"BIG BULLY" GAITHERSBURG MUSCLES IN ON CELEBRATE DAMASCUS FIREWORKS

My favorite place besides Bethesda in Montgomery County is Damascus.

Each year, this small town holds an event called Celebrate Damascus, usually the Friday and Saturday the next week after July 4th.

This year, it is this Friday, July 13, and Saturday, July 14.  Friday night will be the parade and fireworks, and Saturday is a townwide celebration at venues ranging from the Damascus Volunteer Fire Department, VFD Activities building on Lewis Drive, the Damascus Library, etc.

The fireworks display is one of the best kept secrets in the county, and has always been held after July 4th, which boosts turnout for the Damascus display.  Usually, there is no competing fireworks show.

Until this year.

Gaithersburg, which canceled its July 4 fireworks in political solidarity with allies in Rockville and Montgomery County government, abruptly announced it would have its fireworks after all.

On July 13.

So much for mutual respect among jurisdictions!

The most offensive part of this decision, is that Gaithersburg is using a taxpayer funded event to the detriment of Celebrate Damascus, which - in contrast - is the result of mostly private, volunteer efforts.  And the Damascus fireworks are usually paid for by at least one generous, private donor.

It's just bad sportsmanship by the City of Gaithersburg, whose "city elders" are surely aware of the Damascus event, and its importance to town pride and charitable organizations, schools, churches and businesses.

So join me in giving a hearty "BOOOOO!!" to Gaithersburg, which should have gone ahead on July 4th.

But wait, take it a step further.  Go to the parade and fireworks in Damascus.  After 6:30 PM or so, you'll have to park in the Weis Markets lot, as streets north of there close for the parade.

One other Celebrate Damascus item to pass along.  If you go Saturday, somewhere in town there is supposed to be a booth where the Damascus United Methodist Church (located at the corner of Main Street and Woodfield Road) will be raising money to restore its 1930 Skinner pipe organ.

The restoration will cost $129,954 and 75 cents.

You can learn more about the organ - and see some interesting photos of the current church under construction - in this video.

Other town highlights?

Damascus water tower

My personal favorite is the water tower.  Other favorites?  Weis Markets, the historic Druid movie theater (still standing, but now a Rite Aid), Jimmie Cone, the Damascus Heritage Museum (behind the library) and Tom and Ray's restaurant.

One of the greatest historic structures in Montgomery County is the
Druid movie theater on Main Street.  Now a Rite Aid[!!].

In Friday's parade, you'll see other favorites of mine, including John Deere and Farmall tractors, muscle cars, and Damascus, Laytonsville and Mount Airy VFD firetrucks, ambulances, and rescue vehicles.

When the 2 day event ends, you may have a new appreciation for the vital role volunteer fire departments play in communities like Damascus, and think about signing the petition to oppose the Ambulance Fee.

FARM BUS COMING TO PIKE CENTRAL FARM MARKET IN NORTH BETHESDA SATURDAY

Ordinarily, I'm telling you about the Bethesda Central Farm Market at Bethesda ES on Sundays.

But this Saturday, from 9 AM to 2 PM, a special bus will be stopping by the Pike Central Farm Market, at Mid Pike Plaza at Rockville Pike and Old Georgetown Road.

Longtime readers know that I believe one of the most underappreciated issues facing America today is, how do we create a new generation of farmers?

One way is to interest children through farm-related toys, like John Deere tractors.  You can buy them locally at Gladhill Bros. John Deere dealership in Damascus.

Gardening is another way, and of course, these days there are even farming video games.

But Saturday, there is yet another way:  the Sol Food Mobile Farm. It is a school bus converted into a rolling demonstration farm.

It's touring the nation this summer to teach kids about agriculture, nutrition, the environment, and all those other hot topics.

The bus even runs on waste vegetable oil, and has a green roof.

In a county where our elected officials don't seem much concerned about the future of farming - Montgomery County has only one Future Farmers of America chapter[!!], at Damascus High School - we in the community need to pick up the slack on this issue that is critical to our economy, national security, health and environment - yes, it really is that important!

So head to the Pike Central Farm Market, and find out what you can do to make a difference.

GEORGETOWN

CUPCAKE TO

OPEN IN DOWNTOWN

BETHESDA

Cover your ears again, George Leventhal! Another forbidden food is coming to downtown Bethesda this year: Cupcakes. That's right, the all-American cupcake - formerly the dessert of choice at school birthday parties... ...until the Democratic Party became the Food Police and Fun Police.

Apparently, even our far-reaching Food and Fun Police on the County Council cannot stop all-American greasy burgers and fries (Five Guys), nor cupcakes (Georgetown Cupcake) from being sold in downtown Bethesda.

Have you watched the latest programming on the Robert Dyer Channel? The Angus Burger Unboxing has a lot of hits, but you've missed out on Westbard, Episode 6: Giant Truck; Damascus, Episode 9: Damascus Recreation Center; Ride On Bus 29; and 2 videos of Carroll Creek in Frederick.

So hurry to http://www.robertdyer.net/ to watch them now!

