Gaithersburg

Duck Donuts in Gaithersburg Has Closed Permanently

By MCS Staff

Duck Donuts has closed its Gaithersburg location after operating for just over five years. This morning we were informed by reader Emily Siok that the store was closed with everything (including store hours, etc.) removed form the door. While a direct link to the Gaithersburg store is still available on the Duck Donuts website, it no longer shows up in location searches within the website. A call to the Rockville location confirmed that the store has closed permanently.

Duck Donuts opened in April 2017 at 511 Quince Orchard Rd in Gaithersburg. It was the second Montgomery County location, opening a little more than a year after the Rockville location opened in early 2016 at 1327 Rockville Pike. We are told there are no plans to close the Rockville location.

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Gaithersburg

OmniFun in Gaithersburg to Reopen in Partnership With Frederick’s Me Land

By Patrick Herron

OmniFun Indoor Play Center at 831 Russell Ave Gaithersburg has announced it will be reopening.  In an email sent to customers that was shared with us by Empowering You, the company said, “Get ready for the new excitement! We will reopen! OmniFun has partnered with Me Land to bring back the indoor playground that you loved. The soft opening date will be announced soon!” Me Land is an indoor playground located in Frederick, MD. that opened in 2020.

OmniFun closed its doors back on May 23 of this year. At the time, OmniFun’s owner Mike Tian said the business could not recover after the coronavirus pandemic brought business to a standstill. “The business was a success on the first day we were open.  It served as a sweet spot for kids to socialize with others and for parents to relax and have a chat. We were very well received and recognized by the community. We had parents traveling hours to OmniFun every weekend. Our birthday parties were fully booked every weekend.”

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Gaithersburg

RUE + ROE Soft Opening to Take Place Later in August (Kentlands)

By MCS Staff

Briana has worked in luxury retail for nearly 10 years, first starting in corporate but soon transitioning back to the intimate small-business setting that she missed most. Briana’s passion for childrenswear grew long before her professional career began. Her family owned several luxury children’s clothing boutiques and a children’s shoe store throughout the DMV. She regularly visited all stores, helping out on weekends and developing back of house skills from a very young age. Briana resides in the area with her family and their sweet Cavapoo, Rue!

Maddie has worked with small businesses locally and nationwide as a Marketing and PR Director. With her extensive knowledge in ecommerce, advertising, social media strategy and more, she has aided in such companies’ exponential growth. On a personal note, Maddie is familiar with the hard work it takes to run a successful small business as her husband is a fourth generation jeweler, with a store in Potomac, Maryland. Together they reside in the Lakelands community with their rescue dog, Moo, and their two young daughters, Rosie and Lucy.

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Restaurants

Firepan Korean BBQ Scheduled to Open Next Month

By MCS Staff

Back in April of 2021, we let you know that Firepan KBBQ started construction at the old Pete’s New Haven Style Pizza location at 962 Wayne Avenue Suite L-B in Downtown Silver Spring. Firepan had its Montgomery County ABS alcohol license hearing on November 4, 2021 previously announced an August 1st, 2022 opening date on its website. That date was recently changed to Mid-September, according to the website (previously reported by Source of the Spring).

Per its website, Firepan KBBQ offers a varied KBBQ menu, including both unmarinated and marinated meats, seafood, vegetarian selections like kimchi pancakes, and more adventurous options like beef intestines. The restaurant opened its first location at 6793 Wilson Blvd #c in Falls Church, VA in the first half of 2019. They offer appetizers, meat & grill options, combos, lunch specials, and all-you-can-eat options that range from $24.99 per person to special options for up to $69.99 for 2 people.

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Montgomery Parks

Montgomery Parks Announces 2022 – 2023 Annual Deer Population Management Operations and Related Seasonal Park Closures

By MCS Staff

Washington Grove Conservation Park/Piedmont Crossing Local Park and Rock Creek Stream Valley Park Unit #3, added to ongoing efforts.

Montgomery Parks announces its annual deer population management program to occur from September 2022 into March 2023. Two locations (three total park units) are being added this year for a total of 63 parks where archery and/or firearms-managed deer hunting, or Park Police-based sharpshooting operations, will take place. These 63 parks comprise nearly 60 percent of M-NCPPC Montgomery Parks’ total land area.

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MoCo Government

102 Remaining Ballots to Be Canvassed At 11am Saturday Morning; Election To Be Certified At 3pm

By MCS Staff

The 102 unopened and sealed provisional ballots will be canvassed, scanned, and tabulated starting at 11am Saturday morning. The Board of Elections will meet at 3pm to certify the election results. On Thursday, August 11, at 11:19pm, Montgomery County’s Acting Election Director, Alysoun McLaughlin, released the following statement:

“Our precertification audit identified additional provisional ballots to be counted and the Board of Elections will be unable to certify the election as scheduled at its meeting tomorrow afternoon.”

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Events

Piketoberfest Returns For The First Time Since 2019

By MCS Staff

“PIKEtoberfest is back! North Bethesda’s premier fall festival returns with fan-favorite attractions and new experiences for all to enjoy.” The free event will take place at Pike & Rose between noon and 4pm on Sunday, October 2nd, for the first time since 2019.

Per the event listing: You can RSVP to be automatically entered for a chance to win a $100 gift card for Pike & Rose (Prize pick-up will take place on 10/2 at PIKEtoberfest).

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Germantown

Man Serving Life Gets Additional 30 Years For Previous Home Invasion/Robbery Case

By Patrick Herron

Assistant State’s Attorney Gordon King prosecuted this case. Jones and an accomplice broke into home in Germantown and robbed and assaulted the homeowner.  Jones was linked to the crime by DNA evidence inside latex gloves found tossed near the scene. On July 5th, 2022, co-defendant Andrew Miller was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 5 years supervised probation upon release. Jones is already serving two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole and an additional 30 years for a double murder. The robbery/home invasion was unrelated to the murders and predated that incident by several months. Details regarding the double murder below:

On February 15, 2018, the bodies of Joshua Frazier and Ashley Dickinson, both Virginia residents, were discovered in Ms. Dickinson’s running 2013 Audi SUV at a home on Aldora Circle in the Briggs Chaney area of Burtonsville, Montgomery County, Maryland. Both had been shot once in the back of the head from the back seat of the vehicle. Police located two 9mm shell casings in the car, as well as a projectile on a sidewalk near the vehicle.

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Beyond MoCo

Beyond MoCo: Prince George’s County Public Schools to Reinstate Mandatory Mask Policy

By Patrick Herron

When responding to public health threats such as COVID-19, Maryland school districts have flexibility in determining mask-wearing policies. In July, PGCPS transitioned from mandatory mask-wearing to a mask-optional policy for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.

 

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Rockville

Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services to Temporarily Close Montrose Store for Conversion to Its Upgraded Brand of ‘Oak Barrel & Vine’

By Patrick Herron

Beginning Monday, Aug. 15, the Montrose store, which is located at 1205-B Rockville Pike in Rockville, will have its hours reduced to 11 a.m-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The store will be closed on Sundays.

The Oak Barrel & Vine branded stores feature handpicked items with a focus on spirits and local products. The upgraded Montrose store will have 25 percent more shelf space, a dedicated tasting area, queue lines for faster checkout and wayfinding signs for a more inviting shopping experience.

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