The Winston Churchill High School Jazz Ensemble won second place at the annual Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival’s High School Band Competition last month.
Twelve high school bands from across the East Coast competed in the prestigious event, with the top three bands performing in a final round to determine the overall winner. This was the first time the Churchill ensemble has placed in the finals, and they were the only school from the state of Maryland to advance to the final round.
Michelle Djemu, former student at Cold Spring Elementary School in Potomac, collected children’s books and distributed them to children in her hometown in Bandenkop, Cameroon.
Michelle, now in the fourth grade, moved to Cameroon in the summer of 2021 after finishing second grade at Cold Spring. As a schoolwide project, the school community donated about 1,500 books that Michelle and her sister Louise gave to children in the family’s village of Bandenkop. The school plans to continue its partnership with the Djemu family to provide needed supplies to Bandenkop students.
Permanent signage is up at Kema by Kenaki at Cabin John Village. According to a representative at Kenaki, the restaurant has just started the hiring process for all positions and are hoping to open sometime in April.
The almost 2,000 square foot restaurant will be very similar to what Kenaki in Kentlands offers, but will be more “fast paced,” in what will be a hybrid between Kenaki and AKO. Kenaki is a full-service restaurant while AKO is a sushi counter at a food hall. Kema will offer signature rolls from Kenaki/AKO such as the Black Magic roll- made with “forbidden rice”, spicy tuna, pickled jalapenos, and truffle oil, the Donkey Kong roll- made with eel, fried plantain, cream cheese, cucumber, tempura flakes, togarashi spice mayo, and sweet shoyu, among others.
Almost a year ago, we let you know that Capo Italian Deli will be opening a new location in Cabin John Village. It will be taking over the location that was previously home to Goldberg’s New York Bagels, which closed last year, at 7731 Tuckerman Lane. While an opening date isn’t yet available, the deli has a hearing with Montgomery County’s ABS for a Class BD, Beer, Wine & Liquor License, Beer & Wine On/Off Sale and Liquor On-Sale Only. The hearing will take place at 10am on Thursday, March 16z
The Italian delicatessen was previously available for carryout and delivery in Montgomery County out of sister restaurant Brickside Food & Drink (4866 Cordell Ave) in Bethesda. The deli’s first location opened at 715 Florida Ave in NW, DC. Using a a prohibition style speakeasy gimmick, the deli their old school Italian deli as a “front” to it’s back bar. Capo gained attention in the area in the summer of 2020 for their popular “Fauci Pouchy” carryout cocktails. The deli has since opened a Western Market location and has a Tyson’s Corner location coming soon. The menu includes Italian classics like Chicken Parmigiano, Hot Italian Beef, Prosciutto & Provolone, and more.
The new Chopt location in Cabin John Village (Potomac), in the space next to Boulangerie Christophe, will hold its grand opening on March 14 (originally scheduled for March 8.) This will be Montgomery County’s fifth Chopt restaurant, with locations currently open in Gaithersburg, Rockville, and two in Bethesda. Prior to the grand opening, on March 13, Chopt will be partnering with Manna Food Center for “Chopt Gives Day” (a tradition the day before every new opening), where 100% of sales go towards their initiatives in ending food insecurity among children and families in Montgomery County.
Chopt joins a bevy of restaurants and retailers that have recently opened or are coming soon to Cabin John Village. Recently Open: The Pretzel Bakery opened in April. Authentic French bakery, Boulangerie Christophe, opened in May. Stretch Zone opened in July. The Scoop ice cream shop opened in August. Cabin John Village, formerly known as the Cabin John shopping center and mall, is named for the adjacent creek and regional park. It has been a pillar of the Potomac community since 1967 and was acquired by EDENS in 2016. Per EDENS: “EDENS has transformed the traditional shopping center experience into a welcoming communal environment that naturally fosters meaningful social interaction. Complementary retail options include a curated mix of home goods, dining, health and wellness and more outdoor greenspace welcomes the opportunity for community events.”
