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At 9:45 on October 23, 2010, AFI Silver Theatre will be showing George Romero’s cult zombie film Dawn of the Dead as part of the 3rd Annual Silver Spring Zombie Walk. Here’s a little taste – one of the classic clips from the movie.

Special thanks to the staff at AFI for coordinating this. Start scheduling your rewatching parties in preparation. For those who want a double feature, AFI will be showing the Italian horror flick Suspiria (1977) at midnight – about a coven of witches disguised as the staff of a ballet academy.

More Good News
Since we quickly outgrew the space at the Quarry House for last year’s walk, Jackie Greenbaun has graciously offered the use of both Sidebar and the Backroom adjacent to her eponymous restaurant at Georgia and Sligo. While I have a feeling turnout may still pack the place full, it’s a far cray from the confines of the basement bar. And as an added bonus: much more retail storefronts on which to wreak havoc.

There should also be plenty of space at Fire Station 1 for additional zombie congregation and potential overflow. Plus families with kids you can scare the bejeezus out of.

For more info and additional updates, check out the official site at www.silverspringzombiewalk.com.

#SRATW at 6:38 PM at Thayer & Fenton. I don’t even know who might have lost water in all this, but not me [fingers crossed].

Special thanks to WSSC.

When you pay that much for City Shitty Place. Sure, it sounds like a lot, but I think it’s a sweet deal. The posted press release is dated August 11, 2010, but it’s just now making the rounds:

Hutensky Capital Partners acquires City Place Mall

Hartford, Conn. ( August 11, 2010 ) – Hutensky Capital Partners said it has acquired City Place Mall, a 350,000-sq.-ft. shopping center in Silver Spring, Md., from an affiliate of Petrie Ross Ventures for $22.8 million in a three-party deal that included a discounted payoff of 100% of the property’s outstanding debt.

An affiliate of the seller will manage and lease the property and lead the redevelopment process.

“We were attracted by the property’s location in the central business district of Silver Spring, a vibrant urban area with proven retail performance,” said Brad Hutensky, HCP’s general partner. “However, like many properties today, the asset was overleveraged. By providing a big chunk of fresh capital, we were able to find a middle ground for settlement that the lender and borrower could agree to. The result is that we now own a debt-free property that can be redeveloped to meet its full potential.”

Now the $22.8 million question is: What the hell will they do with it? Among the (potentially contentious) recommendations/additions:

• Raze it
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• H&M
• Dave & Buster’s
• Men’s clothing (beyond the 14-18 year-old set)
• Keep the Marshall’s
• Any non-truant-related retail

Feel free to add yours. Maybe we can get a community letter off to the Hutensky boys and have them come speak at an ECCSA meeting. Or not. God forbid anyone be put through that.

Photo by Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post

I know that the arcane liquor laws imposed by the Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control have made it difficult for smaller establishments to open and serve alcohol. Rumor has it that’s why many of the places in the downtown area are larger chains: they have the legal infrastructure to navigate such obstacles. Whether or not that’s actually true, I’m not sure, but it seems to make sense. Then we get to the other places of business that don’t serve alcohol…

Enter: Our venerable Jeebus Chevron. While I’ve derided its political leanings in the past, I have to say I owe the Chevron station (on Georgia, just south of the beltway) and its staff a debt of gratitude. I had a state car inspection issue (concerning taillights) that had to be resolved quickly. The Shell station across the street wanted me to make an appointment for early the next morning and wait in line for a matter that could be fixed in five minutes. I went to the Chevron station, and they came out, walked around the car, and after a few minutes I had signed paperwork and was on my way. Great service.

But advertising that Montgomery County is bad for business? Is it a political ploy given the heavy left-leaning Council or a legitimate gripe? Both are certainly possible. Ask any developer what a pain in the ass it is to get projects approved (leaving aside problems that organizations like my venerable ESSCA cause) and you may get some similar complaints.

Also, a couple of weeks ago a veil of secrecy was put over the sign (Shroud of Petrol?) with an accompanying message saying “Boycotting BP Stations Just Hurts Local Businesses.” Is this a precursor to a change in affiliation for the gas station? I agree with the sentiment of the message, but what a timing snafu for the shift if that was the case.

In Other News…
The new toy store on Fenton Street has a great selection of video games and other miscellaneous toys, but my daughter and I were both thoroughly creeped out by the Kookys.

Caveat emptor, indeed.

Yesterday the belt that drives both the air conditioner compressor and, by proxy, the power steering pump in my car broke. So it’s hot inside and it’s hard to steer. And even *I* can avoid the new traffic calming/pedestrian island additions to Dale Drive.

A flurry of emails went out on the Queen Anne’s listserv about someone – who claims they were driving carefully – losing a tire on one of these pedestrian islands. How the hell did they not see the big orange cones?

The moral of the story, people: slow the frak down and don’t be such an idiot. People are walking across Dale from downtown to the Sligo Creek area all the time (hear me, l.b.?). And as I recall, the speed limit on Dale is 30mph (25 near the middle school during school hours). If you bust up your car, stop complaining and shut the hell up. It’s your own damn fault.

One of my best friends growing up had the nickname “Bawk Bawk Man.” When you asked him why, he’d answer very matter-of-fact: “Because I look like a chicken.” And yeah, he did kinda look like a chicken. Somewhere, somehow, that devolved into “Mr. Chicken” among a few people.

Long story short, we all grew up, and he doesn’t look so much like a chicken anymore. But I’ll now be constantly reminded of him through the latest culinary offerings from Georgia Avenue’s very own Mr. Chicken. (No – he is in no way related to the business.)

I heard they were open and went by today for a sample. I was on the late side for lunch, and I think things had been sitting around for a while, but everyone was friendly and a few of the tables were full. Everything was good, but it was no El Pollo Rico. Any of this look familiar? It’s *exactly* what my plate at El Pollo Rico looks like.

I’m a fan of the tortillas in these kind of joints, as they’re great carriers for the chicken, both sauces, and a bit of cole slaw if I’m in the mood. (And if I’m feeling really festive, I’ll splurge for an Inca Cola.) But when I see this setup, all I can think of Wheaton’s Holy Shrine of Chicken. But that, Mr. Chicken is not.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s plenty tasty, but there’s one reason I will visit this joint: convenience in the midst of a chicken hankerin’. I can walk here in under 5 minutes, but if I’m in the car, I’ll head to El Pollo Rico in Wheaton. (BTW, “Chicken Hankerin’” would make a great band name.) I don’t frequent chicken joints – I’ve been to the Crisp & Juicy on East-West Highway near Giant exactly once – but for the many who do, I think these guys will build a solid business. And maybe feed more into Velatis next door for an after-dinner snack.

Thank you, Easter Bunny.

It appears there are some problems with permanent residency declarations at the Thayer Avenue Safeway. I always get the creeps when I walk through the underground garage, but now it appears as if people are taking to sleeping in cars.

Yes, it actually has a “NO TRESPASSING” sign and says “NO SLEEPING” on the back window. One would think that locking the doors would be an easier solution. Maybe we can call this the Sleeping Safeway from here on out.

In Other News…
From the looks of this story in the Washington Post, I don’t think the photo below, which I took during Snowpocalypse I on December 19, 2009 (at the aforementioned Thayer Avenue Safeway), was an accurate representation of actual usage. Or the stocks really dwindled too far below demand.

Thanks to BMSTT for the No Sleeping photo.