Of the many links between the Bay Area and the Boston Marathon bombing, two stood out on Thursday: a Martinez boy in surgery and a battery from Fremont.

Aaron Hern is recovering after surgery to repair wounds from the Boston Marathon bombings, according to the Contra Costa Times:

Aaron Hern, the 11-year-old Martinez boy injured in the Boston Marathon bombings, had a successful surgery Wednesday afternoon and was beginning to talk with family after having his breathing tube removed, according to a friend who is with the family in Massachusetts.

The bombs exploded Monday as Aaron and a group of family and friends waited near the finish line to cheer on Aaron's mother, Katherine, as she finished the race. Aaron was with his father, Alan, his sister, Abby, 10, and family friends Sandra and Frank Hall.

ABC carried this report, with a segment on Hern about halfway through:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr1lz6KJkKo

Details from the Martinez Patch:

"Now the next hurdle to get through is the larger wound healing without having compartment syndrome," said Katherine Hern Wednesday evening. "They had to pull the muscle fascia together and it was so tight that they are concerned about compressing blood vessels."

She added: "He may not sleep very well tonight because he's so much more alert now and has a lot of very difficult feelings and memories he's already dealing with. So there's a long way to go there."

Bay City News carried this report of community support:

Community members are rallying around a Martinez sixth-grader who was injured in the Boston Marathon bombings on Monday. ...

Roxanne Cole, the owner of restaurant and wine bar Roxx on Main, welcomed diners to the business for a fundraiser for the family during the lunch and dinner hours on Tuesday.

Employees at the restaurant, located at 627 Main St., worked for free on Tuesday, and other local businesses, including Chairs for Affairs, donated supplies, Cole said.

"If you know anything about Martinez, we're a very tight-knit community, and I wanted to do something to help," she said.

She said the event netted $4,500, with all proceeds going to help cover the family's transportation and housing expenses.

Cole said she would continue to hold the same fundraiser each Tuesday until the Hern family returns home. Community members may also drop off donations at the restaurant until a donation fund is established, she said. ...

The Contra Costa Times has additional information about future fundraisers for the Herns.

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Meanwhile, The Associated Press carried this story about batteries used in the bombs:

FREMONT (AP) Officials at a Northern California battery company said Wednesday they believe a battery they manufactured was used in the Boston Marathon bombing.

Benjamin Mull, spokesman for Fremont-based Tenergy Corp., said that based on crime scene photos that have appeared online, the company believes one of its nickel-metal hydride batteries was used to make the bombs that detonated Monday near the marathon's finish line, killing three people and wounding more than 170.

"We're all deeply saddened by the events in Boston. Our thoughts and hearts go out to the victims and their families and the Boston community. We're all horrified and appalled that our off-the-shelf product would be used in such a horrific way," Mull said.

The company has reached out to Boston police and the FBI but hasn't heard directly from investigators, Mull said.

The company says the 1.25-volt battery seen in the photos is sold in retail outlets and is frequently used by hobbyists for various toys, including radio-controlled cars and trucks.

Tenergy has been selling the battery for several years and said it has sold "tens of thousands" of the particular battery in the past year.

Aaron HernAaron Hern

Martinez Boy, Victim of Marathon Bombing, Recovers After Surgery

11-Year-Old Martinez Boy Injured in Boston Bombings