Bethesda construction update: Julii at Pike & Rose (Photos)

Here's a sneak peek at the progress inside Julii, the latest restaurant concept from the owners of CAVA coming to Rose Park at Pike & Rose. Wall and floor tiling is in place, as are lighting fixtures.

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Sneak preview of Flower Child

Flower Child, a new restaurant emphasizing healthy eating and vegetable dishes, will open in the near future at the Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda. But their Rockville location will open this Wednesday, November 7, at 10072 Darnestown Road. I visited during a soft opening night Sunday, and here is my review. The dining room is loud when crowded, but brightly-lit, with flowers on each table. There is a large open kitchen. You order at the front counter, and then wait at your table for your meal to be brought to you.

Magic Hat #9

Flower vase on every table

Wait at your seat with your
number, and servers will
bring you your meal when it
is ready

Tuscan Chicken Soup

I got a plate with organic chicken, smashed
organic potato (right), Spiced Indian Cauliflower (left)
and gluten-free vegetarian Mac & Cheese (center)
for $14

Smashed organic potato

The patio out front will be a
nice place to dine when it gets
warmer outside

Riemer charged taxpayers for private meetings with donors, violated ex parte communications rules

Developers had projects

before Council in Westbard,

Bethesda Downtown, 

Rock Spring sector plans

Exclusive investigative report

Montgomery County Council President Hans Riemer has met privately with developers who donated to his Council campaigns, and charged taxpayers for his travel costs to those private meetings, according to Montgomery County Council reimbursement records. Riemer also did not disclose these private, ex parte communications at the next Council meeting, as he is required to do. Like all Council members, Riemer sits as a land-use commissioner when the Council votes on land-use and zoning issues as the "District Council."

Riemer meets Westbard developer privately
at La Madeleine, who then donates money
to Riemer's campaign, and Riemer then
charges taxpayers for his gas money to and from
the meeting, Council records show

Riemer met with Evan Goldman of EYA privately at La Madeleine restaurant in downtown Bethesda on October 21, 2016. On January 8, 2018, Goldman made a $150 contribution to Riemer's Council campaign. Riemer was an outspoken supporter of EYA's Westbard project, and of the Westbard sector plan that was overwhelmingly opposed by residents, which financially benefited EYA and partner Regency Centers.

Riemer met with Larry Walker of The Walker Group privately at Clyde's Tower Oaks restaurant on October 31, 2016. Walker has contributed $2400 to Riemer's campaigns, including $100 in May 2017.

Riemer demands reimbursement from
taxpayers for his private meeting with
downtown Bethesda developer who had
given him almost $1000

Riemer met with Charles Nulsen of Washington Property Company privately at WPC's headquarters in Bethesda on March 8, 2017. Nulsen has donated at least $970.70 to Riemer's campaigns.

Riemer requested reimbursement from taxpayers for all three private meetings with his donors, according to Council records.

It's no secret Hans Riemer is cozy with developers, as his voting record and campaign finance reports clearly show. But even an ethically-corrupt politician like Riemer cannot be allowed to charge taxpayers for private meetings with his campaign donors, nor to violate ex parte communications rules. Private meetings with donors can only be paid for with political campaign funds, not taxpayer funds.

Local media, including The Washington Post, have refused to report on this late-breaking scandal I uncovered. In fact, the Post's Montgomery County political reporter Jennifer Barrios hasn't written a single sentence about the County Council At-Large general election race. Intriguingly, while the Post has declined to investigate any of the scandals I've forwarded to Barrios and reporter Robert McCartney throughout the election, it dispatched a reporter at the 11th hour to write a hit piece on a Republican in Anne Arundel County regarding a...developer scandal (which is a nothingburger compared to the scandals of Riemer, others on the Council, and the Planning Board).

The question is, why does the Post not want you to know about the questionable activities of Hans Riemer and other Montgomery County officials? This is a question that must be answered, regardless of the outcome of Tuesday's election. Secondly, the State Board of Elections and Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General should investigate Riemer's activities, which appear to be violations of both ethics rules and campaign finance laws.

Third, it's time for voters to oust Riemer on Tuesday, and his cartel-funded running mates Gabe Albornoz, Evan Glass and Will Jawando, who each have received thousands of dollars from developers.

Bullet vote to defeat developer-controlled Montgomery County Council candidates (Video)

Here's a quick video guide on how to beat the developer-controlled candidates for Montgomery County Council At-Large. Each of the four Democrats running at-large has received thousands of dollars in donations from developers, giving them a powerful financial advantage.

But using bullet voting, you can boost Robert Dyer, who has accepted no developer money, onto the Council on Election Day this Tuesday. "Let's fight corruption" in pay-to-play Montgomery County.

