MoCo native drummer Allison Miller, who is a three-time Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State, will be performing at the Strathmore Music Center on February 10th. The show, In Our Veins, is described as a multisensory experience that combines original jazz music with tap dance and video projections, all inspired by five great American rivers.  Addition details below courtesy of Strathmore:
“This February, Strathmore presents Allison Miller’s Rivers in Our Veins on the Music Center stage for an immersive multimedia performance, Friday, February 10, 2023 at 8pm. The evening will include a Pre-Concert Discussion with local riverkeepers from the Anacostia Watershed Society, Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN), and Groundwork Anacostia River DC exploring the complex social and ecological factors that affect our region’s waterways, environmental sustainability and justice.

Drummer, composer, and educator Allison Miller created Rivers in Our Veins as an exploration of the cultural and ecological life of rivers. She combines original jazz music with tap dance by Claudia Rahardjanoto and Luke Hickley, modern dance by Maleek Washington and improvisational video projections by Todd Winkler inspired by the sights, sounds, and movements of five U.S. rivers, including the Potomac and James.

Between the rhythmic elements inherent in tap and her dynamic movements, Rahardjanoto serves as a bridge between the aural and visual impacts of the piece. Rahardjanoto is both a dancer and a musician, blending into the performance as an additional member of the band. At the same time, Winkler improvises with imagery as his instrument. His projected natural sets shift in reaction to the band’s improvisational interplay and Claudia’s rhythmic vibrations, captured live via a feed connecting Rahardjanoto’s tap floor with his video equipment. What results is a balanced, multimedia experience that unifies the senses and fully immerses the audience into the wonders of these great American waterways.

“[This] stunning and deep work . . . continues the conversation many of us are having about where we come from, where we are, and what we are going to do about where we are going,” says Toshi Reagon, longtime bandmate, friend, and collaborator of Miller. Reagon will be returning to Strathmore this spring for an encore performance of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower Opera.

Miller’s time with Strathmore will include a residency with students and artists from the DMV area on January 24, including interviews with river experts Dennis Chestnut, Chris Williams, and Nancy Stoner, as well as an Artist in Residence workshop at AMP. She will also conduct a music workshop at her alma mater, Sherwood High School, February 8 in Olney, MD.”

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Growing up in Silver Spring and Olney, MD, Allison Miller is a three-time Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and has been the rhythmic force behind such artists as Sara Bareilles, Ani DiFranco, Natalie Merchant, Brandi Carlile, Indigo Girls, Toshi Reagon, and more.

Tap dancer Claudia Rahardjanoto has performed globally, solo and with award-winning tap dance company Dorrance Dance, who performed at the Music Center at Strathmore this past November. Luke Hickey is a NYC based tap dancer, choreographer, and educator named by Dance Magazine among their “25 to Watch” in 2020. Maleek Washington started his professional career with Strathmore educational partner CityDance Ensemble and has since performed and taught both nationally and internationally.

Video artist Todd Winkler, Director of the PhD program in Multimedia and Electronic Music Experiments at Brown University, has received international attention at festivals and venues both nationally and internationally. Miller’s band Boom Tic Boom features Carmen Staaf on piano; Jenny Scheinman on violin; Ben Goldberg on clarinet; Jason Palmer on cornet; and Todd Sickafoose on bass, tony-Award winning orchestrator and music producer of Anais Mitchell’s Hadestown.

This program is part of a multi-year examination of the environment through artistic expression and is made possible, in part, through the generous support Kathleen Knepper.
Commissioned by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

ABOUT STRATHMORE

Strathmore is a multidimensional, creative anchor in the community, where everyone can connect with the arts, and artists can explore their full potential.

It presents hundreds of performances, visual arts, and education programs, annually, for diverse audiences on its Montgomery County Maryland campus and in the community.

All of Strathmore’s facilities are Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accredited.

