After banning circus animals, MoCo gets one-man circus

The Montgomery County Council is infamously known for debating at length, and then approving, a ban on circus animals - at the same time as once-major County employer Discovery Communications was being wooed to relocate by other jurisdictions. Sadness ensued for all, as Montgomery County wound up losing both circuses and the Discovery Channel headquarters. But, now through Sunday, July 7 at Strathmore, it's David Dimitri to the rescue! The son of legendary clown Jakob Dimitri is bringing a one-man circus to Montgomery County, L'homme Cirque.

Dimitri will fire himself out of a cannon as a human cannonball. He will walk the high wire. Strathmore promises he will balance these and other daring feats with "humor, poetry and an accordion serenade." At the climax of the performance, Dimitri will open the top of the tent, and the audience will witness him disappear "into the sky" on the high wire.

The one-man circus is one contingency the anti-circus County Council apparently did not anticipate, and thereby is legal. Teeth are assuredly gnashing at 100 Maryland Avenue, but the show must! go! on! True to the Montgomery Way, though, Dimitri was required to get a permit from the County to erect his tent on the Strathmore property. Big Government for the Big Tent!

You can buy tickets online, and watch a trailer for Dimitri's L'homme Cirque:

Suspect arrested in Montgomery Village bank robbery

Montgomery County police have arrested a suspect in connection with a 2017 Montgomery Village bank robbery. Raul Gerardo Castro, 32, of Gaithersburg, was arrested June 21 near his home. He has been charged with one count of armed robbery, for his alleged hold-up of the Sandy Spring Bank branch at 9921 Stedwick Road on June 12, 2017 around 2:18 PM. Castro is free on bond after posting a $20,000 bond.

Woke Doug Duncan calls out Montgomery County cartel

Former Montgomery County Executive and Rockville mayor Douglas M. Duncan is the first prominent political figure to acknowledge, and call out, the political cartel that has seized control of the County over the last two decades. Over that same period since they first won a majority of the seats on the County Council in 2002 - and now control every single seat in 2019, the County has plunged to rock bottom in all relevant regional economic development categories. As a result of their high-tax and anti-business policies, the County economy has become moribund, the ultra-wealthy have fled in great numbers to lower-tax jurisdictions, and the County has failed to attract a major corporate headquarters in over twenty years. While high profile voices like The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal and Sage Policy Group have finally joined me in declaring Montgomery County moribund, no prominent figure has previously identified that a political cabal has seized control of the local Democratic party and County government. Until now.

A day after the County's elected officials held another clueless meeting on the stagnant County economy, repeating the same mantras and problems without endorsing actual solutions we know will solve them, it's worth examining what Doug Duncan recently said regarding the cartel. One of the key reasons we are struggling to attract jobs and economic growth is that cartel-controlled officials are anti-highway and anti-car. That is because the most dominant players in the cartel are developers who specialize in developments that require traffic congestion to remain high, in order to justify their density. So it's not surprising that the County Council's predictable opposition to Gov. Larry Hogan's Express Lanes plan for the Beltway and I-270 frustrated a common-sense leader like Duncan.

"You don't often see a governor saying, 'I want to put billions of dollars into your infrastructure,'" Duncan told the Post. "For Montgomery County to say no right off the bat without saying let's look at this is the result of who's controlling the Democratic Party now."

Those elected officials have not only blocked and canceled critical highway projects, but have also pursued the anti-business course that their developer sugar daddies in the cartel have demanded behind closed doors. Developers want the valuable land in Rock Spring and along I-270 where existing office parks could be used to lure defense, aerospace and tech firms that need large, secure campuses. They want those office zones to remain vacant and struggling, so that they can acquire the land and redevelop it as residential. This is why you see the Council continuing to refuse to take the steps needed to turn the economy around, and to block economic growth.

Duncan addressed that, too, in his remarks to the Post. He told the newspaper "the County's Democratic leadership of 'no-growthers' is out of step with residents."

