Are those Verizon salespeople going door-to-door in Bethesda fake?

Utility scams by phony utility workers going door-to-door are nothing new. This week, some in the Massachusetts Avenue corridor in Bethesda have reported that people claiming to be Verizon employees are ringing their doorbells. Wearing yellow safety vests, they ask if the homeowner has AT&T or Comcast service, and if they can "check some things." 

Are they really Verizon employees?

Surprisingly, Verizon says they actually are sending salespeople door-to-door, despite an ongoing pandemic. The utility says their sales representatives wear masks, stand 6' away from your door, and go through a daily "health check." If you buy the services they are selling, it will be a "touchless" transaction.

How can you know if they are actually sent from Verizon? They will have a badge with their name, a Verizon logo, and the name of the subcontractor who they actually work for, Verizon says. Verizon representative will also be wearing Verizon logo-apparel, hats and vests.

So look if that yellow vest actually has a Verizon logo, as well as the rest of their outfit. Badges are not exactly confidence-instilling, as anyone could create a fake Verizon badge with little effort. If you have any doubts, don't take any chances.

Montgomery Parks installs closure gates on Little Falls Parkway

Little Falls Parkway in Bethesda will close to automobile traffic between Arlington and River Roads this morning at 7:00 AM, and remain closed until 6:00 PM tomorrow, Sunday, March 28, 2021. The same closure will occur every weekend this spring and summer. One thing has changed for 2021, as you can see here. Instead of the barrels and police tape used to barricade the road last year, Montgomery Parks has installed actual gates that can be manually swung open and closed.

Signage stripped off closed EagleBank branch

Signage was removed from the facade of the old EagleBank branch at 7809 Woodmont Avenue yesterday. The removal left a lengthy gash in the Fairmont Avenue wall of the building. It will probably be repaired in the near future, because what I've heard is that the landlord will now seek a temporary tenant for the bank space, until the redevelopment of the that site and the neighboring 7-Eleven begins. One small logo on the tenant roster sign was simply flipped to the reverse, as you can see below. EagleBank has moved to 7735 Old Georgetown Road at Fairmont Avenue, only about a block away.

Sweet Clover opens at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Yesterday was the first day of operation of the Sweet Clover pop-up at 7126 Bethesda Lane at Bethesda Row. Here's a look at some of what is on sale inside:

Bethesda construction update: The Edge apartments (Photos)

Two things can be said about The Edge at 4885 Edgemoor Lane in Bethesda - the construction contractor has done an incredible job of keeping the project on-schedule, and the architect really took strategic advantage of the curved Woodmont Avenue side in designing the building. We've seen some projects poking along around town, but this one has been relentlessly advancing since day one. The Edge looks well on its way to meeting the estimated mid-to-late 2021 delivery date.

Amazon makes first public acknowledgement it's opening Amazon Fresh store in Chevy Chase

Amazon has never publicly announced it is opening an Amazon Fresh grocery store at the Collection at Chevy Chase this year...until now. Due to leaks, the identity of the new store was one of the worst-kept secrets in the D.C. area. But Amazon remained mum about its plans until yesterday, when it posted positions for the "Chevy Chase Village" location on its job site.

Amazon may be confused about the geography of Chevy Chase, but it has at least ended whatever tiny amount of speculation there was left about the identity of the grocery store replacing the Giant at the Collection in Friendship Heights. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union calls the expansion of Amazon grocery stores part of a "ruthless strategy to take over America's $800 billion grocery industry."

A second Amazon Fresh store is in the works for the 270 Center on Shady Grove Road on the Rockville/Gaithersburg border. There's been no question about that one since I exclusively broke the story last year.

Sweet Clover pop-up coming to Bethesda Row for spring

Bethesda Row is becoming a home furnishings mecca. Days after Room & Board was announced as a future tenant at the development, a new pop-up furniture shop for spring is on the way, as well. Beginning tomorrow, March 25, 2021, and continuing though May 9, Sweet Clover will be open at 7126 Bethesda Lane Tuesdays through Sundays from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Sweet Clover will be bringing the antique and vintage treasures it is known for at its Frederick, Maryland store to the former lou lou boutique space. Inside, you'll find rare furniture, architectural salvage, garden statuary, European imports, unique lighting, floor coverings, wall art and more. With Sweet Clover, property owner Federal Realty is adding to an already-loaded roster of upscale furniture retailers, including Urban Country, Serena & Lily, Anthropologie, and the forthcoming Room & Board.

David Blair announces candidacy for Montgomery County Executive

Businessman David Blair (D) announced this morning that he will again run for Montgomery County Executive in 2022, after losing the Democratic nomination for the office by only 77 votes in 2018. Blair will face a rematch with the current executive, who squeaked past him and went on to win handily that year, Marc Elrich (D). Elrich has also signaled his intention to run for reelection. Both men may face competition from term-limited County Council members in the Democratic primary, but none have demonstrated the popular support of Blair and Elrich seen in 2018.

