August 5, 2016

Gaithersburg’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Kentlands, Lakelands, Quince Orchard Park and More
The
TOWN
Pokémon Go in our
Neighborhood — Pg. 13
Vol. 13, No. 15
Courier
www.towncourier.com
August 5, 2016
Jarell Broxton: Close to Home
and in an Exciting New World
By Syl Sobel
T
he journey begins at Quince
Orchard High School. It
goes through Germantown and Damascus—the homes
of QO’s archrivals. At Mt. Airy it
takes a quick hop on the expressway through Howard County, and
then winds up Marriottsville Road
through the farms and horse country of the suburbs north and west of
Baltimore.
In the end, an hour and 15 minutes later, it arrives in another
world—the plush, polished, modern campus of the Under Armour
Performance Center, the headPhoto | Submitted
Peppers Taco & Wine Bar has reopened in Market Square after being closed nearly six months for renovations.
Peppers Taco & Wine Bar Is Back
By Mac Kennedy
A
PRSRT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
GAITHERSBURG, MD
Permit #1722
fter six months of renovations, Mike and Jyoti Bhatnagar have reopened Peppers Taco
& Wine Bar in Market Square. The corner
restaurant received a facelift to match the design of
the new Vasili’s Kitchen next door, emerging with
a new brick exterior as well as some wood paneling
along the top.
The Bhatnagar family is very pleased with the
outcome of the renovations, and Jyoti Bhatnagar is
even more proud of Peppers’ new sign. The Bhatnagars also have made interior changes, including
new accessories, to match the exterior aesthetic.
Even though Peppers Taco Bar has reopened,
Mike and Jyoti Bhatnagar both said there is a bit
more work to do. They plan to make room for seating inside to accommodate a table and line the bar
City Leaders Hail
Funding for New
I-270 Interchange
By Scott Harris
The Town Courier
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
A
new interchange for I-270
at Watkins Mill Road will
ease traffic congestion in
the city and help strengthen the
local economy, business and civic
leaders say.
On July 18, Governor Larry Hogan announced he would
earmark $129.6 million for the
Watkins Mill interchange, which
will be constructed by the State
Highway Administration. The
announcement came about six
months after Hogan did not include the funding in his budget.
“We’ve been fighting for the
Watkins Mill interchange for
years,” said Gaithersburg Mayor
n
interchange Continued on page 10
n
peppers Continued on page 16
n
broxton Continued on page 24
Photo | Mac Kennedy
Jarell Broxton, undrafted free agent for the
Ravens, signs autographs at the Under Armour
Performance Center in Owings Mill.
Workers at Tao Foot Spa Accused
of Prostitution By Gina Gallucci-White and
Ellyn Wexler
T
hree women working at
the Tao Foot Spa have
been charged with prostitution after a search and seizure
warrant was executed at the
356 Main Street, second floor
business on July 14, according
to the Gaithersburg Police Department.
Around 11:15 a.m., officers
with the Street Crimes Unit
entered the business and found
n
prostitution Continued on page 8
Vasili’s Cooks Up a New Name,
New Home, New Chef
By Sharon Allen Gilder
V
asili’s Mediterranean Grill,
a Kentlands Main Street
icon for 15 years, is changing its name and its location and
bringing in a renowned partner chef. With a soft opening
projected for Sept. 19, Vasili’s
will welcome guests to its new
4,000-square-foot home as Vasili’s Kitchen, with the tagline
“Fresh Mediterranean,” in the
space that was formerly Star Diner, tripling its accommodations
from 56 to 180 seats.
Theo Hristopoulos, manager
of Vasili’s and son of the founders,
Vasilis (Bill) and Julie Hristopoulos, said the name change “serves
as a signal to the community that
n
vasili’s Continued on page 16
Photo | Submitted
Master Chef Yiannis Lucacos said that the new Vasili’s Kitchen menu will be all about “creativity
and innovation.”
Page 2
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
Page 3
AROUND TOWN
Compiled by Pam Schipper
Register for the Kentlands/Lakelands 5K
Aishwarya Niroula
The winning artwork of Aishwarya Niroula, 11, will grace this year’s Kentlands/Lakelands 5K t-shirt.
Registration is open now for the 23rd annual Kentlands/Lakelands 5K Run, Walk and Kid’s Fun Runs.
The race/walk will be held on Saturday, Sept. 3, beginning at 8 a.m. on Main Street near the Kentlands/
Lakelands Market Square Plaza. A USATF-certified
course will take runners through Kentlands and Lakelands and will feature live entertainment and water
stops along the route.
Look for new team competitions this year. In addition to categories like “father/son,” “mother/daughter,” “husband/wife,” you’ll find the new “fastest
business” competition. Sign up to six runners from
your business, non-profit, club, high school, etc.
The top combined time of the top four runners will
count for your score and must include one runner of
the opposite gender. If you’re interested in entering the “fastest business” competition, please email
[email protected] by Aug. 26.
After the race and kid’s fun runs, participants are
encouraged to visit the Merchants Expo, which opens
at 11 a.m. and runs down Market Street from the
Kentlands Starbucks to the circle. Featured are a beer
and wine garden hosted by Wine Harvest and other
food and snack giveaways from Potomac Village Deli
and Whole Foods. A raffle will offer gift cards to local
businesses.
n
Johnson Property Annexation
Given Green Light
By Pam Schipper
F
or neighboring communities,
property owners and development team, it has been a long
road. The proposed annexation of
the 23.45-acre, four-parcel Johnson
property at 12201, 12251, 12301,
and 12311 Darnestown Road, currently zoned county R-200 and NR
0.75 H 45, into the City of Gaithersburg’s Mixed-Use Zone (MXD)
has required deep deliberation by
county and city staff. The property
owner’s originally submitted plan for
305 residential units and an additional 375,000 square feet of commercial
space was reduced to the plan unanimously approved Aug. 2 by the Montgomery County Council—110 residential units and an additional 10,000
square feet of commercial space.
Many in the community feel that
their concerns were not heard. “This
(plan) is still at 400 percent of what
it’s zoned for,” said Dr. Carol Scott,
a Willow Ridge resident. “That’s the
reality.”
“As a business owner in the City of
Gaithersburg, it is difficult to see so
many residents, business owners, and
community leaders voice their strong
opposition to the proposed changes
and see them be completely ignored,”
said Joshua Lavine, a Hidden Ponds
resident, father to Thurgood Marshall
elementary students, and owner of
Capitol Benefits in Kentlands.
Neighbors, who live exclusively
in Montgomery County, have been
largely opposed to this annexation
and any residential development
above what the property is currently
zoned for—up to 34 residential units.
The Montgomery County Council
received 180 letters in opposition and
four in support of the current Johnson
property annexation plan. The original annexation plan, submitted in
November 2015, garnered more than
600 letters in opposition.
Per state law, an annexed parcel
should not have a residential density that is 50 percent higher than its
current zoning—and if it does, the
property owner must wait for five
years before moving forward on the
development plan unless the Montgomery County Council gives its express approval to the plan. The largest
Johnson property parcel, Parcel E, is
14 acres and currently zoned county R-200, which permits one single-family home on a minimum lot
size of 20,000 square feet. For Parcel E, this would yield up to 34 single-family homes. A strict interpretation of state annexation law would
result in a permitted 51 single-family
homes on Parcel E.
Planning Board staff considered the
property as a whole, and not just Parcel E, to calculate the permitted 50
percent increase in residential density
and found the proposed 110 residential units acceptable per state annexation law. Jeffrey L. Zyontz, senior
legislative analyst, disagreed. In a July
15 memo to the Montgomery County
Council, he wrote that despite the absence of case law on this whole property interpretation, wording would
need to be added to the statute to
make this interpretation permissible
and he found that “untenable.”
“I am still very much in favor of a
five-year moratorium,” Scott said in
an interview before the annexation
plan was approved by the council. ”I
feel that our elected representatives
are representing one rich family rather than the citizens.”
County residents in the surrounding communities worry, too, that
their views will not be heard once the
Johnson property is annexed into the
city. They have questioned the legality of annexing property that is surrounded on all sides by county land
with only 100 linear feet contingent
to the city at the Darnestown and
Quince Orchard intersection. Per
state annexation law, only land that
is contiguous and adjoining to the
boundaries of the municipality—and
land that does not create an island
within a municipality—may be annexed.
Zyontz advised the County Council that this annexation, which essentially creates a peninsula of land
surrounded by the county, is not prohibited by state law. In the 1998 case
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Maryland et aI. v. CITY OF ANNAPOLIS
Photo | Submitted
The late Bob Auxier is pictured here with his wife, Leslie Schwenk.
DAVID ROBERT AUXIER
Nov. 4, 1955 – July 29, 2016
Place of Birth - Silver Spring, Maryland
David Robert Auxier, known by family and friends
as Bobby Auxier, passed away after battling glioblastoma, a brain cancer, for well over a year. The Lord
took him home on Friday, July 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the
age of 60. He passed away at his home in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with spouse Leslie Schwenk, brother
Samuel J. Auxier, Jr., son Cody Skylor Auxier, former
wife Cheryl Ale, and a close friend by his side. He is
survived by Leslie Schwenk, sons Cody Skylor Auxier and Shaun Auxier, grandsons Adam Robert Auxier
n
n
annexation Continued on page 9
Around town Continued on page 9
auxier obituary Continued on page 15
Page 4
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
POLICEBeat 309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
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
301.455.5721
[email protected]
Leslie Kennedy
Advertising Sales
301.330.0132
[email protected]
Staff Photographers
Arthur Cadeaux
Christine DartonHenrichsen
Phil Fabrizio
Staff Writers
Sally Alt
Jennifer Beekman
Nora Caplan
Mike Cuthbert
Gina Gallucci-White
Sharon Allen Gilder
Betty Hafner
Scott Harris
Sheilah Kaufman
Donna Marks
Syl Sobel
Bethany Starin
Maureen Stiles
Ellyn Wexler
Social Media
Consultant
Mac Kennedy
©2016 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.
By Gina Gallucci-White
City Police Now Answer Calls With Backup
T
he number of line of duty law enforcement deaths due to firearms has jumped
68 percent from last year, according
to the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. From Jan. 1, 2015 to July 23, 2015,
there were 19 officer fatalities in the nation
due to firearms. Using the same timeframe
for this year, there have been 32.
Just in the month of July alone, a sniper
killed five officers in Dallas, Texas, with
a gunman taking the lives of three officers
in Baton Rouge, Louisianna. Both suspects
were angry over the recent police-involved
shooting deaths of two black men, Alton
Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Michigan.
In response to the officer deaths, the Gaithersburg Police Department (GPD) now has
officers responding to all calls with at least
one backup officer to enhance their safety.
“There are inherent risks with being a police officer, but the recent targeted attacks on
officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge are very
concerning,” said Police Chief Mark P. Sroka.
“All officers continue to receive the highest
quality of training and equipment to enable
them to provide professional police services
to the citizens. Officers continue to perform
their duties in furtherance of the mission to
serve and protect in spite of the challenging
times facing law enforcement throughout the
nation.”
Gaithersburg isn’t the only local department to make this call. Hours after the Dallas
Photo | Submitted
To thank them for their service, a young girl and her mother brought gift bags for every officer in the Gaithersburg Police
Department on Monday, July 18.
shooting, Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy
Lanier ordered officers to answer all calls for
service in pairs. Baltimore City and County put their mandate in effect until further
notice. Law enforcement agencies in Boston,
New York City and Philadelphia made similar changes.
Montgomery County Police (MCP) Chief
Tom Manger was also one of seven top cops
asked to participate in a mid-July summit at
The White House to discuss attacks on officers and their opinions on the current state
of police relations with citizens and public
officials.
Amid these difficult times, local departments have received much support from the
community. “During the last several weeks,
many citizens have come to the station to
express their respect and support of law enforcement,” Sroka said. “The officers appreciate their encouraging words that serve as a
reminder of the outstanding partnership that
exists between the citizens and the police in
the City of Gaithersburg.”
MCP has said via their Facebook page that
officers have received many words of encouragement, letters and kind gestures from
members of the public.
NEW MODEL GRAND OPENING!
Luxury 20’ Garage Townhomes
Featuring up to 2,770 sq.ft. with 3 Bedrooms and 2 ½ Baths
Priced from the $390’s
Phone: 240.695.2130
Model Address: 9034 Tempelton Dr., Frederick, MD 21704
Directions: From I-270: Take Exit 26 Urbana/Buckeystown. Left onto
Maryland Route 80/Fingerboard Road. Take third exit at traffic circle to
make a right onto Sugarloaf Parkway. Proceed to traffic light and turn
left onto Route 355/Urbana Pike. First left into Worthington Square.
The Model is on the left.
ParkwoodHomes.com
Prices and features subject to change without notice. Illustrations are representational only. See Community Sales Manager for details. BLDR #431.
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
cityscene Gaithersburg Population Grows
The July 2016 population estimate places Gaithersburg at 68,635, up 1,305 since
January 2016. The full population/demographics report can be found at www.
gaithersburgmd.gov/about-gaithersburg/
profile-and-history/demographics.
City Bans Polystyrene
Food Service Products
On July 18, the Mayor and City Council passed an ordinance to amend the city
code to allow Montgomery County’s recently enacted ban on the use of polystyrene disposable food service products and
packaging to be applicable within the City
of Gaithersburg. The ban will go into effect Aug. 9, with a grace period until Jan.
1, 2017 before enforcement begins.
