A trip back to "the ultimate fall" of 1986 at Lakeforest Mall

Great Scott! Lakeforest Mall certainly knew how to take the edge off of chilly temperatures and schoolwork in September 1986, with a month-long promotion called "the ultimate fall." Thirty-six years ago, the mall was in its golden age, which arguably ran from its opening in 1978 through the 1990s. Looking back now, one has to admit the fall promotional campaigns of today's retail properties pale in comparison to Lakeforest's ultimate fall 1986.

For starters, the mall had celebrity guests targeted to the younger crowd. Children attending the Back to School Best fashion show had a chance to meet actress Cherie Johnson of the then-popular TV show, Punky Brewster. On the same September afternoon, Rooty, the Great Root Bear mascot of A&W was on hand to serve everyone a free A&W Root Beer in a collectible mug.

Did you know there was once such an entity as the Lakeforest Fashion Panel? Members of this esteemed body modeled the latest junior back-to-school wear in another fashion show. A week later, "Lakeforest covergirl" Do Hopkins walked the runway during a men's and women's fashion show featuring "the season's best from the stores at Lakeforest."

When was the last time the mall helped you advance in your life and career? September 1986 also saw Lakeforest Mall offer men and women the opportunity of a "business and social etiquette seminar...designed to help you handle any business or social situation." Attendees heard from Entertaining Etiquette author Dorothea Johnson and "body language expert" Karen Diamond. 

"Discover Lakeforest living. And discover fall at its best!" the promotional copy read. "Hecht's, JCPenney, Sears, Woodward & Lothrop and over 160 other fine stores, restaurants and services" awaited mall patrons. The same cannot be said today! A better and simpler time. A better and smarter mall owner. These - and a frosty mug of A&W Root Beer - were the ingredients for the ultimate fall at Lakeforest Mall in 1986.

Hurricane Ian remnants to impact Montgomery County sooner than expected

The worst of Hurricane Ian may have already passed in Florida, but the now-Tropical Storm is expected to make a speedy trip up the East Coast, including a jaunt out to sea and another landfall somewhere in the South. Yesterday, Ian's timetable for arrival in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and North Virginia area began to look like it was slipping from early next week to this weekend. Now, Accuweather is forecasting the first rains of Ian to arrive in the Mid-Atlantic as early as tomorrow. 

Tropical rain showers are now expected all weekend, and showers may continue from Monday into Wednesday. This does not look good for events like Taste of Bethesda this Saturday. Rain associated with Ian will arrive well ahead of the actual storm center, which is expected to pass through Maryland sometime Sunday night or early Monday morning.

Ian has further business south of here first, however. After crawling across mainland Florida, the storm will go back over the Atlantic, and make another landfall tomorrow evening. Accuweather currently predicts Ian's landfall will be somewhere near the border of Georgia and South Carolina Friday night; the National Hurricane Center's prediction is for a landfall in South Carolina. 

The full impact of Ian's second landfall, and the strength of the storm's remnants when it arrives here in the D.C. area, will be determined by how long it drifts over the waters of the Atlantic prior to Friday night's landfall. The National Hurricane Center says the storm could again near hurricane strength as it approaches land.

Ian already has shown plenty of destructive power after making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. Over 2 million utility customers in Florida are currently without electricity. Accuweather reports that every customer in Hardee County, Florida is in the dark. Part of the Sanibel Causeway collapsed, the only bridge between Sanibel Island and mainland Florida. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said earlier this morning that helicopter rescues are being performed on barrier islands by the Coast Guard and Florida National Guard. He said 100 portable cell towers are being set up to restore some level of phone service, and that power line infrastructure in the hardest hit areas would in some cases have to be entirely rebuilt. Pine Island Bridge, like the Sanibel Causeway, is damaged and impassable, he added.

Fox Weather reports that there are believed to be hundreds of fatalities in Lee County, Florida, according to the sheriff there. Accuweather reports one confirmed death in Florida from Hurricane Ian, a 72-year-old man in Deltona. He slipped down a hill behind his home into a flooding drainage ditch while trying to drain his pool as the storm approached his area at 1:00 AM this morning. Fox Weather also reports Ian has caused a 200-year flood event in Orlando. More than a foot of rain has fallen on the city.

DeSantis said his state has all of the supplies it needs for storm victims. "It's much better to donate financially, rather than sending items. We've got a lot of items," he said at a news conference this morning. Those seeking to help storm victims displaced in Florida can have the greatest impact by donating funds at FloridaDisasterFund.org, or text DISASTER to 20222, he said. Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis said the fund has already raised $1.6 million in the last 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Ian's current location is 40 miles east of Orlando, the National Hurricane Center reports. Its current maximum sustained winds are at 65 MPH, and it is moving NE at 8 MPH.

Graphic courtesy Accuweather.com

Car stolen from home in Germantown

Montgomery County police are investigating the theft of a vehicle from a residence in Germantown early Monday morning, September 26, 2022. The vehicle was taken from the driveway of a home in the 19200 block of Warrior Brook Drive. It is believed the vehicle was stolen sometime between 12:00 and 5:45 AM Monday morning.

Amazon Fresh Shady Grove Road store still has empty shelves (Photos)

There's still no official opening date for the Amazon Fresh store at the 270 Center on Shady Grove Road, on the border of Rockville and Gaithersburg. On my latest trip by, the shelves inside the store remained bare. An Amazon Fresh store opened recently at Chevy Chase Lake, so they may just be staggering the openings so they can focus on ensuring a smooth launch at each store, especially with all of the technology involved with the Just Walk Out checkout system.

Strong-arm robbery at Gaithersburg supermarket

Gaithersburg City police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery at a grocery store early Friday afternoon, September 23, 2022. The robbery was reported at a supermarket in the unit block of Bureau Drive at 12:00 PM Friday. There is a Giant store in the shopping center on that block.

Oak Barrel & Vine "coming soon" in Gaithersburg

"Coming soon" signage is up at the future Oak Barrel & Vine store at 512 N. Frederick Avenue, at Gaithersburg Square. The store is the new retail concept from the Montgomery County government liquor monopoly. It will be designed to resemble a privately-owned shop, rather than the government-operated store it will actually be.

Armed carjacking in Kentlands area of Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg City police responded to a report of an armed carjacking in the Kentlands area of Gaithersburg early last evening, September 21, 2022. The carjacking was reported on the unit block of Granite Place at 6:51 PM last night. That is outside the Colonnade at Kentlands condominiums.