February 7, 2014

Gaithersburg’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Kentlands, Lakelands, Quince Orchard Park and More
The
TOWN
Vol. 11, No. 3
Courier
With daily news updates on Facebook.
February 7, 2014
January Cold Brings Spate of
Sprinkler System Ruptures
By Karen O’Keefe
A
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
PRSRT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
GAITHERSBURG, MD
Permit #1722
Evan Finkelstein dives for Quince Orchard High School
at a Jan. 18 meet against Magruder. See story on
page 23.
lthough not record-breaking, the winter weather that characterized the month of January 2014
was bitterly cold. During the month, countywide, the fire department was called out to more than
400 sprinkler fire suppression system problems, most
of them caused by freeze-related ruptures.
Citywide, according to Gaithersburg Fire Marshal
Ivan Humberson, about 21 residences and 23 commercial establishments were impacted by ruptured
sprinkler systems.
When a sprinkler system ruptures, it is a major
problem. Property is destroyed. Commercial establishments must close. Residents are forced from their
homes while repairs are made.
“In most of the cases that were reported to us, the
freeze/rupture was caused by a lack of or improper
insulation,” Humberson said.
Quince Orchard Park suffered four ruptures, each
in two-over-two condominium buildings. “Eight
units were affected: four in one row of buildings and
two in each of two different rows of buildings,” said
a representative of the Quince Orchard Park HOA
management company for the residents of Condo I
and Condo II.
In Lakelands and Kentlands combined, Fire Marshal Humberson reported “a total of eight system
impairments (which includes residential, commercial
and mixed-use buildings).”
In Gaithersburg, fire sprinkler systems have been
required in town homes and multi-family residential
buildings for many years, and in single-family homes
since 2002.
The good news is that automatic fire suppression
systems work. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the death rate is 82 percent lower
and direct property damage is 68 percent lower per
fire in sprinklered homes.
However, they must be properly installed, aden
‘A Little Night Music’
Comes to Town
I
t’s time to “Send in the
Clowns.” One of Stephen
Sondheim’s most beloved
musicals will be making its way
to the Gaithersburg Arts Barn
stage.
“A Little Night Music,” produced by the Damascus Theatre
‘A LITTLE Night music’
Continued on page 9
By Mike Cuthbert
Photo | Submitted
After the 2010 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, Loubna Starnes and her sister Majida Zouine decided to
help 30 children in Cité Soleil through their nonprofit, the KamKam Foundation.
Local Foundation Cares for
Haitian Children
By Jenny Chen
W
Photo | Elli Swink
Liz Weber and David Fialkoff play Desiree and
Frederik in the Damascus Theatre Company’s
production of “A Little Night Music.”
ruptured sprinklers Continued on page 9
Patient First
Facility Proposed
for Lakelands
By Gina Gallucci-White
n
The Town Courier
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
Eight units in Quince Orchard Park suffered sprinkler system ruptures
in January, resulting in loss of property.
hen Loubna Starnes and
her sister Majida Zouine
started the KamKam
Foundation, they did not plan
to go to Haiti. The native Moroccans, whose family owns Pasha Land on Center Point Way,
had started the foundation four-
and-a–half years ago to help underprivileged children in Third
World countries, starting with
Morocco.
But three months after the foundation was born, a 7.0 magnitude
earthquake hit Haiti. Majida Zouine, a nurse, recalled a patient who
n
kamkam foundation
Continued on page 8
T
he Jan. 15 meeting at
the Lakelands Clubhouse marked the first
unveiling for the community of the proposed Patient
First-Johns Hopkins Health
Service project. A full-house
crowd of approximately 150
packed the Green Room of
the clubhouse to hear representatives of Johns Hopkins,
Patient First, Baskerville Architects and Joyce Engineering explain the scope of the
project.
Two buildings are proposed for the site, a threen
patient first Continued on page 8
Page 2
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014 thehot spot With Maureen Stiles & Phil Fabrizio
How are your pets adapting to the cold? Shoppers at Kentlands PetSmart had a lot to say.
“This is the first time I have ever
had to buy dog booties. In the last
six years we never needed them,
and this year we did.”
Donyale Mills
Frederick
“We have two dogs and two cats,
and both dogs love to roll around in
the snow. I think the cats just want
to get out to hunt. We have a doggie
door, so that helps.”
Kristin Sweeney
Darnestown
“My dog stays inside for the
most part and then runs out and
goes really fast and comes right
back in.”
Margaret Casey
Gaithersburg
W
hen Michele Potter and her
department, Gaithersburg’s
Parks, Recreation and
Culture, applied for funding from
the Governor’s Stream Restoration
Challenge, what stood out about
their application was their excellent
educational component. The city’s
Photo | City of Gaithersburg
application was for reforestation of Some 165 trees were planted behind Casey Comthe Muddy Branch Watershed, and it munity Center this fall.
promised a high level of volunteerism Languages (ESOL) students for more
and educational outreach. The city’s than two years.
