“Born from a love of nature, pets, family, and beer, BabyCat brewery will forever be dedicated to crafting excellent craft beverages and ensuring you, your family and your friends feel right at home every time you visit us.” MoCo residents Sam Mussomeli and Terry Redmond are bringing BabyCat Brewery to Kensington. The new brewery will be located at 10241 Kensington Pkwy.

Mussomeli has been brewing for over a decade. The pandemic gave him more time to work on his craft and move forward with his dream of opening a brewery. Montgomery County native Terry Redmond came on board last year. The duo noticed that the building, located approximately 35 feet away from the railroad track, has recently been sold and reached out to the new owners to see if they would be interested in bringing in the new brewery. After sharing their business plan with the new owners of the building, the wheels were in motion for the new community brewery- Kensington’s first.

The plan is for the brewery to be family focused, as Mussomeli and Redmond would like to maximize the outdoor space. They plan on offering a space for local artists to show their work and would also like to bring in local musicians to perform. Though the brewery won’t offer food of its own, they’ll be working with food trucks and offering QR codes to use at some of the surrounding restaurants.

Olive & Loom, a Mediterranean-inspired lifestyle and apothecary boutique that opened in Pike & Rose in March 2019, announced via Instagram in December that it would be moving in with its sister business, Kin & Care, in Kensington.

Olive & Loom closed its Pike & Rose location and opened its boutique and candle studio at 10305 Kensington Pkwy this weekend. Kin & Care is a hand-poured, small batch, scented candle company located in Kensington.

Owner Ferzan Jaeger, a Turkish-born mother of two who started her business inspired by the Turkish Baths/Hamam rooted in the rich history of the Ottoman Empire, announced on Instagram that the Pike & Rose lease was up at the end of January. In Kensington, she says, they’ll be able to put both businesses under one roof and hope to continue the retail side of Olive & Loom, while offering candle pouring classes in the studio.

Kevin Plank, founder of Under Armour, grew up in Kensington. He is the youngest of five brothers born to William and Jayne Plank. His father was a prominent real estate developer who passed away in 1993. A local project of his was the Al Marah subdivision off River Road, just off of exit 39 on the Beltway.  His mother was the mayor of Kensington for 8 years, from 1974-1982. She went on to direct the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs at the United States Department of State under President Ronald Reagan, and was a real estate broker until the early 2000s.

Plank grew up playing youth football with the Maplewood Sports Association (photo below). He even featured a Maplewood team in an Under Armour commercial. While growing up in Kensington, Plank has mentioned that one of his favorite places to eat was Continental– a family owned and operated restaurant that has been serving the Kensington community since 1957. Plank attended Georgetown Preparatory School, but left the school due to poor academic performance and behavioral issues. According to Forbes, he was thrown out of private high school after failing two classes and for his part in what Forbes described as a “drunken brawl” with football players from Georgetown University.

He went on to graduate from another Catholic school, St. John’s College High School, in 1990. While at St. John’s, Plank first met his future wife, Desiree Jacqueline “D.J.” Guerzon of Potomac, when he went out with one of her classmates from the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda. The future couple even went to prom in the same car, but with different dates. Their paths crossed again at the University of Maryland where they began dating and eventually married.

After graduating from St. John’s, Plank played football at Fork Union Military Academy for a year, in an attempt to catch the eye of  a NCAA Division I school. He was not recruited by  any top-tier collegiate football programs, but decided to attend the University of Maryland (College Park), where he was able to walk on to the football team there. He graduated in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, which he supports to this day with major contributions.

The idea that led to Under Armour was sparked while playing for the Maryland Terrapins; Plank said he was the “sweatiest guy on the football field” in an interview with Fortune. The cotton t-shirts he was wearing were unable to keep him dry and comfortable, so he searched for a material that would wick the sweat from his body, so after graduating he searched for synthetic materials that would keep athletes dry. While at University of Maryland, Plank launched Cupid’s Valentine, a seasonal business selling roses on Valentine’s Day. Cupid’s Valentine earned him $3,000.  He used that money, credit cards, and a Small Business Administration loan, to launch his business– trying several prototypes before deciding on the one he wanted to use.

Plank originally wanted to call his new sportswear company ‘Heart.’ He was unable to trademark the name, so he went with ‘Body Armor’, which he was also unable to trademark. It wasn’t until his brother asked him “How’s that company you’re working on … Under Armor?” that the name he ended up using stuck. Why did he use the British spelling if the word “Armour”?  He came up with a phone number, 888-4ARMOUR, that the felt was more compelling than using 888-44ARMOR, according to Business Insider.

