Montgomery County Police are investigating a single-vehicle fatal collision that occurred on Friday, September 1, 2023, in the area of East West Highway and Washington Avenue. According to MCPD, “At approximately 1:11 a.m., 3rd District officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel responded to the location for the report of a collision.
The preliminary investigation revealed that a blue Honda was traveling in the area of East West Highway and Washington Avenue when it left the roadway and collided with a tree. The driver of the Honda, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Montgomery County Department of Police – Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating the collision. A news release will be distributed later today, once more information becomes available. The name of the deceased will be released following proper notification of next of kin.”
Featured image courtesy of Google Maps.
Pedestrians, equestrians, and cyclists share trails at Wheaton Regional and other parks
As we head into the Labor Day holiday weekend, Montgomery Parks is reminding trail users about the importance of trail etiquette. The guidance comes as parks staff have made significant improvements to natural surface trails in Wheaton Regional Park, in compliance with the recently adopted Wheaton Regional Park Master Plan.
The natural surface trails are in the woods in the northeast quadrant of the park, east of Brookside Gardens and Brookside Nature Center. Trail crews have added nearly 2 miles of new trails, renovated existing ones and rerouted others. Additionally, single use trails were converted to shared use to include mountain bike riders. New signs and trail maps are now available at the park to alert visitors to new trail names and changes in uses. The rules of the road for shared use trails include:
- Equestrians have the right of way
- Pedestrians yield to equestrians
- Cyclists yield to pedestrians and equestrians
- Everyone yields to people using assistive devices
- Downhill users yield to uphill users
- Always keep dogs on leash
“Some encounters on shared-use trails can be startling if you don’t expect them,” said Montgomery Parks Trail Planner Kyle Lukacs. “A person walking a dog may be surprised to see a horse on the trail. Or a mountain biker may not be on the lookout for a slower-moving pedestrian. Familiarizing yourself with these rules in advance takes the guess work out of using the trails safely.” In addition to looking out for each other, park visitors should be mindful of trail conditions. Trails should not be used in inclement weather, muddy conditions, or snow.
Montgomery Parks operates a rainout line that provides the latest information on trail conditions. The rainout line can be accessed on the trails operating status web page or by calling the Rainout phone line at (240) 270-0008 .
Montgomery Parks maintains more than 260 miles of trails, for a complete list visit the trails webpage.
Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced that his Consumer Protection Division (CPD) has reached a settlement with 786 Property Management, Inc. t/a Real Property Management Capital (RPMC) and its owner, Suleman Hooda. RPMC is a Rockville-based property manager that the Office of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division alleged was charging tenants illegal fees, was failing to properly maintain and return tenants’ security deposits, and was acting as an unlicensed debt collector. The company and its owner have signed an Assurance of Discontinuance agreeing to stop the practices the Office of the Attorney General alleged were illegal and to pay restitution and a penalty.
The Consumer Protection Division alleged that RPMC and its owner committed unfair and deceptive trade practices when they: (1) charged tenants in multi-unit residential properties that they managed excessive application fees (Maryland law limits an application fee in a multi-unit property to $25 or the landlord’s out-of-pocket expenses processing the rental application, whichever is larger); (2) charged tenants, who were late paying their rent, excessive late fees and collected court costs when they had not obtained judgments; (3) failed to maintain security deposits they collected in a separate bank account and did not pay interest to consumers when they returned the deposits; (4) improperly deducted amounts from security deposits for damages that constituted ordinary wear and tear, including for routine maintenance expenses; and (5)
collected rent for landlords without the required debt collector’s license in violation of the Maryland Consumer Debt Collection Act. Under today’s settlement, RPMC and its owner have agreed to return nearly $150,000 to tenants, which represents the amounts that RPMC is accused of improperly charging or withholding from tenants.
“When you are working hard to pay rent and put a roof over your head, every dollar matters.” said Attorney General Brown. “Marylanders need to know that my Consumer Protection Division is here to protect them and their hard-earned dollars, so I am very pleased that the money that was collected as fees and interest will be returned. Landlords must follow the laws put in place to protect tenants, especially those laws that limit the fees tenants can be charged.” Under today’s settlement, RPMC and Mr. Hooda have also agreed to an injunction that requires both to follow Maryland’s landlord and tenant and debt collection licensing laws. They also agreed to pay a penalty of $50,000, which will increase to $250,000 if they violate the agreement.