New 58+ Senior Softball Draft
League Forms
Registration for the Wednesday Morning
Men’s 58+ Fall Draft Softball League has
begun. Games will be held at Morris Park,
520 Summit Hall Road, beginning Aug. 24
at 9 a.m. The registration fee is $50. Balls
and umpires will be provided. Please register by Aug. 10.
The draft will take place by team captains
on Wednesday, Aug. 17. You will receive an
e-mail regarding team, captain and schedule
on Aug. 18. For more information, contact
the city’s sports division at 301.258.6350 or
[email protected].
Nominate Exemplary
Development Project
Do you know of a development project
within the corporate limits of the City of
Page 5
Compiled by Pam Schipper
Gaithersburg that demonstrates best practices in planning and design? If so, the
city’s Planning Commission invites you to
participate in the 2016 Planning Awards,
open to all residents, property owners, developers, builders, architects, engineers,
community groups, design professionals, and
n
city scene Continued on page 10
MEETING CALENDAR
8/8
Mayor and City Council Work Session, City
Hall Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.
8/9
Community Advisory Committee Meeting,
Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 6:30 p.m.
Environmental Affairs Committee Meeting,
City Hall Gallery, 7 p.m.
8/10
Board of Appeals Meeting, City Hall
Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.
Multicultural Affairs Committee Meeting,
Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 7:30 p.m.
8/12
Educational Enrichment Committee
Meeting, Wells/Robertson House
conference Room, 7:30 a.m.
8/15
Mayor and City Council Meeting, City Hall
Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.
8/16
Transportation Committee Meeting, Public
Works Conference Room, 7 p.m.
For the latest information on city meetings, visit the City of Gaithersburg website at
www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
assignmenteducation
Compiled by Pam Schipper
Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week
Believe it or not, the start of the school
year is just around the corner. Purchase
your fall clothing and footwear the week of
Aug. 14 through 20 and you won’t pay state
sales tax. During this annual Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week, qualifying apparel and
footwear that are $100 or less per item are
exempt from the state sales tax. Accessory
items are not included. For more information, visit comptroller.marylandtaxes.com.
QO Student Awarded
National Merit Scholarship
Tanay V. Wakhare, who will be studying
mathematics at the University of Maryland, has been awarded a National Merit
Scholarship in the latest round of awards
sponsored by universities and colleges. He
is one of 56 Montgomery County Public
School students to earn the award.
Each sponsoring college or university
selected scholarship winners from among
the finalists in the 2016 National Merit
Scholarship Program. College-sponsored
awards provide between $500 and $2,000
annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the
scholarship.
LPMS Principal Recognized by
Student Advocacy Group
Lakelands Park Middle School Principal Deborah Higdon was selected by the
Montgomery County Junior Councils
(MCJC) to receive the MCJC Principal
of the Year award. This award recognizes
middle school principals who empower student leaders, support their school’s student
government, and overall make their school
a welcoming place where students may excel. MCJS is the only middle school student
advocacy program in Maryland. For more
information, visit www.mcjcsga.com.
2016 Give Backpacks
Campaign Underway
For as little as $10, you can provide a
student with a backpack filled with school
supplies, or you can donate more to reach
more students. Some 54,443 Montgomery
County Public School students receive free
and reduced-price meals, and many families struggle to afford basic necessities like
school supplies. Contributions to MCPS
Give Backpacks, www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/communit y-engagement/backpacks.aspx, are tax deductible.
n
assignment education Continued on page 17
301-657-3332
301-299-5222
Page 6
The Town Courier
shoptalk
Compiled by Pam Schipper
Hair Cuttery Donates Back-toSchool Haircuts
Hair Cuttery is donating back-toschool haircuts to children who need
it most this summer. From Aug. 1
through 15, for every child up to age 18
who purchases a haircut at one of Hair
Cuttery’s nearly 900 salons, one free
haircut certificate will be donated to a
disadvantaged child in the community.
Where Is Freddy?
Freddy is a pink flamingo, a real
n
shop talk Continued on page 17
August 5, 2016
Controlling Interests in County Liquor Sales
By Sharon Allen Gilder
R
eforming Montgomery County’s
monopoly on liquor sales and distribution is bottled up in a quagmire of
controlling issues running the gamut from
politics, to the loss of revenue the county
would suffer, to licensee concerns about
price points, damaged goods and missed
deliveries. Licensing, the wholesale distribution of alcoholic beverage products for
sale at private retail locations, and the retail
monopoly on all packaged liquor products
in the county are controlled by the county’s Department of Liquor Control (DLC).
Montgomery County is one of the few
“liquor-control” counties in the United
States where all liquor is sold through coun-
Photo | Submitted
Some county-owned delivery trucks are in a state of disrepair. Water leaked beneath a truck door to damage this recent
delivery to Pinky & Pepe’s Grape Escape.
ty-owned stores, and bars and restaurants
must buy their alcohol from the county,
including beer and wine. Full privatization
would repeal county control over the retail
sales of alcoholic beverages and eliminate
the mandate that liquor sales be conducted
only at county-owned and operated stores.
DLC would be left with licensing and enforcement control only.
On July 19, County Councilmember
Roger Berliner sent a letter to County Executive Isiah Leggett to address the topic of
privatization. Berliner referenced Leggett’s
Jan. 29 letter sent to four of the county’s
Chambers of Commerce stating the county
executive’s commitment to form “an expen
DLC Continued on page 19
Fitness Together Teaches Principles for Life
By Ellyn Wexler
E
Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Massage
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.
very moment counts at Fitness Together (FT). At Rick Coe’s personal
training studio in The Shops at Potomac Valley, you get what you came for:
an individualized workout based on solid
principles with no distractions.
Coe, a former U.S. Army officer and
graduate of the U.S. Military Academy
at West Point, opened his Gaithersburg
franchise in 2011. His wife, Robin Coe,
owner of a FT studio in New Hampshire
since 2006, manages their Bethesda studio,
which Coe bought in 2008.
The two Montgomery County studios’
combined 13 personal trainers—including
both Coes—work with clients on a oneon-one basis in private training rooms.
The philosophy is that private workouts
are more efficient because there are no interruptions in the training session: Interaction is limited to trainer and client, and no
time is wasted waiting for equipment other members are using. As the FT website
states: “No stares, no glares and no sweaty
equipment. It’s your time and your money;
you deserve to have your own space.”
FT will not train clients in their homes
or parks. “The facility matters,” Coe said.
“Here the mindset is that you own your
space. You forget work and family problems and work on yourself with your coach
Photo | Mac Kennedy
Rick Coe owns and manages the Fitness Together personal
training studio in the Shops at Potomac Valley.
and all the tools.”
A “lifestyle” approach is advocated. Beyond cardio and strength training, Coe
advocates a balanced nutrition plan. “We
hate to break the news to you,” the website
states. “There’s no such thing as a quick fix
or magic pill.”
Technology plays a role, too. Clients
wear heart rate monitors that allow goals
to be set and progress to be examined—
even outside the studio. Several pieces of
n
fitness together Continued on page 19
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
Page 7
arts& entertainment
2nd Annual Arts Barn Faculty
and Student Art Exhibition –
‘Americana’
Through Aug. 29, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday
through Friday, 1:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday
Artist Reception & Education Open House
Aug. 4, 6-8 p.m., Arts Barn
Don’t miss this opportunity to see works
by Arts Barn faculty and students! www.
gaithersburgmd.gov
‘The Seven Palettes’ Exhibit
Through Sept. 5, Monday through Friday,
9 a.m.-4 p.m., Kentlands Mansion
The Seven Palettes is a group of women
who have joined together for the purpose
of increasing their immersion in art. Artists
include Sara Becker, Nancy Butler, Helen
Gallagher, Caroline Orrick, Ann Rossilli, Penny Smith, and Maureen Ward. This
latest exhibit has been themed for their
many “brushes with nature.” www.gaithersburgmd.gov
Zumba in the Park
Aug. 5, 12 & 19, 7-8 p.m., Gaithersburg
City Hall Concert Pavilion
Shake it to the Latin rhythms of Zumba,
which features interval dance sessions that
combine fast and slow rhythms to maximize fat burning. Learn the tango, salsa,
cumbia, and reggaeton while you experience an hour of body-energizing, stress-relieving fun. Free. www.gaithersburgmd.
gov
‘Nine’
Aug. 5-13, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays;
2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 and Sunday,
Aug. 7, Arts Barn
“Nine” is the story of a celebrated film
director, Guido Contini, and his attempts
to come up with a plot for his next film as
he is pursued by hordes of beautiful women,
all clamoring to be loved by him and him
alone. Produced in partnership with Wildwood Summer Theatre, “Nine” is recommended for ages 15 and up. Tickets are $22
for adults and $18 for students (ages 15-22).
Do you have a question for a Master Gardener? Master Gardeners give advice on
vegetables, trees, lawns, shrubs, insects and
pruning. Visitors can bring plant samples
or photos for Master Gardeners to identify
or diagnose. Free.
Master Gardeners: Grow It Eat It
Summer Open House
Saturday, Aug. 6, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Agricultural
Compiled by Pam Schipper
History Farm Park, Derwood
Check out different kinds of gardens, get
tips on late-season gardening, buy garden
supplies and plants, and more. Kids will
love visiting with farm animals. Free, but
a few classes require a fee and preregistration. extension.umd.edu
n
arts & entertainment Continued on page 20
Main Street Farmers and
Artists Market
Aug. 6 & 13, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Main Street
Pavilion
Products for sale include a variety of
fruits and vegetables, herbs, jams and jellies, baked goods, crab cakes, meat, eggs,
honey, cut flowers, potted plants and dog
treats. Arts and crafts vendors sell health
and beauty products, jewelry, purses,
quilts, clothing, photographs, children’s
accessories, yard art, knitted items and
more. Musicians perform 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
and include Don Muller on Aug. 13. www.
facebook.com/GaithersburgMarkets
Master Gardeners
Aug. 6, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Main Street Farmers
and Artists Market
Aug. 6 & 13, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Quince
Orchard Library
Photo | Jay Schlossberg
Look for Donuts For Dinner at Peppers Taco & Wine Bar on Aug. 5, Aug. 19 and Sept. 1.
Donuts For Dinner: Just Right
By Ellyn Wexler
M
ore than the prospect of Donuts
For Dinner (DFD) propelled
four Gaithersburg musicians to
combine their talents in a folk rock cover band that bears an unusual name. Although their ages, occupations and stag-
es of life vary, their common passion and
compatible sensibilities link them in this
musical endeavor.
The quartet—consisting of sisters Melissa Pritchard and Shannon Frank, as
well as Joe Dito and Mark Bleich—have
n
donuts for dinner Continued on page 20
Page 8
The Town Courier
■ prostitution
from page 1
two clients undressed with one later admitting to receiving sexual services, police said. Officers took ledgers, more than
$20,000 in cash, fake identification and
other items used in prostitution. Police were first alerted to the alleged
activity by a tip received in June. Officers
did surveillance and were able to confirm
alleged prostitution activity. The warrant
search also revealed the business and its
employees did not have valid licenses, police said. Suhua Liu, 31, Yangfang Yang, 40, and
Feng Li, 46, were all charged with prostitution and massage therapy without a license, police said. Yang was additionally
charged with obstructing and hindering.
Charging documents state Yang asked to
use the bathroom during the execution of
the warrant and allegedly tried to flush the
client list down the toilet. Li and Yang lived in an apartment in the
same building while Liu’s address in court
records state she lives in Montgomery Village. All three were released July 15 after posting a $1,000 bond, according to Maryland
Judiciary Case Search. No attorneys were
listed for the women. Li and Yang have
court appearances set for Aug. 29. None
were listed for Liu. Kevin J. Roman, City of Gaithersburg
neighborhood services chief, said the Use
and Occupancy permit for the spa has been
indefinitely suspended “until such time the
required license to operate the bodywork
establishment is obtained from Montgomery County and provided to the City of
Gaithersburg.”
Nick Nguyen, who owns Lux Nails
& Day Spa on the first floor of 356 Main
Street, doubts that illegal activities were
going on at Tao Foot Spa. “To me, if
there’s not 100 percent proof, I have no
comment,” he said.
Nguyen sees the Tao Foot Spa owner
with his children in the neighborhood, at
7-Eleven, and can’t believe that the owner
August 5, 2016
was doing anything wrong, he said. Tao is
closed because they didn’t have the proper
kind of license for the massage business, he
noted. Nguyen said that his customers were
confused by the photos of his nail salon in
the news, and emphasized that his business
is completely unrelated to the foot spa.
“But a lot of people are walking around,
looking in at my shop, taking pictures. It’s
not the kind of traffic I’m looking for,” he
said. “We don’t provide happy endings.”
Don
Hoffacker’s
Air Conditioning
& Heating, Inc.
“We have been given top ratings for both price
& quality by a local, prominent consumer group.”
SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATIONS
HEAT PUMPS
HUMIDIFIERS AND FURNACES
19703 Waters Road
Germantown, MD 20874
check us out on angieslist.com
301-972-0017
Photo | Mac Kennedy
Employees at Tao Foot Spa on Main Street were arrested for alleged prostitution on July 14.
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
■ annexation
from page 3
et al. 352 Md. 117, the Court of Appeals allowed the city to annex an unincorporated
area of peninsula surrounded by water on
three sides. The only annexation not allowed
would be one “that creates a donut,” he said
in a phone interview, or city land surrounded
by county on all sides.
School facilities—the Johnson property
feeds into Thurgood Marshall Elementary,
Ridgeview Middle and Quince Orchard
High—were considered adequate by the
county, and below the county’s 120 percent
adequate public facilities ordinance (APFO).
