CIRS Mold Toxicity Treatment in Potomac, MD

POTOMAC, MD — Karen Huger, a cast member of Bravo's reality TV series "Real Housewives of Potomac," has been charged with under the influence and seven other charges in Montgomery County, reports said.

Huger, 60, was driving a 2017 Maserati about midnight Tuesday when it crossed the median strip and crashed into street signs, near the intersection of Oaklyn Drive and Beman Woods Way in Potomac, WTOP reported, citing court records. She was not seriously hurt.

Huger is also charged with driving while impaired by alcohol, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property, People magazine reported.

Other charges she faces are failure to control vehicle speed on the highway to avoid a collision, driving a vehicle in excess of reasonable and prudent speed on the highway, driving a vehicle on the highway with suspended registration, and failure to notify administration of change of address within 30 days.

Before charges were filed, Huger told TMZ on Wednesday that she was in shock from the crash, and acknowledged she had received some citations.

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"Last night I met a girlfriend for dinner, we talked and brought up some very emotionally sensitive topics. I was crying on my way home and saw a car heading right for me. I swerved to avoid the head-on collision, hit the divider and then a tree," Huger told TMZ. "I would like to stress, it’s important to understand your emotional state when driving and may this be a reminder to all to use their seatbelts ... the seatbelt saved my life."

Huger has been a cast member of the Bravo series since the show began in 2016.

Huger was cited for drinking and driving in October 2006, WTOP said, citing court records. She was stopped in a Mercedes in Bethesda on Wilson Lane near Bradley Boulevard in that case. A judge granted Huger probation before judgment as a first-time offender.

The show website describes Huger as a "pillar of strength and a force to be reckoned with. ... She attended the University of Virginia and is applying her entrepreneurial spirit in various beauty, fashion and lifestyle ventures while reigning supreme as the Grande Dame of Potomac."

Apricot Lane Boutique has signed a lease to move into a new retail space at Cabin John Village in Potomac, according to a report.

Mark Hand, Patch Staff

POTOMAC, MD — Apricot Lane Boutique has signed a lease to move into a new retail space at Cabin John Village in Potomac, according to a report.

The women's apparel boutique is expected to open later this year and will be located across from ReWild, Robert Dyer@ Bethesda Row reported Saturday.

Cabin John Village has been undergoing major renovations since 2016 when it was acquired by D.C.-based real estate owner and developer Edens. Other recent and planned business openings in the shopping center include Chopt, Capo Deli and The Scoop.

Apricot Lane Boutique will be located at 7951 Tuckerman Lane, Suite C in Potomac. The chain's other locations in Maryland include boutiques in Columbia, Cockeysville and Bel Air. Its other D.C. area location is at One Loudoun in Ashburn.

Each Apricot Lane boutique is locally owned, and all the styles are hand-picked by the owner. "You’ll see today’s most sought after styles and must-have pieces. Every item carefully curated with the local fashionista in mind!" Apricot Lane Boutique says on its website.

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"We have the newest styles, which you'll love. We bring them in with very limited quantities, so you can be sure that you won't see every other woman in town wearing the same clothes as you," the company said.

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More from Potomac

WUSA9 first reported on Union Wesley Methodist Church cemetery in February 2023. An unknown number of former enslaved people and freed Blacks are buried there.

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POTOMAC, Md. — African American history, once forgotten, is now a mission for descendants of a 150-year-old Black cemetery in Montgomery County.

“You can see there’s a stone here,” said Cherisse Crawford, who lives in Potomac. “There’s stones on top of stones here.”

In the 1800s, headstones were often just that. Stones. Especially for the grave of a former enslaved person or even a freed Black person.

“From babies to elderly people,” Crawford said. “Buried out here.”

Historic Union Wesley Methodist Church cemetery is hidden in a wooded area off Piney Meetinghouse Road. It is a place Crawford finds family. And frustration.

“There’s been no progress,” Crawford said. “There’s been no progress at all.”

WUSA9 first reported Union Wesley Methodist Church cemetery in February 2023. An unknown number of former enslaved people and freed Blacks were laid to rest underneath the brush and debris that now covers it.

That includes Crawford’s great great great grandparents, Nelson Cooper, Sr. and his wife, Louisa.

