Jags Advance to Second Straight State Championship

Transcription

Gaithersburg’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Kentlands, Lakelands, Quince Orchard Park and More
Courier
The
TOWN
Vol. 11, No. 23
www.towncourier.com
Tragic Death of Kentlands
Cyclist Moves Focus to Safety
By Karen O’Keefe
U
ntil his tragic death
on Darnestown Road
on Nov. 24, Andrew
“Drew” Gerard Malizio, 60,
was a son, husband, father,
Kentlands resident and bicycling enthusiast. He was much
more than that as well, more
than can be summed up here.
However, all that ended on
a Monday morning in front of
the Shops at Potomac Valley
Shopping Center, which Malizio was passing on his bike.
Police said a Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
(WSSC) truck, traveling west
on Darnestown Road, turned
left on a green light into the
shopping center, which includes a McDonald’s and an
M&T Bank at its front. The
n
accident Continued on page 8
Photo | Karen O’Keefe
The Town Courier
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
PRSRT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
GAITHERSBURG, MD
Permit #1722
The Shops at Potomac Valley Shopping Center was the scene of a tragic accident Monday
morning, Nov. 24. Kentlands cyclist Andrew Gerard Malizio was struck by a WSSC truck
and died at the scene.
December 5, 2014
Jags Advance to Second Straight
State Championship
By Ethan Cadeaux
H
aving a running clock in the fourth quarter has been a common occurrence for the
Northwest Jaguars football team, as they have
had several instances where they have been winning
by 35 or more points. Thanks to the biggest night
of senior running back E.J. Lee’s career, the Jaguars
were able to dominate the DuVal Tigers, 47-12,
sending them back to the state title.
The defending state champion Jaguars went back
and forth with the Tigers throughout much of the
first half, thanks to Tigers’ star quarterback and
safety Antoine Brooks, who single-handedly kept
the Tigers in the game. But in the second quarter,
Brooks was severely injured, and this left a gaping
whole in the Tigers offense and defense.
Jaguar quarterback Mark Pierce connected with
Lee on two touchdown passes in the first quarter
to put the Jags up 12-6, and Troy Lefeged blocked
a punt and returned it for 30 yards to the end zone
to put the Jaguars up 18-6 with nine minutes left in
the first half.
Just when it looked like DuVal was going to make
this game a lot closer than people expected, the Jaguars turned to their best offensive weapon in Lee.
After stopping DuVal on fourth and goal with just
under two minutes left in the first half, Lee took
a handoff from the Jaguars own 15-yard line and
didn’t stop running, going 85 yards to the end zone
and giving the Jaguars a comfortable 26-12 halftime
lead.
Photo | Arthur Cadeaux
Northwest running back E.J. Lee outruns the DuVal defense for an
85-yard touchdown run.
The Tigers’ coaching staff decided to prevent
Brooks from any further injury, and pulled the plug
on his sensational junior season at halftime, not allowing him to play in the second half. Northwest
never looked back.
Lee would end up with six total touchdowns,
three receiving, two rushing, and one on a punt return, as the Jaguars would cruise in the second half
to a 35-point victory.
“Offensive line played great, defense played great,
n
state championship Continued on page 23
Christmas Magic Prevails Celebration Brings Chanukah
at 202 Little Quarry Road Spirit to Communities
By Pam Schipper
I
n the best holiday movies,
Santa always faces a challenge
that somehow has the fate of
Christmas hanging in the balance. It makes for a better story.
We appreciate anew the Christmas magic.
On Saturday, Nov. 29, 7 p.m.
at 202 Little Quarry Road, Mikel
Draghici in Santa attire faced a
challenge. Christmas was not on
the line, but the fate of his third
annual lighting ceremony was.
A crowd of at least 50 had gathered, and all were enjoying hot
chocolate and cookies. A group
of middle schoolers were in constant motion on sidewalk and
street, laughing. Little ones sat in
strollers, on the curb with parents
and in the back of a van with the
trunk door open for better viewing. Neighbors, some with dogs,
chatted while waiting for the
dancing light show to begin.
Santa in red suspenders on the
unseasonably warm evening flew
in and out of the house, behind
shrubbery and trees, checking all
of his electrical connections with
his helper, friend and neighbor
John Ingrassia. They were trouble-shooting. The lights were not
working.
At one point, Draghici joked
that they were dealing with the
work of “gremlins.”
If only the crowd could have
powered the show through
song—like that scene in “Elf ”
when Santa’s sleigh, marooned
in New York’s Central Park
n
christmas house
Continued on page 11
By Ellyn Wexler
R
abbi Sholom Raichik was at
a conference among some
2,500 of his colleagues in
late November. All were planning Chanukah events in their
respective communities, said
the spiritual leader of Chabad
Lubavitch of Upper Montgomery
County. But, he pointed out with
pride, none will offer an occasion
that can rival the unique character of the one his synagogue has
held annually since 2003.
Courtesy of Chabad and the
Rockville Volunteer Fire Department (RVFD) on Thursday,
Dec. 18, beginning at 6 p.m.,
the Chanukah Fire Truck Parade—one big fire truck decorated with a 4-foot menorah, plus
a chief ’s car and a music van, all
with flashing lights—will depart
Photo | Submitted
A local Chanukah tradition organized each
year since 2003 by Chabad Lubavitch of Upper
Montgomery County, the Chanukah Fire Truck
Parade returns this year on Thursday, Dec. 18.
from the Rockville Fire Station
on Hungerford Drive and make
stops in Falls Grove, Potomac
Woods, Washingtonian Woods
and Lakelands/Kentlands. At
n
Chanukah parade Continued on page 10
Page 2
The Town Courier
Decemeber 5, 2014
Decemeber 5, 2014 The Town Courier
Page 3
Kentlands Wall Work Still Ongoing AROUND TOWN
By Karen O’Keefe
Compiled by Pam Schipper
A
section of a retaining wall
owned by the Kentlands Citizens Assembly (KCA), located
on Quince Orchard Road, collapsed
on March 30, 2014, causing evacuation and temporary condemnation of two townhomes. The order
of condemnation on the homes was
lifted by the City of Gaithersburg approximately four months later, after
“underpinning” work to ensure the
townhomes’ stability, was completed.
Today, more than eight months after blocks from the wall first tumbled
to the sidewalk, the first phase of reinforcing the wall, in the place it collapsed, is nearly complete, according
to KCA President Barney Gorin.
Holding the newly repaired section
of the retaining wall in place is a series of 14 concrete-encased fabricated
steel columns, composed of structural
“C-channels,” providing needed constructional support.
The 14 steel reinforcement beams
have been encased in concrete to
make them less visually intrusive. In
the future, contractors will stain the
gray-colored concrete to match the
wall color, Gorin said. The wall color
is tan.
The KCA’s wall-related expenditures, to date, total $361,269.19,
Gorin said. Kentlands officials initial-
Cheers to Pinky & Pepe’s Grape Escape
On Nov. 30, 14 concrete-encased steel columns support the Kentlands wall that runs atop a high elevation
next to Quince Orchard Road. The concrete will be stained to match the wall color. Concrete barrier walls
remain in place on the sidewalk.
ly estimated repairs to the failed portion of the wall would run $200,000.
In addition to being more expensive than first projected, repairs to the
damaged wall section, begun April
10, have taken longer than expected. Kentlands Community Manager Randy Fox said in July that the
work would be completed the week
of Aug. 4.
However, coverings on the concrete encasements of the steel supports
were just removed less than a week
ago, the columns are yet unstained,
and no work has begun to address the
ruined landscaping along the repaired
section of the wall.
Concrete barriers on the sidewalk
near the repaired area remained until
Dec. 2, blocking pedestrians for eight
months.
More work lies ahead to finish repairs—and potentially to shore up
other portions of the wall as well.
“We are evaluating the wall complex throughout that area,” Gorin
explained. “There are both drainage
and structural concerns that we are
working with engineers specializing
in walls of that type to understand.
“That understanding will result in
a long-term plan for the wall’s remediation, but that plan has not been developed as yet. Since the evaluation is
incomplete, any guess on cost would be
a guess.”
Although work on the damaged wall
section is winding down, the activity is
n
retaining wall Continued on page 10
Pinky & Pepe’s Grape Escape Toasts
to Toys For Tots
By Sharon Allen Gilder
P
inky & Pepe’s Grape Escape
had Kentlands Mansion flowing with good cheer on Sunday,
Nov. 23 at the Bubbles & Bites fundraising event to support the City of
Gaithersburg’s Holiday Giving Program, a component of Montgomery
County’s holiday giving project. All
proceeds from the evening benefited Toys For Tots, a program of The
United States Marine Corps Reserve
since 1947.
Lisette Orellana, Gaithersburg’s
community services program coordinator, said, “The City of Gaithersburg is a local provider that serves
city residents who benefit from the
support of Toys For Tots. Pinky and
Pepe are great community partners.”
She added that December referrals
county-wide for families in need are
12,000, and within the City of Gaithersburg the numbers are 943 families
in need and growing.
Pinky Rodgers, owner of Grape
Escape, said the first Bubbles & Bites
in 2012 was a way to have her son,
who was serving overseas in the Marines, closer to home. “I was missing
my oldest son and this was a way to
bring a little bit of Matthew into the
Photos | Sharon Allen Gilder
Gaithersburg residents Frank Goldenberg and Jon
Ross dressed with spirit befitting the occasion.
Goldenberg donned pink trousers in honor of
Pinky, organizer of the Bubbles & Bites benefit at
Kentlands Mansion, and Ross came in traditional
Scottish attire.
mansion.” Sarah Keddrell from Flying Dog Brewery featured a special
firkin (a small cask of beer) of Caleb’s
Courage, a blood orange beer with
warrior hops, named for Matthew
Rodger’s fellow Marine wounded in
Afghanistan.
Bountiful bites provided by Nantucket’s Reef restaurant and platters of
desserts donated by Kentlands’ Whole
Foods created a delicious smorgasbord
in the mansion’s dining room. Bubbles
supplied by Grape Escape came from
the Siema Wines’ portfolio. Nick Materese, local manager for Siema Wines
and wine personality, described these
bubbles as “a jaunt around your taste
buds and around the world.”
Door prizes and complimentary
subscriptions to Montgomery Magazine topped off the spirit of the evening whose purpose, Rodgers said,
was, “Giving back to the little ones
who otherwise might not receive.”
“This is such a beautiful cross-promotional opportunity that goes to
our own children, our neighbors, and
helps drive business into the restaurant and the stores. And people are
so generous, they wanted to donate
something toward this even if they
couldn’t attend,” said Rodgers.
Games, scooters, stuffed animals,
dolls, trucks, and many other toys
donated by the community and delivered to Grape Escape have made
the space above the wine racks look
like Santa’s workshop. Rodgers said,
n
fundraiser Continued on page 10
The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of
Commerce (GGCC) awarded the 8th Annual
Small Business of the Year Award (SBY) to Pinky & Pepe’s Grape Escape. This award recognizes the small business that demonstrates success,
community involvement and excellent customer
relations.
“Pinky & Pepe’s has done just so much for the
community. They’re so generous with their time
and resources. Theirs was a standout application,”
said Marilyn Balcombe, GGCC president/CEO.
“They’re not just a store. They have entertainment. It’s a hangout place … that really adds value
to the community. We’re thrilled to have them.”
Laura Rowles, GGCC director of events and
marketing, noted Pinky & Pepe’s sponsorship of
GGCC events like the annual wine tasting and
Business Networking after 5, as well as determined efforts to raise money in support of nonprofits like the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer,
Operation Second Chance and the Gaithersburg
Police Foundation. “They’re a great community
organization,” she said.
Pinky & Pepe’s accepts the SBY award on
Dec. 4 at the GGCC’s Annual Celebration Dinner & Awards Ceremony. Last year’s award recipient was Soldierfit. For more information on
Pinky & Pepe’s Grape Escape, visit www.pinkyandpepes.com.
New Santa Photo Ops at This Year’s
Tree Lighting
This year’s annual tree lighting at Market
Square, organized by the Kentlands Downtown
Partnership for Friday, Dec. 5, 6 to 7:30 p.m.,
will feature photo opportunities with Santa!
You’ll also find musical performances from local
groups, kids’ activities, a business fair and a holiday goodie bag with discounts to local businesses.
