Leech Woods Haunted Trail opens Friday in Damascus

Halloween season is officially underway, and that means it's time to track down local haunted attractions. One of the highest-rated is right here in Montgomery County in one of our greatest towns, Damascus: Leech Woods Haunted Trail at 11201 Bethesda Church Road, and it opens this Friday, October 3, 2025. The trail and hayride have gotten high marks for creativity, originality, scare factor, and the pace of entry to ensure that you get your own experience on the trail, rather than crashing into the adventurers ahead of you. Past survivors also praise the high quality of the food and drinks that are for sale in the village from which you will depart - you've got to fortify yourself for the terrors ahead.

Make sure to read the FAQ on the website for important information regarding accessibility, clothing and shoe requirements, and parking and weather advisories. You can also buy tickets on there, of course. Also, if you are a traditional hayride fanatic, be forewarned that the separate Haunted Hayride attraction is not simply a standard hayride. You will explore the haunted Leech cemetery on foot, in between your rides out and back from that burial plot. There are fire pits in the village over which you can keep warm, and/or heat up s'mores from kits you can buy. In past years, there have been fortune tellers, merch to immortalize your survival, carnival games, axe throwing, and more in that spooky yet quaint village area. And there are plenty of "characters" to keep you diverted while you wait to enter the trail.

The founders of this attraction have wisely grounded the haunts in a chilling story inspired by the original inhabitants of the property, the Leech family, who met a grisly demise at the hands of truly demented people...or something else...during the brutal Maryland winter of 1804. Suffice it to say, there's enough negative energy on-site to overload your ghost radar and EMF meter. No wonder so many who have survived their trek on the Leech Woods Haunted Trail have reported getting quite a scare in their 5-star Yelp, and 4.7-star Google reviews.

Home broken into in Alta Vista neighborhood of Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a burglary at a home in the Alta Vista neighborhood of Bethesda early yesterday morning, October 1, 2025. The burglary was reported at a house in the 5600 block of Alta Vista Road at 2:24 AM Wednesday. Officers responding to the scene found evidence of forced entry at the home.

Call Your Mother Deli construction begins in Bethesda

Construction is getting underway on the interior fit-out of Call Your Mother Deli at 4828 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda. "Opening soon" signage has been posted over the windows. This space was previously home to Hardwood Artisans, and more memorably, Johnny Rockets. Call Your Mother had operated a trolley car food truck at the historic Bethesda Community Store for several years, before departing as a major renovation project began there. It also has a location at Pike & Rose. 

Hunger increases in Montgomery County

An unhoused person sleeps in the 
doorway of the vacant former
Sir Walter Raleigh Inn in Bethesda

Poverty, homelessness, and hunger continue to increase in Montgomery County. A new report released by the Capital Area Food Bank indicates that food insecurity in Montgomery County has increased by 1% in the last year. In contrast, hunger levels dropped in Prince George's County, the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, and Fairfax County. Food insecurity in Washington, D.C. increased by 2%.

The report was based on a survey of Washington Metropolitan Area residents conducted this spring. Most of Montgomery County's population growth in recent years has been in the low-income range. Meanwhile, the County has failed to generate high-wage jobs, and has not attracted a single new major corporate headquarters in over 25 years. The moribund economy and inflated food prices have been a devastating combination for many. Those who once turned to dollar menus at fast food restaurants to get by can no longer do so, as inflation and imposition of high minimum wages in that industry have had the desired effect of those policies' architects, to force low-income and working class residents to turn to government and non-profits for sustenance. 

Starbucks closes at Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel (Photos)

Starbucks has permanently closed at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel at 1 Bethesda Metro Center. The closure ended a seven year run at the busy hotel and Metro station. Most signage has been stripped from the exterior, but a tenant sign out front has simply been taped over, and a garbage bag tossed over the Starbucks logo sign inside the hotel. A sad luggage cart was the sole witness to the devastation. Once seemingly eager to have a store on every block in America, the Seattle-based coffee giant is now in the process of shuttering hundreds of stores, and laying off 900 employees.

Mavi opening at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Jeans have been a hot fashion topic in recent months, and another retailer plans to get in on the denim trend at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Mavi, a Turkish denim label founded in 1991, will open a new boutique on Level 1 of the mall, across from Lily Pulitzer in the Nordstrom wing. Celebrities who wear Mavi include Lady Gaga, Liam Hemsworth, Colin Farrell, Katherine Heigl, Jessica Alba, and Kate Hudson.

