Is Irony Out of Style? Americans Down on Hipsters

Forty-two percent of people asked have an unfavorable view of the very hip, says a new poll.

  A poll released by Public Policy Polling shows that a large percentage of Americans (42 percent) have an unfavorable opinion of “hipsters,”  a group of men and women “unusually aware of and interested in new and unconventional patterns,” according to Merriam Webster. The Urban Dictionary says members of this subculture are “typically in their 20s and 30s” and “value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, indie-rock” and “witty banter.” Locally, data from the 2010 Census shows that only 19 percent of Montgomery County’s population is between the ages of 20 and 34. In Silver Spring though, nearly half of the residents in some parts of downtown—near the Metro (52 percent), between East-West Highway and Fenton Street (…

• Photos (1)

County Council: Residents Dislike Proposed Smoking Ban, BRT Study Funding Slash and More

Notable outcomes include county residents speaking out against a proposed smoking ban, Council cutting funding for a bus study in half, and the approval of a controversial apartment complex in Bethesda.

The Montgomery County Council met Tuesday, Jan. 22. Notable outcomes from the meeting include: County Residents Speak Out Against Proposed Smoking Ban A bill, introduced by Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen, intending to ban smoking on any property owned or leased by county government was met with negative feedback from county residents during a public hearing, The Washington Examiner reported. One resident said the ban was comparable to making it "illegal to consume on county property food containing trans fats ... genetically modified corn snacks ... and sugary sodas more than 12 ounces," adding, "It should also be illegal to wear inadequate clothing in the wintertime," according to the report. Others testified that the ban could hurt …

• Photos (1)

1 Meat, 3 Sides

Foodie News: Rockville Pop-Ups, Wine Without Anxiety

Get caught up with the latest in foodie news from Montgomery County and adjacent Washington, DC, neighborhoods.

  Get caught up with the food scene in Montgomery County and adjacent Washington, DC, neighborhoods with "1 Meat, 3 Sides." This week, a pop-up concept at a Rockville cocktail bar takes center plate: One Meat: Quench, a destination cocktail bar in Rockville, is launching a new partnership program to host a series of pop-up restaurants within its walls on Sundays and Mondays to showcase new and upcoming chefs and culinary concepts.  “We’re excited to let our space highlight the visions of other rising culinary stars in the area," said Michael Holstein, owner of Quench. "We started out thinking about the days the restaurant was closed, but it transformed into an opportunity to build some real fellowship with colleagues in the restaurant …

• Photos (1)

Top Headlines: Montgomery College Crisis Averted, Sex Abuse Trial, Brickyard Controversy and More

A roundup of the top headlines in Montgomery County this past week.

UPDATE: Police: Witness Said Montgomery College Student Told Them He Was 'Going to Shoot Everyone' ROCKVILLE—A 19-year-old Montgomery College student was taken into custody by Rockville city police on Monday afternoon after fellow students said the man told them he—in his words—“felt like shooting people just for fun,” a college spokeswoman said. Read more on Rockville Patch. Sex Abuse Trial Involving Germantown Middle School Teacher Continues GERMANTOWN—The trial of a Germantown middle school teacher accused of sexually abusing one of his students began in Montgomery County Circuit Court on Tuesday. Cuyler Jay Cornell, 51, Germantown, was indicted on charges of sexual abuse of a minor and sexual offense. The trial was expected to reach …

• Photos (6)

Trader Joe's Recalls Peanut Butter Over Salmonella Concerns

DC-area stores take one house brand off the shelves and offer refunds.

Trader Joe’s corporate officials say they are acting “out of an abundance of caution” and ordering the recall of one type of its house brand peanut butter over salmonella concerns. “Trader Joe’s Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter” should not be eaten, the Monrovia-based specialty grocery chain said to City News Service, a southern California based wire service. “We have no confirmed information that suggests this peanut butter is unsafe to eat,” the company stated to City News Service. But the food should not be eaten “pending health-related inquiries.” Trader Joe’s has several locations in the area, including Chevy Chase, Silver Spring and Foggy Bottom. In advance of this recall, Trader Joe’s removed the product from all store shelves. …

• Photos (1)

SPEAK OUT: What Did You Think of the Olympics Closing Ceremony?