 

For further information or tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

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Grillmarx Steakhouse & Raw Bar has announced it will be opening a new location in College Park, MD. Grillmarx has additional locations at 18149 Town Center Dr in Olney and 10175 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia.  In August we reported that the Grillmarx in Clarksburg, located at 12011 Snowden Farm Pkwy, would be undergoing a rebrand as the restaurant is no longer affiliated with the other Grillmarx locations. Currently a timeline for the rebrand hasn’t been set. We’re told the Clarksburg restaurant will remain similar to what it is currently, but the team will implement more of the Houston’s feel with additional upgrades.

Grill Marx describes itself as “an upscale yet casual dining environment where you can find a full selection to appeal to your mood and food cravings. Whether you’re in the mood for a tasty cocktail, a salad, a sandwich, seafood, or a hearty hand-cut steak we are here to prepare it fresh with house-made ingredients that are delivered and prepped daily.  That’s how we keep our promise to deliver a delicious and satisfying meal to every guest that walks through our doors!”
“Grillmarx UMD is coming soon!! ❌🐢We are looking for team players who are enthusiastic, and are willing to help us make @grillmarxumd great! Visit our website to apply www.gmxsteak.com #grillmarxumd”
Feature photo courtesy of Grillmarx on Facebook.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmFPFrguoaK/

 

Per MCDOT: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold a virtual public forum on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, starting at 6:30 p.m., to discuss the proposed extension of the current bus route 51 to provide service to the ICC Park and Ride lot in Olney. The new proposed extended bus route 51 will operate between ICC Park and Ride lot and Glenmont Metrorail Station with no additional changes to current stops.

A virtual public forum is being conducted on the proposed new route to gather public feedback regarding the proposed service expansion. Attendees will have an opportunity to provide comments and ask questions. Community members can join the virtual public forum in two ways:

• Join by computer. Click here to join the meeting on MS Teams (Meeting ID: 290 091 989 29, Passcode QuPDqV).
• Join by phone by calling 1-443-692-5768; Phone Conference ID: 982 317 640#

For additional information on the proposed changes, click here.

Individuals and representatives of organizations who would like to speak at the public forum can email their request to [email protected], on or before Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, with the following information:

• Name
• Home Address
• Telephone Number
• E-mail Address; and
• Organization (if affiliated with one)

Individuals who have signed up to speak must provide a copy of their testimony by email, for the record by Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. Testimony and information provided will become a matter of public record.

Comments may also be written, faxed, or e-mailed on the proposed service changes and carry the same weight as spoken testimony. Testimony and information provided will become a matter of public record.

Written testimony can be sent to:
MCDOT Division of Transit Services
Ride On Public Forum
101 Monroe Street, 5th Floor
Rockville, Maryland 20850

(240) 777-5800 (phone)
(240) 777-5801 (fax)
[email protected]

Comments in writing will be accepted by 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. All comments are welcome and will be considered before any changes are finalized.

Sign language and interpreter services will be provided upon request. Requests must be received no later than 5 business days before the date of the forum. Large print format will be available upon request.

Under Title VI: Montgomery County assures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1987, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity.

For the most up-to-date Ride On bus service information, riders should follow @RideOnMCT on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. In addition, information is available at RideOnBus.com, by subscribing to receive email alerts at montgomerycountymd.gov/govdelivery, or by texting MONTGOMERY RIDEON to 468311 to receive text alerts.

For information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.

#  #  #

A $50,000 FAMILY FEUD scratch-off purchased at Kemp Mill Beer, Wine & Deli  (1339 Lamberton Drive) in Silver Spring and a $50,000 Money Explosion scratch-off purchased at the Olney Shell (18040 Georgia Avenue) in Olney were the two biggest lottery prizes redeemed this past week that were sold in Montgomery County. Two $1,000,000 scratch-offs, both purchased in Upper Marlboro, MD, were also redeemed. Additional information on winners around the state of Maryland below courtesy of the Maryland Lottery:

Two Maryland Lottery scratch-off players, one each in Upper Marlboro and Westminster, redeemed winning tickets that made them millionaires last week, and another six players landed prizes of $100,000 each in Fort Washington, Hagerstown, Langley Park, Laurel, Middle River and Windsor Mill. In all, 41 tickets across Maryland delivered prizes of $10,000 or more during the seven days ending Dec. 4, and the Maryland Lottery paid more than $35 million in prizes during that span.

