POTD: Fluffy

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OK, one more snow scene from the Snowpocalypse!

KidzCare Sponsoring Haiti Relief Event

>This was passed on to us by Rockville Central friend Jacquie Kubin:

KidzCare USA is sponsoring a community fundraising event to assist with the medical relief efforts in Haiti on Friday, January 29, 5:30-8:30pm, at Bauer Drive Community Center in Rockville.

“KidzCare For Haiti” will be a fun evening for families, including:

ENTERTAINMENT: Live music, moon bounce, food, raffles, prizes, and more! Live music provided by: John Henry, Frank “The Banjo Man” Cassell, & Jeff Bristol Music

AWARENESS: Executives from Project HOPE will share the story of their medical relief mission to Haiti aboard the USS Comfort

SUPPORT: Learn how your family can help the ongoing relief effort in Haiti!

Admission is FREE with a donation.

We are also seeking youth volunteers, ages 10-17 to help on the following dates and times:

• WORK DAY — Saturday, Jan. 23, 9:00am-12:00pm and 1:30-4:30pm, at Church of Christ at Manor Woods, 5300 Norbeck Road, Rockville, MD 20853. Youth volunteers are needed to help create the signs, flyers, and other items needed for the fundraiser.
• EVENT DAY — Friday, Jan. 29, 5:00-9:00pm. Youth volunteers are needed to help staff the “KidzCare For Haiti” fundraising event.

For additional information, to donate, or to register to volunteer, please visit www.KidzCareUSA.org/haiti.html

Rockville Mayor And Council To Meet In Twinbrook

At her inaugural address, Mayor >Phyllis Marcuccio said that she hoped to bring meetings of the Mayor and Council to different parts of the city, in an effort to increase a sense of engagement and participation.

According to the Gazette, on Monday, January 25, the first step of that plan will come to pass, as the group will meet at the Twinbrook Community Center for its regular meeting.

As with all meetings of the Mayor and Council, this meeting is open to the public. It begins at 7:00 pm. The Twinbrook Community Center is at 12920 Twinbrook Parkway.

Rockville Mayor And Council Outline Vision Priorities

At the Rockville Mayor and Council’s biannual planning session last weekend, the group outlined a new set of vision priorities which Councilmembers >Bridget Newton and Mark Pierzchala will draft into a vision statement to be voted on at a later meeting. According to our intrepid friend Nathan Carrick of the Gazette, the vision statement will incorporate a new set of “vision themes:”

• Quality Environment
• Exceptional City Services and Amenities
• Multimodal Transportation
• Business Friendly
• Engaged Governance
• Urban Sensitivity
• Strong and Distinctive Neighborhoods

(The previous vision themes, developed at the 2008 retreat, were: Distinct Neighborhoods, One City; A Cultural Destination; Green City; Quality Built Environment; Exceptional City Services; Economic Development and Sustainability; Community Engagement.)

As Rockville Central readers know, there was some small controversy over whether this meeting would be videotaped or not (the group decided on a 3-2 vote against). Councilmember Piotr Gajewski let colleagues know ahead of time that he planned on taping and we understand that he did so. Our offer stands to post the footage here for archival purposes.

Lunching In The DMV: Sushi Damo

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Photo by Dskco

In her latest review on Lunching in the DMV, Dskco was out to celebrate her birthday, which meant a visit to both Susahi Damo (for dinner) and Gordon Biersch (for dessert).

I had a great birthday weekend a few weeks ago. On New Years Day, the bf took me to Rockville Town Square for dinner at Sushi Damo, dessert at Gordon Biersh and Regal to watch Avatar in 3D (go see it if you haven’t yet!).

Sushi Damo is the bf’s favorite sushi place. Located in Rockville Town Square, there’s paid parking, meter and free parking all over the place. We parked at the theater for $1 since we were going to see a movie anyway. The closest metro stop would be Rockville on the red line.

As always, Dskco entices with her photos taking you right along for the discoveries. Read to find out about Green Tea Tiramisu and her birthday good time.

Lunching in the DMV is a local Rockville blog reviewing restaurants throughout the metro DC area. Whenever, she writes about a restaurant in Rockville, we post a link to her article. She stops by all those places you wonder about to let you know whether you should. We’re happy to share her experiences with our readers.

