Da Man decided to screw with his meeting schedule this week, which translates to absolute chaos in the Penguin newsroom.
Public forums were cancelled, rescheduled then duplicated on the calendar. That means our reporters don’t know where they have to be, when they have to be there, and what exactly they’re covering. I fear many of them will retreat to their respective corners, with no copy to show for it.
Even travel arrangements to send our intern home for hibernation season were rearranged. Our intern’s a good kid, but hibernation renders him completely useless. And if the newsroom can’t have coffee and donuts because that furry runt is napping beneath his desk, then we don’t need him around.
Here’s hoping your schedule isn’t as discombobulated as ours:
Monday
7:00 p.m. Silver Spring’s neighborhoods and economic-development committees hold a forum on Fenton Village revitalization, with an emphasis on locally owned businesses. This free event takes place at Addis Ababa restaurant (8233 Fenton St) and is open to business owners only.
Tuesday
12:30 p.m. Michelle “LOVE the Poet” Nelson performs spoken-word poetry at Montgomery College’s Black Box Theatre (7600 Takoma Ave, Takoma Park). This event is free and open to the public.
7:30 p.m. The Maryland Humanities Council presents “Music of the Movement”, a discussion of music’s impact on the US civil-rights movement, plus a performance by the Bowie State University gospel choir. This free event takes place at Montgomery College’s performing arts center (7995 Georgia Ave). Click here to request a ticket.
Wednesday
6:00 p.m. Montgomery College’s new performing arts center (7995 Georgia Ave) hosts an open house until 8:00 p.m. This free event is open to the public.
7:30 p.m. Silver Spring’s commercial and economic development committee holds its monthly meeting at the Silver Spring regional center (8435 Georgia Ave). This free event is open to the public.
8:00 p.m. The Forum Theatre Co. presents Tony Kushner’s award-winning drama “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches”. This event takes place at the Round House Theatre (8641 Colesville Rd); tickets are $25 each.
Thursday
9:30 a.m. The county’s planning board decides whether to postpone its review of a mixed-use development at 8700 Georgia Ave. The developer requested the delay until a court can determine whether the site’s existing bank building should receive historic designation.
This free event takes place inside the planning board’s auditorium (8787 Georgia Ave) and is open to the public.
9:30 a.m. The county’s planning board reviews project plans for an office building at 8621 Georgia Ave. This free event takes place inside the planning board’s auditorium (8787 Georgia Ave) and is open to the public.
3:30 p.m. Silver Spring’s urban-district advisory committee holds its monthly meeting at the urban-district office (8110 Georgia Ave). This free event is open to the public.
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The following isn’t related to any of the above but wasn’t sure where else to ask it.
1. What was going on Friday evening around 7:30 in the area around Georgia, Fenwick, Cameron? There were at least 10 police cars there blocking off the Southbound lanes of Georgia and some of the side streets. Major s**t seemed to be going down but I didn’t read see any write-up of it over the weekend.
2. Also (am I allowed 2 questions?), when did Across the Street cafe bite the dust? Seems that an Indian restaurant is opening up in its place. And just around the corner on Fenton it looks like work is finally progressing at the old Jerry’s Subs shop (”Ooo, Ooo, Jerry’s”).
Ok, last thing for now and it’s not a question, just an observation. I noticed the old Kirsten’s Cafe on Georgia Ave in Montgomery Hills is becoming an “American & Chinese” restaurant named Andy’s. Gotta admit, that sounds a bit odd.
Steve, someday we’re going to get you on Twitter. Here’s how I tweeted two of your three items from the scene.
Major shit on Georgia Ave Friday night:
New Chinese restaurant at the old Kirsten’s Cafe:
As far as Across the Street Cafe goes, I believe the same management changed the restaurant’s name to the even less original Planet Bollywood. They’ve also added Indian dishes to its menu, though items like chicken parmesan, hamburgers and steamed mussels are still listed.
I’m sad about Kirsten’s. Its owners tried to expand and went overboard a bit. If they had kept to the status quo, or done a less-intense expansion, I wonder if they would still be with us. They do own another place, however, that I hope is thriving.
“Planet Bollywood”? Seriously? That is awful
Hey Jennifer, thanks for the info on Friday’s excitement and also the restaurant openings/closings in SS. Not sure that I’m up for Twitter – I figured I’d skip that particular technological development and wait for the next big thing.
While I’m posting I’ll throw out the following (which may well have been subjects of your Tweets!) – a new toy store is coming to DTSS! In the place formerly occupied by Bombay Company and the Halloween custom store.
Also, wondering when (1) Fenwick Wine & Beer (2) Flippin’ Pizza are opening?
Keep up the good work!
Are you sure you’re not ready for Twitter, Steve?
The toy-store opening was broadcast on Twitter by Penguin Twitter buddy @wombatarama just after Halloween, about two days after the Washington Business Journal said the space would be a Nando’s Peri Peri restaurant.
Another Penguin Twitter buddy, @joshourisman, is keeping a watchful eye on Flippin’ Pizza from his perch in Discovery HQ. So far, he says things look ready but they’re still not open.
I believe Fenwick Wine and Beer is open (or soon will be). That info came in from Penguin Twitter buddy @WDCGardener.
Come on, Steve, get a Twitter account already!
Ahhh, crap, I never even made it to Across the Street. Though I do love Indian, but I doubt anything will replace Bombay Gaylord in my heart.
Hey, y’all, just got an e-mail flyer for the Thanksgiving parade this coming Sat. Yeah, I know it’s not the weekend yet, but I see a need for advance planning.
It is always a mess with Ga. Ave. being shut down. With the bus situation, this year should be pretty crazy. Which streets should drivers/peds avoid? What on earth should bus riders do?
As with any event, it can get crazy around the edges and at the end, when drivers who had no idea what the heck they were getting into get trapped. So what do we do to stay safe? Inquiring minds want to know!
Here’s the deal with street closures, according to the Silver Spring regional center:
– Northbound Georgia Avenue will be closed Saturday between East-West Highway and Colesville Road, from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. In previous years, the southbound lanes carried alternating north- and southbound traffic. Expect the same this year.
– Free parking will be available at county-owned garages throughout the central business district. However, the garage on Sligo Avenue at Fenton Street, and the surface lot on Colesville Road at Georgia Avenue, will be closed.
Enjoy the clusterfuck!
Don’t use Fenton & Sligo before or during parade either – those are “feeding” streets to the parade for staging – as is 900 block of Philadelphia. Parade route groups gather in the Fenton street garage (in back of World Building). It is all over by Noon-ish but the candy wrappers blowing in the wnd.
Thanks, Jennifer & Kathy! Good to know that Phila. Ave. is affected as well. This could even impact Old Town Takoma Park. What will all of this do to the buses? Retail & workers who bus it to their gigs on Sat. had better leave early!
I hope WSSC tells their contractors to KNOCK IT OFF on Saturday – if they continue to dig, fill, and re-dig and re-fill on Georgia & Fenton during parade hours.
I don’t remember how buses did the last few years – dn’t recall any major delays or seeing them sit.