Michael & Son billboard reactivated in Kensington

A digital billboard that stirred up a minor controversy last winter is back on in Kensington. The roadside sign is at the office of Michael & Son at 3511 University Boulevard West, and advertises the high-profile HVAC, plumbing, and electrical repair service provider. Some nearby residents had complained that light from the billboard was shining into their windows at night, and it was turned off at the end of March. On a pocketbook note, the heating tuneup advertised is $10 less than it was last winter. A price going down is a rare thing these days!

Controversial Kensington billboard shut off (Photos)

A billboard in Kensington that some nearby residents complained was keeping them up at night appears to be switched off after dark for now. Last night it was inactive. Of course, this defeats the purpose of the billboard, as it was most effective and visible during the nighttime hours. The residents had said light from the Michael & Son billboard was shining into the windows of their homes. It is located at the Michael & Son office at 3511 University Boulevard W., near the intersection with Newport Mill Road. 

Kensington billboard keeping neighbors up all night

A small billboard on University Boulevard in Kensington is keeping some nearby residents up at night. Installed in 2022, the billboard is located at the Michael & Son office at 3511 University Boulevard W., near the intersection with Newport Mill Road. This winter, the billboard was put into use to advertise the well-known plumbing, heating, and electrical contractor. Some residents in nearby homes are now complaining that the light from the billboard is shining into their windows at night. 

Argan moves corporate HQ from Montgomery County to Arlington, Virginia

Montgomery County has lost yet another corporate headquarters to Northern Virginia. Argan, Inc., announced yesterday that it has relocated its HQ from 1 Church Street in Rockville to Two Liberty Center in Arlington. The telecommunications and power industry service provider was founded in Rockville over two decades ago. Argan cited the new location's direct access to Dulles International Airport as one of the primary reasons for the move. The firm's stock price doubled, and surged 33% in two days at one point in 2024, and is up about $10 since then, to $104.05 as of this morning.

It's no surprise that Argan, like so many companies, is heading for greener pastures across the Potomac. Montgomery County and Maryland leaders have defiantly refused to construct the long-planned bridge across the river that would provide our own direct connection between the I-270 corridor and the Dulles area. Dulles is the only airport in the region that provides the frequency and variety of direct flights to global destinations demanded by international businesspeople. And let's fact it: Virginia's lower taxes, fewer regulations, and status as CNBC's "Top State for Business in America" certainly didn't hurt. 

Northern Virginia has other advantages for a firm that primarily deals with power plants and telecommunications infrastructure. Maryland leaders have forced the closure of 8 power plants since 2012 alone, and the state is now forced to import 40% of its electricity from out-of-state at higher prices to avoid rolling blackouts. 70% of internet traffic around the globe flows through data centers in Northern Virginia. And the Old Dominion has invested far more in highway, air transport, railroads, and ports than Maryland. It's no wonder Montgomery County has failed to attract a single new major corporate HQ in over 25 years.

"We are thrilled with the move to our new headquarters location in Arlington, Virginia," Argan CEO David Watson said in a statement. "We believe the location and layout will accommodate the Company’s continued growth, improve recruitment and retention of employees, and facilitate greater collaboration and a more productive overall work environment. The Washington metro area has a dynamic and robust economy with a quality workforce, and we look forward to leveraging our new location to enhance the experience of Argan’s current and future employees, partners and customers. The Company’s more than 22 years in Rockville, Maryland where Argan was founded, have been both meaningful and productive, and we look forward to continuing our success in our new home in Arlington."

Montgomery County minimum wage to increase by 50 cents on July 1, 2025

Montgomery County's minimum wage is set to increase on July 1, 2025, reflecting the region's inflation rate, as mandated by County law. The adjustments will see a 50-cent per hour increase across all employer sizes. Effective July 1st, large employers (those with 51 or more employees) will be required to pay a minimum wage of $17.65 per hour. Mid-size employers (11-50 employees) will see their minimum wage rise to $16 per hour, and small employers (10 or fewer employees) will be required to pay $15.50 per hour.

The wage increase is directly tied to the 2.9 percent rise in the consumer price index for all urban wage earners and clerical workers in the Washington, D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria area in 2024. This increase over the 2.8 percent seen in 2023 triggered the adjustment, which the County says ensures the local minimum wage maintains its purchasing power in the face of rising costs.

