Gaithersburg

The program will also include a panel discussion with subject experts, and student breakout groups will create public service announcements to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid use. The PSAs will be judged with prizes for the top three winners. Hot 99.5 will award first prize PSA winners with Ed Sheeran tickets for his upcoming concert at FedEx Field this summer. Second & third prize winners will receive free admission tickets to the Water Park & Miniature Golf Course. The top three entries will be shared on the City’s social media platforms.

The event will close with a resource fair featuring support program information and nonprofit groups, including Tree of Hope, Montgomery Goes Purple, The Landing, and the Gaithersburg Police Department. Students attending the event will receive lunch from Subway, a Youth Voice Summit t-shirt, and Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for their participation.


Montgomery Planning

Applications must be received no later than Monday, April 3, 2023 at 5 p.m. The cover letter should indicate if you wish to be considered for the chair position. Acting Planning Board members are eligible to apply for these positions.

Members generally serve four-year terms and are limited to two full terms. No more than three members of the Planning Board may be from the same political party, and each member must be a resident and registered voter of Montgomery County when appointed.


DMV

National Harbor has become a prime location for its cherry tree celebration each year. This year’s festivities take place from March 20 to April 16 with National Harbor also serving as an official participant of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. In addition to National Harbor’s waterfront views, this year’s celebration will be filled with entertainment, food and drink specials, classes and more. The annual Sakura Sunday festival, an official participating event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, will be held on Sunday, April 2 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature free cultural activities including Japanese inspired art, music, dance, culinary delights, and a Japanese market.

Per the press release: On April 8, in the Capital Canopy at National Harbor, Katsucon Entertainment, Inc., a Japanese entertainment and educational organization will provide an authentic Japanese tabletop experience. Games include Riichi Mahjong; Karuta card game flash cards to help teach Japanese to children ages five and older; Hanabi, a collaborative game where players have to give each other hints on the cards in order to make a firework display together (ages 10-15.) Games will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on April 8. Register Here. Also on April 8, National Harbor, the Embassy of Japan will host a film day Lu Over the Wall and MIRAI.The films will be shown on National Harbor’s waterfront screen (150 National Plaza) starting at 2 p.m.


Maryland

Per the Maryland State Police: With St. Patrick’s Day coming up on Friday, Maryland State Police are urging those who plan to celebrate with alcohol to drink responsibly and avoid impaired, distracted and aggressive driving. With an expected increase of impaired drivers throughout the state this week, troopers at all 23 Maryland State Police barracks will conduct saturation patrols, focusing on impaired, distracted and aggressive driving. A portion of the costs associated with the increased enforcement efforts will be paid through impaired driving saturation funds provided by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office.

The initiatives, which will take place on various days, beginning Wednesday, March 15 through Sunday, March 19, include saturation patrols in areas known to have a higher number of DUI crashes or arrests. These efforts, in many cases, will include partnering with allied law enforcement and other state agencies to enforce the law and offer outreach to the community through social media and electronic billboards.


Event

Join Us for StoryBox Comics Fair, a two-day festival celebrating local and independent comics authors!

Day 1 – Saturday, June 27th, 11-5pm @ DwightMess compound (805 Silver Spring Ave): Events are open to the public, admission is FREE. Featuring Special Guest Artists, gallery exhibitions, workshops, artist talks, a modeling session (suggested donation) and exhibitors, you can dig in to indie comics and also tour the compound, which features an extensive comics collection, a rare video collection, Risograph and screenprinting studios.


Crime

Per Takoma Park Police: On March 13, at approximately 7:23 am, Takoma Park Police responded to the 6600 block of Gude Avenue for the report of a residential burglary in progress. An unknown male in his 20’s broke a window on the ground floor and crawled through.  Once inside, a fight ensued between the suspect and the victim, owner of the residence.  The fight ended on the front porch at which time the suspect fled on foot.  The suspect ran down Gude Avenue toward Poplar Avenue.  The victim was transported to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspect is described as a Black male, 20’s, last seen wearing a puffy light blue jacket, black pants and carrying a backpack. Investigation continues under case #230012185.  Anyone with information about this crime is asked to please call us at 301-270-1100. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps


Gaithersburg

The Gaithersburg Skate Park located at 510 South Frederick Ave opens for the 2023 season on April 1. Addition details courtesy of the City of Gaithersburg: Gaithersburg’s 12,300 square foot skate park is designed for skateboards, inline skates and BMX bikes. The park includes ramps and structures suitable for a wide range of skill levels. Some obstacles include an A-frame ramp and rail, mini-half pipe, 7’6” escalator, stairs, pyramid wedge, fun boxes, wall ride, and several quarters and banks of varying heights. All ramps are constructed with a wood frame and Skatelite surface.

