METRO RED LINE: NO SERVICE AT BETHESDA STATION DUE TO TRACK PROBLEM #WMATA #DC

Trains are single tracking between Friendship Heights and Medical Center on Metro's Red Line at this hour due to an undisclosed "track problem." The Bethesda Metro station currently is not being serviced by trains.

It sounds like more than a "track problem," however.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue are on scene, according to scanner reports.

BETHESDA CRIME UPDATE

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on February 18, according to crime data:

Theft. 7500 block Old Georgetown Road.

Theft. 7100 block Arlington Road.

Weapons arrest. 5400 block Wisconsin Avenue (Friendship Heights).

Theft. 4400 block Willard Avenue (Friendship Heights).

Vehicle burglary. 4900 block Sentinel Drive (Sumner).

Theft. 10400 block Old Georgetown Road (Wildwood area).

Theft. 11300 block Rockville Pike (White Flint).

Theft. Home Depot.

MORE CELEBS SIGN ON FOR MAKE MEANING, OPENING THIS YEAR AT BETHESDA ROW (PHOTOS)

Make Meaning's NYC flagship isn't just the choice of Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise anymore. A company spokesperson says that the party and activity center is also a favorite of celebrity parents Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner.

The company forwarded these photos of another celebrity making an appearance yesterday at Make Meaning, which is expanding to Bethesda this year. Singer-songwriter-actress Jewel was there for a new Swiffer product launch, the Sweep and Trap. We could certainly have used the #SwifferEffect on some of the sidewalks along major roads in Montgomery County recently...

FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS METRO STATION ESCALATOR SHUT DOWN (PHOTOS) #WMATA #DC

An escalator between the bus bays and underground landing at the Friendship Heights Metro station has been walled off. A modernization project will keep the escalator offline through July 19, 2014, according to WMATA.

BAINBRIDGE BETHESDA LUXURY APARTMENTS TARGETING APRIL OPENING (PHOTOS)

The second luxury apartment tower to open in downtown Bethesda this year, the Bainbridge Bethesda at 4918 St. Elmo Avenue, is now scheduled to be delivered in April.

A Bainbridge spokesperson said Thursday that the company is still in discussions with tenants for the ground floor retail/restaurant spaces.

Here are some new photos of the under-construction building:

THE 5 CUTEST PETS YOU SHOULD ADOPT THIS WEEK IN BETHESDA (PHOTO)

Here are 5 animals in search of a loving home. Some are currently residing at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter. You can visit them Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 7:00 PM. Or on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5:00 PM. The shelter is located at 14645 Rothgeb Drive, in Rockville.

Call the shelter at 240.773.5960 to check on the availability of a specific animal. When you call, have the cat or small animal's name, or the dog's ID number, and the 6 digit AIL number (A######) ready.

One dog is available from DAWG Rescue, Inc. The links will help direct you to the right place.

137 - ID#A380398

Number 137 is a neutered male cross between a Border Terrier and Jack Russell Terrier, and the county shelter staff believe he is around 9 months old. He just arrived in the shelter on Sunday.

137

232 - ID#A383045

Number 232 is an approximately 10-month-old, unaltered black and white female Pit Bull Terrier.

232

OLLIE - ID#A383704

I defy you to resist adopting this poor little guy. Ollie is a white hamster who just arrived at the county shelter on Tuesday. They think he is about 6 months old.

Ollie

PATCHES - ID#A383375

Patches is an approximately 8-year-old, unaltered calico Domestic Shorthair cat.

Patches

PRINCESS CHI CHI BU

Princess Chi Chi Bu is a Japanese Chin female, available through DAWG Rescue. She has a slight heart murmur, so she is recommended for quieter homes without small children. And she isn't completely housebroken yet, so patience will be necessary.

NEW DOWNTOWN BETHESDA CONVENIENCE STORE TO HAVE DELI (PHOTOS)

Work continues at the future site of downtown Bethesda's newest convenience store, located in the rapidly-redeveloping Woodmont Triangle. The Aria convenience store will sell beer and wine, and I have now confirmed it will include a deli. The store is in the ground floor of developer Donohoe's new Gallery Bethesda luxury apartment tower, at 4800 Auburn Avenue.

