The Silver Spring Penguin

Stick a fork in me — I’m done! Thanks to all in the community who supported The Penguin over the last three years, whether as casual readers, regular commenters or occasional advertisers.

Bigger thanks to members of the Penguin newsroom: Maggie Ardiente, Nick Hammer, Brian Hefele, Michael Kent Cornett; contributing writers Cynthia Cotte Griffiths, Jason Gedeik, Linda Lombardi, Eric Robbins, Brad Rourke; and real-life Penguin intern Reginald Galloway (not to be confused with his successor). It takes incredible talent and skill to translate experiences into words and images, and I was fortunate to have them share with The Penguin.

Biggest thanks go to my family and especially to my husband, Penguin photog Ron Pace. They invested a lot of sweat and tear equity in this project, and it wouldn’t exist if not for them. When I was down, they hugged me. When I was wallowing in self-pity, they kicked my ass. They’re my strength, and I’ll love them always.

The Penguin’s articles, videos and slideshows will remain online for readers’ reference. However, the “Holler back” section will be closed to comments.

I’m out!

Of course, The Penguin’s last week of business would be chock full of stuff to report, leaving me with little time to slack off. It’s just Montgomery County’s way of squeezing every last drop of life out of me.

It’s also the county’s first week back from the winter holidays, and the county council and exec are hitting the ground running. Committee meetings, public forums, blah blah blah. I’m just grateful the planning board is focused on the county’s agricultural hinterlands this week.

Soak up these last few moments of tranquility, then brace yourself for this week: (more…)

There isn’t much happening this weekend in downtown Silver Spring. Everyone’s too broke from the winter holidays to pull off a show or throw a party. At least strolling through the farmers market is still free.

10:00 a.m. Regional vendors sell fresh produce, meats and dairy, and baked goods at the Silver Spring farmers market. This free event takes place on Ellsworth Drive, between Georgia Avenue and Fenton Street, until 1:00 p.m.

Photo: Did someone say "barbecue"? Credit: J. Deseo/SSP.

Rule no. 1 when throwing a barbecue: Always invite the neighbors. Otherwise, they might mistake the mesquite-scented smoke wafting from your balcony as a sign of trouble.

That’s more or less what went down Wednesday evening at The Veridian apartments in South Silver Spring. Sometime before 6:20 p.m., county firefighters descended on the high rise along East-West Highway after a resident reported weirdness on a nearby balcony, a spokesperson for the MoCo Fire and Rescue Services confirmed via Twitter.

Exactly what kind of weirdness was reported is unknown. However, it was learned later that a tenant had been prepping dinner on an outdoor grill set on one of the building’s balconies, the @mcfrs tweeter indicated. It’s not known whether the flames and smoke were contained to the grill, or whether the cook had lost control of what was cooking.

MCFRS was emailed additional questions but did not respond before press time. However, the Twitter message said grilling on apartment balconies goes against county code. (more…)