Gaithersburg

Did You Know The Bronze Statues at Rio Have a Story Behind Them That Encourages a Hunt For Missing Objects?

By MCS Staff

The two bronze statues of a cat and a bear have been a fixture at Gaithersburg’s Rio Lakefront for years, but did you know that they have a name and a story behind them? The whimsical sculptures of Fridolin, the bronze bear, and Kimo, a human size bronze cat, encourages a “hunt for missing objects.”

The bronze animals hold open books that tell a story about their character and that describe six lost items — a pocket watch, hat, suitcase, beehive, Dutch shoes and a bag of popcorn with a bird eating from the bag. See if you can find them all! Read their stories below:

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Gaithersburg to Host its 97th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and “Jingle Jubilee”

By MCS Staff

The City of Gaithersburg will host its 97th annual tree lighting ceremony and “Jungle Jubilee” festivities on Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 6pm- 8pm at the Concert Pavilion in Olde Towne Gaithersburg (32 South Summit Ave).

Per Gaithersburg: Celebrate diverse & vibrant holiday traditions at Gaithersburg’s Jingle Jubilee. Enjoy an evening of music, dance & song. Enjoy an evening of music, dance, and song. This year marks the 97th anniversary of the tree lighting ceremony. The festivities take place at the Concert Pavilion in Olde Towne. Admission is free. The outdoor venue features lawn seating with limited chairs. Please feel free to bring your own chair to enjoy the entertainment.

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Rio to Host its Holiday Makers Market on November 11 and 12

By MCS Staff

Rio will be hosting its Holiday Makers Market on Saturday, November 11th and Sunday, November 12th from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. “Join us as we kick off the holiday shopping season with a two-day Holiday Makers Market with Locally Crafted on Grand Corner Avenue!”:

A list of artisans participating on each day can be seen in the images below:

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Open Houses on the Future of the Interstate 495/270 Corridor and American Legion Bridge Begin November 13

By MCS Staff

The Maryland Department of Transportation will host a series of open houses, including one in Rockville, to engage the public about improvements to the Interstate 495/270 corridor from the American Legion Bridge to Frederick.

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Carmen’s Italian Ice is Coming to Kentlands

By Patrick Herron

Carmen’s Italian Ice is partnering with the owners of Kung Fu Tea at 130 Market St in Gaithersburg to open a new location. Carmen’s will be sharing the space with Kung Fu Tea, taking over the portion that is currently occupied by Tutti Frutti. According to Carmen’s, it will initially offer 3-4 flavors of custard, 6-8 flavors of Italian ice, milkshakes, and more. The plan is to open in about two weeks. Earlier this year Carmen’s partnered with the Clarksburg Market at 23329 Frederick Rd to open a similar concept in Clarksburg.

About Carmen’s: It started with a simple idea. Introduce homemade gourmet Italian Ice to the Washington DC area. Jason Mandler – a native of Parsippany, New Jersey – opened Carmen’s Italian Ice & Cafe in Rockville, MD in 2001. Tracing its roots back to Philly and South Jersey where this dessert has been a mainstay for years, Carmen’s offers homemade, gourmet Italian Ice in over 60 flavors. It also now offers frozen custard, shakes, and a toppings bar.

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Police and Family Searching for Missing 13-Year-Old

By Patrick Herron

The Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Ashley Portillo Rivera, a missing 13-year-old from Gaithersburg. Rivera was last seen on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, at approximately 9:30 p.m., in the 182000 block of Lost Knife Rd. She is 5’5″, 125 lbs., with brown eyes and black hair.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Ashley Portillo Rivera is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).

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MCPS Students Spend the Day Beautifying the Community

By MCS Staff

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), in partnership with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) hosted a Student Environment Volunteer Day on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at Gaithersburg High School. Students learned about sustainability and helped beautify the community. They also worked to enhance the health of the environment by planting native plants and trees in the stormwater management gardens around the school.

The student environment volunteer day is part of the Out-of-School Time (OST) program offered by Montgomery County Recreation, in partnership with MCPS. The OST days are designed with free out-of-school programming for students throughout the 2023-2024 school year. 

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New Airpark Community Advisory Committee Now Accepting Applications

By Patrick Herron

Per Montgomery County: “The newly-established Airpark Community Advisory Committee (ACAC) is now accepting applications to serve. The ACAC, established earlier this year after the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed Bill 24-23, will serve as a forum for neighbors of the Montgomery County Airpark (MCA), airpark users and other key stakeholders to address facility operations as well as noise and safety impacts.

The MCA, a public general aviation airport in Gaithersburg, is home to approximately 67,195 flight operations each year. In 2019, the MCA partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration to set up an online portal for residents to submit aircraft noise complaints, similar to what’s offered in other communities near airports. In 2019, there were 27 complaints, in 2020 there were 191 complaints made from 11 unique households, and in 2021 there were 2,835 complaints made from 35 unique households, according to a 2022 report from the Council’s Office of Legislative Oversight.

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The Top 10 Restaurants in MoCo, According to Trip Advisor (Fall 2023 Edition)

By Patrick Herron

Trip Advisor is a popular American online travel company that offers ratings of restaurants primarily from those who have traveled to the area, rather than locals. If you’re interested in seeing the opinions of those who have traveled to the area, you’re in luck, as today we’ll be sharing the top 10 restaurants according to Trip Advisor as of October 31, 2023.

10. Copper Canyon (928 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring): With a 4 out of 5 rating after 471 reviews, Copper Canyon’s Silver Spring location comes in at #10 overall in the county and #2 in Silver Spring. The restaurant has an additional MoCo location at Gaithersburg’s Rio.

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