MOCO GOP SPECIAL COUNSEL RELEASES REPORT ON GERRYMANDERING

Frederick Seelman, who was appointed by the Montgomery County Republican Party on October 7 to study gerrymandering of election districts by Democratic elected officials, has submitted his findings to party leaders. According to a press release, Seelman concluded that gerrymandering has contributed to one-party rule in the county, and made recommendations to reform the election system.

Seelman's report cites the compactness and lack of partisan variance in the current districts as detrimental to fair and competitive elections.  "All the thirteen of the legislative and councilmanic districts had a Democratic to Republicans ratio that exceeded 2 to 1," the report notes. "This result does not seem to be the product of a chance occurrence."

The report recommends the MCGOP begin a petition drive to gain public support for changes to the current system, and then submit formal county and state charter amendments to create those changes.

POP TARTS FROSTED PUMPKIN PIE REVIEW (VIDEO)

Pop Tarts has two limited-edition flavors for Halloween, and the most promising variety is Frosted Pumpkin Pie. I tested it out in this video review. The Halloween Countdown continues on the Robert Dyer Channel.

PAWS FOR A CAUSE THIS SATURDAY IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Dogs will be the guests of honor at Saturday's Paws for A Cause, 11 AM to 2 PM, at Gables Upper Rock, 70 Upper Rock Circle in Rockville. The November 1 event will raise money for fundraiser for MCPAW—Montgomery County Partners for Animal Well-Being, a partner of the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center. Most activities Saturday will be free, but with donations accepted.

Is your K-9 ready for the dog costume contest? He or she will enjoy a host of Fido-centric freebies including doggie ice cream, potty bag dispensers, natural dog treats and more. There will be activities for those on two legs, too, including face painting, music, a photo booth and food trucks like Holy Crepes and The Mighty Dog and Acai.

Pet-centric vendors will offer information, discounts and merchandise, including MCPAW, Tiki’s Playhouse, Bark!, Amazing Art Studio, Metropolitan Emergency Animal Clinic, Sniffers Doggie Retreat, Unleashed by Petco and Whole Pet Central.

If you and your dog enjoy your visit to Upper Rock, you may be interested to know that Gables Upper Rock welcomes dogs as residents in their apartments, as well. 

When completed, Gables Upper Rock will offer 441 pet-friendly apartments, a private on-site dog park, Turf, and a dog spa area for bathing and grooming, Couture. All community care products used at Gables Upper Rock are safe for pets, and the paths connecting the community’s four residential buildings are perfect for dog walking.

“We are about creating places where people want to live, and we recognize that more than ever, our residents’ pets are important members of their families,” says Greg Gaisor, Vice President, REIT Operations—East for Gables Residential.

STEPHEN STRASBURG TO APPEAR AT MICROSOFT STORE OPENING AT WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL

Microsoft has just announced that Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg will be a VIP guest at the November 22 Grand Opening of the Microsoft Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The first 200 customers in line at 10:30 AM that morning will receive a ticket for a chance to play Xbox One with the Nats ace, who will appear from 4:00-6:00 PM.

Grand opening attendees will also get special deals, including a Toshiba Encore 8-inch 32GB tablet for just $99, or an Xbox 360 for only $99.

Microsoft will present technology grants to community organizations during the 10:30 AM ribbon-cutting ceremony. In addition to products, the store will also feature an Answer Desk where customers can receive expert advice on their Microsoft gadgets and software.

HALLOWEEN LUNCHABLES 2014 REVIEW (VIDEO)

The Halloween Countdown is underway on the Robert Dyer Channel, and the latest video is a review of the Halloween Lunchables of 2014. This year, dessert seems to be the theme, with an Oreo-based Dirt Cake, and S'mores Dippers. I tried out both, and here is my review. Both have great Halloween themed packaging, but let's find out if the actual product is as good.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MISSING BURTONSVILLE WOMAN? (PHOTO)

Montgomery County Police are seeking the public's help in locating a missing Burtonsville woman.  Mona Mohamed Fadley, age 63, of the 13500 block of Greencastle Ridge Terrace in Burtonsville, was last seen yesterday (Saturday, October 25), at approximately noon.

Police say they are concerned about her emotional and physical welfare. Fadley is described as a white female, 5’ 7” tall, and weighing approximately 160 pounds.  She has short black hair and brown eyes, and wears glasses.   She is believed to be driving a black 2008 Nissan Altima, with Maryland tags: MLM800.