This is a breakthrough in the public debate. Duncan is as liberal a Democrat as they come, but he's also remembered for being pro-business while in office until he ran for governor in 2006. Duncan lost his bid to return as County Executive in 2014, when the cartel threw its weight behind incumbent Ike Leggett. He may now wish he had run in 2018, when pro-business candidate David Blair lost to Marc Elrich by a literal whisker in the Democratic primary. If the County remains on this road to bankruptcy, we likely haven't heard the last of Duncan and Blair in the political arena.

To be first to acknowledge the local Democratic Party and our elected offices have indeed been hijacked by a cartel, cabal or whatever you want to call it, is indeed a shot across the bow by Duncan. These words need to be heard and taken seriously, if we are to resolve this fiscal crisis, and become the major economic development player we once were in the region.

Gaithersburg named the top horror movie tourism city in America

Gaithersburg is more horrifying than Haddonfield. Creepier than Camp Crystal Lake. Scarier than Sidewinder. Of course, those places don't exist in reality. But Gaithersburg just beat all of the real-life towns that served as their stand-ins on the big screen. The Travel, a vacation tourism website, just published a list of the Top 10 Horror Movie Tourism Cities in America - and Gaithersburg topped it at Number One!

What "possessed" The Travel to pick Gaithersburg? Seneca Creek State Park, where a large part of low-budget horror blockbuster The Blair Witch Project was filmed in the late 1990s. They recommend horror fans have a park ranger direct them to locations from the film, or just explore by themselves. But, "just make sure to keep an eye out for the Blair Witch," writer Melissa Binns warns.

The towns Gaithersburg finished atop are among the most iconic in horror movie locations. Los Angeles (Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street), Government Camp in Oregon (where Jack Nicholson's axe is on-display at the Overwatch Hotel, er, Timberline Lodge from The Shining), the Lone Star State's Bastrop ("Look what your brother did to that door!!!), Jason Voorhees' favorite lake haunt in New Jersey, and the Pennsylvania home of the Dawn of the Dead's Monroeville Mall.

Maybe the editors toured Lakeforest before compiling the list! We'll have to check in with Gaithersburg hotels in a few weeks to see if business is up, with this new Gaithersburg claim to fame. Perhaps Mayor Jud Ashman can now reel in Stephen King for the next Gaithersburg Book Festival - he and lots of other Americans are now sure to want to learn what's so scary about Gaithersburg.

Rio Lakefront $30 million upgrade ready for summer in Gaithersburg

The transformation of the waterfront at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg is nearly complete. A new stage with sail-themed canopy will now be the center of attention for most entertainment events at the Peterson Cos. property. The new boardwalk is nearing completion, and a grassy area in front of the stage is already in place.

Among other improvements are new railings that provide a less-obstructed view of the water. That will especially be noticed on the restaurant patios like this one at Silver Diner, opening in August, when you are seated at tables with a lower viewing position.

Events will include the usual Saturday night concerts, but also weekly Thursday lunchtime concerts on the stage, and a monthly karaoke event hosted by local radio and television personality Tommy McFly... Karaoke will begin this Friday night, June 28, 2019 at 7:30, and continue monthly through August 30. Local and high school bands will get a chance for exposure at a separate concert series, Nando's Fiery Friday Night Concerts on the boardwalk stage. For kids, there is the Carousel Kids series at the Carousel every other Wednesday morning at 10:30 AM. For a full event schedule, visit the official Rio Lakefront website.

Meanwhile, check out my reports on the new Dave & Buster's opening July 1, the fully-renovated AMC Dine-In Rio Cinemas 18 theater, and the aforementioned Silver Diner.

355 Bus Rapid Transit open houses June 26 & 27

What's a $10 billion boondoggle with branding that brings to mind a creepy man wearing a trenchcoat? Montgomery County's proposed $10 billion Bus Rapid Transit network, devised with consulting help from Communist Chinese officials, and branded as "Flash," despite moving only one mile every four minutes. The public will have an opportunity to learn more about the MD 355 BRT route proposed to run between Clarksburg and the Bethesda Metro station at two open houses next week.

Open House #1 will be held Wednesday, June 26, 2019 from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, located at 506 S. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. The second Open House will be held the next evening, Thursday, June 27 from 6:00-8:00 PM in the Wisconsin Multipurpose Room at the B-CC Regional Services Center, located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane in downtown Bethesda.