Winners of prizes larger than $25,000 must redeem their tickets at the Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center in Baltimore, which is open by appointment only. Prizes of up to $5,000 can be claimed at any of more than 400 Expanded Cashing Authority Program (XCAP) locations. All Maryland Lottery retailers are authorized to redeem tickets up to and including $600. More information is available on the How To Claim page of mdlottery.com.

Here is the weekly roundup of big winners:

Scratch-off Prizes Claimed Nov. 28-Dec. 4:

$2 Million Prize

• Cash Is King, Jiffy Mart, 1 Magna Way, Westminster

$1 Million Prize

• Million Dollar Mega Multiplier, Tucker’s Liquors and Restaurant, 9205 Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro

$100,000 Prizes

• $100,000 Crossword 6^th Edition, Allentown Valero, 7713 Allentown Road, Fort Washington
• $100,000 Lucky, Four Corners Wine and Liquor, 8038 New Hampshire Avenue, Langley Park
• Lucky Times 10, Laurel Citgo, 130 Second Street, Laurel
• Money Rush, Martin’s #6444, 18726 North Pointe Drive, Hagerstown

$50,000 Prizes

• FAMILY FEUD^®, Kemp Mill Beer, Wine & Deli, 1339 Lamberton Drive, Silver Spring
• Lucky Times 10, Laurel Liquors, 420 Sandy Spring Road, Laurel
• Money Explosion, Olney Shell, 18040 Georgia Avenue, Olney

$30,000 Prize

• Peppermint Payout, Food Lion #1319, 30290 Mount Wolf Road, Charlotte Hall

$20,000 Prize

• Big Cash Riches, Grandpop’s Place, 5200 Kenwood Avenue, Baltimore

$10,000 Prizes

• $100,000 Crossword 6^th Edition, Dash In #1851, 6000 Sandy Spring Road, Laurel
• BETTY BOOP™, Value Dollar, 8030 New Hampshire Avenue, Hyattsville
• Big Cash Riches, Corona Grocery, 3520 East Lombard Street, Baltimore
• Bonus Bingo X20, South River Liquors, 3204 Solomon’s Island Road, Edgewater
• Deluxe Crossword 7^th Edition, Giant #344, 6020 Marshalee Lee Drive, Elkridge
• Mega 7s, One Stop Convenience, 321 Stemmers Run Road, Essex
• Million Dollar Mega Multiplier, Royal Farms #055, 3701 Fleet Street, Baltimore
• Money Rush, RRK Airpark Exxon, 7983 Muncaster Mill Road, Gaithersburg
• Ravens X5, The Green’s Liquor, 9201 Crain Highway, Bel Alton
• Show Me $100,000!, Corner Market, 1 South Bi-State Boulevard, Delmar

FAST PLAY and Draw Game Tickets Sold for Drawings Nov. 28-Dec. 4:

BONUS MATCH 5

• $50,015 ticket sold Nov. 29 at Inner Harbor Exxon, 1800 Russell Street, Baltimore (claimed)

FAST PLAY

• $100,000 Winfall Doubler ticket sold Nov. 30 at Kwik Mart #2, 901 A Middle River Road, Middle River (unclaimed as of Dec. 5)
• $10,000 Towering 10s ticket sold Nov. 28 at Royal Farms #257, 7560 Belair Road, Nottingham (unclaimed as of Dec. 5)

MEGA MILLIONS

• $10,000 ticket sold Nov. 30 at High’s #048, 1624 Annapolis Road, Odenton (unclaimed as of Dec. 5)

