Per Montgomery County: “
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will begin its annual leaf vacuuming program on Monday, Nov. 6, and will continue collections through December in specified areas. There will be two collections on each collection district street.
Residents can find the collection schedule online by entering a street address.
The leaf vacuum collection district is bounded by I-495; I-270; the Rockville City limits; Norbeck, Bel Pre and Bonifant roads; Northwest Branch Park; and the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County lines.
Before collection begins in a neighborhood, MCDOT will post signs along streets directing residents to the online leaf collection map for collection information. The map and collection information can also be found online on the MCDOT Leaf Collection webpage.
Residents are asked to pile leaves near the street, but off the road. They should avoid placing leaves on road shoulders, curbs, bike lanes and rain gardens as leaves in these areas can disrupt traffic, negatively impact stormwater drainage, hamper snow removal operations and become a fire hazard for automobiles parked over them.
Leaf piles in the street also limit the availability of residential parking and, especially when wet, can pose a hazard for cyclists and pedestrians.
“This program helps keep our storm drains clear and is a great example of composting,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Residents can compost on their own simply by mowing leaves and leaving them on their lawn.”
Since 1983, the County has been composting the leaves it collects at a County-operated facility in Dickerson. The compost produces a fertilizer called Leafgro, which is sold in retail stores.
The leaf collection program is restricted to leaves. It is important that no plastics are mixed into the leaves as they are composted and recycled as fertilizer. Plastic contamination can result in unusable compost. Tree branches, coarse garden debris and sticks branches should be placed in containers or tied in bundles no more than four feet long and set out for yard trim recycling pick up.
“Last leafing season, crews collected nearly 114,000 cubic yards of leaves,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “The leaves are mulched and composted at a local facility and sold as a popular fertilizer called Leafgro, which is sold in area hardware stores. Profits generated by these sales go back into the leafing program, reducing the cost to affected residents.”
Residents who miss the two scheduled vacuum collections or who do not live within the leaf vacuuming area can still have their leaves collected by placing them in paper yard trim bags or reusable containers for pick up on their regular recycling and yard trim collection day. Leaves placed in plastic bags will not be accepted. Residents also can bring properly bagged leaves to the Shady Grove Transfer Station. Another option is to mow fallen leaves into the yard to allow them to compost naturally.
To determine if a property is within the boundaries of the leaf vacuum collection district or to view the collection schedule, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/leafing or contact the Montgomery County Call Center online or by calling 311 from inside the County, calling 240-777-0311 from outside the County or calling TTY at 301-251-4850. The number for MD Relay is 711 or use the toll free/out of state number 1-800-735-2258.
Visit the Montgomery County Leaf Vacuum Programwebpage for more information.
For more information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on X, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.”
Lock 72 has closed permanently after 7 years at 10128 River Rd in Potomac’s Potomac Village shopping center. The restaurant is listed as permanently closed on Google, no longer listed on the RW Restaurant Group website, the phone number is no longer operational, and all of the social media accounts have been deactivated. The restaurant also had a scheduled auction for its contents, which has since been postponed.
The restaurant was purchased by the Robert Wiedmaier group in 2016 when the name changed from The Tavern at River Falls to Lock 72, Kitchen & Bar in 2916. The name Lock72 comes from one of the locks on the C&O Canal, which are numbered 1 through 75. The locks were used to help barges make their way along the canal, which runs from Georgetown in DC to Cumberland, Maryland. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.
Actor Sean Whalen who credits his 1993 “Got Milk?” Commercial for changing the course of his life, shared the story behind it on its 30 year anniversary. The actor, who is a Montgomery County, Maryland native and 1982 graduate of Sherwood High School also starred in various television shows including Shannon’s Deal and Grace Under Fire, as well as movies, including The People Under the Stairs and Twister. The story he shared regarding the milk commercial (as well as the commercial itself) can be seen below:
“30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY: On this day in 1993 a regional milk commercial came out that changed the course of my life. I went into an audition just a few weeks before where they gave me peanut butter and told me to try to answer the question of “Who shot Alexander Hamilton?” With my mouth full. Then they told me to improvise an ending. They said I got the job because everyone else screamed, yelled, got angry, and threw the phone! I was the only one who looked at the phone and essentially said, “My whole life led to this moment, and I failed… “ When I got to the set, they just said… “Do what you did in the audition” and Michael Bay shot it over and over for 12 hours. This job killed my commercial career, branded me as “the milk guy” for years, but was loved by Spielberg which got me the gig in Twister, which gave my theatrical career a huge boost. Less and less people know what I’m talking about when I mentioned it so it is fading out of the zeitgeist. But that’s OK. I really haven’t been able to eat peanut butter since but it was a good trade off.”