DR. YES & COUNCIL

SAY "YES!" TO

BETHESDA SCHOOL

FUNDS; "NO!" TO

UPCOUNTY SCHOOLS

It is Dr. Yes' natural response to say, "YES!" to developers - and predictably, he's done it again. I'm following a two-track power grab by the developer-beholden County Council and Planning Board.

On the Planning Board side, the law makes clear that a development moratorium must be imposed when schools reach a certain level of overcrowding. That was not convenient for a developer with a project going forward in downtown Bethesda. So Dr. Yes (a.k.a. Royce Hanson) and other developer allies on the Board have rushed to approve that questionable project - without regard for the design or the impact on Bethesda ES and other schools.

It seems that Amy Presley, one of 2 members to vote "NO" on that, is the only objective member of the board. Former delegate and fellow Republican Jean Cryor does offer much hand-wringing, but virtually always goes ahead and votes with Dr. Yes and the developers.

We hear all of this doublespeak from Dr. Yes and Rollin Stanley, but the results going forward are clear: our current officials have no intention of making substantive road and highway improvements, have no regard for the quality of education nor the environmental conditions in our school buildings, and have set a mad course for radical infill overdevelopment countywide.

Meanwhile, councilmembers Nancy Floreen (D - at Large), Mike Knapp (D - Upcounty), and Marc Elrich (Marc Elrich - helping developers?!) (D - at Large) are planning to wave a magic wand and generate generous new funds for Bethesda school construction.

Improvements to recently-built schools in wealthy areas would then take precedence over improvements to old buildings in Gaithersburg, Damascus, and Silver Spring, for example.

And the goal of these councilmembers is to ignore the law and lift the moratorium in Bethesda, not the one in Clarksburg - putting councilmember Knapp in the position of betraying not only the schoolchildren in his own district, but residential development and business interests in the Upcounty, as well.

What does this mean in the most basic sense?

It means that older schools, such as those in the Damascus cluster, will not receive emergency funds while new schools in Bethesda will. Those schools - Damascus ES, Baker MS, and Damascus HS - all have specific facility needs which have been delayed for "lack of funds." Yet, we are to believe that funds can magically appear for Bethesda school improvements?

But it also reveals again what I said in 2006: the school population estimates have been set too low. Here in Bethesda, Woodacres ES will install its sixth portable this fall. And that is a brand new school, built a few years ago.

Same for Bethesda ES and the renovated Westland MS. Schools which could have been built larger.

Biased reporters laughed off my comments at the time, but look like fools now.

It's outrageous.

EXCLUSIVE

REVIEWS OF

MUSHROOM & SWISS,

BACON & CHEESE

MCDONALD'S

ANGUS BURGERS

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!

As you read here earlier this week, the McDonald's Angus Burger has arrived in Montgomery County.

Now that I have had a chance to try the other 2 Angus Burgers, here are my thoughts:

Having eaten one of each, so far I think the Mushroom & Swiss version is the best Angus Burger. The similarities of the Deluxe version to the existing Big & Tasty can make the Angus Burger seem more familiar. Like a more upscale Big & Tasty, so to speak.

The Mushroom & Swiss version seems like it was designed specifically for the Angus hamburger. It has only the burger, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, and plenty of mushrooms, along with a hint of a sauce for the mushrooms. Not only is this the best combination of the 3, but - for the reason mentioned at the start of this paragraph - it emphasizes the unique flavor of the 100% Angus beef burger.

You can more easily tell that this is a superior burger to the Big & Tasty. This one was also juicier than the Deluxe, but cooked all the way through.

The Bacon & Cheese could have been the return of the McJordan (anyone remember the Michael Jordan sandwich of the '90s?). All it would need is the McJordan barbeque sauce.

Instead, this has the Angus Burger, 2 bacon strips, ketchup (not Michael Jordan's BBQ sauce!!), mustard, and... wait a minute... the regular McDonald's pickle slices and onions. Instead of the more upscale pickles and onions I received on my Deluxe Angus Burger! Was this just a mistake, or is that what they meant to put on the Bacon & Cheese version? I won't know until I've ordered them all a few times. But it would seem a better branding strategy to use the same ingredients across the Angus Burger line. So I'm subtracting a star for the lack of premium ingredients on the Bacon & Cheese version.

Bacon strips were limp and tough to chew. It may be a personal preference, but I like my bacon crispy. The Angus Burger wasn't quite as juicy, but still more flavor than the Deluxe, and well done.

I can summarize by saying that if you want to get the best impression of the Angus Burger, order the Mushroom & Swiss first. I'm usually a Deluxe (mayonnaise, [real] onions, pickles) kind of guy, so I'm surprised that the Deluxe wasn't the best of the 3.

Final scores for this first round of testing:

Angus Burger Deluxe: ****
Angus Burger Mushroom & Swiss: *****
Angus Burger Bacon & Cheese: ***

I know my readers in Damascus are getting a bit impatient; so don't worry, I have a new Episode of Damascus on the Robert Dyer Channel for you this morning. And, as a bonus, a photo update on the Damascus High School FFA tomato plants I bought last month. So go to www.RobertDyer.net right now!