Holiday Giving Opportunities
at Long & Foster
Long & Foster North Potomac is supporting
three holiday giving programs: Toys For Tots,
Manna Food Drive and a Winter Used Coat
Drive. Please participate and drop donations by
the office at 189 Kentlands Boulevard before Dec.
15. The office is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more
information, call 301.975.9500.
Meeting on Proposed
Arts & Entertainment District
The City of Gaithersburg and the Kentlands
Downtown Partnership will host a community meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 11 a.m. at
the Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road. Representatives from the Maryland State Arts Council will
be on hand to discuss Maryland’s Arts & Entertainment (A&E) Districts, which are designed to
help develop and promote community involvement, tourism and revitalization through tax-related incentives that attract artists, arts organizations and other creative enterprises. The meeting
will focus on how an A&E District might apply
to Kentlands and the greater Gaithersburg area
arts community.
The meeting is free and open to the public.
To RSVP and to learn more please contact the
business services coordinator in the Gaithersburg
Office of Economic Development.
Page 4
The Town Courier
POLICEBLOTTER
Residential Burglaries
On 11/23/2014 at 12:54 p.m.,
two residential burglaries were reported in the 600 blocks of Main
Street and Lake Varuna Drive. An
unknown suspect(s) entered both
garages and removed property from
the vehicles. Assorted items left in
vehicles were taken, to include GPS
and an iPod.
— from Gaithersburg Police
Department reports
Commercial Theft
On 11/23/2014 during the evening hours or in the early morning
hours of 11/24/2014, an outdoor
table and chairs were stolen from
Pritchard Music Academy, 325
Main Street.
Decemeber 5, 2014
County Councilmember Sidney Katz
Ready to ‘Hit the Ground Running’
By Ellyn Wexler
S
ince winning the District 3 seat on
the Montgomery County Council
on Nov. 3, Sidney Katz has taken up
residence in what he calls his temporary
office. He has occupied the “third row,
first seat over” at as many county council
meetings as his schedule would allow. The
64-year-old former City of Gaithersburg
mayor has been intent on absorbing information about protocol and issues, determined to “hit the ground running” when
he takes office on Dec. 1.
“I’m starting to get a good background,”
he said.
“Looking through the window [at county facilities] from the other side, the inside,” has been “eye-opening,” Katz said.
In an effort to prepare for his new job, he
recently visited the jail in Clarksburg, the
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Photo | Submitted
(Left to right) Craig Rice, George Leventhal, Roger Berliner, Marc Elrich, Nancy Floreen, Tom Hucker, Sidney Katz, Nancy
Navarro and Hans Riemer are sworn in on Dec. 1 at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville to become the 18th
Montgomery County Council.
pre-release center, both men’s and women’s homeless shelters and the Family Justice Center. He said that after each visit, he
thinks, “I don’t know everything, but I feel
I grew today.”
County Executive Isiah Leggett and
county councilmembers have reached out
to welcome him and offer insights and support. Katz particularly commended Phil
Andrews, whose seat he will fill. “Phil has
been terrific and kind,” he said. “He is
concerned about what will happen with his
constituents’ issues after he leaves.” Katz is
pleased that Lisa Mendel-Trupp, Andrews’
experienced chief of staff, will be staying to
lead his personal staff. He credits her with
institutional knowledge and expertise that
are certain to ensure a smooth transition.
“In this county, we do a lot of things
right,” Katz said. “I want to enhance that,
and make sure we continue to do that.”
The self-described team player and people
person said he wants to hear from members
of his approximately 200,000-person constituency, and is committed to a culture of
transparency, ownership of problems and
improved dialogue between all parties.
Montgomery County residents want the
best of everything—education, transporn
katz Continued on page 14
MEETING CALENDAR
12/4
Rapid Transit System Meeting, Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 7:30 p.m.
12/8
Mayor and City Council Work Session – Annual Committee Briefings, City Hall Council
Chambers, 7:30 p.m.
12/9
Community Advisory Committee Meeting,
City Hall Lower Level Conference Room,
6:30 p.m.
Environmental Affairs Committee Meeting,
City Hall Gallery, 7 p.m.
Transportation Committee Meeting, Public
Works Conference Room, 7 p.m.
Board of Appeals Meeting, City Hall Council
Chambers, 7:30 p.m.
12/12
Educational Enrichment Committee Meeting, Wells/Robertson House Conference
Room, 7:30 a.m.
12/15
Mayor and City Council Meeting, City Hall
Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.
12/16
Arts & Entertainment District Community
Meeting, Arts Barn, 11 a.m.
12/17
Historic District Commission Meeting, City
Hall Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.
12/10
12/19
Police Advisory Committee Meeting, Activity
Center at Bohrer Park, 7 p.m.
Economic and Business Development Committee Meeting, City Hall Gallery, 7:30 a.m.
For the latest information on city meetings, visit the City of Gaithersburg website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
309 Main Street
For Advertising: 301.279.2304
Also on the Web at www.towncourier.com.
Diane Dorney
Publisher
[email protected]
Matt Danielson
President
[email protected]
Pam Schipper
Managing Editor
[email protected]
Debi Rosen
Advertising Manager
301.279.2304
[email protected]
Sandra Christian
Advertising Sales
240.401.1020
[email protected]
Staff Photographers
Debbie Boderman
Arthur Cadeaux
Yenrue Chen
Phil Fabrizio
Staff Writers
Sally Alt
Nora Caplan
Jenny Chen
Mike Cuthbert
Maureen Friedman
Gina Gallucci-White
Sharon Allen Gilder
Betty Hafner
Sheilah Kaufman
Donna Marks
Karen O’Keefe
Syl Sobel
Maureen Stiles
Ellyn Wexler
Student Writer
Ethan Cadeaux
©2014 Courier Communications
The Town Courier is an independent newspaper published twice a
month that provides news and information for the communities of
Kentlands, Lakelands and Quince Orchard Park in Gaithersburg, Md.
The paper is published by Courier Communications, which is responsible for the form, content and policies of the newspaper. The Town
Courier does not espouse any political belief or endorse any product
or service in its news coverage. Articles and letters submitted for publication must be signed and may be edited for length or content. The
Town Courier is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers
Letters to the Editor and Commentary do not necessarily reflect the
views of the staff, management or advertisers of The Town Courier.
The Town Courier
Decemeber 5, 2014 POLICEBeat
Page 5
By Gina Gallucci-White
Staying Safe During
the Holidays
R
emember the scene in the movie
“Home Alone” when the fake cop
assures the McCallisters that their
home will be in good hands while they are
away in France, but you just had a feeling
that this was not the case?
In the movie, Kevin McCallister and an
inventive array of booby traps are able to
protect the family’s home while they are
away. But off the silver screen, most of us
need to rely on more practical measures to
ensure the safety of our home and belongings while we are traveling. The Gaithersburg Police Department (GPD) has some
tips on how you can protect your home
while you’re away.
GPD spokesman Officer Dan Lane encourages residents to have their mail, newspapers and packages held if they will not be
at home for an extended period of time, or
to arrange for a neighbor to pick them up.
“A neighbor could also park their vehicle
at your house,” he suggested, “to give the
appearance of someone being home. Make
sure to put timers on lights so you do not
have to leave them on for the duration of
the trip.”
While lots of people like to post happy
holiday pictures in social media while on
visits, Lane suggests waiting until you are
back to do so or disabling the app setting
on your phone showing where you are
currently located. If you still have a home
phone answering machine, don’t leave a
greeting indicating you are out of town.
Holiday safety involves more than protecting your home while you’re away.
Shopping, too, poses its dangers.
Shopping can be hard on the wallet and
exhausting when fighting crowds. While
it’s easy to be distracted with so many
things to do, don’t lower your guard when
it comes to safety.
Lane said to park in well-lit areas near
the shopping center that are not isolated.
“We don’t want people to damage our cars,
so there will be people who park a good
distance away from a store or other cars so
cityscene Bus Rapid Transit Meetings
Communities for Transit, a nonprofit
advocacy and education organization, will
host a public meeting in Gaithersburg to
discuss Montgomery County’s plans for a
Rapid Transit System (RTS), sometimes
referred to as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
The presentation, with opportunity for
comments and questions, will take place
on Dec. 4 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Ave. No reservations are necessary.
The presentation will feature an
overview of the county’s proposal for a
network of rapid transit lines, with 10
their car doesn’t get damaged, but that isolates them and puts them in a vulnerable
position (for thieves),” he said.
Make sure no one is following you to
your car. Once there, don’t get distracted
by looking in your purse or on the phone,
Lane said, adding, “Before you start doing
stuff, lock the doors first. This way no one
can jump into your car unexpectedly.”
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office
recently put out a warning to beware of a
$100 bill left on your windshield. Thieves
leave the bill on the vehicle in the hope of
distracting the driver, who most likely has
started his or her car, into leaving the driver’s side door door wide open while he or
she goes to retrieve the money. The thieves
then jump in the car and drive away. “We
have not seen that around Gaithersburg,”
Lane said.
Don’t leave purchases out in the open for
passersby to see. If you have a trunk, use
it. If your vehicle does not have a trunk,
use a blanket to cover purchases up, Lane
said. Placing some items like a soccer ball
or umbrella on top of the blanket might
make a thief think there are no valuable
items underneath it.
While it may be a bit of a pain, don’t
keep dropping off packages at your vehicle
and going back into stores. Even though
they may be out of site in the trunk, a thief
still may be watching you place those valuable items inside your vehicle. “If it’s possible, keep those bags with you until you are
completely done shopping in that particular center,” he said. “Then put the items
in your (car) trunk and drive your car to
another location.”
If you carry cash with you, keep the total
amount a secret by dividing it up. If you
know you are going to spend around $350
in one store, only have around $400 visible at checkout. The additional money or
credit cards you have can be kept in another pocket. “This way people don’t see how
much money or access you have exactly,”
he said.
major routes connecting communities
throughout the county, and will focus on
the route that is proposed for Frederick
Avenue. The system envisions high-quality,
high-capacity vehicles traveling on mostly
dedicated lanes, arriving at sheltered transit
stations every 5 to 10 minutes. In addition
to the presentation by Communities for
Transit representatives, there will also
be representatives from Gaithersburg’s
Planning and Code Administration
and Public Works Department on hand
to discuss the proposed route through
Gaithersburg. For more information,
n
city scene Continued on page 15
301-657-3332
301-299-5222
Page 6
The Town Courier
Decemeber 5, 2014
assignmenteducation
Bailar Comigo’ by La Banda),” explained
Mohan in an email.
Nominate Your Outstanding Teacher
or Principal
Nominations are now open for numerous competitions to honor outstanding
teachers, principals and other educational
staff members. They are—
Photo | Courtesy of the Sider Family
Country music artist Lizzie Sider discusses why people bully with students at Rachel Carson Elementary School on Friday,
Nov. 21.
Country Music Artist Visits RCES
Lizzie Sider, a 16-year old rising country music artist, brought her “NOBODY
HAS THE POWER TO RUIN YOUR
DAY”™ Bully Prevention Assembly
Tour through the Washington, D.C., area
Nov. 12 – 21, stopping at Rachel Carson
Elementary School (RCES) on Friday,
Nov. 21. During the assembly, Sider encouraged kids to help prevent bullying,
and she recounted her own personal journey as a young student who was ridiculed
and teased. She also performed her original song “Butterfly,” which Sider cowrote about her experience and how she
overcame the teasing. Her goal is to help
kids as a positive role model, having risen
above her own ridicule to pursue a career
in music.
The tour has previously hit California, Florida, Texas and New York City. Lizzie has already met with more than
250 schools, connecting with more than
100,000 students. For more information
on Lizzie Sider, visit www.LizzieSider.
com.
15th Annual
Latin Dance Competition
On Nov. 24, the Juntos QO Latin Dance Team entered the annual Latin
Dance Competition at the Music Center at Strathmore for a second time. This
annual event that celebrates Latin culture
drew more than 100 participating students
and a packed house of audience members.
