Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Experts from Wine Harvest and The Bottle Shop weigh in on holiday wine selection and give a few recommendations.
When bringing wine to a dinner party or gifting a bottle this holiday season, don’t be afraid to ask for help. After all, that’s what the professionals are for. The Bottle Shop (Potomac) and Wine Harvest (Gaithersburg and Potomac) provide excellent selections and a wide variety of white, red, and sparkling wines. During December — the month The Bottle Shop owner Christina Findley calls “primetime” — many people head to the stores seeking recommendations. “This time of year, [people want] to have a bottle that looks impressive, that maybe has a higher rating from one of the publications that rates wines, or they want a familiar label,” Findley said. “But we also have people who want to give someone something they’ve never tried before, and…
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Local church spreads the Christmas message to rush hour travelers on Route 28.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Maria Martin
-
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Every December Prince of Peace Lutheran Church (PoP) takes Christmas to the streets of North Potomac with a living Nativity. “We put it out there and share the Christmas message with everyone, “ said PoP Senior Pastor, Steve Buechler. Since the late 1990s, church members have been donning costumes and braving the elements by standing out on the church’s front lawn to spread Christmas cheer to rush hour traffic on Route 28. The idea to take Christmas outdoors began when a few congregants got together and organized construction of a wooden stable, making of costumes and enlisting volunteers to stand outside on the cold nights preceding Christmas to portray scenes from the manger. Due to staff and program changes at the church, there were …
Friday, December 2, 2011
Check out our map of various Christmas tree farms in Montgomery County.
Interactive map: Click on each tree for hours of operation, tree types, price ranges, services and products. Then, when you cut down your own Christmas tree, share your photos on Patch! Did we miss any tree farms? Tell us in the comments and we'll add it to the map.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Darnestown church turns Christmas tree sales into a yearly parish event.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Maria Martin
-
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Friday, Dec. 2, marks the beginning of the 12th season of Christmas tree sales for Our Lady of the Visitation Parish (OLVP) in Darnestown. What began as a fundraising idea has turned into one of the church’s main events. OLVP entered the Christmas Tree selling market in 1999 before construction of their new church on Seneca Road was complete and they were still leasing space from Fairhaven United Methodist Church on Darnestown Road. “The trees were not that good our first year,” said Bill Connors, OLVP parishioner and Darnestown resident, “so after that we took a road trip …we wanted to find our own tree farm to supply fresh trees.” Connors and fellow parishioners, including Marty Kelly and the late Jerry Foley, found the tree farm they …
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Many stores will open early on Friday.
For many, getting an early start on holiday shopping during the Black Friday weekend is as much a part of the Thanksgiving tradition as turkey and cranberry sauce. This year, the National Retail Federation is expecting 152 million shoppers to take advantage of Black Friday deals. If you're planning on hitting the metro area's malls, here's what you'll need to know. Westfield Montgomery Mall, Bethesda, Md. White Flint, North Bethesda, Md. Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg, Md. Mazza Gallerie, Chevy Chase, D.C. The Shops at Georgetown Park, Georgetown, D.C. Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Va. Tysons Galleria, McLean, Va. Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, Va. Ballston Common Mall, Ballston, Va.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue warns that unattended cooking can put your house, family and festivities in danger.
- HOLIDAY GUIDE
-
Thursday, November 24, 2011
More cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year, warns Montgomery County Fire and Rescue in a press release. With Thanksgiving approaching, Montgomery County Fire Chief Richard Bowers urges residents to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, but to remember to keep safety in mind when preparing for feasts and holiday parties. “Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a rookie cooking your first holiday feast, the strategies for serving up a safe meal are the same,” said Fire Chief Richard Bowers in the release. “Unattended cooking is the leading cause of residential fires and we’re asking residents to follow these simple safety tips and to have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.”
Pouring grease down the sink jams up the sewer system.
Think twice before pouring that leftover grease from the Thanksgiving turkey down the drain. Your pipes will thank you. Grease causes more than 40 percent of all sewer overflows, according to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. When the grease goes down the drain and cools on the sides of the pipes, it clogs the sewer systems. The WSSC, which manages the drinking water and wastewater systems for Montgomery County, recommends pouring the grease into a can, letting it cool and then throwing it away. WSSC will even send you free can covers in the mail.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Patch will live blog the sales, deals and shopping madness to help you score the best deals you can.
Patch will live blog the events, deals, mayhem and madness of Black Friday starting at 10 p.m. Thursday and lasting through the day Friday. Check back Thursday evening for live coverage of store lines, door buster openings and where to find the best deals. Help us with our coverage by using the Twitter hashtag #MoCoBlackFriday, or contributing directly to the site. You can post pictures, videos, comments and stories about your own experiences with Black Friday. Did you head to Best Buy for an LCD HDTV and happily grabbed the last one? Be a dear and let everyone know. Send out a message to the rest of Montgomery County's shoppers using our live coverage.
Patch lists the deals and specials around Montgomery County for Black Friday.
While you prep your holiday feasts, Patch knows that Black Friday is creeping in on your mind, perhaps causing you to slip and forget to baste the turkey while day-dreaming of a new HDTV. Fear not. We've compiled a listing of some of the hottest Black Friday deals around, so that you don't have to flip through listings on your own and then smear that lovely white holiday dishware with newspaper ink. Here's our list and feel free to add some of your favorite deals in the comments! Westfield Montgomery Mall will open at 12:01 a.m. on Black Friday. The first 500 customers to stop by Westfield Concierge will receive a gift bag with prizes including gift cards from "select retailers," according to the mall's Black Friday event page on …
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The school provides Gaithersburg Elementary with Thanksgiving Food Baskets to help low income families who can't afford a big meal during the holiday season.
For many Gaithersburg Elementary School students, the prospect of not having a Thanksgiving meal is very real. Being a Title I school, 72 percent of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, Gaithersburg Elementary administrative assistant Rosa Baxter said, adding many of those students struggle to eat on weekends. But thanks to a longstanding partnership with Darnestown Elementary, many Gaithersburg children will enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. Each holiday season Darnestown Elementary holds a Thanksgiving Food Basket drive helping to provide all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner, PTA chairperson Kristen Crook said. “So many of our families can’t afford to go out and purchase huge Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, so we provide…
jnrentz1
7:59 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Grape Expectations located in the Goshen Crossing shopping center at Goshen and Snouffer's School Road has a great wine and beer selection, a knowledgeable staff and wines tastings on Saturday's. more ›