Thief steals hermit crabs from Bethesda Scooters and Boards

The pet hermit crabs at Bethesda Scooters and Boards were trying to enjoy the spring weather outdoors last Thursday, March 24, when they were snatched by an unknown thief. According to the store's owners, the crabs were inside a coconut shell in Veterans Park, which is right outside the store at 4825 Fairmont Avenue.

Whoever took the crabs, also took their "house."

If you have any information about the whereabouts of the crabs, or if you saw anything that might help identify the thief, call the store at (301) 654-7710. They are offering a reward.

Drug bust on Westbard Ave., assault in Grosvenor + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on March 25, according to crime data:

Vehicle burglary. 7500 block Old Georgetown Road.

Vehicle burglary. 4500 block N. Chelsea Lane.

Vehicle burglary. 4100 block Leland Street.

Drug arrest. Westbard Avenue at Massachusetts Avenue.

Assault. 5700 block Grosvenor Lane.

Theft. Westfield Montgomery Mall.

Graffiti artist returns to Solaire Bethesda sidewalk tunnel (Photos)

The mysterious artist has returned to the construction tunnel alongside the Solaire Bethesda luxury apartment project. This time, he or she has left renderings of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and a mystery man on the wooden wall.

Batman v Superman takeover at ArcLight Cinemas in Bethesda (Photos)

ArcLight Cinemas is literally wall-to-wall Batman v Superman right now. Last week I told you about the special character-themed cocktails from the movie available at the bar. 

But there is also a special souvenir glass ($12) you can keep if you order a draft beer. Check out their massive poster wall in the lobby, and a treasure trove of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman merchandise available in the lobby gift shop. 

You can click here to watch my review of the Man in Blue cocktail at the bar, and of the movie itself.

Car stolen from Village Park Dr., disorder at Barnes and Noble + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on March 24, according to crime data:

Theft. 7600 block Old Georgetown Road.

Theft. 4700 block Highland Avenue.

Disorderly conduct. Barnes and Noble at Bethesda Row.

Drug arrest. Bradley Lane at Connecticut Avenue.

Burglary. 8800 block Connecticut Avenue.

Stolen car. 3800 block Village Park Drive.

Burglary. 10400 block Montrose Avenue.

Theft. 5400 block Tuckerman Lane.

Kenwood cherry blossoms photo gallery 2016

Save the trip into DC, and enjoy the world's best cherry blossoms right here in Bethesda in the Kenwood neighborhood.

Broken gas line in 8100 block of Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda

Firefighters are checking homes near a broken gas line in the 8100 block of Wisconsin Avenue. The broken line is believed to be at the construction site of the TD Bank there, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer.

Pi Pizzeria sign installed in Bethesda (Photos)

The permanent sign is up at Pi Pizzeria, located at 7137 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Pi gained notoriety as Barack Obama's favorite pizza. They offer a St. Louis-style deep dish, as well as a thin cornmeal crust pizza. Their liquor license application will be heard by Montgomery County on April 14.

3 cars stolen; assault in Pike District + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on March 23, according to crime data:

Liquor arrest. 7900 block Norfolk Avenue.

Liquor arrest. 4800 block Cordell Avenue.

Theft. 7300 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Liquor arrest. 4800 block Cordell Avenue.

Liquor arrest. 4800 block Cordell Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 7400 block Ridgewood Avenue.

Stolen car. 3700 block Cardiff Road.

Stolen car. 9400 block Kingsley Avenue.

Theft. 8600 block Irvington Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 3600 block Cardiff Road.

Vehicle burglary. 8200 block Kerry Road.

Vehicle burglary. 8100 block Kerry Road.

Stolen car. 5400 block Linden Court.

Vehicle burglary. 3300 block Cummings Lane.

Vehicle burglary. 4800 block Jamestown Road.

Vehicle burglary. 5900 bock Jarvis Lane.

Vehicle burglary. 11500 block Rockville Pike (Pike District).

Theft. Westfield Montgomery Mall.

Assault. 11800 block Rockville Pike.

Montgomery County residents protesting Leggett proposal for massive tax hike

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has proposed an 8.7% property tax increase in his FY-2017 budget, an amount that exceeds the charter limit, and will therefore require all nine County Council members to vote it into law. Already-tax-strapped residents are signing a new online petition protesting against the proposal. 

It is critical to put the County's troubled finances and ongoing structural deficit into the context of the fake economic impact statements presented at Tuesday's Westbard sector plan worksession. Those forecasts projected a net "profit" for the County from the proposed Westbard redevelopment. In reality, we've definitively found that development and the property and impact taxes it generates do not cover the increased costs of government services, transportation, schools, utilities and other infrastructure.

Consider the explosive growth within the County over the last decade, including Clarksburg growing 800%, and places like Damascus, which is in the process of tripling in size. Yet, the County is running a deficit every single year, they claim they can't afford to build the M-83 Highway, and MCPS continues to operate with overcrowded schools countywide.

If development paid its own way, we wouldn't be in this fiscal mess. There is not a shred of evidence to support the idea that Westbard would be any different, and no one challenged the executive branch employees who made the rosy and false predictions on Tuesday.

Robbery on Democracy Blvd., sex offense on Seven Locks Rd. + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on March 21, according to crime data:

Theft. 7700 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 7700 block Wisconsin Avenue.

Assault. Old Georgetown Road at Greentree Road.

Theft. 7800 block Oldchester Road.

Theft. 7800 block Oldchester Road.

Theft. 8600 block Irvington Avenue.

Vehicle burglary. 5600 block Alta Vista Road.

Vehicle burglary. 5300 block Massachusetts Avenue.

Robbery. 7100 block Democracy Boulevard.

Other sexual offense. 11600 block Seven Locks Road.

Bethesda construction update: Tara Thai (Photos)

The construction of Tara Thai is also transforming the exterior of Westfield Montgomery Mall around the restaurant's facade. There will be patio dining here when the restaurant opens.

Toll Brothers to host public meeting on WMAL property preliminary plan April 9

Developer Toll Brothers has announced it will be hosting a community meeting regarding their preliminary plan for the WMAL tower site in Bethesda on Saturday, April 9 at 10:00 AM at North Bethesda Middle School (8935 Bradmoor Drive). Mark Nosal, President of Toll Brothers' Maryland Division, says the preliminary plan will detail the configuration of lots, roads and public space within the development.

Landscaping and amenities will be fleshed out at a future planning stage, Nosal said. The plan that will be unveiled will reflect the ten months of public input Toll Brothers has received, he said, as well as feedback from Montgomery County Government.

The site at 7115 Greentree Road houses four transmitters for WMAL Radio in a partially-forested, parklike setting surrounded by single-family residential neighborhoods. There is limited road access to the site, expected to be remedied by connecting Greentree Road with Greyswood Road, as suggested by an earlier master plan. How Greyswood Road residents might feel about that is another story.

It will be interesting to see the final mix of housing types proposed. At a meeting last year, Toll Brothers predicted there would be a 50/50 mix of single-family houses and townhomes, with 330 homes altogether. Current residents have raised several concerns, including already-overcrowded schools in the Walter Johnson cluster, and traffic, given the overwhelmingly auto-oriented nature of the site.

WMAL is expected to relocate its transmitters to Germantown if the development is approved.