Plank initially ran the business from his grandmother’s townhouse in Georgetown. According to The Washington Post, Under Armour began in Plank’s grandmother’s house on the corner of 35th and O Street in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. He lived upstairs, had the sales office on the ground floor, and kept all the inventory in the basement. Under Armour’s first shirt was the #0037, which Plank sold from his car.

He also asked his former teammates to try on the shirts, claiming that his alternative to a cottons-shirt would enhance their performance on the field. He would send his friends who went on to play professionally shirts so that they can pass them on to teammates. His first big team sale was to Georgia Tech. In 1996, Plank finished his first year selling shirts with $17,000 in sales, per the Baltimore Business Journal.

A turning point for him came late in 1999, when Plank used nearly all of Under Armour’s money, and employees agreed to go without pay for a few weeks, so the company could take out a $25,000 advertisement in ESPN The Magazine.  The ad resulted in $1 million in direct sales for the following year, and athletes and teams began buying the product, according to The Washington Post. Plank’s company reached $1 billion annual revenue for the first time in 2010, and Plank became a billionaire in 2011, when his net worth was estimated at $1.05 billion. Plank currently has an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion. 

As CEO, Plank oversaw a company that generated $5 billion in annual revenue and employed about 15,800 people as of December 31, 2017. Plank announced his departure as CEO in October 2019, and was succeeded on January 1, 2020, by Under Armour COO Patrik Frisk. Under Armour edged out Adidas to come in #2 behind Nike with U.S. apparel and footwear sales of $1.2 billion (Adidas came in at $1.1 billion) after a 20% increase in sales compared to a 23% decrease by Adidas according to a Sterne Agee report Friday citing sales figures from SportScanInfo in September of 2021.

Featured photo courtesy of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Washington, D.C. mom takes home prize in Feb. 26 drawing

Per MD Lottery:

“Me and my son watch ‘(My) Lottery Dream Home’ all the time,” said a 44-year-old Washington, D.C. resident. “Now, we can get our very own Lottery dream home.” The key to making her dream come true was a $3 Powerball ticket, which won $2 million in the Feb. 26 drawing.

“Smudge,” which is a nickname she chose for publicity as a shoutout to her 11-year-old son, said she doesn’t often play Lottery games. However, watching the popular television show where a host takes Lottery winners on a search for their dream home piqued her interest in the game. Last Saturday, while her son was involved in his normal weekend activities in Maryland, “Smudge” decided to do a little shopping.

“I was having company later and I wanted to get a bottle of wine,” she said.

“Smudge” stopped at Rodman’s Discount Gourmet in Kensington for a few grocery items and the bottle of wine. While there, she spotted the store’s Lottery vending equipment and decided to purchase $20 worth of games. “Smudge” bought a $5 and a $10 scratch-off, a $2 Cash4Life ticket and a $2 Powerball quick-pick ticket. She added $1 to the Powerball ticket for the Power Play multiplier option before leaving to pick up her son and head home.

The office coordinator played the two scratch-offs first, which were not winners. She didn’t check the Cash4Life and Powerball tickets until the next day. Cash4Lifefailed to give her a win, either. However, as she checked her Powerball ticket, the astonished mom realized she was matching the winning numbers one by one.

“My brain just couldn’t process it, you know,” said “Smudge.” “I called my son so he could check the ticket again for me and his eyes got big as he said, ‘Mom, they’re the same!’ ”

The shocked woman then called her husband so he could examine the ticket and confirm the win. He, too, expressed disbelief. “Smudge” had matched four of the white balls and the Powerball number. Because she added the Power Play option to her ticket, the $1 million second-tier prize doubled to $2 million.

“It’s so crazy, I remember telling my son, ‘I want my Lottery dream home,’ ” she said, smiling. She will soon have one. In addition to buying a house, “Smudge” plans to save some of the fortune for her son’s college education.

“Smudge” isn’t the only winner. Rodman’s Discount Gourmet located at 5148 Nicholson Lane in Kensington will receive a $5,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the $2 million winning ticket with Power Play.

Update: Jasmine Perez Sales has been located safe and unharmed.

Per MCPD:

For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 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 Kensington.

Jasmine Perez Sales, age 16, was last seen on March 2, 2022 in the 6400 block of Rock Spring Drive in Bethesda.

Perez Sales is 4-feet, 10-inches tall and weighs 120 pounds. She has shoulder length black hair and brown eyes.

Perez Sales was last seen wearing a black sweater with red lettering, blue jeans and red/black Jordan sneakers. She may be carrying a black backpack.

Police and family are concerned for her welfare.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Jasmine Perez Sales 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.

A crash on Connecticut Avenue and Veirs Mill Road occurred around 2pm today. For reasons unknown at the moment, a car was driven into a tree in the median.

Some lanes are currently blocked on Connecticut Avenue between Veirs Mill Rd and Adams Drive.

