Beyond MoCo

Candytopia opened a couple weeks back in Tyson’s Corner and tickets are available for the exhibit that boasts an experience close to “scoring a golden ticket.” The exhibit, which also has a location in New York and one coming soon to Cleveland, has tickets available through May 31st. Tickets go for $23 for children 4-12, $30 for adults, and free for children 3 and under. Additional information on what to expect below:

“Welcome to Candytopia, where colossal candyfloss constructions meld with a tantalizing taffy twistedness. If you’ve ever dreamed of nibbling your way through Candyland or scoring a Golden Ticket, you’ve come to the right place.


Bethesda

The Bethesda Circulator is a free way to get around town in Bethesda. There is now a new app to see the buses on the route. Scan the QR Code below to download the app through RidePingo. You can also go to your smartphone’s app store with the links below to download the app through RidePingo (orange icon with arrow pointing to the right).

1. Open, then Select “Get started”


Events

The Town of Poolesville will be holding its annual youth fishing tournament next month. The Richard S. McKernon Youth Fishing Tournament will take place at Stevens Park Pond on May 13 from 9am until 11am. All youths between the ages of 6 and 16 are invited to come on out and “catch some fun”.  Cost is $1.00 and the event is held rain or shine. Prizes awarded for each age category. Tournament Rules (and registration) below:

Register here.


Business

Deka Biosciences (“Deka”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered at 20271 Goldenrod Lane in Germantown and focused on developing novel cytokine therapies to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases, announced that the first subject has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial of DK210 (EGFR) at NEXT Oncology in Fairfax, Virginia. The Phase 1, first-in-human, multicenter clinical study seeks to characterize the safety, potential efficacy and evaluate possible biomarkers of response to DK210 (EGFR) in patients with advanced solid cancer(s) who are expressing epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) (NCT05704985).

Per the press release: “We are beyond thrilled to begin the clinical trial of DK210 (EGFR), marking our first program to enter clinical development,” said John Mumm, Ph.D., President and CEO of Deka. “Importantly, we anticipate that the results of the study will confirm the clinical safety, pharmacokinetics, exploratory efficacy and correlative biomarker responses to our first DiakineTM, establishing a solid foundation for the expanded use of this treatment in cancer patients.”


Bethesda

Kindbody, a technology-driven fertility clinic network and family-building benefits provider for employers, announced the opening of a new clinic– Kindbody Bethesda. The clinic is located at 6000 Executive Blvd in Rockville/N. Bethesda. The announcement comes at a time of extraordinary growth for the company which owns and operates 32 clinics nationwide, including a state-of-the-art fertility clinic and IVF lab conveniently off of Dupont Circle and 19th Street in Washington, D.C. Kindbody Bethesda was built to meet the growing demand for comprehensive fertility and family-building benefits by local employers including Kindbody client GEICO, which is headquartered in Chevy Chase, MD, and employs nearly 7,000 corporate associates in the greater Washington, D.C.metro area. In addition to GEICO, Kindbody serves 21 large employers in the region, covering more than 27,000 lives.

Per the press release: “Since opening our doors in Washington, D.C. last spring, we’ve seen unprecedented demand from local employers who understand the critical role fertility benefits play in attracting and retaining world-class talent and building inclusive workplaces,” said Taryn Branca, Chief Revenue Officer at Kindbody. “Our new Bethesda location allows them to provide a premium fertility benefit with significant cost savings, as a result of working directly with the healthcare provider.”


Business

MTV Entertainment Studios announced that Gaithersburg’s Passion for Learning is among 22 non-profit organizations in more than 20 cities that will receive grant funding for local activations taking place on the third annual Mental Health Action Day on Thursday, May 18, 2023.

Passion for Learning | Gaithersburg, MD | Take Action! For Mental Wellness event on Mental Health Action Day 2023 will provide an opportunity for high-school and college-aged students to take a meaningful break from the hustle and grind of AP tests and final exams and discover strategies for reclaiming their mental wellness through guided meditation and deep relaxation. This event will be hosted at the Takoma Park/ Silver Spring campus of Montgomery College and will be open both to students and to the local community.


Restaurants

Japong Bakery, which opened at 785 Rockville Pike in the Ritchie Center nearly five years ago in October 2018, has announced that it’ll temporarily close for approximately three weeks as the bakery transitions to its new location at 765 A Rockville Pike within the same shopping center.

“Dear Japong Customers, We will be moving to our new and improved location, to better serve you in the future! Please excuse our closing from 4/17/2023 to 5/09/2023, as we transition our operations to the new storefront. We thank you for your continuous support and understanding, and we look forward to seeing you again soon for our grand reopening! Let’s Japong! 765 A Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20785”


Celebrities

Jordan Hawkins, who is coming off of leading the UConn Huskies to a National Championship, has officially declared for the NBA Draft. Hawkins is a Montgomery County native who attended Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Germantown and Gaithersburg High School for his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to DeMatha. Below is his announcement:

“First and Foremost I would like to thank God for giving me this opportunity. I want to thank my family for their continued support and guidance throughout this entire process. To Coach Hurley and the entire UConn staff thank you for believing in my dream and pushing me at times I felt like giving up.


Aspen Hill

The investigation by detectives has revealed that at approximately 7:54 p.m., the three suspects entered the store, stole a large amount of merchandise and left the scene. The first suspect is described as a Hispanic male, in his twenties or thirties, with black short hair, wearing a black Jordan hat, a black mask, a plaid long sleeved-bottom shirt, blue jeans and black/white Nike tennis shoes. The second suspect is described as a Hispanic female, in her twenties or thirties, with long blue hair, carrying a brown purse and wearing a plaid dress and gray tennis shoes.


Gaithersburg

The MoCo natives behind Passion for Ezra posted the following on social media when it was announced the shoes they created for Donna Kelce, whose sons Jason and Travis played against each other in the Super Bowl earlier this year, would be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, “It’s official we made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame… we’ve waited for this to be announced officially! We will be getting our tickets to Canton today ❤️”

Proud momma Donna Kelce was interviewed by GQ magazine prior to the Super Bowl. During the interview, she was wearing a half Chiefs half Eagles jacket that was created by a business that is owned and operated by MoCo natives. “This is a jacket that Passion For Ezra put together. The Eagles on one sleeve and the Chiefs on the other. And then on the back—I don’t know if you can see—the names and then the two logos for the Chiefs and the Eagles. So this is really fun, this jean jacket. I really love it.” In addition to the jacket created for Mrs. Kelce, Passion For Ezra made a custom pair of shoes- Philadelphia Eagles on the left foot and Kansas City Chiefs on the right. The shoes have made it to the Hall of Fame, along with a custom split jersey Kelce wore while cheering on her sons.


Crime

Takoma Park Police has issued the following correction on its press release:  The victim met one of the suspects on a social media site. That suspect lured the victim to an isolated location where additional suspects were waiting to commit the robbery.

Per Takoma Park Police: On April 7, at approximately 1:51 am, Takoma Park Police responded to the area of Prince George’s Avenue and Elm Avenue (Forest Park) for the report of an armed robbery. The victim was in Forest Park when he was approached by three suspects, one armed with what appeared to be a white rifle with a scope and another suspect armed with a baseball bat. The suspects demanded property from the victim to which he complied.  The suspects put the victim on the ground, tied his hands and told him to remain there until they were gone.  The suspects fled on foot in an unknown direction.  The victim freed himself and notified police.


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