The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) will soon begin the next phase of a water main replacement project in Chevy Chase. Crews have already replaced water mains under portions of Brookeville Road (MD-186) and several residental streets in Chevy Chase Section Three and The Village of Chevy Chase Section 5.
Crews will be working along Connecticut Avenue throughout the rest of December and January. Approximately 800 feet of water main will be replace, underneath Connecticut Avenue between Rosemary and Thornapple Streets (North of Bradley Lane and South of East–West Highway). According to an Upcoming Project Activity Notice published by WSSC, crews will be working overnight, between 9PM and 5AM, to complete the water main replacement underneath Connecticut Avenue.
Once the water main replacement is complete, crews will then restore the roadway pavement, sidewalks, and landscaping. The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission operates more than 5,800 miles of water mains crisscrossing underneath Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
Common Plate Hospitality (CPH) has announced the restaurants that will be featured at the upcoming The Heights Food Hall at Wisconsin Place in Chevy Chase. The new food hall will be opening in the space formerly occupied by Anthropologie and PF Chang’s on the 5400 block of Wisconsin Ave. The food hall will offer both indoor and outdoor patio dining and will be open seven days a week from 11am-Midnight. According to the group, the following “culinary partners” are in the lineup:
- James Beard nominated Chef Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit bringing forward a unique sushi concept;
- RAMMY nominated Chef Javier Fernandez, the mastermind behind Kuya Ja’s and Lapu Lapu featuring his new concept Extra Rice;
- Chef Priya Ammu’s iconic DC Dosa showcasing immensely popular – and naturally vegan – Indian street food;
- Locally acclaimed Texas-inspired Barbeque, Supreme BBQ and AunTea Boba
- Local favorite Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream offering soft serve and cookies made in store with locally sourced ingredients and ice cream by the pint.CPH will also be introducing a few other creative concepts to The Heights that include
- The Heights Bar, a full-service bar featuring craft cocktails, local beer and wine selections;
- Soup Matters presenting world seasonal house-made soups;
- This Deli of Ours showcasing artisanal sandwiches, hot chicken, cheese steaks, flat-top burgers and house-made varieties of pickles.
- The Turncoat, a cleverly named speakeasy, that will pay homage to the prohibition era with a secret door entrance, astounding libations and premium food options.
- Urbano @ The Heights – the group’s flagship contemporary Tex-Mex concept, will open its third location inside the food hall.
CPH will also be holding a “Stall Wars” competition, where one food hall stall will be awarded to an “enthusiastic culinary aficionado and entrepreneur” who otherwise would not have the means to open a location. According to CPH, “the top three finalists will have the chance to tell their story and display their culinary talent in a 30-minute ABC7/WJLA Good Morning Washington segment. The winner will be announced on television and offered the opportunity to open their own culinary business at The Heights Food Hall.”
“The purpose of the competition is to bring exciting and innovative ideas to life that have the potential of becoming a profitable business venture. Chefs and entrepreneurs should display critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication skills to a panel of judges.
Anyone interested in participating in the competition must register by completing this entry form https://www.stallwars.com/ by no later than Thursday, September 15. The panel will review the online submissions and the final three candidates will be invited to present their culinary concept to the panel the week of September 19. On September 30, ABC7/WJLA’s Good Morning Washington will dedicate a 30-minute segment to tell the stories of the top three candidates and reveal the winner.
We encourage participants to be bold and focus on fresh and new ideas. Whether it is building on or evolving from previous industry models, reinventing a concept entirely, or creating something we did not even know existed, this is THE opportunity to sell a good story and get CPH to invest in your dream.”
The following information courtesy of the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office:
Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, the honorable Judge Sharon Burrell sentenced Markus Kemp, 23, of Washington D.C. to 25 years in prison and 5 years of supervised probation upon release. (The sentence breakdown is 30 years suspend all but 15 plus a consecutive 10… total of 25) Kemp pled guilty on Dec. 10, 2021 to five counts including auto theft, theft over $25,000, burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary from incidents occurring between January and July of 2020.
