WETA’s house-hunting series, If You Lived Here, spotlights a wide array of neighborhoods and properties throughout the national capital area while celebrating each area’s history, culture, notable places and flavor. On Monday, January 30th, the show will explore Olney/Sandy Spring. The area is described as a “neighborhood in Maryland that lies between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.” Guided by realtor Karen Rollings, they tour three homes: first, a starter home built in 1973 located in the Olney Mill neighborhood; next, a modern twist on the exact same starter home to show possibilities through renovation; and lastly, a family home that is situated next to farmland.

In the episode you’ll be able to hear from local historians who discuss the area’s fascinating roots — from the first European and Quaker settlers and their roles in manumission to the stories of the former enslaved at the Slave Museum and the descendants who continue to live in the area today. Along the way, they will explore Sandy Spring Adventure Park, the country’s largest outdoor climbing park located on Sandy Spring Friends School’s campus. You can watch If You Lived Here featuring Sandy Spring/Olney, MD on Monday, Jan. 30 at 9pm on WETA PBS (Channel 26 in the DMV) and 8pm on WETA Metro, or stream with the free PBS app.


Seneca Valley and Sherwood High School students have partnered with restaurant industry leaders to gain first-hand experience creating an elegant pop up restaurant for one night in Potomac. The event will be the culmination of months of planning between MCPS students, hospitality program teachers Melissa North and Lisa Gilbert, and the Foundation for Hospitality & Restaurant Managements’ (FHRM) Student Professional Development Committee.

“Success starts with a spark,” said Ted Xenohristos, Chief Concept Officer & Founder of CAVA, “And, we’re here to light the match!” The dinner is an opportunity for the students to experience firsthand the wide variety of activities necessary to stage a sophisticated experience—from social media and ticket sales to front-of-house management and heart-of-house hustle. With a team of CAVA chefs, the students will design, prepare and serve a four-course gourmet dinner at the Falls Road Golf Course Café on February 3, 2023.


Good Earth Garden Market at 1610 Olney-Sandy Spring Road in Sandy Spring has announced it will be closing on Wednesday, December 21. Good Earth’s Potomac location at 11650 Falls Road will remain open.  In an email sent to customers, owner David Johannes said that all full-time employees at the Sandy Spring location have been offered positions at the Potomac store and that the first 30 people who stop in to say good bye on Wednesday will get a free 4″ poinsettia.

“It is with a sad heart that we announce Good Earth Sandy Spring is closing for good. It is the end of an era that has spanned 43 wonderful years. Good Earth was originally founded in 1979 and has served the Olney/Sandy Spring Market since then. We’ve moved a few times, but through thick and thin our customers, you, have followed and been loyal. We could not have stayed around for 43 years without you. Thank you.


Two teenagers suffered non life-threatening injuries following a crash that left the vehicle upside down against a utility pole, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) PIO Pete Piringer. Both were transported to a local hospital and were likely unrestrained in the vehicle when the crash occurred.

Report from Sunday morning: WTOP Traffic reports that Norwood Rd remains closed late Sunday morning, between Dr. Bird Rd and Layhill Rd, for emergency utility following a crash that occurred around 12:45am early on Sunday morning. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call for an overturned vehicle into a telephone pole with occupant(s) trapped inside the vehicle. The crash occurred on the 16900 block of Norwood Rd, near Excalibur Lane, in the area of Sandy Springs Friends School, according to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer.


Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery (SSSM), Inc has announced that they, along with former NFL player and MoCo native Richie Anderson, have established the Richie Anderson Project Youth Advisory Committee.

Richard “Richie” Anderson grew up in the Sandy Spring community and attended Sherwood High School where he excelled as a student-athlete in Football, Basketball, and Track-and-Field. His excellence in athletics allowed him the privilege to be a 2010 Sherwood Hall of Fame member. After high school, Anderson played for Penn State University football on a scholarship, leading him to be drafted into the NFL by the New York Jets in the 1993 NFL draft.


A Fall Festival & Pumpkin Derby will take place on Saturday, October 22nd from 11am-2pm at the Ross Boddy Community Center in Sandy Spring (Ross Body Neighborhood Recreation Center, 18529 Brooke Road, Sandy Spring, MD).

This event, brought to you by Montgomery County Recreation, will feature crafts, games, snacks, and a pumpkin derby race! The registration fee for the derby is $20 and includes materials and instructions (pumpkin not included). Contact Ross Boddy CRC for Pumpkin Derby registration and rules at 240-777-8050.


Last week we reported on the Montgomery County man, Jeremy Duffie, who claimed the world record top prize at The White Marlin Open. The total winnings have increased and Duffie, along with Sandy Spring’s Bill Britt, have claimed over $5.7 million in prize money. The White Marlin Open is a 48-year-old deep-sea fishing tournament held annually in Ocean City, Maryland.  The tournament awards prize money for catches of white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin and swordfish. This year, a Bethesda resident, Jeremy Duffie, caught a white marlin and claimed the billfish tournament’s top prize., which is a world record payout. Duffie, fishing off Ocean City boat Billfisher, reeled in a 77.5-pound white marlin and claimed $4.536 million prize. Sandy Spring’s Bill Britt (seen in photo below) received a $1.208 Million payout for reeling in a 511 pound blue marlin.

About The White Marlin Open: The first tournament, held in 1974, drew 57 boats, 150 anglers and paid $20,000 in prize money with the top award of $5,000.  The 2021 event drew 444 boats, over 3,500 contestants, and paid out over $9.2 million dollars in prize money including the top individual awards of $3.2 million. Long known as “World’s Largest Billfishing Tournament,” the White Marlin Open has awarded over $86 million dollars since 1974 to the lucky winners among more than 110,000 anglers aboard over 15,000 registered boats.  Along the way, the WMO became not just the largest billfish tournament, but also holds the world record for prize money payouts for any type of fishing tournament.


Updated to reflect earnings now exceeding $4.5 million and $1.2 million for MoCo residents

The White Marlin Open is a 48-year-old deep-sea fishing tournament held annually in Ocean City, Maryland.  The tournament awards prize money for catches of white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, dolphin and swordfish. This year, a Bethesda resident, Jeremy Duffie, caught a white marlin and claimed the billfish tournament’s top prize., which is a world record payout. Duffie, fishing off Ocean City boat Billfisher, reeled in a 77.5-pound white marlin and claimed $4.536 million prize (photos below by @ryanwlackey). Sandy Spring’s Bill Britt received a $1.208 Million payout for reeling in a 511 pound blue marlin.


MedStar Health In Olney announced a $250,000 philanthropic gift from long-time community partner Sandy Spring Bank to expand cancer care services at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center. The gift will be used toward the development of the Oncology Pavilion at MedStar Montgomery to house oncology services such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, and other treatment and support services.

Sandy Spring Bank’s support of MedStar Montgomery dates back to the founding of the then Montgomery General Hospital in the early 1900s and has continued for more than 100 years through various community, philanthropic, and volunteer support initiatives.


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