Per Montgomery County: Seven featured films will be screened on Saturday, Nov. 19, as the Gaithersburg Arts Barn hosts its Independent Film Night. The screenings will begin at 7:30 p.m., with a question and answer session with the films’ creators following each. The Arts Barn is located at 311 Kent Square Rd. in Gaithersburg. Admission for the evening is $15. Tickets can be purchased here. The film night is recommended for ages 13 and older. Concessions will be sold before the film screenings and during intermission

Featured films will include:


Four MCPS students from two different schools have been selected to play in All-National Honor Bands and Orchestras.

Thomas S. Wootton High School sophomore Sara Bock, who plays clarinet, and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School sophomore Shisui Torii, who plays French horn, were selected to be in the National Association for Music Education’s (NAfME’s) All-National Honor Band. Wootton sophomores Jackson Bernal, who plays bassoon, and Anderson Bernal, who plays double bass, were selected to the All-National Honor Orchestra.


This year’s exhibit features more than 1,200 unique, handmade items by members of the Gaithersburg Artist Collective, many perfect for the season’s gift giving. Items include paintings, prints, cards, ceramics, photography, jewelry, art glass, turned wood, mixed media & much more.

Artists on Market is pop-up gallery & studio space where visitors may shop for unique art and handcrafts from 27 juried collective members – all local artists – recognized for their talent in painting, collage, fiber, ceramics, jewelry, photography, glass, sculpture & more. The mission of the Gaithersburg Artist Collective, which runs Artists on Market, is to bring the visual arts to the community through not only the pop-up gallery, but also by providing events & educational opportunities for all ages, year-round. The Collective is a program of the Kentlands Community Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated to volunteerism, the cultural arts and New Urbanism. For more information, please visit kentlands.org.


Per the National Museum of African American History & Culture: Black Panther’s hero costume is coming to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture! The museum acquired several objects from the record-breaking film Black Panther, including the hero costume worn by actor Chadwick Boseman; a shooting script signed by Ryan Coogler (co-writer; director), Kevin Feige (producer, president of Marvel Studios), Nate Moore (executive producer) and Joe Robert Cole (co-writer; producer); two pages of spec script; and 24 high-resolution production photographs.

Black Panther is the first superhero of African descent to appear in mainstream American comics, and the film itself is the first major cinematic production based on the character. Black Panther illustrates the progression of blacks in film, an industry that in the past has overlooked blacks, or regulated them to flat, one-dimensional and marginalized figures. The film, like the museum, provides a fuller story of black culture and identity.


WWE Superstar Omos came off one of the biggest matches of his career at WWE’s pay per view “Crown Jewel” event in Saudi Arabia. Though he didn’t come away victorious, he did get to visit his family in Nigeria for the first time since moving to the United States to attend school and play basketball at Montrose Christian in Rockville back in 2008.

The 7’3, 335 Nigerian-born Jordan Omogbehin moved to America with his family and attended school/played basketball at Montrose Christian (photo below) for the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 school years. He went on to attend and play for the University of South Florida before moving back to Maryland and attending/playing for Morgan State University. His college basketball career spanned from 2012 to 2015. Omogbehin signed with WWE in October 2018, and made his in-ring debut a couple years back at WrestleMania 37 in Tampa, FL. From the time he initially came to the United States, he hasn’t been able to make it back to visit his family until last week. The video, seen below and courtesy of TMZ Sports, is certainly a feel-good moment.


“Saved by the Bell’s” Mario Lopez will be appearing at Westfield Montgomery Mall on Sunday, November 20 to host a holiday concert to benefit Children’s National Hospital.  The event is open to the public, but RSVPs are encouraged and will enter guests in to win a meet and greet with Mario Lopez.  Funds donated at the event will directly benefit activities and memorable moments for childhood-aged patients residing at the hospital. Westfield Montgomery will match donations made for this event and throughout other activities for the Holiday season, up to $10,000. Click here to RSVP.