Are you sad to see the Olympics go? What did you think of the closing ceremony?

The 2012 Summer Olympics officially ended last night with memorable performances from The Who, George Michael and of course, a Spice Girls reunion. Olympians have returned home – some, like Bethesda swimmer Katie Ledecky, with gold medals.  Other Montgomery County Olympians, like rhythmic gymnast Julie Zetlin and Darnestown kayaker Caroline Queen, may not have taken home a medal, but they still made Olympic history in their own ways. Zetlin, another Bethesda native, was the first U.S. rhythmic athlete to compete at the Olympics since 2004 and the only American in this year’s competition. Queen wrote in a personal essay that though she wished she had finished better, she was still honored to compete in the games.   Overall the U.S. had a …

•  6 Comments
• Photos (4)

Would You Pay $25 to See a Movie in 'Luxury'?

Several luxury cinema chains plan to open locations in the Bethesda area.

If you’ve ever had to choose between seeing a new movie in theaters or watching an old one in the comfort of your home, you may appreciate what new “luxury” theater chains are doing.  Several Washington- and Florida-based cinema companies have created luxury movie theaters—complete with reclining chairs, stadium seating, pick-your-own-seat reservations and food and beverage service right at your seat.  Three of these companies—ArcLight Cinemas, iPic Theaters and Silverspot Cinema—have plans to build theaters in the Montgomery County area, reported Patch and The Washington Post.  “I think one of the things we’ve seen as an industry over time is that as people age, their movie-going habits change,” Patrick Corcoran, director of media and …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

Pepco Details Response Efforts as Lt. Gov. Brown Tours Bethesda Control Center

The Bethesda location was one of three stops on Brown's tour after Hurricane Irene.

Pepco officials detailed their power restoration efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irene as Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown visited the Pepco Control Center in Bethesda Tuesday. Brown's visit was part of a planned multi-city tour that included Odenton and Greenbelt. Brown met with Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, Pepco President Thomas Graham, Maryland Emergency Management Administration representative Mark Demski and dozens of other Pepco officials and employees. Hurricane Irene left approximately 220,000 Pepco customers without power in Maryland and Washington, D.C., including more than 100,000 in Prince George’s County alone. As of Tuesday afternoon, Pepco has been able to restore power to close to 210,000 customers. “I feel very…

•  2 Comments
• Photos (7)

County Businesses Set to Cash In on U.S. Open

Local retailers, hotels and other businesses are expected to ring up about $150 million dollars' worth of business during the week of the U.S. Open in Bethesda, June 13-19.

With the U.S. Open descending on Congressional Country Club in Bethesda next week, major hotels in the area are sold out, the bustling restaurant scenes in Bethesda and Friendship Heights will be busier than ever and Bethesda-based Ridgewells caterers have hired hundreds of temporary workers. Bottom line: The golf tournament will have cash registers ringing to the tune of an extra $150 million in Bethesda and its environs.  About a quarter million people are expected to attend, which may go into the books as one of the biggest sporting events to be hosted in Montgomery County, with a much larger dollar impact than either of Congressional's two previous U.S. Opens, in 1964 and 1997.  One of golf's four major tournaments, the Open presents …

• Photos (1)

Suburban Hospital Victim Died From Stab Wounds

Preliminary results of autopsy confirm Roosevelt Brockington Jr.'s death a homicide due to stab wounds.

Update, Jan. 3, 9:50 a.m.: Preliminary results of the autopsy of Roosevelt Brockington, Jr., a Suburban Hospital employee, confirm that he died from stab wounds, according to Montgomery County police. Detectives believe that it is more likely that this was not a random act of violence. The motive for the murder remains under investigation. Detectives are not ruling out any possibility, but will focus on who might have had a reason to harm Brockington. Brockington, 40, of the 11200 block of Sitting Bull Circle in Lusby, Md., had been employed at Suburban Hospital since August 2006. Update, 2:20 p.m.: Roosevelt Brockington, Jr., the victim of an apparent homicide at Suburban Hospital Saturday, was a lead engineer in the hospital's plan …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (5)