Marriott HQ partners pledge to address truck traffic congestion near construction site

The development partners of the relocated Marriott International headquarters at 7750 Wisconsin Avenue say they have heard concerns about increasing truck traffic congestion on Norfolk and Woodmont Avenues around their construction site, and are pledging to improve the efficiency of truck circulation. A particular problem has been traffic backing up on Norfolk Avenue while attempting to turn left onto Wisconsin. The partners say they will work with transportation officials to change the timing of signals there to speed up traffic.

CLICK HERE for a County Council
At-Large candidate not controlled by
developers:
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A second planned power outage around the site will occur later this month, potentially on or about November 16. The first Pepco planned outage to complete Marriott-related utility work late last month was a success, the partners report. They also renewed their reminder that any other outages occurring nearby are not related to Marriott, but are the result of several other utility projects underway in the area.

K-POT Hot Pot & Barbecue opens

K-Pot Hot Pot & Barbecue is now open at 5550 Randolph Road in the Pike District. The restaurant offers a combination of Asian Hot Pot cuisine and classic Korean barbecue flavors. K-POT is located in the Montrose Shopping Center (not to be confused with the nearby Montrose Crossing shopping center).

Bethesda Trolley Trail, basketball & tennis courts to temporarily close inside Battery Lane Park

Another trail disruption in downtown Bethesda will send pedestrians and cyclists out of their way for most of the next year. This time, it's the Bethesda Trolley Trail. The section of the trail inside Battery Lane Park will be closed potentially until next summer, because it will be used as a staging area for park renovations. Montgomery Parks says the closure is also necessary for safety reasons. The existing basketball and tennis courts in the park will be closed for the same reasons during the renovations.

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A detour to reach the next segment on either side of the closure has been designated (see above map). Renovations to the popular park will include will include a new playground area, trail widening, fitness equipment, site furnishings, and shade tree plantings. Watch for wayfinding signage when work is underway.

Bethesda construction update: Gallery Bethesda II (Photos)

Developer Donohoe's Gallery Bethesda II luxury apartment tower is scheduled for delivery in December. The building shares a plaza with sister tower Gallery Bethesda at the corner of Rugby and Del Ray Avenues in the Woodmont Triangle.

Montgomery County shut-out of contest for UK firm's first US factory

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announces
another win over Montgomery County

Score another one for Virginia, as Montgomery County continues to sit out the regional economic development competition. British firm Harlow Group Ltd. has chosen Danville, Virginia for the site of its first U.S. precision sheet metal manufacturing plant. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced the win Thursday. Alabama was the other Harlow suitor; Montgomery County did not even try to woo the firm.

Virginia will spend only $147,000 in financial incentives, while Harlow will invest $8 million in the state building the facility in Danville's burgeoning Cyber Park. Meanwhile, Montgomery County leaders are turning office parks ripe for aerospace, defense and tech campuses into bedroom community townhome developments instead. No wonder Montgomery has a $208 million budget shortfall this year.

"Virginia has once again attracted a leading international manufacturer, and we are thrilled to welcome Harlow Group to this region’s impressive corporate roster,” Northam said yesterday. Harlow Group CEO and Founder Alan Pearce praised Virginia's pro-business climate. “Virginians have been amongst the most welcoming and friendly people and their appetite to make things work and overcome obstacles is second to none," Pearce said. "The ambition of Virginia to embrace new technology and invest in the future will keep the Commonwealth as the number one destination for expansion and business investment, and we are extremely proud to be associated with Danville and the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Montgomery County has failed to attract a single major corporate headquarters in two decades, and just lost one of its few high-tech manufacturing facilities to Frederick. It hasn't pursued lucrative aerospace firms in any serious way in the same amount of time.

Tired of losing to Virginia?
CLICK HERE for the only
County Council At-Large candidate
with a detailed plan to make
Montgomery County a major
economic development player in 
the region again:
Robert Dyer

Meanwhile, Danville's Cyber Park is becoming the latest aerospace hub in Virginia. “The community’s vision of becoming a hub of automotive and aerospace suppliers is now reality," said Robert Warren, Chairman of the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority (Montgomery doesn't even have such an authority). Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones was equally celebratory Thursday. "We believed we would create a magnet to draw aerospace and automotive metal working companies from around the world," Jones said. "Our students and residents could be employed in jobs here in our home community that would be highly paid. It is so rewarding to see this vision becoming a reality.”

