MCS Staff, Author at The MoCo Show

Planners Brief Planning Board on Approach to Conduct Legislatively Required Climate Assessment of Zoning Text Amendments and Master Plans

Published December 9, 2022 at 8:01PM

County Bill 3-22 passed in July 2022 requires climate assessments of bills, zoning text amendments and master plans

The Montgomery County Planning Department briefed the Planning Board on a proposed approach to conduct climate assessment of Zoning Text Amendments (ZTAs) and master plans as required by the County Bill 3-22. On July 25, 2022, the Montgomery County Council signed Bill 3-22, “Climate Assessments” into law. The bill requires the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) to conduct a climate assessment of introduced county bills starting January 1, 2023, and the Planning Board to conduct a climate assessment of proposed ZTAs, master plans, and master plan amendments starting March 1, 2023.

Aspen Hill

Three New Dunkin’ Locations Are Coming to Montgomery County

By MCS Staff

Published December 9, 2022 at 7:50PM

Since Inspire Brands acquired Dunkin’ and Baskin Robbins in late 2020 for $11.3 billion, the company has been opening in former bank locations that allow for easy installation of a drive-thru window. Dunkin’ has also aimed for non-traditional development that includes opening in airports and on college campuses, including the University of Maryland, but the three newest Dunkin’ coffee/donut shops that are coming to MoCo will all be in locations that were formally banks.

One of the latest upcoming Dunkin’ locations is currently under construction at the Layhill Center (14328 Layhill Rd) in Silver Spring. The new location, which will have a drive-thru, will be located next to Sole D’Italia, in the space that was formerly home to Truist and BB&T Bank. Dunkin’ also has an upcoming location coming to the Traville Village Center in Rockville. It will be taking over the former Capital One Bank building at 9761 Traville Gateway Dr. We expect more news coming out of the shopping center regarding the former Nantucket’s Reef location very soon. Dunkin’ is also working on an upcoming location coming to the Goshen Crossing Shopping Center in Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village. It will be taking over the former Capital One Bank building at 20000 Goshen Rd.

Business

MoCo’s United Therapeutics Named by Newsweek as One of America’s Most Responsible Companies

By MCS Staff

Published December 9, 2022 at 5:41PM

United Therapeutics, a public benefit corporation headquartered in Silver Spring, announced that the company has been named on Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2023. This award is presented by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The list of awards was announced on December 7, 2022, is available on Newsweek’s website, and recognizes the top 500 most responsible companies in the United States, spanning 14 industries.

Per the press release: America’s Most Responsible Companies were selected based on publicly available key performance indicators derived from Corporate Social Responsibility Reports and Sustainability Reports, as well as an independent survey asking U.S. citizens about their perception of company activities related to corporate social responsibility. The key performance indicators focused on company performance in the environmental, social, and corporate governance areas, while the independent survey asked U.S. citizens about their perception of company activities related to corporate social responsibility. United Therapeutics’ 2022 Corporate Responsibility and Public Benefit Report can be found at corporateresponsibility.unither.com.

Arts

Churchill Alumna Kamie Crawford to Host Newest Season of ‘Are You The One?’

By MCS Staff

Published December 9, 2022 at 5:35PM

Kamie Crawford, a 2010 graduate of Churchill High School, has just announced that she’ll be the host of the latest season of Are You The One?, which will air exclusively on Paramount+ after 8 seasons on MTV and a 3 year break. Crawford is no stranger to MTV, as she she served as part of a panel of rotating hosts for the second part of season 7 of the television series Catfish after Max Joseph’s departure from the series. In 2020, she became the permanent co-host of the MTV series.

On July 24, 2010, just weeks after graduating from Churchill High School in Potomac, Crawford represented Maryland in the Miss Teen USA 2010 pageant where she made history by being the first contestant from Maryland to win the title. While at Churchill, Crawford was the captain of the Varsity cheerleading team. She was selected into the medical program for the Congressional Student Leadership Conference at Georgetown University. In September 2010, Crawford enrolled in classes at the New York Film Academy while taking some core classes at a local college. She graduated from Fordham University in 2015 with a degree in communications and media and began a career in television and hosting.

Gaithersburg

Cougar Pride- It’s a Real Thing (By Syl Sobel)

By MCS Staff

Published December 9, 2022 at 5:07PM

Shortly before kickoff of Thursday night’s Maryland 4A state championship football game at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman noticed that he’d received a text message from former Quince Orchard High School football star Johnny Hodges. “He wants to know where he can get a livestream of the game,” said Ashman to his companions at the 50-yard-line as they prepared to watch QO defend its state title against C.H. Flowers High School of Prince Georges County.

