Arts

Takoma ARTery Launches New Artist Directory to Feature Local Artists

By MCS Staff

The Takoma ARTery arts group has launched a new artist directory featuring artwork and info about local artists. The creation of the directory was funded in part by a grant from the City’s Arts and Humanities Division to support the local creative community, their small businesses, and economic development in Takoma Park. “The City of Takoma Park has a long track record of supporting the arts through our Takoma Park Arts events series and a wide range of public art projects,” Arts and Humanities Coordinator Brendan Smith said. “We also work with local arts organizations, and the Takoma ARTery has done a lot of great work in a short time bringing artists together to support their livelihoods.”

A group of volunteers started the Takoma ARTery during the COVID-19 pandemic to feature artwork by local artists in underused storefronts in downtown Takoma Park and at the Takoma Junction. City grants also helped fund the group’s start-up costs and the ARTery’s first art fair that was held last summer outside the Takoma Park Community Center. “The financial and staff support from the City have helped transform the ARTery from an innovative pandemic-related arts project into a vibrant artist community which is boosting the creative economy,” ARTery co-founder Eleanor Landstreet said.

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Gaithersburg

Did You Know That Uptons, the Discount Department Store, Had a Brief MoCo Run (Kentlands) in the 90s?

By MCS Staff

Uptons, a discount department store that started in Georgia in 1985 and grew to 75 stores across the east coast by the mid 90s, opened a Montgomery County location in the Kentlands where The Colonnade development currently stands.

(more…)

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Damascus

Montgomery County Assists in Financing Affordable Housing to in Damascus

By Patrick Herron

The affordable housing property will be located at 25100 Ridge Rd. in Damascus.

“So many of our older residents are on fixed incomes and we must continue to produce affordable, and deeply affordable, housing options for them,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “In working with St. Anne’s, and with other faith-based efforts, we will help leverage available land to support housing for people who earn about $30,000 to $50,000 per year—that is, 30 to 50 percent of the area median. Similarly, we are offering County land parcels to be dedicated for housing that is affordable to people with lower incomes. With 20,000 households in Montgomery County earning less than $31,000 per year and paying more than half their income on rent, we must continue creating and preserving housing that is affordable to people at lower income levels.”

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Business

Three Gaithersburg Warehouses Sold For Just Over $51 Million

By MCS Staff

Three Gaithersburg warehouses totaling 200,080 square feet have been purchased by an affiliate of New York’s Brookfield Properties for $51.25 million, According to a recent report by BizJournals. The Reserve Business Center is located at 8791-8797 Snouffer School Road.

Construction on the warehouses was completed and delivered in 2016. Goodman Distribution and Paul Davis are two of the current tenants. According to the report, “Newmark data shows the county’s industrial properties are 97% leased, with many older warehouse properties being converted to lab space, thus making it harder to find available warehouse space.”

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Restaurants

Progress at Naz’s Halal in White Oak

By MCS Staff

Signage is up and construction is ongoing at Naz’s Halal at 11209 New Hampshire Ave in White Oak, the former location of White Oak Dry Cleaners. Workers let us know that the restaurant is likely “a couple months away.” In December we told you Naz’s would expanding to Germantown, Rockville (1040 Rockville Pike), and Takoma Park (7653 New Hampshire Ave)

The first location outside of New York was also in MoCo, at the Burtonsville Town Center, next to Tropical Smoothie Cafe. That location opened in August 2020 and has become a local favorite with late night hours, remaining open until 2am Sunday through Thursday and 4am on Friday and Saturday.

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Crime

Carjacking In Rockville on Saturday Afternoon; Montgomery County Police Investigating

By MCS Staff

Rockville Police responded to a report of a carjacking at the 800 block of Hungerford Drive at approximately 2:45 on Saturday afternoon. The female victim reports that a man pulled her out of her red 2016 Nissan Altima (Md Tags 6DH0170z), jumped in and drove off. Additional information below, courtesy of Rockville Police:

4/30/22 – 2:45 p.m. RCPD has responded to the 800 block of Hungerford Dr for the report of an carjacking. The suspect, a black male, thin build in his 40’s, appearing disheveled, approached the victim, pulled her out of the car, jumped into the vehicle and drove off Northbound on Hungerford. The victim was unharmed. The car is 2016 Red Nissan Altima with MD Tags 6DH0170z Montgomery County Police Department’s Major Crimes will assume the investigation into this incident. Please call 911 if you see this vehicle.

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Rockville

Vehicle Driven Over Retaining Wall in Rockville

By Patrick Herron

A vehicle was driven over a retaining wall in the 700 block of Monroe St (Fireside Apartments) in Rockville on Saturday, April 30, around noon. Rockville City Police report that there were no injuries, only property damage. A tow truck is currently at the scene. We will post an update when more information becomes available.

Earlier this month cars were driven into the Montgomery Village Post Office and a single family home in North Potomac. In March, vehicles were driven into the signage at Kentlands Square and a hair salon in Gaithersburg. There were no serious injuries in any of the incidents listed.

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Gaithersburg

Maryland’s Ryan Ramsey, a Gaithersburg Native and Resident, Pitches Perfect Game

By MCS Staff

Ryan Ramsey, who was born in Gaithersburg and currently lives in the city, pitched a perfect game for No. 23 Maryland yesterday. The Terps Beat Northwestern 13-0. Coming into the 2022 season, there had only been 33 in NCAA history — just 19 in nine-inning games.

Per UMTerps, Ramsey became the first Maryland pitcher to toss a perfecto since Dick Reitz on April 10, 1959, against Johns Hopkins — which was the first perfect game in NCAA Division I history. It was the Terps’ first no-hitter since March 1, 2014, when Jake Stinnett no-hit UMass. On the other side, every player in Maryland’s lineup recorded at least a hit as the offense totaled 13 runs on 17 hits.

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MoCo Athletics

Good Counsel’s Josh Paschal Drafted By Detroit Lions in Second Round of the NFL Draft

By MCS Staff

The Detroit Lions surprised many by going defensive line with their first two picks in the draft after selecting Josh Paschal with their second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the 46th overall pick. Paschal is a Prince George’s County native who attended school and played football at Good Counsel in Olney, where he was ranked among the top defensive ends in the country.

Paschal has overcome plenty in his NCAA football career. After a strong freshman season in 2017, he was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma lesion that was discovered on his foot, in August of 2018. It was a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer called acral lentiginous melanoma, or ALM. And it needed to be treated immediately. Josh had multiple surgeries on his foot to remove the cancerous growth and replace the damaged tissue.

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