“Raising the minimum wage to account for inflation is an important step in ensuring that all Montgomery County workers can earn a fair wage that supports their well-being,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement. “As the cost of living continues to rise, this increase helps workers and families keep pace while also benefitting local businesses by putting more money back into our community. By indexing the minimum wage to inflation, we are providing a long-term solution that adjusts to economic conditions, making sure that working people are rewarded fairly for their contributions and that our local economy stays strong and resilient.”

County estimates state that this minimum wage increase will boost the income of those receiving the minimum wage by $1,040 this year. The minimum wage law was passed by the Montgomery County Council in 2017, and was spearheaded by Elrich, who was a Councilmember at that time.

Country Boy Market returning for outdoor sales in Glenmont for 2025

Country Boy Market isn't finished yet at the Glenmont Shopping Center. The longtime business will once again be selling mulch and soil bags outside its store at 2211 Randolph Road this spring, it announced on Facebook. That's about all, though, as the store building itself remains empty of merchandise. All sales will be outdoors. 

Despite announcing in late 2023 that it would be permanently closing, Country Boy Market has returned for these outdoor sales the last two years, meaning it has now been operating continuously for 69 years. Shopping at Country Boy Market is like using the James Webb Telescope to look back decades in time, to the golden age of Glenmont. Next stop, Privacy World!

Photo courtesy Country Boy Market

Kensington bank to become marijuana dispensary

A tenant has finally been found for the bank building at 3740 University Boulevard W. in Kensington. The former SunTrust building will now become a marijuana dispensary. That may render the drive-thru left behind by the bank moot, as dreams of this becoming a fast food restaurant literally go up in smoke. Conversion of the building is anticipated to begin by this spring.

Law firm solicits clients as it claims to be investigating Sandy Spring Bancorp

A New York City law firm is investigating Olney-based Sandy Spring Bancorp for "potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders," a press release announced last night. Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, says its investigation into the firm centers on its "sale to Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation for 0.900 shares of Atlantic Union common stock for each share of Sandy Spring." The press release did not detail any evidence backing up the claim of violations, but is an advertising effort to seek relief and benefits for shareholders who were allegedly victims of such actions. "Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct," their press release states. "Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors."

Maryland 2025 utility bills increase under Wes Moore, MD Gen. Assembly plan

"We helped lower utility bills," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) declared in a New Year's Eve video recapping the 2024 legislative "accomplishments" of his office and colleagues in the Maryland General Assembly. As Maryland utility customers are beginning to realize as 2025 begins, Moore lied. Pepco has just informed customers that, beginning this month, their electric bills will be increasing by at least 5%. The reasons? Laws passed by our elected officials in Annapolis.

While our elected officials try to hide new taxes and fees by having businesses collect them, such as bag taxes, Pepco has been upfront in their billing communications about government being the reason for the new charges and increases. In their message to customers, Pepco cites the new "EmPOWER MD" surcharge of 4% that was rammed through the legislature and signed by Moore in 2023. Moore and those in the legislature who supported the increased surcharge to energy utilities knew full well that the amount would be passed on directly to utility customers. This is theft, not "efficiency."

A second reason Pepco cites is that it is facing a 1% increase in its supply costs, a direct result of "supply and demand by generator plants." Why is the supply of electricity down? Because the same Maryland legislature has ordered the closure of not one, not two, but eight coal-fired power stations across the state over the last 13 years. With AI, data centers, and electric vehicles contributing to an all-time high in energy demands, Maryland is trending in the opposite direction of dwindling supply and rising costs.

In claiming to have lowered residents' utility bills, Gov. Moore lied. His claim would earn Four Pinocchios, if The Washington Post were to fact check our local elected officials' frequent false claims. They don't. Kudos to Pepco for telling the truth.

Olney Golf Park redevelopment could "shape the future of a community"

A major new development could be in the works for Georgia Avenue in Olney. The 22-acre property at 3414 Emory Church Road currently occupied by the Olney Golf Park has just hit the market for sale. A buyer could replace the expansive driving range with housing and retail. In the 1980s and 90s, that might have meant a strip mall with single-family homes behind it. Today, it's more likely to mean multifamily housing of one or more types, with retail facing Georgia Avenue.

The golf park site could expand in size, as
several adjacent property owners are
"amenable to sale"

The property is adjacent to a signaled intersection, has existing utility connections suitable for a variety of land uses, and is a half-mile from the InterCounty Connector (ICC). A Request for Proposal invites potential investment buyers to be part of a "rare chance to shape the future of a community." The property is in the Sherwood school cluster, although the RFP notes that the elite Good Counsel High School is also nearby. A new development could easily exceed the 22-acres now available for the right buyer, as the RFP states that the owners of the adjacent Barnes, Johnson, and Pathways properties are open to purchase offers.

