Bethesda water main breaks keep WSSC crews busy (Video + Photos)

The polar vortex continues to plague Bethesda - and the WSSC. Crews from the utility responded to water main breaks around downtown Bethesda last night, as temperatures remained well below freezing for another consecutive day. At least one restaurant had to shut down last night, after a pipe burst in their building.

One break was right in front of Caddies and Alatri Bros. on Cordell Avenue. Two readers reported an ongoing water flow on Bradley Boulevard near Wisconsin Avenue; neither reported seeing a response from WSSC there yet as of last evening.

Burst pipe closes Redwood for tonight at Bethesda Row

Redwood will be closed tonight due to a burst water pipe. The restaurant on Bethesda Lane is cleaning up, and using fans to dry out the space. They hope to reopen tomorrow (Wednesday) or Thursday.

Bethesda Bagels to temporarily close for renovations January 14

There's more bad news for bagel lovers besides the ice age currently hitting Bethesda. Bethesda Bagels at 4819 Bethesda Avenue will temporarily close on January 14 for renovations, according to a sign posted at the restaurant this weekend. The renovations are expected to take six weeks, so come up with a backup plan now.

Montgomery County murders spike 31% in 2017

Long considered a low-crime jurisdiction, Montgomery County experienced a 31% increase in homicides last year.  Surprisingly, the Washington Post chose to run a "fake news" headline Sunday. A front-page splash read, "Killings fell in D.C. area in 2017." Only those who bothered to read the article on the inside pages would learn that murders actually increased in Montgomery County in 2017.

It appears the Post used the misleading headline to protect the soft-on-crime Montgomery County Council, who have proven impotent to stop the surge of violent crime in the County. While murders spiked in Montgomery, Fairfax had no increase, D.C. had fewer, and Prince William County's homicide rate plunged from 22 to 4. Increasing crime has so embarrassed Montgomery County elected officials, they have resorted to violating the County's open data law, by sabotaging the crime datasets.

A month-long crime data outage last summer only ended after I publicized the illegal blackout. Then block numbers were removed, making the data nearly useless for lengthy roads. Next, they restored block numbers, but disabled the sorting function of the date columns, so that you can only access random crimes from 2016 no matter which option you select for starting or ending date. Finally, as of this morning, I can no longer use the mouse to slide the columns right or left, only the keypad on my keyboard.

Ironically, the jurisdictions whose homicide rates declined last year provide more and more-accessible crime data to their residents than Montgomery County. We need new elected leadership that can stop the trend of rising homicides, not one that resorts to childish tactics like blocking crime data from the public. Sad!

MoCo exec candidate David Blair sets up campaign headquarters in North Bethesda (Photos)

David Blair, a Democratic candidate for Montgomery County Executive, has established a campaign headquarters in the ground floor of The Sterling, at 11700 Old Georgetown Road near the White Flint Metro station and across from Pike & Rose. With the primary election just over six months away, there was some activity inside the office even on New Year's Eve this past weekend.

The office has a high-visibility location along the heavily-traveled Rockville Pike corridor, where commuters stuck in traffic will have ample time to notice the Blair headquarters. Blair entered the race in November.

Founder and former CEO of Catalyst Health Solutions, and a lifelong resident of Montgomery County, Blair brings considerable personal wealth to the table. He is a minority partner in Monumental Sports and Entertainment, and along with his wife, recently opened Badlands Playspace in Rockville. Blair will be a strong contender for support within the business community. He has identified education, economic development and transportation as his key issues.

Blair was a co-founder of Empower Montgomery, a tax-exempt non-profit organization that advocates for open primaries that allow independents to vote for state and local office nominating contests, easing voter restrictions, expanding early and absentee voting, and engaging communities with low rates of voter participation. He has stepped aside from that role to run, leaving co-founders Charles Nulsen III, the president of Washington Property Company, and Chris Bruch, president and COO of The Donohoe Companies, to lead the organization, which has announced plans to be active in this year's County elections.

The Democratic executive race, into which yet more candidates may enter, is still developing. There are several lanes to victory. Blair and Bill Frick will compete in the "outsider" lane, despite Frick's longstanding time in the House of Delegates; Frick can honestly claim to have had no role in the disastrous County Council term that will end this November. Both are arguing for a more business-friendly atmosphere, in a county currently notorious nationwide as hostile to business.