The details are provided in a summary below, adapted from the State’s sentencing memo. Kemp was essentially the ringleader of a group who would travel from the District of Columbia into Chevy Chase, MD and steal cars from driveways and garages. In at least one case, they entered a home and burglarized it. A co-defendant, Azriel Echavarria, was sentenced to 18-months on April 26th, 2021 for burglary in the first-degree for his role in one of the incidents in June of 2020.
“We thank Assistant State’s Attorney Hannah Gleason for her work in this matter and Judge Burrell for appropriately holding this defendant accountable for such brazen, repeated auto theft in our community. This career criminal will no longer be able to target residents in Montgomery County,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
Summary adapted from the State’s sentencing memo:
FACTS OF THIS CASE
Between January 20, 2020, and July 25, 2020, Montgomery County Police detectives investigated a series of auto thefts from the Chevy Chase area. Investigators determined that Markus Tyrese Kemp (Date of Birth: 05/15/1999), hereinafter “Defendant” was involved in planning and scheming in thirteen separate incidents related to motor vehicle thefts and burglaries amounting to losses over $450,000 and impacting nineteen victims.
The defendant devised a plan that included recruiting other individuals to assist him in his crimes. All of these incidents required multiple people, a driver to deliver the crew to the targeted area, and drivers to remove the vehicles and leave the area. The general modus operandi was for the defendant to select 3-4 people to drive from Washington, D.C. in one vehicle, for 2 people to walk up a street of the neighborhood and the defendant himself would enter a vehicle and drive away with it. The defendant primarily entered his victims’ driveways, adjacent streets, and garages to steal high-end vehicles and personal property.
Most of these crimes took place within the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic; a time when fear, uncertainty, and stay-at-home orders were becoming part of daily life. Entering a person’s home is brazen conduct in the best of circumstances; to do so when most individuals were confined to their homes makes it even more brazen. For the victims and their families, the acts of the defendant made them fearful in their one remaining safe haven.
In his interviews with Montgomery County Police, Defendant often admitted to taking these vehicles without remorse and shared details of his schemes without hesitation.
DEFENDANT’S PARTICIPATION AND PRIOR CRIMINAL HISTORY
The defendant preyed on his victims at a time when the State of Maryland was at its most vulnerable: the COVID-19 Pandemic. The defendant took advantage of victims who remained sheltered in their homes to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The defendant, however, did not let the pandemic slow him down. Instead of staying home, the defendant was recruiting others to assist him in his theft scheme.
During his interview with Montgomery County Police detectives, the defendant states that when determining who else accompanies him, the defendant states, “Most likely it will be friends on the corner.” It is important to note that the defendant committed the burglary of one home with a co-defendant, Azriel Echavarria, at a time when it was a violation of the defendant’s own probation to have no contact with Mr. Echavarria.
In his interview with Montgomery County Police when about a police chase, he led Metropolitan Police Department, Defendant openly admitted, “I ain’t gon’ lie, if I had the When Montgomery County Police asked what the Defendant’s motive was for stealing the high-end vehicles, the defendant admitted that when he steals the cars, he lends them out and charges individuals to drive the cars as rentals: “200 to 500 depending on the car. For the Audi, a [n***a] rushed me $1,000.”
This is not the first time the defendant was involved in orchestrating motor vehicle thefts. In 2019, as an adult, the defendant was charged for four separate incidents involving theft, motor vehicle theft, and rogue and vagabond in Chevy Chase, MD. As a result, the defendant was placed on probation in January 2020 (C.R. #135619C) after being convicted of motor vehicle theft as an adult.
Only a few weeks after being placed on probation, the defendant violated his probation by engaging in these additional motor vehicle thefts and burglaries. What is more, as part of his probation the defendant was ordered not to contact co-Defendant Azriel Echavarria. Yet, the defendant and Mr. Echavarria burglarized a home together in this case.