Quince Orchard’s 13-member dance team,
led by Tanya Mohan and Charlene Cardona, received a trophy for third place in
the Junior Competitor Division for Best
in Show. “Our routine was comprised of
three categories fusing Salsa (‘Juliana’ by
DLG), Bachata (‘De Ti Separo’ by Luis
Vargas) and Merengue (‘El Que Quiere
• Marian Greenblatt Excellence
in Education Awards: The Marian Greenblatt Excellence in Education Veteran Teacher Award recognizes three full-time teachers in
kindergarten through grade 12 who
have a demonstrated record of promoting student success, such as closing the
achievement gap and mentoring new
teachers. One of the veteran teacher
award winners is chosen as the MCPS
Teacher of the Year, goes on to represent the school district as a contender
for the Maryland State Teacher of the
Year award and could become the National Teacher of the Year. Deadline:
Friday, Jan. 9.
• The Marian Greenblatt Excellence
in Education Rising Star Teacher
Award recognizes a first-, second-,
third- or fourth-year full-time teacher in kindergarten through grade 12
who has a demonstrated record of promoting student success. The teacher
contributes to a professional learning
community of students, staff, parents
and community. Deadline: Friday,
Jan. 9.
• The Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership
Award (DELA): This award recognizes principals who go beyond the
day-to-day demands of their position
to create an exceptional educational
environment. Nominations may be
submitted by teachers, students, former students, parents, administrators
or the general public. The winner
must participate in a five-day DELA
seminar to be held in July 2015. Deadline: Friday, Jan. 9.
• The Shirley J. Lowrie Thank You
for Teaching Award is for extraordinary elementary school teachers who
have a deep dedication to the teaching
profession. These elementary school
teachers, pre-kindergarten through
grade 5, must work directly with students in the classroom on a daily basis,
demonstrate a thorough knowledge
of the subject matter, and effectively
communicate that subject matter to
students. The nominee should be a
teacher who goes the extra mile to ensure that students receive the support
they need to succeed. Deadline: Friday, Jan. 9.
• The Superintendent’s Annual
Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award: Established in 1991,
this award honors MCPS principals
who excel in promoting academic excellence, positive human relations and
community outreach. These qualities
were exemplified by Mark Mann, a
former principal of Parkland Junior
High School, who died in 1988. Nominations should be submitted in writing or electronically to the Office of
Human Resources and Development,
45 W. Gude Dr., Ste. 2100, Rockville,
Maryland 20850. Nominations made
in previous years may be resubmitted. Deadline: Friday, Jan. 9.
• Supporting Service Employee of
the Year: This award is given to a
supporting services employee who has
made an outstanding contribution to
MCPS. SEIU Local 500 and the Montgomery County Business Roundtable
established the award. The winning
employee must exemplify the motto,
“Education Works Because We Do.”
Nominees must be permanent employees and have at least three years
of service with MCPS. Nominations
will be judged on a variety of criteria, including initiative, creativity and
dedication; contributions to students,
staff and/or the broader community;
respect and admiration; leadership;
professional development, and interpersonal skills.
The recipient will receive a $1,000
cash award. In addition, MCBRE will
donate $1,000 to an MCPS school selected by the winner of the award.
The deadline to submit nominations
is 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18. The
nomination form is available at www.
seiu500.org/2014/11/make-yournom inations-for-the-2015 -mcpssupporting-ser vices-employee-ofthe-year-award/.
The Town Courier
Decemeber 5, 2014 Page 7
Foundry Fitness Sets the Bar for High Intensity
By Ellyn Wexler
F
oundry Fitness is not for the faint of
heart. High intensity is the hallmark
of the one-hour total body workouts
that take place both inside and outside the
three-level facility on Kentlands’ Main
Street. Amid the black, red and white décor and a high-volume soundtrack, tough
but amiable trainers lead group classes in
cardio and strength training exercises that
use a wide variety of equipment—including but not limited to dumbbells, barbells,
kettlebells, battle ropes, medicine balls,
BOSU balls, TRX, pull-up bars, Plyo
boxes, resistance bands and a tractor tire.
The goal, said owner and head trainer Eric
Pellicci, is “to burn fat, build lean muscle,
transform your body and maximize results.”
The facility is open seven days a week,
with classes scheduled every day; personal training is also available. Membership,
which includes unlimited classes, is $89
per month. An average class has between
15 and 30 participants, with the number
of men and women about equal. Members
are advised to attend at least three times
a week, even more frequently depending
on individual recovery time. “One or two
times per week just isn’t enough,” Pellicci
said.
A class I watched started with a vigorous
15-minute warm-up: high-knee running
in place, jumping jacks, squats, alternating forward lunges, mountain climbers,
burpees, push-ups, planks and cobras (reverse push-ups rather than the yoga kind).
Two trainers proceeded to demonstrate
the exercises that would follow, which
included about 20 minutes of alternating
sets consisting of pull-ups, snatches with
dumbbells, planks and push-ups, running
in place, mountain climbers, high jumps
Photo | Yenrue Chen
Foundry Fitness opened four years ago, occupying a one floor space. Today, it is a three-level facility offering classes
seven days per week.
and more. After the trainers demonstrated the next exercises, partners faced each
other for another series, among them,
medicine ball tosses with squats and extensions, battle ropes, sit-ups, one-handed
push-ups with a ball, more jumping jacks
and squat jacks, followed by a 20-second
rest before proceeding to a series of core
exercises—boat, bicycle, crunches, moving
and one-handed planks, on the floor, and
stretching.
Constantly varying workouts and exercises to challenge the muscles is standard
practice at Foundry Fitness. For example,
Pellicci said, “In terms of our abdominal
exercises, we make sure to provide our clients with exercises to strengthen and tone
their upper, mid, and lower abdominals as
well as their obliques. No exercise is better
than another, and all exercises have their
purpose by engaging the muscles differently.”
Designing the workouts is a team effort.
“While each of the five trainers has his or
her own style,” Pellicci said, “we work
hard to collaborate and combine our styles
shoptalk By Jenny Chen
Kentlands Lebanese Bistro Closes
Kentlands Lebanese Bistro closed after a
year-and-a-half run on Nov. 18. The little
restaurant has consistently received 5-star
reviews on websites like Yelp.com and
TripAdvisor, but owner Robert Jirikdjian
said that while the cafe had good traffic flow
on the weekends, it had trouble keeping
business flowing during the weekdays. “It
was a good experience and I had fun but
... it wasn’t easy to continue financially.”
Jirikdjian said that he was really grateful to
the Kentlands community for supporting
him. “It was so much fun to work with
them, and I tried to give them everything
I can. Hopefully they will find another
Lebanese location.”
Spring Mill Bread Begins to Ship
Holiday Goodies
For the 19th year in a row, Spring Mill
Bread is quietly shipping out boxes of freshly baked bread, rolls, and festively themed
cookies and pastries. Owner Hatib Joof
said that many employers buy their boxes
to share with their employees or parents
buy boxes to send to kids away at college.
Joof said that the bakery offers assortments but clients can also customize their
own gifts. Christmas goodies include gingerbread cookies, snowball cookies, stollen, and bourbon cakes, all freshly baked
and packed. Customers order online or call
in and place their orders over the phone,
the old-fashioned way.
Persiano Gallery Opens New
Permanent Location
After a bit of back and forth, Persiano
Gallery signed a permanent lease with Beatty and Co. for the former Bally’s location
at 188 Kentlands Blvd. Beatty had also been
in talks with Pop Up Playzone for a temporary lease, but the company ultimately
opted to go with a permanent tenant.
Persiano Gallery owner John Hashempour is very excited about the move.
“Once we move out of the corner to a bigger space, we can have much more selection and more privacy.” Hashempour also
said that the new location would be more
conducive to the delivery trucks that often
come to Persiano to drop off goods.
n
shop talk Continued on page 15
to meet the needs of more people and super-charge their results.”
The pace is fast and hard in these classes.
Pellicci said he and his experienced trainers “are highly qualified to teach members proper form.” Prior to the workout,
they demonstrate exercises, and continue
through the session to walk around and
monitor each student to “ensure our clients are working at their level using correct form to prevent injuries and maximize
results.”
An element of individual responsibility
applies here—and in any training situation. Pellicci believes that all his trainers
“are easily approachable” and that “our clin
FOUNDRY fitness Continued on page 15
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Page 8
■ accident
from page 1
truck struck Malizio, who was traveling
east on Darnestown Road in the far right
travel lane.
A police spokesperson said the green
light was not a green arrow. A sign at the
intersection warns left-turning motorists to
yield on green. Police added that Malizio
was wearing a helmet. The accident happened just outside Gaithersburg’s city limits. Darnestown Road/ Route 28 is the city
boundary at the scene of the accident.
Police identified John Phillip Kline, 52,
as the WSSC truck driver. He remained at
the scene after the collision until leaving
with police.
The Town Courier
A small group of onlookers, including
this reporter, gathered at the scene, and
watched as officers blocked the view of
Malizio’s body with screens and then performed the accident investigation. It was
unspeakably sad as technicians took photographs and measurements. Two officers
wheeled Malizio’s light blue bike about a
bit and then knelt to examine it. We onlookers found ourselves hoping that there
had been a mistake. From across the street,
the bike looked fragile—but fine.
Surely, the bike-rider was ok, too.
But he was not.
One of the people who stopped at the
scene was bicyclist Thomas Snyder, resident
of a nearby neighborhood and a bike-rider
and racer for over 30 years. An officer at
Decemeber 5, 2014
the scene, noting Snyder’s NCVC (National Capital Velo Club) uniform and his bicycle—asked Snyder to take a look at Malizio’s bike, and to say if he knew where a
bike like it could be bought. It appeared
that in the minutes soon after the accident,
officers were trying to identify the cyclist.
Snyder said the bike was a widely used
brand, but he did not recognize the specific
bike.
But, Snyder said in a later interview, he
was familiar with the intersection where
Malizio died and in his opinion—as a motor vehicle operator, a bicyclist and a pedestrian in the area—the intersection is too
busy.
“There’s just so much going on in there,”
he said. “I can’t say there’s anything inherently wrong with the intersection, or the
line-striping, but there’s a lot of (online)
banter (among bikers) going on about the
intersection. …”
In general, Snyder said, “I feel safer riding
a bicycle in D.C. than here in the suburbs.
“It’s almost like, out here, people feel
driving a car is a right and not a privilege.
And they have to be reminded that it’s a
privilege.
“I’m a (car) driver as well. I have to remind myself, too. Look, this is a privilege.
You could lose it very easily.”
An experienced cyclist, Malizio had
been riding bicycles for about 14 years, according to Lakelands resident and Gaithersburg Transportation Committee Chair
Joseph Allen, who had never met Malizio
but learned much about him at the Nov.
29 memorial service that celebrated his life.
“They estimated that he’d ridden 10,000
miles on his bike since 2000,” Allen said.
Among those who attended Malizio’s
memorial service were several members
of Ride Allegheny (RA), the social, recreational and patriotic cycling group that
raises money for wounded and injured veterans through support of the nonprofit organization Operation Second Chance.
To Clark Wagner, RA’s founder and
steering committee co-chair, Malizio was a
true friend and a good man. “While Drew
had never actually participated in our ride,
he was a loyal supporter and donor to Ride
Allegheny. ... He rode on weekends with
many of the RA riders for the last several
years, meeting at Starbucks … and riding
out through the rural parts of Montgomery
County.
“We all met at the Wine Harvest last
Monday and raised a glass to honor Drew.
Many of us attended his funeral service on
Saturday in support of Drew’s widow, his
two sons and their families. He will be
missed for sure.”
Like Snyder, Wagner is concerned about
the dangers of cycling in the area.
“It is a real tragedy to have someone from
our neighborhood killed at an intersection
that we all have cycled through literally
hundreds of times. While Route 28 has a
bike lane at this location, the conflicts with
motorists are numerous and we’ve all had
close calls at this very intersection. I think
the state and county need to take a hard
look at what they can do to improve safety
for cyclists.”
In an annual review Nov. 24 on the work
in 2014 of the city’s Transportation Committee, which reviews and makes recommendations on transportation policy, Chair
Joseph Allen began his testimony with a
moment of silence in memory of Malizio,
who had died earlier the same day.
Later, he talked to the Courier about the
tragedy. “The death last week of Andrew
Malizio was tragic. It is unacceptable for
such events to occur.”
Allen said in his annual report, he urged
the Gaithersburg Mayor and Council to
commit to the Vision Zero initiative. “Even
one death is too many. Better design, education and enforcement are the pillars of
Vision Zero,” he explained. “We cannot
build dense, walkable neighborhoods and
then connect them with highways that
kill.”