Roger Berliner, Rose Krasnow and George Leventhal are jousting for support from the currently-ruling Montgomery County political cartel, a slim faction of the local Democratic party fueled by developer donations. All three played a major role in disastrous sector plans such as Westbard, which directly led to voters decisively approving term limits in November 2016.

Marc Elrich, despite a perplexing "Yes" vote on the Westbard plan, enters the race as the most popular Democrat in Montgomery County, as confirmed by his vote total in 2014. He brings strong support from labor, true progressives, civic associations and residents concerned about the impact of urbanization on existing neighborhoods, roads and schools. Washington Post columnist Robert McCartney predicted this past weekend that Elrich will be the winner in June and November.

The Democratic winner - as it stands for the moment - will take on Republican Robin Ficker, who has vocally opposed the tax hikes and development decisions that so angered residents into their term limit vote in 2016.

Digital signboard, parking arm added to new Bethesda police station

The final pieces continue to be added to the new 2nd District Montgomery County police station on Rugby Avenue in downtown Bethesda. These include an official Montgomery County government sign on the front facade, which appears to have a digital message board on it. A parking access arm has also been installed in the driveway leading to the parking garage in the rear. Anti-vehicle bollards  have been erected at the front entrance to the station. Accent lighting is in place along the side of the building, as well.

7900 Wisconsin building is gone in Bethesda (Photos)

You can now see the Landow Building, Triangle Towers and other Woodmont Triangle landmarks clearly from Wisconsin Avenue. JBG Smith is demolishing the site to make way for its 7900 Wisconsin mixed-use project.

Why is Barnes & Noble closed at Bethesda Row? (Photos)

Barnes & Noble is scheduled to close forever at Bethesda Row on January 11, 2018. But patrons this weekend have been surprised to find the doors already locked. The store closed at 5:00 PM yesterday, and won't reopen until 9:00 AM on January 3. Is this an early closure, or a way to clear more time to pack up inventory? Barnes & Noble says a "heat outage" is to blame for the closure.

Amazon Books added to Bethesda Row directory; Urban Country sale (Photos)

Future tenant Amazon Books has been added to the onsite directory at Bethesda Row. Don't go looking for Jeff Bezos just yet, as Urban Country is still in the bookstore's future space at the corner of Arlington Road and Bethesda Avenue. What you will find there now are savings of up to 70% off, as Urban Country tries to liquidate some inventory ahead of the big move. They will be moving one door over on Arlington Road, into the former City Sports space.

Bank is likely new tenant for ex-Chico's in Chevy Chase

Can we use one more bank in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase area? The market suggests we can, as an unidentified bank (or banking-related business) has requested a demolition and construction permit for the recently-vacated Chico's store at 5418 Wisconsin Avenue in Friendship Heights. It's amazing to me that businesses are allowed to obtain permits from Montgomery County without identifying who is requesting the permit, raising all kinds of questions. How does the County know who they are actually dealing with?

Bethesda's historic Magruder House for lease

Magruder House, a rare 18th century home in Montgomery County, is now available for lease. The home was sold to MRS Real Estate Investment Properties, LLC in November by Capital One Bank, which had operated a branch there from 1978 until 2015. Also known by its original name, Locust Grove, the brick house and property sold for $1,000,000, according to real estate records. Magruder House is located at 7340 Westlake Terrace.

If the name sounds familiar, it's because it was the home of Samuel Wade Magruder, a towering figure in Montgomery County history, and a major in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. When Montgomery County established its first County courthouse, Magruder was one of the initial presiding judges. Patrick Magruder represented Maryland in the U.S. House of Representatives. And most residents above single-digit age are probably familiar with the Magruder's grocery chain, which recently ceased opeation within Montgomery County.

William Wirt in a public
domain image from the
Library of Congress

William Wirt was a boarder at the home when he attended Tusculum Academy, the site of which is now home to the Potomac Methodist Church at 9908 South Glen Road in Potomac, according to the book Maryland, A Guide to the Old Line State. That's right at Falls Road, for those unfamiliar with the location. A native of Bladensburg, Wirt prosecuted the case against Aaron Burr for treason.

After moving to Virginia, Wirt was elected to the House of Delegates, and later became Attorney General of the United States. He was the Anti-Masonic Party candidate for U.S. President in 1832, one of several trounced by Old Hickory himself, Andrew Jackson. One irony in that, is that Wirt represented the Cherokee Nation against Jackson-backed efforts to remove them from Georgia, which concluded in the Trail of Tears forced march west.