The Skate Park offers a variety of programming options including group lessons and private lessons, summer clinics, rentals for birthday parties and private functions, competitions, demos and other special events. Other amenities include vending machines, helmet, pad and skateboard rentals, and an outdoor stereo system.


Rockville

Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 56-year-old from Rockville.   Neil Bernstein was last seen on Friday, February 17, 2023, in the area of Great Falls Park (Maryland side), off of Macarthur Blvd. in Potomac, MD. He is missing from Twinbrook Parkway in Rockville.  Bernstein is approximately 5-feet, 9-inches tall and weighs 190 lbs. He has short grey and brown hair and green eyes.  Police and family are concerned for his welfare.

Detectives are asking anyone who visited the area of Great Falls Park (Maryland side), off of Macarthur Blvd. in Potomac on Friday, February 17th, 2023, and has photos or video footage of their time spent at Great Falls to contact Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-455-TIPS (8477).


Maryland

To ensure a continuing supply of new telephone numbers, the Maryland Public Service Commission has approved an all-services area code overlay for the 240/301 area code region which serves all or portions of Aspen Hill, Bethesda, Bowie, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Hagerstown, Potomac, Silver Spring, Waldorf, Wheaton, and many other small communities. The new 227 area code will serve the same geographic area currently served by the existing 240/301 area codes.

What is an Area Code Overlay? An overlay is the addition of another area code (227) to the same geographic region as an existing area code region (240/301). The overlay does not require you to change your existing area code or phone number, or how you dial your calls. You will continue to dial the area code and phone number for all local calls, as you do today, within and between the 240, 301, and new 227 area codes.


Beyond MoCo

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) invites visitors to soar into its renovated Bird House, having opened on Monday, March 13. The innovative exhibit explores the fascinating world of migratory songbirds, waterfowl and shorebirds native to North, Central and South American ecosystems. Migratory birds play critical roles in pest control, pollination and seed dispersal for trees and plants as well as crops. Bilingual panels—in English and Spanish—tell the story of how migratory birds connect communities and contribute to healthy ecosystems across the Americas.The Bird House closed for renovation Jan. 2, 2017 and March 13th marked the completion of the six-year, $69 million project. Additional information below, courtesy of the press release:

As Zoo visitors “migrate” through the shores of the Delaware Bay, a lush prairie pothole and a tropical Bird Friendly coffee farm, free-flighted birds stride, paddle, tweet and fly all around them. These multi-sensory, immersive aviaries mimic natural ecosystems—places that are of critical importance to the annual life cycles of migratory birds and that boost human well-being. From this exhibit, visitors can learn seven simple actions to live bird friendly to protect native species in their own backyards. The Bird House opening celebration is made possible with the support of Boeing.


Gaithersburg

The NIST reactor is used for a broad range of research and operates at far lower power, temperature and pressure conditions than utility reactors that generate electricity. The NRC’s extensive review of this incident showed that the public was safe at all times during the event.

“We are extremely pleased to have reached this milestone and to begin our return to normal operations,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio. “We are committed to ensuring the safe operation of this vital national resource so that it can once again support important advances in medicine, material science, technology and more.”


Brookeville

Per Montgomery County: Four in-person seminars on “Introduction to Women’s Self-Defense” will be offered this spring by the Montgomery County Commission for Women. Each S.A.F.E. (Self-defense Awareness and Familiarization Exchange) seminar is a two-hour “sampler” session for women of all ages and abilities taught by Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.)-certified instructors. The seminars, which cost $12 per participant, are exclusively for women and require pre-registration to participate. Women ages 13-17 are welcome to participate, but they must be accompanied by an adult woman who is also registered for the class.