Takoma Park bank to become distillery

A former bank in Takoma Park is about to be converted into a distillery. Sangfroid Distilling of Hyattsville plans to open a second location in the Takoma Park Bank Building at 6950 Carroll Avenue. The historic Beaux Arts structure was built in 1927, and was most recently a Bank of America branch until 2021. Construction is expected to begin in the coming months.

Workers at 2 East MoCo cannabis dispensaries declare intention to unionize

Workers at two cannabis dispensaries in eastern Montgomery County have announced their intention to unionize with United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 Union. The two businesses are The Apothecarium in Burtonsville, and Sweetspot in Olney. Another Apothecarium location in Cumberland, Maryland voted unanimously to unionize this past Friday. UFCW has found success in this new economic sector, having already organized union workplaces at dispensaries in Rockville and Germantown, and elsewhere in the state. Local 400 represents workers in grocery, retail, cannabis, health care, food processing, service and other industries in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

"We, the workers of The Apothecarium Burtonsville and Sweetspot Olney, have filed for union elections to join UFCW Local 400," the employees said in a joint statement this morning. "We are grateful for our community, from patients to customers alike, for their support in fair treatment and compensation of workers. We look forward to voting for our union when we receive our dates from the National Labor Relations Board and bargaining our first contracts alongside the other The Apothecarium/Terrascend and Sweetspot locations that have recently unionized across the country. We’re all in this together and we are proud to be part of the wave of unionizing workers throughout our industry."

Photos courtesy UFCW Local 400

Country Boy Market closes in Glenmont; wholesale customers still being served

It's the end of an era at the Glenmont Shopping Center. Country Boy Market has closed its retail store operation at 2211 Randolph Road, at the busy crossroads with Georgia Avenue. Country Boy says it will continue to serve wholesale customers. The market has operated continuously for 68 years.

"Thank you for allowing us to serve this wonderful community these past 68 years," Country Boy said in a heartwarming statement posted on its website. "From our family to yours, we wish you all the best. God bless all of you." Country Boy is one of the few landmark businesses from the golden age of Glenmont to survive until 2023, and it's a record and history to be tremendously proud of.

7-Eleven Slurpee Day 2023 means a free small Slurpee today, July 11

Today is July 11, and 7/11 is...no longer 7-Eleven Day. The convenience store chain has rebranded today as Slurpee Day, because it is running the promotion across three different chains it now controls: 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes. Despite the new name, the game is still the same: You can get a free small Slurpee today at all three stores, which in the case of Montgomery County really just means 7-Eleven.

7-Eleven is offering two other bonuses for Slurpee Day this year. Select fresh food items will be sold for $1 through the 7REWARDS program, including pizza slices, STUFDCAKES cupcakes, and the legendary Big Bite Hot Dog. And, if you are lucky, your nearest 7-Eleven store will also have three limited-edition Slurpee flavors: Sprite Lymonade Legacy, Summertime Citrus, and Fanta Dragon Fruit Zero Sugar. 

Passport extension now available at Guatemalan Consulate in Montgomery County

Guatemala's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is making a new passport extension service available to Guatemalans living abroad. In the United States the service will at first only be available at the Guatemalan Consulates here in Rockville, Maryland and Lake Worth, Florida, in-person by making an appointment. Using the new service, the validity of a passport can be extended by 18 months for free. Validity of a passport can be extended for three years for a fee of $25. 

Guatemalan adults and minors can receive the extension by appearing in person at the consulate. Your passport must be expired or about to expire, and have enough blank pages remaining to cover the travel period expected. You must bring a current DPI or birth certificate. 

To receive answers to any questions you have about the new passport extension service, call the Rockville Guatemalan Consulate directly at (240) 485-5050. The consulate is located at 979 Rollins Ave in Rockville.

Photo courtesy Consulado General de Guatemala en Maryland

Floor & Decor opens in Aspen Hill

Floor & Decor is now open at 14014 Connecticut Avenue in Aspen Hill. The hard-surface flooring retailer is giving new life to a classic Aspen Hill building that was home to Maryland's top Kmart store for decades. You won't find a Kmart hot dog here, but you will find flooring materials, tools, design help, and wall tile. This is Floor & Decor's 191st store, and its 7th in the Washington, D.C. market. 