You'll notice several key factoids are not emphasized to the public about this particular BRT proposal.

First, if dedicated lanes are utilized, the vehicle capacity of already-jammed MD 355 will be slashed by 33%. If you know that BRT advocates' most-optimistic number for the percent of people who will "get out of their cars" (as the globalists like to say) is only 16% in the best-case scenario, in a "flash" you can quickly calculate that the BRT will have the effect of severely-worsening rush hour traffic - and increasing exhaust emissions from additional idling in traffic jams.

Second, speaking of fumes, these buses run on diesel fuel. Unlike the futuristic subways on wheels depicted in glossy promotional materials you paid for, the buses look just like Metrobuses. That was exposed in one of the most cringeworthy PR disasters of the BRT push, when the actual bus was displayed at the County Fair, and it looked like a junky Metrobus.

Third, the 355 route - like Route 29 and Georgia Avenue BRT lines - will require demolition of thousands of residential and commercial properties between Clarksburg and Bethesda. Watch this very closely, and keep track if all of the same activists who are raging against 37 potential home demolitions for Beltway Express Lanes yell and scream about thousands of demolitions for BRT. I expect to see heartfelt columns from John Kelly denouncing the greedy developers and their puppets on the County Council and Planning Board, and extensive local news coverage of anti-highway folks jumping up and down and lighting their hair on fire to stop BRT! And like the anti-Express Lane and anti-M83-Highway campaigns, shadow-funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, of course.

In the fine print, you'll notice the County is "still studying" the "property impacts" of BRT. LOL.

Fourth, the only thing the Flash does fast is eat up taxpayer money. 355 "Flash" will take a turtle-like 87.2 minutes to travel the 21.8 miles from Clarksburg to the Bethesda Metro station. And then you're not even at work, because you still have to transfer to Metro to reach where the actual jobs are in the District or Northern Virginia. Better pack a Red Bull, my friend.

It's a simple fact that only transit projects that can beat automobile travel times will get ridership, meaning "Flash" is dead-on-arrival. This, of course, is why the War-On-Cars County Council is trying everything to increase auto commuting times, proposing nuclear options ranging from changing the speed limit to 25 MPH along 355, reducing the width of lanes to 10' and seizing one lane in each direction for the bus.

But that still won't create ridership, or "get people out of their cars." Why? Because increasing your auto commute by another 34 minutes still won't take as long as the average one-way transit commute of two hours. So you'll just end up with empty buses running past heavier traffic congestion and thicker clouds of exhaust from idling vehicles. Heckuva job, Brownie!

Why would County officials press ahead anyway, knowing all this? Because BRT isn't meant to improve travel or be a success. It's simply meant to allow urban-density development along all the routes it travels, by magically qualifying them for "transit-oriented development" by being on a "rapid transit line." The Council's developer sugar daddies couldn't be more pleased.

Finally, there's no demand for bus service on 355. I'm the only journalist to conduct spot checks on the $1 million Ride On Extra service between Shady Grove and Medical Center Metro stations. I've yet to find any significant ridership even during rush hour on this line. During peak evening rush hour, I counted one person riding the Ride On Extra in each direction on 355 at Edmonston Drive. During another peak evening rush hour, a Ride On Extra departed Shady Grove Metro station with no passengers on board.

This is a boondoggle of astronomical proportions. For a fraction of the cost of BRT, we could build the M-83 Highway, the long-delayed new Potomac River crossing, the Rockville Freeway between Montrose Road and the ICC, and the equally-long-delayed Georgia Avenue-Norbeck Road interchange. Each one of the aforementioned highways would carry more commuters each day than the entire $10 billion BRT network. And the Potomac River crossing, like I-270 and Beltway Express Lanes, could be built at virtually no cost to taxpayers by private firms that would earn back their investment through tolls on those new lanes and roadways.

In an economically-moribund county where the government's debt - if it were a government department - would be the third-largest department in the County government, highways make the most sense: moving the most people for the lowest cost of any mode of transportation.

Bank robbery in Gaithersburg (Video)

Montgomery County police are investigating the June 8 robbery of TD Bank in Gaithersburg by an unmasked man. The suspect allegedly approached a teller at the branch located at 15830 Shady Grove Road around 1:28 PM that day, passed a note, and declared a robbery was taking place.