PICK 5

• $25,000 ticket sold Nov. 29 at Fishpaw’s Marketplace, 954 Ritchie Highway, Arnold (claimed)
• $25,000 ticket sold Dec. 1 at Biddle Liquors, 2100 East Biddle Street, Baltimore (unclaimed as of Dec. 5)
• $25,000 ticket sold Nov. 29 at Pine Liquors, 9231 Oxon Hill Road, Fort Washington (unclaimed as of Dec. 5)
• $25,000 ticket sold Nov. 26 at Tony’s Liquors, 12637 Laurel-Bowie Road, Laurel (claimed)
• $25,000 ticket sold Dec. 1 at Royal Farms #064, 7950 Pulaski Highway, Rosedale (unclaimed as of Dec. 5)
• $25,000 ticket sold Nov. 28 at Rosedale Liquors, 6403 Kenwood Avenue, Rosedale (unclaimed as of Dec. 5)
• $25,000 ticket sold Nov. 26 at Dawson’s Liquors, 589 Baltimore – Annapolis Boulevard, Severna Park (unclaimed as of Dec. 5)
• $25,000 ticket sold Nov. 29 at Whitney’s Liquors, 2218 Old Washington Road, Waldorf (unclaimed as of Dec. 5)
• $25,000 ticket sold Nov. 29 at 7-Eleven #23157, 2170 Crain Highway, Waldorf (claimed)

POWERBALL

• $100,000 ticket sold Nov. 17 at Rolling Road BP, 2202 North Rolling Road, Windsor Mill (claimed)

RACETRAX

• $30,734 ticket sold Nov. 28 at Kenilworth Sunoco, 4837 Kenilworth Avenue, Hyattsville (claimed)
• $15,367 ticket sold Nov. 28 at Royal Farms #014, 4384 Hollins Ferry Road, Baltimore (claimed)
• $15,367 ticket sold Nov. 28 at Lucky Lottery, 6029 Marlboro Pike, District Heights (claimed)
• $15,367 ticket sold Nov. 28 at Royal Farms #206, 700 Annapolis Road, Gambrills (claimed)
• $12,707.30 ticket sold Nov. 28 at Southern Liquor, 13318 Harry G. Truman Drive, Solomons (claimed)
• $12,145 ticket sold No. 29 at Security Square Mall Exxon, 1601 Belmont Avenue, Windsor Mill (claimed)

The Maryland Lottery encourages players to check their tickets by scanning them at any Lottery retailer or with the Lottery’s mobile apps. Draw game winners have 182 days from the date of a drawing to claim their prizes, and scratch-off winners have 182 days from the announced end-of-game date.

Last claim dates for scratch-off tickets are published in the scratch-off section of mdlottery.com.

A $50,000 winning scratch-off was sold at the Olney Shell gas station at 18040 Georgia Avenue in Olney. This is the third time that winner Donnie Cole has won $50,000 prizes from the lottery. He also won a $100,000 prize in 2017. Details on what he plans to do with the money this time around below, courtesy of the Maryland Lottery: 
An avid Lottery player whose love of scratching off instant tickets is equal to his love of pet ferrets claimed his fourth substantial prize on Dec. 1 at Lottery headquarters. The Montgomery County man said he plans to keep on playing – and winning. “My intent is that when the Maryland Lottery does its taxes, it’ll have to list me as a dependent,” said Donnie Cole.

The 62-year-old claimed his latest prize, a $50,000 second-tier score, on the $20 Money Explosion scratch-off. His previous big wins are two for $50,000, one of which dates to July 2012, and one for $100,000 in November 2017.
Donnie reports that ferrets and the Lottery are linked in his life. “My wife and I are a forever home for rescued ferrets,” he said. “When people ask what I do, I tell them I rub furry tummies, and they always ask where they can apply.” At present, they share their home with five ferrets, which Donnie says are “so much smarter than people.” For example, he says, at night most of them will sleep but one will always stay awake, exploring and standing post.

“I like playing the Lottery because I’m usually at home by myself with the ferrets and they don’t talk too much,” he said. Donnie and his wife work with Nirvana Ridge Ferret Rescue in Virginia. He says the operation will receive part of the proceeds of his Lottery win. The winner, who lives in a very small town, said he purchased the lucky Money Explosion instant ticket at Olney Shell gas station at 18040 Georgia Avenue in Olney. The Money Explosion game has a top prize of $1 million. Two of those top prizes remain unclaimed as of Dec. 1 and two of the original eight $50,000 second-tier prizes also are unclaimed after Donnie’s score.

