North Potomac

In December 2021, about a year and a half after Flower Child closed permanently, H&R Retail listed Holy Cross Health as the new occupant of the space at 10072 Darnestown Road in the Travilah Square Shopping Center. Flower Child initially closed when the pandemic shut down indoor dining back in March of 2020 and made the decision to close permanently a few months later. Holy Cross Health, an Urgent Care center operated by Holy Cross (a member of Trinity Health), signed on and even started construction in the space. The space has recently been listed as available to lease again by H&R Retail. Prior to Flower Child, the storefront was home to Sweet Frog.

Travilah Square has seen changes in recent years. One of the first moves made was to demolish the existing office building and Burger King and replace it with a new building containing a 12,500 square foot Trader Joe’s grocery store, along with a second, smaller retail space (upcoming tenant below). The late 1980’s look of the center was dated and Finmarc brought on MV+A  to revitalize the center and give it a new, clean, vibrant appearance. The new building blends with the shopping center utilizing the same patterned brick and steel trim to create a permanent, “timeless” appearance. A landscape plaza fronts the Trader Joe’s, and a curved brick and steel pergola shades this new outdoor amenity for the shopping center. More recent changes below:


MCFRS

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire at Bassett’s Restaurant at 19950 Fisher Ave in Poolesville on Monday, June 5 around 2pm. The fire has been contained and there are no injuries reported.

According to Assistant Chief for MCFRS David Pazos on Twitter, “MCFRS units extinguished all visible fire with no extension to the main building. No injuries were reported, and units are starting to leave the scene. Fire Code Enforcement has been requested to determine when the restaurant can open.” Featured photo courtesy of@jake.porter7123 on Instagram.


MDLottery

Per the Maryland Lottery: A Rockville man who keeps his eyes open for new Lottery scratch-offs had just finished his grocery shopping at a Food Lion store when he spotted the new Hot 7s Tripler game. “I was on the way out the door and I always check the (Lottery self-serving vending) machine,” the Montgomery County resident said. “I like when they introduce new scratch-offs, they’re usually kind of hot.”

The anonymous winner, who chose the nickname “Greg” to tell the story of his big win, said he has won small prizes over the years and decided to try his luck with the game that has “hot” in the title. He selected two of the $5 Hot 7s Tripler scratch-offs. The game went on sale May 22 and still had all eight top prizes available.


Bethesda

MD-190 River Road between Brookdale Road and Western Avenue, now single file both directions for approximately six weeks past the Washington Gas valve replacement. NO LEFTS from Eastbound/Inbound River at Western during the work. Full letter from Washington Gas below:

“Dear Neighbor, At Washington Gas, safety is our highest priority as we continue reliably meeting the energy needs of our customers. Today, natural gas is the fuel of choice for more than nine out of ten new homebuyers in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and Washington Gas serves more than 1.2 million customers throughout the region. As the region continues to grow, rehabilitation of our existing infrastructure is critical to maintaining a safe and reliable natural gas system.


Event

Online event (see link)

Free Lunch & Learn: The 10 Financial Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make

Starting a business is exciting, but financial mistakes can create costly challenges at any stage of growth. Join K. Graham Accounting & Advisory, LLC for a free Lunch & Learn designed to help entrepreneurs and business owners build a stronger financial foundation and make more informed business decisions.


Crime

When officers arrived on the scene, they found the teenager suffering from a gunshot wound. She was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers from the 2nd and 4th districts responded to the location to assist as officers and detectives processed the crime scene.


MCFRS

Per the FSCO: At approximately 3:50 p.m., on June 4, Frederick County Sheriff Office (FCSO) deputies responded to a call for service at Park Mills Road near Monocacy Bottom Road in Frederick, for a reported vehicle crash involving a 1962 Daimler passenger car and a 2003 Suzuki motorcycle. Glenn Rice Jr., age 39, of Poolesville, Maryland, the motorcycle operator, sustained fatal injuries when he crossed the center double line and struck the passenger car head on.

The Frederick County (MD) Fire & Rescue responded and attempted lifesaving techniques. Emergency Medical Services personnel pronounced Rice deceased on scene. The passenger car operator and passenger received treatment at a local hospital for minor injuries. FCSO deputies made all appropriate next of kin notifications.


Beyond MoCo

Silver Branch Brewing has announced its opening a second location in Old Town Warrenton, Virginia. According to the brewery, the new facility will allow them to brew a wider selection of beer and increase production on core beers.  Silver Branch Brewing opened at 8401 Colesville Rd #150 in Silver Spring in 2019. Additional information below courtesy of Silver Branch:

Silver Branch Brewing Companyannounced today they will open a second taproom and biergarten in Old Town Warrenton, Virginia. Silver Branch Warrenton Station will expand our ability to brew a greater variety of beers and bring our brand of hospitality and taproom experience to Virginia.


Briggs Chaney

Plan recommending better access to public transportation, housing options, retail, and pedestrian connections along five-mile stretch of U.S. 29 corridor heads to County Council, County Executive for review

The Montgomery County Planning Board approved the Montgomery County Planning Department’s Planning Board Draft of the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Master Plan at the May 25 Planning Board meeting. The draft plan will be transmitted to the County Council and the County Executive for public review and final County Council approval. There will be an opportunity for additional public comment on the plan with the County Council’s public hearing and work session review.


Events

Montgomery Parks is celebrating Pride Month in June with a series of fun events in the parks. The celebration will kick off this weekend with Drag Story Hour and continue with a variety of events. June 2023 Pride in the Parks Schedule:

Production group Improbable Comedy presents an evening of laughs featuring local queer comics. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs or picnic blankets for this event. Food will be available for purchase from vendors. This event is for people ages 17 and up and is not recommended for anyone under 17. Viewer discretion is advised. Free. ASL Interpretation will be provided.


WMATA

Metro is making improvements at the Arlington Cemetery Station and will begin installing canopies over the station entrances to protect customers, the station, and escalators from the elements. Work will begin on Monday, June 5, closing the station’s north entrance on the north side of Memorial Drive for approximately three months. Rail service will not be impacted.

During construction crews will demolish and rebuild the parapet walls around the escalators to prepare the area for installation of the new canopy. Completing this work safely and efficiently requires closing the entrance. While the north entrance is closed, the south entrance will remain open and accessible using the crosswalk on Memorial Drive, directly across from the north entrance. Throughout construction, the two elevators on the north side of Memorial Drive that service both sides of the Metro platform will also remain open.


Business

True Respite owners Brendan and Bailey O’Leary opened up shop at 7301 Calhoun Place Suite 600, off of East Gude Drive, in 2018 and the local brewery has been able to make a name for itself in the local beer community. Recently, the location on Calhoun Place has been made available and the O’Learys have let us know that they are keeping all options open as they plan their next move for True Respite.

Anyone interested in the current location would be taking over the lease and purchasing the equipment at the 7500 SF production brewery with 2500 SF taproom. The True Respite brand and intellectual property is not for sale. Initially, True Respite considered expanding, but currently it doesn’t appear to be the most likely option for the company. “The beer industry is hard right now” Bailey O’Leary told us “and the taproom model seems to be the most sustainable for us” noting that opening a smaller location in Bethesda remains a possibility.