Allen was critical also of the intersection
and road where Malizio lost his life. “In a
city, county and state that embraces walkable and bikeable communities, critical and
dangerous gaps in infrastructure like the
multiple curb cuts on Route 28 should not
stand.
“I was touched deeply by (his wife) Ann’s
comment to me … to be careful out there
as I rode my own bike, looking out for me
even in her time of deep sadness. It is the
type of loving family that should not have
had a life cut short by inattention and bad
design.”
Vision Zero started in Sweden in 1997,
aiming to achieve a highway system with
no fatalities or serious injuries in road traffic. A core principle of the vision is that
“Life and health can never be exchanged
for other benefits within the society”—a
rejection of the approach placing a monetary value on life and health.
The Vision Zero approach focuses on
the traffic management system, putting the
responsibility for safety on system design,
management and leadership. “In every situation where a person might fail, the road
system should not.” For more information
on the Vision Zero initiative in Sweden,
visit www.visionzeroinitiative.com.
Take a
closer
look at
the Town
Courier.
www.towncourier.com
The Town Courier
arts& entertainment
Winter Lights Festival
Through Dec. 31 (closed Dec. 25): 6-9 p.m.
Sunday through Thursday; 6-10 p.m. Friday
and Saturday, Seneca Creek State Park
The City of Gaithersburg Winter Lights
Festival opens for a 19th season! This 3.5mile drive through a winter wonderland
of lights has become a county tradition.
Admission is $12 per car Monday through
Thursday, and $15 per car Friday, Saturday
and Sunday. www.gaithersburgmd.gov
Watercolor and
Kinetic Sculpture Exhibit
Through Jan. 25, 2015; Monday-Friday, 10
a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 1:30-5:30 p.m.
Artists’ Reception Tuesday, Dec. 15,
7-8:30 p.m., Arts Barn Gallery
Arts on the Green presents the watercolors of Nellie Chao and Bok Kim, along
with the kinetic sculptures of Arts Entwine. Free. www.gaithersburgmd.gov
Foley Sound Effects Workshop
Dec. 6, 4 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts
Foley sound effects are the reproductions
of everyday, ambient sounds added to film,
video, and other media in post-production
to enhance audio quality and reality of the
piece. These reproduced sounds can be
anything, from footsteps, telephones ringing, doors opening, and much more. In
classic radio shows and plays, these sounds
were created live during the broadcast. In
this workshop, you’ll learn more about
how artists create the sounds you hear on
the radio, in cartoons, and in the movies!
Free, but reservations are required. www.
blackrockcenter.org
‘It’s a Wonderful Life:
A Live Radio Play’
Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m., BlackRock Center for the
Arts
Inspired by the classic American film of
the same name, “It’s a Wonderful Life: A
Live Radio Play” is performed as a 1940s
live radio broadcast in front of a studio
audience. Five actors perform the dozens
of characters in the radio play as well as
produce the sound effects. A wonderful
holiday tradition for all ages, “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” premiered
in 1996 at Stamford Center for the Arts in
Stamford, Connecticut, and has since been
produced around the country to critical
acclaim. This show is produced by the Immediate Theatre Project. Tickets are $15$32. www.blackrockcenter.org
Tree Lighting & Jingle Jubilee
Photo | Submitted
This Christmas caper mystery fit for the whole
family opens Dec. 5 at the Arts Barn.
‘Sherlock Holmes & The
Christmas Goose’
Dec. 5-21, Fridays and Saturdays at
8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., Arts Barn
In partnership with Montgomery
Playhouse, the Arts Barn presents
“Sherlock Holmes & The Christmas
Goose.” The world-famous sleuth,
Sherlock Holmes, and his trusty sidekick Doctor Watson are at it again in a
holiday caper mystery fit for the whole
family! Where is the missing Blue Delilah Diamond? A tale of mystery, intrigue, humor, and “fowl” play await
on the trail of this Christmas case.
Based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s story “The Blue Carbuncle.” Tickets are
$20 for adults or $12 for youth (14 and
under). www.gaithersburgmd.gov
Salsa and Bachata Dance Party
Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m., BlackRock Center
for the Arts
A 45-minute dance lesson followed
by a dance party. Tickets are $18. www.
blackrockcenter.org
KDP Annual Tree Lighting
Dec. 5, 6 p.m., Kentlands Market Square
The annual Kentlands Downtown
Partnership tree lighting features live music
from local groups, hot chocolate, a business
fair and a visit from Santa! Free. www.
kentlandsdowntown.com
Dec. 6, 6-7:30 p.m., Gaithersburg Concert
Pavilion
Watch the traditional tree lighting
ceremony, enjoy holiday music and see
Santa ride in on a fire truck! Free. www.
gaithersburgmd.gov
Gaithersburg Chorus
Holiday Concert
Dec. 6 & 7, 7:30-9:30 p.m., St. John
Neumann Catholic Church, Gaithersburg
The Gaithersburg Chorus, directed by
Hugh Harvey, III with co-director MaryLu Hartsell, presents its Winter Concert
featuring Gian Carlo Menotti’s “Amahl
and the Night Visitors” and a selection
of holiday carols. Admission is free, and
donations are gratefully accepted. www.
gaithersburgmd.gov
Wine Charms
Dec. 7, 1-3 p.m., Arts Barn
Create a set of four wine charms using
crystals and charms. For ages 14 and up.
A supply fee of $12 will be collected at the
workshop. Fee is $36 for residents and $40
for non- residents. www.gaithersburgmd.
gov
Holiday Open Microphone
Dec. 7, 2 p.m., Kentlands Whole Foods
Kentlands Acoustic Jam hosts this
Holiday Open Microphone. Come sing
and/or play your favorite holiday song.
Acoustic instruments only. Free. www.
reverbnation.com/kentlandsacousticjam.
n
arts & entertainment Continued on page 16
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Page 10
The Town Courier
■ Chanukah parade
winter SavingS!
from page 1
each stop, acrobats and jugglers will present
a 10-minute show, emceed by the Rabbi,
and children will receive gift bags, including a dreidl and Chanukah gelt. There’s
typically some element of fire in the show,
so, the Rabbi quipped, “if the fire jugglers
make a mistake, firefighters are all around.”
Rabbi Raichik credited the idea for the
parade to Chabad congregants who were
RVFD members and had participated in
similar events celebrating Christmas.
“Each year, the event has grown, like a
snowball effect. It became more and more
professional, with more and more people
involved,” Rabbi Raichik said, noting that
crowds of as many as 1,000 have gathered
at parade stops, and communities plan their
Chanukah parties to coincide with the parade.
The procession will stop at Chabad’s
Chanukah Wonderland, 261 Kentlands
Blvd. in the Kentlands Square Shopping
■ retaining wall
from page 3
still ongoing—and noisy. At 8:30 a.m. on
the morning of Thursday, Nov. 24, the air
around Ridgepoint Place was filled with
the deafening racket of pneumatic jackhammers as neon-shirted construction
employees worked in the alley behind 110
and 112 Ridgepoint, the two townhomes
nearest the place the wall failed.
Several hours later, the pneumatic equipment had fallen silent. Instead, the air was
filled with the sound of sirens from emergency equipment, including several vehicles from the Montgomery County Fire
Department, which were on the scene.
The reason, according to a spokesperson from the Washington Gas utility, was that “a construction crew hit a
Washington Gas 2” plastic line.
“The
damage
occurred
around
■ fundraiser
from page 3
“Ten-dollar Target gift cards are also needed. The gift cards empower the families to
go in and buy gifts for their loved ones.”
Three rooms at Kentlands Mansion were
effervescing with sparkling libations showcasing Prosecco, Cava and Champagne.
Materese said, “We don’t drink enough
bubbly wine. They make any day better,
can be paired with everything, and they
turn any event into a bigger celebration.
Bubbles are the great taste bud reset. They
add a brightness and lift any other flavors
of the food to the olfactory sense so you’re
able to taste more because you’re able to
smell more.”
Materese added that wines for holiday celebrations should have mass appeal.
“Red wines should have a good warp and
richness and a velvety aspect that will coat
the cheeks—not too heavy, not too fruity,
with a little bit of spice on the end. Whites
should be clean, pleasant and have fruit to
them. You want to build the camaraderie
Decemeber 5, 2014
Center, at about 8 p.m. that evening. Wonderland will be open for eight days, from
Dec. 14 through 21. Activities will include
children’s crafts, story hours and a tot play
center as well as a drawing competition for
ages 3 to 12. A book fair and a gift shop
also will be on-site. At 7 p.m. on Saturday,
Dec. 20, Wonderland will give a party,
with a musical Havdalah service and menorah lighting, a gift bag craft, live music
and dancing, food—fresh homemade latkes—and drink.
The Dec. 18 fire truck parade will
conclude at about 8:30 p.m. at Chabad
Lubavitch, 11520 Darnestown Road,
Gaithersburg, with the lighting of the
9-foot outdoor menorah, a 25-minute
show and a Grand Chanukah Party at the
synagogue. Due to the nature of the event,
and concomitant traffic, the Rabbi cautioned that all times are approximate.
For further details, including the schedule for the Chanukah Wonderland, visit
www.OurShul.org.
4:30 p.m.; our crews arrived within about
30 minutes and were able to shut the gas off
before 6 p.m. that evening.
“There was a brief evacuation of surrounding homes to ensure the area was safe.
The incident caused no service outages
and there were no injuries involved,” said
Washington Gas media specialist Mariam
Nabizadr in an email to the Courier.
KCA’s Gorin said the gas leak was due to
an accident that occurred “during work on
the drainage system immediately adjacent
to the section of the wall that collapsed.
“While there was significant inconvenience to a lot of people, there was no
damage, other than to the gas line, and
there were no injuries,” Gorin added.
Washington Gas did not respond to
questions about how many households
were evacuated, or the cost to repair the
line.
and social spirit the holidays have. If you
like what you’re making to eat and like
what you’re drinking, you’re always going
to have a good time. We encourage everyone to see how versatile all the bubbles can
be. They have the ability to adapt to whatever food you have before you.”
Attendees John and Ceil Coliton shared
that soon after they moved to Kentlands
they stepped out of Kmart and heard
laughter coming from a nearby business—
Grape Escape. “Pinky adopted us on the
spot,” said Ceil Coliton.
John Coliton added, “We came tonight
for the wonderful wine and to support a
good purpose. I like to support what Pinky
and Pepe do. They’ve created a wonderful
community.”
Rodgers said, “We feel so blessed to have
a store here and wouldn’t have it except for
the community that supports us … and we
are growing.”
New, unwrapped toys and $10 Target
gift cards may be donated and dropped off
at Pinky & Pepe’s Grape Escape through
the morning of Dec. 12. For more information, call Grape Escape at 301.869.9463.
Decemeber 5, 2014 ■ christmas house
from page 1
The Town Courier
shows are given Sunday through Thursday,
8 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 7 to
9 p.m. For the little ones, Draghici plans
to don his Santa suit Friday and Saturday
nights. In case of inclement weather, check
www.kentlandschristmas.com before you
head out. Moisture and lights don’t mix
well, and the show may be postponed
when it rains or snows.
when the “Kringle 3000, 500 Reindeer-Power” jet engine fails, takes flight.
The Clausometer miraculously spins upwards to full power because the crowd has
followed Buddy’s advice: “The best way to
spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for
all to hear.”
“We went through seven scenarios,” Draghici
explained. “The sixth one
was look for a fuse.”
Draghici and Ingrassia ran through their entire
trouble-shooting list. Still
nothing. By 8 p.m., most
onlookers had drifted away.
Then they decided to
look at the fuse scenario
one more time. They took
out the fuse and replaced it.
That was at 8:11 p.m.
At 8:15 p.m., the lighting
Photo | Yenrue Chen
Visit www.kentlandschristmas.com before you visit the dancing light
ceremony show had begun.
show at 202 Little Quarry Road for updates and information on three
The culprit? A 20 cent,
different 20-minute shows. Once you're at the house, tune in to FM 93.5
15 amp, 120 volt fuse. “It
for the show soundtrack.
was really frustrating,”
Draghici said, noting that
Even though this year’s light show has
with 24 lines and some 18,000 lights, the
odds of small things going wrong increase just begun, Draghici is already thinking
about how to increase the Christmas magic
exponentially.