Per Montgomery County: The annual Olney Art Association (OAA) juried member exhibition will be on display at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg through Jan. 29. The exhibit features 46 works of art by 19 member artists of the OAA. The Activity Center at Bohrer Park is located at 506 South Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg. It is open from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Founded in 1974, the OAA is a professional, learning, creative community of visual fine artists whose expertise ranges in a variety of media. OAA artists work in oil painting, watercolor, acrylics, pastel, colored pencil, pen and ink, printmaking, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics, digital art and photography. More information about the OAA can be found at www.OlneyArtAssociation.org.

Glen Kessler juried the exhibition and chose 10 award winners. Mr. Kessler is an internationally collected and awarded artist, as well as the founder of The Compass Atelier in Rockville. He has an MFA from New York Academy of Art and a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art. His works have graced the cover of Professional Artist Magazine and in The Artist’s Magazine among other publications. Mr. Kessler has work displayed in the public collections of King Charles III, Amazon Web Services, Ford’s Theater, Capital One Bank, Dominion Bank and hundreds of private collections around the world. He is a two-time recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Grant for Outstanding Figurative Art, a Prince of Wales Fellow and a Maryland State Arts Council Grant awardee.

The award winners for the exhibition include:

• Isabella Martire, “Getting Ready for Work.” Best in Show
• Ken Bachman, “Maine Garden.” Juror’s Award
• Joan Hobbs, “The Blue Barn.” Juror’s Award
• Sandy Yagel, “The Composer.” Juror’s Award
• Sandra Bourdeaux, “Alesia with Red Hat.” Honorable Mention
• Howard Clark, “Glade Creek Grist Mill.” Honorable Mention
• Margo Lehman, “Window on Cerrito Blanco.” Honorable Mention
• Lori Myers, “Still Life with Pine Cones.” Honorable Mention
• Anne Pielert, “The Courtyard.” Honorable Mention
• Katherine Richards, “Sculpted by the Wind.” Honorable Mention

View the collection of artwork here. Many of the featured pieces are for sale and all images and artwork are copyrighted by the artists. For more information about the exhibit, visit the Activity Center at Bohrer Park gallery webpage or contact the City’s Gallery Program Coordinator at 301-258-6394 or [email protected].

“The Costco in Gaithersburg is the 7th circle of hell” is just one of many answers we received when we asked the question, “What is the worst parking lot in MoCo?” on social media.  Everyone has had their share of terrible experiences in MoCo parking lots, and while there are more than 26 “bad” parking lots, we’ve narrowed down a list (in no particular order) of what we feel are the worst.

Gaithersburg Square
In the past year this shopping center has added a Marshalls, Five Below, &Pizza, and Claire’s,  and is scheduled to open a Montgomery County Liquor store in the coming months.  These new stores, in addition to a CVS, Panera, and a very busy Chipotle, have turned Gaithersburg Square into one of the busiest shopping centers in the county.

Norbeck Center (Rockville)
This center has several incredibly popular restaurants (Full On & Big Greek Café) and only a handful of parking spots. Full On has even devoted of a portion of their website (www.fulloncraft.com/parking/) to helping guests with the parking situation. “While there are only a few spots in front of Full On, the lot in front of White’s Hardware Store is public space. 46 spots are open to the public at all times. Follow the sidewalk that runs parallel to Norbeck Rd which takes you directly to our door!”

Costco (Gaithersburg)
This article was inspired by Fox 5’s Jim Lokay when he tweeted “What is the most lawless frontier in the DC region and why is it the parking lot at the Gaithersburg Costco?”  The Gaithersburg location has the strangest layout and most people don’t use the underground portion of the lot.

Chick-Fil-A (Germantown)
The traffic for this Chick-Fil-A’s drive thru on Century Blvd is so bad that it often times closes all lanes of the parking lot.

