Restaurant

Last month, Denizens announced that its Silver Spring taproom would close permanently on Sunday, October 22nd. The announcement was made via a video shared on social media by Denizens co-founder and owner Julie Verrati. The brewery opened at 1115 East-West Highway in Silver Spring back in 2014. Denizens’ Riverdale Park, MD location will remain open.

“Our ten year lease has come to an end and that’s the end of an era for us, an end of a chapter. It’s been an incredible ten years in Silver Spring and we’re so grateful for the community here. We’re still making the same high quality beer, high quality service, high quality food that you can grab right here in Riverdale Park, Maryland.” Verratti said in the video, which can be seen below.


MoCo Government

MHP, a Montgomery County-based non-profit in Silver Spring, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of renovations at Colonnade at the Creek, an affordable housing community in Takoma Park, MD. The ceremony featured remarks by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Takoma Park Mayor Talisha Searcy, and other notable speakers. MHP President Robert A. Goldman provided welcoming remarks and served as emcee.

The property consists of 96 units of 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom apartments in brick-framed, three-story buildings. MHP spent more than a year fully renovating this property. With access to transit, major roads, and the Sligo Creek trail, this garden-style property provides residents with tremendous accessibility and quality, modernized, affordable apartment homes.


MoCo History

MHP, a Montgomery County-based nonprofit affordable housing developer and community development organization in Silver Spring, will undertake a reconstruction of the historic façade of the former Flower Theater in the Long Branch neighborhood of Silver Spring, returning it to its original condition when the theater opened in 1950.

The scope of work includes replacing the iconic Flower neon sign that adorns the top of the theater, relighting the marquee, restoring the ticket booth, and other associated repairs. The project, which has been more than three years in the making, recently began construction and is expected to take approximately 9 weeks to complete.


Gaithersburg

UPDATE: Melissa Adriana Marquez Zavala has been located safe and unharmed. Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Melissa Adriana Marquez Zavala, a missing 13-year-old from Gaithersburg. Zavala was last seen on Friday, October 20, 2023, at approximately 7:45 p.m., leaving her home in the 300 block of N. Summit Ave. in Gaithersburg . She is 5-feet tall, 120 lbs., with black hair, brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a black sweater, light blue jeans, and black shoes.


Beyond MoCo

The Metro Transit Police Department is investigating a stabbing where one victim was critically injured Saturday evening.

Police and the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department responded to a Metrobus stopped at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue NW & 34th Street NW around 5:45 Saturday evening. One man was transported to an area hospital with injuries believed to be critical, according to the Transit Police.


MoCo Government

The Economic Development (ECON) Committee will meet on Monday, Oct. 23 at 9:30 a.m. to receive a briefing about retail market trends, review the Office of Legislative Oversight (OLO) Report 2023-11, 2023 Evaluation of the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc., and continue the discussion on the County’s Urban Districts. The members of the ECON Committee include Chair Natali Fani-González, Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe, Council President Evan Glass and Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles.

The joint Education and Culture (EC) and Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. to discuss OLO Report 2023-6: Addressing Racial Inequity in the School to Prison Pipeline, and receive an update on the Community Engagement Officer Program at Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink. The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Mink.


Derwood

Per Montgomery County: “The Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (MCASAC) is holding a fee-waived adoption event for dogs 40 pounds and over through Oct. 31. The “Find Your Boo” adoption event is sponsored by Friends of Montgomery County Animals (FMCA).

The adoption process can be started online by filling out the adoption questionnaire and sending in the required documents. The questionnaire, required documents and more information on the adoption process can be found at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/animalservices/adoption/howtoadopt.html.


Damascus

Per Montgomery County: “Whether to provide lights on two ballpark diamond fields and a future rectangular field at Damascus Regional Park will be the focus of a meeting Montgomery Parks will be holding at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at Hallie Wells Middle School in Clarksburg. The meeting also will be available virtually.

Hallie Wells Middle School is located at 11701 Little Seneca Parkway in Clarksburg. To join the meeting virtually, go to MoCoParks.org/DRPLights. Anyone who may be attending in person or virtually is asked to register in advance at mocoparks.org/DRPMeeting. Registration is optional.


Gaithersburg

Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating George Steven Renderos, a missing 14-year-old from Gaithersburg. Renderos was last seen on Friday, October 20, 2023, at approximately 6:30 p.m., leaving his home in the 900 block of Clopper Rd. in Gaithersburg. He is 5-feet tall, 100 lbs., has black hair, and was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of George Steven Renderos is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).


Rockville

Omer Balva, a dual Israeli-American citizen who grew up in Rockville, was killed on Friday night in an anti-tank missile attack along the Lebanese border, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Saturday (per The Times of Israel). “A message has been given to his family,” the IDF said in a statement. “The IDF shares in the family’s grief and will continue to support them.”

According to various reports, Balva was in the United States when he was called to service last week and flew to Israel. He grew up in Rockville, where he attended the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (class of 2019). The school releases the following statement on Saturday: “CESJDS mourns the loss of Omer Balva ’19. Omer was proudly serving in the Israeli Defense Forces having been recently called up for reserve duty. He was a beloved student who attended CESJDS from age seven through his high school graduation. Omer was an unabashed advocate for the State of Israel. He is a hero to the State of Israel, the Jewish people, and the school. We are devastated and heartbroken.”