Potomac residents Sina and Nina Farzin brought their popular product, Oogie Bear, onto Season 14 of Shark Tank with the hopes of raising $400,000 dollars. Oogie Bear is “the only infant booger picker on the market that effectively and safely removes sticky and dried boogers from babies’ nostrils.” Their research and product development facility can be found in Rockville/North Potomac.

The Farzins were interested in parting with 5% of their company for $400,000. It costs approximately $3 dollars to make and sells at a price point up to $24.99. The product is specifically designed for children under the age of two and uses a “patented, award-winning design features a loop end that’s a magnet for sticky boogers and a scoop end that takes care of those dry, crusty ones, plus our trademark bear head, which is way more than just cute: it prevents the tool from going too far into baby’s nose.”


Coming soon signage is up at Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen at 229 Boardwalk Pl. in Rio. The restaurant will be located in the 2,741SF space previously occupied by BGR, which closed back in June. Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen in Rio will be a fast-casual restaurant, while the recently opened Miss Toya’s Creole Kitchen at 923 Ellsworth Dr in Downtown Silver Spring is full-service (wait staff, etc.).

The restaurant is part of Jeffeary Miskiri’s Miskiri Hospitality Group, which describes itself as a unique collective of Black, family and woman-owned products and restaurants in the DC area. Miss Toya’s will serve southern-influenced dishes such as red beans and rice, macaroni and cheese and a southern fried chicken sandwich. It will be joining the recently announced Sportrock Climbing Centers and Charley Prime as well as the recently opened Donutchew, as locally-based businesses opening in Gaithersburg’s Rio. No opening date has been provided.


The City of Gaithersburg’s Oktoberfest celebration returns after a two-year hiatus on Sunday, October 9. The event will take place from 12-5pm in the Kentlands. Full details below from the City of Gaithersburg:

“Dust off your dirndl, grab your lederhosen and get ready to Prost! The 29th annual celebration of Oktoberfest is on Sunday, October 9, 2022, from noon to 5 p.m. The festival takes place in and around the Arts Barn, Kentlands Mansion and Kentlands Village Green and along Main Street & Market Square.”


Charleys Cheesesteaks & Wings is now open at 405 N Frederick Ave, in the location that was recently home to Teriyaki Express. The new Charleys restaurant is located in the shopping center anchored by Megamart and FedEx Office. We’re told there are no plans at this time to close the nearby Lakeforest location.

Charley’s now has over 600 stores nationwide. Newer locations have adopted a new menu concept, offering chicken wings and ice cream in addition to its Philly cheesesteaks. “Tossed-to-order, the wings are made with 10 chef-inspired flavors ranging from Angry Ghost and Nashville Hot to milder options like Zesty Lemon-Lime Rub and Sweet Teriyaki.”


The City of Gaithersburg welcomes the annual “Hispanic Heritage Celebration” art exhibit to the Activity Center at Bohrer Park through November 13, 2022. The exhibit is part of the City’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration.

Collage artist Roxana Rojas-Luzon returns as the special guest curator for this exhibition. She selected 39 pieces of art in a variety of two-dimensional mediums. “Hispanic artists want to offer the community a complete vision of what it means to be Hispanic,” said Rojas-Luzon. “Our works not only represent what we left in our countries of origin & our nostalgia, but also our daily joys & struggles — what we are living & learning here every day. They are a fusion of imagination, experiences & richly varied influences. Our Hispanic heritage is intrinsic in our imagery & colors — what we learned as children: love for our families, landscapes, faces & traditions. All this is rendered not only realistically but also figuratively, abstractly & even surreally.”


Roaming Rooster is coming to 511 Quince Orchard Rd in Gaithersburg. The restaurant will be located in space previously occupied by Duck Donuts in the Firstfield Shopping Center. Duck Donuts permanently closed in August. Roaming Rooster is known for its variety of buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches that vary in heat depending on the diner’s preferences – mild, medium or hot. In addition to its free-range, grain-fed, antibiotic-free and Halal chicken, Roaming Rooster offers an all week breakfast menu, salads and sides including wings, chicken tenders and hand-cut fries.