Fallsgrove (Rockville)
The biggest issue is getting in and getting out. When those lines start to form and it seems like nobody knows who’s supposed to go? Oh man.

Every Trader Joe’s
Federal Plaza in Rockville has been one of the busiest parking lots for as long as I can remember. Trader Joe’s doesn’t help. The same goes for every other Trader Joe’s location in the county. Some say they do it on purpose so that they can increase the amount of customers during their off-peak hours.

Shady Grove Home Depot (Gaithersburg)
“Leaving Home Depot Gaithersburg #2550 off this list is a major oversight” was just one of the dozens of comments we received about the Home Depot at 15740 Shady Grove Rd when we posted the 2021 list. This year we’re not making the same mistake.

Costco (Wheaton Plaza)
The Costco at Wheaton Mall opened in 2013 and the parking lot has been packed ever since. In addition to the normal craziness of a Costco lot there’s the added bonus of a shopping mall.

Gaithersburg Commuter Bus Stop/Park & Ride 
Several readers mentioned the Park & Ride stop that’s located on West Diamond Ave in Gaithersburg, with one writing, “will take you a good 20 minutes to get out of the lot during rush hour..”

Flagship Center (Rockville)
Flagship is located on Rockville Pike across from the Montrose Crossing Shopping Center.  With restaurants like Pho 75, Thai Cuisine, and China Bistro, there’s good reason parking is always tight.

Rio AMC (Gaithersburg)
Everyone’s favorite garage at Rio, most people prefer to try to find a spot at the very bottom of the lot so they can walk out by Guapo’s.  Also a popular spot for giant SUVs backing up into spaces.

Woodmoor Shopping Center (Silver Spring)
One of the oldest shopping centers in MoCo can also be one of the most problematic. Though you can park in the back (it also gets full), we all hope for the best and try to make it into that front triangle parking lot.

Wheaton Park
With H-Mart, the Dollar Store, and AutoZone all next to each other, it’s no surprise that this parking lot is one of the worst in the area. The lot is also known for its very narrow lanes.

Montgomery Village Center 
What was once considered a “dead” shopping center, this parking lot has seen a huge increase in traffic ever since Aldi opened up next to Big Lots in 2020. With the addition of Starbucks, and several more restaurants scheduled to open this year, expect it to only get worse.

Leisure World
The closer to Giant you get, the better your chances of a bad experience. We try to park far away and get our steps in when we head to the Leisure World shopping center.

Lancaster Dutch Market/Outback Parking Lot (Germantown)
You have to just park up by Dairy Queen and walk, but we always have high hopes and look for something better when we get there. Lots of spaces, but tends to get pretty full when you want to be there.

Firstfield Shopping Center (Gaithersburg)
The Starbucks drive-thru in this center is so busy that the line of cars often extends outside of the parking lot and on to the main road. The center also includes Einstein Bagels and Jimmy John’s.

Manhattan Pizza/Upcounty Beer & Wine (Clarksburg)
A very tight spot that makes it almost impossible to get in and out of. We suggest parking on the opposite end near the Subway. On a side note, definitely try the gelato at Manhattan!

Germantown Plaza 
Whether it’s the people double parking to run into Little Caesars for pizza, or trying to find a place to park in the back alley for Planet Fitness, both sides of this shopping center are a mess.

Olney Gardens (where CVS, Cava Mezze, and Cafe Rio are).
Olney Village Center and Fair Hill are also bad, but Olney Gardens is narrower and we think it squeaks out the victory of the Olney parking lots because if that.

Aspen Hill Shopping Center
There’s a lot going on so it could take a long time to get from one end to the other. Heading to McDonald’s? That’ll make it even worse.

Lowe’s Parking lot (Kentlands)
The four way stop in the Kentlands is pretty bad, but it’s not a parking lot, so we’re gonna go with Lowe’s here. There can be 11 cars parked yet somehow 378 people are walking to and from the parking lot at all times.

Wildwood Shopping Center (Bethesda)
The truck is to park in the back, but those can fill up too, and let’s be honest…we always think we’ll find something in the front. These short parking columns are the stuff nightmares are made of.

