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Café Sophie (7940 Airpark Road, Gaithersburg) is a European style café with a Scandinavian influence, located at the Montgomery County Airpark. Owners Sandy & Tom decided to name the cafe after their sweet dog Sophie, who can sometimes be found greeting customers. Sandy’s grandfather & father Bill & Jim Richardson built & operated the Airpark back in 1960. “I used to come to the airpark with my dad on weekends. It was always fun to be in the air with my father flying”. Sandy is also a pilot herself! Tom was born and raised in Bergen Norway. He became a professional pilot & flew private charter flights and private corporate jets all over the US and Europe. He would often fly into Montgomery County Airpark. This is where Sandy & Tom met. As Tom puts it, “I landed one day and never took off”.

Cafe Sophie’s, Chef Asael, offers a creatively prepared menu with locally sourced ingredients. Their meats come from Wagner’s Butcher, their milk, eggs, creamer and ice cream from South Mountain Creamery, German sausages from Binkert’s, and croissants, baguettes & Cro’Gels are delivered from Fresh Baguette. They also offer up fresh baked muffins, cinnamon rolls, cookies, and European goodies, along with specialty coffees, international & domestic beers, a selection of wine, champagne, and mimosas (try the Lingonberry Mimosa). Enjoy a delicious meal while watching the planes come and go, the kids absolutely love it!

On that first day, we had no idea that the next 15 months would present us with the opportunity to help a little girl with so many different needs. All we initially knew is that this little girl needed experiences outside of living in a car and sometimes a motel room – which is how she and her 2 siblings had spent the previous 10 months. We quickly learned that she needed new clothes, needed toys, and needed love and attention. Add to that, the need to learn how to swim and run, a need for 3 significant surgeries, therapy, and a need to repeat first grade since she had not been in school for 8 months. The community we live in enveloped her and brought her gifts, clothes and included her in everything.

Our family doesn’t know moderation – when we get involved, we go “all in” and that is exactly what we did with our first foster placement. We embraced her and integrated her into the lives of our three other daughters. She did everything our own children did. We will never forget on day 2 when she was walking the 50 yards to the bus stop, she complained of being tired because it was too far away. Our response was, “If you’re going to be part of this family, we will need to build your stamina”. And so we did – soccer, gymnastics, track and field, swim lessons and then swim team, parties, family events, sleep overs, play dates and family trips.  She did it all. And all of this on top of the doctors, dentists, specialists, therapists, court-ordered visits with siblings and birth parents… the child was busy for sure! It was so rewarding to see her RUNNING to and from the bus stop this past school year and to see her laughing and playing with her friends day in and day out.

The words “not enough” are heard every day inside of our nation’s foster care system . . . not enough resources, not enough support, not enough families. It doesn’t have to be this way. We work alongside others, and stand together, in our community to make a different reality for children and families.

We need your help.  Can you stand with us?  Can you open your heart and home to become a foster parent?  Foster parents, also called resource parents, are temporary, substitute parents who provide for the physical, emotional, and social needs of children until the biological family can be reunited or a permanent placement can be implemented.

Maryland, are you ready for a pickle paradise? The Big Dill World’s Largest Pickle Party®, the second-largest pickle celebration worldwide, is descending upon Baltimore on September 23rd and 24th. Power Plant Live is about to be transformed into an unforgettable celebration of “all things pickle.”

This year’s festival will tantalize your taste buds beyond your wildest imagination. Look forward to an extensive array of pickle-inspired culinary delights, from pickle egg rolls to pickle pizzas, and for the adventurous, even pickle ice cream. Alongside these mouth-watering morsels, spectators can enjoy the fan-favorite Brine Chug Challenge and the World Pickle Eating Championship®. It’s a fusion of flavor and fun guaranteed to leave you craving more.

But The Big Dill offers more than just a feast for your palate. This extravaganza invites you to immerse yourself in an atmosphere brimming with excitement and energy. Take a memorable snapshot with mascots like Dilly the Pickle™, The RAVENS POE, or The Oriole Bird, plus test your mettle with thrilling carnival games and bull riding, or sit back and enjoy the diverse range of live performances from musicians and entertainers.

Saturday, August 5th from 12-2 pm at Top Golf Germantown

Free Food, Beverages, and Networking

There’s a lot of buzz in Montgomery County about new affordable housing  being built by the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC). To increase its successes in developing affordable, mixed-income, and mixed-use housing in the county, HOC has launched a comprehensive new strategic planning process, to gather input from the community on the needs of low- and moderate-income households. HOC is requesting feedback via either their strategic planning survey or town hall meetings. Everyone who lives, works, studies and/or recreates in Montgomery County is encouraged to participate!

HOC’s outreach to the community is ambitious. The agency wants to hear from all its stakeholders – residents, customers, applicants, vendors, partners, and the general public – about the challenges and obstacles faced by low- and moderate income households in the county. Based on everyone’s feedback, HOC will create a five-year strategic plan that will guide its efforts to provide affordable housing opportunities and related services to low- and moderate-income households in Montgomery County.

James Creek Lawn & Landscape is a full-service lawn & landscape company offering everything from clean up services, to landscape install & construction, to creating the outdoor living space of your dreams! Owners, Tucker and Jeremy grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from Sherwood High School.  They pride themselves on working hard, being honest and reliable, and making sure each and every client is satisfied. Give them a call to set up a free consultation on your next landscape project, you won’t be sorry!

Email:  sales@jamescreeklawn.com

[Rockville, Maryland] Young & Well, an established pediatric occupational and speech-language therapy company in Montgomery County, is set to make a splash in the local community by introducing an innovative aquatic therapy program specifically tailored for children. Launching on July 11, this groundbreaking program aims to utilize the therapeutic power of water to help children build confidence, promote development, and help them form a love of water that lasts a lifetime.

Aquatic therapy, also known as water therapy or hydrotherapy, is a specialized form of therapy that utilizes water as a therapeutic medium to facilitate physical, cognitive, and emotional growth in children. The unique properties of water provide an ideal environment for children to improve their motor skills, balance, coordination, and sensory integration.

Buckle your seat belts as Sunday afternoon opens with DMV Fankaar in a rollicking Bollywood journey of music and dance. Emcee Kartikeya Tripathi introduces Shilpa Sharma, Sangeeta Mathur Simlote, Alok Srivastava, Farid Mahmood, Parasuram Iyer, and Sunila Bali and the dance troupes from Lasya Dance Academy. The Infusion band blends famous Southeast Asian and Western music in a modernist palette.

Grammy award winning artist Falu Shah has collaborated with world-famous artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Wyclef Jean, Philip Glass, Ricky Martin, Blues Traveler and A. R. Rahman amongst others. Now experience for yourself her rare blend of a modern inventive style with a vocal talent with deep roots in the Indian classical tradition. Saturday and Sunday offer a la carte ticket purchases per program or an incredible $39 all-day pass. Whether you are a South Asian music afficionado or just wanting to discover its rich diversity, you’re your tickets at https://dcsaaci.org/welcome-to-dcsamf-2023/ . This first of its kind of event is one you will not want to miss. Bring your friends and make a lot of new ones this summer.