The $71,628 grant was awarded to
partner on the project’s educational
the
city on Dec. 6, 2012. Initially,
component, the Audubon Naturalist
this
was
for 475 trees to be planted on
Society of Chevy Chase, had been
five
acres
along the Muddy Branch.
working with Gaithersburg High
School English for Speakers of Other The city was awarded an additional
“I use a Snuggie for dogs, if you
can believe it! He is sensitive to the
cold on his feet, so he stops every
once and a while and I carry him
for 5 to 10 feet and then put him
back down and he is fine. He is extra-sensitive to the cold and won’t
go in the snow.”
Glenn Yanis
Rockville
180 trees because the fall planting
went so well.
“It was such a great grant,” Potter
said, “that we got an extra site.”
A wide range of groups, from Asbury’s Beloved Community, Gaithersburg High School ESOL Student
Service Learning Club and the City
of Gaithersburg High School Student
Union to the Muddy Branch Alliance, Kentlands Go Green and the
Audubon Naturalist Society, were
behind the fall plantings at the Casey
Community Center, Malcolm King
Park and Christman Park. Students
and other volunteers learned to flag,
stake, tie, mulch and more.
n
reforestation Continued on page 13
CCT Design Team Faces Questions, Critics
By Karen O’Keefe
T
he Maryland Transit Authority is
marking new milestones in the
evolution of the Corridor Cities
Transitway. On Jan. 29, project manager Rick Kiegel and a team of two engineers and two information specialists
came to the Lakelands Clubhouse to talk
about that progress with about 35 interested residents.
“We have completed what I refer to
as a ‘5 percent design,’” said Kiegel in
his introductory remarks. “We are hoping that by next summer we will be at
30 percent design, we will have completed an environmental document, we
will have federal approvals, and we will
be moving into the final design. We
hope to begin construction in spring
2018, and if all goes well, to open for
operation in 2021.”
Kiegel was referring to Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) Phase 1 — the
9-mile leg of the transitway that will
run from Metropolitan Grove, Gaithersburg to the Shady Grove Metro Station in Rockville.
“Right now, the project is funded
for all preliminary design, final design
and a good portion of the needed rightof-way acquisition,” Kiegel explained.
“What we don’t have in the six-year
program is construction funds. There
are zero dollars at this point in that sixyear program for construction.” If the
state does not find the money, the project would be delayed, Kiegel continued.
At this point, the cost of Phase 1 is
estimated at $545 million, but Kiegel
said that figure would increase because
it “was based on a 2012 expense year.”
“Our goal is to remain eligible for
federal funds. By following all the federal guidelines, we can get 50 percent of
the cost of the system financed directly
by the federal government,” he noted.
The remaining roughly $250 million
AROUND TOWN
Compiled by Pam Schipper
Reforestation Project Grows
Environmental Education
By Pam Schipper
Page 3
would probably come “from the state’s
transportation trust fund, the county
and private funding—possibly including a public-private partnership,” Kiegel
said.
Meeting attendees had many questions and concerns for Kiegel and his
team. A frequently voiced concern was
the potential impact of the transitway
and its Kentlands transit station on already congested Kentlands/Lakelands
ingress and egress traffic.
“My concern is with the existing dysfunctionality of this intersection,” said
one resident of the Kentlands Boulevard/
Great Seneca Highway interchange.
Keigel said that he shared residents’
concerns and that traffic studies would
be continuing. “We’ve done studies,
based on traffic (numbers) from the State
Highway Administration and what we
know about (the) Orchard Ridge Drive
and Kentlands Boulevard (intersection).
n
cct Continued on page 13
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
A Romeo risked life and limb to leave this romantic message in the snow
on a frozen Lake Inspiration. As touching as the sentiment in this photo
is, please remember that frozen waterways are very dangerous.
Gaithersburg Giants Seek Host Families
The
Gaithersburg
Giants, playing in the
Cal Ripken Collegiate
Baseball League (CRCBL), are seeking host
families for the 2014
season. The Gaithersburg Giants’ 40-game
season is played during
the months of June
and July. Twenty home
games take place at the city of Gaithersburg’s Criswell
Automotive Field @ Kelley Park.
While most players are from the Washington,
D.C., metropolitan area, others come from all across
the country and will be in a brand new environment.
The goal of the host family program is to help players
adjust to moving to a new area, assist them as they get
acquainted with the Gaithersburg community, and
provide a safe and stable living environment.
Those interested in becoming a host family should
be able to provide a bed, adequate space for a player
to store belongings, access to a bathroom and a spare
key. The commitment for housing a player is from
June 1 to Aug. 1. Players observe house rules. You
can find more information on being a host family at
www.facebook.com/GaithersburgGiants and twitter.
com/Gburg_Giants, or you can contact Alfie Riley, general manager, at 240.888.6810 or alriley13@
gmail.com.