Upon opening, the store is employing a team of about 50 full-time and part-time associates, led by Benjamin Whitting, the new store’s "Chief Executive Merchant." "Floor & Decor is thrilled to open our doors in Aspen Hill,” Whitting said in a statement. “We are excited to introduce both Professional customers, as well as Homeowners, to our one-stop solution for their flooring needs with an extensive selection of in-stock, trend-right flooring options. We offer unmatched service and quality flooring at unbeatable prices. With our free design services, we look forward to helping every customer turn their vision into reality.”

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich leading economic development mission to Taiwan

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has accepted an invitation from the Taipei Computer Association to speak at its 2023 Smart Cities Summit and Expo in Taiwan this week. He won't be alone on the trip, as he is leading a delegation to the event. Elrich's guests will be County Councilmember Natali Fani-Gonzales, chair of the Council’s Economic Development Committee; Kevin Beverly, board chair of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC); Gail Roper, Montgomery County’s chief information officer; and Judy Costello, Montgomery County's special projects manager for Business, Innovation and Economic Development.

Representatives of five businesses that specialize in what a County press release calls "Smart Cities-related technologies" will also travel with the delegation. The companies are DFSFederal, Lumo Imaging (located in Potomac), Machfu (Rockville), Person Clinic (Rockville), and TSS, LLC. Not mentioned in the press release is whether their travel costs are being paid for by the County, or the businesses themselves.

The event will culminate this Friday, when Elrich will meet with Chiang Wan-an, the mayor of Taipei. Elrich will be one of only four members of the 1,300 expo participants who will participate in the mayor’s conference-ending press conference.

“I’m looking forward to meeting with Taiwanese business and academic leaders to learn more about their activities and to speak with them about why Montgomery County is a top location for them to enter or expand their presence in the United States," Elrich said in a statement.  “Getting Montgomery County’s economy moving and working for everyone is my top priority as the Chair of Council Economic Development Committee,” Councilmember Fani-González said in the joint statement with Elrich. “That is why I am thrilled to join the County Executive and County business leaders on this delegation to Taiwan to bring investment and jobs to the County. We will aggressively court businesses and academic and research institutions to choose Montgomery County for their next location.”

Olney Starbucks engages in Red Cup Rebellion

Today is what is usually an eagerly-awaited annual event for Starbucks fans: Red Cup Day. A free, reusable holiday Starbucks cup has become a new tradition of sorts. Something else new on the horizon for the Starbucks company are aggressive efforts to unionize its stores across America. The Olney Starbucks store at 16806 Georgia Avenue is one where workers were successful in establishing a union this year, but then faced the challenge of trying to negotiate an actual labor agreement with Starbucks. As a result, today the Olney store's workers are participating in the nationwide Red Cup Rebellion.

The Red Cup Rebellion is a strike by workers at unionized Starbucks stores today. Workers are demanding that Starbucks stop short staffing stores, and sit down at the bargaining table with union representatives to negotiate labor agreements.

Colesville has the cheapest gas in East MoCo at the moment

The price of a regular gallon of gas has exploded at the Exxon at 7975 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda this week. This past Saturday, drivers were paying $4.99 a gallon, and $5.00 was the new normal by Sunday. As of last night, however, a gallon of regular was already up to $5.29, a full 30 cent increase in five days.

As with last weekend, significantly lower prices can be found elsewhere in Montgomery County. Marathon at 5143 River Road in Bethesda was "just" $4.62-a-gallon yesterday, according to gas pricing app Gas Buddy. Liberty and Sunoco on that same stretch of River Road were at $4.69, which was the average price of gas along there on Sunday. Liberty stations in downtown Bethesda are selling regular for $4.99 a gallon this morning, the same price as last Sunday.

The cheapest gas in Montgomery County as of last night was at the Sunoco at 19235 Frederick Road in Germantown, at $4.40. It was two cents more a gallon at another Germantown Sunoco at 18701 Liberty Mill Road. It was $4.43 at Citgo at 14300 New Hampshire Avenue in Colesville, and $4.45 at Liberty at 5400 Randolph Road in Rockville. You'll pay a penny more at the other Rockville Liberty, located at 1900 Rockville Pike.

Gas was about 11 cents cheaper in Germantown last Sunday, and 20 cents cheaper in Rockville. For the masochist on the highways and byways, there's the Exxon at 6729 Goldsboro Road in Glen Echo, at $5.39.

Warren St. Deli for sale in Silver Spring

Warren St. Deli at 9226 Warren Street, in the Forest Glen/Montgomery Hills area of Silver Spring, is for sale. The asking price is $330,000, and includes all equipment, but not the building. An existing lease expires on May 31, 2023. The reason for the sale is that the owner plans to retire, but the deli remains open for business.