Zyontz’s July 15 memo to the County Council stated, “The Elementary School capacity
in the Cluster is currently at 112.3%, and
High School capacity is currently at 108.3%.”
Once annexed into the city, a 150 percent
APFO test determines approval for any new
residential development.
David Lee, who has been Thurgood Marshall PTA president for the past three years,
spoke highly of his school and said that increased student numbers there are “the result
of our success.” Still, the entire fifth grade
is housed in portables that take up blacktop
space, many students eat early lunch, and
class size has risen.
Lavine, who oversees a program called
Watch DOGS (Dads of Great Students) at
Thurgood Marshall, said, “As an active parent in the elementary school, I have concerns
sending my kids to a school that requires
them to walk outside to get to a portable
classroom, usually without adult supervision,
in all types of weather. Our county used to
be and should be better than this. Instead of
taking steps to resolve the overcrowding, the
proposed annexation is going to exacerbate
the problem.” “We are waiting our turn here,” Lee said
of needed capital improvements, recognizing the extreme need at Rachel Carson and
Brown Station elementary schools.
It is the example of Rachel Carson that has
spurred Lee to attend nearly every Johnson
property annexation meeting. He is concerned that a Kentlands-like density permitted within the city might create another Rachel Carson.
According to Pamela Nazzaro, principal
of Thurgood Marshall, the school is expected to enroll 691 students on Aug. 29. The
school is built to accommodate 535 students,
meaning that this school year it will be at 129
percent capacity. MCPS student generation
numbers for the planned 28 single family and
82 townhomes on the Johnson property yield
an additional 27 students. This would bring
school capacity at Thurgood Marshall to 134
percent, which is still beneath the city’s 150
percent APFO.
Lee feels that MCPS student generation
rates are not accurate. Ten years ago, he said,
MCPS student generation rates for townhouses might have made sense. Today—and
Rachel Carson is a “case in point”—these
rates underestimate the number of students
who live there.
Lee said that the community now is focusing on the “binding elements” of the Johnson plan—the 110 residential units on Parcel
E, no additional residential on Parcels B, C
and D, and one acre of park land. Especially
important is dedicated parking for the park,
not currently in the plan, he said, and the assurance that no additional residential will be
added to the property for the next 10 or 20
years.
Annexation may take place with the express approval of the Montgomery County
Council even if the proposed density of Parcel E is above 150 percent of current county
zoning. This, Zyontz explained in a phone
interview, is also per state annexation law.
Editor’s note: Gaithersburg Planning Commission staff will formulate a final recommendation for the Mayor and City Council on Aug. 3,
following an eight-day public comment period
that closed July 28.
aroundtown
from page 3
The artwork of rising sixth grader and
Kentlands resident Aishwarya Niroula will
grace this year’s Kentlands/Lakelands 5K
t-shirt. Other age category winners are
Clara Godoy (8-year-old category, rising
third grader at Rachel Carson Elementary), Gabrielle Dourgarian (9-year-old category, Kentlands resident), Omer Islam
(10-year-old category, rising fifth grader at
Rachel Carson Elementary), and Giorgia
Dallaste (11-year-old category).
There is still time to become a sponsor
(Platinum - $5000, Gold - $2500, Silver
- $1000, Bronze - $500, Sponsor - $300)
and donate gift cards to the raffle. Volunteers are also needed. Visit www.kentlands.org/5k-volunteers/ for more information or www.kentlands.org/page5k/ to
register for the race.
Learn About Plans for the Diya Site
At the Aug. 24 Kentlands Citizens Assembly Board meeting, developers will
speak to the community about plans for
multifamily residential at the Diya site
near the Colonnade. Six-story buildings with approximately 295 to 305 units
and hidden structured parking are being
considered. For more information, visit
www.kentlandstowncrier.com.
Brick Campaign Past Halfway Mark
Through the Donate a Brick campaign
organized by the Friends of the Library
(FOL), Quince Orchard Chapter, patrons
have donated 541 bricks in support of continuing programs at the Quince Orchard Library. Each $75 brick includes three lines of
inscription and is installed in the FOL Brick
Garden in front of the library entrance. This
fundraising campaign began in 2003 and has
415 bricks left to go. Brick donation forms
can be picked up at the Quince Orchard Library, 15831 Quince Orchard Road.
Blowout End-of-Summer
Event Planned
Kentlands’ Summerfest, scheduled for
Aug. 27, will be bigger than ever with
the postponed Fourth of July carnival attractions rolled into Kentlands’ traditional end-of-summer celebration. Look for
games, inflatables, face painting, balloon
artistry, a dunk tank, food, a beer tent, DJ
music and even horse-drawn wagon rides.
Page 9
Are you living
with foot pain?
• CompleteFamilyFootand
AnkleCare
• PodiatricMedicineandSurgery
• Non-InvasiveShockwave
TherapyforHeelPain(ESWT)
• SportsMedicine
• DiabeticFootCare
• IngrownToenail,NailFungus
• InofficeDiagnosticUltrasound
forinjuriesetc.
NEW Laser Treatment
for Toenail Fungus
Jon M. SherMan, DPM, FaCFaS
Board Certified in Foot Surgery
Diplomate American College of
Podiatric Surgery
301-330-5666
60 Market Street, Suite 202
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
www.kentlandsfootdoctor.com
Page 10
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
cityscene
from page 5
other interested parties.
Nominations are being accepted for the
following four categories: LIVE (housing and
mixed-use residential), WORK (commercial
and industrial), PLAY (entertainment, recreation and arts), and PLAN (plans, studies,
education and outreach). To be eligible for
consideration, projects must have been completed within the last five years. The project
must be substantially completed or, if done
in phases, the first phase must be completed.
All entries will be reviewed by the Planning Commission. The following criteria
will be considered: environmentally conscious and sustainable design, transportation
and pedestrian accessibility, innovation in
design, compatibility with the surrounding
community, and contribution to local economic development.
To participate, complete and submit a
nomination form along with a project summary description (250-word maximum),
site plan and aerial photo of the project (if
available), two-page description of how the
project meets the award criteria, and seven
to 10 photos, and drawings and/or images of the project. The nomination form and
more information can be found at www.
gaithersburgmd.gov/services/planning-services/planning-awards. The deadline to submit nominations is 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug.
26. Awards will be presented by the Planning Commission at a special reception on
Oct. 19, during National Community Planning Month.
Photo | Submitted
On July 18, Governor Larry Hogan announced he would earmark $129.6 million for the Watkins Mill interchange, which will be constructed by the State Highway Administration.
■ INTERCHANGE
from page 1
Jud Ashman. “The project had been fully
funded previously, but we’re glad to see the
governor acknowledge it and we take it as
a promising sign.”
The timeline for completion of the inter-
change was not immediately clear.
Extensive development projects in the
area depend on the interchange to thrive,
developers said. The Spectrum at Watkins
Mill, the 40-acre mixed-use development
currently underway in the area, is contingent in large part on construction of the
interchange.
“We would not have built without it,”
said Peter Henry, principal of Henry Investment Partners, which is developing the
project. “The density of most of the project
has just been on hold. We really didn’t have
a plan B. ... The upcounty needs this kind
of economic push forward.”
In the longer term, the Corridor Cities
Transitway is expected to connect town
centers like the one at Watkins Mill and
at Downtown Crown to the Shady Grove
Metro station and each other. However,
Governor Hogan’s office also has not funded that project, potentially unbalancing the
area’s transportation options.
“We support a transit-first approach,”
said Pete Tomao, Montgomery County
advocacy manager for the Coalition for
Smarter Growth. “Widening roads to solve
congestion is like widening a belt to solve
obesity.”
Given the recent uncertainty surrounding state funding streams, local leaders said
they would track the process for the interchange.
“It wasn’t unexpected, but we were
happy it did come to fruition,” said Marilyn Balcombe, president of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce. “We will continue to monitor this
because we thought we were raising a victory flag nine months ago.”
Assuming construction of the interchange proceeds, city residents can ultimately expect better traffic flow on surrounding arteries like routes 355 and 124.
“The purpose was to relieve traffic on
the feeder roads, like 124 and 355 and
Clopper Road,” Ashman said. “Those are
all challenging areas for us, and they’ve
been difficult for a lot of years.”
Once complete, the interchange will
foster higher, more urban-style levels of
density in the city on top of addressing
problematic road conditions.
“There’s an urban core that wouldn’t be
constructed without this,” Ashman said.
“There are hundreds of millions of dollars
that have been invested in that area. It’s
necessary, it’s exciting and it’s essential.”
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
RE/MAX Town Center
12505 Park Potomac Avenue
Suite 220
Potomac, MD 20854
(O) 301.637.9762
group
www.JRComer.com
Page 11
Johnice Comer
REALTOR®
Lakelands Resident since 2003
240.876.3799
Direct
[email protected]
Featured Properties
A Gardener’s Dream House!
Just
Listed
Backs to Parkland!
1st Floor Condo!
Under t
c
Contra
Just
Listed
Germantown • $585,000
Flower Hill • $385,000
Lakelands RIdge • $275,000
Charming Townhouse!
Cozy Cottage!
Excellent Condition!
SOLD !
s
in 7 day
SOLD!
SOLD!
Germantown • $189,500
Lots of Light & Space!
Lakelands • $590,000
Walk to Crown • $185,000
Brownstone Townhouse!
t
Brougher!
y
u
B
the
SOLD!
Sell or Buy with the JR Comer Group
and receive a 30 day trial
membership! Call today for details!
Check out our latest review on Zillow...
East Village • $340,000
Villages of Urbana • $385,000
Haili Rosenfeld
Johnice Comer
Ben White
Elaine Kelly
I had a wonderful experience working with Johnice and her
team! It all started with an open house visit to one of her
listings and after talking with Johnice, I knew she was the
realtor that would sell my house! Johnice and Ben took their
time getting to know me and what I wanted out my sale and
my next house purchase, which really meant a lot to me.
After using their professional stager, I had a contract on my
house in less than a week! Ben was wonderfully patient with
me as a searched and searched for a new house to buy! He
kept in constant contact with me to give me the latest news
on listings and contracts. With his help, I was able to find
the perfect house at the perfect price! I would recommend
Johnice and her team to anyone looking for a personal and
professional experience!
Susan H., Home buyer & Home seller
See more at
zillow.com/profile/JohniceComer/Reviews
Page 12
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
15% OFF
TOTAL CHECK
Survival and learn-to-swim programs
for ages 3 months to adult!
Year-round, indoor, heated pools!
Call us today or visit our website to sign up
301-963-3500
[email protected] • www.britishswimschool.com
Expires 8/31/15
Dine in or carry out. Limit one per table.
Cannot combine with any other offers or coupons.
Free Delivery in 3.5 mile area. $20 minimum order. Dinners only.
Kentlands Market Square
657 Center Point Way
301-990-3699 • 301-990-3688
www.thaitaniumrestaurant.com
Breakfast, Lunch
and Dinner
365 Days a Year
www.potomacvillagedeli.com
NOW
OPE N !
(301) 299-5770
625 Center Point Way
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Shop Small
and local
August 5, 2016
The Town Courier
Page 13
Pokémon Go in Our Neighborhood
By Gonzoyd, Level 13 Pokémon Trainer
T
he latest in video games is sweeping the world and it has come to our
town. Pokémon Go is a new kind
of game that blends the real world with
video game play. Based on the venerable
Pokémon franchise founded in the 1980s,
the new game has people catching and
training creatures they can find on their
smart phones.
Unlike most games built for couch potatoes, Pokémon Go rewards exercise.
You play by walking, and when you see
a Pokémon on your screen, you stop and
throw a Pokeball to catch it. The game is
played on a map of your real surroundings.
When you catch a Pokémon, you will see
through your phone’s camera with the
Pokémon in the picture.
This kind of game is called “augmented
reality,” where computer-generated images
are super-imposed on the real world. First
developed in a university laboratory, the
scientists called it “Terminator vision” after the way Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic character viewed the world. Pokémon
Go is the first breakout game of its type,
developed by Google-spinoff Niantic Studios with investments from Nintendo and
the Pokémon Company. (Yes, that is a real
company.)
As you play, catching Pokémon and exploring, you gain “experience points.” As
your points increase, your trainer becomes
stronger, starting at Level 1 and moving
up. High-level trainers are now in their
mid-20s, a lot stronger than me. Higher
level trainers also find stronger Pokémon,
so it will take a lot of walking around to
get to be lord of one of our gyms.
It’s good exercise. People are reporting
that they are walking more than
five miles a day thanks
to the game.
Photos | Gonzoyd
Pokémon Go is an “augmented reality” game where computer-generated images are super-imposed on the real world.
One local resident posted on Facebook
that he was going to go for a walk, but the
Pokémon was busy and he could not get
online, so it wasn’t worth it!
Once you catch a Pokémon, you can
train it or trade it in for candy used to train
others. There are Pokestops throughout
the neighborhood that give you free goodies including more Pokeballs. Once you
have a strong enough collection, you can
find a nearby gym and try to take control
by fighting the Pokémon left there by another trainer.
There have been reports of crimes committed at Pokémon gathering places like
parks with Pokestops or gyms, but so far
most of those stories seem to be urban legends. The game does now come with a
warning to be aware of your surroundings,
lest you walk into traffic—the same
warning should probably come with
Facebook or text messaging apps, for that
matter.
There are 133 different kinds of
Pokémon, the most common being Pidgeys and Spearrows. Each kind has its
own abilities that are useful in a battle at
a gym—the game has a Pokedex showing
you information on all the Pokémon in
your collection.
