What You Shouldn't Have Missed in These 500 Square Miles

Follow that iPhone

Okay, it's not Montgomery County, but it's that ended with nearby the recovery of New York Times technology guru David Pogue's missing iPhone. How did the gallivanting smart phone spend its time? So far, the secret stays with Siri.

Fowl Politics

Montgomery County residents flocked to Chick-fil-A Friday following about same-sex marriage. But "kiss day," as gay rights activists called it, that it was in some other areas, at least according to an informal on-site survey by Patch editors. Mostly, customers in decidedly liberal Montgomery County -- where a recent poll shows a majority of Free State voters continue to support civil rights for LGBT families -- were just looking for a chicken sandwich.

Clever Cops

If you've ever been fooled by a mannequin posing as a police officer in a parked cruiser on a side street to deter speeders, local police have another trick up their sleeve. with valuables inside to tempt thieves who are then caught on video if they try to take the goods. So, if you're a thief and something seems too good to be true, ask yourself, "Am I in Gaithersburg?" Then, think again.

Bikability

If you walk, bike, use Metro or all three, look for improvements at the Twinbrook and Rockville Metro stations. to improve pedestrian crossings at those locations.

By the way, if you use a bike for transportation in DC, you may have forgotten something. According to DCist, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is about to get rid of bikes left abandoned throughout the system. They'll be removed soon -- not soon enough for riders looking for bike rack space.

What's Your Question?

BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown has legions of fans, so what do they want to know about the center's new executive director? and she'll ask Krista Rimple Bradley in an interview this week.

National Night Out

The 2012 National Night Out (NNO) observance comes Tuesday, and Montgomery County residents are expected to join in the symbolic campaign to prevent crime and improve community relations with police. For a comprehensive list of activities, .

In Restaurant News

(7003 Wisconsin Ave., on the Bethesda-Chevy Chase border) is undergoing renovations, according to Bethesda Magazine. The restaurant has been a destination for about 15 years but , noting it was a bit buttoned-up and staid. That's expected to change when it re-opens in the fall.

--Frozen yogurt joint Red Mango is set to debut in Bethesda – but that might be exciting news only for NIH employees. The announcement spread quickly among Bethesda Twitter users and bloggers last week. But the yogurt shop will likely not be available to the general public, the chain’s founder Dan Kim tweeted in response to some pointed questioning by Bethesda tweep (and Patch blogger) The eatery's first foray into Montgomery County is planned for 10 Center Drive -- inside the security fence at the NIH campus.

--Mi Cocina is slated to open in the former space in The Collection at Chevy Chase in March 2013, according to a news release from . Mi Cocina is owned by the privately held M Crowd Restaurant group, which has restaurants in Dallas/Fort Worth, the Houston area, Tulsa and Atlanta, according to Mi Cocina's website. Mi Cocina's menu includes standard Tex-Mex fare (fajitas, enchiladas, tacos), as well as house specials. It will be the restaurant's first East Coast location.

Awards, But Not Just Any Awards

--By now, everyone in the world knows about Katie Ledecky of Bethesda. when the 15-year-old stuns the world and wins Olympic gold in the women's 800m freestyle.

--Chevy Chase resident Claire Van Ekdom, 16, won two of three races in her age category at the USA Cycling Junior Road National Championships in Augusta, GA, The Washington Post reported.

--Jennifer Bado-Aleman, a Gaithersburg High School English Resource teacher, was selected as one of 12 teachers nationwide—one of two Latino educators—to be among the Teaching Ambassador Fellows working at the U.S. Department of Education Headquarters, NBC Latino reported.

Back to School

-- and the state school board has passed requirements that athletic coaches in Maryland must be trained in identifying serious head injuries, The Baltimore Sun reports. WBALTV reported that the state’s new regulations came after a study that indicated 60,000 high school and college athletes suffer concussions in a year from contact sports.

--Fess up, Montgomery County. How many kids in Montgomery County schools will be carrying smart phones and/or electronic tablets on the first day of school? The average person with a child in grades kindergarten through 12 is expected to spend $688.62 this year on back-to-school shopping, according to the National Retail Federation, a jump from last year's 603.63, with a big part of that on electronics. Most public schools in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties don't require electronic devices like tablets and e-readers, but .