https://www.facebook.com/100063527652234/posts/820882526705995/?mibextid=cr9u03
Per WSSC: “WSSC Water today lifted the recreational water contact health advisory for the Triadelphia Reservoir, which was issued earlier this summer due to high levels of blue-green algae. The end of the health advisory follows two consecutive weeks of extensive monitoring and testing showing algal concentrations and potential toxins well below advisory thresholds.
A recreational water contact health advisory for the T. Howard Duckett Reservoir was lifted earlier this month. Visitors can now safely resume recreational activities at both reservoirs. To learn about blue-green algae and algal blooms, visit WSSC Water’s Algal Blooms page.
The Triadelphia and T. Howard Duckett reservoirs, located along the Patuxent River in Montgomery, Prince George’s & Howard counties, serve as drinking water sources for WSSC Water and as a recreational area for hiking, fishing and boating. It is important to note that WSSC Water’s drinking water was not affected and continues to meet all Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
For up-to-date information on watershed activities, please call our hotline at (301) 206-4386 (4FUN). Permitting and regulation details can be found at www.wsscwater.com/watershed.” Featured image courtesy of WSSC on Twitter.
Per the City of Rockville: “The City of Rockville offers residents two free food scrap drop-off sites to make composting easy, keep valuable materials out of landfills and reduce excessive greenhouse gas emissions:
- Rockville Senior Center at 1150 Carnation Drive.
- Maintenance Facility at 14625 Rothgeb Drive.
Food scraps will be picked up weekly by a commercial contractor and delivered to the Prince George’s County Organic Compost Facility.
How To Use Drop-Offs
- Place food scraps in a container — empty coffee containers with sealing lids are great for this. Be sure to remove any plastic or other trash.
- Bring full containers and empty them into the designated green bins at one of the food scraps compost drop-offs. Follow the signs when you arrive. The sites are accessible 24/7 and the service is free of charge.
- Rinse container and repeat.
Find more about the food scraps drop-off and answers to frequently asked questions at www.rockvillemd.gov/foodscraps.
Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Isabella Faith Cardillo, a missing 12-year-old from Germantown. Cardilloesd last seen on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, at approximately 11:50 a.m., in the 15000 block of Broschart Road in Rockville. She is 4-feet, 10-inches tall, 107 Ibs., with red hair, brown eyes, and was last seen wearing glasses, a red hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Isabella Faith Cardillo is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).
Concern for Missing Twelve-Year-Oldhttps://t.co/UtbbAZgUQj#mcpnews #MissingPerson pic.twitter.com/OV4fNFSpZm
— Montgomery County Department of Police (@mcpnews) October 31, 2023
With the official opening of the 915 Meeting Street office building and the recent news that a new steakhouse by the owners of CAVA, Bouboulina, will open on the building’s street level in summer 2024, Federal Realty announces Upper Muse, its newest neighborhood enhancement at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose. Construction will begin in January 2024 and will be complete in May 2024.
Per the press release: Upper Muse, an approximately 5,000-square-foot courtyard will be located on Meeting Street, in front of the entrance of 915 Meeting, and will be a place to gather and work. It will feature seating with tables and chairs to dine and/or work, and will be surrounded by lush, native landscaping, as well as lighting. The courtyard will connect patrons through an archway from 915 Meeting to the Owen’s Ordinary and Kusshi Sushi patio located across Trade Street.
“Upper Muse is our newest enhancement to enrich the vibrant Pike & Rose neighborhood,” said Jay Brinson, Vice President, Development, Federal. “We want to provide our patrons with another experience that further illustrates Pike & Rose as a destination for the North Bethesda community to gather, shop and dine.”