You can also find
eggs, which go
into incubators
and
hatch
when you
have walked
far enough.
Some hatch
after two kilometers (a bit
over a mile) and
some take more walking. There are also potions to help
you catch more and bigger Pokémon
and many other goodies.
Pokestops are at special locations all
over
the world. In our neighborhood, you can
find a Pokestop at the Main Street Pavilion and behind the Gazebo Restaurant.
Gyms are at the Kentlands Mansion and at
the fountain on Main Street—and be prepared if you want to take control of a gym
because ours are already occupied by very
strong Pokémon and their trainers.
The game is only a few weeks old, and
it became the most popular game in the
world within days. It’s too soon to tell
if it will stay this popular—there
are more people playing each day
than using Twitter!—but for
now, it’s a bit of fun and a good
excuse to enjoy some fresh air
and sunshine.
What do you get when you
cross a nice walk with a
video game?
Page 14
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
Teachers Take It Easy—But Not Too Easy—in the Summer
By Scott Harris
I
f you think teachers spend their summers lounging around the pool, well,
you’re absolutely right.
But it’s not an extended vacation they’re
after. They’re volunteering for one of the
area’s youth swim teams, and it’s just one of
the ways teachers in the area stay busy after
the schools close their doors.
Volunteering, personal education, and
supplemental teaching roles are just some
of the ways teachers stay occupied in the
warmest-weather months.
“You can use the time to do more professional development kinds of things, or
you can enjoy the down time,” said Vanessa
Hugg, a fifth-grade teacher at Diamond Elementary School. “I think for most people
like me, it’s probably a mix.”
Donna Lentz, who has worked at Diamond for about six years but has served in
various leadership positions with the Diamond Farm Stingrays, a local youth swim
team, for even longer, said her time with
the Stingrays pays dividends once the new
school year rolls around.
“We like to think of it as a swim team
family. Some people don’t get to see each
other except during the summer,” Lentz
said. “You do put on a different role. … It’s
a better relationship with the students once
school starts. You get to see kids out of the
environment where you usually see them.
You get to see them in a totally different
way.”
James Reed, who teaches eighth-grade
social studies at Lakelands Park Middle
School, uses part of his summer to review
lesson plans, paying particular attention to
improving those that didn’t appear to resonate with students.
“I take notes on how ‘into’ a lesson kids
were,” said Reed, who is also taking an online history course over the summer. “Some
lessons they get into, others you can hear
the crickets. I try to go back to those that
got crickets and find a way to make them
more interactive so they’ll be engaged.”
Jason Lubin, a digital art teacher at Lakelands Park, volunteers as an announcer with
the Stingrays swim team. Both of his children are on the team, so volunteering is
gratifying for that reason alone. But keeping busy in the summer, he said, helps him
hit the ground running in the fall.
“It’s a rough start to the school year if
you’ve just been sitting around,” Lubin
said. “Working keeps your skill set fresh.
I’m always planning, always organizing,
and that keeps your skills sharp.”
Hugg is spending much of the summer
taking an online course in curriculum design. She said she and the other members of
her teaching team stay in contact and begin meeting weeks before the first day of
school.
That said, summer is still a time for rest
and relaxation. One would be hard pressed
to begrudge anyone, much less teachers, a
little downtime.
“We like to meet beforehand and start
Photo | Submitted
Jason Lubin, a digital art teacher at Lakelands Park, volunteers as an announcer with the Diamond Farm Stingrays
swim team.
the transition early. It can be exhausting
not to keep up,” Hugg said. “Plus it gets
me more into the classroom over the summer to set up my room. But I still have my
freedom.”
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
■ auxier obituary
from page 3
and Lucas Reed Auxier, brothers Samuel
J. Auxier, Jr. and Richard Wayne Auxier, sisters-in-law Carol Quick Auxier and
Carol Avis Grogan, nieces Sherry Auxier
Errera, Jennifer Ann Auxier and Kirsten
Auxier-Gruner, nephew Wayne Lee Auxier, and daughter-in-law Purvi Auxier. He
was born the son of Mary Ritchie Auxier
and Samuel J. Auxier, Sr., both with the
Lord.
Bobby was a wonderful husband, father,
son, brother and friend. He was always
there for his family and friends. He was
handsome, funny and had a heart of gold.
He would do anything for anybody. He
would make us laugh and be there for us in
time of need. He will never be forgotten.
He left us way too soon.
Bobby’s accomplishments were many.
He was an entrepreneur who designed and
created many websites. He developed Real
Page 15
Time Media in 1996 that was noticed by
Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Yahoo. This
was a huge accomplishment. He lived in
Aruba for a while, developing many businesses and contributing to the economy of
the country. He created and developed
Blittzed Media and Shop Kentlands and
Kentlands Live, as well as many other endeavors.
There will be a family burial service
Aug. 12 at 10 a.m. at Parklawn Cemetery,
12800 Viers Mill Road, Rockville, Maryland, with a memorial service immediately following at the Kentlands Clubhouse,
485 Tschiffely Square Road, Gaithersburg,
Maryland.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Montgomery County Hospice,
1355 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville,
Maryland 20850 or go to www.cancer.org
for instructions to donate.
For further information, please contact
Sam Auxier, Jr. at 240.876.9284 or
[email protected].
Take a closer
look at the
Town Courier.
www.towncourier.com
at Potomac House
Full Service In-house Interior Design Services available
MICHAEL ARAM
JULISKA
ANALI
TEA FORTE’
THYMES CANDLES AND SCENTS
KAT BURKI CANDLES
STONEWALL KITCHEN
GOURMET GIFTS
SAXON CHOCOLATES
YOLKA CHOCOLATES
JT INTERIORS AT POTOMAC HOUSE
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10-6 PM, Sunday 11-5 PM
9906 River Road, Potomac, MD 20854
301.299.0487
summer savings!
Page 16
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
■ peppers
from page 1
with a few stools. Although it isn’t the biggest space, Mike Bhatnagar said that he is
determined to use “all the space we have
for the people to enjoy.”
Renovations aren’t the only new attraction over at Peppers. The menu will
feature new items, including salads, sandwiches and a fish taco. “Our customers
offered a lot of great suggestions on new
items, and we did our best to add what we
can,” Mike Bhatnagar said. “They seem to
be excited about the fish tacos.” Peppers
will also be selling more six packs of beer
and bottles of wine as carryout items for
reasonable prices, he added. Peppers hopes
to become a stop for people to come and
buy beer and wine for their evening festivities.
Look for live musical performances on
Friday and Saturday nights. Local band
Donuts For Dinner will perform Aug. 5
and 19, as well as Sept. 1. Guitarist and
singer Shannon Frank said, “We are all
very excited to have Peppers back. The
Bhatnagar family is nearly an extension of
ours, and we look so forward to performing there throughout August and the fall.”
Peppers is going to be making an effort
to have more kid-friendly events. Not
only do they want to host parties, but they
have plans to offer more events to entertain the entire family, the Bhatnagars said.
It will be an exciting end to the summer
over at Peppers Taco & Wine Bar.
Photo | Mac Kennedy
Vasili’s Kitchen plans a soft opening on Sept. 19.
■ vasili’s
from page 1
Vasili’s is evolving into something new and
better.”
The exterior and interior of the structure
have been totally revamped in collaboration with the architectural design studio
HapstakDemetriou+ to reflect a contemporary Mediterranean identity. The harmonizing elements of Feng Shui have been
embraced in the interior’s design with an
open kitchen where the fire from the oven
is front and center. Another centerpiece of
the space is the bar area. “We even created
a beautiful skylight above our bar so that
we all enjoy the night sky and the fluctuations of daylight,” said Hristopoulos.
He said the goal for guests is to “feel relaxed and special. Life around the Mediterranean is often all about having a connection with the world outside one’s house,
so we tried to recreate this experience by
installing floor-to-ceiling windows all
around the store.” He added that Vasili’s
food “celebrates our connection to nature,”
and the family wants the restaurant “to reflect and encourage that.” Natural light,
herbs, flowers, and hand-carved wooden
tables add to the interior landscape.
Hristopoulos shared, “We were reluctant
to incorporate aesthetic elements that imitate the region’s ancient past because we
wanted to tell a story about how high values and hard work inspire people to create legacy today.” He said the family has
put their “hearts and souls into creating a
beautiful space that tells a cohesive story
about our culinary heritage. … We have
put together a stellar team that lives and
breathes hospitality, and we have partnered
with a visionary chef whose cooking embodies humility and balance.”
Chef Yiannis Lucacos, born in Virginia and raised in Athens, Greece, comes to
Vasili’s with an impressive resume and numerous awards of recognition. After high
school, he returned to the U.S. and graduated from Penn State University. In 1997
he enrolled in the Culinary Institute of
America (CIA) in New York, externed in
a five-star hotel in Arizona and, after graduating from the CIA, worked in the New
York City restaurant scene. He returned to
Greece in 2000 initially as a sous chef, then
chef and instructor. In 2004 he became an
executive chef for the Yes Hotels & Restaurants group. He received the Eleftherotypia
Gourmet Award in 2006 and 2007.
Lucacos opened his own restaurant,
Psomi & Alati (Bread and Salt), in 2009
in the Chalandri area of Greece. In
2012, the restaurant won the prestigious
Torques D’Or Award. Lucacos is also the
award-winning author of two cookbooks,
he operates an interactive cooking school
in Athens, and he was selected to serve as
one of three judges on the television program “MasterChef Greece.”
“Chef Lucacos, one of Greece’s most famous and beloved chefs, is a true ambassador of a culinary philosophy that empha-
sizes simplicity and seeks to create a playful
discourse between local ingredients and
elements of Mediterranean cooking that
speak to the senses,” Hristopoulos said.
The menu’s emphasis will be on “creativity and innovation,” explained Lucacos. “Our guests will have the opportunity
to experience an elevated dining experience through the lens of the Mediterranean
culinary culture.”
Hristopoulos said that although “conceptually, all our dish presentations and
overall food aesthetic will change, guests
will find our flavors will still be rooted in
what they have learned to cherish at Vasili’s Grill. ... Our goal is to create a novel dining experience.” In that regard, he
said the new menu is “farm-to-table and
locally focused, tradition sensitive, and yet
cosmopolitan.” He added that prices would
remain the same: $8 to $14 for appetizers
and $15 to $29 for entrees.
Lucacos noted there will be “modern
twists to regional classics and overall a
demonstrated commitment to the integrity
and freshness of our uniquely sourced ingredients.”
Hristopoulos said the bar menu would
feature a “small, yet eclectic collection of
beers with over 150 varieties of domestic
and Mediterranean wine and cocktails that
will rival the best bars in the Washington,
D.C., metropolitan area.”
Ideas are still marinating for the use of
the restaurant’s original location in Kentlands at 353 Main St. Among the possibilities, Hristopoulos said, are a community
culinary school and a redesigned banquet
space for special events.
Vasili’s Kitchen is the result of a hope
and vision to redefine what Mediterranean
food and hospitality mean in the community. “Hospitality is the cornerstone of the
Greek as well as the Mediterranean dining
experience,” Lucacos noted.
Hristopoulos added, “The word kitchen
is emotionally loaded for us. We feel that
it is the most humble and yet most inviting and creative space in the house. It is
where fire, earth, and water have a chance
to meet the human soul. It is where everyone gathers to relax, share, and enjoy.
Kitchen means caring for your loved ones.
It means home.”
For more information, visit www.
vasiliskitchen.com.
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
Page 17
assignmenteducation
from page 5
MCPS Reports Increase in Cases
Reported to Child Protective Services
A July 20 memo from Superintendent Jack
R. Smith to the Board of Education notes
an increase in child abuse and neglect cases reported to Child Protective Services but
emphasizes this was anticipated and due to
the school system’s efforts to raise awareness
and instruct staff to err on the side of caution
in reporting suspected cases. During fiscal
year 2016, 3,347 incidents were reported by
MCPS staff, volunteers or contractors. Of
this number, 345 involved MCPS employees, volunteers or contractors and only five
have been indicated (a finding that there is
credible evidence, which has not been satisfactorily refuted, that abuse or neglect occurred).
MCPS Proposes Earlier Start Date
for 2017-2018 School Year
MCPS is proposing an earlier start date for
the 2017-2018 school year. The recommend-
ed date, Aug. 21, 2017, would be two weeks
prior to Labor Day and one week prior to
the traditional start of the school year for
MCPS. The proposed start date would allow
for an additional week of instruction prior
to end-of-year assessments, such as Advanced
Placement exams and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers
(PARCC) assessments, thereby maximizing
instructional time. This proposed change
would also put MCPS’ start date in alignment with 11 other school districts around
the state that will be starting school the week
of Aug. 21, including Frederick, Baltimore,
and Prince George’s counties.
The recommended changes to the calendar are based on the input of various stakeholder groups, including parents, principals,
teachers, and district administrators. The
Board of Education will adopt the 20172018 school year calendar in November. You
can view the proposed calendar, read more
about the calendaring process, and provide
feedback on the proposed calendar at www.
montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/proposed-calendar-2017-18.aspx.
chased by Weis Markets. The company plans
to complete the purchase of these locations
pending regulatory approval and complete
the conversion process in September or October. Weis hopes to hire current Food Lion
store teams for the purchased locations.
All Series A investors contributed to this
financing extension, including Alexandria Venture Investments, Bay City Capital
LLC, Lundbeckfond Ventures, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and Pfizer Venture
Investments. Together with proceeds from
the original Series A announced in January
2015, Vtesse, a biotechnology company that
focuses on rare disease, has raised a total of
$42 million to fund development of its lead
product to treat NPC.