POTD: Pickets

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I wanted to get a couple of POTD’s in before we forgot that it had ever snowed in our temperate lands. I thought this shot of a bush seen through a snow-covered bench was sort of neat.

Rockville Express Benefit Features Riggleman

>Rockville Central reader Tina Campbell sends along the information for the Rockville Express Collegiate Baseball Annual Dinner & Auction, and adds “With the lights going in at the Montgomery College Rockville fields, it will be an exciting summer of nighttime baseball games in our neighborhood.”

Inside the Dugout: An Evening with Washington Nationals Manager & Rockville Native Jim Riggleman will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2010, 7:00 to 10:00PM.

WHERE: The Historic Glenview Mansion, 603 Edmonson Drive, Rockville 20851

DINNER: Buffet by Blue Ribbon BBQ with beverages and open seating

TICKETS: $50 per person, includes free parking

BENEFIT: Silent and live auctions for East Coast vacations, tickets to sporting events, Nationals and other memorabilia, youth baseball lessons, and more.

Meet the new Washington Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman, who will talk about his life, baseball, and what’s in store for the Nats, as well as take questions. Also come meet Rockville’s new Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, C-Span Anchor Robb Harleston, and other surprise baseball notables. Have fun while supporting Express Baseball and the installation of baseball field lights at Montgomery College Rockville.

Tickets can be purchased online at RockvilleExpress.org Limited tickets available at the door.

Contact Brad Botwin at bb67chev@aol.com for more information.

Two East Rockville Water Shutoffs Upcoming

Our friend >Chas Hausheer, who runs the East Rockville blog, passed along the following information about two water shutoffs:

• On Tuesday January 26 from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. the water service on the following addresses will be shut-off: 100, 100-A, 103,105,107,109 and 111 N.Stonestreet Ave. (If the City is unable to perform this work due to inclement weather , the work will be perform on January 27)
• On Wednesday night January 27 from 10 P.M. to January 28 at 5 A.M. the water service on the following addresses will be shut-off: 200, 202,205,207,216 and 218 Park Rd. (If the City is unable to perform this work due to inclement weather , the work will be perform on January 28 10 P.M. to January 29 5 A.M.)

Thanks Chas!

POTD: Red

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Aren’t these berries cool?

Town Center Action Team Meeting Tonight (Tuesday 1/19/2010)

If you are a resident of, or concerned with, the Town Center area of Rockville, consider attending tonight’s >Town Center Action Team meeting at 7:00 pm at City Hall.

The group will elect a new president (current president, Mark Pierzchala, is a member of the City Council so is stepping aside) and will also cover several items concerning Town Center.

Here’s the agenda:

1. Town Square update,
2. Town Square parking update, effort by merchants
3. District Courthouse mitigation
4. Judicial center annex
5. Master plan review
6. Phase II
7. Recent meeting between TCAT and Gaithersburg’s OTAC.

(Many apologies to Councilmember Pierzchala — I had intended to post this earlier so it would get in the nightly email in time for people to receive it. The holiday weekend and my general sloth caused me to overlook that. So I am hoping enough of our readers see it this afternoon!)

House Fire Injures Three

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An early morning fire gutted this home on Balmoral Court.

View Balmoral Court in a larger map

WUSA9 is reporting that two residents and a firefighter were injured when a fire which started in a second floor bedroom around 6:30 AM this morning destroyed this house. All the injuries were not serious.

Cake Dreams Opens Today

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Photo by Jonathan Smith

Rockville Central contributor, Jonathan Smith, contacted the owners of our newest Rockville establishment, the enticing Cake Dreams, for a sneak preview. Rush on over for a cupcake to welcome them to the neighborhood!

2010 is shaping up as a hot year for the food business in Rockville. Buffalo Wild Wings is here for the end of football season, and I’m sure will be a destination during March madness. I’ve already eaten four times at PitaHut, the great new falafel and shwarma joint where Chopstix used to be. And just today I tried our latest delicious newcomer, CakeDreams. The chocolate cupcake is just incredible. More on that in a moment.

