Have A Wonderful Holiday!

Glenview Mansion

Dear loyal readers:

Cindy and Brad would like to thank you for making 2010 such a fabulous year for Rockville Central!

This past year, we joined the TBD Network, opened our pages up to advertising, launched many new features, and remained the second most-read local blog in Maryland.

We’re going to take a break now to recharge. We’ll start publishing again in the New Year, on January 3.

Until then, have a safe and happy holiday!

Buy A Photo Book With All Of The 2010 POTD’s!

Every weekday, Rockville Central publishes a Picture Of The Day (POTD). They are original photos, all taken in Rockville.

Many readers have asked if they could have prints, and usually we say no. But now we’ve put together this keepsake photo book that contains all of 2010′s POTD images (except for a few with some technical issues.)

See below for a preview. Order the book for just $49.49, direct from Shutterfly.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Weekend to Weekend Pick: New Year’s Brunch

Cindy Cotte Griffiths, Mark Pierzchala, and Lesley Cross. Photo by Max van Balgooy.

“Start off the New Year with a Rockville tradition!”

Peerless Rockville‘s 36th Annual New Year’s Day Brunch

Saturday, January 1, 2011
12 PM till 2 PM
Historic Glenview Mansion in the Rockville Civic Center Park
Peerless Members $10, Non-Members $15, Children 5-12 half price

Enjoy a delicious Buffet Brunch and Open House. Take a self-guided tour of the Mansion which is on the National Register of Historic Places in addition to being decked out in the holiday spirit.

Here’s Max van Balgooy’s description from last year’s event. To see some photos, this is his album from the day. As you can see, I attended last year for the first time and enjoyed myself (we were asked to wear vintage clothing last year).

Please bring a casserole, salad, side dish, hors d’oeuvre, or dessert to share.

Peerless Rockville safeguards and promotes Rockville’s past by preserving buildings, spaces, objects, and information important to our city’s heritage. Attend, contribute, and help the cause.

Comic Strip: ROCK’burb 12/23/10

Here’s hoping!

This week’s strip is based on “Possible New Grocery Store In Town Square“.

May you have an amusing New Year!

About ROCK’burb: A few months ago we were tossing around ideas for new features on Rockville Central. We thought Saturday morning comics would be fun. Since I’ve always wanted to draw a comic strip, I’ve been imagining them in my head each week. Sometimes an idea pops up in my head and sometimes my whole family thinks up a panel about our lives here in Rockville.

Do you like to draw? We’re hoping we have other cartoonists who would be interested in submitting comic strips. If you have one about life in Rockville, please send it along! We’d love to see it and may even publish it. Remember, be nice! Email us: [email protected].

Quick Quiz December 2010

Look back at the happenings in December. How closely have you been reading? Do you know what’s been going on in Rockville? Take the Quick Quiz!

1. What building in Rockville is creating a “Death Ray”?

A. City Hall
B. Rockville Memorial Library
C. 51 Monroe Street
D. District Courthouse

Answer

2. What new women’s sport started practicing in Rockville?

A. Softball
B. Roller Derby
C. Football
D. Paintball

Answer

3. What will you not be able to do in Rockville Town Square this winter?

A. Buy running shoes
B. Get a massage
C. Paint pottery
D. Ice skate

Answer

4. For the first time, which piece of artwork will be combined with a completely new art installation by a different artist?

A. “On Site” in Welsh Park
B. “In-2-NRG” in King Farm
C. “Spirit of Rockville” in Town Center
D. “Naid’s Pool” at Rockcrest Ballet Center

Answer

5. What major DC restaurant opened in Rockville?

A. Matchbox
B. Palena
C. CityZen
D. Ben’s Chili Bowl

Answer

Good luck!

All The Government Holiday Closings

Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

Here’s the complete rundown of government closings for the holiday week.

City of Rockville:

Parking is free in Town Square garages and at City parking meters Dec. 24-26 and Dec. 31-Jan. 2.

Recycling and refuse schedules will not be affected by the holidays. Regular collection will take place Monday through Friday during the weeks of December 20 and December 27.

City Hall will be closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.

Rockville Senior Center will be closed Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1.

Rockville Swim and Fitness Center will be open 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.

RedGate Golf Course will be open regular hours (first tee time at 9 a.m.) on all days except Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

Twinbrook Community Recreation Center will be open Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31, and Sunday, Jan 2, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Croydon Creek Nature Center will be open Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thomas Farm Community Center will be open Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31, and Sunday, Jan 2, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Lincoln Park Community Center will be open Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Glenview Mansion Art Gallery will be closed Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre Box Office will be closed Friday, Dec. 24, through Monday, Jan. 3.

