Mild storm's heavy rain fuels wrecks, tree collapses, isolated power outages in Bethesda (Photo)

A mild storm, with heavy and relentless rain, wreaked more havoc than it seemed capable of yesterday across Bethesda. Very little wind, and no thunder and lightning accompanied the storm, which nonetheless caused trouble up and down the eastern seaboard through late last night. In Bethesda, several fender benders and at least one more serious wreck kept public safety employees busy throughout the evening.

One auto accident on Old Georgetown Road led to the southbound lanes being closed between 6 and 7 PM last night near Suburban Hospital. Traffic backed up for a mile leading into downtown Bethesda. Traffic signal outages in the northbound lanes near Tilden Middle School created an equally-bad backup in that direction, slowing firefighters attempting to reach the accident scene, as southbound drivers had nowhere to move.

The solid northbound jam meant emergency vehicles could not enter the oncoming lanes to get around the jam, either, showing how serious the impact of the county's worsening traffic congestion could be for emergency response times. It's a real problem, and our current elected officials are only making traffic worse, rather than executing their duty to provide a functional road system.

This tree fell on a home on
Walhonding Road in Bethesda

Close to midnight, a tree fell on a house in the 6300 block of Walhonding Road in Bethesda, trapping 2 residents in the basement of the home. No one was injured, but the family was displaced according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer. The Red Cross is assisting the 2 residents and their dog in finding temporary shelter.

A late power outage in the Parkside area near Grosvenor put less than 20 customers in the dark. Pepco was estimating those customers' power would be restored by 6:00 PM tonight.

Photo courtesy Pete Piringer, MCFRS

Car stolen on Tuckerman La., assault in Edgemoor + more - Bethesda crime update

Here's a roundup of crimes reported across Bethesda on September 26, according to crime data:

Assault. 7000 block Clarendon Road at 8:36 PM (Edgemoor).

Assault. 4700 block Montgomery Lane at 2:49 AM.

Disorderly conduct. Tommy Joe's.

Drug arrest. Bradley Boulevard at Arlington Road.

Stolen car.  5400 block Tuckerman Lane at 10:29 PM.

Theft. 5500 block Tuckerman Lane.

Drug arrest. Woodglen Drive at Executive Boulevard.

Assault. 4800 block Topping Road (Randolph Hills).

Assault. Old Georgetown Road at Rockville Pike at 3:19 PM.

Assault. 5900 block Montrose Road at 2:14 AM.

Theft. 7100 block Democracy Boulevard.

Theft. 5100 block Parklawn Terrace.

Disorderly conduct. 6000 block Anniston Road at 6:40 PM.

Signs of life at Williams-Sonoma, Kit and Ace at Bethesda Row (Photos)

New signage for two high-end retailers coming soon to Bethesda Row was on display yesterday along Bethesda Avenue. The permanent sign at Williams-Sonoma, which was installed a few days ago, finally was lit last evening above the storefront.

A few doors down the block, window screens made a larger Coming Soon announcement for sports and leisurewear retailer Kit and Ace.

7300 Pearl St. for sale; future Pearl District redevelopment opportunity in Bethesda (Photos)

An office building at 7300 Pearl Street is for sale, and the seller is showing two potential redevelopment possibilities in the online property listing. One is not much larger than the current structure.

A second scenario shows a more modern office building, but only four stories tall.

But holding onto the property until the Montgomery County Council passes an updated Bethesda Downtown Master Plan could be profitable. The plan envisions a revitalization of the area, which it dubs the "Pearl District", and recommends higher density and mixed-use for most properties there.

This particular property is only 2.5 blocks from the Bethesda Metro station. Given the struggles of the new office building a block away at 4500 East-West Highway in Montgomery County's moribund economic development climate, one wouldn't be surprised if a developer would prefer mixed-use residential on this site.

Photos courtesy Jackson Prentice Real Estate Services, LLC

Drug arrest at BCC HS, car broken into at Candy Cane City + more - Bethesda crime update

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

Drug arrest. Norfolk Avenue at Wisconsin Avenue.

Disorderly conduct. 4900 block St. Elmo Avenue.

Liquor arrest. 4900 block St. Elmo Avenue.

Drug arrest. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.

Vehicle burglary. 4900 block Battery Lane.

Vehicle burglary. Candy Cane City.

Vehicle burglary. 6100 block Tulane Avenue (Glen Echo).

Assault/death. 5700 block Chapman Mill Drive at 5:13 PM.

Assault. 7100 block Democracy Boulevard at 9:35 AM.

Where to dine in Bethesda for Korean Food Week 2015

This is Korean Food Week 2015, through October 4 (also known as K-Food Week), a joint venture between the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the USA and the aT Center (Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation). Korean food fanatics will recognize some of the big names in the DC area - Honey Pig, for example.

But there are only 2 Maryland restaurants participating in the event. One is House of Milae right here in downtown Bethesda at 4932 St. Elmo Avenue. You can print out a 10%-off coupon on the official K-Food Week website.

Wendy's is coming to Walter Reed campus in Bethesda

Good news for those who work and live at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center - it's going to be a lot easier to get a Baconator. Wendy's is opening a new restaurant at the Naval Support Activity base in Bethesda.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, to my knowledge, it won't be readily accessible to the general public. Prior to the opening of the River Road McDonald's, the old "Naval Base McDonald's" was the only drive-thru McDonald's in town. I used to go there often, but the base was (understandably) sealed off behind security after 9/11, making it a challenge for civilians to patronize businesses there.