In September 2021, we let you know that Gregorio’s Trattoria would be opening its third MoCo location, and fourth overall, at Park Potomac– taking over the space that was previously home to Sugo. Sugo closed its doors permanently last in the summer of 2021. According to a report by Store Reporter, Gregorio’s is now aiming for a September opening after encountering issues replacing the HVAC system in the Park Potomac Space.
Gregorio’s started out in Reston in 2008 and opened a second location in what’s now Cabin John Village in Potomac. The restaurant opened its second MoCo location in November 2020 at the Shops at Sumner Place in Bethesda, in the spot that was home to China Pavilion for over two decades until it closed almost three years ago. For those concerned about the Cabin John Village location’s future, Store Reporter also mentioned that Gregorio’s has signed a new ten year lease to remain in the shopping center.
Two MCPS media specialists are finalists for Maryland School Librarian of the Year. Meredith Hickman, media specialist at Seven Locks Elementary School (Bethesda), and Dr. Sheri Massey, media specialist at Cabin John Middle School (Potomac), are two of 14 finalists for the state recognition.
The award honors a school librarian for exemplary service and outstanding achievements in the field of school library media. To be considered, nominees must be a current member of the Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL), actively working as a school librarian and serving in the same position for three or more years. The winner will be announced at the MASL conference in April. More information on the award.
The Students of Minds In Motion Child Care, Scotland Community, and the Judith Resnik Elementary School extend an invitation to celebrate Black History Month with a night filled with knowledge, food, poetry, and performances. This free program will be held on Friday, February 24, 2023, from 7 – 9 pm at the Resnik Elementary School, Gaithersburg, MD, and includes dinner from local restaurants. The program will recognize icons of Black History including Viola Davis, Rosa Parks, Michelle Obama, Guy Bluford, Missy Elliot, Cynthia Erivo, and Katherine Dunham. Students will present on their achievements throughout the event.
Performances will be led by various youth groups including students of Minds in Motion Child Care, Scotland Community, Bells Mill Elementary School, Cabin John Middle School, Damascus Elementary School, Goshen Elementary School, Judith Resnik Elementary School, Winston Churchill High School, and Watkins Mill Elementary School. The highlight of the evening will be the Step Performance featuring Kristopher Paul, Noah Gleaton, Diezel Duckett, Sidoine Djimbou, Braedan Lynk, Bebo Aly, and Ahmed Hassan.
Celebration at Cabin John to Benefit the Scotland AME Zion Church Restoration
Celebrating the past and present of the first places African-Americans owned land in Montgomery County, the Scotland community of Potomac, Md., is announcing a significant expansion of its annual Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival for 2023. Featuring a children’s carnival and music performance, as well as art exhibitions, food, sports, and presentations on Black history in this region, the events for the federal holiday on Monday, June 19, will be spread across the Cabin John Regional Park, Cabin John Village, and the Scotland community on Seven Locks Road.
Last week we let you know that Dan Snyder was putting his Montgomery County home up for sale, for what would be a DMV record breaking $49 million if it sold for the asking price. Now, the home listing is available to browse on any real estate website. It is being listed by listed by Heather Corey and Michael Rankin of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.
The home, located at 11900 River Rd., has five bedrooms and eight bathrooms spread across 30,000 SF. The French-style single family home sits on a lot size of just over 9.6 acres and is located in Potomac. It comes at a price of $1,633 per square foot, with an annual tax $192,631 (over $75k more than the $117,345 median household income in Montgomery County).
Abby Meyers is Whitman High School’s all-time leading scorer with over 1,700 points and was the Ivy League Player of the Year last year before transferring to the University of Maryland for her senior season. Yesterday she was honored at Senior Day as #8 Maryland took on Illinois.
Meyers didn’t disappoint, scoring 14 of her 18 points in the third quarter for the Terps, helping lead the team to an 81-72 victory and improving to 13-0 all-time against Illinois. In an interview with the Diamondback last month, she credited her junior and senior years at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda as helping her evolve as a teammate and leader, playing a big role in being named a captain ahead of her first season at Maryland.