Montgomery County McDonald's now offering $5 meal deal

McDonald's restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area began a new promotion for these inflationary times yesterday. A $5 Meal Deal is now being offered for the summer season. The meal includes your choice of a McDouble or McChicken sandwich, a small fries, a 4-piece Chicken McNuggets, and a small soft drink of your choice. According to the McDonald's app, you can also choose a Hot n Spicy McChicken, as well. In addition to Montgomery County and the D.C. suburbs, the deal will also be available at participating McDonald's restaurants in the Baltimore region and on the Eastern Shore.

“We heard our fans loud and clear – they’re looking for even more great value from us, and this summer that’s exactly what they’ll get,” McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger said in a statement Tuesday. “Value has always been part of our DNA. We’re focused on living up to that legacy and offering delicious, affordable options customers can enjoy any time they walk through our doors, go through our drive thru or place an order through our app.”

Popeyes burglarized in downtown Silver Spring

Montgomery County police report that the Popeyes restaurant at 8401 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring was broken into on June 9, 2024. The alleged burglar entered the closed restaurant "in the early morning hours," stole an unspecified amount of cash, and fled. Officers arriving at the scene found evidence of forced entry. 

Police describe the suspect only as a Hispanic male of unknown age. If you have any information about the suspect or this incident, you are asked to call police at (301) 279-8000. I must say, it would have been pure video gold if the viral-video overnight chicken delivery man for "all DC-area Popeyes" had arrived while the alleged burglar was inside.

3 arrested in Glenmont strong-arm robbery

Montgomery County police have rounded up three suspects in the June 10, 2024 strong-arm robbery in the 12300 block of Georgia Avenue in Glenmont. That's in the vicinity of the Glenmont Shopping Center. Police say the three assaulted an adult male victim at 5:40 PM, and took unspecified property from him. Arrested are three juveniles: a 15-year-old from Burtonsville, a 16-year-old from Crofton, and a 17-year-old from Germantown. 

Signage installed at Lil' Sumthin' Sweet in Silver Spring

Neon signage has been installed on the storefront of Lil' Sumthin' Sweet, opening soon at 8563 Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring. It faithfully duplicates the logo on the "coming soon" poster that was recently placed in the window. Last night, it was already lit. The dessert cafe is under construction in the former Smoothie King space.

Ongoing water leak on Maple Avenue in Takoma Park to be repaired July 2 or 3

The City of Takoma Park reports that there is an ongoing water leak in the 7600 block of Maple Avenue. Water utility WSSC repaired a water main break there this past Tuesday. However, the WSSC crew found that there is an ongoing smaller leak in a valve at the same location. WSSC has scheduled a crew to return to the block on July 2 or 3 to repair the valve leak. This will require a temporary cutoff of water service to some nearby residents.

The reason the work is being put off until the first week of July is that the utility did not want customers to be without water during the heat wave that is now underway. WSSC also plans to perform the valve repair at night, to reduce the disruptive effect on customers in the community. 

Wheaton Service Center property for sale

The property currently home to Wheaton Service Center at 11321 Fern Street is now on the market. Wheaton Service Center is still operating on the site, but a property brochure by broker AMR Commercial, LLC states that it is "available for new occupant." The asking price for the property is not yet publicly listed, however, requiring potential buyers to inquire directly. Located within a 5-minute walking distance from the Wheaton Metro station, the property currently has a 6-bay garage with lifts, two storage buildings, about 16 parking spaces, and is zoned for a maximum building height of 100' if redeveloped.

Photos courtesy AMR Commercial, LLC

Losing to Virginia on another factory, is Montgomery County in the hunt for IKEA manufacturing site?

Montgomery County and Maryland were beaten in the economic development game again by Virginia yesterday. Will they be players in the next big manufacturing competition, for an IKEA factory on American soil? Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's office announced Tuesday that his state had won the competition for a 400,000-square-foot Condair Group AG manufacturing facility. The press release indicated that Virginia and South Carolina were the two finalists. Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported this past weekend that IKEA is scouting for factory locations in the United States, due to increasing disruptions in international shipping lanes.

Virginia could already have a [LÖVBACKEN table] leg up in the IKEA race, as the Swedish furniture giant previously operated its only U.S. factory in Danville, Virginia from 2008 to 2019. It ultimately closed that plant, shipping its 300 jobs back to Europe. Montgomery County has plenty of room for an IKEA plant in the I-270 corridor, where there is also potential direct rail access to the CSX Metropolitan Subdivision for domestic or port shipping purposes. Of course, Baltimore, Hagerstown and Cumberland are among the struggling Maryland cities that could use an IKEA plant to help revive their once-mighty industrial areas.

There's no indication of Montgomery County or Maryland having been in the hunt for the Condair plant. The $57.2 million investment by Condair in Chesterfield County, Virginia will create 180 good-paying industrial jobs with full benefits. Instead of Condair products being exported out of the Port of Baltimore, they'll be headed out of Richmond Marine Terminal in Virginia, according to the press release.