Megamart (Gaithersburg)
The international grocery store Megamart is one of the busiest grocery stores in the entire county. The shopping center also includes a 7-Eleven and Advanced Auto Parks.  An honorable mention goes to Gaitherstowne Plaza (IHOP) right across the street on 355.

Every Whole Foods
Just like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods seem to bring out the worst in people in the parking lots. Silver Spring and River Rd. are my two least favorite parking lots, but the Kentlands and Rockville/N. Bethesda isn’t far behind.

Cabin John Village (Potomac)
The addition of the fast-casuals on the one side allows traffic to hit you from every angle. Construction didn’t help things recently either. Never a fun time when it’s busy.

 

 

Per Montgomery County:
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is beginning a $3.7 million safety and resurfacing project on MD 108 from Olney Mill Road to Brooke Road in Olney. Weather permitting, the 3.7-mile project is expected to be complete by late summer 2023.
In addition to pavement milling and resurfacing, the project will:

Per MCDOT:
On Wednesday, Nov. 9 starting at 7 p.m., the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will hold a virtual public hearing to discuss the proposed construction of a sidewalk on Old Baltimore Road from Menden Farm Drive to the path at the lake.

At the virtual hearing, MCDOT will present the project details, costs, schedules and obtain public testimony. If approved, the completed project will enhance safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities as they travel to nearby schools and facilities. Public input is encouraged and will influence whether MCDOT constructs any, all or a portion of the proposed sidewalks.   Online registration is required to attend. On the morning of the meeting, an electronic invitation will be sent to those who registered.

Prior to the virtual meeting, the public is encouraged to review the proposal files on the project website. Written testimony or questions may be submitted to MCDOT’s Sidewalk Program by email to [email protected]. Written testimony carries the same weight as oral testimony. All information provided including questions and testimonies will become a matter of public record.

Interpreter services will be provided upon request with five business days advance notice by contacting Lori Jean Main by email at [email protected] or call 240-777-7271. Learn more about MCDOT’s engineering and construction projects by visiting montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-dte. For more information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.

On September 19, the Maryland State Highway Administration announced that the current closure of Brookeville Road, between Georgia Avenue (MD-97) ,and Grayheaven Manor Road, has been extended through late November. According to the State Highway Administration, the newly–extended duration of the Brookeville Road closure will allow contractors to efficiently complete Brookeville Bypass construction tasks.

The State Highway Administration recommends utilizing Georgia Avenue (MD-97) and Olney Laytonsville
Road (MD-108) as alternate routes during the Brookeville Road closure. The Brookeville Bypass project is currently 72 percent complete. The project includes a new 0.7-mile, two-lane highway with bicycle-compatible shoulders between north of Goldmine Road and south of Holiday Drive. Once complete and open to traffic, the new roadway will make Georgia Avenue more accessible and safer for local residents, cyclists, and pedestrians. The project also includes construction of two bridges – one at Meadow Branch stream and the other at Reddy Branch stream – and two single-lane roundabouts that will improve traffic and safety operations. MD 97 functions as a major north-south commuter route between Brookeville and northern Montgomery and Frederick counties.

MD 97 has a 90-degree curve at Market Street, which is accompanied by a steep hill.

“For Sale” signage is up at the Olney Ale House at 2000 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd in Olney. Owner John Roach tells us that he is looking to sell the 99-year-old building to someone that will continue to run it as the Olney Ale House restaurant.  A kitchen fire caused the restaurant to shut down in 2019 and COVID-19 only compounded the issues for the restaurant.  There will be additional information regarding the potential sale/reopening of the Olney Ale House in the next few weeks, according to Roach.

Back in July of 2021 it was announced that the Montgomery County Green Bank and Sandy Spring Bank would be teaming up to provide flexible financing to help the Olney Ale House re-open. Roach tells us that both financial institutions are still committed to helping the Ale House reopen. As we wait for the reopening, we wanted to share with you its history, courtesy of the Olney Ale House website: