what's up the pike: false alarm, y'all

Rockville Central (via People magazine) reports that TLC reality star Kate Gosselin is NOT buying a condo on The Other Pike:

"She is not buying or renting in the area," says the source. "Kate was having lunch there, and after spending a total of one hour in a restaurant that has condos for sale above it, a rumor began that somehow, suddenly, she was buying a condo there. She didn't even know there were apartments for sale there."

As sketchy as "a source" may sound, they've certainly got a better idea of what Kate's up to than one D. Reed, who was contacted (twice) by People over the past two days. And I was totally ready to be a lunch-break paparazzo! I have serious background knowledge about the whereabouts of Dumpsters and security guards in Rockville Town Square. Imagine how much I'd get paid for a really good photo of her pushing a stroller down the street! Sigh. I guess I have to leave celebrity-stalking to the Real World DC bloggers.

- Members of the Gandhi Brigade, a youth media collective based out of City Place Mall, will be leaving tomorrow for a ten-day trip to El Salvador. There, they'll work with two local youth organizations in what director Richard Jaeggi calls an "international youth media exchange," learning about each other's cultures. The kids are "tracing some of the roots of wealth and migration that connect to countries," said Jaeggi in a phone call yesterday. After the trip, the three groups will trade video online to produce a documentary about their experiences.

- Reader C.P. Zilliacus sent us this link about an investigation at the Food and Drug Administration in White Oak revealed that fifty-eight privately contracted security guards didn't have the right credentials to be there. The guards, who have since been reassigned to other posts, had not completed required training for CPR, first aid and the use of firearms.

- On Saturday, come to Pyramid Atlantic's new store at Georgia and Ellsworth for Benches on the Block, an unveiling of mosaic artwork for made by the youth group Arts on the Block for Downtown Silver Spring's benches. The party's from 5 to 8:30pm at 8519 Georgia Avenue, the former location of Marimekko.