Damascus Library Sets a Reopening Date

📰 TOP STORIES

Damascus Library Sets a November Reopening Date

The ribbon cutting and reopening ceremony for Damascus Library is set for Saturday, November 14 at 10am. The branch has been closed since January 2025 for an extensive renovation. Full story here.

WSSC Lifts Essential Water Use Request, Repairs Continue

WSSC Water says the essential-use-only request for its 1.9 million customers has been lifted and water production is back to normal at the Potomac Water Filtration Plant. Crews are now working to fully restore the plant's electrical systems after last month's outage. Full story here.

MCPS Opens Public Input on Possible School Closures

Montgomery County Public Schools is kicking off the first of two rounds of community input on a countywide review of elementary and middle school closures and consolidations, driven by the district's first enrollment decline in more than 40 years. Round 1 runs October 19 through November 2, round 2 is November 30 through December 10. No specific schools have been named yet, including none in the Damascus area so far. Full story here.

🏆 HORNETS SPORTS

Hornets Football Blow Out Rockville 62-0

Damascus improved to 4-1 with a 62-0 win over Rockville last Thursday, their highest score of the season and a big bounce back from the loss to Oakdale the week before. Next up: at Westminster, Friday, October 9 at 7pm. Full story here.

📆 UPCOMING EVENTS

CROP Hunger Walk, Today @ 2 PM

Damascus HELP's CROP Hunger Walk, one of the longest continuously running CROP walks in the country, steps off today. It's 3.6 miles on paved paths, and 25% of what's raised locally comes back to Damascus HELP's own programs. Registration and info here.

2026 Fall Festival at Clarksburg Premium Outlets, Oct. 10

Saturday, October 10, 1-4pm. Expect pumpkin painting, live music, pop-up vendors, and shopping deals at stores including Michael Kors, Clarins, Under Armour, American Eagle, and Victoria's Secret, plus a Monster Mash dance lesson with Fred Astaire Dance Studios at 3pm. Trick-or-treating at the outlets runs 4-5pm right after, costumes welcome. Full details here.

Damascus VFD Big Money Bingo, Oct. 23

Doors open at 5pm, fried chicken platters at 5:30, bingo starts at 7pm, at the Damascus VFD Activities Building, 10211 Lewis Drive. Advance tickets are $55, $65 at the door, includes a platter and a 6-pack of 20 games. Proceeds benefit the Damascus VFD and Damascus Days. Must be 18 or older to play. Call 301-253-3942, 301-253-5452, or 240-578-0734 for tickets. Full details here.

❤️ SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

MAHA Mediterranean Cuisine Coming to Mount Airy

Maha Atallah Saah, who was born in Jerusalem and learned to cook from her mother, has been serving her food through catering (most recently alongside J & G Catering) while she gets a full restaurant open at 1001 Twin Arch Rd in Mount Airy. By her own account she's still "moving into brick and mortar," so it's not open yet. Details can be found on the Facebook page.