what's up the pike: fender bender

- The new Washington Adventist Hospital in White Oak Calverton will cost $95 million less to build thanks to the decreasing cost of building materials, hospital president Jere Stocks told the Gazette. That brings the cost down to a sensible $468 million. The 288-bed hospital could bring as many as 3,000 jobs to East County when construction begins next fall; thanks to a shortened building schedule, it could be open by the fall of 2012.

- Just in case y'all think I'm ready to sell off Wheaton to Big Mr. Evil Developer Man, here's a coupon (warning! PDF file.) from Local First Wheaton for 15% off purchases at any of twelve stores and restaurants in the business district. Participating businesses (you can use the coupon once at each one) include the recently-opened DeJaBel Café and the Little Bitts Shop, which made this lovely Wheaton cake at a recent event.

- The writer of a blog called Baltimore is Okay moved to Silver Spring and declared it NOT okay. "In fact it sucks," he writes. What, just because our mayor was just homeless rather than someone who stole from the homeless? It's not like they've run out of abandoned, bombed-out rowhouses for you to occupy back in Ballmer. I'll even pack your bags for you!

- Hey, it's Christmas at Shitty City Place Mall! Those who have long since spurned the discount shopping center smack in the middle of Downtown Silver Spring haven't gotten a chance to see the annual holiday season display. Unfortunately, Santa Claus already made his appearance at City Place well before Thanksgiving.

- Wheaton dim-sum joint Hollywood East could re-open at soon as December 14 inside Westfield Shopping Center Wheaton Plaza, says the City Paper. The Chinese restaurant left their original location on University Boulevard last spring after a spat with the landlord. Hollywood East will be taking over a former restaurant space on the mall's first floor, near Target.