Implying he had a weapon, the alleged robber demanded cash, detectives say. He fled with an undisclosed amount of cash given to him by the teller.

Police have released a video of the robbery. Anyone with information about the suspect or this bank robbery is asked to contact the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5100.  To be eligible for a reward, tipsters may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).  Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided to them that leads to the arrest and/or indictment of this suspect.  Tipsters will remain anonymous.

Taco Daddy for sale in Gaithersburg

Taco Daddy Cantina & Tequila Bar in Gaithersburg, in addition to having arguably the best restaurant name in Montgomery County, is also for sale. The 4900 SF business at 555 Quince Orchard Road is described by the owner as a "cash cow," and would be a turnkey business opportunity for the buyer.

All assets and inventory will convey with the sale of the restaurant, which has a total revenue of $1.2 million, and a 15-year lease at its current location, which is right off I-270. The asking price is $399,000. Taco Daddy remains fully open for business.

Contents of Smokehill BBQ in Damascus to be auctioned off today

Smokehill BBQ has "lost its lease" at 9870 Main Street in Damascus, according to an auction announcement online. Starting at 11:00 AM this morning, June 18, 2019, the contents of the restaurant will be auctioned off.

Items available for bid include a smoker (of course), barstools, a kegerator, a two-door refrigerator and a television. The restaurant opened three-and-a-half years ago, and the owners say they have decided to close to spend more time with family. "We apologize for the abrupt nature of our closing," they wrote in a Facebook post announcing the closure, "but we feel it was the right thing to do for our family."

Gaithersburg Mayor & Council to hold pubic hearing tonight on new Kentlands apartment building

A public hearing will be held tonight by Gaithersburg's Mayor & Council regarding a proposed new apartment building at Kentlands Market Square. The hearing will be held during the meeting at 7:30 PM at City Hall, tonight, June 17, 2019. Property owner Kimco is proposing to construct a 6-story apartment building with 245 residential units, and 12150 SF of retail/restaurant space.

The proposed site is bordered by Center Point Way, Commerce Square Place, Kentlands Boulevard and Chevy Chase Street. There will be 341 parking spaces for residents in structured parking, and 235 spaces for retail customers. This resembles the sort of buildings constructed recently in this area of the county. Kudos to the developer for providing renderings from every angle at this stage in the process.

Renderings via City of Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village women missing

Anuddhaya Mahamannage

Montgomery County police are seeking two missing women, one from Gaithersburg, and the other from Montgomery Village. Anuddhaya Mahamannage, 43, of Shady Spring Place, hasn't been seen since Friday, June 7th.  Her family told detectives they have been unable to contact her since. 

Mahamannage is described as an Asian female who is 5-feet-tall tall and weighs 120 pounds.   She has black hair and brown eyes.

Andy Aviles-Munoz

Andy Aviles-Munoz, 14, vanished on June 10, when she left her Club Lake Road home on foot.  Aviles-Munoz is described by police as a Latina, 5’ 7″ tall and weighing 140 pounds.  She has black hair and brown eyes. 

Aviles-Munoz was wearing a green shirt and blue jeans when she disappeared.  She is known to hang out at Lakeforest Mall and Gaithersburg Middle School (located at 2 Teachers Way in Gaithersburg), police report.

Anyone who has information regarding the whereabouts of Andy Aviles-Munoz is asked to call the Montgomery County Police Special Victims Investigations Division at 240-773-5400 or the police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 (24 hours).

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Anuddhaya Mahamannage is asked to call the Montgomery County Police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000 (available 24 hours). Callers may remain anonymous.

Arch Campbell to host screening of The Blair Witch Project in Gaithersburg

The Blair Witch Project is the most famous film ever shot in Montgomery County, and remains one of the biggest moneymakers with its shoestring budget. It's also celebrating its 20th anniversary. Where better to celebrate than right here in Montgomery County with a special screening of the film on July 17, 2019 at the Arts Barn at 311 Kent Square Road in Gaithersburg, at 6:00 PM?