"When an international brand like Condair makes the decision to locate in Virginia, the positive ripple-effects of economic investment, job creation and cargo growth are felt throughout the Commonwealth," Virginia Port Authority CEO Stephen A. Edwards said in a statement. "The Port of Virginia will be among the beneficiaries of Condair’s location in Chesterfield County, which is not far from Richmond Marine Terminal. We are ready to collaborate with Condair to help it leverage the assets of this port — America’s most modern gateway — to ensure it has access to world markets." 

"Virginia is the perfect location for the international company Condair to establish its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility," Youngkin said in a statement Tuesday. "We applaud the 21st century manufacturing jobs that this project will bring to Chesterfield County."

Lil' Sumthin' Sweet "coming soon" to downtown Silver Spring

Lil' Sumthin' Sweet, a dessert cafe, is "coming soon" to 8563 Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring, according to signage posted in the former Smoothie King storefront. The cafe will serve a variety of treats, including ice cream, cakes, and pies, as well as coffee. I want that character with the Mickey Mouse gloves on the wall to be a filled donut, but it may be a cookie. Apparently, yogurt chain TCBY has dropped the plan to open in this space that surfaced last September. 

Wheaton Gateway meeting postponed

The public meeting on the latest plans for the Wheaton Gateway development scheduled for June 18, 2024 has been postponed, an attorney for the applicants said. A new date has not yet been set, but will be announced in advance. The meeting had been scheduled to review and obtain feedback on the project's Preliminary and Site Plans, as well as an amendment to its Sketch Plan. No reason for the postponement was given.

Local UFCW unions endorse Alsobrooks in Maryland U.S. Senate race, Trump embraces critic Hogan

Three local United Food & Commercial Workers unions endorsed Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) in the race for Ben Cardin's Maryland U.S. Senate seat yesterday. UFCW Local 400, UFCW Local 27, and UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO represent over 30,000 members who are registered voters in Maryland. Those members work in a wide variety of fields, including grocery stores, retail, health care, food processing, meatpacking, chemical processing, cannabis, and gaming, as well as in the public sector. UFCW Local 1994 represents many Montgomery County government employees, for example.

UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO President Gino Renne

“Angela Alsobrooks is a champion for working families, and a relentless advocate for justice and equity,” UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO President Gino Renne said in a statement Thursday. “Her commitment to the people of Maryland and her proven track record of leadership make her the ideal candidate for the U.S. Senate. I am proud to endorse Angela Alsobrooks, confident that she will fight tirelessly for our rights and our future.”

Alsobrooks receiving the endorsement of
local 1199 SEIU union in February

The choice of labor to support Alsobrooks is not necessarily a surprising development in the general election contest, which pits the Prince George's leader against former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in a statewide election that may determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Alsobrooks has already garnered many union endorsements in the race, including several local SEIU unions, and the Amalgamated Transit Union. Thursday's endorsements give her the backing of 13 labor organizations, based upon the list on her campaign website.

Former Gov. Larry Hogan receiving endorsement
of Ocean City and Worcester County firefighters in
Ocean City

Hogan has received six union endorsements himself, many representing first responders in the state. Among those supporting the Republican are the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (M.E.B.A.), the nation’s oldest maritime labor union representing officers of the United States Merchant Marines, Ocean City Career Firefighter Paramedics Association IAFF Local 4269, Worcester County Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 4916, the International Union of Police Associations, the State Law Enforcement Officers Labor Alliance (SLEOLA), and the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 333. The latter represents more than 2,000 maritime workers at the busy Port of Baltimore.

One endorsement Hogan didn't necessarily expect was that of President Donald Trump, whom the former governor has heavily criticized for years. But he got it anyway Thursday, only a week after Trump surrogates declared Hogan's Senate hopes dead, after the Marylander asked his fellow Americans to respect the verdict in Trump's New York trial. 

Trump's habit of embracing even his harshest critics at the drop of a hat can be seen by some as shrewd, and by others as nonsensical. But Trump's transactional relationship style has served him well for decades in business and politics, making his endorsement of Hogan not entirely shocking. On balance, the Trump nod may even help Hogan, if "Lockdown Larry"-averse MAGA voters end up begrudgingly following their leader's directive.

Photos courtesy Alsobrooks for Senate, UFCW Local 1994, Hogan for Maryland, Inc.

You could own a brewery building in Silver Spring

The building currently home to Third Hill Brewing Co. at 8216 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring is on the market for sale. This doesn't mean that Third Hill is closing; in fact, their lease runs through February 2029, with 2 5-year extension options. What it does mean, is that you can own the building and become the landlord. According to the sale listing, you would also become the owner of the brewery beermaking equipment, which will convey with the sale, and the cool lighted sign on the pole out front. The asking price is $4,000,000, according to the online sale listing. 

Silver Spring parking lot for sale

A parking lot in downtown Silver Spring is now available for sale. The paved lot at 8603 2nd Avenue has 14 parking spaces, and is currently also improved with a playground. An existing lease on the property expires in 2025. The asking price for the lot is $1,225,000, according to the sale listing by Bethesda-based AMR Commercial, LLC. 