The Climbing Gym will be closed on Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31.

Montgomery County Government:

County Offices
Closed December 24 and 31

Libraries
Closed December 24, 25, 31 and January 1

County liquor stores
Open on December 24 and 31 until 7 p.m.; closed on December 25 and 26 and January 1 and 2

Ride On
Sunday schedule with service ending at approximately 10 p.m. on December 24; regular Saturday schedule on December 25 and January 1; Sunday schedule on December 31

Metrobus
Sunday service on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1

Metrorail

Special Sunday service with 3 a.m. closing on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1
TRiPS Commuter Stores (Silver Spring and Friendship Heights) – closed on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1

Transfer Station
Facility drop-offs open until 5 p.m. on December 24 and 31; closed on December 25 and January 1

Parking at Montgomery County public garages, lots, curbside meters
Free on December 24 and 25; and December 31 and January 1

Montgomery County Public Schools Administrative Offices
Closed

Maryland State offices & courts
Closed

Happy Holidays Everyone!

POTD: Mooney

Here’s an awesome photo by Rockville Central friend Janet Piczak Brown. Of it, she says: “Looked out of my skylight and noticed the moon shining through the clouds. Had to brave the cold and the raccoon to snap a picture. Certainly not an eclipse photo but it looked so bright and pretty behind the clouds.”

Have a wonderful holiday! We’ll see you January 3.

Local Census Information Still To Be Released But In The Meantime Survey Results

You may have noticed the U.S. Census Bureau delivered the official national and state population counts to the President yesterday. The U.S. Constitution mandates the data report on or before December 31st every ten years.

If you are wondering when we will learn the official counts for Rockville and Montgomery County, we need to wait until after January of next year. Since the District of Columbia was treated as a state, it was the only city to receive their population data.

As for Maryland, the official state population count used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives indicates there will be no change in the number of congressional representatives which is currently 8. Maryland’s population was counted as 5,773,552 which is a 9% increase since the last census. This makes Maryland the 7th densest state in the country with 594.8 people per square mile.

An interactive map showing the apportionment, density and populations of all states is here.

As a 2010 Census Media Partner, we look forward to finding out Rockville’s official count.

In the meantime, we can appease our data addiction by perusing the results of the many surveys conducted by the Census Bureau.

In particular, the American Community Survey provides social, economic, housing and demographic statistics for every community in the nation. The information was collected from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2009 consists of about 11.1 billion individual estimates and more than 670,000 distinct geographies. This is the first time there was such a massive compilation of data estimates for small geographic areas.

ROCKVILLE INFO:

You can see extensive results on all aspects of life here in Rockville . This includes households, relationships, fertility, schools, education, place of birth, and language. There are also links to the Economic, Housing, and Demographic survey results. Also the extensive Narrative includes many, many graphs.

Celeste’s Journey Completes City Hall Artwork

Ali and Bonnie With Celeste. Photo by Stepanie Fitzgerald

The second part of Rockville’s newest work of art, the Spirit of Discovery, was installed on the lawn of City Hall last Thursday, December 16, 2010. The snow storm made the drive from Northern Virginia slightly precarious, but artists Bonnie Fitzgerald and Ali Mirsky carefully navigated the truck around the Beltway from Bonnie’s studio in Vienna to complete the artwork on schedule.

Celeste In Place For Transport. Photo by Stephanie Fitzgerald.

Celeste Being Carried. Photo by Stephanie Fitzgerald.

Celeste Arrives In Front of City Hall. Photo by Stephanie Fitzgerald

If you have seen the 170-square-foot glass mosaic depicting a spinning nebula on the facade of City Hall which was installed last month, you might not have realized the Spirit of Discovery was not complete. The artwork is comprised of two separate but connected pieces. In the garden area below the mosaic, a sculpture of a young girl now looks up at the nebula through a telescope. The artists named her “Celeste”. She weighs about 350 pounds and has a welded armature with a unique polystyrene sculpted base coated in several coats of concrete covered by pieces of glass. She looks to the future with an old-fashioned telescope - a salute to the past and discovery in the future.

Celeste Complete. Photo by Stephanie Fitzgerald.