Vtesse has successfully expanded its clinical trial, which now includes 10 study sites
in the United States, the United Kingdom,
Spain, France and Germany, with 10 additional sites expected to be initiated soon.
Vtesse also anticipates expansion into Turkey and Australia based on discussions with
local investigators and patient advocacy
groups in those countries.
shoptalk
from page 6
Pub Run Benefits KCF
social bird who get around—all over the
country, in fact. He’s coming to Fleet Feet
Sports Gaithersburg on Thursday, Aug. 11
for a fun run/walk. Start at 6:30 p.m. at the
255 Kentlands Boulevard Fleet Feet and run/
walk to Fitness Together in the Shops at Potomac Valley and back. Along the way, look
for Freddy! Participants are urged to take
Freddy’s photograph and post them to www.
facebook.com/groups/169359776779724/
with the note, “I found Freddy at the Fleet
Feet Sports, Gaithersburg Fun Run/Walk!”
In addition to some off beat fun and exercise, participants get the chance to win great
prizes like t-shirts, car magnets and even
New Balance shoes. Partners in this I Found
Freddy Fun Run/Walk are Fitness Together,
New Balance and American Odyssey Relay.
Hop to it. Fleet Feet Sports Gaithersburg’s
final pub run/walk of the year is around the
corner. The GO FOR THE GOLD Pub
Run & Walk sponsored by New Balance is
on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 6:30 p.m., starting
at Fleet Feet’s 255 Kentlands Boulevard location. Registration costs $20 per person,
and 100 percent of the proceeds benefit the
Kentlands Community Foundation that supports organizations like the Maryland Senior
Olympics, the Dolores C. Swoyer Scholarship Fund and The Dwelling Place.
Gaithersburg Food Lions to Become
Weis Markets
Two Gaithersburg Food Lions located at
16567 South Frederick Road and 883 Russell Avenue are among 38 Food Lions in
Maryland, Virginia and Delaware being pur-
Vtesse Secures Additional Funding
for Niemann-Pick Type C1
Gaithersburg-based Vtesse, Inc. has secured $17 million in additional Series A
funding in support of its clinical trial for the
treatment of Niemann-Pick Type C1 disease
(NPC). NPC is a progressive, irreversible,
chronically debilitating—and ultimately lethal—genetic disease. It is caused by a defect
in lipid transportation within the cell, which
leads to excessive accumulation of lipids in
the brain, liver and spleen. It affects an estimated one in 100,000 to 150,000 children.
Page 18
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
The ParkPages
News and Current Events for Quince Orchard Park
n
Meeting Calendar
Aug. 9 — QOP HOA Meeting, 7 p.m.
E-mail your contributions to [email protected]
n
August 2016
MANAGEMENT MENTIONS
Trash and Recycling
Congratulations to
the Diamond Farm
Stingrays!
The Stingrays are Division N champions and will move up to Division
M of the Montgomery County Swim
League next year.
QOP News
Visit the New QOP Website!
The Quince Orchard Park website
has a fresh new blue color scheme and
is being populated weekly with new
photos and content. If you have photos
to share, please email them to Community Manager Ruchita Patel, [email protected].
Community Center Closes for
Construction Aug. 15
The QOP Board has interviewed
potential contractors for the clubhouse
expansion, and members will make a
final decision on contract award at the
Aug. 9 Board meeting. The community center will close for construction
that will double the current size of the
fitness center on Aug. 15. Other renovations will include adding a separate entrance to the fitness room at the
front of the building and closing off
access to the meeting/party room, installing sound insulation between the
fitness room and meeting/party room,
replacing the HVAC system in the fitness room, reinforcing the fitness room
floor and replacing the entire roof.
Most of the fitness equipment will be
replaced. The community center is expected to reopen on March 31, 2017.
DF Stingrays Swimmer
Spotlight: Justin Harris
On July 9, Justin Harris of the Diamond Farm Stingrays - Division N
of the Montgomery County Swim
League competed in the Boys 8 &
Under Backstroke and Breaststroke at
the 2016 Coaches Invitational Long
Course Meet. Harris was ranked 6th
in the backstroke and finished 4th
with a time of 46.39; and Harris was
ranked 1st in the breaststroke finishing first in the long course meet
with a time of 50.48 and edging out
a swimmer from Forest Knolls, who
had a time of 50.65.
Photo | Submitted
Harris represented the DF StingAssistant Coach Nick Van Nevel and Head Coach
rays well on Sunday, July 31 at indiCailin Van Nevel give Diamond Farm Stingrays
vidual All Stars, swimming in Back
swimmer Justin Harris a celebratory lift. Harris
performed exceptionally well in the 2016 Coaches & Breast and finishing 2nd in a close
Invitational Long Course Meet.
race by .04 seconds.
classes, including music and art, trips,
special events and activities for those
55 years of age and better. “One of the
most popular (activities) is fitness classes,” said Grace Whipple, Benjamin
Gaither Center community facility
manager. “Each week approximately
30 classes designed to meet the varied
Do You Need to Sealcoat
goals and abilities of a membership that
Your Driveway?
ranges 40 or more years in age are led
The homeowners association is get- by certified instructors. Our facility
ting bids to repair the asphalt in the was recently renovated and now inalleys and then sealcoat the alleys and cludes a state-of-the art fitness center.”
Trips planned for July include the
privately maintained parking spaces
Gettysburg
Museum, Ford’s Theatre,
(the perpendicular parking spaces). the
Kennedy
Center and Infinity TheThe Board may award a contract at the
atre
in
Annapolis.
“One or two trips
Aug. 9 Board meeting. If you are ineach
week
travel
an
hour radius of
terested in having the contractor proour
facility
to
visit
places
of interest
vide a price to sealcoat your driveway,
including
museums,
historical
sites,
please go to www.quinceorchardpark.
performances and elegant restaurants,”
com and fill out the e-form by Aug.
Whipple explained.
8. Please feel free to contact TMGA
“The center has many of the traat 301.948.6666 or TMGAInc@
ditional offerings such as educational
TMGAInc.com with any questions.
lectures, community service projects,
bingo, billiards, cards, parties, dances
Check Out These Activities for
and special events,” she added. Ping
Active Adults Over 55
pong is scheduled every Tuesday afterThe city’s Benjamin Gaither Cen- noon at 1 p.m.
ter, 80A Bureau Dr., offers a variety of
Membership rates for City of Gaith-
ersburg residents are $45 for an individual and $30 for a spouse. The
membership fee for the Fitness Center is $75. Transportation to and from
the center for those who live within
the city’s corporate limits is available.
Please ask staff to check that your address is within city limits when you
inquire about membership. For more
information, visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/about-gaithersburg/city-facilities/benjamin-gaither-center.
Float Days Have Arrived!
In response to requests from the
community, the Quince Orchard pool
has begun hosting Float Days every
other Sunday, noon to 3 p.m. Upcoming Float Days are Aug. 7, Aug. 21, and
Sept. 4.
Mark Your Calendars for the
Annual Doggy Swim
Each year, Quince Orchard Park’s
annual Doggy Swim makes a big splash
with canines and humans. This year’s
event is scheduled for Labor Day, Sept.
5, at 8 p.m. Participating dogs will receive goody bags full of treats!
Trash is collected on Tuesday and Friday and
must be placed in lidded trash cans. If left for collection in bags only, trash is ripped open by animals
and strewn throughout the community. Continued
use of bags may result in fines.
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. Bulk recycling pickups are usually the first Friday of each month. The next bulk recycling pickup
will be Friday, Aug. 5.
Trash cans and recycle bins must be stored out of
sight on non-pickup days.
The City of Gaithersburg and Potomac Disposal (301.294.9700) both offer collection services for
bulk items at no cost.
Dog Duty
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.
Website
Agendas for meetings, as well as many important documents (minutes and meeting summaries), can be found at the QOP website: www.
quinceorchardpark.com.
Sponsor a Community Event
Would you or your company like to sponsor
a QOP event like the Halloween party? Local
businesses or individuals are invited to partner
with Quince Orchard Park to sponsor an event.
Sponsors must be an owner or resident of
Quince Orchard Park or own a business located within a five-mile radius of the community.
Quince Orchard Park will provide funding to
match the amount funded by the sponsor up to
an amount designated for the event.
Since it is important that sponsors be able to
advertise their businesses while still retaining
the community nature of the activity, the Board
recently approved revised sponsorship guidelines. You can find a copy of these new guidelines and a sponsorship application form on the
QOP website under the “Documents” tab. Applications must be received no later than 14 days
prior to the event. To learn more or to sign up
as a sponsor, please contact Alex Deering ([email protected]) or Marylou Bono ([email protected]) at The Management Group
Associates, Inc.
QOP Management Contact Information
Quince Orchard Park Community Manager
Ruchita Patel
QOP Assistant Community
Manager Alex Deering
c/o The Management Group Associates, Inc.
20440 Century Blvd, Suite 100
Germantown, MD 20874
Phone: 301.948.6666
August 5, 2016
■ dlc
from page 6
dited task force on liquor control with a specific goal in mind.” The inaugural meeting
of this Montgomery County Working Group
On Liquor Control was July 14.
In his letter, Berliner indicated his concerns that the group failed to meet its set goal
and focus on Leggett’s key objectives to “develop options for privatization and proposals
for possible legislation prior to the 2017 General Assembly session.” Two local business
owners, Pinky Rodgers, co-owner of Pinky
& Pepe’s Grape Escape in Kentlands, and Brian Vasile, owner of Brickside Food & Drink
in Bethesda, were appointed to the task force
by the chambers to represent the concerns
and wishes of area licensees.
Berliner said the meeting “devolved into a
rehashing of the Office of Legislative Oversight report and the current state of operations of DLC.” He added, “Time is of the
essence … there are only two additional
meetings scheduled before the General Assembly convenes.” Berliner also noted Leggett’s prior statements that he had “no problem with privatization” as long as we “make
sure the county’s residents and taxpayers are
protected on the financial issue.”
■ fitness together
from page 6
multi-purpose, versatile equipment—like a
Smith machine and a Paramount functional trainer—as well as the full gamut of free
weights, dumbbells, Swiss, medicine and
BOSU balls, resistance bands, TRX, kettle
bells and boxing equipment—enable trainers to offer clients creativity and challenge.
Most FT trainers have worked elsewhere,
coming from a variety of experiences and
backgrounds, but all are re-trained in the
FT environment. There is “no cookie cutter approach to training,” Coe said. “We
assess each client, and contribute our own
experience to design the program.”
The studio’s cardio equipment—treadmill, elliptical, bike—is available to clients
for a non-guided suggested 30-minute
workout whenever the studio is open.
Form is foremost, and under a trainer’s
supervision, each client is likely to achieve
goals safely and effectively, including a
jumpstart into a healthy lifestyle, improved
sports performance, freedom from pain,
weight loss and/or body transformation.
“We push people further than they think
they can go, but not over a cliff,” Coe said.
Clients range from ex-athletes, or
“used-to-be’s,” to “never was,” Coe said.
Among them are people of all ages, from
kids to people in their 70s, many of them
“strong-minded people who have lost their
way physically” due to injuries or lack of
results from current programs.
After six years in the Army, Coe earned
a master’s in business administration at
Emory University and proceeded into a
career in marketing and account management in the IT industry. “It’s not a typical background for someone in the fitness
business,” Coe acknowledged. “But it allows me to relate well to my clients. When
I was younger, I led an active lifestyle. But
for 10 years, because of work and a family
The Town Courier
According to the Montgomery County
Council’s website, revenue generated by alcohol distribution in the county over the past
five years and transferred by the DLC to the
county’s general fund averaged 25.7 million
dollars annually.
Rodgers said the meeting was a “dog and
pony show” with presentations by speakers
from Virginia and “other parts of the walk
with other models. I was called to sit on a task
force about privatization but that clearly was
not the main focus of this agenda.” She added, “We need to be on task about privatization and what model would work in Montgomery County, otherwise the other two
scheduled meetings are a waste of our time.”
Vasile concurred that the purpose of the
group was to “investigate alternatives to the
current DLC system, including privatization.”
Rodgers noted that the DLC representatives said they were “making positive changes,” but the county’s statistics for DLC’s
operations are not in tandem with the evidence provided by licensees. “As a recipient
of product that is repeatedly damaged, unsalable, broken, or short on the trucks, I find
this difficult to believe,” said Rodgers. Prior
to the December 2015 holidays, Rodgers’ entire order was lost at DLC for a second time.
(three of his own and three more “bonus
kids”), I was just too busy to work out. The
biggest resource constraint is time.” Starting a fitness business, Coe said, “was icing
on the cake for me” because it facilitated
his own return to a healthy lifestyle.
Coe earned his fitness certification from
the National Strength Professionals Association (NSPA), with its founder John
Philbin, former U.S. Olympian Bobsledder and All-American Decathlete who has
coached the Washington Redskins and
the Washington Nationals. During the
extended permitting and contracting process necessary to open his first studio, Coe
honed skills in personal training and operating the business with FT’s area director at
his Alexandria, Virginia, studio.
“All the Fitness Together studios have
the same principles and equipment,” Coe
said. They include privacy, customization of a program from the detailed initial
on-boarding screening that includes metabolic testing, and reassessing the program
and progress regularly—every two to three
months. The studio’s progressive design
methodology allows all trainers to work
with all clients. “Training with different
people keeps it fresh,” Coe observed. Regardless of which trainer is working, the
FT tagline for each workout is “One client,
one trainer, one goal.”