One adult was transported to the hospital, priority 2. Another adult was transported to the hospital, priority 3.

Priority 1 — Critically ill or injured person requiring immediate attention; unstable patients with potentially life-threatening injury or illness.
Priority 2 — Less serious condition, requiring emergency medical attention but not immediately endangering the patient’s life.
Priority 3 — Non-emergent condition, requiring medical attention but not on an emergency basis.
Priority 4 — Does not require medical attention.

[contact-form][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”true” /][contact-field label=”Website” type=”url” /][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea” /][/contact-form]

Update: Edfried Hans Gassner has been located safe and unharmed.

Per MCPD:

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 11, 2022

Gaithersburg, MD – Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 2nd District Investigative Section are asking for the public’s assistance in locating an 82-year-old male from Kensington.

Today (February 11, 2022), at approximately 3:00 p.m., Edfried Hans Gassner was last seen leaving his residence on Rokeby Ave. in Kensington. He is driving his silver 2013 Hyundai Sonata bearing Maryland license plate 7CW4669.

Gassner is 5-feet, 4-inches tall and weighs approximately 139 pounds. He has gray hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing green pants, a blue shirt with stripes and brown shoes.

Police and family are concerned for his physical welfare.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Edfried Hans Gassner is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 (24-hour line).

Edfried Hans Gassner (Original Image)

# # #

Kevin “KP” Phipps and Lee Ventura were in the office of Anytime Fitness in Kensington while KP has a brief break in between clients around 4pm yesterday. That’s when they heard a noise that was different than the usual thud they were used to from weights dropping.

Both men ran to the gym floor, where a gym member informed them that another member had fallen from the machine he was working out on. KP immediately dove to the ground to check on the member, who was unresponsive. Lee called 911 and got the AED, which took about 30 seconds. In this time, the member (who was one of KP’s clients),  stopped breathing and turned purple so the men knew that they had to act fast.

Another member and KP rolled the man onto his side and pulled his shirt up to prepare him for the automated external defibrillator (AED). An AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiacarrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electricity which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.

Patches were applied and AED directions were followed. Following the shock administered by the machine, KP started compressions until the paramedics came. The member, who is 79 years old, went from purple back to his normal shade. He was breathing again by the time the paramedics arrived.

“You’re doing great, do not stop the compressions.” the paramedics told KP as they were setting up. The paramedics determined the man’s heart rate and blood pressure was nearly back to normal. He was unconscious, but stable. The patient was taken to Suburban hospital and KP went to visit him after work, showing up around 7:20. He wanted to bring the man his glasses and hearing aid. Upon arrival, he was told that the patient was moved from the emergency room to the ICU, which was a good sign. He is expected to make it due to the heroic actions of Kevin “KP” Phipps and Lee Ventura.

Employees of the gym had just participated in a CPR recertification class last Friday and never would have imagined it would come in handy so soon. KP told us he isn’t a stranger to saving lives- he once performed the Heimlich maneuver in a DC restaurant in 2019, saving someone who was choking.

We commend both men on their heroic actions.

5:25 PM Update: We received a message from Anytime Fitness letting us know that it was an Anytime Fitness staff member who revived his client at the gym.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a call of a man who went into cardiac arrest at Anytime Fitness on the 4200 block of Howard Avenue, near Knowles Ave, in Kensington around 4pm this afternoon.

According to MCFRS PIO Pete Piringer, bystanders tended to the man and utilized a public access automated external defibrillator (AED) to revive him. We received a message from Anytime Fitness letting us know that it was an Anytime Fitness staff member who revived his client at the gym.

An AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiacarrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electricity which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.

The man is being transported to to the hospital as a Priority 1 critical patient, which means the patient has an acutely life threatening illness, injury, or condition.

Following a multiyear renovation, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently announced that the Washington D.C. Temple would be open for public tours for the first time since 1974. Due to high demand, the open house will be extended and the rededication of the temple will now be on August 14th, 2022.

Per the press release:

We are inspired by and grateful for the response of friends, neighbors and Church members to the invitation to “come and see” the renovated temple. Within two weeks of the announcement, nearly 50% of the available parking reservations were filled, and many more people have expressed interest.

Given the historic demand to participate in the open house (which begins in April 2022), the First Presidency has now announced that the open house will be extended as needed, and the rededication of the temple will now take place on August 14, 2022.

Our goal is to invite all to join us to experience the peace, beauty and connection that can be felt in the temple, and to ensure that all who desire to come have a welcoming, safe and orderly experience in this sacred place. We are thankful for the friends and neighbors who are helping make this open house possible. Available dates will be published online as soon as they are determined. Reservations for parking or transportation to the open house can be made by visiting www.DCTemple.org (tickets are not required for the tour).