The Lube Center, known for its 10 minute oil changes, has signed a lease to take over the vacant location that was previously home to Ziki Japanese Steakhouse at 10009 Fields Rd in Gaithersburg.

Plans from the Lube Center, which currently operates next door at 10007 Fields are will soon be submitted so that the building can be knocked down and a new car wash can be constructed. The existing Lube Center will remain  and offer a free car wash to anyone who gets their oil changed at the neighboring location. The car wash will also offer monthly memberships to customers.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a fire in the 10000 blk of Trafalgar Sq, off King James Way, near Muddy Branch Rd in Gaithersburg around 4am on Monday, June 19. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the fire was located in a bedroom on the second floor of a townhome.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision around 11:00am on Sunday, June 18 in Montgomery Village. The incident occurred at the intersection of Goshen Rd and Stewartown Rd. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, two patients were evaluated by EMS. All lanes have reopened.

Per @mcfrsPIO on Twitter: “Goshen Rd and Stewartown Rd, @MCFRS_EMIHS Evaluating 2 patients, @mcfrs A708 and PE708 on scene Some lanes blocked.”


Starvin Marvin opened in Gaithersburg opened in 1982 and was bought by the Foundas family in 1987. In 1990 the family opened a location in Wheaton that only lasted a few years. In 2009, a Frederick location opened and the Gaithersburg store was sold to two brothers who were longtime employees and wanted something of their own. Those early days at the Gaithersburg store in the 90s, however, were the inspiration for Starvin Marvin Mambo Sauce– the restaurant’s version of “mumbo sauce”, the red/orange tangy sauce made popular in D.C. area takeout spots for decades.

“Mambo was something we experimented with from time time in the 90’s because our Gaithersburg customers would ask for it, but it was actually in Frederick where our Mambo Sauce (found in the grocery stores today) began to come together.” Dino Foundas told us. “We worked with some of our dear employees to perfect the recipe that we’ve started to include in a lot of our dishes” (photos below).


Signage is up for African Caribbean Market at 9999 Stedwick Rd in Montgomery Village. The store will be located at Montgomery Village Marketplace, which is the shopping center adjacent to the Montgomery Village Center, and is home to Curaleaf, Eddie’s Carryout, Little Island Kitchen, and Senshi Karate. No opening date has been announced.

In other Montgomery Village news, “coming soon” signage recently went up at Baskin Robbins in the Montgomery Village Center. The ice cream shop will be located next to the upcoming Safe Splash Swim School and Suburban Hair. Other businesses expected to open in the shopping center this year include Antojitos Salvadoreños Isabel, Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken (next to Starbucks), and Fiesta Laundromat. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, which was scheduled to open in the space next to Kobe Japan, appears to no longer be coming to the shopping center. The space is now listed as available again on the shopping center’s leasing website.


Never letting the grass grow under their feet, the Kentlands Under the Lights committee has been hard at work since the beginning of the year on what will be a wholly new and reimagined Kentlands Under the Lights for 2023. Kentlands Under the Lights will have a new and expanded footprint on Market Street running from the traffic circle to CenterPoint – and now fully including the Paseo space and merchants – more music options including three band stages, more food and drink options, and more places to sit and linger and enjoy the company and fellowship of our friends and neighbors on a warm summer night. Kentlands Under the Lights 2023 will be the best yet.


Two fifth grade students serving as safety patrols at Stone Mill Elementary School in North Potomac have been recognized by AAA Mid-Atlantic for their efforts to help a classmate who fell from a second story banister during dismissal earlier this year.

The students, Matina Naum and Alex Rossoshek, were at their safety patrol posts by a stairwell in the school. During dismissal, a fellow student fell from a banister to the cement floor two stories below. The girls remained calm, cleared the stairwell, navigated students away and got immediate adult help. Despite their emotions and their friendship with the boy, they were able to answer many questions from emergency personnel.


Celebrate America’s independence with friends & family at SummerFest, Gaithersburg’s illuminating summer festival on the expansive grounds of Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm. The free event takes place on SATURDAY, JULY 1, 2023, from 6 to 11:30 p.m. The festival features live music, food trucks, local breweries, family-friendly activities, all leading up to a spectacular fireworks display & SummerGlo After Party.

SummerFest kicks off at 6 p.m. with Attraction, one of DC’s top dance bands. Enjoy delicious offerings from food and local craft beverage vendors, including Saints Row Brewing, Lone Oak, True Respite, and Waredaca. ATMs available onsite. The air-conditioned Activity Center will serve as a comfort station with indoor bathrooms and space to relax up until 9 p.m.


Gaithersburg native, Grammy Award nominated, and platinum selling musical artist Logic is teaming up with BetterHelp, an online therapy platform, and is offering fans one month of free therapy sessions. Logic is also launching a new podcast, “Logically Speaking,” which will discus mental health, therapy, addiction and music.

“We’re thrilled to partner with such a talented artist who shares our determination to destigmatize mental health issues and expand access to resources,” said Olivier Sinson, Director of Partnerships at BetterHelp. “We’re passionate about making mental health care available to everyone, and this partnership will help us reach even more people who can benefit from therapy.”


Building is Among First U.S. Care Spaces Designed and Built Since COVID; Tower Will Bring Upgrades to Busy Emergency Department, Critical Care Units: Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center broke ground on its new, six-story patient care tower during last month (featured photo shows construction from June 15th). The tower, adjacent to the existing hospital, will bring residents of middle and upper Montgomery County upgraded and modernized Emergency Department; a larger state-of-the art intensive care unit; new medical-surgical patient rooms; and several other features.

The groundbreaking coincided with both National Nurses Week and National Hospital Week. Accordingly, the hospital selected 10 caregivers to join Shady Grove’s president, Dan Cochran, and Adventist HealthCare President and CEO Terry Forde for the dirt turning ceremony. The group used shovels with blades decorated by caregivers, representing units connected to services in the new tower.


Sheetz is holding a hiring event today, June 14, at the Holiday Inn Express in Germantown in preparation of the opening of its upcoming store at 751 Progress Way in Gaithersburg. The location, which will be the first Sheetz in Montgomery County, is targeting an August 10th opening date. Last month we reported that Sheetz will also be opening a location in the Walnut Hill shopping center in Gaithersburg in 2024.

Sheetz is a gas station/convenience store that offers made to order food and has over 650 locations throughout Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. According to the company, Sheetz provides “kicked-up convenience while being more than just a convenience store. Sheetz is a mecca for people on the go. If you need to refuel your car or refresh your body, we have what you need to keep you moving on to whatever comes next.”


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