“I just feel like I need to make it right,” Crawford said. “I feel like they didn’t deserve this. My family didn’t deserve this.”

A WUSA9 Investigation revealed Montgomery County auctioned off the land the cemetery sits on in 1975, but did not know the cemetery was there when it sold the property to a developer for $162 named Saul Joseph.

The land was then passed down to his son, Jeff Joseph, who still lives in Potomac and after realizing the location’s significance, left it undisturbed in the event descendants of those buried there one day stepped forward.

Which is what happened when Crawford knocked on Joseph's door in December 2022, and he pledged his support for the cemetery’s restoration.

Documents show Montgomery County realized the land was a former cemetery at least 2018, when a county preservation survey listed the condition of the burial site as “...poor, overgrown and neglected. With no signs marking at least 10 uncarved field stones and one broken hand-carved marker.”

Crawford believes many more graves than that lie hidden.

In March 2023, a month after WUSA9 original report, Dale Tibbitts, Special Assistant to Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, pledged to act.

“We have a history that we have to reckon with,” Tibbets said. “And we have to respect that.”

But a year later, Union Wesley Methodist Church cemetery sits in the same condition it did when Cherisse first showed it to WUSA9.

But now she’s not the only one fighting to save it.

“The only answer I got is God,” said Tracy Holsey, who also has ancestors buried at Union Wesley Methodist Church cemetery.

When Crawford told Holsey what she was doing, he was floored. Holsey is working on a book about his own family’s history in Montgomery County. Which, as it turns out, is Milliner’s family also.

“And when she got in touch with me and told me what she was doing, you know it just closed the chapter on things I never knew I’ve been looking for,” Holsey said.

Which means, it’s not just her long-lost ancestors buried here. His are too.

“And I had no clue,” he said. “It was right here.”

Holsey called his childhood friend David McKenzie, owner of the fencing company Capital Fence.

“It’s wrong what’s being done,” McKenzie said. “The county should really help them clean it up, and they’re not giving them any help.”

“I told him what was going on,” Holsey said. “I didn’t have to ask him. When I told him what was happening, he said, I’m there.”

McKenzie offered to do the work free of charge.

“We can come in with plenty of equipment and grub down the trees,” McKenzie told Crawford and Holsey as they stood and planned work on the cemetery site.

McKenzie even offered to donate fencing to keep the historic cemetery preserved once it’s restored.

“By the time we’re done their families can come sit and talk to their relatives,” McKenzie said.

Only bureaucratic red tape in Montgomery County was preventing that, too.

Tibbets spent months blocking Crawford, Holsey and McKenzie from moving forward with their clean up, because Tibbets said the work might require sediment control permits and a land survey first.

After WUSA9 continued to press Tibbets, in February 2024 Tibbets relented.

In an email, Tibbets wrote to Crawford, “I checked with DPS (Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services) and a sediment control permit is not required. You are not exposing 5000 sq. ft. of raw dirt.”

Tibbets said the county’s survey of the land had still not been completed, but told Crawford “You can proceed with the cleanup you described with Mr. Joseph's permission.”

And now, a broken past can slowly be put back together by a determined present.

“This stone here it says, ‘gone but not forgotten’,” Crawford told the group.

“We’re here to make sure they’re not forgotten,” McKenzie added.

Tibbets did not respond to WUSA9’s specific questions about whether all the bureaucratic delays in getting this work started could have been avoided.

Councilmember Andrew Friedson, who represents the area and visited the cemetery site with Crawford and Jospeh, told WUSA9 in an email “I share in their frustration” over those delays.

Editors Note: In past coverage of this story WUSA9 referred to Cherisse Crawford as Cherisse Milliner. Milliner’s name has since changed to Crawford.

A fantastical dinner awaits at the Grove, a daring new dining oasis where a Spanish-born chef shows off his Vegas credentials across a menu full of meticulously plated Mediterranean dishes. Alexandria-based Common Plate Hospitality (Mason Social, Urbano, Augie’s Mussel House) steps out of its casual comfort zone with tonight’s opening of a highly ambitious restaurant for Potomac, Maryland.