Montgomery Parks Open Parkways schedule will adjust starting on November 3, 2023, to reflect changes due to the start of standard time and the end of daylight saving time on November 5, resulting in fewer hours of daylight. Open Parkways Fall/Winter Schedule – beginning November 3, 2023:
- Portions of Sligo Creek Parkway are open to pedestrians and cyclists from Fridays at 9 a.m. through Sundays at 4 p.m.*
- Old Carroll Avenue to Piney Branch Road (1.1 miles)
- Forest Glen Road to University Boulevard West (1.5 miles)
- Beach Drive from Connecticut Avenue to Knowles Avenue is open to pedestrians and cyclists from Saturdays at 7 a.m. through Sundays at 4 p.m.*
- Little Falls Parkway between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue has two lanes that remain open to pedestrians and cyclists seven days a week.
Extended Open Parkways hours for November holidays:
Veterans Day, November 10 (observed)
Sligo Creek Parkway: Friday, November 10, at 9 a.m. – Sunday, November 12, at 4 p.m.*
Beach Drive: Friday, November 10, at 9 a.m. – Sunday, November 12, at 4 p.m.*
Thanksgiving, November 23
Sligo Creek Parkway: Wednesday, November 22, at 9 a.m. – Sunday, November 26, at 4 p.m.*
Beach Drive: Wednesday, November 22, at 9 a.m. – Sunday, November 26, at 4 p.m.*
*The re-opening of the parkways to vehicles begins at 6 p.m. (spring/summer) and 4 p.m. (fall/winter). The process to re-open can take up to thirty minutes as Park Police check the parkways for safety.
Are the Festival of Lights events free? All of the Festival of Lights events and displays at the Washington D.C. Temple are free of charge. The performances require you to reserve free tickets in advance. Ticket holders are asked to be in their seats no later than 15 minutes prior to the performance. After this time, the standby line will be admitted to fill in any remaining seats.
I am not a member of your church, can I still come? Absolutely! Everyone is welcome to attend our events and our worship services (learn more about worship services). We only request that all attendees dress modestly, use clean language, and treat everyone with respect. We are Christians who do our best to follow the commandments and teachings of Christ. Whatever your background, you’re invited to join us!
What should I wear? The dress depends on the type of event. Business casual is a good rule of thumb for Auditorium events. You’re welcome to wear any modest clothes that you feel comfortable in. For Devotionals and Sunday worship services, most men wear suits, sport coats, or shirts and ties, and women wear dresses or skirts. Children also typically dress up.
Can I bring my children? All of the Festival of Lights events are family friendly and children are welcome! However, out of respect for the performers and other audience members, we suggest that the children in attendance be old enough to remain seated and attentive throughout the performance and that any disruptive children be calmed in the lobby.
Where can I park? Parking to see the Festival of Lights Parking is free and no pass is needed. Three parking lots are available, all within walking distance of the displays. There will be parking attendants at each entrance to direct you to available parking.
Visitors’ Center – 9900 Stoneybrook Dr.
Temple – 9900 Stoneybrook Dr.
Stake Center (overflow) – 10000 Stoneybrook Dr.
(If you are driving north on Stoneybrook, the first entrance on the left is the Visitors’ Center, the second is the Temple, and the third is the Stake Center.)
How early should I arrive? The theater doors usually open about 30 minutes prior to performances, (sometimes earlier), but the line to enter for large events will begin earlier than that. We recommend arriving early enough to enjoy the Nativity displays and other seasonal favorites, as well as the regular Visitors’ Center exhibits.
Can I take pictures or videos? It depends on the event, so check individual event listings, and listen for any announcements made prior to the performance. Visitors are always encouraged to take pictures and videos before and after the performance, or outside on the temple grounds. We’d love to see your pictures! Make sure to TAG us, @DCTempleVC.
I have additional questions, how do I get those answered? If you have additional questions, please write us at [email protected]. We will respond as quickly as possible, and within 24 hours. For more information visit https://dctemplevisitorscenter.org/festival-of-lights/