And that just makes us appreciate the for 2015. He is researching how to make a
snow machine—one that uses bubbles inmagic a bit more.
Draghici will be out in front of his house stead of snow so it can create that winter
most nights for the light show, which con- wonderland effect in all sorts of temperatinues through Dec. 31. Three 20-minute tures.
Page 11
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Page 12
The Town Courier
The ParkPages
News and Current Events for Quince Orchard Park
n
Decemeber 5, 2014
Meeting Calendar
12/22 — Condo I Monthly Board Meeting, Clubhouse, 7 p.m.
1/13 — Quince Orchard Park HOA Board, Clubhouse, 7 p.m.
E-mail your contributions to [email protected]
QOP News
Loose Leaf Collection in Snowy Weather
This year’s deadline for decorating the outside of your
home is Dec. 21. Decorative schemes will be judged Dec.
22, weather permitting. Once again, the prizes will be
gift cards to Lowe’s in the amounts of $100, $75 and $50.
Loose leaf collection is currently available to single-family homes and townhouses through the last week
in December, weather permitting.
Please do not put leaves out when snow is forecast.
Leaves cannot be collected during periods when Gaithersburg city crews are performing snow removal duties.
Beginning in January, leaves will be collected by the
city’s recycling contractor when bagged in biodegradable
brown paper bags and placed at the curb by 7 a.m. on
Friday recycling days.
The Board of Directors for The Vistas
Homeowners Association has installed a combination lock on The
Vistas Tennis Court to
ensure that the court is
available for owners and
residents of The Vistas, Orchard Ridge and
Quince Orchard Park.
To obtain that combination, log into the
resident side of quinceorchardpark.com and
complete a Tennis Court The new tennis court at the Vistas is
Combination Request. available for use by residents of Quince OrThe Vistas Home- chard Park, Orchard Ridge and the Vistas.
owners Association reminds residents that the courts are
for playing tennis only. Other ball play, skateboarding,
bicycling and other activities are not permitted on the
tennis court.
If others are waiting to play tennis, please limit your use
to one hour. Please remove garbage for proper disposal
and lock the gate after using the tennis court.
Winter snow arrived in Quince Orchard Park and The Vistas on Nov. 26, the day
before Thanksgiving.
Snow Removal Update
In Quince Orchard Park, the Community Association
plows the clubhouse parking lot and sidewalks, alleys off
Winter Walk Drive (to the left of 216, in front of 219243 and in front of 337-345), Highland Ridge Mews and
Elmira Mews. The Community Association also clears all
(non-Mill Green Avenue) perimeter sidewalks, parallel to
condominium buildings.
All other non-condominium QOP streets and parking
spaces are plowed by the City of Gaithersburg, Department of Public Works.
QOP Condo I and Condo II are responsible for snow
removal from all condominium drives and alleys, sidewalks leading to front doors (lead walks), sidewalks on
both sides of Mill Green Avenue, parallel to buildings and
in front of parking spaces, all interior condo sidewalks and
walkways including walkways to mailboxes.
Snow removal contact information: QOP/TMGA
301.948.6666, QOP I and QOP II/ Main Street property
Management 240.632.0001, City of Gaithersburg Public
Works 301.258.6370.
DECEMBER 2014
MANAGEMENT MENTIONS
Holiday Home Decorating Contest
Vistas Tennis Courts Access
n
Snow Cooperation
Regardless of who is responsible for plowing the roads,
adhering to parking restrictions during snow events allows for more efficient snow removal.
In the City of Gaithersburg, residents are required to
clear snow and ice from public sidewalks abutting their
property within 12 hours of the last snowfall or freeze.
Please utilize off-street parking whenever possible to
allow better plow access and avoid having your car plowed
in or splashed by salt or spray.
• Obey No Parking signs, park close to curbs, and
avoid parking on cul-de-sacs or at the end of deadend streets so plows have room to maneuver.
• Do not clear windrows left by the snowplows until
the plows make their last pass.
• Avoid shoveling snow back into cleared streets. This
can create problems during a refreeze.
• Fire hydrants in yards or on public right-of-ways
should be marked and cleared so rescue personnel can
access them quickly.
• Home addresses should be visible and cleared of
snow. If that’s not possible, write your house number
in large letters and tape it to a front door or window.
• Check on your neighbors, especially the elderly and
the homebound.
• Avoid travel if possible. If you must drive, completely
clear your vehicle of snow or frost, including the roof,
headlights and taillights.
• Keep a full gas tank and pack a safety kit in case you
get stuck, including a small shovel, ice scraper, blankets, flashlight, cell phone car charger, medications
and first aid supplies, a reflective triangle or flares,
water and snacks.
• Emergency notifications including traffic and weather are communicated via Alert Gaithersburg.
Trash and Recycling
Trash, which is collected on Tuesday and Friday,
must be placed in lidded trash cans. Trash should not be
left for collection in bags; they are ripped open by dogs,
birds and other pests, and trash is strewn throughout the
community. Continued use of bags may result in fines.
Consider painting your house number on your trash
cans and lids so they may be returned on windy days.
It is also helpful to label recycling bins with house
numbers—and to place bagged newspapers and magazines atop commingled materials in the bin.
Trash cans and recycle bins must be stored out of sight
on non-pickup days.
Recycling is picked up on Fridays. Containers, with
lids, are now available from the City of Gaithersburg.
Please contact the city at 301.258.6370 to have a lidded
bin delivered and the old one picked up. The new bins
will lessen the problem with trash in the neighborhood.
It is helpful to label recycling bins with house numbers.
Lids may be attached to bins by drilling small holes and
attaching with twine.
Bulk recycling pickups are the first Friday of each
month. This month, Dec. 5 is the bulk recycling pickup day. In January, the bulk recycling pickup is Jan. 2.
The City of Gaithersburg and Potomac Disposal
(301.294.9700) both offer collection services for bulk
items at no cost.
Dog Duty and Animal Services Information
Cleaning up after dogs is the legal responsibility of
every canine owner walking a dog in the community.
Dogs are not permitted off-leash on common property
in the City of Gaithersburg.
Contact Information for
Gaithersburg Animal Control
To report after hours/emergency animal service calls,
City of Gaithersburg residents must now contact the
Montgomery County Emergency Communication
Center (MCECC) at 301.279.8000. MCECC will
then notify and dispatch a Gaithersburg Animal Control Officer for response.
To report non-emergency animal service calls and for
information on related animal matters during regular
business hours, residents may contact the Gaithersburg
Animal Control Office directly at 301.258.6343. Regular hours of operation are Monday through Friday
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, please visit www.
gaithersburgmd.gov/animal.
Website
Agendas for meetings, as well as many important documents (minutes and meeting summaries), can be found
at the QOP website: www.quinceorchardpark.com.
QOP Management Contact Information
Photo | Daniela Stake
It takes a neighborhood. ... On Nov. 8, 15 boys from Cub Scout Pack
1316, their leaders and family members, collected 158 bags of food for
Manna Food Center from generous residents of Quince Orchard Park and
The Vistas. Participants included Quince Orchard Park residents Daniela
Stake and sons Austyn and Dallin. Also pictured, QOP residents Katie
Brown with her three children, and scout Leland McHugh.
“Thank you for the food and for the service experience you provided our
boys,” said Stake.
Quince Orchard Park Community Managers,
Steve Leskowitz and Quinn Odorizzi
c/o The Management Group Associates, Inc.
20440 Century Boulevard, Suite 100
Germantown, MD 20874
Phone: 301.948.6666
Fax: 301.963.3856
Email: [email protected],
[email protected]
Page 13
Page 14
The Town Courier
Decemeber 5, 2014
■ katz
from page 4
tation and quality of life, Katz said, and
he believes that service to constituents is
the government’s main function. Among
the new councilman’s priorities is mental health. “We need to talk openly about
these issues, and we need a list of who is
doing exactly what,” he said, and that
should include the state, county and municipalities as well as nonprofits.
In the transportation arena, Katz noted that the controversial Corridor Cities
Transitway (CCT) configuration along
Muddy Branch Road needs to be re-examined. The county and the state, and all
their component departments and administrations, should “look at the entire intermodal solution. And the process should
take less time.”
Katz, whose resume consists of a degree in business and public administration
from University of Maryland, College
Park; 43 years as a small business owner
of Wolfson’s Department Store in Gaithersburg; 36 years of public service for the
City of Gaithersburg, first as city council
member and then as mayor, said he looks
forward to this “different kind of ride.
Hopefully, we can make a difference.”
Katz said he considered running for
county council, and after Wolfson’s closed,
many people called to urge him in that
direction. “The timing was right,” he
said, adding that his closest advisor—wife
Sally Katz, a pupil personnel worker for
Photo | Submitted
Montgomery County Councilmember Sidney Katz assumed
office at noon on Dec. 1. He is pictured here with his
closest advisor, wife Sally Katz.
MCPS—encouraged him to pursue his
lifelong “intrigue with local government”
on the county level.
After an emotional resignation as Gaithersburg’s mayor, Katz looked backward and
forward. “I hope I did a little bit of good,
and now I hope to do more good for more
people. I’m proud of having made a difference in some small ways for my Gaithersburg family. Last week (when I was elected
to the county council), my family became
a lot larger.”
GRAND OPENING
Located in the new Downtown Crown Shopping District
WHO WE ARE:
Dr. Robert Gertz, Dr. Hediyeh Arjomandi and Optical Manager Ernie Lezcano have
provided eye care to the Montgomery County area for a combined 40+ years.
We are proud to announce the opening of our 2nd office in the new
Downtown Crown shopping district in Gaithersburg.
Free Eye Exam
for a child
Ernie Lezcano
Optical Manager
Robert Gertz OD
Optometrist
with an adult exam
Free Lenses
with purchase of frame
Basic single vision lens only.
Dr. Hediyeh Arjomandi
VeyePeyecare.com
301-874-5777
The Town Courier
cityscene
from page 5
please
contact
Communities
for
Transit at 301.273.3081 or visit www.
communitiesfortransit.org.
Jingle Jubilee Brings Cheer Dec. 6
Welcome
the
holidays with a
traditional
tree
lighting ceremony,
holiday music, and
a special visit from
Santa at Gaithersburg’s Jingle JubiPhoto | Pam Schipper
lee. This free event The City of Gaithersburg
will take place at traditional tree lighting cerethe City Hall Con- mony is on Dec. 6, 6 p.m. at
cert Pavilion in the City Hall
Concert Pavilion.
Olde Towne on
Saturday, Dec. 6, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
■ Foundry fitness
from page 7
ents understand the importance of asking
for help when needed.” He said that “Ultimately, it is up to each individual to listen
to their body and know their limitations.
Our trainers always encourage members to
go at their own pace and take breaks whenever they need to.” He said that trainers always offer alternative exercises for anyone
who has an injury.
A discussion of fitness goals, previous injuries and concerns, said Pellicci, enables
him to assess “where they may fall and feel
most comfortable.” Anyone who has not
worked out previously may opt to begin
with personal training “to learn the movements and proper form before joining the
group classes.” When the newbie selects
the optimum time to take a class, the train-
Featured performances include the
Pritchard Music Honors Brass Quintet, the
Kentlands Chorus and the Gaithersburg
High School Band. You’ll also find costumed characters, a photo booth, giveaways
and a tree lighting ceremony.
Representatives from the Veterans of Foreign Wars - John M. Carter Post #9862 will
be on hand with holiday cards for families
to sign that will be sent to those on active
military duty. Post #9862 will also be collecting items and monetary donations for
the Adopt-A-Troop program.
The City Hall Concert Pavilion is located at 31 South Summit Ave. Admission to
Jingle Jubilee is free. For more information,
visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
Overcrowding at
Rachel Carson Addressed
At a Dec. 1 Mayor and City Couner will prepare the class accordingly.
Pellicci, who played numerous sports
while growing up in Gaithersburg and
attending Quince Orchard High School,
credits mixed martial arts for his “learning the importance of bettering myself and
setting goals for myself. I saw a light at the
end of the tunnel and knew that that light
for me was inspiring others to get fit and
reach their goals as well.” At age 26, he has
been a trainer for more than nine years, the
last four at Foundry Fitness, which started on one floor equipped only with a rack
of dumbbells. His goal is to keep the club
“always … evolving, upgrading and adding new equipment to further the Foundry
Fitness experience.”