The defendant has played the lead role in these cases. These crimes were not committed rashly, rather they were calculated and organized and done for no other purpose other than to fulfill the defendant’s own greed. Although these crimes are property related, the defendant’s actions have displayed a complete disregard for the safety of other human beings, as well as no respect for the property of others. To further develop his reputation as a ringleader, the defendant was active on social media and posted Instagram stories of his spoils.
After committing these offenses and pending forensic analysis, the defendant was also convicted of burglary II and illegal possession of an unregistered handgun in the District of Columbia.
VICTIM IMPACT
In this case, the damage to the victims’ totals $450,300.00 worth of motor vehicles and high-end performance bicycles. The defendant preyed and capitalized on his victims when residents were required to follow stay-at-home orders. Following these victimizations, each victim felt unsafe in their homes: one of few locations where the State of Maryland advised residents to seek refuge.
The United States Attorney for the District of Maryland has released additional information regarding the incident that occurred in the area of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase on Wednesday morning:
Greenbelt, Maryland – A criminal complaint was filed today charging Nicholas John Roske, age 26, of Simi Valley, California, for federal charges of attempted murder of a Supreme Court Justice. Roske is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan.
The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and U.S Marshal Johnny Hughes.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on June 8, 2022, at approximately 1:05 a.m., two United States Deputy Marshals saw an individual dressed in black clothing and carrying a backpack and a suitcase, get out of a taxicab that had stopped in front of the residence of a current Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The individual looked at the two Deputy U.S. Marshals, who were standing next to their parked vehicle, and then turned to walk down the street.
Shortly thereafter, Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center received a call from Nicholas John Roske, who allegedly informed the call taker that he was having suicidal thoughts and had a firearm in his suitcase. Roske also allegedly stated that he traveled from California to Maryland to kill a specific Supreme Court Justice. Montgomery County Police Department officers were dispatched to the location near the residence where they encountered Roske, who was still on the telephone with the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center. Roske was taken into custody and law enforcement officers seized the backpack and the suitcase that were still in his possession.
As detailed in the affidavit, a search of the seized suitcase and backpack revealed a black tactical chest rig and tactical knife, a pistol with two magazines and ammunition, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch, crow bar, pistol light, duct tape, hiking boots with padding on the outside of the soles, and other items.
Roske was transported to the Montgomery County Police Department where, after being advised of his constitutional rights, Roske allegedly told detectives that he was upset about the leak of a recent Supreme Court draft decision regarding the right to abortion as well as the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
If convicted, Roske faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for attempted murder of a United States Judge. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, and its efforts to protect national security, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/anti-terrorism.
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Per Montgomery County:
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 26, 2022
ROCKVILLE, Md., April 26, 2022 — The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously today to pass a resolution affirming Montgomery County’s support for H.R. 1256, the Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act. The resolution was introduced by Council Vice President Evan Glass, along with Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Will Jawando. Introduced in the U.S. Congress by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. Jamie Raskin and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the federal resolution would remove Francis G. Newlands’ name from the grounds of the memorial fountain located in Chevy Chase Circle. The resolution is co-sponsored by Council President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Craig Rice, Tom Hucker, Sidney Katz, Hans Riemer and Nancy Navarro.
United States Senator Francis G. Newlands, who founded the town of Chevy Chase, Maryland in the 1880s was an outspoken white supremacist who actively sought to strip voting rights from African Americans. As a developer, Newlands built communities that excluded immigrants, Jews and others from living there. While in office, Senator Newlands advocated for the repeal of the 15th amendment, published journals that called for expelling African Americans from the United States, and advocated for “White Plank” policies that would have allowed immigration to the United States only to white people. “Montgomery County is one of the most diverse communities in the United States and we celebrate that every day,” said Council Vice President Evan Glass (At-Large). “All residents should feel a sense of inclusion and connection, not alienation, when they travel around our beautiful community. The legacy of hatred, bigotry, antisemitism and racism has no place here.”
