In a separate incident, a customer of the currency exchange kiosk at the mall reported that he was being watched by three teenagers as he counted the foreign currency he received at the counter. The male teens followed the customer throughout the mall. When he finally exited the mall, they began to close in on him. They fled only after the customer shouted at them, and began taking their pictures using his phone.
Montgomery County's elected officials and police chief have not publicly spoken about the trend of violent assaults at the mall this summer, nor provided more details about the incidents, which began May 18. The issue is clearly on their radar, and the mall operator's, as the police department has announced plans to open a "resource room" at the mall.
Mall patrons, particularly if shopping alone, should be aware of their surroundings. If what you see prompts concern about your safety in a given situation, contact mall security or the information desk, and request an escort to your vehicle. Call 911 if it is an emergency or immediate threat.
Elrich will face Republican Reardon Sullivan in the November general election. While the lengthy counting and recount provided a final result more than a month after the primary, the small change in votes produced by the recount does help to boost confidence in the integrity of the vote-counting process in Montgomery County.
“The Streeteries have provided a practical solution to a pandemic-related problem,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement yesterday. “They served as much-needed gathering spaces during the pandemic and provided a creative solution. Now as the situation has changed, we worked with the community in each area to decide how these spaces will continue to operate. The Streeteries showed new possibilities and I would like to see how we might continue some form of these activities as we move beyond just trying to accommodate the activities within the constraints of the pandemic.”
To that end, the County has hired a consultant to determine if there is a way to expand sidewalk space and shrink the two streets down to one lane in each direction, to allow for a narrower but permanent Streatery. The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center will be circulating a survey to gather feedback on the Streateries from residents and affected businesses, the center announced in an email yesterday. Bethesda Row's property owner, Federal Realty, is also exploring the addition of more outdoor dining space there, the announcement said.