Foundry Fitness is located at 336 Main
St. For more information, visit foundryfitnessmd.com or call 240.478.0253.
shoptalk
from page 7
Persiano’s Market Street location will be
officially closing on Jan. 1. Persiano Gallery has used the former Bally’s space for
the last eight months as an overflow location. Hashempour said that the move will
not be too difficult, but the chandeliers
will be tricky because of their fragility.
The solution? “We’ll be offering additional discounts on those chandeliers from now
until the end of the year,” he said. “The less
we have to move, the better.”
Yoga Bliss Welcomes New Local
Yoga Teacher
Now in its third year, Yoga Bliss Studio
at 404 Main St. recently welcomed a local
yoga teacher from the Lakelands— Kevin
Platt. Platt graduated from Salisbury University with a major in Exercise Science
and a minor in Athletic Coaching and his
200-hour teacher training at Kripalu in
Massachusetts.
“We’re very excited to have Kevin join,”
said Yoga Bliss owner Sabina Grewal. Platt
has been teaching an evening hot Vinyasa
flow class as well as substituting for many of
the early morning sunrise classes for Dorota, who is on maternity leave. “We have
some loyal male students and male yogis,
but it is a very female-dominated practice
so it’s great to have him,” Grewal said.
Grewal also said that the studio was contemplating adding another morning class.
“It’s such a nice way to begin the day,” she
said. Her students agree. Her current 6:30
a.m. sunrise classes are generally packed.
Bits and Pieces
Bring friends and coats! The Bar Method is hosting a “bring a friend to class for
free” event on Saturday, Dec. 6. Throughout the month of December, the studio is
also hosting a coat drive to support the Interfaith Clothing Center in Rockville.
Leading cell phone repair and mobile accessories franchise ZAGG Phone Repair
opened a location in Downtown Crown
and had their grand opening on Nov. 19.
To celebrate the opening, ZAGG raffled
off an iPad Air. The national retailer is
well known for its Invisible Shield screen
protectors.
cil meeting, Bruce Crispell, Montgomery
County Public Schools director of longrange planning, spoke about overcrowding
at Rachel Carson Elementary School, the
over-enrollment at all elementary schools in
the Quince Orchard cluster, and plans to address this issue. “We determined this year …
that we needed to tackle the Carson issue,”
he said. “For a number of years, we’ve been
hoping … that the enrollment would peak
and eventually come down. A lot of new
communities do initially peak very high and
over time, as the population ages and the
kids move out of elementary and into secondary and then some of the homes become
empty nests, then enrollment trends come
down. So that was one hypothesis that kept
us from attacking the Carson problem years
ago when we began to exceed capacity, but
it does not appear to apply to the Carson
community and so we obviously need to do
something here. So the Board has acted to
authorize feasibility studies for additions at
Fields Road, Jones Lane and DuFief elementary schools. In addition, the Board has suggested we consider a new elementary school
in the Quince Orchard cluster.”
A cost comparison—additions versus new
elementary school—will be done in the fall,
according to Crispell. The Montgomery
County School Board will make a decision
November 2015.
Page 16
The Town Courier
Decemeber 5, 2014
arts& entertainment
from page 9
Tuesday Topics—‘A Grizzly in
the Mail & Other Adventures in
American History’
We participate with most insurance plans. See our website for details.
www.swistakchiro.com
Our treatments include gental manipulation, myofascial release, electrical stimulation,
cold laser, and exercise. All treatments are catered to each patient’s individual needs in
addition to their tolerance levels. If you are in pain and you are looking for a friendly
place to help you get better, give us a call.
Bettye LaVette
Dec. 9, 7-8:30 p.m., Gaithersburg
Community Museum
Dec. 13, 8 p.m., BlackRock Center for the
Arts
Tim Grove speaks about his book “A
Grizzly in the Mail & Other Adventures
in American History.” You’ll learn fascinating stories about well-known historical
figures, including John Brown, Charles
Lindbergh, Meriwether Lewis, William
Clark and Sacagawea. Admission is $5.
www.gaithersburgmd.gov
Legendary soul singer Bettye LaVette
brings her distinct blend of rock, pop, gospel
and R&B to BlackRock. Discovered at the
age of 16 by legendary Motor City music
raconteur Johnnie Mae Matthews, LaVette
boasts a career that spans five decades.
Tickets are $32. www.blackrockcenter.org
Gaithersburg Camera Club
Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Massage
$10 to be collected at class. For ages 16
and up. Fee is $36 for residents and $40 for
non-residents. www.gaithersburgmd.gov
Dec. 12, 2014 – Jan. 30, 2015
Opening Reception: Dec. 16, 7- 8:30 p.m.,
Kentlands Mansion
Kentlands Mansion will host the work of
26 artists who are members of the Gaithersburg Camera Club. This juried exhibit
will display nature, landscape, architectural and abstract photography, along with
some other types in which members of this
camera club specialize. Free. More information on the Gaithersburg Camera Club
is at www.gaithersburgcameraclub.org.
The Steel Wheels
Dec. 12, 8 p.m., BlackRock Center for the
Arts
The Steel Wheels have captured audiences across the country with their heady
brew of original soulful mountain music and their deep commitment to roots
and community. Based in the Blue Ridge
Mountains of Virginia, this dynamic fourpiece string band marries old-time musical
traditions with their own innovative sound
and powerful original songwriting, generating a truly magnetic revival. Tickets are
$28. www.blackrockcenter.org
Creative Jewelry Making Class:
Crown Jewels Bracelet
Dec. 14, 1-3 p.m., Arts Barn
Beginning beaders are invited to try
their hand at making a simple, yet elegant
bracelet using Swarovski crystals and seed
beads. For ages 14 and up. A supply fee of
$15 will be collected at the workshop. Fee
is $36 for residents and $40 for non-residents.
‘Celtic Christmas with
Seamus Kennedy’
Dec. 14, 3 p.m., Kentlands Mansion
Enjoy Celtic holiday music at the beautifully decorated Kentlands Mansion. Seamus Kennedy sings traditional and contemporary songs of Ireland and Scotland.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $12 for youth
(age 18 and under). www.gaithersburgmd.
gov
Swing Dance Party
Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m., BlackRock Center for the
Arts
A 45-minute dance lesson followed
by a dance party. Tickets are $18. www.
blackrockcenter.org
Glass Fusing for Adults With Artist
in Residence Tony Glander
Kentlands Community
Foundation Caroling
Dec. 13, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Arts Barn
Dec. 21, 6:30 p.m., meets outdoors at
Kentlands Mansion
Participants will learn the basics of melting glass together and experiment with inclusions between glass as well as melting
glass over forms. There is a supply fee of
Everyone is invited to this holiday singa-long, sure to spread cheer throughout the
community. kentlandsusa.com
Chanukah Fire Truck Parade
Dec. 18, 6 p.m., departure from RVFD on Hungerford Drive; stops at Falls Grove,
Potomac Woods, Washingtonian Woods and Lakelands/Kentlands
Chabad Lubavitch of Upper
Montgomery County and the
Rockville Volunteer Fire Department (RVFD) present the annual Chanukah Fire Truck Parade.
See the RVFD fire truck decorated with a 4-foot menorah, the
fire chief ’s car and a music van all
festively lit with flashing lights as
they make stops throughout the
communities. At each stop, there
will be a 10-minute show that
includes acrobats and jugglers.
Children will receive goodie
Photo | Submitted
bags. For more information, visit An element of fire excites the crowd at the 2012 Chanukah Fire
Truck Parade.
www.OurShul.org.
The Town Courier
O’KEEFE’S JOURNAL
Freedom of Speech, Nana Style
C
ensorship has always
been an abhorrent
notion to me. Freedom of speech, freedom of
the press, our basic right to
express ourselves as we see
fit— protected as it is by
our Constitution—has always been one of the central joys of my life.
By Karen
Are your ideas unpopO’Keefe
ular or unorthodox? Fine
with me.
However, I am afraid that becoming a
grandparent is screwing with my head.
When you are a grandmother and you are
trying to explain Important Things to your
three-year-old granddaughter, you hear
yourself in a way you never have before.
In a word, for me, I think the “way” might
be called “controlling.”
Maybe I am changing—like developing an
allergy to poison ivy at 60, after a lifetime of
rubbing the leaves of three without consequences.
Because it doesn’t seem like a good change,
there is anxiety involved.
However, I think the chances are I have
always been controlling. Certainly my husband has volunteered that opinion from time
to time over the years.
And he is entitled to his opinions; some of
them are quite good.
If I am devolving to a darker side of my
personality, and becoming—as I am beginning to worry—overly “controlling” with
my granddaughter, there is certainly the
large chance I might have been controlling
in my relationships with my children, as
their mother.
But it’s a matter of survival when you are
raising little people …
It all came to a head last week when, practicing our freedom to indulge in all kinds of
ideas, Lina and I took one of our now-regular visits to the library to load up on some
books.
Among the stack we hauled to the car, an
innocent looking children’s book by Karen
Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow: “I
Ain’t Gonna Paint No More!”
Yes, I noted the grammatical license in the
title, and it might even have caused a twinge
somewhere deep in my brain. If it did, I
pushed it out of my consciousness. Hey—as
it said on the book’s flap, “… one creative kid
floods his world with color—and gives a silly
twist to the fine art of self-expression.”
Lighten up out there. It’s a “silly” adventure.
In retrospect, as I look today at the book’s
cover, I think I might have ignored another
internal twinge—a warning that everything
was not OK with me.
On the cover is a colorful drawing of a
small child holding a pot of multicolored
paint and a paintbrush, dripping with those
colors. The smiling youngster is using the
paintbrush on his own head—face, hair, ears,
shoulders and sleeves are soaked with bright
paints that are literally running off him.
The child was swimming in paint, and
having a blast.
It was as I was reading the book to Lina,
n
o’keefe’s journal Continued on page 20
A ‘Roots’ Book Launch
I
in the NEXT ISSUE and
Get RESULTS!
nora’scorner
f it takes a village to
raise a child, it took all
my remaining family in Missouri to help me
launch my recently published children’s book,
“Noni’s Little Problem,”
in its setting of Springfield, Missouri. I had no
By Nora
idea of how much time
Caplan
and energy a book signing
would take. It would have
been even harder without the help of a list
of to-do’s and items to bring that my editor/
publicist prepared for me well in advance of
the event on Sept. 13 at the Library Center.
In early August I had made all the arrangements with the community relations staff
member of the Springfield-Greene County Library District. My book hadn’t even
been published yet, but I took the risk that it
would appear on Amazon the moment copies became available. The library generously
assigned to my family and me a community
room where we could make a presentation,
and a space on its concourse for the display/
book-signing table.
Advance publicity began when I wrote a
feature article about the “author returning to
her roots to launch her book in her home
Advertise your business
town and the setting of ‘Noni’s Little Problem.’” My editor obtained a list of media
sources in Springfield and sent the article to
them with a “zip file” attached to each copy.
She advised me to have large, laminated
posters made of the book cover and ordered
for me a stack of printed postcards with the
book cover’s illustration on one side and the
testimonials from the back cover on the reverse.
By then I realized that I needed an acceptable airline-size, wheeled carry-on to contain books, posters, a large white tablecloth,
table-top easels, photos, “authors’” pens,
sales receipt pads, reproductions of gifts Noni
had received in her Christmas stocking, and
a cash box. Miraculously, I found exactly the
right carry-on with zippered compartments.
Then, to be sure I didn’t forget any of the
contents, I made an inventory list of them,
as well as a list of “Things to Do Before and
After” each event.
E-mails and long-distance phone calls flew
back and forth among my niece, great-niece
and great-great nephew. To save my voice,
my great-niece could read aloud Chapter
Two of NLP. Yes, my family would be glad
for all of us to check out the Library Center
n
Nora’s corner Continued on page 19
Meet Debi Rosen,
The Gaithersburg Town Courier’s
Advertising Manager.
With 25+ years in the advertising
business, Debi knows the local
business beat better than anyone in
town. It doesn’t matter if your company
is small or large, results matter in this
tough ecinomic climate. With a keen eye
for detail and personal attention, Debi
is your source for making your business
known to our loyal readers.
About The Town Courier:
• Direct mail delivery to 7,500 homes plus
rack distribution in high traffic locations
throughout Gaithersburg.
• Dedicated and loyal readers, giving each
edition long shelf life.