Another humiliating defeat for Montgomery County. Another reason to throw the bums out on Election Day. You'll notice the four developer-funded Democrats running for Montgomery County Council At-Large have no specific economic development plan on their campaign websites; just generalities and mindless pablum. That's because they don't understand how business works in the year 2018, and because their developer sugar daddies want all the potential land that could hold corporate HQs, and related research and manufacturing facilities to instead be developed as residential housing.

The only way to break this cycle of failure and corruption is to vote for Robert Dyer on Tuesday, November 6.

Riemer makes taxpayers pay for his GoDaddy website

Exclusive Investigative Report

Just days before the 2018 Montgomery County elections, County Council President Hans Riemer has been caught charging taxpayers for a political website promoting him hosted by GoDaddy. County Council reimbursement records show that Riemer sought, and received, reimbursement from County taxpayers for the GoDaddy website's monthly and annual fees.

Council staff signature on statement approving
Riemer's GoDaddy website fees being
picked up by taxpayers

The CouncilmemberRiemer.com website is clearly a campaign vehicle, touting Riemer's results-free "work" on the Council, and imagined accomplishments. It improperly displays a Montgomery County Government seal at the top of the page, despite not being hosted by montgomerycountymd.gov. Riemer already has an official Councilmember page on the Council's website, as do all other members of the Council.

Riemer's invoice from GoDaddy

But Riemer's page features a "Blog" link that sends users to the outside website - and the County website loads a disclaimer declaring the user is now leaving the official government site in the process. Other councilmembers' pages have "News" that is printed right on the site, and an option for an email newsletter, but not an independent campaign-style PR page like CouncilmemberRiemer.com.

Second GoDaddy invoice

Riemer's expense reports show him requesting, and receiving, taxpayer-funded compensation for the full costs of this rogue campaign website - hosting, and domain charges for both .com and .org versions. The total appears to cost taxpayers about $255 a year for a personal, political Go Daddy website promoting the candidate Hans Riemer.

Riemer email requesting taxpayer
reimbursement for his
political GoDaddy website

Hans Riemer is free to publish as many websites promoting himself as he wishes, but he's not free to make County taxpayers pay for them. This is an ethics and campaign finance violation. I'm not surprised Riemer would be this audacious, considering he has served two full terms without any media scrutiny.

Riemer email seeking reimbursement from
taxpayers for a second GoDaddy invoice
for his website

So far, the media has looked the other way as Riemer accepted massive amounts of out-of-state money from Wall Street crooks and their K Street lobbyists, took checks from Mitt Romney's Bain Capital and MItch Rales' Danaher Corporation - two pioneers in outsourcing - while claiming to be a "progressive," boasted repeatedly at candidate forums in 2010/2014/2018 about being responsible for Barack Obama's 2008 youth vote victory when he was out of the Youth Vote Director position long before Obama had even clinched the Democratic nomination, voted to create a $360 million federal tax shelter for a campaign donor in exchange for $4000 in campaign contributions, and failed to disclose illegal activity he was apparently aware of in the County liquor department until after he was safely reelected in 2014.

It's past time the media scrutinize an elected official making $137,000 a year who is refusing to even debate his opponents, and is attempting to steal another victory, with no investigation of his questionable actions. And it's past time County voters replace ethically-challenged Riemer with a candidate who can end corruption and restore confidence in our County government: Robert Dyer.

Second reimbursement of taxpayer
funds to Riemer for his
CouncilmemberRiemer.com GoDaddy website

Pop Culture Craft Pops opening in Bethesda

A Purcellville, Virginia hotspot is expanding to Bethesda. Pop Culture Craft Pops is opening at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Their pops aren't lollipops, or even the now-ubiquitous cake pops. Instead, they are frozen Mexican paletas - popsicles, for the non-hipster.

Yes, Montgomery County is now trailing Loudoun County in frozen treat innovations, as well as in job creation and economic growth. Virginians have been enjoying flavors like pineapple jalapeno, honey almond butter banana, chili papaya lime and pumpkin spice latte, while you've been stuck with cherry and orange from the freezer case at the grocery store.

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one Council At-Large candidate not controlled
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Pop Culture is located in the Dining Terrace, and had been tentatively-scheduled to open today, but there has been no official announcement from the company as of this writing. So, definitely go by if you are already at the mall, but don't make a trip just for this until there's confirmation of an opening date.

Bethesda Target ready for Christmas (Photos)

Halloween is over, but the Target in downtown Bethesda has already been looking ahead to Christmas since last weekend. Shelves have been stocked for the holidays all this week with Christmas shopping items from decor to gifts. Even Bullseye has made an appearance, if you can find him in these photos - he's almost as hard to find as Hans "Coward of the County" Riemer at a general election debate.

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developer-funded Democrats running for
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Christmas:
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for a County run by the citizens,
not the developers