Nestled in the Cabin John Village shopping center, the Grove’s nightly menu showcases flavors and techniques synonymous with regions of coastal Spain, Italy, and Greece (7747 Tuckerman Lane, Potomac, Maryland). Its huge fine-dining hire is executive chef Jose Lopez-Picazo, whose former West Coast workplace — the Bellagio’s French-Spanish showpiece Picasso — earned two Michelin stars and the James Beard Award for outstanding restaurant under his watch. More recently, he helped spearhead the opening of Fabio Trabocchi’s Spanish stunner Del Mar on the Southwest Waterfront.

Well-versed in the art of everything from seafood preparation to sous-vide, the graduate of the Madrid Cooking Institute flexes his gastronomic muscles to the max at the Grove. His tuna tartare, a rectangular slab of avocado cream, nori, toasted sesame seed, Osetra caviar, and Mediterranean soy sauce, is “a different presentation than anyone doing it.” Red beet gel makes an appearance in beef tartare and pintxo built with Iberico black sausage and quail egg. Vibrantly hued, laser-cut crackers resembling the restaurant’s logo finish off much of the menu.

“We realized there’s nothing here to cater to a higher-end experience,” Common Plate’s founder Chad Sparrow told Eater this year. “People don’t have to go to D.C. — we can offer that at the Grove.”

Lopez-Picazo plans to rotate through local and seasonal ingredients all year, and his opening menu leading into winter celebrates comfort foods like paprika potatoes and sous-vide veal cheeks with caramelized red cabbage, celery root puree, and thyme demi sauce.

Boiled octopus capped off lemon foam is another good way to start. Braised meat atop brioche bread meets up with guanciale and creamy mashed potatoes in the “Unexpected Oxtail” order that lives up to its name.

An Italian breed of cows that predominately dine on corn supply the Buffala burrata, which he smokes and serves with sweet corn cream. “When you taste the milk of this cow and combination of the crema it marries very well,” he says. His sourcing skills are also evident in day boat seared scallops bought from a lauded New York purveyor, paired with artichoke puree and royal trumpet mushrooms. Entrees fit for two include an abundant Catalán fisherman’s stew brimming with monkfish, prawns, lobster, and clams or a whole sea salt-baked dorada — a rare catch akin to branzino.

Look for a la carte dinner to start (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.), with a tasting menu joining the mix in about a month and a half. At the harmoniously designed project, the dreamy decor intentionally matches the artistry of the dishes. The elegant restaurant, predominately filled with corals, pinks, and white tones, features a “similar color [scheme] with the food we do,” says Lopez-Picazo.

Lopez-Picazo’s stateside cooking career kicked off in the late 1990s under José Andrés in D.C. and flourished across the U.S. in other large Vegas roles like Aria’s Julian Serrano Tapas.

“Bringing him in was a huge feather in our cap. He has the potential to win a Michelin star here,” Sparrow told Eater this year.

For now, the kitchen is focused on communicating the Grove’s story to guests.

“My goal is to make people understand what we do and surprise them with my food,” says Lopez-Picazo, whose sous chef worked under chef Robert Wiedmaier.

An 18-foot wine rack stocked with all sorts of Mediterranean varietals “lights up like a Christmas tree,” says sommelier Julia Ollar. An opening list of 45 bottles is expected to double down the line.

“Like any beverage program, we are not the stars of the show — we are here to compliment and support the [food]. They’ve raised the bar pretty high for us,” says beverage director Dan Marlowe, who came up with the creative cocktail list after Lopez-Picazo handed over his menu.

The bar leans heavily on Mediterranean classics like gin, amaro, port, and sherries. “But there’s so much you can do with that,” adds Marlowe.

A sangria shooter served in a cordial glass is quick-sipper sure to please, comprised of a savory wine reduction, orange liqueur, brandy, gin, and gelatin foam. Instead of one everyday espresso martini, there’s two next-level kinds: one with grappa-based liqueur and root spice syrup and another with honey and tequila reposado.

Common Plate’s second act in Maryland is its anticipated Heights Food Hall, slated to open near the Friendship Heights Metro next month.

Potomac Maryland

Potomac, Maryland is in southern Montgomery County Maryland, just outside the beltway, bordering the Potomac River. There are dozens of smaller neighborhoods. Potomac is best known for being a DC suburb with luxury homes. With luxury comes higher price points. Stick with me until the end because I’m going to debunk a long-standing myth about Potomac.