Here are some new photos of the store under construction:

KRAZE BURGERS SAYS LOT 31 CONSTRUCTION CAUSED BETHESDA ROW CLOSURE

Why did Kraze Burgers suddenly close at Bethesda Row? The company says a poor economy, and the effects of the Lot 31 construction at Bethesda Row, severely impacted their success at this location.

Kraze Burgers says the multi-year construction project on Bethesda and Woodmont Avenues across from Barnes and Noble has reduced foot traffic around the Row, and that store sales ultimately dropped by 50%. Several businesses have previously complained about the impact of the project on parking and sales traffic. In contrast, Kraze Burgers says its new stores at Westfield Montgomery Mall and Tysons Galleria "did outstanding numbers last month."

The company is proceeding with rapid expansion plans. They have recently signed leases at BWI Marshall Airport, in NoMa in the District, and in Herndon. Kraze is in negotiations with several other retail centers and airports in the region, a spokesperson said yesterday.

One additional piece of news, is that the company expects its Kraze Bethesda, LLC bankruptcy case to be dismissed in the coming weeks. That entity is separate from the rest of the Kraze Burgers company. The landowner of the former Kraze Burgers space is not Federal Realty, and the building is not technically part of the Bethesda Row development.

If you have a Groupon left over from the Bethesda Row location, Kraze says you can redeem it at other locations, which also include Lansdowne, Germantown and Barracks Row. The spokesperson said Kraze Burgers has seen a spike in customers across all locations through the Groupon promotion.

MAKE MEANING BETHESDA ROW CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Here's the latest update on the construction of the future Make Meaning location at Bethesda Row. Make Meaning is a family activity center, and party hosting destination, that has received the Katie Holmes seal of approval in New York City:

Make Meaning will occupy the slim
ground-level at left, as well as
the more expansive second floor
above Aveda and Paper Source

WHAT'S STILL OPEN AT WHITE FLINT MALL (PHOTOS)

The Dark Side of White Flint, Part 24

Welcome to The Dark Side of White Flint, an ongoing series about the not-so-wonnerful, wonnerful, wonnerful side of urbanizing the suburbs of Montgomery County.

In the last two installments, we've talked about the latest closures at White Flint Mall. What many want to know is, what is still open at White Flint Mall?

The list is quite short: Lord and Taylor, P.F. Chang's, Dave and Buster's, Khoury Brothers, Rochelle Hackley DDS, and the U.S. Post Office. A whopping 6 tenants.

An examination of the April 2013 mall directory, compared to the February 2014 directory, is simply stunning. Remember, the mall was fully-leased, and it was hard to get a close-by parking space for the Cheesecake Factory and other popular dining spots, when the owners pulled the plug. This was never a mismanaged, failing mall:

April 2013

February 2014

IS BETHESDA READY FOR AN ADULTS-ONLY BURLESQUE SHOW? (PHOTOS)

Adults Only! Must be 18+! Bad girls doing good things!, warns the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club, about what promises to be the closest Bethesda will get to a Bourbon Street-level Mardi Gras celebration.

Burlesque performers and lingerie models will take the stage at the historic former movie theater on Friday, February 28, at 8:00 PM. Performers will include Maria Bella of Baltimore, Miss Bliss Floccare from North Carolina, and Bitsy Buttons from Richmond. The lingerie models will be courtesy of Charm City's Bottom Drawer Lingerie Boutique. Mardi Gras-themed music for the performers - and for attendees who wish to avail themselves of the club's dance floor - will be provided by the Texas Chainsaw Horns.

The club's proprietor, Rick Brown, promised they wouldn't limit themselves strictly to blues & jazz concerts.

This show is likely to draw some attention around town. A representative of the Texas Chainsaw Horns says, "they're probably only gonna let us do this once."

Tickets are $20.00, and can be purchased online.

Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club

7719 Wisconsin Avenue, 240-330-4500

7700 NORFOLK LUXURY APARTMENTS BETHESDA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE (PHOTOS)

Here are photos of the latest excavation and progress at the construction site of JBG's 7700 Norfolk luxury apartment tower (click photos to enlarge for detail):

MAN BEHIND " FAT, SICK AND NEARLY DEAD " MOVIE TO APPEAR AT BETHESDA ROW TONIGHT (PHOTO)

A man who was once 100 pounds overweight, pumped full of steroids and ill with an autoimmune disease... is now a health guru. Get ready for the Juiceman at Barnes and Noble tonight, at 7:00 PM. That's right, it's time to "reboot" yourself with juice. Joe Cross, known best from his film, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, will be speaking and signing his self-help juicing book, Reboot with Joe. He'll also answer your questions during a Q&A session.

Barnes and Noble, 4801 Bethesda Avenue.

SCENES FROM A SHUTDOWN: MONDAY'S METRO RED LINE DETOUR (PHOTOS) #WMATA

Heading from Bethesda to downtown DC was extremely inconvenient yesterday, as Metro did not run trains between Woodley Park and Metro Center on the Red Line. Despite it being a federal holiday, others still had to work. And the shuttle buses used for the surface-level detour were crowded - standing room only, as you can see in these photos. Rush hour weekday station closures? There's got to be a better way.

MRS. FIELDS, ROBERT LEWIS SALON CLOSE AT WHITE FLINT MALL (PHOTOS)

The Dark Side of White Flint, Part 23

Welcome to The Dark Side of White Flint, an ongoing series about the not-so-wonnerful, wonnerful, wonnerful side of urbanizing the suburbs of Montgomery County.

Another pair of holdouts at dying White Flint Mall have closed. No more cookies at Mrs. Fields, and no more salon appointments at Robert Lewis Salon.

Coincidentally, Debbi Fields opened her first cookie shop in California in 1977 - the same year that White Flint Mall opened to great acclaim on Rockville Pike.

Mrs. Fields at White Flint Mall

Robert Lewis Salon
at White Flint Mall

WATCH OUT FOR TREACHEROUS SIDEWALK ON RIVER RD. BETWEEN GREYSTONE AND WILLARD

After my report on one dangerous Bethesda sidewalk along River Road, I received an email from a reader about another bad stretch just down the road. I had seen some unspecified construction work being done on the westbound sidewalk of River Road, near Willard Avenue, last week. Apparently that, the snow, and poor signage have now all combined to make a risky situation for pedestrians.

The westbound sidewalk was clear Monday between Little Falls Parkway and Greystone, but not east of Greystone down to Willard. One explanation for this could be that - if I recall correctly - several of the homes on River Road are all owned by one landowner. And the status of the sidewalk construction further down near Willard is unclear.

In any case, if you are headed along there, you may want to look ahead from Little Falls or Willard (where there are signaled intersections to cross at) and see what the sidewalk conditions are on both sides. Of course, there is now more snow from last night, so this is just a heads-up for those in the area.

AMC LOEWS WHITE FLINT 5 MOVIE THEATER CLOSED (PHOTOS)

The Dark Side of White Flint, Part 22

Welcome to The Dark Side of White Flint, an ongoing series about the not-so-wonnerful, wonnerful, wonnerful side of urbanizing the suburbs of Montgomery County.

One recent closing at White Flint Mall deserves its own special tribute: the mall's movie theater, AMC Loews White Flint 5. As you might guess from its name, the cineplex indeed featured 5 screens. It opened in 1977, and held 1500 seats. White Flint Mall and this movieplex were not my main hangouts growing up, but I did see a number of movies there over the years.

"The balcony is closed"

Now-empty movie
poster cases

One last vicarious
trek along the ramp

UNITED BANK MOVING IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

United Bank, for which a demolition permit has been requested, is moving from its 7535 Old Georgetown Road location to 7845 Wisconsin Avenue, at Chase Avenue. They will be taking over the old Charleston Alexander jewelry store space on the south corner, on the same block as CVS Pharmacy. Their move has been delayed a few days due to the recent snowstorm. United's regional manager, Ron Burley, says customers who have any questions may call 301-654-2757.