Long Branch Business League
Volume 12
Join the Business League
IN THIS ISSUE
Over the last six years the Long Branch Business League, with its Discover Long Branch! initiative, has helped transform the image of Long Branch’s commercial center. We bring art, murals, color and creativity to Long Branch. Our Discover Long Branch! campaign also sponsors regular outdoor and indoor events that have helped rebrand Long Branch as a family-friendly and creative place.
Long Branch Week Page 1 Rainbow’s Legacy Lives Page 2
Meanwhile, the Business League's newsletter keeps you up-to-date on important events, local business news, and business tips. Membership has many benefits, including: − Access to generous store design improvements grants − Greater visibility via the DiscoverLongBranch.com website − Help with Enterprise Zone tax credit applications − Greater strength and a voice in the county for Long Branch
Carlos Perozo, President
Checks to: Long Branch Business League, 8736 Flower Ave., Suite B, Silver Spring, MD 20901 Credit Card: discoverlongbranch.com (‘join’, top right)
Spring Fest Wet, Fun Page 2 Summer Pool Event for Kids Page 4
And with big changes coming to our area because of the Purple Line, now more than ever we need to stand together to make sure all of us benefit from the expanded customer base the Purple Line will bring. Making Long Branch successful for everyone.
Resources: Small Business Development Center SBDC provides counseling and classes. Counselors speak Spanish and other languages. sbtdc-training@umd.edu 301-403-0501x11 7100 Baltimore Ave, Suite 303, College Park, MD 20740
Department of Permitting Responsible for all permits to make property improvements and signage. permittingservices.montgomerycountymd.gov 240-777-0311 County Executive’s Business Solutions Group
Enterprise Zone Tax Credit Program Access to County tax credits for real estate improvements and employee hiring. Mr. Pete McGinnity peter.mcginnity@montgomerycountymd.gov 240-777-8126
Judith Stephenson
Montgomery County Council county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov 240-777-7900
Assistance with County licensing and regulations
Montgomery County (All other services) See a street light that is out? Need a bulk trash pick up? There is now a single number to call for all County services: (5 requests annually) 311 (English) 311 + 1 (para Español) Emergencies/Emergencias— 911
www.montgomerycountymd.gov/biz Montgomery County Police Non-emergency dispatch for Long Branch: 301 279-8000 (All emergencies: 911)
Department of Liquor Control DLC licenses and regulates all businesses that sell alcohol. Emily DeTitta emily.detitta@montgomerycountymd.gov 240-777-1904
July 2019
Long Branch Business League
Long Branch Week Gathering Steam, and Partners Long Branch Week – also known as Semana de Long Branch – is, appropriately enough, gathering steam this hot summer. The week-long festival, scheduled for Sept. 20 – 27, will feature musical performances, dance, skits and other activities for children, a Salvadoran marching band, food, and creative spaces for mingling outdoors. The festival will be the fruit of collaboration between many parties. It was the Long Branch Business League that came up with the concept for the festival during a NeighborWorks conference in Houston (Oct. 2018). Since then, it has blossomed into a public-privateneighborhood partnership, and is still growing. The County Planning Department stepped in as a full-fledged partner in early 2019, and is sharing its
240-777-2012 judith.stephenson@montgomerycountymd.gov
Issue 5
Supported by:
time, resources and considerable expertise, which includes putting together similar events in other County neighborhoods. MHP, thanks to ongoing support from the County’s DHCA, has been behind the scenes working out permitting, insurance and a great many other aspects of festival logistics. Together with the Planning Dept.,
‘Long Branch Week,’ p. 3
Farewell to Rainbow
How a business brought heart to Long Branch: story, page 2
Long Branch Business League Meeting
Thursday, July 25, from 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. El Gavilan Restaurant, 8805 Flower Ave., Silver Spring
Event Corner May 5 ‘Spring Fest’ Blossoms in the Drizzle Thanks to the initiative and generosity of our county’s Parks Department, the Long Branch Business League was able to create a unique sidewalk ‘Spring Festival’ this May on Flower Avenue.
Despite the drizzly weather – an unfortunate constant nearly every year in early May! – the Spring Festival was still surprisingly upbeat. Throughout the afternoon, participants lined up for free, delicious food from area restaurants El Gavilan, El Golfo and Veronica’s Café. Buoyant music from a Mariachi band serenaded them as they ate. The Spring Festival was made possible due in large part to the enthusiasm and initiative of Dan Singh, Parks Activation Manager for the Parks Department, who proposed the concept to the Business League only a few months earlier. By a lucky coincidence, the festival date coincided with Cinco de Mayo, which takes place every year on May 5, and provides an opportunity for Long Branch’s many fine Latino restaurants to show off their very authentic food (even if Cinco de Mayo is not all that authentic, in and of itself, at least as far as Central American culture is concerned!).