Potomac is one of the first areas in Maryland where it feels more suburban than urban like neighboring Bethesda. The lots are bigger, the houses larger, there’s more riding lawn mowers and many homes where you can’t even hear your mailbox open when the postman arrives.

Transportation & Commute

Potomac is indeed a “close-in” suburb, but it will be a longer commute if you are heading downtown or to Northern Virginia. If you are commuting via 270, it could take 15 minutes just to get to the highway depending on where in Potomac you are. River Road is another major corridor out of Potomac and into DC. While it is a main road, there are many lights and speed cameras.

Real Estate

In the last year, 406 single family homes sold in Potomac. The average house in the past year closed for $1.496M. The median was $1.297M.

I have some things to say about Potomac Real Estate. This is not a place where people come and go every few years. People set down roots here and you will often find that the homes for sale have been owned by the same family for 20, 30, 40 years. That said, be prepared for homes that are well-loved but may have dated features like wallpaper, polished brass fixtures, or textured ceilings.

Prices here start at about $800,000 and they can go up into the $2M’s. There are of course outliers at higher price points as well as lower price points but this is generally the range of the Potomac home. You are getting a lot more land typically and a lot more house than in areas like Bethesda or Chevy Chase.

There are some townhomes here, as well as the Park Potomac Community just off 270. There are brownstone homes here as well as condos. These were built about 15 years ago and also carry the prestige you would expect from a Potomac address.

Food

In Potomac you have the Potomac Village Shopping Center at the River Road and Falls Road intersection. There is both a Safeway and a Giant grocery store here. Also, there are restaurants here to include two of my local favorites – Potomac Pizza and Moby Dick’s House of Kabob. There’s also Renato at River Falls, which is Italian, and Lock 72 Kitchen & Bar. Across River Road, you will find Hunter’s Bar and Grill, Tally Ho Pizza and En Bistro & Sushi.

There’s another shopping area at Seven Locks and Tuckerman Road. This location has a Giant Grocery Store. There are a few restaurants here of note, my favorite from Connecticut just opened up – Colony Grill. There’s also Sister’s Thai and Gregorio’s Trattoria.

Then the newest of shopping areas is at Park Potomac where you will find a Harris Teeter Grocery Store, and several awesome restaurants – Founding Farmers, Gringos & Mariachis, King Street Oyster Bar.

Just on the edge is another of my local favorites, the Tower Oaks Lodge. I spent many of my single girl years at the Tower Oaks Lodge and it was the best.

Family & Fun

Potomac has country clubs, tons of trails, parks, and lots of green space. The hiking along the Potomac is unbeatable. Great Falls Trail and Billy Goat Trail have some amazing views of the river and the falls.

FUN FACT: There’s an annual 50 mile Kennedy Walk which goes to West Virginia, and it starts on the trails here by Old Angler’s Inn.

Potomac also has Cabin John Regional Park which has a lot of fun for everyone. There is a really large playground, an ice rink, and a train that has various themed rides through the year. The girls and I did the Halloween ride a few years ago for fun. It’s geared for little kids. There’s also a great dog park here too.

They like golf in Potomac. There’s Congressional Country Club (which has a Bethesda mailing address but falls inside the Potomac area,) Avenel and the Falls Road Golf Course.

Potomac Day happens in the fall, which is a fair for businesses, a car show, games, rides and a parade.

Schools

Potomac schools are well-ranked and sought after. This is as good as it gets. The Great Schools scores are all mostly 9’s and 10’s, even for middle school which we usually see take a dip.

Most of Potomac is zoned for Winston Churchill High School. Small parts of Potomac are zoned for Wootten High School on the north edge and Walt Whitman on the southern edge. These are all top high schools.

Ready for me to debunk the myth I mentioned? Locally there seems to be this cache associated with being zoned for Whitman. If you didn’t get a house in Whitman you were second-best. For public schools, this mad-focus on Whitman can actually derail people. I dug into Bethesda Magazine’s College Analysis for 2022. All the surrounding high schools sent the same percentages to top colleges, and in some cases, Churchill had more Ivy League Acceptances than Whitman. Take it all with a grain of salt when it comes to education.

Conclusion

If you want the suburbs, Potomac is the quintessential suburbs. Nice homes, great schools, and decent suburban amenities.