Consumers who are owed refunds under the settlement do not need to do anything to receive a refund. Consumers with questions about a consumer issue may contact the Attorney General’s Office by calling 410-528-8662 or 888-743-0023. For more information about the protections in place for tenants, consumers may either call the Consumer Protection Division or they may download a copy of the Attorney General’s Consumer Guide: “Landlords and Tenants – Tips on Avoiding Disputes,” https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/CPD%20Documents/TipsPublications/landlordTenantPDF.pdf.
https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/press/2023/083123a.pdf
Below is a list of businesses that are new or coming soon to Montgomery Mall in Bethesda:
Coming Soon: Butter Chicken House
Butter Chicken House is moving into the space that was recently home to Ya Mon! Island Grill. Butter Chicken House plans to open on Friday, September 15th, according to Robert Dyer. Per his report, “The internationally-popular dish [butter chicken] from the city of Amritsar will be available as a bowl with rice, as a wrap, or in a combo meal.”
Temporarily Relocated: American Eagle
American Eagle has set up a temporary shop while their regular location undertakes a redesign. You can find the temporary location on the second level near Macys Home.
Coming Soon: Lids
Lids is coming to Westfield Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Blvd) in Bethesda. The store will be located next to LEGO on the mall’s lower level. Lids is a “mall based, retail headwear” store that sells NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL licensed hats and merchandise. Lids has additional Montgomery County locations at the Clarksburg Outlets, Ellsworth Place (Silver Spring), and Wheaton Mall. The location is currently hiring and no opening date has been announced.
Now Open: VinoRita
VinoRita Wine Slushies is now open in the Montgomery Mall food court, taking over the kiosk space that was previously home to HalfSmoke, Gelato Galax, and Coldstone Creamery. HalfSmoke closed in April. VinoRita is considered a “pop-up”, so get it while you can. The menu consists of a variety of flavors, including the best selling “Black San,” which is a Blackberry Sangria. Other flavors include Peach Frose, Strawberry Daquiri, Blueberry Pomegranate, and a variety of non-alcoholic slushees. Additional information below, per VinoRita:
“If you’ve never had a wine slushy before, you’re in for a treat! Even if you have had a wine slushy, you’re in for a treat! VinoRita was created to bring you a fun & unique, Love at First Sip, top notch customer experience! Our goal is to revolutionize the way you experience wine! We’re not biased, our slushies really are delicious & they really are made with wine – no hard liquors or spirits are added. At VinoRita, we offer a delicious slushy cocktail that does not require you to indulge in hard liquor to have fun! We’ve worked hard to perfect our recipes over the years and can’t wait to bring our wine slushies to a city near you. In some of our locations, you can have a wine slushy while you shop! 🍷🍹🛍How fun is that? Check out our locations page to see where you can find us & experience Love at First Sip with a VinoRita Wine Slushy!” Based on the way alcohol and liquor licenses have previously worked at the mall, we do not expect customers to be able to leave the VinoRita area with the drinks, but are awaiting word on that. Featured photo courtesy of VinoRitaWineSlushies.com
New: Napkin Nook (free diapers and formula)
“Westfield Montgomery is proud to partner with Bethesda-based non-profit organization, The Napkin Network for the “Napkin Nook” initiative in a testament to the mall’s ongoing commitment to the community. As 1 in 3 families struggle to afford diapers for their children, the Napkin Nook welcomes those in need to take home essential baby items such as diapers and formula, making their parenting journey a little easier. Stationed on the lower level in front of the PlaySpace, the activation aims to bridge the gap between families in need and those eager to help, recognizing the challenges of motherhood and the persistent need within the community.”
Now Open: Swarovski
Swarovski has reopened in a new location on the upper level of Westfield Montgomery Mall (7101 Democracy Blvd) in Bethesda. Swarovski closed its previous location this past spring to make room for a new Rolex storefront at Liljenquist & Beckstead, which is taking over the former Swarovski space. Swarovski is an Austrian-based company that specializes in jewelry, watches, and crystal decorations.
Update: We previously reported that Arhaus would be relocating to a new location in the mall. The store is not moving and the additional signage in the mall is for branding purposes.