Coe recommends that change-oriented clients—who do no other form of
physical activity—schedule three to four
sessions a week for a minimum of three
months. Thereafter, to maintain mobility,
strength and overall fitness, two to three
times a week should suffice. The goal is to
change habits, add movement and change
body composition. A nutrition program
is offered as well, designed by a registered
dietician with the company who has the
training to administer. “No fads or gimmicks,” said Coe. “We try to teach principles for life.”
She personally searched DLC’s warehouse to
no avail. The order was not found until January after a DLC product inventory.
When she announced to the task force
that credits had to be issued to her account
for problems with eight deliveries made to
her store from June 2 to July 7, she said that
DLC’s Acting Director Fariba Kassir said
that was “not true.” Rodgers was armed
with a stack of signed DLC credit forms to
prove her point about the problems. After the
meeting, she called her store to check in and
was informed there was another shortage and
breakage with her wine order and a signed
credit form from the driver.
Kassir said deliveries to Rodgers’ store
were accurate 85 percent of the time. Despite
DLC’s promise to improve delivery and operations, recurrent issues prevail.
Rodgers said, “It is unconscionable to
provide statistics that don’t include all of the
variables. The reliability of all licensees receiving their weekly orders complete and
with no breakage is as reliable as flipping a
coin.”
Vasile said his business has been negatively
impacted by the DLC’s monopoly that equals
“less choice, higher prices, and negative customer service.” He added, “It is unrealistic
to ask one entity to distribute to over 800
licensees and do it effectively. The system is
a dinosaur.”
Berliner wrote that he was concerned
that without Leggett’s “direct intervention,
the stated goals of the task force may not be
Page 19
Photo | Sharon Allen Gilder
The DLC delivered this six-pack with a broken bottle to
Pinky & Pepe’s Grape Escape.
met.” He concluded, “Our residents overwhelmingly want us to move forward with
privatization. I remain confident that with
your leadership we can achieve this important objective.”
Rodgers and Vasile support complete privatization 100 percent. “My selection would
be much greater and the storage and delivery
of my product would vastly improve,” Rodgers said. She emphasized, “I want to be able
to order product and have it arrive on time
and in good condition. I know I speak for
every licensee in stating this.”
Advertise your business
in the NEXT ISSUE and
Get RESULTS!
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
economic 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
301.455.5721
[email protected]
Page 20
The Town Courier
■ Donuts for dinner
from page 7
been playing together and performing locally for about 18 months. They met as members of the Kentlands Acoustic Jam.
“We can credit that group for introducing
us—well, apart from Melissa and me—and
allowing us to explore our musical sensibilities,” said Frank, who named the band.
The idea came to her while partaking of
the sweet treats during an evening practice
session. “That should be our name,” she exclaimed. “Something silly and fun, and thoroughly enjoyable.”
The group’s mix is “one of the really cool
things about DFD,” Bleich said. “We have
a retiree, a middle-ager with kids ranging
from middle school to college, a younger
parent with two young kids (and a third on
the way), and a newly-engaged-to-be married member.”
Dito, 63, a Lakelands resident who retired
last year after a 47-year career in retail corporate management, sings and plays lead guitar.
Bleich, 49, DFD’s drummer, is an investigator for the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority. Pritchard, 34, sings and plays bass
guitar, and teaches “awesome” fifth-graders at Jones Lane Elementary School. And
Frank, 29, a Kentlands resident who sings
and plays ukulele and guitar, is a senior marketing coordinator for the Americas at Marriott International.
Members’ musical tastes are broad, as are
their choices of repertoire. The diversity of
age, Bleich said, “brings a wide range of
knowledge and experience in musical styles,
so I get to play genres I’ve never really played
before and songs from bands I’ve never heard
of before.”
Dito said the Beatles have been his “biggest influence over the years,” but he also
loves “country, oldies, classic rock, metal,
New Wave and today’s indie rock.”
Bleich, who also plays ukulele, noted that
whereas “drumming-wise,” he usually plays
rock, classic rock and popular music, he
loves the sound of big band and swing, and
especially enjoys the few DFD songs with “a
swing feel to them.”
Pritchard and Frank come from a musical
family; both their brothers are virtuoso pianists, their late father played saxophone and
keyboard, and their mother sings. “We grew
up listening to Simon and Garfunkel and the
Beatles on our many family road trips,” said
Pritchard. “I have a deep appreciation for
music from that era.” In addition, she said,
“I love playing and listening to country music, music from the ‘60s, folk, and anything
that just has a great sound and makes you feel
something. Really, anything from the Beatles to Kacey Musgraves does it for me.”
Frank concurred. “My dad immersed us
all in all types of music, from Bach to the
Beatles. As for my own sensibilities, I do love
the Beatles, Radiohead, and so much in-between. A big fan of Kacey Musgraves, Johnny Cash and a lesser-known artist named
Ben Rector. I’ll play anything we can pull
off, from Bob Dylan to Maroon 5. If it’s fun
to play, I’m game.”
Frank said DFD plays “throughout Gaithersburg—and sometimes beyond the city
limits. One of our favorite reoccurring gigs
is at Finewine.com in the Washingtonian
Center. They are so generous with their
space and always welcome our group wholeheartedly.” Her fiancé proposed at DFD’s last
gig there, she said, “so it holds a uniquely
special place in my heart, music aside.” They
have also performed at Kentlands events,
Linganore Wine Cellars, Union Jack’s,
Downtown Crown Wine and Beer, Beers
and Cheers Too, “and of course, Peppers—
the place where we first began. We owe
those folks so much for taking a chance on
our fledgling group and supporting us as we
got our bearings.”
All the group members seem content to
remain just the way they are. “We have a
great rapport with each other, a wonderful
chemistry where we bounce songs off each
other, try them out, and if we love them, we
add to our list of songs,” Dito said. “We all
love playing for intimate crowds and truly
enjoy performing for people and each other.
Donuts For Dinner is my dream come true.”
“The musical and personal chemistry really seem to work. We’re in it for the fun,
the music, and the company,” Bleich agreed.
“I like where we are now. We’re laid back,
our practice schedule is very flexible, we
generally play a couple of local, small-venue
ALL SERVICES
ORIENTAL RUGS
FURNITURE REPAIRS
To bring back to life your quality
Antique furnishings
Cleaning, Repairs and
Appraisals
REUPHOLSTERING
CHANDELIERS
Chandelier Cleaning
Shade and Lamp Repair
Chairs and Sofas take on a fresh
new look and feel.
Large Variety of Fabric Selections
Available
from page 7
Free Summer Movies
Aug. 9-11, 10 a.m., Paragon Kentlands 10
Watch “Home.” Admission is free but
first come, first served. The Box Office
opens at 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 9 & 16, 7-8 p.m., Gaithersburg City
Hall Concert Pavilion
Bring a yoga mat, blanket or towel. Beginners are welcome. Free.
www.gaithersburgmd.gov
‘Skywatching - Perseids
Meteor Shower’
Aug. 12, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Observatory Park,
100 DeSellum Ave.
Turn your eyes skyward and enjoy the
amazing sights from Observatory Park,
home to the historic Gaithersburg Latitude
Observatory. The Perseids Meteor Shower
produces up to 60 visible meteors per hour
at its peak, making it one of the best to observe. Free. www.gaithersburgmd.gov
Montgomery County
Agricultural Fair
Aug. 12-20, Montgomery County Agricultural
Center, 501 Perry Parkway
Highlights of this year’s fair include carnival rides, Monster Truck Madness, Miniature Horse Pulling Contest and more.
mcagfair.com
Kentlands Acoustic Jam
Aug. 13, 11 a.m., Montgomery County
Agricultural Fair, 501 Perry Parkway
188 Market Street • Gaithersburg, MD 20878
240.683.1022
www.persianogallery.com
Since 2000
gigs a month.” Bleich added that he and Dito
“half-jokingly refer to our place in the band
as essentially backing up Melissa and Shannon, as they’re the very talented stars of the
band—their harmonies are really beautiful!
If anyone were to be ‘discovered’ and move
on to bigger things, it would be them.”
Yet both sisters seem content to maintain
the status quo. “I think we all would agree
that maintaining a similar sound and feel to
what we have established would be the best
path,” Frank said. “The scale of our gigs is
just perfect to accommodate our lives outside the group. We are able to balance our
various commitments between work, family,
and whatever interests outside of music we
all have.”
And Pritchard echoed Dito, observing
that DFD is “a dream come true at this stage
of my life.” She said the band came into her
life “right when I needed it most,” soon after
her father’s death. “I feel my dad’s presence
and picture his sweet smile every time I am
playing music. He always told me that if you
have a true love for music, it’s a gift. He was
right, and I am so lucky for the joy that music
has brought into my life.”
arts& ENTERTAINMENT
Yoga in the Park
Persiano Gallery
20% OFF
August 5, 2016
The Kentlands Acoustic Jam kicks it
up at the county fair. www.reverbnation.
com/kentlandsacousticjam
Train Day
Aug. 13, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Gaithersburg
Community Museum
View model train displays, explore a
caboose and RDC rail car, visit the 1918
steam locomotive on display in the adjacent History Park, learn whistle signals,
and participate in train-related activities.
A BANTRAK N-gauge working train
display will be on exhibit. While there,
discover hands-on learning centers, shop
for train-related items in the Museum,
participate in train-themed crafts and view
vintage train-themed movie shorts in the
Budd Car. With any luck visitors can also
enjoy the sights and sounds of the actual
CSX, Amtrak and MARC trains that frequently rumble past the museum. Free.
www.gaithersburgmd.gov
Ready … Set … GoBots!
Aug. 13, 2-3 p.m., Quince Orchard Library
Build an amazing motorized machine
that
wiggles,
spins
and
moves! Youth ages 10 to 17 are welcome.
Please register online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library. Click “Branches,” select “Quince Orchard,” click on
“Upcoming Events.” Call 240.777.0200
for more information. Program sponsored
by the Friends of the Library, Quince Orchard Chapter. Free.
Concert on the Lawn:
Live Action Hero
Aug. 13, 6-8 p.m., Kentlands Clubhouse Lawn
Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and
picnic dinner to the Kentlands Clubhouse Lawn and enjoy live entertainment
from Live Action Hero band and an obstacle course provided by Great Kids Events.
Free. www.kentlandstowncrier.com
Free Summer Movies
Aug. 16-18, 10 a.m., Paragon Kentlands 10
Watch “Alvin and the Chipmunks:
Road Chip.” Admission is free but first
come, first served. The Box Office opens
at 9:30 a.m.
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
Page 21
MIKEAT THE MOVIES
Bad Moms (R) *****
Sorry, purist fans. This
is just too funny to downgrade because it gets a bit
raunchy from time to time.
It made me laugh and in
this summer of dreck, that’s
an accomplishment worth
honoring.
By Mike
Mila Kunis as Amy is
Cuthbert
sensational as well as aging
well (marriage has helped
her mature nicely). Kathryn Hahn as Carla
steals most of the laughs and tops herself in
physical comedy. Kristen Bell is deliciously sweet and innocent for a long time, and
Christina Applegate is outstandingly evil as
Gwendolyn, the repellant dominatrix of the
local PTA. On the male side, only one guy
gets to play a sympathetic role: David Walton
as Amy’s deadbeat, stone-headed husband,
Mike, is perfectly awful (good) while David
Hernandez plays Amy’s hunk, Jessie Harkness.
Amy’s problem is that “I’m always late. It’s
the only thing I’m good at.” She has a parttime job that demands full time from her,
two good kids who are totally dependent on
her, and no friends until she runs into Carla, whose problems center around booze, and
Kiki (Bell), who has no confidence at all.
At a memorable lunch they get loaded, almost destroy a grocery store and bond. The
bonding is extended later when they have a
liquor-lubricated fantastic scene discussing
the shape, function and treatment of the male
organ. They also have a hysterical scene trying to dress Amy for an important date that
she hopes will lead to something she has not
had for some time. But her bra is a “Mom
Bra” and that starts another discussion, possibly ad-libbed, that Grandma won’t necessarily like to hear.
Enter Applegate as Gwendolyn, the most
officious, bossy, devious, underhanded president of the PTA you can imagine. Her power even extends to bossing the soccer coach
(nicely played by JJ Watt of the Houston Texans in the NFL) and controlling his lineup.
That lineup includes Amy’s daughter, Jane,
until Gwendolyn gets her kicked back to the
bench when Amy disagrees with her and decides to run against her for PTA president. In
the meantime, Amy, still in the hunt for romance after she rids herself of Mike, who has
had a multi-year video affair with a woman
“2000 miles away,” shows us her total ineptitude as a seductress in more funny, short
scenes.
There are so many funny bits in this movie
that to describe them would ruin the movie
for you and take too much space. Suffice it
to say that Martha Stewart and Wanda Sykes
have great bit parts and nobody is taken too
seriously. There are extended bits, one-liners
and visual scenes that are screamingly funny if you have that sort of sense of humor.
I must admit I do. On the other hand, the
movies lately have been so grim that it was a
sheer relief to let the laughter roll. No kids,
no prudes and husbands beware—this is a
pure chick flick that you can enjoy and maybe even learn from!
Jason Bourne (PG-13) ****
Matt Damon ( Jason Bourne) is back with
his franchise as star and producer. Director
Paul Greengrass loves close-up framing of
fight scenes, and he continues that preference
here with only slightly less confusion as to
what is going on than usual.