• Unmatched local coverage of news that
matters to Gaithersburg families.
• The Gaithersburg Town Courier is
delivered to homes and businesses in
Kentlands, Lakelands, Quince Orchard
Park, The Orchards, Orchard Hills and
Washingtonian Woods
Debi Rosen
Office: 301.279.2304
Cell: 301.455.5721
[email protected]
Page 18
The Town Courier
Decemeber 5, 2014
The Town Courier
MIKEAT THE MOVIES
Horrible Bosses 2 (R) ****
Watching this movie
gave me the same feelings
I used to have watching
Steve Carell and the cast
of “The Office.” Everyone
was so stupid, and that irritated me despite the fact
that I was laughing myself
silly. Nick, Kurt and Dale
By Mike
( Jason Bateman, Jason
Cuthbert
Sudeikis and Charlie Day),
the “heroes” of the first edition of the franchise, are trying to find a foolproof way of
getting started back on the path to wealth.
They settle on an automatic shower system
that they plan to manufacture and market.
Alas, they run into Christopher Waltz
(Bert Hanson), tycoon and cheat, and his
son, Rex (Chris Pine), also a cheat. The
cheats, as usual, prosper and the boys are
left on the outside looking at another total
failure.
Then the real madness begins as they try
to get their money and their pride back. The
witless schemes start to multiply so they turn
to Dave (Kevin Spacey), who is in jail for
previous scams but finds time and energy
enough to insult the trio while offering to
“help” them. Sure.
Lacking sensible advice from Dave, they
turn at last for detailed help on a planned
snatch of Rex Hanson to Dean “MF” Jones
( Jamie Foxx). The ransom is supposed to
solve all of heir problems. By now, however, even the dullest audience member has to
realize that NOTHING these hapless amateurs are going to come up with is going to
go the way they want it to go. The only cast
member dumber than Nick, Kurt and Dale
is Foxx. His stupidity is covered by his arrogance. There are more than enough idiotic
suggestions from the Trio, including an idea
of using golf gloves to cover fingerprints
during the snatch. Nobody seems to realize
that golfers wear only one glove, so fingerprints are prevented by a golf glove and the
mittens usually covering the golfer’s woods.
Jennifer Aniston reprises her role of dentist
Julia Harris in this first sequel of her career.
The scene at her Sex Addicts Anonymous
meeting is hysterical, and her libidinous insatiability takes a bizarre twist near the end
of the film. In the meantime, Dale rationalizes having sex with dentist Julia: “It’s not
really adultery if you’re doing it to save your
family.”
Some of the action scenes are dumb and
insipid, but there are flashes of inspired madness. Much of the dialogue appears to have
been improvised, leading to an occasional
mishmash of lines, making them hard to
follow. What you do pick up will be enough
to make you shake your head and groan a
lot. Like the first episode in the series, this
film is definitely not for the younger set. It is
extremely gross in language and pathetic in
its plot twists and turns. Best for a rainy day
with other teenagers.
Sept. 13 was sunny and cool. I wore my
new blue “book-signing dress.” Even before
we reached our destination, I was thrilled to
espy a huge billboard-size sign announcing
“The Library Center.” As a former librarian I thought, “RIGHT ON! Now that’s
the way to lure people to the library.” The
center has a spectacular glass arch entrance,
followed by a wide, indoor concourse where
we set up my display and book-signing table. When we discovered that Room A was
filled with tables and chairs, my great-niece
Sally said, “Maybe we’d better go check in,”
and we headed for the Information Desk. I
finally met Sarah, my community relations
staff member. We had communicated with
each other so often that we hugged each
other. She called for some help moving the
chairs and tables in Room A. After we’d set
up a display table, guests began arriving, including three of my former classmates in the
Greenwood High School’s Class of 1944,
the granddaughter of a character in one of
my stories and her son, a guest who wants to
write children’s books, and others.
After our presentation, we adjourned
to the concourse for book signing. The library had sent publicity to the Springfield
News-Leader, which printed a short article
about my event. That brought a pleasing
number of people who visited our table. Notable among these were the new principal of
Greenwood, the distinguished lab school of
Missouri State University, my alma mater. A
man named Bill Bauer came to buy a copy
of “Noni’s Little Problem” and to have me
sign it. He then presented me with a print of
a watercolor his wife had painted of Half-A-
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay,
Part 1 (PG-13) ***
Jennifer Lawrence is back as Katniss Everdeen. That may be enough for most followers of the Hunger Games series, which has
one more episode to go next year. But this
series has evolved into a puzzle: Is it an adventure series or is it a romance? This episode tilts the balance to the romance side
of things, but there is certain to be more
adventure in the finale. At least this critic
hopes there will be.
Once focused on the romance between
Everdeen and Peeta ( Josh Hutcherson), the
film bogs down into often soapy, tear-filled
pangs of lost romance and becomes merely
another rescue picture with not much adventure and only short bursts of action. It
is also intensely dreary in tone: wrecked
buildings, burned skeletons, evil President
Snow, heroic poses by the President of District 13, Alma Coin ( Julianne Moore) and
patriotic speeches by Peeta and others.
Peeta is the hostage of the Capitol and the
devious President Snow, and the whole film
is based on attempts to get him back. This
in itself is a somewhat unlikely scenario as
the Capitol has many defensive resources,
n
mike at the movies Continued on page 20
nora’scorner
from page 17
the day before Sept. 13. Yes, one niece had
a Christmas stocking I could borrow. Yes,
we can buy a pot of chrysanthemums as a
centerpiece for the book-signing table. No,
there isn’t a fee the library charges, but a
20 percent contribution to the Library Foundation is welcome.
Finally, on Sept. 11 I flew from BWI to
Atlanta. After a three-hour layover and a little over an hour’s flight to Springfield, I joyously greeted my family. The landscape we
passed was totally unrecognizable to me, but
my family was able to point out the old airport I had departed from in 1948. It sat isolated in a field of weeds, a relic from chapter
one of my life before I moved permanently
to the Washington, D.C./Maryland area.
Hill, the restaurant/nightclub where Noni
and her parents had lived, and a few years later, where Bill and his family lived as well. I
now use this same print at my book signings
The most moving part of that Saturday
was when a mother, her young daughter and
the grandmother stopped by and seemed to
look longingly at copies of my book. I summarized the story and asked if they would
like to buy it. “We don’t have enough money,” and they reached into their pockets,
each pulling out single dollar bills.
“Here,” my great-niece told them, handing the child a copy. “I was saving this for
someone special. I think that’s you.”
Editor’s note: “Noni’s Little Problem” is becoming popular locally, and is now part of the
Howard County Public Library system.
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The Town Courier
Decemeber 5, 2014
reader’schoice
‘Nora Webster’
Written by Colm Toibin
N
ora Webster is not
your typical heroine. The protagonist of Colm Toibin’s
eighth novel is a newly
widowed 44-year-old in
southeastern Ireland who
finds herself stripped bare
of the satisfying life she’s
By Betty
been living when her husHafner
band dies after a short illness. As the story opens she is annoyed and
uncomfortable with neighbors she’s known
her whole life when they come by to express their sorrow at the loss of Maurice, a
beloved teacher.
Now Nora’s life feels empty, though she
has two young sons at home who get little attention from her. She has not worked
for years and her two older children, both
daughters, are away at school. Even her
Aunt Josie, who cared for the boys during
the weeks Maurice was dying, keeps her
distance, angry that Nora never once visit-
ed them during that period or even called.
We readers are not sure if Nora needs a big
hug or a good shaking.
Maurice was the lifeblood of the couple
and now she stands alone with nothing to
look forward to. “She had to conclude she
was interested in nothing at all.” But Toibin
assures us Nora wants to know how to live
now. She is soon offered a job in the office
where she worked before her children were
born—she had “operated with an efficiency that was still remembered”—so her concern about money pushes her into it.
The events that bring Nora once again
into the world are not dramatic. As in life,
they are small moments that sometimes lead
to major shifts. Nora’s gift with numbers
is noted by a neighbor who asks her be a
scorekeeper at a game night in a bar. The
atmosphere is festive and the drinks keep
coming. Before long Nora is singing a German song with a friend for the crowd. “She
did not know her voice could be so deep
… she found herself breathing and no fear
now of the higher notes.” She feels “light,
almost happy for a moment.”
She is encouraged to work on her singing. “It was only after a month, when she
had had four or five lessons, that she realized
that the music was leading her away from
Maurice, away from her life with him.”
An elderly couple invites her to join the
Gramaphone Society, a club that Maurice
and his friends mocked, but this connection
shows her the joy of owning records and
she begins to fill her house with music.
Toibin’s writing style left me wanting. He
gives no description of his characters’ looks
or how any setting feels. It is only through a
casual mention of a television show or conversations about the violence in Northern
Ireland that we understand that the story
takes place in the late ’60s and early ’70s.
Yet his stark style allows us to experience a
life change as his character does. Just don’t
expect to love Nora Webster.
o’keefe’sjournal
from page 17
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and she was listening carefully, waiting for
the signal to turn the page, that it hit me.
Lina is only three. It’s way too early to
predict that she is headed into a life of crime.
Nonetheless, she has gotten into a teeny
bit of difficulty over crayons.
Twice.
A rug and a wall, I think.
Should I really be sitting here celebrating
with little Lina this story about a child who
puts boxes on a chair and climbs to the top
of the closet to retrieve the paints his mother
has put there after she takes them away from
him (“Ya ain’t a-gonna paint no more!”) and
puts him in the bathtub?
Has freedom of speech, perhaps, gotten a
little out of hand in Montgomery County
libraries? Should it be age-appropriate freedom of speech?
Which got me thinking about that darn
“Cat In the Hat,” which Lina and I both
nearly know by heart. …
Should Sally and her unnamed narrator
brother really have let that cat in when their
mother is not home? Hmmm.
Having thought all this, finally, I think
about Lina herself. Even though Nana might
think the book is an instruction manual for
mischief, Lina knows it is only a silly story.
Phew.
mikeat the movies
from page 19
but the rebels are devious themselves and,
thanks to Jeffrey Wright’s computer genius
Beetee, the odds even up for Peeta’s rescue.
He has been in custody for some time so it is
apparent to even the densest audience member that having him back in the fold may
engender some risk, and it does.
Meanwhile, the guy who deserves Katniss, the rock-steady Gale Hawthorne (Liam
Hemsworth) is left pouting on the outside,
allowed only to steal a couple of much-needed kisses from our heroine. She is, after all,
“the lightning rod … the face of the Revolution.” She is told that, “Everybody is going to want to kiss you, kill you or be you.”
Some life! In a Bond-ish scene, she is able to
put some multi-colored explosive arrows in
her quiver, one of which is capable of taking
down two jet fighters with one shot. Yes,
the famous Destructive Double. Another
can take out a building, a third does something else dire and we are made to sweat
out a scene in which she draws a bead on a
well-racked deer. Will Katniss really spend
an explosive arrow on a mere helpless deer?
Lawrence even gets to sing. The ballad is
the folk-ish “The Hanging Tree,” and it soon
moves to Number One in the District 13
charts and becomes the rebels’ anthem. A
clever touch is the inclusion this time of a
film crew, played by Natalie Dormer with
her bizarre tattoos and haircut. They allow
more sidebar storytelling while serving as a
conduit for the rebels’ information.
I was left with a Big Question at the end
of this strangely quiet episode: Have the
teens and pre-teens who make up the primary audience for this series been following
it for the action or for the romance? I suspect
the former, but this is sure to be a smash hit,
as dull as most of it is. At two hours, it is
somewhat shorter than previous films in the
Hunger Games series. We await 2015 and
the conclusion to see whether they lengthen
it to tell the whole story. Nothing damaging for the younger set, but they might get
bored even before their older siblings realize
there’s not much going on.
Page 21
Sports
Northwest Knocks Off Quince Orchard in Regional
Finals for Second Straight Year
By Ethan Cadeaux
A
s both Northwest and Quince Orchard captains made their way back
to the sidelines following the coin
toss, a loud roar of the “I believe we will
win” chant came from the Red Army, the
Quince Orchard student section. After
thrashing previously number one ranked
Northwest 52-27 just three weeks ago,
there was very little reason for them to not
have confidence.