This will be the chain’s second Montgomery County location. Its Pike & Rose location at 11586 Old Georgetown Road in North Bethesda opened on June 21. No opening date for the new location has been announced. Featured photo courtesy of instagram user, @kerryout_delivery


Back in April, we let you know that Macondo Food Express would be coming to Gaithersburg. The restaurant has opened at 811 Russell Ave in Gaithersburg. The Colombian restaurant has taken the space that was formerly home to Perroloco (also Colombian), which closed in the spring of 2020.

The menu offers items such as empanadas, pastel de yuca, a variety of arepas, twice-fried smashed green plantains, meat skewers, many different types of perros calientes (hotdogs), burgers, and a lot more. The restaurant is currently offering 10% off of your first order if you order online.


On Friday, September 16, 2022, at approximately 6:21 p.m., officers were patrolling the area of Shady Grove Rd. when they observed a silver 2020 Nissan Altima commit a traffic violation. Officers followed the Nissan and pulled it over in the area of I-270 north and Montgomery Village Ave. Officers approached the Nissan and made contact with Walter Prince, who was an occupant in the Nissan. Officers then obtained probable cause to search the Nissan.

A search of the Nissan revealed a Glock 9mm handgun attached to a kit that allowed the Glock to fire fully automatic. In addition, a loaded drum magazine, a thirty-round magazine, two 10-round magazines and multiple rounds of ammunition were recovered from the Nissan.


dd’s Discount is coming to 18236 Contour Rd in the Montgomery Village Plaza shopping center, according to mfi Realty. The store will be located in the former space of Marshall’s, which relocated to Gaithersburg Square last year.  dd’s is owned and operated by Ross Stores, Inc and items for sale at its locations are similar to those found in other discount retailers. This will be the first dd’s location in Montgomery County. No opening date has been announced.

About: dd’s DISCOUNTS opened its first store in 2004 as the place to shop and save in your neighborhood. We’re part of the Ross Family, so our buyers know all about delivering great deals every day on clothing shoes home decor fashions toys and much, much more. We have the looks and brands you love at prices well below other retailers.


Montgomery Village’s Fall Festival will take place this year on October 8 from 11am-2:30pm at North Creek Community Center (20125 Arrowhead Road). The event will feature food trucks, games, a petting zoo, and the annual Great Pumpkin Race. The Great Pumpkin Race is a “unique side-by-side, single-elimination race featuring handcrafted, decorated pumpkin race cars, in a madcap, dramatic explosion of creative ingenuity. The referee rules the race, building excitement as registered pumpkin race car owners compete for the Pumpkin Race Championship Trophy.”

Each year the racing and the decorating become more competitive, and this year is expected to be no different. Families, individuals, local dignitaries, groups and organizations are encouraged to build a pumpkin racer for the race, which caps off the Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) Fall Festival. Participants will have time before the single-elimination heats to test and tune their racers for optimal performance. A limited number of race kits will be available both at the MVF Office, 10120 Apple Ridge Road ($20), before race day, and at the festival on race day (limited quantities); pumpkins not supplied. For instructions on how to build a pumpkin racer, click here.


District 39 Delegate Lesley Lopez has announced the expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Montgomery Village and Germantown. “It’s finally happening! My lifelong dream of collaborating with Dolly Parton is happening… kind of. I’m excited to say that Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is expanding to District 39, specifically Montgomery Village this month and in Germantown in November! I was thrilled to be contacted by the IL team and am so glad to partner with them to spread the word to the upcounty community! Residents with zip codes 20886 and 20876, and who have children aged 0-5, will be able to receive a new book every month to help build their library at home. Use this link to  sign up and view information about the current program, which Dolly started in 1995 to honor her father who was illiterate.”

Per Imagination Library of Montgomery County: As an affiliate of of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, we provide free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5. Each month a carefully selected, new book will arrive in the mail, allowing children to build their own personal libraries, regardless of family income. We aim to foster the parent-child connection through a love of books. When young children are read to by adults and start learning to read at an early age, they develop literacy skills that prepare them to succeed in school. Books have the power to engage the imagination and contribute to a brighter future!


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