Report: Bombing Suspect Called Montgomery Village Uncle, Asked For Forgiveness

USA Today: Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the 26-year-old identified by police as the dead Boston bombing suspect, called his uncle Thursday night and asked for forgiveness.

One of the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings called one of his uncles in Montgomery Village on Thursday night to ask forgiveness, USA Today reported. Tamerlan Tsarnaev—the 26-year-old identified by police as the dead Boston bombing suspect—spoke with his uncle, Alvi Tsarni, for the first time in more than two years, according to the report. "He said, 'I love you and forgive me,'" Alvi Tsarni said, according to the report. On Friday morning, FBI agents and Montgomery County police went to the Montgomery Village home of Ruslan Tsarni, another uncle of the suspects. Ruslan Tsarni urged his surviving nephew to surrender to police and ask for forgiveness. He said he had not been in touch with the suspect's family for many years. Read …

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Don't Let Squirrel Problems Drive You Nuts

The squirrels are out. Know what to do and what not to do when issues arise.

Signs of spring are everywhere in the national capital area. The cherry blossoms are in bloom, the Nationals have started the season and squirrels seem to be multiplying exponentially. Squirrels in Montgomery and Prince George's county yards are a lot like opinions. Everyone has them and they can elicit a variety of emotions. But most agree that baby squirrels, at least, are fun to spot. But what to do if you find one separated from its mother or orphaned? Do you stay away, as you were probably once taught regarding baby birds, fearing that marking it with a human scent would mean abandonment by its mother? The “hands-off” baby bird treatment, by the way, is actually a myth - birds have a poor sense of smell and will not reject a young …

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Snow Scene: Photos from Around the County

What did you see outside your window Wednesday morning? Share your snow photos with Patch.

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PHOTOS: Manna Food Center Debuts New Trucks

County officials joined Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg for the unveiling of three new food trucks.

Manna Food Center debuted its new trucks Wednesday evening. Trucks measure almost twice the size of some of Manna’s older fleet and have the ability to keep the refrigeration running while the engine is off, saving gas and reducing pollution as the trucks make stops across the county. Josh Rales, of the RFI Foundation, who created the truck challenge last year, told attendees to “be the spark” in the community and help neighbors succeed, Manna spokeswoman Allison Anderson told Patch. Read the full story on Manna's new trucks.

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Report: Montgomery Umbrella Burglar Sentenced to 75 Years

Paul Jerome Holt, 34, was responsible for at least nine burglaries, and took over $80,000 worth of equipment, WUSA 9 reported.

A man responsible for breaking into businesses from Gaithersburg to Silver Spring and taking laptops, iPads and other electronics has been sentenced to 75 years in prison, WUSA 9 reported. Paul Jerome Holt, 34, was responsible for at least nine burglaries, and took over $80,000 worth of equipment, according to the report. Holt was caught on surveillance video during one of the burglaries using an umbrella to conceal his face. "From Urban Nation to Mars Symbioscience to a dentist office, Mr. Holt preyed upon unsuspecting people who thought their personal or business property to be safe," John J. McCarthy, State's Attorney for Montgomery County, said in a press release. Holt also "stole from a church and a funeral home in the same day," …

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Gus Fring

5:19 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

Sounds like Mommy didn't breastfeed YOU, jnrentz1. You sound bitter and disagreeable. Stop sucking.   more ›

Gaithersburg Book Festival Opens Short Story Contest

Homeless girls, vanishing brothers and forced trips to the moon will be the themes for the Gaithersburg Book Festival’s third-annual short story writing contest.

Calling all high school writers in the DC-metropolitan area, the Gaithersburg Book Festival's third annual short story contest is officially open. According to organizers, young authors can choose one of three themes: "homeless girls," "vanishing brothers" and "forced trips to the moon." The stories also must start with one of three sentences provided by New York Times bestselling writer Caroline Leavitt, author of “Pictures of You,” “Girls in Trouble” and “Is it Tomorrow,” which will be released in May 2013. The sentences are: In order to participate, individuals must be enrolled in grades 9-12 at a public or private school, or in a homeschool program for the 2012-13 school year, and reside in Maryland, Virginia or Washington, DC.  …

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Animal Welfare League Offers Free Cat Spay, Neuters

"Beat the Heat" program offers 100 neuters to keep cats from becoming pregnant.

The Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County (AWLMC) will be issuing 100 free cat spay/neuter certificates to those cat owners unable to afford to get their cats altered during difficult economic times, according to the group. The program aims to decrease euthanasia at overcrowded shelters and help increase the chance of a longer and healthier life for cats by an average of three to five years, according to the AWLMC.  The program's title is "Beat the Heat." "August is the primary month that cats go into heat and get pregnant," the the organization said. "Due to the current difficult economic climate, many pet owners find it hard to pay their vet for this procedure. Therefore, they end up with more pets than they can afford to keep, and …

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PHOTOS: A Taste of Fair Fare

Join Gaithersburg and Montgomery Village Patch as they sample the food at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds Wednesday afternoon.

The list of food at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair is mighty long, but we hope to try them all. Follow Patch Wednesday afternoon as Gaithersburg's Greg Cohen and Montgomery Village's Sebastian Montes sample the fare at the fair. The list of available food includes, according to the fair website: Barbeque, Gyros, Pizza, Grilled Cheese, Roasted Corn, Italian Sausage & Peppers, Latin Food, International Asian Cuisine, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Taco Salad, Curds, Fudge Puppie Waffles, Fried Chicken, Fried Fish, Shrimp, Crabcakes, Ribs, BBQ Nachos, Chili Cheese Fries, Lemonade, Funnel Cakes, Snow Cones, Soft Pretzels, Roasted Nuts, French Fries, Kettle Corn, Dippin' Dots, Fudge, Cotton Candy, Root Beer Floats, Specialty Apples, Smoothies, …

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Laura L Thornton

3:38 pm on Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Greg - you were a trooper...! At least you didn't have to encounter the fried butter sticks I hear they do at state or county fairs in the Midwest.   more ›

Farm Fresh

Fresh Produce, Baked Goods and Friendly Smiles Are In-Season at Gaithersburg Farmers' Market

The market is loaded with fresh produce, goodies and personality.

On an understated corner of Gaithersburg, at the intersection of Fulks Corner Avenue and MD Route 355, is a farmers’ market with an incredible selection of fresh produce and delicious, homemade baked goodies, and a lot of heart. The rapport between the vendors and clients at this farmers’ market is incredible. When commenting at the Scenic View Orchards stall that I’d never seen such a diverse selection of peppers, Mona, a regular who comes every Thursday, piped in:  “Is it your first time here? You don’t know what you are missing.  You should come every week! There are such beautiful people here. It’s like my family!” Sue Velasquez agrees. She’s been coming for years. She appreciates Richard Masser, the owner of Scenic View Orchard, …

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'The Traffic That the Open Brings is Wild'

Parking lots are seeing a somewhat slow start to U.S. Open week.

The U.S. Open hordes have begun their descent on Gaithersburg, so far amounting only to a pale premonition of the many thousands of vehicles expected to throng this week to parking lots at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds and Crown Farm. The fleet of 80 buses lined up at the fairgrounds this morning began shuttling spectators to Congressional Country Club at 6 a.m. for the tournament’s opening day. By 9 a.m., roughly half of the 4,000-plus parking spots were taken as the 30th bus of the day embarked on its hour-long trip to Bethesda and back. Tournament play doesn't tee off until Thursday; the first three days are only practice rounds for the 156 players. "This isn’t a good idea of what we’re going to get," said Zach Adler, a manager for …

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