Another interesting historical tidbit about this property, is that, after falling out of the Magruder family's ownership, it was at one point owned by the Tenleytown and Rockville Land Company, according to historian John Walton, Jr. That was a division of the trolley company that operated between Friendship Heights and Rockville from 1890 to 1935. Cyclists and joggers today know part of its old right-of-way as the Bethesda Trolley Trail.

A KNLB leasing sign
on the site near Montgomery Mall

Magruder House is being offered for lease by KNLB, according to a sign posted on the property. However, I could not find an online listing on the KNLB website at the time of this writing.

Starbucks posts Coming Soon signage at Hyatt Regency Bethesda (Photos)

Starbucks has publicly confirmed what I reported months ago - they'll be opening in the renovated plaza level of the Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel this Spring. Signage just installed announces "something's brewing" at the hotel, which is winding down a total makeover of its property ahead of new competition from Marriott.

Solstice closing at Westfield Montgomery Mall, Vitamin World packs up (Photos)

Another successful Christmas shopping season is in the books at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, and two retailers won't be participating in the next one. Solstice, a sunglasses boutique, is closing. They are currently holding a liquidation sale. Meanwhile, the expected closure of Vitamin World was underway yesterday at the mall, as workers packed up the remaining contents of the store. Moribund Montgomery County has lost over 2000 retail jobs since 2000, according to the Maryland Association of Retailers.

MoCo Council prevents Robin Ficker from testifying on tax bill

Email from Montgomery County Council
President Hans Riemer to Robin Ficker on
Christmas night; there is no mandated limit
on how many speakers can testify at a hearing

Montgomery County Council President Hans Riemer rejected County resident Robin Ficker's request to testify at a hastily-scheduled public hearing Tuesday on a bill that would allow pre-payment of property taxes before December 31. Ficker is running against several members of the Council for the office of County Executive. This was a clear conflict-of-interest for the Council in excluding Ficker's testimony, as he would surely have discussed the Council's record property tax hikes in his remarks, and the narrow tax relief the bill would provide for only one tier of taxpayers. Some of his opponents on the Council used the taxpayer-funded Council public relations office to issue statements praising themselves following the hearing Tuesday, despite being the ones who forced County residents to pay more than $10,000 in property taxes in 2016.

Ficker is mobbed by supporters
outside the Council building earlier
this year

Ficker's exclusion raised eyebrows because the Council had all day to listen to testimony; this was an emergency session and there was no other item on the agenda, as anyone can confirm by examining it. The Council recently used a similar tactic to limit public participation in the debate over a proposed expansion of Old Angler's Inn, which left more observers in the hearing room than actual speakers.

Ficker's successful ballot
questions limiting Council terms
and tax increases have enraged
councilmembers, who prevented
him from testifying Tuesday

The tax bill passed 7-1 yesterday, with Councilmember Craig Rice voting against it, and Councilmember Tom Hucker absent. It remains uncertain if all or any taxpayers who pay more than $10,000 in property taxes will be ultimately be able to prepay and/or save money. But councilmembers were forced to reverse their opposition after other local jurisdictions quickly allowed their residents to prepay. Many of those paying that amount were only put over the $10,000 mark by the Council's record 2016 and 2017 tax hikes. While the Council took pains to blame Donald Trump, who is unpopular in blue Montgomery, it was the Council themselves who put so many of those affected by the federal tax changes into that position.

Chercher Ethiopian Cuisine & Bar opening in Bethesda

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart, a Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant near Logan Circle in the District, is expanding to Bethesda. Chercher Ethiopian Cuisine & Bar will open soon in the recently-vacated Suma/Nest Cafe space at 4921 Bethesda Avenue. Their Washington, D.C. location has an enviable 4.5 star rating on Yelp.

The arrival of Chercher means that a town that currently has no Ethiopian restaurants will soon boast two; Dinqnesh Ethiopian Restaurant will be opening soon at 4865 Cordell Avenue. It is a spin-off of Silver Spring's well-established Lucy. Let the competition begin!

In addition to popular Ethiopian beef dishes, Chercher will also offer vegan, organic and gluten-free options. Although that block of Bethesda Avenue is less-traveled than those further east, Fresh Baguette, Pescadeli, Butcher's Alley and Bethesda Crab House have shown people will venture there for a worthwhile product.