Kate Hudson

"I like comfortable clothes such as my Mavi Jeans, Belstaff jacket and Armani button-down shirt," billionaire Sir Richard Branson told Mavi.  "They are comfortable enough for flights and nice enough for meetings." Apparently they also work for spaceflight, as Branson sported a pair of Mavi jeans when he flew aboard his VSS Unity spacecraft in July 2021.

Sir Richard Branson

Considered a premium denim brand, the company's "Perfect Fit philosophy" leads to jean styles that fit a variety of lifestyles and body types. You can rightfully feign amazement and surprise that the firm is also committed to sustainability, blah, blah, blah. Mavi offers some lines of jeans that are made from hemp or plastic water bottles. And its overall "green" efforts have been praised, endorsed, highly-ranked, and/or certified by a variety of environmental organizations.

Bethesda construction update: Cheltenham apartments (Photos)

Let's return to the construction site of the Cheltenham apartments at 4725 Cheltenham Drive in downtown Bethesda. Equipment and materials are being moved into place for the assembly of a tower crane at the former Midas property. A 102-unit apartment building, it has gotten the most attention for not including on-site parking. A public parking garage is located directly across the street.

Late night happy hour at Guardado's in Bethesda

Any new developments in the nightlife scene - or what's left of it - in downtown Bethesda are worth noting. Through the end of October at least, Guardado's will be hosting a special late night happy hour Thursday through Saturday, from 9:00 PM to midnight. There will be $5 shots on select spirits, happy hour drink pricing, and a late night tapas menu. Guardado's is located at 4918 Del Ray Avenue in the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood of Bethesda.

When a Kenwood home just isn't enough (Photos)

It's safe to say that a majority of people would consider almost any of the full-size original homes in Kenwood to be a dream house. Few can afford to make the dream come true, however. But recent times have witnessed the unprecedented: some of the first teardowns in the prestigious Chevy Chase neighborhood. Here we see the new construction home being built at 5900 Kennedy Drive by development firm Terra Innovations, in partnership with Bethesda-based GTM Architects, and Castlewood Builders.

Fortunately, the English Tudor architectural style of the new home is one already present in the Kenwood community, as is the use of white brick. In short, if the renderings are accurate, this house is unlikely to stick out like a sore thumb. Very few new construction homes are fitting in with the established architectural styles of their neighborhoods these days, so it's impressive to see the effort being put into ensuring this one blends in with its surroundings. The finished home will have 8 bedrooms, 9 full bathrooms, and 1 half bath. It is being marketed by The Heider Company of Washington, D.C.

BabyCat Brewery Bethesda construction update (Photos)

There has been a lot of visible progress recently on the outside of the new BabyCat Brewery taproom and restaurant at 4850 Rugby Avenue in the ground floor of the Gallery Bethesda II apartment tower. Now, let's take a look at the most recent progress on the interior of the space. You can see a bar with BabyCat logos on the counter surface. Some of the heavier brewing equipment is visible through an arched wall opening. At least one private event was held here last week, so I would expect an opening date announcement soon.

Assault at Bethesda gas station

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a downtown Bethesda gas station on Thursday morning, September 25, 2025. The assault was reported at the Exxon station at 8240 Wisconsin Avenue at 4:56 AM. No further information is available at this time.

Hyatt Regency Bethesda Starbucks closing

The Starbucks inside the Hyatt Regency Bethesda hotel at 1 Bethesda Metro Center will permanently close "by the end of this week," according to a sign posted at the store. That sign is identical to one posted at the Aspen Hill Starbucks that is also closing this weekend. Both closures are part of the company's move to close hundreds of stores nationwide by next week. This Starbucks opened in the Hyatt in June 2018.

M&M Appliance opens in Bethesda

M&M Appliance is now open at 7201 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. This is the local independent appliance retailer's fourth showroom in the region, following Washington, D.C., Alexandria, and Bel Air. M&M Appliance was founded in 1997, and carries several major brands of refrigerators, washers and dryers, stoves, dishwashers, microwaves, grills, garbage disposals, and espresso machines, just to name a few. Brands include Bosch, Electrolux, Frigidaire, GE, Miele, and Whirlpool. Operating hours are 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Tuesday through Friday, and 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturdays.