Wednesday, May 24

By MCS Staff

Published May 23, 2023 at 8:11PM

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to the 2023 graduating seniors – YOU DID IT! Krispy Kreme wants to celebrate you by giving you a FREE Original Glazed® Dozen with your very own Dough-ploma. Come by in-shop or drive-thru with your proof of senior status and pick up your FREE Original Glazed® Dozen to celebrate all you have achieved! The lone Montgomery County Krispy Kreme location, at 14919 Shady Grove Rd in the Fallsgrove shopping center in Rockville, will be participating in this event.

Proof of senior status includes: cap and gown with 2023 tassel, class of 2023 apparel (t-shirt, sweatshirt, etc.), 2023 letterman jacket featuring senior status, 2023 class ring, graduation announcement featuring name with matching ID, student photo ID featuring senior status or any other Class of 2023 senior swag. Additional information can be found here.

Maryland

“Marylanders are Done With Illegal Robocalls” – Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown

By MCS Staff

Published May 23, 2023 at 7:48PM

Attorney General Brown Sues Avid Telecom Over Illegal Robocalls; Service Provider Allegedly Transmitted Calls in Schemes Ranging from Social Security to Auto Warranty Scams

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced today that, along with 48 other Attorneys General’s Offices, his Consumer Protection Division has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, alleging that Michael D. Lansky, LLC, which does business under the name Avid Telecom, and the company’s owner, Michael Lansky, and Vice President, Stacey S. Reeves, initiated and facilitated billions of illegal robocalls in violation of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the federal Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Maryland Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws.

Education

MoCo Board of Education Seeks Applicants to Fill Positions on Ethics Panel

By MCS Staff

Published May 23, 2023 at 7:02PM

The Montgomery County Board of Education is seeking to fill one vacancy on its five-member Ethics Panel (Panel). The vacancies are for a three-year term beginning on July 1, 2023. Members serve without compensation.

As noted in Board Policy, BBB, Ethics, among the Panel’s responsibilities are: (1) approving financial disclosure forms; (2) interpreting the Board of Education’s Ethics Policy and issuing advisory opinions concerning its application; and (3) conducting hearings on complaints filed regarding an alleged violation.

Aspen Hill

Sephora to Open in Aspen Hill and Gaithersburg Kohl’s Locations in June

By MCS Staff

Published May 23, 2023 at 6:47PM

Sephora opened inside Kohl’s in Calverton and Germantown earlier this year, after Kohl’s announced a major partnership with Sephora that would open 850 Sephora “shop-in-shops” in Kohl’s locations across the country by 2023, in a similar deal to the one struck between Target and Ulta. Sephora previously had a partnership with J.C. Penney that has been slowly winding down ever since J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy in 2020.

Kohl’s will now be opening Sephora locations in its two remaining Montgomery County locations– Aspen Hill and Gaithersburg. Both are expected to open in mid/late June, according to store representatives. Sephora products that are available online and can be shipped to any of the Kohl’s locations in the area.

Montgomery Parks

Montgomery Parks Extends Open Parkways for Memorial Day Weekend, Announces Operating Hours  

By MCS Staff

Published May 23, 2023 at 6:00PM

Montgomery Parks announces Memorial Day operating hours, including extending its Open Parkways through Tuesday, May 30, for the holiday weekend. Open Parkways Schedule: 

The Open Parkways will be extended during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. During this time, parkways are open to pedestrians and bicyclists and closed to motor vehicles.

Events

City of Gaithersburg to Recognize Fallen Soldiers on Memorial Day

By MCS Staff

Published May 23, 2023 at 3:18PM

Loyalty & patriotism will be on full display as the City joins the nation in honoring all who have given their lives in military service at its Memorial Day Observance on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 11 a.m. at Christman Park. The public is invited to join the Mayor & City Council, Junior Mayor Milly Abdo, City staff and honored guests in a tribute to those of all generations who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Joining the May 30 observance is guest speaker retired Army Lt. Col. Larry D. Williams. Williams is a trial attorney, a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, Supreme Court of Virginia, and the Armed Forces Court of Appeals. He has been a guest lecturer at the FBI Academy, and has published articles in the “American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.”