Anyone with any information regarding Mona Fadley’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Montgomery County Police Department at 301-279-8000 (24 hour line).

SILVER SPRING STUDENT LEADING VILLANOVA TEAM AS WILDCATS FACE GEORGETOWN THIS SUNDAY

Sunday's women's soccer matchup between Villanova and Georgetown will be a homecoming for one local athlete. Silver Spring's Victoria Gersh, a graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, is leading the Wildcats this season with 3 goals, 2 assists and 8 points. The 5'9" senior and her team are coming off a 2-0 victory at Creighton last week, and are ranked 6th in the Big East.

The game will be at 1 p.m. tomorrow, and will be broadcast live on the Big East Digital Network.

Photo courtesy Villanova University

3 DAY HALLOWEEN BLOWOUT AT REPUBLIC IN TAKOMA PARK

Republic, the restaurant and bar in Takoma Park, is going all out for Halloween next week. 3 days of events will provide something for the ghoul in everyone.

October 30: Belgian Americain Beer Dinner:

7:00 PM

Try 6 local Belgian-style beers paired with cuisine by Chef Danny Wells at this limited-seating beer dinner, paying tribute to the space's former tenant, Video Americain. The price will be $75; call now for reservations.

Menu:

Port City- Optimal Wit

Barren Island Oysters with Green Apple Mignonette

Brewers Art-  Harlequins Cap

Blue Shell Mussels with Peachy Mama Peppers

Denizens –Third Party Triple

Grilled Haloumi  with Loukániko sausage

Flying Dog - Raging Bitch

Braised Pork Belly, spicy red chili paste, roasted eggplant

Jail Break- Van Dammit

Maryland Pheasant Confit, Cherry Gastrique, Roasted Sunchokes

DC Brau- Ghouls Night Out Quad

Pear and Blue Cheese Tart, Sea Salt & Star Anise Caramel

October 31: Pirate Party

10:00 PM

Enjoy live music, a costume contest with a $250 Republic gift card prize, and Zombie Killer cocktails.

November 1: Day of the Dead Hangover Brunch

11:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Did you overdue it at the Pirate Party? Drag yourself back to Republic for brunch, with live music and these drink specials: Mezcal shots with orange wedges and chili salt for $8, wood-grilled charred bloody marys with house-made arbol and guajillo pepper chili paste with mezcal for $10, and 'beermosas' made with Port City Optimal Wit for $8. Stick to the Halloween theme with a Day of the Dead burger, made with Smith Meadows farm beef with a fried egg, and smothered with a spicy pepper sofrito on a brioche bun.

Republic

6939 Laurel Avenue

301.270.3000

WOMAN FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING SILVER SPRING VICTIM (PHOTO)

A Silver Creek, Mississippi woman was found guilty of first-degree murder in the June 2012 death of a Silver Spring man. Katrina Renee Ben, 37, was found guilty of murdering 25-year-old Eric Somuah of East-West Highway in Silver Spring, and of using a handgun in the commission of the crime.

Ben and Somuah were in a romantic relationship, according to prosecutors. Ben will face sentencing on December 15.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY'S NEWEST CINEPLEX IS ALMOST HERE (PHOTOS)

I returned to the new ArcLight Cinemas yesterday for a sneak preview of Westfield Montgomery's 16-screen cineplex, and have brought back plenty of photos (stay tuned for video). Obviously, the lobby wall of screens is what grabs your attention the most upon entering, and that real estate is currently promoting the highly-anticipated Interstellar, which starts showing on November 4 at ArcLight. I also sampled some of the food you can enjoy from the lobby's cafe, and their signature caramel corn. The latter is made on-site every day, and is more like taffy than the cheaper, "spray-on" caramel corn you might buy at the grocery store. Having said that, I'm a purist who enjoys the flavor and aroma of movie theater popcorn, preferably with extra butter. That aroma was in the air when I came in the door of the lobby, making this movie buff feel instantly at home.

