Top Headlines Near Gaithersburg: Dress Code Debacle, Cherry Blossom Delay, Apartment Fire Death

With more than a dozen websites across Montgomery County, Patch brings you news from every corner of our community. Catch up on headlines you might have missed this week.

First Lady Hosts Watkins Mill Students for Jackie Robinson Film Workshop

GAITHERSBURG—First Lady Michelle Obama and actor Harrison Ford were among participants in a panel discussion following a film screening for Watkins Mill students. “To be able to share this experience with students is probably one of the most meaningful experiences of my career," Watkins Mill principal Scott Murphy said. Read the full story on Gaithersburg Patch and follow a live thread of tweets and photos from the event.

Wheaton Redevelopment: Different Site Considered for Park and Planning Headquarters

WHEATON—The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is still on track to move its headquarters from Silver Spring to downtown Wheaton, but perhaps not to the location previously proposed. Read more at Wheaton Patch.

Countdown to Costco: When Will the Wheaton Store Open?

WHEATON—The Wheaton Costco will open next week at the Westfield Wheaton mall. Find out what day the store opens and see our countdown clock at Wheaton Patch.

Leggings-Clad Rockville Student Sent Home for Breaching Dress Code

ROCKVILLE—While leggings may seem like a ubiquitous fashion staple for suburban hipsters around Washington, they weren’t well received at a Rockville school on Wednesday. Read more at Rockville Patch.

White Knuckle Parenting: Surviving the White House Easter Egg Roll

We know huge events at the White House are going to be a nightmare, but still we enter the lottery and cross our fingers that we get to go. This is why. Read more at Kensington Patch.

Man Dies From Silver Spring Apartment Fire

SILVER SPRING—A 63-year-old man has died from severe burns sustained in an apartment building fire in Silver Spring Tuesday morning. The fire started inside of an apartment on the top floor with damages estimated at $400,000. Read more on Silver Spring Patch. 

Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco is Coming to Rockville
ROCKVILLE—Inauguration Day poet Richard Blanco will read his work at Rockville Memorial Library in May, county officials announced Thursday. The event is hosted by Friends of the Library, Montgomery County and the Latino Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender History Project. Read more at Rockville Patch.

Peak Cherry Blossom  Bloom Dates Revised...Again

WASHINGTON, DC—The most recent prediction of when the pale pink blossoms will peak at the Tidal Basin is April 6 to 10, The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang reported. Read more on Chevy Chase Patch.

Choice Hotels Moves Into Rockville Headquarters Monday
ROCKVILLE—On Monday, 400 employees will start their first day of work Choice Hotels International’s new headquarters in Rockville. "What you like, I picked," said President and CEO Stephen P. Joyce, jokingly, as he helped lead a tour of the new building on Thursday. The story is at Rockville Patch.

Report: Chevy Chase Lake Sector Plan Critiqued by Council Members

CHEVY CHASE—The Montgomery County Planning Department's recommendations for the Chevy Chase Lake sector came under criticism during the Montgomery County Council's first work session on the sector plan. Read more on Chevy Chase Patch.

GAITHERSBURG—62-year-old was the executive director of the American School Counselor Association and the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association. Read more on Gaithersburg Patch.

How Will the Silver Spring Purple Line Station Look? 

SILVER SPRING—Renderings for the Silver Spring Transit Center Purple Line station released recently reveal a tube design to protect passengers from the elements when they're 85 feet above—the estimated height of that station. Read more on Silver Spring Patch. 

Report: Crime Rates At Lakeforest Mall Show Little Change 

GAITHERSBURG—Four to six serious incidents per year occur at the Gaithersburg mall, according to a report by The Gazette. Read more on Gaithersburg Patch.

Police Make Arrests in 30 Fraud Cases at Montgomery Mall Nordstrom

BETHESDA—Montgomery County police have arrested three Baltimore residents and are on the lookout for a fourth suspect they say were involved in a scheme to fraudulently return items to the Bethesda Nordstrom. One of the suspects may have used his knowledge as a former Georgia Nordstrom employee to aid in the plot, police said. Read more on Bethesda Patch.

Potomac Man Gets Home Detention for Obstructing FBI Investigation

POTOMAC—A Potomac man received six months of home detention as part of three years of probation for obstructing background investigations for a high-level security clearance. Read more on Potomac Patch.