Northwest (11-1) may have been humiliated the first time these two teams met,
but the Jaguars definitely looked like their
old selves on Nov. 21. Relying heavily on
senior running back E.J. Lee and multiple
defensive adjustments the Jaguars had made
since week nine, the Jaguars were able to
knock off their rivals the Cougars (10-2),
28-21, for the second straight year in the
Cougar Dome—in a game that literally
went down to the final seconds.
Quince Orchard won the coin toss, and
chose to defer to the second half. On the
first play from scrimmage, Lee took junior
quarterback Mark Pierce’s inside handoff
right up the middle of the Cougar defense
for a 76-yard touchdown run. Getting up
early was very important for the Jaguars, so
they could continue to run the ball.
“Getting up early, we were able to run
the ball,” said Lee. “Last time, we had no
choice to pass the ball, but this time we
were able to stay balanced.” Lee would
rush for 192 yards and two touchdowns
behind the strong Jaguar offensive line, as
Lee was the spark to the Jaguars victory.
“When you score first, it is a big advantage,” said Pierce. “When you can establish
a run game like we did today, it opens up
our offense and takes pressure off me as a
quarterback.”
Pierce was not on his ‘A game’ against
the Cougars, but the rest of the highly
powered offense was able to make up for it.
Although he only completed 7 passes, one
of them went for 86 yards to senior wide
receiver Brandon Williams, to stretch the
Jaguar lead to two touchdowns by halftime.
As the night went on, the poor field conditions started to make an impact. Pierce,
Lee, and Williams all said they had trouble
planting, and Pierce said the field was like
playing “on a Slip ‘N Slide.”
“It was hard to get footing and hard to
push those guys,” said senior captain and
center Austin Wickham. “We found a way
to stay physical and get the job done.”
“The ground is hard and slippery, but it
is no excuse,” said Pierce. “They played on
the same field as us.”
Williams was playing with a very sore
shoulder, but was able to “mentally block
everything out and pretend like nothing
happened,” he said.
In the loss to the Cougars just three
weeks ago, the Jaguar defense allowed over
300 rushing yards to the dynamic combo of
senior Kyle Green and sophomore Marvin
Beander. After making several defensive
adjustments, the Jaguars kept both Green
Photo | Arthur Cadeaux
Northwest running back E.J. Lee tries to get the edge against the Cougar defense.
n
regional finals Continued on page 23
Page 22
The Town Courier
Decemeber 5, 2014
Quince Orchard Football: Proud, Reloaded and Still Hungry
By Syl Sobel
F
or a young team that entered the season with a rookie head coach, only
four returning starters, and a lot of
question marks, Quince Orchard has many
reasons to be proud of its 10-2 record, its
top 20 ranking in the Washington Post
poll of teams in the MD/DC/VA area, and
making it to the regional finals before losing a nail-biter, 28-21, to Northwest.
But talk to Coach John Kelley and even
though he is proud that his team exceeded
expectations and re-established its reputation as one of the top football programs
in the county, one doesn’t have to dig too
deeply to tell that, for now at least, the main
takeaway for Kelley and his team from this
season is disappointment at how it ended.
“I’m happy with the good season, double-digit wins … got to build off that for
next year,” Kelley said. But “the kind of
game we had (against Northwest), with
two chances to win at the end …”
Kelley was referring to the closing seconds of the regional final, when QO ran
two plays from the 7-yard line that could
have put them within one point. But a
dropped pass in the end zone and a slip
on the icy field ended the game and the
Cougars’ season. “Got to give all credit to
Northwest,” Kelley said. “They did a great
job and they’re a good team. But you know
we had a chance to win there at the end.”
Kelley is also proud that both of QO’s
losses—the other a 19-11 loss to Damascus
in Week 3—came down to the final play
against teams that will play in the state finals on Friday. “Two of the top teams in
the state with chances to win the game at
the end,” he said, pointing out that except
for a couple of plays in each game “we
could have been 12-0. … But a lot of other teams could say that same thing. That’s
why you got to play the games.”
Kelley praised many of his players, starting with the hard-running Kyle Green,
who finished the season with over 1,500
yards rushing and 26 TDs, defensive lineman Sean Green, linebacker Jason Heyn,
cornerback Shawn Barlow, and All-Met
defensive lineman Adam McLean, who
before suffering a season-ending injury
in Week 7 clogged the line and occupied
blockers so that others could make tackles.
Reflecting on the attention he got in
replacing former Coach Dave Mencarini,
Kelley said, “Any time you replace a legendary coach there’s always going to be
pressure on the next guy up. Is he going
to be able to have the same type of success
they did? Is there going to be a drop-off?”
Kelly said that the main challenge for him
would be continuing QO’s tradition of
sustained excellence over a long period of
time. “I had one good season and that’s
great and all, but who knows, next year we
could be 3-7 and everyone’s going to forget
you were 10-2.”
“It definitely took a few days to get over
the end of the season, but when you think
about it, the reality of the situation is only
four teams will end their season without
Photo | Debbie Boderman
Quince Orchard’s Max Ward (62) and Eisley Kim (44) console each other following season-ending loss to Northwest in the
regional finals.
losing in the state of Maryland. Just because you’re not one of those four teams,
you can’t go around and sulk about it. You
just got to get back up and get at it again
and get better.”
And that’s exactly what Kelley is doing.
“I’m excited right now. … I’ve already put
together our depth chart for next year, our
roster for next year with all the guys we’ve
got coming up and what that looks like.”
When asked if the Cougars’ 2014 accomplishments showed that what was expected
to be a “rebuilding team” has already rebuilt, he smiled and said, “Reloaded.”
QO has enough returning talent to
again contend for a trip to the state finals.
They return half of their starters, including linemen Green and Khalil Sewell and
corners Barlow and Marqell Broxton on
defense, and quarterback Carson Knight,
tight end Greg Williams, and most of the
offensive line. The offense will also feature
this year’s back-up tailback, Marvin Beander, who ran for over 700 yards and 12
touchdowns as a sophomore, and Broxton
at wide receiver.
Kelley said he would learn from this past
season, which one would expect from a
man who teaches history when not coaching. “There’s a lot of areas we can improve
in,” he said, even citing some mistakes
that he and his young coaching staff made
during the season. And, looking back at the
two close losses, he said “there’s things we
can work on so if we get ourselves in this
position again, we can finish it and come
out on the other side of it.”
Kelley also expressed his appreciation for
the continued support from the Quince
Orchard community. “Any time you come
to a home game and you see how supportive the entire Quince Orchard community
is, it’s awesome. There’s not many places
where you can come out on a Friday night
and the atmosphere is like it is here, and
that’s a tribute to the people we have here
in the community.”
When QO started practice last August,
one could literally hear and feel the intensity of this year’s team and sense that it had
something to prove. Pads were popping,
players were hooting and hollering during
drills, and one cry kept ringing above the
rest, usually led by McLean and crew on
defense: “We Gonna Eat!” When asked
what that meant, McLean said simply,
“We’re hungry,” and his fellow captains
Heyn, Green, and Griffin Miller repeated
it: “We’re hungry.”
Looking back at the start of the John
Kelley era at QO, its highs and lows, its
accomplishments, and its lingering taste of
disappointment at what could have been,
one can hear the echo of that 2014 training
camp and anticipate the Cougars’ theme
for 2015: “We’re still hungry.”
Photo | Debbie Boderman
Quince Orchard’s team competes in the Montgomery County High School Cheerleading Competition on Nov. 15 at
Blair High School. The team placed third in Division 1.
Decemeber 5, 2014 ■ state championship
from page 1
we were all able to play as a team and come
out on top,” said Lee.
Seniors T.J. Patterson, Max Hughes and
Austin Wickham controlled the left side of
the line of scrimmage, where Lee did most
of his running.
“We work as a team, we communicated, and we played really fast,” said Hughes.
“They couldn’t keep up.”
“We played fast and physical and dominate as a unit,” said senior captain Wickham. “The line is not (a set) of individuals;
all five of us play as a team.”
Lee finished 176 rushing yards, 75 receiving yards, and six total touchdowns.
“Lee is a great player, but in the end it
all comes down to us doing our jobs,” said
Pierce. “We let (Lee) run, and he does a
good job at it.”
Although overshadowed by Lee’s great
night, the Jaguar defense played an excellent game, adjusting to the different personnel the Tigers threw out on the field.
Once Brooks left the game, the Tigers had
only a handful of plays even in Northwest
territory.
“When we get going, we don’t stop,”
Pierce continued. “When we get up, we
just like to step on (our opponent’s) throat,
and that’s what we did tonight.”
Northwest head coach Mike Neubeiser
called Brooks “one of the best players in
the state,” and said that “it was difficult
for (DuVal) to change their offense,” when
Brooks left the game.
“We were physical and got the job done,”
said senior linebacker and captain Brendan
■ regional finals
from page 21
and Beander each less than 100 yards, with
neither one of them scoring a touchdown.
Linebackers and captains Brendan
Thompson and Chuk Anya led the defense,
keying in on the Cougar run game by putting eight people in the box and leaving
one-on-one coverage with the Cougar receivers.
“If they were going to beat us tonight, it
would have to be off passing the ball, not
running the ball,” said Anya. “We tested
their quarterback and he did not live up
to the challenge, as we were able to stop
him.”
The Jaguars used a very basic playbook
on defense the first two times these teams
met, so when the Jaguars gave the Cougars
new looks tonight, the Cougars had trouble responding.
“The first time we played (Quince Orchard) was the first time we had trailed in
14 weeks,” said Anya. “It was something
new to us. Our coaches always tell us,
learn to be comfortable to being uncomfortable. The first game we weren’t. But
this game, we came out and stood tall.”
The Jaguar defense had to stand tall, as
they came up big on the last drive. With
just over two minutes left in the game, the
Jaguars punted to the Cougars only up by a
touchdown. The Cougars had to travel 50
yards to tie the game.
On just the second play of the final drive,
The Town Courier
Thompson. “(DuVal) came in kind of disrespectful, so we wanted to show them
what it means to win with class.”
In addition to Thompson, senior defensive lineman Aleck Rosemond had his best
game as a Jaguar, creating numerous stops
in the backfield.
“We went in with defensive schemes
and were well prepared to stop the (DuVal) offensive line and number 2 (Antoine
Brooks),” said Rosemond.
Rosemond moved back from Florida to
the Germantown area this past summer,
and wants to experience a state championship for himself. “It’s an awesome feeling,
and I have no regrets,” he said.
The Jaguars are much more experienced
than they were last year, so for most of
them the return to the state championship
is nothing new.
“It’s special, but it is a business trip,” said
Pierce on returning to M&T Bank Stadium for the state championship for a second
year in a row. “We have been there before,
we are experienced, and we know what
to do. I don’t think we are going to get
caught up in how big the game is—we are
going to be calm and relaxed and play how
we need to play to get the job done.”
“Northwest means the world to me,”
said Thompson. “I’m going to make sure
I give them my all (in the state championship) because Northwest has given me
its all.”
The Jaguars face Anne Arundel County’s Old Mill Patriots in the Maryland
MPSSAA state championship this Friday,
Dec. 5. Kickoff is set for 7:30 in M&T
Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Thompson had to leave the game with lower body cramps, and was unable to return.
The defense was now under Anya’s leadership, as they looked to make one final stop
to seal their second straight regional title.
“It’s not the first time we have lost our
captain (Thompson) on defense,” said
Anya. “He’s our captain, our best defensive player, and our coaches always tell us
‘the next guy needs to step up’ and that is
what happened today.”
After converting on a controversial
fourth down catch, the Cougars had one
final play at the Jaguar seven-yard line.
Cougar quarterback Carson Knight rolled
out of the pocket, but lost his footing due
to poor field conditions and fell as time
expired. The Jaguar defense came up big
once again.
“I felt like I was having a heart attack,”
said Northwest head coach Michael Neubeiser.
“Our defense stepped up,” said Pierce.
“Give props to them. I would say they
won the game for us tonight.”
On the disappointed Quince Orchard
side of the field, Coach John Kelley said
“I’m just proud of our kids. Our kids fought
all game.” While consoling dejected players he said the Cougars had a bad start on
both offense and defense and had to keep
fighting to overcome that and come down
to the last play of the game with a chance
to win. “Our kids played hard, man,” he
said.
Page 23
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Page 24
The Town Courier
COLOR
Decemeber 5, 2014

Jags Advance to Second Straight State Championship

Transcription

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