Extra butter for me

Chris Nolan's Interstellar dominates
the lobby at the moment

This is just plain impressive

Showtimes

Light fixtures and a screen
"curtain" accent the upscale
feel of the lobby

Nice

Time waits for no man - and
neither will the movie, if
you're late

There is a small area of the lobby dedicated to movie-themed gifts, including merchandise from Star Wars, Star Trek, A Christmas Story and The Wizard of Oz. You'll also find exhibit space throughout the cineplex, and yesterday, that was dedicated to stills from Christopher Nolan's Interstellar and costumes from Robin Hood and Black Swan.

Costume from Black Swan

Robin Hood - as portrayed by
comic book legend Stan Lee for
ArcLight Cinemas

About that food - my favorite so far is the Popcorn Chicken. Not to be confused with a frozen chicken product, this was fried fresh, was extremely tender and juicy, and comes with dipping sauces. I also tried a flatbread pizza which was pretty good, and a fountain-prepared Coca-Cola. There are charcuterie and cheese boards, and quite a few baked pastries for dessert.

Ready for dessert?

Croissant?

Your diet just went out
the window

Chocoholics unite

Thick brownie

"Cookies are a sometimes thing"
- Cookie Monster (yeah, right!)

Not the typical theater food

Cheese board

"I'm crackers about cheese"
- Wallace, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Popcorn chicken. Verdict?
Awesome

Just about all of your favorite
movie theater candies - plus
local Glarus chocolate bars!

The lobby's cafe

Enjoy food and cocktails
here, or take them into
the theater

Concessions

Classic or caramel corn?

Try an adult beverage

On to the theater! In this case, it was Auditorium 6. There was a demonstration of the theater's Dolby Atmos sound system, which was very impressive. During an on-screen rainstorm, the 360º speaker setup made it sound like rain was literally falling from the ceiling and landing on the theater floor.

During an advance preview of Nightcrawler later in the afternoon, that movie's unique color scheme for its stunning cinematographic views of Los Angeles was richly displayed. As several representatives of ArcLight mentioned, the chain's California locations are where directors go when they want to see their films as they were meant to be seen. That includes the black box theater concept, no crackling popcorn bags (it comes in tubs, instead) and nacho-crunching, and no texting during the movies. Ushers take more of a host role here, and forget about standing in line - there are no lines, and all seating is reserved. As I mentioned in the past, there are also no ads. You might get a bonus feature after the movie, or a very short one as one of the few previews before it - you may recall some of those ArcLight-exclusive features I have posted here on the blog in the past.

Large numbers help you quickly
locate your reserved seat

Comfortable

A test drive of the plush cloth seats found them to be very comfortable (although the running time of Interstellar should give them the ultimate test!).

Remember the movie poster
cases from the hard hat tour?

Little movie called Hunger Games

Interstellar still

Big Hero 6

Returning to the lobby
from the auditoriums

#RodStewartProblems

Go ahead and check out the movies on sale now, and be one of the first in Montgomery County to experience ArcLight Cinemas' first location outside of California. Why wait until the grand opening on November 4, when you can buy tickets now for John Wick tomorrow night (October 23 at 10:00 PM), and enjoy a livestreamed Q and A with Keanu Reeves from Los Angeles after the film? Looking forward to more of those types of events here in the future.

ArcLight has set the bar high for the next generation of movie theaters in Montgomery County, and it will be interesting to see how iPic Theaters will stack up at Pike and Rose up the road.

But first let me
take a selfie

KRISPY KREME GHOSTBUSTERS DONUTS REVIEW (VIDEO)

Krispy Kreme in the Fallsgrove shopping center may have the greatest Halloween-related treats of 2014. During October, the shop is selling official Ghostbusters donuts, which feature either the famous movie logo atop slime-green colored frosting, or the equally-famous Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man - complete with hat! In keeping with the Stay-Puft theme, both donuts are filled with a ton of Stay-Puft marshmallow creme filling. How do they taste? Watch my epic review now to find out!

3 ROBBERIES, 4 STOLEN CARS + MORE - SILVER SPRING/WHEATON/EAST COUNTY CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across eastern Montgomery County on October 17, according to crime data:

Robbery. 4600 block Aspen Hill Court at 12:42 PM.

Burglary. 3000 block Bonview Lane (Aspen Hill).

Stolen car. 11700 block Highview Avenue (Wheaton).

Stolen car. 2800 block Schoolhouse Circle (Wheaton).

Stolen car. 3100 block University Boulevard W. (Wheaton/Kensington).

Burglary. 10800 block Lockwood Drive (White Oak).