Photo by Jonathan Smith

Michelle and Kevin are Rockville people. Kevin’s been here all his life, and Michelle a majority of hers (originally from NY). They have one daughter at Rockville High School, and another at Montgomery College. Michelle was an art student and is a graduate of L’Academie de Cuisine’s Pastry Arts program and has enjoyed some critical acclaim. A recent wedding cake she created for a Naval Academy wedding is about to be featured on the cover of The Knot!

Back to that chocolate cupcake. My wife was thrilled with me when I brought one home to her. It was rich and moist and fudgy. Made from scratch with really good chocolate. And it was FRESH. We found it to be way way better than what you get at the grocery store, or other small bakeries for that matter.

Photo from Cake Dreams Website

Cake Dreams is located at 90 West Montgomery Avenue (two doors down from Bombay Bistro) and opens today from 11 AM to 7 PM.

Jonathan Smith

Rockville Debt Collector Closes Due To Lack Of Funds

According to the >Associated Press and the Baltimore Sun, Rockville-based debt collection firm Mann Bracken has closed its 24 nationwide offices. This has left consumers wondering how to make payments.

Last Thursday, a Maryland judge ordered that tens of thousands of suits involving the firm be dismissed. State officials revoked its license.

The result is confusion. Here’s how the Baltimore Sun put it:

Tens of thousands of lawsuits against Maryland debtors over unpaid bills are being tossed out of court because the law firm pursuing the debt-collection cases has abruptly shut down.

The move gives a temporary reprieve to Marylanders in default on a variety of bills, particularly credit card payments, and burdens the already strained District Court system, which now has to sort through the legal morass left behind. It is unclear whether the creditors will refile the lawsuits seeking payment.

The Mann Bracken law firm, based in Rockville, and its clients have been accused in civil lawsuits and by regulators of not complying with debt-collection laws and of using high-pressure tactics and harassing borrowers. The firm collapsed after an affiliate filed for bankruptcy in November.

In an ironic twist, the shutdown was prompted by the bankruptcy of one of Mann Bracken’s affiliates, which left firm without cash to pay creditors. Officials have said they will either disband or seek bankruptcy protection within the next 30 days.

POTD: Dawn

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The other morning I was driving on Gude over the railroad tracks and saw this neat sun rising. It seemed like a nice view of that part of town. I love that we have a “light industrial” section; it is one of my favorite parts of town.

The Flu and You at Rockville Science Cafe

The >Rockville Science Cafes will be held on a new day of the week! For 2010 these cutting-edge science discussions are scheduled for the third Wednesdays of each month. Mark your calendars!

“Influenza, Vaccination and the Community” by Gaurov Dayal
Wednesday, January 20, 2009
7 to 9 PM
At Branded 72 Pit Barbecue (formerly O’Briens) 387 East Gude Drive.
Free flu shots will be given starting at 8 PM
The program is free and you can purchase food and beverages.

Gaurov Dayal, MD is the Vice President/Chief Medical Officer for Adventist HealthCare Rockville, MD. The discussion will focus on an overview of Seasonal and H1N1 Flu, cause and preventions, discussion of the flu vaccine (including misperceptions) and what the response of the community should be.

Dr. Gaurov Dayal has tips to stay healthy on YouTube.

This year’s seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against H1N1. Likewise, the H1N1 vaccination will not protect against seasonal flu. But, the seasonal flu vaccine is available now.

The Science Café is providing reminders on how to stop the spread of flu:

• Frequent hand washing. Be sure to wash hands with warm water and soap. Also, teach your children to wash their hands frequently.
• When you can’t wash, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Cough/sneeze into your sleeve.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. This is how germs spread.
• When you are sick, stay home. When your children are sick, make sure that they stay home.
• The vast majority of seasonal flu and H1N1 cases, particularly in healthy individuals, are self-resolving, viral illnesses that do not require any medical treatment. If you or your children experience mild flu-like symptoms, the best first step is to place a call to your health care provider. This will restrict the spread of flu to other patients in the waiting areas at hospitals, clinics and physician offices.

Thanks to our good friend, Ruth Hanessian of the Animal Exchange, for reminding us about the Cafes!