Matuba reopens in Bethesda (Photos)

Venerable Bethesda Japanese restaurant and sushi bar Matuba has reopened under its original owner at 4918 Cordell Avenue. The restaurant is split between the traditional dining area, and a new self-service counter, which had a chef behind it on Sunday preparing menu items.

Owner Kunio Yasutake said the restaurant had been run by different owners for the last 6 months, but that he is now back on the premises. Printed carry-out menus were available, and the sushi displays are back in the window to lure in passersby.

Is there room for future Westbard area students in BCC cluster? - Westbard Public Hearing Part IV

One long-standing line of thought - that all students generated by future development under the Westbard Sector Plan would be districted into the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School cluster - was called into question at last Thursday evening's public hearing. A BCC cluster coordinator questioned that idea before the Montgomery County Planning Board, who were taking testimony on the plan draft.

Nothing concrete has been put forward at the elementary school level yet, but construction of a new cluster middle school is in the works in Kensington. Parents are unlikely to find sending their kids that far away to middle school appealing, but that's another story.

The cluster coordinator noted that there is simply no more room at BCC High School. There is an addition being built there in the next 5 years. But that added capacity is forecast to already be maxed-out by its completion in 2020.

She also brought up an important point that doesn't seem to come up in Westbard-related school discussions. In addition to the 2000+ new units on the way in "Westbard", there are thousands more planned for construction in Chevy Chase Lake and Lyttonsville. Those Purple Line-facilitated developments will generate their own students.

All of this begs the question, just how could all new students be funneled into the BCC cluster? And again, it's important to point out that neither planners, nor the Planning Board, have the authority to set boundaries of MCPS school districts. They can recommend. They can promise. But they can't redistrict. And, frankly, existing parents have no interest in their current or future Whitman and BCC students being put into another district, even though that move is virtually inevitable if this draft plan is moved forward as-is.

It's clear that short of ramming this draft through over vehement community objections, an unprecedented effort is going to have to be made to identify schools that will be reopened, future school sites the County will have to acquire at top dollar, and the development revenue vehicle that will fund these acquisition and construction costs. I don't see why it wouldn't be achievable, but parents are demanding these kind of details upfront. The County needs to provide them.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the Westbard public hearings this week.

Assaults on Cordell Avenue, Democracy Blvd. + more - Bethesda crime update

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

Assault. Cordell Avenue at Norfolk Avenue at 11:40 PM.

Vehicle burglary. Elm Street at Bethesda Lane.

Vehicle burglary. Leland Court.

Vehicle burglary. 9200 block Parkhill Drive.

Vehicle burglary. 5900 block Rolston Road.

Theft from vehicle. 11300 block Rockville Pike (Pike District).

Assault. 7100 block Democracy Boulevard at 3:38 PM.

Demolition of Thyme Square/Blu Lounge underway in Bethesda (Photos)

Contractor Coakley Williams has begun demolishing the "old Bethesda" throwback building at 4735 Bethesda Avenue, formerly home to such tenants as Thyme Square and Blu Lounge. Developer JBG Companies is replacing the structure with a new, larger and more modern retail building.

This is part of a block-length makeover of Bethesda Avenue between Woodmont Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue by the development firm, which will include a surface route for the Capital Crescent Trail once construction begins on the Purple Line, a new office building to replace the existing one at 4733 Bethesda Avenue, and a revamped 7200 Wisconsin Avenue with new restaurants and retail.

Several readers have said that the slight detour of the CCT required for this demolition has some sightline safety issues, and has resulted in at least one jogger-cyclist collision, which fortunately did not result in serious injury. Good warning to take extra care here, and be aware of your surroundings, whether you are a pedestrian or cyclist passing through this area.

Here is a panoramic
view of the demolition
(click to enlarge):

Fair warning: MoCo Police to crack down on cellphone use while driving in Bethesda

Montgomery County Police 2nd District commander David Falcinelli says officers will be conducting special operations against drivers using cellphones on Bethesda roads in the coming days and weeks. Two such enforcement operations recently conducted on River Road resulted in over 50 warnings and citations, Falcinelli reported.

Some potential roads where the cell phone crackdown may occur include Old Georgetown Road, Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike and Connecticut Avenue. Perhaps not surprisingly, Falcinelli said the department has identified intersections on those routes as the most dangerous in the 2nd District. One of the causes of accidents on those roads has been distracted driving, Falcinelli said. That is the primary motivation behind the new efforts to enforce Maryland's cell phone laws, summarized below in this image from a new MCPD brochure:

Car stolen on Bradley Blvd., robbery on Democracy Blvd. + more - Bethesda crime update

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

Stolen car. 5100 block Bradley Boulevard at 9:15 AM.

Vehicle burglary. 5700 block Trafton Place.

Vehicle burglary. 5300 block Pooks Hill Road.

Vehicle burglary. 5300 block Pooks Hill Road.

Vehicle burglary. 9000 block Ewing Drive.

Burglary. 6600 block Pyle Road at 7:50 PM.

Drug arrest. 4500 block Elm Street at 11:53 PM.

Robbery. 7100 block Democracy Boulevard at 12:49 PM.

Kidnapping. 10500 block Westlake Drive at 1:41 PM.

iPhone 6s, 6s Plus buyers still willing to wait in line at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Apple fans were still lining up for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus last evening at the Bethesda Row Apple Store. The new phones are expected to generate major sales numbers for the company this fall into the holidays.

Not all Apple products are as popular these days. The humbled and nearly-forgotten iPod has been relegated to the back of the store.