Coming Soon: Pollo Campero
Pollo Campero is coming to Westfield Montgomery’s dining terrace. It will be taking over the space recently occupied by Greek Aroma Grill. Menu items include fried and grilled chicken, empanadas, yuca, plantains, and flan. According to signage, the restaurant is expected to open this winter. Pollo Campero has additional Montgomery County locations in Gaithersburg, Takoma Park, and Wheaton. The fried chicken chain, which originated in Guatemala, opened its first location in 1971 and has grown to over 400 locations worldwide, including over 70 in the United States.
Coming Soon: Rolex at Liljenquist & Beckstead
Westfield Montgomery announced the signing of an expanded lease with Liljenquist & Beckstead back in March. According to a press release, “The luxury boutique, housing exquisite collections of Swiss timepieces and stunning jewelry from around the world, will soon be home to a Rolex corner and storefront, along with an expanded selection of David Yurman offerings. The boutique will be built upon the existing location and expand into the former Lush and Swarovski spaces with Swarovski and Lush relocating nearby.” No opening date has been announced.
Note: Trees are available to City of Rockville residents.
The City of Rockville will give away a limited number of native trees and shrubs to Rockville residents during a pickup event from 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Sept. 30, at the Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive.
Here’s what you need to know:
Trees will be available to City of Rockville residents only.
Preregistration is required and opens Friday, Sept. 1 at www.rockvillemd.gov/treegiveaway. No walkups.
Limit one tree per household.
Five species are expected to be available. This list is subject to change and species preferences are not guaranteed:
- River birch (Betula nigra).
- Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum).
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis).
- Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida).
- Spicebush (Lindera benzoin).
Interested in planting more trees? The Rockville RainScapes Rebates offers rebates of up to $150 per native tree to single family residences, homeowners and condominium associations, and nonprofits in the City of Rockville. To learn more and apply, visit www.rockvillemd.gov/rainscapes.
Per the City of Rockville: The Chesapeake Bay Trust has awarded Rockville an Urban Trees Award Program grant of $199,930 to plant more than 1,000 trees and 500 shrubs in RedGate Park to reforest the area, as approved in the Mayor and Council’s RedGate Master Plan. The city has until May 1, 2026, to use the funds.
At 131 acres, RedGate, located at 14500 Avery Road, is a former golf course converted to park use, and one of 67 parks in the City of Rockville. In 2018, following the course’s closure, the Mayor and Council voted unanimously to keep the open space as a park, with a lengthy period of community engagement to determine what facilities should be planned for the future.
Find out more about city parks at www.rockvillemd.gov/parks.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Councilmember Gabe Albornoz will be joined by County Executive Marc Elrich, Dr. Monifa McKnight, the Office of Food Systems Resilience, the Montgomery County Food Council and community partners to unveil key recommendations from the Montgomery County Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger. The event will take place on Wednesday, September 6 at 10 a.m. at Highland Elementary School.
The Montgomery County Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger was spearheaded by Councilmember Albornoz, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services in 2022 to combat rising rates of childhood food insecurity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Childhood hunger reaches into the homes of families across our county with at least 34,000 children experiencing food insecurity. While the pandemic both revealed and exacerbated food insecurity in our communities, it also laid a proven foundation that we can use towards a more sustainable, more collaborative, more effective system to reduce food insecurity among our children,” stated Councilmember Albornoz. “We have the tools, the people and the motivation to end childhood hunger so that our next generation can truly thrive.”
The Montgomery County Food Council, a nonprofit organization that serves as the primary convenor around food system issues, has served as the project manager for this initiative. By building upon lessons learned by the County’s Food Security Task Force throughout the pandemic, the Food Council tapped the expertise of community members and organizations to identify food access barriers and strategies to reduce food insecurity across all childhood age groups. The plan identified 14 recommendations, organized into three groups based on how they address childhood food insecurity – with direct financial benefits to purchase food; with food provided at school, pre-school or daycare; and with novel approaches.
Who: Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, County Executive Marc Elrich, Dr. Monifa McKnight, Heather Bruskin, Director of the Office of Food Systems Resilience, Dira Treadvance, Chief of Children, Youth and Families for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and community partners.