Stolen car. 2500 block Shanandale Drive (Fairland).

Burglary. 14700 block McKnew Road (Burtonsville).

Robbery. 8000 block 13th Street.

Robbery. Arliss Street at Flower Avenue (Long Branch).

MONTGOMERY COUNTY NAMES CONTRACTOR TO REDEVELOP BURTONSVILLE PARK AND RIDE LOT

Montgomery County has selected EDENS, a nationwide development firm, to redevelop the six-acre Park and Ride lot on US 29 in Burtonsville. The county says the yet-to-be-revealed project will be part of its controversial vision for the future of Burtonsville, a so-called "village center" that will include town-center-style residential density far from any Metro station. EDENS, coincidentally, also happens to own the adjacent Burtonsville Crossing shopping center.

SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD STRUCK BY CAR IN SILVER SPRING

A school crossing guard directing traffic at Galway Elementary School was struck by a Ford Windstar minivan on Wednesday, around 3:40 PM, according to Montgomery County Police. Police say it was raining heavily at the time, but that didn't prevent the minivan's driver, Brice Anthony Huff of Berlin, MD, from being issued several traffic citations. Huff told police his malfunctioning windshield wipers prevented him from seeing the victim.

The crossing guard, Rosetta Parisi, 67, remains hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Parisi is a Silver Spring resident, as well as a substitute crossing guard for the Montgomery County Police.

EMERGENCY VEHICLES COLLIDE IN ASPEN HILL (PHOTO)

Two Montgomery County emergency vehicles responding to a call collided at the intersection of Parkland Drive and Aspen Hill Road, around 3:30 PM yesterday. Six personnel were transported to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, with one in serious condition. The collision between a MCFRS fire engine and an EMS vehicle is under investigation by the Montgomery County Police.

Photo courtesy Montgomery County Police via @mcfrsPIO Twitter

WHEATON SHOOTER FINALLY CHARGED AS AN ADULT IN ALLEGEDLY GANG-RELATED ATTACK

Almost 3 months after a 13-year-old boy allegedly shot an 18-year-old woman in the vicinity of Plyers Mill Road and Douglas Avenue in Wheaton, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's office has charged the youth as an adult in the crime.

Issac Quinteros of Wheaton, now 14, is charged with 22 crimes in total. According to Kevin Lewis, Montgomery County reporter for ABC 7 News, Quinteros was expelled from A. Mario Loiederman Middle School last year. Police say he and adult accomplice Eber Umanzor are both members of the Little R gang, which has made a name for itself for numerous brazen crimes in the county.

A judge had to determine whether the case justified charging Quinteros as an adult.

EBOLA VACCINE TESTING IN SILVER SPRING

The Associated Press reports that testing of an experimental Ebola vaccine is now underway at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring. 40 volunteers have signed up to test the Canadian-developed vaccine. New Link Genetics has licensed the vaccine for use in America, but it will likely be tried first in Africa.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL AT-LARGE DEBATE (VIDEO) + HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE TODAY

Montgomery Community Media and the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County hosted a Montgomery County Council At-Large Candidate Forum last night. You can watch the debate in its entirety here. Candidates from the Democratic, Green and Republican parties participated in the forum, which included transportation, Bus Rapid Transit, the Silver Spring Transit Center debacle, and affordable housing among its topics.

Today is the deadline to register to vote in the November 4 election. You can register today online or go to the Board of Elections office in person at 18753 North Frederick Avenue, Suite 210, Gaithersburg, MD 20879. If you have questions, call 240-777-8500.

Early voting will be available for all registered voters between October 23 and October 30 at these early voting sites around the county.

SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN GLENMONT, COLESVILLE & LONG BRANCH + MORE - SILVER SPRING/WHEATON CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across eastern Montgomery County on October 10, according to crime data:

Burglary. 14400 block Gaines Avenue.

Burglary. 12800 block Layhill Road.

Theft. 2200 block Glenallan Avenue (Glenmont).

Sexual assault. 2100 block Randolph Road (Glenmont).

Sexual assault. Unit block of Silver Moon Drive (Colesville).

Theft. 10800 block Huntley Place (Wheaton).

Burglary. 11500 White Oak Vista Terrace (White Oak).

Assault. 12200 block Tech Road.

Sexual assault. 8800 block Glenville Road (Long Branch).

Assault. 500 block Thayer Avenue.