Per Westfield Montgomery: On Sunday, November 20 (11AM) Westfield Montgomery is officially kicking off the season with the Home for the Holidays Concert with celebrity guest emcee, Mario Lopez – FREE to attend, but suggested donations will benefit Children’s National Hospital.


Many Taylor Swift fans were left disappointed when the singer announced her upcoming “The Eras Tour” and didn’t include a stop in DC, coming as close as Philadelphia, PA for three shows in May. One fan, Bethesda’s Jose Andres who is considered one of the best chefs in the world, has made Swift a tempting offer to add a DC show to the tour:

.@taylorswift13 Taylor? And @washingtondc please? I’ll cook for you?🙏🥹👨‍🍳😇 https://t.co/XifaZvYtTs


World-class mixologists are showcasing their dazzling cocktail-crafting skills as they compete for a $100K prize — and the title of Ultimate Drink Master. in the new Netflix competition show that’s quickly gaining popularity. In Drink Masters, the cocktails are the main course as a dozen mixologists from all across North America compete to earn the title of Ultimate Drink Master. Local mixologist, Lauren “LP” Paylor O’Brien, participates and wins the top prize in the show’s inaugural season!

LP, 29, grew up in New York, where she perfected her cocktail skills so she could show her parents that this is a viable career. She has recently worked as a research and development chef for a bar in DC. Currently, she’s focusing on her business LP Drinks, where she offers personal virtual and in-person sessions, as well as private events, trainings, beverage program consulting, and more. “I tried my best to approach creating cocktails for the judges and on television the same exact way that I would take care of a guest at my bar. This, honestly, allowed me to focus on what was in my glass and the experience I ultimately provided the judges when they tried my beverages.” she said in an interview with NBC 4. Earlier this year, LP teamed up with beverage designer Charles Joly to curate a cocktail list for the 74th Emmy Award Show.


Lisa Ann Walter is an actress, comedian and television producer, perhaps best known for her roles as Chessy in the romantic comedy film The Parent Trap and her current role as Melissa Schemmenti on the ABC mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary. She’s also a native of Montgomery County.

Walter was born in Silver Spring on August 3, 1963. She grew up in the area and was a 1979 graduate of Blair High School. She later graduated with a theater degree from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, in 1983. Below you’ll see yearbook photos of Walter, sent in by her former teacher, Carole Chansky Goodman (who is also Blake High School’s first ever principal).


Sharon Faber, theater and ESOL teacher at Watkins Mill High School, has won a $4,900 grant from the Wolf Trap Foundation. Faber’s project, called Theater to Heal, is focused on Emergent Multilingual Learner (EML) students. Theater to Heal will nurture a sense of community and connectedness, make students feel more anchored in the present, and let their stories and voices be heard in a culminating presentation or reflection piece.

Students will take part in a drama residency or master classes that speak to their cultural perspectives and personal beliefs, such as Signature Theater’s program in Contemporary Immigration Issues. They will also attend a live professional show at a local theater, where they will see the many aspects that go into a full-fledged production and explore how to incorporate their own voices and aesthetic sense into a performance.


Longtime NBC4 newscaster Doreen Gentzler announced that she will be retiring at the end of November during Friday evening’s newscast. Gentzler, who joined NBC4 in 1989, following the departure of Dave Marash, has been with the station for 33 years.

She co-anchors the weekday 6pm and 11pm editions of News4 on WRC-TV (NBC4) and is also the station’s health reporter. Her reports have taken her around the world, including the Persian Gulf, Bosnia and Ecuador. Her health reports can usually be seen on News4 at 5pm, and other station newscasts. She is the on-air spokesperson for the station’s successful NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo, held each January at the Washington Convention Center. She has also made appearances as herself on NBC shows The Event and The Blacklist. Gentzler anchored WRC’s 6pm news alongside veteran anchor Jim Vance for 28 years – a partnership that lasted until Vance’s death in July 2017.


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