What: Press conference to highlight recommendations from the Strategic Plan to End Childhood Hunger to better identify food access barriers and strategies to reduce food insecurity across all groups in Montgomery County.
When: Wednesday, September 6 at 10 a.m.
Where: Highland Elementary School in the All-Purpose Room (3100 Medway St, Wheaton-Glenmont, MD 20902). Street parking is available.
Members of the media must RSVP by Wednesday, September 6 at 8 a.m. by emailing [email protected].
In May we let you know that DMV Iron Gym, a world class facility that offers hand selected, state of the art gym equipment from the 1960’s up to the latest technology from the best manufacturers in the world, is coming to MoCo. The 16,000 square foot facility planned open in Rockville’s Federal Plaza in September 2023, next to Micro Center. The opening date has been finalized– Friday, September 15th.
Its mission is to provide members with the most effective equipment, to see the fastest results, allowing them to become the best version of themselves. “For years, we’ve been hearing from our members that they would love to see us expand into Maryland. We were excited by the central location of Federal Plaza in Rockville and look forward to bringing a state-of-the-art gym and training facility to Montgomery County,” says Leo Williams, Owner of DMV Iron Gym.
With an emphasis on a three-pillar system – mindset, movement, and function — DMV Iron Gym features a skilled and qualified team of professional personal trainers who will assist clients in surpassing their fitness goals. The gym offers numerous training programs including:
- Weight Loss
- Body Transformation
- Fitness + Athletic Assessments
- General Weight Training for Beginners
- Sports Specific
- Power lifting
- Law Enforcement / Military Preparation
- Post Rehab Therapy
- Functional Fitness
“Federal Plaza features a variety of dining and retail merchants to the Rockville community,” said Ralph Ours, Federal Realty. “We look forward to adding DMV Iron Gym to the mix and offer our patrons a unique fitness experience.” For more information, visit https://www.dmvirongym.com/
A couple years back we let you know of MoCo resident Jonathan Mensah, who created the All In Summer Tour– a platform that allows some of the best basketball players in our area to go head to head while crowds watch the games in person or through Instagram. Now, he has brought together Seneca Valley legend Bruce Massey Jr. And a Prince George’s County’s Kevin Kuteyi aka “Uncle Skoob” for a 2v2 tour event that will take place at Paint Branch High School on Saturday, September 2 from 2pm-7pm.
Mensah tells us he wanted to bring his tour back to its roots with 2v2 basketball, moving away from the 1v1 games for now. He is opening things up to all area basketball players who simply have to comment or send a DM in order to be invited to play (@all_in_summer_tour). Saturday’all event is free for the community.
Mensah grew up in Gaithersburg and later attended Richard Montgomery High School (class of 2010) and Montgomery College, where he also played basketball. He created the “All In Summer Tour” so that players from across the DMV (men and women) can come and compete at a high level in one on one games that previously took place at Dogwood Park on Monroe Street in Rockville. According to Mensah, some of the biggest names to participate include Bruce Massey, Maurice Creek, Kevin Dorsey, Phoenix Butler-Pool, Daniel Alexander, Donald Robinson, and Collin Turner among others.
Mensah credits his love for basketball and wanting to give back to the community for creating the tour. “My ultimate goal is to motivate the youth and bring positively to the community.” Mensah told us. You can attend the free event at Paint Branch High School on Saturday, September 2nd from 2pm-7pm or you can watch the games on Instagram @All_in_summer_tour
This article has been updated to include updated plans for the Downtown Silver Spring location.
Chick Fil A on Tech Rd. in the Calverton/Fairland/White Oak area (technically Silver Spring) has temporarily closed for renovations. The store closed on Thursday at 2pm and will reopen in 8-10 weeks (approximately two months).
When the store reopens, it will be operated by Tina Oyeniya. Current store operator,Terrell Daniel, will be transitioning to Burns Corner FSU in Stafford, Virginia. The Downtown Silver Spring location, at 825 Ellsworth Drive, also planned to closed for renovations earlier this summer but has not done so yet.
Chick-fil-A has Montgomery County locations in Bethesda, two in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Olney, Rockville, and Silver Spring (between Calverton, Fairland, and White Oak). The chain opened its newest location last month in Gaithersburg. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps.