If you could assemble this site with others around it in the future, zoning allows for a building height of up to 175'. Of course, it may be just as valuable of an investment as a parking lot, as more and more parking facilities are redeveloped, and future buildings have less or no parking at all. 

The Daily Dish celebrating 15 years in Silver Spring

The Daily Dish, the popular restaurant at 8301 Grubb Road in Silver Spring, is 15 years old in 2024. To celebrate, the Hollinger Group restaurant will be serving its famous weekend brunch every day this week through Sunday, June 16, with half-price brunch boards. Brunch will be served daily through 3:30 PM; the regular lunch menu will not be available this week. And each afternoon at 3:00 PM, an all-night Happy Hour will begin.

Capitol View Park yard sale scheduled for Sat., June 15

Capitol View Park, a neighborhood located between Kensington and Forest Glen in Montgomery County, will host a community yard sale this coming Saturday, June 15, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. There will be two clusters for the multi-family yard sale: One at the corner of Grant and Dennis Avenues, and the other at the corner of Barker Street and Menlo Avenue. Sunday, June 16 will be the rain date for the event.

Moby Dick House of Kabob soft opening in Burtonsville today

Moby Dick House of Kabob will hold a soft-opening of its newest restaurant in Burtonsville today, June 7, 2024. The Persian restaurant is located at 15783 Old Columbia Pike, at Burtonsville Crossing. There will be a discount for walk-in diners only until June 16.

Free donuts at Dunkin' Donuts in East MoCo this Friday, June 7

National Donut Day is this Friday, June 7, 2024. That means free donuts at your local Dunkin' Donuts in Aspen Hill, Silver Spring, Wheaton, Kensington, White Oak, Takoma Park, Burtonsville and Olney. Get a free donut with the purchase of any beverage, including the limited-time drinks of summer 2024 like the Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee or the Vanilla Frosted Donut Iced Coffee Signature Latte. 

Dunkin' Donuts has also teamed up with Scrub Daddy to create two Dunkin' Donuts-themed sponges. The Scrub Daddy and Scrub Mommy sponges come as a set for $9.98 plus shipping. They can be ordered online. 

Photos courtesy Dunkin' Donuts

Do you recognize this alleged Silver Spring burglar?

Montgomery County police detectives are seeking the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect in the April 10, 2024 burglary of a Citgo gas station in the 8330 block of Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring. Police allege that this man forced his way into the gas station building around 2:29 AM that morning. Inside, he stole an undisclosed amount of cash from a cash register.

Police describe the suspect as a White male, approximately 30 years-of-age. He was wearing a gray hoodie, black pants, and black shoes. 

Anyone with information regarding this suspect or incident are asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477. A reward of from $250 up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect. Tipsters may remain anonymous.  

Public meeting scheduled for Wheaton Gateway project

Developer PS Ventures, LLC is holding a required pre-submission public meeting for its Wheaton Gateway project, which is located on the former site of The Ambassador apartments at the corner of University Boulevard and Veirs Mill Road. If the name sounds familiar, the project has been in the works for about five years under that name. The Lindsay Ford dealership site is also part of the assembled property, as well as property along East Avenue, allowing for up to 800 apartments to be constructed on the resulting 5.16 acres of land.

The meeting will cover the project's Preliminary Plan and Site Plan, as well as an amendment to its Sketch Plan. A key difference with the latest iteration of Wheaton Gateway is the boosting of the number of affordable Moderately-Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs) from 30% to 40%. By my math, that would allow for up to 320 MPDUs. This, along with the redevelopment of Privacy World in Glenmont, are the only projects I can think of where the new developments are actually providing a net gain in affordable units.

Building heights would be allowed to increase along the University and Veirs Mill sides of the property, as a result of the developer providing those additional homes. However, PS Ventures says it will not ask for a height increase on the East Avenue side of the development. That is the side that faces a residential neighborhood of single-family homes. PS Ventures is part of a team developing the Wheaton Gateway project, which also includes The Duffie Companies, Willco, and the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County.

Attendees can participate in-person, or virtually, at the meeting. It will be held on June 18, 2024 at 7:00 PM in the auditorium of the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission headquarters at 2425 Reedie Drive (near the Wheaton Metro station). Those who wish to participate online can go to WheatonGateway.com, where log-in instructions will be posted. I recommend going to the website at least a few minutes before 7:00 to allow extra time to follow the instructions.

Hindu temple broken into in Aspen Hill

A Hindu temple in Aspen Hill was broken into on May 24, 2024, Montgomery County police report. Two suspects forced their way into the Vedanta Center of Greater Washington, DC at 3001 Bel Pre Road sometime between 8:30 PM and 8:56 PM that evening. However, nothing has been identified as having been stolen from inside. Police describe the suspects as a 60-year-old male, and a 40-year-old male, of unspecified race.