Bonnie explains what the artists hope we will take away from viewing the artwork:

Rockville was founded and built in the spirit of discovery. Every time you look at the installation it looks different, always something new to discover about the artwork. Because of the materials we used the reflection will always be different. Hopefully Celeste inspires an interest in science and an interest in embracing discovery. Ideally a passerby would be able to admire the artwork solely based on the quality of the art, the colors and the sculptural form, which we feel is easily relatable. This is not conceptual art, the message is simple and the sculptural form really helps paint that picture, regardless if the viewer knows the mural is a nebula. It is contemporary art. There is a story; it speaks to the past and present, but regardless if you know the story or not, one will still be able to enjoy the intricate details and beautiful colors of the mosaic. We hope that our work will intrigue the viewer and cause them to take a moment to pause and absorb the artwork.

Celeste Standing. Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths

When Ali and Bonnie originally presented the installation concept for Spirit of Discovery to the Art Commission they used the tag line:

Rockville: where opportunity and discovery intersect

Since the Spirit of Discovery was commissioned to commemorate all of the City’s 150 incorporated years, the artists took a thorough and creative look at Rockville, as Bonnie explains:

After a lot of research into Rockville’s past and present we learned Rockville has always been a place of great opportunity. And needless to say there are countless “things” to discover about Rockville, from interesting people to physical beauty, cultural activities, a commitment to education and community - just to name a few.

With this tag line, these artists might have solved our branding quandary which they couldn’t help but notice and would like to help resolve.

Telescope. Photo by Cindy Cotte Griffiths.

Now that the installation is complete, Bonnie admits to missing the work. Perhaps this is why the artists are toying with the idea of continuing their work with Celeste by creating an interactive social media presence so that Celeste could give science lessons or talk about outer space. If such a project involved local schools, kids could be inspired beyond her physical space at City Hall. In my mind, I could see such a project involving the Science Café and the effort to build a Science Center in Rockville. If Rockville Central can help, we’d be all over it!

Celeste Finally At Home. Photo by Stephanie Fitzgerald.

Celeste is certainly a welcome addition to the City of Rockville and I look forward to discovering with her in the future.

Keep Warm By The Fire At These Rockville Restaurants

Lately, the cold really seems to be getting to me. January has hit a month early and we barely have temperatures above freezing. Where can we go to keep warm by the fire in Rockville? Here are the warm and friendly choices with open flames in the hearth.

Photo from Clydes website

#1 Clyde’s Tower Oak Lodge

My husband and I have enjoyed romantic dinners on winter evenings by the light of this fire. Tower Oaks is always crowded because of the atmosphere and fine food. Even though you are next to the 21-acre nature preserve on Wootton Parkway, you would swear you were in a wood lodge in the Adirondacks with massive stone fireplaces. Their classic American menu is centered around their purchases of meat, fish, and poultry direct from their native regions. From spring to autumn, Tower Oaks also buys produce from local farmers.

Photo from Spice Xing website

#2 Spice Xing

As Tom Sietsema said in his review in The Washington Post, “A diner can point pretty much anywhere on this menu and hit a winner …” In addition to the popular Indian fare, SpiceXing offers an assortment of dishes which have been influenced by other cultures and nationalities such as British, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish and French. There really isn’t a bad choice on the menu and every single bite deliciously fills the senses.

Photo from Timpano website

#3 Timpano Chophouse and Martini Bar

Timpano Chophouse revives the big city dining experience with steaks & chops. The rich decor includes velvet draperies, large chandeliers, and white tablecloths. The Starlight Lounge provide comfortable sofa seating, a baby grand piano and the fireplace to go along with the cocktails.

Photo from Rolls 'n Rice website

Rolls ‘n Rice

This modern restaurant has a comfortable sleek feel while offering traditional Japanese and sushi dishes such as rolls and bento boxes, along with some Korean favorites. Here’s a review from Lunching In the DMV.

Photo from La Madeleine website

La Madeleine

La Madeleine is a country French café for light and casual meals in the cafeteria style. The cozy atmosphere is French-cottage inspired with fireplaces situated around the restaurant with lots of wood and beams.

Can you think of any more? Where else can I keep hot by the fire?

POTD: Decor

The Best Overall Decor winner from the East Rockville Winter Wonderland Decorating Contest. 402 First Street. (Photo courtesy ERCA.)

Voice Your Opinion About PEPCO on Jan. 5

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett formed a PEPCO Work Group to seek residential and commercial customer comments on their experiences with PEPCO outages and their overall level of satisfaction with Pepco’s service. In January you will have a chance to do just that at a public hearing:

Wednesday, January 5, 2010
6:30 PM
Stella Werner Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville.

As we know, the Maryland Public Service Commission has been investigating PEPCO’s performance. Meanwhile PEPCO says they need another 4-5 years to improve service since their last plan failed.