Blair has maintained a high-profile since his narrow 2018 loss. While unsuccessful, he scored points with many for his gracious concession speech, and for declining to challenge the extremely close voting results. There is no sign he has lost the strong support from the business community he enjoyed in 2018. And his founding of the Council for Advocacy and Policy Solutions (CAPS) since the election has furthered his effort to earn progressive credentials while running as a pro-business candidate.

The Blair campaign site launches with a 3-minute video with prominent scenes of downtown Bethesda, small businesses, and the pandemic. Montgomery County's economy has been stagnant for more than a decade, and has not improved since 2018, with the impact of the pandemic not helping matters. 

The County has failed to attract a single major corporate headquarters to relocate here in over 25 years, and ranked last in the region over the last decade by virtually every relevant economic development measure. This has tanked County revenues. But rather than trim spending, the Council has simply raised taxes each year, except for 2014. That has led to a flight of the rich to lower-tax jurisdictions in the area, further reducing revenue.

All that bad economic news gives Blair a strong foundation again to run on. But Elrich is the most popular politician in Montgomery County by the numbers. He not only aligns with the most-progressive faction of Democrats that increasingly is steering that party in Maryland, but also wins support from Republicans and independents concerned about development and quality-of-life issues. Elrich has demonstrated that he will continue to resist the influence of real estate development interests that now control all nine seats on the County Council.

Elrich will also be receiving a timely bailout from Uncle Sam, courtesy of the American Rescue Plan Act just passed by Congress. The influx of $203.7 million in American taxpayer funds could go a long way to papering over the County's disastrous budget picture for one fiscal year. A fresh piece of tape over the "Check Engine" light on the County budget dashboard is a welcome development for any incumbent official in Montgomery County. A Council with several members who want to oust Elrich hasn't so far been inclined to follow his budget priorities, however.

The Blair-Elrich matchup was tremendously entertaining for anyone who enjoys politics in 2018. A 2022 rematch promises to be the title fight again. On the undercard, the addition of two new Council seats, at least two other open seats, and new district boundaries will make 2022 an exciting year in Montgomery County politics.

Electronic signs warn of upcoming East-West Highway closure in Bethesda

Electronic sign boards have been placed on Wisconsin Avenue warning drivers of upcoming closures of East-West Highway in Bethesda. The message says eastbound East-West Highway (MD 410) out of downtown Bethesda will be closed from March 26 through March 29. Jones Bridge Road, Bradley Lane and Western Avenue are alternative routes to reach Connecticut Avenue.

Car stolen in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle yesterday morning in Bethesda. The vehicle was parked along the street in the 5100 block of Acacia Avenue, near Cedar Lane. Crime data indicates it is believed the car was stolen sometime between noon on Sunday and 7:05 AM Monday morning.

Yardbird coming to North Bethesda

Yardbird, the Minnesota-based outdoor furnishings retailer, is opening a new location on Rockville Pike at White Flint Station. The space was previously home to City Bikes. 

Yardbird was founded by Bob and Jay Dillon in 2016. It cuts out the middleman by shipping furniture directly from suppliers to its own stores. 

The niche of home patio furnishings seems promising in a pandemic environment, especially as temperatures turn upward for summer. Primarily based in the midwest and Denver so far, Yardbird is now moving into the northeast and Mid-Atlantic with the opening of this location.

Room and Board posts "coming soon" signage at Bethesda Row

Room and Board, the Minneapolis-based modern home furnishings chain, has posted "coming soon" window screens at its future 7236 Woodmont Avenue location at Bethesda Row. It takes over the space just vacated by Tandoori Nights, which closed last week. Room and Board will open this fall.

First look: Ordering from Ensemble in Bethesda (Photos)

Ensemble, opening this week at 4856 Cordell Avenue in Bethesda, is breaking new ground in takeout ordering and the booming ghost kitchen concept. The takeout and delivery-focused restaurant offers menu items from Ted's Bulletin, Federalist Pig, Honeymoon Chicken and Sidekick Bakery. What the sleek but tiny space isn't designed to offer is sit-down dining, very much in keeping with current dining trends. As a bonus, it's also the only way to try Honeymoon Chicken menu items before that restaurant opens in the District. Here is a sneak peek at how the ordering process worked during a soft-opening test run this past weekend:

You can download the Ensemble app
from their website, which allows you to
select your choices by restaurant, or by
category across all 4 brands

You can also order through Door Dash,
Grubhub, Seamless, Postmates and UberEats

You can order to-go, or have
it delivered to you

Here is how a takeout order went

Head to the restaurant to pick-up order

Enter the restaurant and turn to the right

Here you will see the locker-style cabinets where
takeout orders await

Touchscreen

Open the door assigned to your meal

Here is it, bagged up and ready to go

Here's the bag

Honeymoon Chicken Basket with
Chicken Bites

Ted's Burger with double-sharp cheddar cheese,
bacon, caramelized onions, chives & a fried egg
with hand-cut fries

They have La Colombe and Snowing in Space
coffee cans among the beverages