Education

The Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) Nominating Convention will be held on February 15, 2023 at Watkins Mill High School. Delegates from across Montgomery County Public Schools middle and high schools will convene to elect the two finalists for SMOB. The current candidates for the 46th SMOB are as follows:

The two finalists elected at the SMOB Nominating Convention will move forward to the SMOB election to be held on April 19, 2023.


MCFRS

Saturday morning, the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department celebrated the housing of their new fire engine, known as Engine 703, and dedicated it in memory of their Past Fire Chief, Scott Eric Emmons.

Past Fire Chief Scott Eric Emmons, who died in 2021, volunteered with the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department for more than 30 years, in every operational rank from Firefighter to Fire Chief. Chief Emmons also was a DC Metropolitan Police Detective, where he served on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Chief Emmons’ daughter is now a Rockville Volunteer Firefighter as well.


Potomac

Pahwa is approximately 5-feet, 4-inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He has thinning salt and pepper hair. He was last seen wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt, dark colored jacket, gray sweatpants and a black hat.  Police and family are concerned for his welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Nider Raj Pahwa is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (301)279-8000 (24-hour line). Callers may remain anonymous.


Event

Join Kaiser Permanente for Healthy at the Harbor, a free community health and wellness event taking place Saturday, June 6, from 11 am to 4 pm at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Bring your family and friends for free full day of fun, fitness, and preventive care along the waterfront.

Throughout the day, Kaiser Permanente nurses and physicians will offer no-cost health screenings, alongside a health and wellness expo focused on preventive care education. A lively Kids’ Zone will keep children active and entertained with spin-art bikes, face painting, balloon art, games, and more.


Gaithersburg

Restaurant news is a staple here at The MoCoShow and TasteMoCo (our food division that “shows you the dish”). Below we’ve created a list of five recently opened restaurants across Montgomery County that have created the most buzz on our social media accounts and website. Check them out below, listed below in no specific order:

Grandma’s Ice Cream and Waffles (Rockville): Grandma’s Ice Cream and Waffles at 389 E. Gude Dr in Rockville, next to the former Branded 72/O’Brien’s restaurant space, opened last month. Grandma’s is owned and operated by the same owners as “Grandma Kona’s” Kona Ice franchise in Gaithersburg/Germantown and offers liege waffle sandwiches with a variety of options including vegan and “soft serve ice cream with unbelievable flavor (including dairy free options) with Grandma’s twist of injecting flavor into the ice cream and if wanted dipped in chocolate or caramel.”


Arts

Actor Kevin Saunders grew up in Gaithersburg, attending Whetstone and Stedwick elementary schools in Gaithersburg and Montgomery Village. At 13, he moved to Western Maryland but came back to Gaithersburg when he was 20, later attending the University of Maryland at College Park. Now, his acting career is picking up steam– coming off of an appearance on the hit STARZ series BMF. In recent years he has had roles in Atlanta, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Cobra Kai, and a lot more.

When asked about his favorite role, Saunders said, “This one is a tough one to be honest, so if I can answer this as a 2 parter. My first was Falcon and the Winter Soldier. That role was honestly a gift from God. I auditioned for the show June of 2019 for a completely different part and didn’t get it. Well in the thick of 2020, my agent calls me and say casting wants me to be sent to producers for one of the parts and the rest is history. The episode aired the day after my birthday while I was back home which made everything so surreal. Leaving my job and family to pursue my dream to now being in the MCU! My second was my role in Atlanta. I told myself as I was moving down that I was going to be on that show. I loved it, understood the comedy and wanted to be apart of the masterpiece. After switching agents I got my first and only audition for the role and I booked it. I got to improv a lot of moments in that scene with LaKeith Stanfield and we had GREAT convos about leaving our mark in this business as minority actors. Not only was my time on set as an actor amazing, but being a director/writer myself, they allowed me to stay behind and watch Hiro Murai’s process as a director and he was so welcoming to have me there.”


Education

MCPS is partnering with xMinds, the Partnership for Extraordinary Minds, to host free webinar sessions to share more information with parents and guardians about autism program placement options in MCPS.

There will be three virtual Zoom meetings—simultaneous meetings on Tuesday, Feb. 7 (one for preschool students; the second for middle and high school students) and one on Thursday, Feb. 9 (for elementary students). Each presentation focuses on placement options, but parents should attend the session that is appropriate for their child’s age.


Arts

Get your free tickets now for the annual MCPS Dance Showcase, which will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17 at James Hubert Blake High School. The snow date is Tuesday, Feb. 21. Reserve your tickets here. Blake is located at 300 Norwood Road in Silver Spring.

Students from the following 10 middle and high schools are expected to perform—A. Mario Loiederman, Forest Oak, Kingsview and Silver Spring International middle schools and Albert Einstein, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Blake, Montgomery Blair, Northwood and Wheaton high schools. There will also be a performance from the All-County Dance Ensemble. These students thrive in dance class and exemplify their school’s instructional program. Student dancers in the ensemble are nominated by their dance teachers, and rehearse as a group for three months.


Beyond MoCo

Per the State of Maryland (2/3/2023): ​​​​Governor Wes Moore last evening attended the 53rd annual Taste of Maryland Agriculture Celebration at Live! Casino and Hotel in Hanover, MD. Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, Maryland Department of Agriculture Acting Secretary Kevin Atticks, and more than 700 agricultural leaders joined the governor to learn directly from producers and supporters of Maryland agricultural products and business and to induct the Fritz family of Carroll County into the Governor’s Agriculture Hall of Fame.​

​“For generations, Maryland’s farmers have stewarded the conservation of land and advocated tirelessly for their way of life and industry—all while putting food on our tables,” said Governor Moore. “Together we will build back our farming and agricultural industry to instill lasting strength for generations to come.”


Events

Birding, hiking, crafting, volunteering, and more! Discover these and other activities happening around Montgomery Parks this weekend:

Nature: Help Locust Grove Nature Center staff with a community science project during FeederWatch Fridays(opens in a new tab) this Friday, February 3, from 11 am to 12 pm. Dress for the weather and come count birds at feeders around the facility. Free program.


Clarksburg

Miller was last seen on Friday, February 3, 2023, at approximately 11 a.m., in the 12600 block of Granite Rock Road. Miller is approximately 5-feet, 10-inches tall and weighs 165 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a burgundy sweater and blue jeans. Police and family are concerned for her welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Alexandra Faith Miller is asked to call the police non-emergency number at (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line). Callers may remain anonymous.