Julia Stiles (Nicky Parsons) is Bourne’s field
asset for part of the picture but, as suspected
early by the filmgoer hip to facial tics, Heather Lee of the CIA (Alicia Vikander) becomes
more important to him as Tommy Lee Jones
(CIA Deputy Director Robert Dewey) gets
closer and closer to getting Bourne wiped out
or “put down” in intelligence terms. Vincent
Cassel is totally cruel and dedicated to doing
the putting down of Bourne and is known
only as “Asset.”
As usual in Bourne films, the plot is hard to
follow but boils down to Bourne still trying
to figure out who he is and what happened
to his father, an agency star of the past. Jason
saw his father killed but has pretty much lost
his memory; the films center around his attempts to get it back.
The key scenes are the chases. The foot
chases are pretty routine, but the car chases, in various cities but ending with a total
spectacular in Vegas, are the key scenes in
the film. Once again, up-close photography
blurs the development of the chases, but it
becomes clear at enough moments to give
you an idea of how it’s progressing. Not to be
too picky, but much of the stuff of the chases
seems totally impossible except for a movie
scene, but perhaps you have to buy into the
myth in order to enjoy the wreckage. If you
like fight scenes and car chases, this film is
going to be your cup of tea.
Damon takes his usual stoic, nearly mute
interpretation of Bourne to extremes again,
but he is always deadly and dedicated to freeing his memory and settling with the CIA.
Fans of the franchise will be glad to hear that
Damon plans to make more Bourne films—
if there are any cars left in the world by the
time he gets around to it. Only for the most
experienced violence watchers among the
younger set and, as usual, no worries about
sex—there is none.
Star Trek Beyond (PG-13) ****
With more humor than usual, the latest in
the franchise is a sad one for off-screen reasons. The amiable Anton Yelchin makes his
final appearance in his role as Chekov and
Leonard Nimoy died during the filming,
leading to a mention in the credits.
Plot-wise, it’s similar to most of the other
space thrillers as the Enterprise is destroyed
by the forces of Krall, who has evil designs
on the planet, even though he shows occasional flashes of sympathy for what he’s doing. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary
Quinto) share many scenes, and Spock is very
funny in his usual droll way. He is also besotted with Lieutenant Uhura (the radiant Zoe
Saldana). His pursuit of her throughout the
film is one of the more interesting subplots.
Another interesting character is Jaylah
(Sofia Boutella), an alien with serious martial
n
mike at the movies Continued on page 23
Page 22
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
kaufman’skitchen
Unique, Enjoyable and Delicious Eating
French Onion Toast
Black Bean Burgers
When French soup called
to Jill Donenfled as a dinner option, her first bite was
enough to inspire this dish
included in her book, “Better on Toast: Happiness on
a Slice of Bread” (William By Sheilah
Morrow).
Kaufman
Jill seems to always turn
to the one dish that satisfies—toast. That
single slice of perfect bread stacked high
with fresh, flavorful toppings also happens
to be one of today’s hottest culinary trends.
All 70 irresistible, easy-to-follow recipes
in her book are accompanied by beautiful
color photos. You’ll find delicious toast
adorned with every possible topping configuration from hot to cold and savory to
sweet. Great for any occasion, using any
type of bread, the emphasis here is on flavor, using wholesome, quality ingredients.
This recipe from Ree Drummond’s
“The Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinnertime” (William Morrow) is great for people who like meatless burgers or for those
looking to add more healthful black beans
to their meals. A New York Times bestselling author, award-winning blogger and
TV Food Network personality, Drummond shares simple, scrumptious recipes
here, dishes that take minimum time and
fuss to prepare for maximum enjoyment.
If you’re busy juggling school, work and
other pastimes—or if your children like to
cook—check out “The Pioneer Woman
Cooks Dinnertime” for 16-minute meals,
freezer-friendly foods and color photos
that show all the directions. Serves 4.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 or 3 large white onions, quartered
and sliced (about 6 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
1 cup half & half
3 large eggs
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 (14.5-ounce each) cans seasoned
black beans, drained
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated white onion
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more
to taste
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
several dashes hot sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil, for frying
2 tablespoons butter, for frying plus
more for grilling the buns
8 slices Swiss (or other cheese)
4 Kaiser rolls or good hamburger
buns
mayonnaise, lettuce, thinly sliced red
onion, sliced tomatoes for serving
Place the beans in a medium bowl and
mash them with a fork until mostly broken up, with a few large pieces still visible.
Pour in the breadcrumbs, grated onion,
egg, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste.
Stir to mix well. Add hot sauce and stir it
in. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes.
Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over
medium-low heat. Form the mixture into
four equal-size patties that are a little larger
in circumference than the buns, since the
patties do not shrink when cooked. Cook
for 5 minutes on the first side, or until nicely
browned, then flip to the other side.
Place two slices of cheese on each patty and
cook for 5 more minutes, or until the burgers are thoroughly heated through. Place
a lid on the skillet if the cheese needs help
melting.
Meanwhile, heat a separate skillet or griddle over medium heat and butter the surface.
Split the buns and grill them until golden
brown on the surface. To serve, spread a
mixture of mayonnaise and hot sauce on
both sides of the buns, topping with burgers,
lettuce, onion, and tomato. Serve.
Honeydew, Cucumber,
and Avocado Soup
Every January, most of us make a resolution to watch what we eat, vow to eat more
healthfully, and then, usually, promptly
forget our vows and go back to old habits. Sara Dickerman’s wonderful book,
“Bon Appetit: The Food Lover’s Cleanse:
140 Delicious, Nourishing Recipes That
Will Tempt You Back Into Healthful Eating” (William Morrow) really lets you en-
joy food and learn to shift your eating habits
in a healthier direction without sacrificing
the pleasures and flavors of good food. It
celebrates food as the key to good health,
and explores inherently healthful ingredients that are truly delicious. The emphasis is recipes high in fruits, vegetables, and
whole grains, no refined flours, and very
limited dairy and saturated fats. The recipes
are based on seasonal ingredients (the book
is divided into seasons), has lovely photographs, lots of tips, and a terrific section on
pantry methods. Serves 4.
4 cups cubed honeydew or other
white/green sweet melon
1 ripe avocado, pitted peeled, and
cut into medium chunks
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and
cut into medium chunks
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno chile
(without seeds and pith), plus a
pinch more for garnish
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more
to taste
2 tablespoons rice vinegar, plus
more to taste
1 tablespoon chopped pistachios
flaky sea salt to taste, optional
In a blender, puree the melon, avocado,
cucumber, jalapeno, salt, and vinegar.
If needed, add 4 cups of water to get
the blender going. Puree until very
smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with
a bit more salt and/or rice vinegar to balance
the sweetness of the melon.
Chill and serve with a few chopped pistachios, a bit of minced jalapeno, and flaky sea
salt if desired.
Editor’s note: For more edible delights
by Sheilah Kaufman, go to www.
cookingwithsheilah.com.
reader’schoice
‘A Man Called Ove’
Written by Fredrik Backman
N
o one assigns the
book I review each
month; I’m happily
on my own. I always hope
to choose a book I can excitedly promote to other
readers. (There’s no red
pencil-wielding
English
By Betty
teacher in me, eager to
Hafner
point out failures of tone,
structure, or plotting.) I
took a risk this month with “A Man Called
Ove” by Fredrik Backman.
There was nothing about it that drew me
in—a Swedish blogger’s novel about a solitary, irascible compatriot who is hell-bent on
suicide—yet I was intrigued by the enormous
number of readers (thank you, Amazon) who
adored it. Thousands of them. So in the interest of bringing variety into my column,
I went for it. Backman tells us, “Love is a
strange thing. It takes you by surprise,” and
that is what happened to me with Ove.
Ove is a retired, 59-year-old widower who
lives in a row house in a small development
and drives a Saab. (If you don’t think the
make of the car is important, you don’t know
Ove.) He’s the kind of man who wakes up
automatically every morning at quarter to six
and starts his day. He likes screwdrivers and
oil filters. He faithfully bleeds radiators. He’s
a man who regularly grumbles, “Nowadays
nobody can …”
Life offers nothing to Ove, and he plans
to do something about it. His boss had announced one day that he no longer needed to
come to work, so his days are empty. He has
no children and his beloved wife Sonja has
recently died. “If anyone had asked, he would
have told them that he never lived before he
met her. And not after either.” Yet Ove is not
n
Reader’s choice Continued on page 23
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
Page 23
mikeat the movies
from page 21
arts skills who becomes a part of the fighting force led by Kirk as they try to escape
a dark part of the galaxy and thousands of
tiny weapons that operate as a swarm, making elimination of them as an opponent very
challenging (but not impossible). A secondary challenge for various Star Fleet members,
including Kirk and Spock, is whether or not
to stay members. Spock has yearnings to return to Vulcan to lead “the New Vulcan”
state, and Kirk is being pushed to become
an admiral, thus taking him out of his pilot’s
seat.
Though the film has superior graphics and
special effects, Director Justin Lin suffers
from the usual loss of clarity and perspective
when filming fight scenes: The camera is too
close to the action and the lighting is too dim
to perceive what is going on. There’s a lot
of motion in the fights but very little clarity
until the action stops, the cameras pull back,
and we can see the result of the fight.
There are the usual extraterrestrial gimmicks to be exploited. My favorite for efficiency was the “gravitational slipstream,”
which allows very quick transportation from
one spot to another. We would call it “fall-
ing” back here on Earth. Two antiques play
large roles in the film as well: an old motorcycle that retains its shape-shifting abilities
and the USS Franklin—an old Star Fleet vehicle that is put back into service. Are the
oldies still goodies? Watch the big screen to
find out.
Ghostbusters (PG-13) ****
This has been one of the strangest run-ups
to a major film I have ever seen. Men around
the world have been bashing this film for
weeks if not months, and it makes me wonder if they have serious gender identification
issues. So the original from 1984 became a
classic. Its sequel was considerably less than
classic and reading the reviews of the 2016
trailer and the actual film (mostly from UK)
makes it sound like a total disaster. I did
not find it so, even though there are pacing
problems throughout, especially once the
plot moves heavily into CGI effects.
The cast has good chemistry with Kristen Wiig as Erin, proving a surprisingly effective straight man to Melissa McCarthy’s
Abby. Perhaps the biggest surprise in the
cast is Kate McKinnon as Jillian, the big experimenter of the quartet. Her semi-man-
firstperson
The Phrase That Makes My Kids
Better People
P
arenting, in a nutshell, is bossing
around the people
you birthed for 18 years
or so. But some days, it
felt as if all I did was bark
orders at my children. I
disliked this one-dimenBy Mauren
sional approach to life
Stiles
with kids so much that I
vowed to change the way
I interacted with them.
And it only took two words …
“Thank you.”
Just uttering this phrase after my kids
did something I had asked them to made
me feel like less of a tyrant. Just because
much is expected of our children in the
way of chores, school work and contribution doesn’t mean parents are exempt from
showing our gratitude.
So when they take out the trash, I say
thank you. And same for doing homework
without a nuclear meltdown (I may even
add a kiss for that one) or helping with the
groceries.
While I realize that these tasks are children’s way of paying back and being a valued part of the family unit, I still feel it
is praise-worthy simply because it teaches
gratitude.
To me, part of what is wrong with our
world today is that people have forgotten
to be grateful for the small things. In a
time growing more and more impersonal
through electronics and our endless quest
for the next big thing, we are losing sight
of the exquisite nature of the here and now.
Yes, putting the dishes in the sink is not
earth-shattering stuff, but I really do appreciate it. It means I don’t have to and that
they get the idea of lessening my burden. It
means they are learning life skills. It means
they see the world is about more than just
themselves.
When you put it in that context, clearing the table is pretty amazing and certainly worthy of praise. And if I feel this way,
why on earth would I not say it out loud?
The funny thing about gratitude is its
boomerang effect. The more gracious I
was, the more my kids reciprocated. My
menial and expected tasks such as cooking
dinner and driving were soon capped by a
thank you from my children.
A mutual appreciation developed over
the most mundane things, so when I asked
for something above and beyond, the kids
knew I would value the effort. These were
our first faltering steps toward not taking
each other for granted.
There are still spats, bickering and eye
rolls galore, but each time I see a text with
“Ty” either to me or a sibling, I know the
foundation of the family is chugging along
just fine.
Certainly if we can muster up gratitude
for our family—the people who make us
craziest—no doubt we could do the same
for the world at large.
I guess that’s really parenting in a nutshell—equipping our kids with the skills
and example to be the best people possible
once they are on their own. I am thankful
for the opportunity to do just that every
single day.
ic approach to her job and her colleagues
makes her seem a bit butch at times, but she
is ever funny with wise remarks and lots of
attitude fuelling her performance. Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) is also funny in a streetwise performance that reflects her brag that
“I know New York.” That’s about all that
qualifies her for the quartet of women who
become the Ghostbusters team, hindered by
and besotted with Aussie Chris Hemsworth
as Kevin and Rowan, a ghost who possesses
him.
Kevin doesn’t have many lines but is
probably too dumb to remember them. His
glasses are frames with no lenses because
the lenses were too hard to keep clean. Erin
immediately falls for Kevin, but he is unobtainable and almost as socially inept as he
is a failure as a receptionist for the women.
Still, he has his appeal. “Who’s the flying
beefcake?” asks one puzzled New Yorker
when Kevin, as Rowan, invades his space.
He also asks the women: “Can I bring my
cat to work?” “No,” Abby tells him. “I’m allergic to cats.” “No,” Kevin responds, “he’s
a dog.” “Your cat’s a dog?” “Yeah. Well, his
full name is Michael Hat but I just call him
Mike Hat.” Not great humor, but played
well at the time.