DiscoverLongBranch.com Silver Lining at the End of the Rainbow? The Story of a Long Branch Business In background: Rainbow’s Nok Kim, folding clothes. Foreground at left: Viktoria Shalaginova, artist who organized weekly crafts studios at Rainbow for children and adults. Pete Lafen is at right.
Since closing in early May, the website of Rainbow Laundry has continued to receive a steady stream of hits, as bewildered residents search for an explanation for why such a beloved and well-run business has shut its doors. The short explanation is this. Ever-growing costs — for water in the first instance — combined with washing machines not equipped to be watersaving, made it all but impossible for Rainbow to come out ahead. After having invested heavily in the machinery (which in the early years was perfectly profitable at the then-low prices of water), it became increasingly difficult for Rainbow to find a formula for profitability – or even for breaking even. When, to all these concerns, Rainbow learned that a fifth laundromat will soon be opening in Long Branch, the owner, the beloved Nok Kim, decided, reluctantly, that he had no choice but to call it quits. Prior to closing, over the course of a decade, Rainbow had grown into a well -liked community institution in Long Branch, achieving the status of a sort of informal public square. Rainbow almost from the beginning became a place for children’s celebrations, such as the Christmas parties Kim organized annually. He bought at his own expense little gifts for the children and distributed them. As can be seen from the photo on p. 1, there existed a natural affinity between Kim and the children of his Long Branch clients. Subsequently, Rainbow Laundry became famous (nationally and even inter-
See Rainbow’s End, p. 3
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DiscoverLongBranch.com Rainbow’s End, from p. 2 nationally) as the place where, in a functioning laundromat, weekly free tutoring classes were held for neighborhood children. The latter were organized by students from nearby Washington Adventist University. For the tutoring program, both the university and the laundromat were the recipient of several national awards. During Rainbow Laundry’s final two years, indeed right up until the day of its closing, the store was also the host of weekly arts and crafts classes. Long Branch children and parents eagerly participated in what came to be known as the Art-o-mat.
located in the area. Viktoria and the other regular tutors at the Art-o-mat studio selflessly provided their time and expertise without charge. They did so inspired by the warmth and home-like atmosphere Mr. Kim created at his cheerful store. That Rainbow Laundry closed, despite its being such a wellloved business, has, understandably, raised concerns about the future of Long Branch’s other community-oriented small businesses. The Business League hopes to address these concerns as part of its festival-related community conversation (see ‘vision committee,’ Long Branch Week story, pp. 1, 3). Meanwhile, Mr. Kim tells the Newsletter that he is doing well, but that he misses his friends in Long Branch. Typically, he offered to come out and help out at the upcoming festivals. It will be a happy reunion for many in the community when he does just that!
These art classes were maintained, in large part, thanks to the passion of the Business League’s VP Johnny Angel, who is striving to keep them going. The League’s Aug. 2d pool event (see p. 4) will include ‘Art-o-mat’ activities for area kids. The art studio at Rainbow mobilized a wide network of local enthusiasts, including Viktoria Shalaginova, director of Voices DC, an arts non-profit
‘Long Branch Week’ Continues to Grow in Partnerships (from p. 1) MHP has held two public meetings, one in May and the other in June, to make sure the festival reflects the wishes, and special character, of Long Branch. The local non-profits CASA (also with the ongoing support of DHCA) and CHEER are actively contributing, helping with outreach to the vibrant immigrant community that lends so much to our area’s authenticity and character.
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Special spaces design Vision
The purpose of the Vision Committee is to find creative ways the festival can contribute to a neighborhood-friendly postPurple Line Long Branch.
Festival organizers are currently actively recruiting for the following committees:
This goal fits in with the Business League’s original concept for the festival, which they formulated already in Houston a year ago: the festival should raise awareness about our area’s great stores and culture, foster new public spaces, and promote a vision for an equitable, inclusive Long Branch.
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Have time, talents, resources or ideas to contribute? Contact Catherine (catherinerytkonen@gmail.com) or Paul at pgrenier@mhpartners.org or call 301 812-4141 !
Construction Marketing/outreach Music and arts programming Vendor coordination
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