“Our government should not be celebrating segregationists. The Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act will take racism off a public pedestal,” said Rep. Raskin. “Francis Newlands worked to deny Black Americans, Jews and immigrants in our community of equal rights and dignity. I appreciate the Montgomery County Council for passing Council Vice President Glass’s resolution in support of the Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act and thank the members for their support.” “The Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act will send a strong message repudiating housing discrimination and segregation which should not be accepted or tolerated in Montgomery County, our Nation’s Capital, or anywhere,” said Councilmember Andrew Friedson (District 1). “For too long, this statue has represented exclusion and division rather than a welcome sign to an inclusive community. As we do the critical work of dismantling the structures that perpetuate institutional racism, the symbols and statues that normalize it matter, too.”
“Senator Newlands instituted segregation in the developments in and around Chevy Chase, and sought to strip voting rights from people of color. I look forward to the day when the plaque on the memorial constructed in his honor is removed and more worthy residents are honored in his place,” said Councilmember Will Jawando (At-Large). In acts of solidarity, Montgomery County has changed the names of streets and roadways that had been dedicated to residents who espoused beliefs contrary to what we stand for today. In 2020, both the D.C. Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood Commission and the Maryland Chevy Chase Village Board of Managers adopted resolutions calling on the National Park Service to remove the plaque bearing Sen. Newlands’ name. The resolution can be found here.
Per Montgomery County:
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 19, 2022
ROCKVILLE, Md., April 19, 2022 — On Tuesday, April 19, Council Vice President Evan Glass, along with Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Will Jawando, will introduce a resolution affirming Montgomery County’s support for H.R. 1256, the Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act. Introduced in the United States Congress by Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Ben Cardin, Representative Jamie Raskin and Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, the federal resolution would remove Francis G. Newlands’ name from the grounds of the memorial fountain located in Chevy Chase Circle. The resolution is co-sponsored by Council President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers Craig Rice, Tom Hucker, Sidney Katz, Hans Riemer and Nancy Navarro.
United States Senator Francis G. Newlands, who founded the town of Chevy Chase, Maryland in the 1880’s was an outspoken white supremacist who actively sought to strip voting rights from African Americans. As a developer, Newlands built communities that excluded immigrants, Jews and others from living there. While in office, Senator Newlands advocated for the repeal of the 15th amendment, published journals that called for expelling African Americans from the United States, and advocated for “White Plank” policies that would have allowed immigration to the United States only to White people.
“Montgomery County is one of the most diverse communities in the United States and we celebrate that every day,” said Council Vice President Evan Glass (At-Large). “All residents should feel a sense of inclusion and connection, not alienation, when they travel around our beautiful community. The legacy of hatred, bigotry, antisemitism and racism has no place here.”
“The Francis G. Newlands Memorial Removal Act will send a strong message repudiating housing discrimination and segregation which should not be accepted or tolerated in Montgomery County, our Nation’s Capital, or anywhere,” said Councilmember Andrew Friedson (District 1). “For too long, this statue has represented exclusion and division rather than a welcome sign to an inclusive community. As we do the critical work of dismantling the structures that perpetuate institutional racism, the symbols and statues that normalize it matter, too.”
“Senator Newlands instituted segregation in the developments in and around Chevy Chase, and sought to strip voting rights from people of color. I look forward to the day when the plaque on the memorial constructed in his honor is removed and more worthy residents are honored in his place,” said Councilmember Will Jawando (At-Large).
In acts of solidarity, Montgomery County has changed the names of streets and roadways that had been dedicated to residents who espoused beliefs contrary to what we stand for today. In 2020, both the D.C. Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood Commission and the Maryland Chevy Chase Board of Managers adopted resolutions calling on the National Park Service to remove the plaque bearing Senator Newlands’ name.
The resolution can be found here.
Update: Sale price of team in 2006 was corrected to $450 million.
The Washington Post has reported that the Lerner family has begun the process of exploring possible changes to the team’s ownership structure, including the possibility of selling the team. Current Chevy Chase resident Ted Lerner, 96, purchased the team from Major League Baseball in 2006 for $450,000,000.
