Aspen Hill Kmart to close

The Aspen Hill Kmart is closing. This is one of the saddest posts I will have to write on this website, but the closure was announced late Thursday. According to the announcement, the venerable Kmart at 14014 Connecticut Avenue will close in mid-April. A closing sale will begin in the near future.

This has always been my Kmart store, and as one of the best-run in the chain, it has outlasted many rounds of closures. But the vulture capital monster usually prevails in the end, after draining all of the value out of a brand, and Fast Eddie Lampert has been no exception. 

Expect a monster real estate development on this site in the future. The Montgomery County cartel has been rubbing its hands over this property, and others in Aspen Hill, for more than a decade.

Purse-snatching in Long Branch

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a forcible purse snatching in Silver Spring on Tuesday afternoon. The purse was snatched in an unspecified block of Walden Road in the Long Branch area around 2:26 PM, according to crime data.

Text-to-911 now available in Maryland

Callers in emergency situations who cannot, or do not wish to, speak on the phone now have a silent option. Text-to-911 service is now available in the state of Maryland. Residents and visitors alike can contact emergency services via text using the service.

To use Text-to-911 service, follow these steps:

1. Enter 911 in the “To” line.

2. Enter a brief message that includes the location of the emergency and type of service needed – police,              fire, or ambulance.

3. Hit send.

4. Respond to questions from the responding 911 specialist, and follow the instructions he or she provides.

Sweet Sweet Kitchen expanding to Silver Spring

Sweet Sweet Kitchen is coming to 904 Bonifant Street in downtown Silver Spring, according to a sign attached to the front of the building. What type of cuisine will it be? I recognize the flag of Jamaica on the banner, and after some research, I can report the other flag is that of Sierra Leone. There is a restaurant of the same name in Lanham, according to Yelp.

&pizza racing to completion in Silver Spring

The newest area location of &pizza at 8455 Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring is scheduled to open in February. As the construction crew races toward opening day, an appropriate new design detail has been added to the storefront. A powder blue racetrack oval now encircles the future entrance, and is topped off with an &pizza logo. It's drawing a lot of attention at this corner, but probably not as much as the aromas of the pizzas will when it opens.

Long Branch Library refresh completed

Renovations to the Long Branch Library at 8800 Garland Avenue in Silver Spring have been completed, Montgomery County announced today. Holds-to-Go appointments can be scheduled as of today, and telephone service is now active, County officials said. The phone number for the library is 1-240-777-0910 (TTY: 301-565-7662).

Tables now have electrical connections throughout the library, which also got new flooring, carpet and paint. The circulation desk area got a thorough makeover, and LED light fixtures and furniture are all new. Outside, you'll notice a new stucco finish on the first floor exterior, a new plaza roof, and ADA-related upgrades to improve access.

The entire project cost $4 million dollars. “Our libraries are community anchors and the impressive improvements transform this into a modernized, beautiful facility for our Long Branch residents to enjoy,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement this morning.

Flower Avenue Montgomery County liquor store closes after employee tests positive for Covid-19

The Montgomery County government-operated liquor store at 8706-B Flower Avenue in the Long Branch area of Silver Spring has temporarily closed after an employee tested positive for Covid-19. That employee's last day at the store was Monday, January 18, 2021. The store will remain closed until a deep-cleaning process can be completed, County officials said.