Another strong performance is from Cecily Strong, like McKinnon a cast member
of SNL. She is the mayor’s PR agent and
makes of her few lines an excellent character sketch. As the ghosts multiply and take
over Manhattan, hope for recovery is placed
in the mayor, but, of course, it’s the Ghostbusters who have the ultimate solutions to
the city’s problems. Cameos abound: Bill
Murray as a cynical debunker of ghosts and
the extraterrestrial, Dan Aykroyd as a taxi
driver, Sigourney Weaver during the credits, and most touching, a bust of the late
Harold Ramis who died a couple of years
ago. I believe the ultimate test for a remake
is whether or not it stands on its own. In my
opinion, this reboot does stand alone, female
cast or not. It appeals to all ages, is witty as
well as funny and a worthy theater experience. Guys, live with it.
Enjoy more of Mike’s reviews at www.
towncourier.com
reader’schoice
from page 21
very competent at ending his life. It’s not
his fault, though, as much as it is the interruptions to his attempts by the locals.
Backman drums up a mix of characters (human and feline) that are delightful. A new next-door neighbor,
Parvaneh, whom Ove calls the Pregnant
Foreign One, is a lively Iranian mother. She views Ove as an indispensable
chauffer, handyman, verbal sparring
partner, and as the need becomes clear,
driving instructor. Her two little girls
are singularly strong-minded about their
neighbor. A young man who’s just told
his homophobic father he’s gay moves
in with Ove. A cat that Ove rescues is
ever-present, with a hilarious range of
emotive reactions to his owner’s actions.
It seems that beneath Ove’s gruff exterior, which Backman plays with gleefully, Ove is a man who is decent, kind,
and helpful. Readers can figure out early
on that these people will bring life back
to Ove, but that in no way spoils the
surprisingly touching way Backman lets
that unfold. Yes, it was tough reading the
end of this heartwarming story with the
tears in my eyes; I didn’t expect to, but
I fell in love.
classifieds
Want to list a job opening in the area?
Advertise in the Town Courier!
A great resource to find local talent for your business needs.
Eighth page (5”x3”) ad $80 — 5 lines with logo
Business card size (3”x2”) $45 — 3 lines with logo
Contact: Leslie Kennedy • 301-330-0132 • [email protected]
HELP WANTED
Friendly and Experienced
Receptionist and Shampoo
Assistant Needed
If you wish to apply or contact us for information about this
position, please ask for Christie at 240-631-0163
or email [email protected]
Page 24
■ broxton
from page 1
quarters, training, and practice home of the
Baltimore Ravens—the world of professional
football. And that’s where Jarell Broxton is
working to start his career.
Broxton is a former defensive lineman for
the QO Cougars who is now one of 90 players with the Ravens trying to make the final
roster of about 50. As an undrafted free agent
who signed with the Ravens shortly after the
NFL player draft in April, his road is even
tougher, as he’s competing for a spot behind
veterans and players in whom the Ravens invested draft picks.
“Take one day at a time,” said Broxton recently, after the Ravens first practice in pads
at their first-class facility in Owings Mill.
But his initial impressions are good ones. “It’s
a good experience so far, and it’s been really
fun. … I’m liking it here.”
Broxton’s road to the NFL has seen several stops. He was a starting defensive lineman at QO in 2009 and 2010 and never
played offense. He went to two-year Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pennsylvania,
grew three inches and some 60 pounds into
the 6-foot-3-inch, 322-pound lineman he is
today, was converted to the offensive line,
and blossomed. He became a junior college
All-American and top 100 junior college recruit and transferred to perennial national
power Baylor in January 2014.
He became an All-Big 12 offensive lineman last season, helping to pave the way
for the nation’s No. 2-ranked rushing offense, and received his degree from Baylor in
The Town Courier
health, kinesiology, and leisure studies. He
had hoped to get drafted by an NFL team,
but was one of the first players the Ravens
signed to a free agent contract immediately
after the draft ended.
“It was exciting to know that a Maryland
team wanted me,” Broxton said. “My family
is excited.” He said some of his family members are Ravens fans and are “pumped about
it,” though he confessed that he grew up a
Redskins fan.
“I didn’t care where I went,” he added
quickly. “Any team was going to get my 100
percent.”
Under the watchful and active tutelage of
highly-respected veteran offensive line coach
Juan Castillo, Broxton spends his days practicing drills, learning plays, mastering techniques, and trying to prove that he belongs
on the team. He says he is focused on “being
coachable and taking every technique and
practicing it over and over again, and learning from the veterans because they’ve been
doing it for a long time.”
Broxton said the competition at this level
is “way better and more exciting” than he’s
ever experienced, but “going against good
people every day makes you a better player.”
He especially likes the sense of teamwork
among his offensive linemates, who help
each other even though they are competing
for jobs. “The whole line helps each other,”
he said, as they try to correct each other’s
mistakes in positioning or technique. “The
whole O line works as a unit.”
He also appreciates the challenge of “always learning something new, learning new
plays. There’s a lot of things you’ve got to
learn in a short period of time. But it’s com-
August 5, 2016
Photo | Mac Kennedy
Jarell Broxton works on his flying block at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mill where he is an undrafted
free agent for the Ravens.
ing to me.”
Broxton said his coaches have been encouraging, “coaching me up every day, telling me that I’m getting better at everything
… to stick with it and get better every day.”
But it’s too early to tell where he or any
of the other newcomers stand, said offensive
coordinator Marc Trestman in a press conference following practice. As special teams
coordinator Jerry Rosburg said, “That’s what
camp is for, to show us what they can do.”
Broxton understands the difficulties ahead
of him. The Ravens have 15 offensive linemen on their training camp roster and will
keep only 9-10 of them (including some spots
on their practice squad).
But for now, he is a professional football
player, playing for a team a little more than an
hour from his family and hometown friends.
That means long days of practice, weightlifting, film study, meetings, drills, learning
from coaches and veterans, and fierce competition in the trenches with other big, strong
men in the withering heat and humidity of a
Maryland summer.
But it also means working out, practicing, and bonding in a beautifully manicured,
state-of-the-art practice facility with the
finest athletes in his profession; adoring fans
who flock to support the men in Ravens purple; an occasional interview; signing autographs for children; and a chance to do what
he loves for a living.
Jarell Broxton is close to home but a world
away, doing all he can to keep his journey
going.
Schaeffer’s Piano Co., Inc.
Est 1901
NEW • USED
RENTALS TOO!
Tuning • Repair
Refinishing
We’ve Moved!
Visit us at our new location!
1-888-447-8308
105 N Stone Street Ave.
Rockville, Md 20850
301.424.1144
www.schaefferspiano.com
David W. Kushner
Graduate of the Eastman School of Music
Masters degree in piano & music education
Make music learning a positive experience
President/Agent
Rockville Insurance • Nationwide Insurance
60 Market Street Suite 203
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Call for trial session
(240)899-8892
Tel 301-277-2535 x105
Tel 202-244-5700
[email protected]
www.rockvilleins.com
[email protected]
Advertise in
Gaithersburg’s
hometown paper
[email protected]
[email protected]
eink
Electronic Ink
703.669.5502
Publications
Graphic Design
Web 2.0
August 5, 2016
The Town Courier
Page 25
Sports
Ty Williams Tackling His Treatment With Passion and Intensity
By Syl Sobel
I
f you asked someone to describe Tyrell
Williams’ style on the football field in
one word, the words that would probably come to mind would be “fierce,”
“impassioned” or “determined.” He was
virtually impossible to solo tackle as a running back, and woe to the unfortunate ball
carrier who strayed into his territory as a
linebacker.
Now taking on the toughest opponent of
his young life, Williams is bringing all of
that ferocity, passion, and determination to
tackle the challenge ahead of him: Learning how to walk again.
Williams, the former Quince Orchard
football standout who suffered a broken
neck in the opening game of his junior
season for Georgetown University last September, is spending two days each week in
two- or three-hour therapy sessions at the
Medstar National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in D.C. In addition, he works
out on special equipment in his accessible, on-campus apartment at Georgetown
and in the campus training facilities with
one goal in mind: “Getting up out of that
(wheelchair) and getting back to normal.”
After emergency surgery to stabilize his
neck and spine in Altoona, Pennsylvania,
near where the injury occurred, Williams
spent several months in a rehabilitation
center in Atlanta that specializes in treatment for neck and spinal cord injuries. He
returned to Gaithersburg in December and
to Georgetown for classes in January.
Williams has been told by doctors that
it is possible he could walk again, but they
can’t say for certain and they can’t say
when. “They just tell you what comes back
will come back, and when it comes back is
when it comes back,” Williams said.
He said, “Everything’s going pretty
well. The only complaint is that it’s not
going fast enough.” He admitted there are
times he gets discouraged. “Yeah, all the
time. It’s hard every day, but it gets easier.
That’s what helps you along. Working at it
makes it easier, distracts you, helps you get
through it.”
But it is hard to see discouragement in
his trademark warm smile when he wheels
himself into the lobby of the NRH to greet
visitors, then escorts them back to the gym
area. And it is quickly obvious how far he
has come since the devastating injury that
left him paralyzed from the waist down as
he deftly maneuvers himself off his wheelchair and onto a padded workout table to
begin his exercise routine.
Williams works with physical therapist
Katie Seward at the NRH on exercises to
improve his strength, stability, and balance.
She described the progress he has made
since their treatment began in January,
Photo | Mac Kennedy
Ty Williams works with physical therapist Katie Seward at the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
when their initial focus was on getting into
and out of his wheelchair and onto a bed.
“But,” she said, “as he’s progressed and become independent it’s more higher-level
balance stuff, wheelchair skills, and now
looking more toward promoting healing,
so he’s started doing more stuff with his
legs.”
“I’ve achieved more than I can count,”
Williams said. “There’s plenty of things
that I can do now that I couldn’t do before.”
Seward said she “loves” working with
Williams. “It’s easy. He does anything I
ask. He’s motivated, a hard worker. Makes
my job easier.” She also said, “It’s nice
when you have somebody who was already
an athlete (and) knows what it means to
work hard and to work out, is in tune with
his body.” His athleticism and experience,
she said, puts him “ahead of the curve.”
As Williams lifts weights with his arms
and shoulders, tosses a weighted ball with
Seward, and kneels against a pad, one sees
the same determination on his face as when
he plowed through would-be tacklers in his
three varsity seasons at the Cougardome.
“Sometimes it hurts,” he said. “But you
got to keep pushing through it. That’s the
only option.”
One notable milestone that Williams recently achieved was standing upright while
harnessed to Seward.
“Katie wasn’t so sure if I’d be able to do
it,” Williams said, but “I was able to do
it even more than I thought I would.” At
first, he said, “I was focusing on not losing
my balance and falling over. But once I was
up it felt good—nice to be back to that.”
“Occasionally we just try things that
I’m not sure if he’ll be able to do or not,
and then when he can we go from there,”
Seward said. “As soon as he starts getting
something back, then we start focusing
there.”
Throughout his recovery Williams has
benefited from the steady and active support of his family and friends, as well as
the Quince Orchard and Georgetown
communities. His mother stayed with him
during his rehabilitation treatment in Atlanta while his father and younger brother
remained in Gaithersburg and visited when
possible. His girlfriend, Alexa Ritchie, accompanies him to sessions at NRH one
day a week while Ritchie’s mother drives
him on the other.
“It’s hard to see him go through it,” said
Ritchie, a QO grad and senior at University of Maryland majoring in special education. “But I think in the end it will make
both of us stronger as people and as a couple.”
Williams, who is majoring in government, said that going back to Georgetown “was rough at first. But after the first
month or so I was pretty ready and as the
semester went on it got easier because I
got a lot better at doing things.” He said,
“Everyone on campus is helpful as much
as they can be. My friends are there all the
time, checking in on me. Faculty and staff
have been amazing.”
He took two courses last semester, took
one this summer and is working as an intern for a campus administrator, and next
semester plans to take four. In addition,
he will help out the football team, beginning by watching videotapes of prospective
players as part of the team’s recruitment
process. Asked if he would attempt to recruit anyone from QO, he said, “If they’re
worth it … no handouts.”
Williams is also grateful for the support
he’s gotten from friends, teammates, and
coaches back home. “People still check
in all the time to see how I’m doing. My
friends stop by all the time. … People still
care and that really makes a difference.”
“It’s always hard,” Williams said. “Until
it’s over, it’s always going to be hard. But
it’s … it’s better. … I know that it’s going
to take time. That’s kinda what it is. I just
know that it’s going to take time and I’ve
got to keep working at it because that’s the
only thing that’s proven to make it any better.”
“It reminds me how strong and determined he is,” Ritchie said as she watches
Williams working out, “which he’s always
been in everything he’s done. I believe that
his mentality is why he’ll get through this.”
Williams believes he has no choice but
to work hard, calling it “a necessity. I have
to be here putting in the work, I have to be
home putting in the work, because that’s
what I need to be doing … working to get
better.”
“It’s just a matter of time. When something decides to come back, that’s when
we’re going to start working on it. ... Just
takes time and everyone knows that. It’s
just a matter of how long. …”
Page 26
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016
g
n
u
o
tay
a
e
m
a
g
l
u
f
i
t
.
u
r
a
e
e
c
b
c
o
e
S
h
t
M
g
A
n
i
S
n
h
r
t
a
i
e
w
l
t
e
r
ta
ag
S
SAM Soccer has classes for children
as young as 2 years old.
Find out more at www.samsoccer.org
August 5, 2016
The Town Courier
Page 27
Page 28
The Town Courier
August 5, 2016