In June 2008, Ted passed control of the team to his son Mark Lerner. Mark told The Washington Post that the family has “hired New York investment bank Allen & Company to research potential investors, and possibly buyers, for the Nationals.”
In 1952, a 26-year-old Ted Lerner borrowed $250 from his wife to start a real estate company, selling homes for developers. After selling 22,000, he decided to become a builder.
Today his Lerner Enterprises, headquartered at 2000 Tower Oaks Blvd in Rockville, is among the largest owners of real estate in the Washington, D.C area.
Ted Lerner was recently listed as being worth $4.4 Billion on Forbes annual ‘World’s Billionaire List’.
Full Washington Post article linked below:
The Lerner family will explore selling the Washington Nationals https://t.co/2udezgL7e1
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 11, 2022
Update: Christian Harrison has been located safe and unharmed.
Per Montgomery County:
For Immediate Release: Sunday, April 3, 2022
Gaithersburg, MD – Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Special Victims Investigation Division (SVID) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing teenager from Chevy Chase.
Christian Harrison, age 16, was last seen at approximately 8:40 a.m., Sunday, April 3, 2022, in the 5100 block of Saratoga Avenue.
Harrison is approximately 5-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs 155 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt with yellow writing, black shorts and red and white sneakers.
Police and family are concerned for his welfare.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Christian Harrison is asked to call the Montgomery County Police SVID at (240) 773- 5400 or the police non-emergency number at (301) 279- 8000 (24-hour line). Callers may remain anonymous.
Christian Harrison (Original Image)
Amazon announced on Wednesday that it plans to close all 68 of its brick-and-mortar bookstores, pop-ups and shops carrying toys and home goods (including Amazon 4 Star) in the United States and United Kingdom, per Reuters.
Amazon has an Amazon 4 Star location in Montgomery Mall in Bethesda and one that was planned for Germantown, with signage at that location recently going up. The Montgomery Mall Amazon 4 Star location will be closing permanently on march 19th, the store confirmed today. The Germantown location will no longer be opening, despite the recent signage that was erected prior to Amazon’s announcement.
Amazon Books at Bethesda Row will also be closing permanently, but the store does not have a closing date yet.
The company also stated that it would continue its focus on Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market grocery chains. An Amazon Fresh grocery store recently opened in Chevy Chase and one is planned for Gaithersburg. It was recently announced that an Amazon grocery store is in the plans for White Oak Town Center as well.
Three fires that have left two separate families displaced occurred overnight, according to MCFRS PIO Pete Piringer. The fires occurred in Takoma Park, Germantown, and a Chevy Chase. There were no injuries reported in any of the fires.
The first was a 2-alarm fire at 7401 New Hampshire Avenue in Takoma Park at the Hampshire Tower apartments. One family consisting of two children and two adults was displaced, and there was approximately $25k in damages. No word on the cause of the fire.
The second, at approximately 4am, was at Great Park Circle in Germantown. The fire occurred on the balcony and led to the activation of the sprinkler system. There was approximately $20k in damages. No word on the cause of the fire.
The third occurred at approximately 5am on Raymond Street in Chevy Chase. The house fire led to a family of two adults and one dog being displaced. No word on the cause of the fire.
Personal finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst Cities at Money Management. Montgomery County’s Chevy Chase came in at #12 on the list, which includes municipalities and major areas across the United States.
Additional Montgomery County areas are included and searchable within the list.
From WalletHub: A survey showed that 43% of U.S. adults grade their knowledge of personal finance a C or lower. Only 57% of adults give their knowledge of personal finance high marks, and 47% maintain a budget and keep an eye on their spending.
In order to determine where Americans are best at handling their finances, WalletHub compared more than 2,500 cities/areas based on 10 key indicators of money-management skills. The data set ranges from the average credit score to average number of late payments to mortgage debt-to-income ratio.
Full report available here.