The PEPCO Work Group, comprised of community leaders, was formed in October to “investigate the underlying reasons for Pepco’s poor service reliability throughout the County.” The Work Group’s final recommendations will be given to PEPCO and the Maryland Public Service Commission (Pepco’s regulatory authority).

Since the hearing is right here in Rockville, if you would like to speak registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be a cut off of 50 speakers so register now before the holidays by calling 240-777-3764. Each speaker will have three minutes. The Work Group wants comments from the general public NOT elected officials.

Written comments can be submitted by January 6 to the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection at [email protected] with “Pepco Comment” in the subject line. Elected officials can provide written comments.

Sign language interpreter services will be provided only upon request with notice as far in advance as possible, but no less than 72 hours prior to the event. If these or other services or aids are needed to participate in this activity, call 240-777-3636 or MD Relay 1-800-735-2258 or e-mail [email protected].

Everything You Need To Know About Home Energy Audits

Croydon Creek Nature Center Photo By Cindy Cotte Griffiths

As part of the Rockville Go Green Lecture Series, a free session on all the tools and cash incentives to make your home eco-friendly and energy efficient will be hosted by the City of Rockville and the Friends of Rock Creek Environment (FORCE).

Wednesday, January 26, 2011
7-8 PM
Croydon Creek Nature Center, 852 Avery Road

An energy auditor certified by the Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program will review the ways to reduce energy use and improve the comfort, safety and overall performance of your home. The lecture will cover combustion appliance safety. Best of all, finding out about and implementing an energy audit can help you save money.

Although the program is free, you must register with RockEnroll: http://www.rockvillemd.gov/recreation/guide/winter11/croydon.pdf
or call 240-314-8770.

Rockville Police Reports (12-20-2010)

Here is the latest Rockville police report, in list form and also all mapped out for you.

View Larger Map

Please note that just being arrested does not mean someone is guilty. We’re all innocent until proven otherwise.

A R R E S T S

ILLEGAL DRUG ARRESTS

• 12/15/10-(1:40 a.m.) Andres Marciano Sol, M, age 18, of Rockville, was arrested for possession of CDS-marijuana and possession of CDS-paraphernalia following a traffic stop at the intersection of Rockville Pike and First Street. Mr. Sol was transported to the Central Processing Unit for processing.

BURGLARY ARRESTS

• 11/21/10-12/13/10-(1:01 a.m. – 4:41 p.m.) Frank Junior Welch, M, age 49, of no fixed address, was arrested for 4th degree burglary and trespassing following a complaint in the 1000 block of Rockville Pike. Mr. Welch was transported to the Central Processing Unit for processing.
• 12/12/10-(2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Brenda Simms, F, age 52, of no fixed address, was arrested for 4th degree burglary and 3 counts of failing to identify herself to a law enforcement officer, following a complaint in the 700 block of Elmcroft Boulevard. Ms. Simms was transported to the Central Processing Unit for processing.

I N C I D E N T S

THEFTS

• 12/09/10-12/10/10-(9:30 p.m. – 10:00 a.m.) 1700 block of Yale Place, unknown suspect(s) removed a case of children’s shoes from a school.
• 12/11/10-12/12/10-(6:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) 1300 block of Crawford Drive, unknown suspect(s) removed a doghouse from a porch of a residence.
• 12/12/10-12/13/10-(2:00 p.m. – 9:00 a.m.) 1200 block of Potomac Valley Road, unknown suspect(s) removed a necklace from a resident’s room at a nursing home.
• 12/13/10-(2:50 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.) Unit block of Maryland Avenue, unknown suspect(s) removed 3 locks, U.S. currency, a duffel bag, 2 pairs of running shoes and miscellaneous toiletries from 3 locked lockers at a gym.
• 12/18/10-(3:00 p.m. – 3:17 p.m.) 2400 block of Wootton Parkway, unknown suspect(s) removed a wallet containing credit cards and a driver’s license from a purse from a customer at a grocery store.

BURGLARIES

• 12/15/10-(12:01 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.) 1100 block of Prospect Hill Place, Residential, unknown suspect(s) attempted to gain access into a residence by prying a rear basement door. Nothing taken.
• 12/16/10-(11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.) 700 block of Beall Avenue, Residential, unknown suspect(s) gained access into a residence through an unlocked rear basement door. Once inside the unknown suspect(s) removed a laptop and a camera.
• 12/17/10-12/18/10-(6:30 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.) 100 block of Talbott Street, unknown suspect(s) gained access by unknown means into an apartment. Nothing taken.

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POTD: Illumination

The Best Illumination winner from the East Rockville Winter Wonderland Decorating Contest. 324 South Horners Lane. (Photo courtesy ERCA.)