That Hodges, a 2019 QO graduate and cocaptain of the 2018 championship team, would still want to watch a team of players who weren’t even at QO when he played, isn’t all that remarkable when you think about it. Hodges’ loyalty to his former coaches and the QO football program runs deep. Neither is the fact that of all the people he might contact to find out where to find a livestream, he’d choose the Mayor of Gaithersburg. Ashman’s love of QO football as a parent of two QO alums, including a former football player, is well known throughout the community.

Events

‘Holiday Street Fest’ (with Fireworks) To Take Place at Rio on Saturday, December 10

By MCS Staff

Published December 9, 2022 at 4:23PM

Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg will hold a ‘Holiday Street Fest’ that will include a fireworks presentation on Saturday, December 10th. The fun begins with a market during the day from 1pm-5pm, a DJ playing music from 5pm-7pm and fireworks at 6:45pm. Additional details, per Rio, below:

Crime

Serial Bank Robber From Gaithersburg Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Bank Robbery and for Violating Supervised Release for Two Previous Federal Robbery Convictions

By MCS Staff

Published December 9, 2022 at 2:06PM

Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte today sentenced Christopher Michael Cline, a/k/a “Carisa Cline,” age 46, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, to 24 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after the defendant pleaded guilty to bank robbery. The defendant also admitted violating two terms of supervised release for previous federal bank robbery convictions.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

MCPS

Montgomery County Police Responds to Accidental Discharge of BB Gun at Local Middle School on Thursday

By MCS Staff

Published December 9, 2022 at 8:33AM | Updated December 9, 2022 at 8:56AM

A letter (available below) was sent home to the Silver Spring International Middle School community on Thursday, December 8th, detailing an incident involving a BB gun accidentally discharging and striking a student in the leg during the school day.

According to the letter, a 7th grade student showed a BB gun to a friend when it accidentally discharged and struck her friend in the upper thigh. There were no injuries, as the student was examined by the school nurse following the incident, and the BB gun was confiscated by school security. Montgomery County Police and Montgomery County Public School Systemwide Safety reported to the school to investigate the incident. Full letter below:

Damascus

Inclusion in the Workplace is Prioritized by That Smoothie Place as it Soft Opens Starting Today

By MCS Staff

Published December 9, 2022 at 8:15AM

Back in May we let you know about ‘That Smoothie Place’ coming to Damascus, taking over the location that was formerly home to Sprint in the Damascus shopping center at 9815 Main Street, suite 106. The store is soft opening starting today, Friday, December 9th, and it’s not just about healthy snacks at That Smoothie Place, where an inclusive workplace is prioritized.

Per That Smoothie Place: “Our store started as a small dream, a small food truck with big ideas and a focus on inclusivity. Only a year into opening our tiny smoothie truck, it gained popularity as word spread that our employees were indeed the center of our positive vibes. That began our journey to search for a storefront to expand and spread love and smoothies.

Bethesda

La Catrina Opens Today For Dinner and Dancing

By MCS Staff

Published December 9, 2022 at 8:02AM

Back in August we let you know that La Catrina Bar & Lounge is coming to 4935 Cordell Avenue in Bethesda, taking over the location that was formerly home to George’s Chophouse, 4935 Bar & Kitchen, The Loft at 4935, Tragara’s, and others. The has pushed back the opening date a couple times, but has now announced that it will be opening on Friday, December 9th. The dining room will be open at 5pm and the dance floor will open at 10pm, according to the latest social media post by La Catrina (available below).

La Catrina boasts “the true Mexican experience” and “tacos, tequila, and party”, as the space consists of two levels that can be used for dining, dancing, and more, which allows for a different experience from the other recently opened restaurants in Bethesda that offer Mexican cuisine (Chaia, Mexicue, Tacombi).

MCDOT

Holiday Flash Light Bus is Back

By MCS Staff

Published December 9, 2022 at 7:47AM

The Holiday Flash Light bus is back again this year with a new twist. This year, there will be Flash Light buses operating along the Route 29 corridor. Additional information on how to ride the flash below:

How to Ride the Flash: Flash is the easy, convenient way to get around the Colesville Road/Columbia Pike Corridor. With frequent, reliable service, it’s a great option for any trip type, whether it is commuting during peak hours, picking up groceries midday, heading to local parks and trailheads, or going out to dinner in downtown Silver Spring.