Washington, D.C. most-famous film critic, the legendary Arch Campbell, will host a discussion with Blair Witch co-director Eduardo Sanchez at 7:00 PM. The film itself will be shown at 7:30. Tickets are $15 in advance, and $18 at the door. There will be a cash bar for those 21 and older, and you must be 17 or older, or bring a parent or guardian with you to gain admission. Purchase advance tickets here.

Equally exciting news is the Blair Witch game coming for the PC and Xbox (why not Playstation?). The game will be released later this year - hopefully in time for Halloween.

Nighttime power washing at Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg

Several buildings along Crown Park Avenue and Copley Place in Downtown Crown are apparently due for a power washing this month. The work will be performed at night to reduce the impact on pedestrians and businesses. Crown's contractor has requested a nighttime noise waiver from Montgomery County for this purpose.

Power washing is scheduled for Monday, June 17, 2019 starting at 9:00 PM, weather permitting. If all of the buildings cannot be power washed by daylight, the work will continue on as many Monday nights as needed.

Silver Diner aiming for August opening at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg

The newest Silver Diner location is under construction at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg, and is pretty far along in the process. They hope to open in August in this space that previously belonged to Cafe Deluxe. But Silver Diner is making major architectural and design upgrades to this spot, which is in the ground floor of the AMC Dine-In Rio Cinemas 18 building, and in a prime spot on the lakefront.

Still a ways to go in the main dining room

Silver Diner will build on its trademark Art Deco design theme inside and out, which should play well off of their location on the water. One of the most attention-getting aspects of Rio and its water feature is seeing the different neon signs and lighting at the various waterfront restaurants, and their reflections on the lake surface, from I-270. Based on the signage at their other locations, Silver Diner is poised to take the fullest advantage of this aesthetic of any tenant here.

You can see that kitchen equipment and many of the flooring and wall surfaces are in place. Still to come are seating and the rest of the lighting fixtures. Outdoors, they will be adding architectural accents to the staircase above their carry-out entrance, which is also being reconfigured, right to the left of the main entrance to the theater building.

Diner-style counter seating (foreground)
and a full bar (background at right center)

On the exterior facade facing the water, a spot for an art deco design feature is being prepped right below the AMC signage. Silver Diner will have possibly the most-prime waterfront seating of any of the restaurants, especially with the new, low-visual-obstruction waterside railings that provide a better view of the lake from a seated position.

Another change for the better, for the winter months in particular, will be patio seating outside the restaurant inside the atrium of the theater building. It will extend out to the first set of pillars opposite the interior entrance to the restaurant, as a representative of landlord Peterson Cos. is demonstrating in the last photo below. With a menu to appease a wide-audience, and prime waterfront seating, Silver Diner is as close to a sure success as one can get in Montgomery County, even in these challenging financial times for MoCo restaurants and bars.

View from Silver Diner patio

Preparing for art deco signage
and exterior design features

Outdoor counter

Prime waterfront views

New railings give a clearer
view of the lake, as seen from
Silver Diner's future waterside patio

Wall decor that lives up to the name

Carry-out entrance

Kitchen

Men at work

The indoor atrium cafe seating
will extend out to this pillar

Gaithersburg Mayor & Council to review Washingtonian Blvd. bike facility options

Gaithersburg's Mayor & Council will receive briefings at tonight's meeting at 7:30 PM at City Hall on the MD 355 Bus Rapid Transit proposal, and on options for new bike facilities along Washingtonian Boulevard near Rio and Downtown Crown. The key goal of the bike study is to improve connectivity between Rio and the nearby NIST campus.

Options include (A) a shared use path without a "road diet," (B) a two-way separated bike lane without a road diet, (B*) a two-way separated bike lane with a road diet, or (C) dual bicycle lanes from the Sam Eig Highway bridge to Rio Boulevard. All options but C would eliminate 72 vehicle parking spaces.

City staff is recommending option A, a shared-use path without a road diet.

Moorenko's Ice Cream to open at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg

Moorenko's Ice Cream is opening a new location at Rio this summer. They will be located at 215 Boardwalk Place. Moorenko's hopes to open this week or next, as we are in prime ice cream season.

The ice cream is made right here in Montgomery County. Moorenko's is family-owned, founded by Susan Soorenko in 2002.