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what's up the pike: so fresh and so clean (updated) - From the listservs: Samuel Myers, better known as Bonifant Street dry-cleaner Jim Dandy, will receive the 2009 Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award this year. Named for the former County Executive, the prize honors Montgomery County residents over 60 who have contributed to their community. Ninety-four years old, Myers has owned the cleaners since 1972 but will have to leave soon as his and several other businesses along Bonifant are cleared to make way for a new apartment building. He'll be recognized in a ceremony at the Music Center at Strathmore on November 5 at 4pm. - Looks like developer Patriot Realty has returned to their "drab grey tower" playbook for their plans to redo the Wheaton Safeway. DCmud has a street view of the proposal (at right), which would put 500 apartments atop a new grocery store at Georgia Avenue and Reedie Drive in a building designed by Baltimore firm Hord Coplan Macht (who also did the stalled Glenmont MetroCentre project) and often compared to D.C.'s CityVista, of the renowned "pale yellow" school of design. Patriot is also responsible for dun-colored residential buildings like the Portico, the Crescent and 8045 Newell in Downtown Silver Spring.

- It's supposed to be cold and wet this weekend, UPDATE: It's been cancelled. Looks like all of that's no match for the oncoming monsoon season. So much for being dry. What events on Ellsworth Drive don't have free admission? Have they started charging kids to hang outside the Majestic now?

- Before and after that event, celebrate the 75th anniversary of Blair High School with a Homecoming Parade leaving from Wayne and Fenton at 9am, and a block party on Ellsworth in the evening from 6 to 8pm.

- A Takoma Park parent says Montgomery County Public Schools aren't doing enough for gifted students of color. In an interview with the Voice, former PTA President Denise Jones, who is black, talks about her daughter placed in "accelerated" programs that weren't challenging enough and hassled by classmates for being smart. Eventually, she transferred to a private school. As a minority who managed to escape from a gifted-and-talented program, I could definitely sympathize with her story. labels: diversions, food, planning and development, schools, silver spring proper, takoma park, wheaton-kensington 
So is IIFest canceled??

October 16, 2009 4:20 PM 
Susan Hoffmann says they're pushing it back until 2010, but no date has been set.

October 16, 2009 4:39 PM 
Well, there is always the Aspen Hill Community Festival, at the Aspen Hill Library, October 17, 11 AM to 2 PM.

Generally not a big "do", and with this weather we can expect it to be pretty subdued. But usually one or more of the elected officials shows up, great for discussing issues with them.

For us, that will be the April closing of the BAE Systems office, which will relocate 400 jobs to the Redland area, meaning that there will be that many less lunch customers for all of the neighborhood restaurants within walking distance...

October 16, 2009 5:11 PM