POTD: All Signs Lead To…

> If you go to one yard sale this summer…this should be the one.

Woman Dies After Being Hit By MARC Train

>NBC4 and WTOP report that a woman is dead after being struck by MARC train 877 going towards Martinsburg, WV on the Brunswick line near Randolph Road shortly after 5:00 this afternoon. Trains were suspended from Union Station and Silver Spring.

Go here for latest info from MARC on this issue.

iPhone Mania

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Bears In Rockville?!

WJLA-TV >reports that there has been tell of black bears seen in Rockville. Yes, you read correctly.

A black bear cub was seen at the intersection of Seven Locks Road and Democracy Boulevard Thursday night. The first bear reports were Wednesday afternoon, in a nearby area.

While this is out of our coverage area, there’s nothing to stop our furry friends from sauntering our way. Says resident Sami Ahmad, “I’m scared.”

Black bears are “opportunistic” feeders, which means they’ll eat anything they can get at easily. So, clean up that Independence Day barbecue!

(Photo wildernessclassroom.com)

POTD: Who You Calling Slow?

> Surely they don’t mean our kids are “slow?”

Sidewalk Rolls Along Beall Ave.

Many loyal RC readers know that there is a city plan to extend a sidewalk along the north side of Beall Avenue from Van Buren to Owens. Presently, there is a patchwork of asphalt and brick sidewalks on different sides of the street. Pedestraians need to cross from side to side, or walk in the street.>

Tonight, city planning staff met with Beall Avenue residents for a walkthrough of the projected sidewalk from Mannakee to Owens. WECA secretary Jan Balkam served as a point of contact.

The city plans a two-foot wide strip of grass with an ADA-mandated five foot wide actual sidewalk. Only two trees (both in poor condition) will need to be cut down along this stretch.

A similar walkthrough for the 500 block of Beall Ave. will be held in August. Watch this space for more information.

The city plans for the whole thing to be complete by September 2008.

Weekend To Weekend 6/28/2007

>Events in Rockville

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Growers Only Farmers’ Market Rockville Town Center Plaza between Gibbs St. & Maryland Ave., 9 AM -1 PM. Local farmers come together to sell fruit, bread, flowers and more.

Rockville Civic Center – 50th anniversary celebration, 603 Edmonston Drive, at the corner of Baltimore Road, 12 PM -5 PM. Activities throughout Civic Center Park: Glenview Mansion, formal gardens, and cottage – F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre – Croydon Creek Nature Center – Rockville Climbing Gym – 153 acres of parkland: Tours of the formal gardens, historic trees, Glenview Mansion, Civic Center Park

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Brooker & Bullen playing an edgy modern folk, Sunday Afternoon Concert Series, City of Rockville, Glenview Mansion at Rockville Civic Center Park, 2 PM. Free, no tickets required.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Reading Buddies, Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Ave, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Read with a buddy every Monday, June 18-July 23. Bring a buddy and, if you like, bring your sleeping bag or pillow and read together. There will be a buddy to read with you if you don’t bring your own. Read whatever you choose! Come 5 or more times and receive a free book and certificate! All ages! No sign-up, just come! Register at the Children’s Desk.

ALSO, don’t forget to sign up by July 31st for the the Summer Reading Program “Reading Road Trip” at any Montgomery County Library. Children can log their reading and win prizes. Sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Fireworks at Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee Street, Rockville, Maryland. Additional parking available at Rockville Town Center. Rockville Concert Band and J Street Jumpers perform at 7 p.m. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Bill Kirchen and the Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods, Concerts in the Square, City of Rockville, Rockville Town Center Plaza, 6 PM – 8 PM. Enjoy the area’s best music with local and national entertainers each Thursday.

Weekend to Weekend will publish event listings occuring in & around our coverage area (map) on Thursdays. If you know of a fun, educational, or community event, please email [email protected]. The inclusion of events is at our discretion.

POTD: Respecting Unity

> This is the entrance to Unity Bridge, which spans the Metro tracks from Rockville Pike to Lincoln Park at Frederick Ave (by Flagship Car Wash). The plaque is a quote from Jane Pontius (head of Christ Episcopal School) who submitted the winning entry in a 1997 naming contest. It reads: “Unity is a goal and reality for all Rockville citizens. A bridge is not just a physical structure connecting two points. It is a transitional passage. The bridge goes two ways. Unity is what makes Rockville an All-American city.”

Free WiFi for Town Center

Advanced Engineering & Planning Corporation, Inc. has been awarded the contract to provide free wireless Internet access in the new Town Square, according to a >press release out today.

AEPCO (just up the way in Gaithersburg), says:

The free Wi-Fi access will be available to the public in the outdoor areas of Town Square including the public plaza and along the streets within Town Square. In some cases, the Wi-Fi signal strength may be powerful enough to provide coverage several hundred feet beyond the Town Square footprint. AEPCO also will provide the City with two outdoor cameras to provide images of Town Square to the public via the Web.

Town Square Webcam! WooHoo!

It’s scheduled to go live in August.

Ivan doesn't floss…..

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Texan to Preside Over Goodwill Board

>San Antonio resident Bob Dugas has been tapped to chair the board of Goodwill Industries International, located here in our favorite Rockville. Dugas is president and CEO of the San Antonio chapter of Goodwill. Reports the San Antonio Business Journal:

“Bob’s keen entrepreneurial spirit fits well with Goodwill, which is unique in the nonprofit world for its business-like approach,” says George W. Kessinger, president and CEO.

We would say “Welcome, Bob!” but he’s been here before: he has been the chair of the Goodwill board’s strategic planning committee and vice chair of the board.

Two New MoCo Planners

Frederick News Post >reports that the council has appointed two new members to the Montgomery County Planning Board — one a shoo-in, the other more controversial.

The county council appointed Jean Cryor, a Republican delegate for 12 years, and Eugene Lynch, a Democrat who worked for former county executive Neal Potter from 1990 to 1994, from among 26 people who applied for seats on the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Montgomery board. . . . They replace Meredith K. Wellington and Wendy Collins Perdue, respectively, whose terms expired this year, after each had served the maximum of two.

Cryor was a unanimous pick. Lynch split the council, though: he is president and CEO of a real estate development firm.

Also on the panel: Royce Hanson (chair), John Robinson, and Allison Bryant. Hanson and Robinson are Democrats and Bryant is a Republican.

POTD: Flag Was Still…

> This photo from a tip by RC friend Ed. Got a tip for a good Photo Of The Day? Let us know!

Giuliani Campaign Stop in Rockville Tuesday

The presidential campaign of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani makes a stop in Rockville this afternoon, where Giuliani >will be giving a talk to the Jewish Community Relations Council at 5pm. [UPDATE: Here is a link to a recap.]

Late news indeed, but if you happen to be going, please post a comment to say how it went.

WJLA-TV adds this helpful bit of context:

His campaign has confronted a spate of bad news in recent days, including the drug indictment of his South Carolina chairman and criticism for skipping meetings of the Iraq Study Group.

POTD: For The Birds

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