Kentlands Kingfish Look for Coaching Staff
The Kentlands Kingfish have started accepting
applications for 2014 coaching staff and will be interviewing for assistant head coach, assistant coaches
and coaches in training (CITs are not paid/SSL hours
are offered). Interested candidates will find all application forms and criteria details on the Kingfish
website, www.kentlandskingfish.com. Please submit
an application and signed coaching criteria form by
Friday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. to Tara Hofmann at 604
Kent Oaks Way, email: [email protected].
Candidates will be interviewed on Sunday, Feb. 23,
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Positions will be announced in the
beginning of March.
Race Is Best in Mid-Atlantic Region
Patrons of Competitor Magazine voted the Kentlands/Lakelands 5K the Best 5K/10K in the Mid-Atlantic Region for 2013.
Page 4
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014
POLICEBeat By Gina Gallucci-White
Gaithersburg Police Now on Social Media
Photo | Gaithersburg Police Department
Detective Wade Caron is the Gaithersburg Police
Department’s December Officer of the Month.
Detective Wade
Caron Honored
By Gina Gallucci-White
T
wo brothers are recovering after being stabbed multiple times
when a squabble turned nearly
deadly in the early morning hours of
Dec. 7, 2013.
Gaithersburg Police Department Detective Wade Caron has been working
n
detective honored Continued on page 14
W
ondering why there is a
comments may be posted, but othpolice presence at a cerer agencies have not had issues with
tain location? Is there an
derogatory or offensive comments,
accident making traffic congestion
Lane said.
so bad?
“What we’ve done in the past,
Instead of calling Gaithersburg
we sent emails to just the contacts
Police to inquire, residents may
we had here at the station,” Lane
now utilize social media to find out
said, “so all of our neighborhood
what is going on. The department’s
watch coordinators, our property
Facebook page went live on Dec.
managers, committee members”
18, 2013, and a Twitter feed began
and others in the community, inJan. 6.
cluding the media. “That’s who we
“We saw other agencies doing it
got information to. We were not
(social media),” said Officer Dan
sure how many people they were
Lane, agency spokesman. “(We
Photo | Courtesy of the Gaithersburg Police Department going out to.”
talked) to citizens. That’s some- Visit www.facebook.com/gaithersburgpolice and “like” the page for timely and
Members of the department atthing that the younger generations helpful news from the Gaithersburg Police Department.
tended
training sessions on social
and the new generation are going
media
in
the months leading up
toward to get the information out.
tification system, discussed the move for
to
the
Facebook
and
Twitter debuts. They
So we said, ‘We want to reach people.’”
about a year. They began placing informastudied
how
the
technology
plays a part in
The department, which also posts up- tion on the city’s social media sites before
getting
information
out,
not
only to the
dates through the Alert Gaithersburg no- starting their own.
media
but
to
citizens
as
well.
“We are moving to social media to create
“It’s the quickest way to get information
another channel of direct communications
out,”
Lane said.
with the community we serve,” said Sgt.
Four
days after the department’s TwitChris Vance. “By doing this, we are lookter
feed
began, it already had more than
ing to open doors to let citizens see how
100
followers.
Some followers live in other
we accomplish our goals and mission on a
Montgomery
County
cities like Germandaily basis, while at the same time, giving
town
and
Silver
Spring
but work in Gaiththem public safety information that may
207 Painted Post Lane
ersburg,
so
social
media
plays a big role in
affect their lives—as quickly as possible.”
Quince Orchard Park
getting
information
to
those
citizens, Lane
Vance and Lane will be the officers who
Duplex with a lot of pizazz!
said.
Wood floors, stone fireplace
place information on the sites, including
with built-in bookcase,
“We are trying to get as many venues as
crime and traffic alerts, safety tips and a
Gourmet kitchen with island
and SS appliances. Finished
call for input from citizens on a topic. The we can, so people know the information
lower level. 3 Br., 3.5 Ba.
sites will not be monitored 24/7. Negative they should know about,” Lane said.
$534,000
Call me for your
private showing.
568 Orchard Ridge Rd.
Quince Orchard 137
ParkAutumn
- $349,000
View Drive
The Vistas at Quince
Orchard Park
Brand new End Unit
Townhome with Lots
of Bells and Whistles. 3
bedrms, 3.5 Ba, 2 car garage,
3 finished levels and a Chefs
kitchen to delight any cook.
Large deck.
$649,000
Call me to see this one today.
311 Winter Walk Drive
Quince Orchard Park - $479,000
RE/MAX REALTY SERVICES
Diane Dorney
Publisher
301.330.0132
[email protected]
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
For Advertising: 301.279.2304
Also on the Web at www.towncourier.com.
Matt Danielson
President
301.330.0132
[email protected]
Pam Schipper
Managing Editor
301.330.0132
[email protected]
Debi Rosen
Advertising Manager
301.279.2304
[email protected]
Sandra Christian
Advertising Sales
240.401.1020
[email protected]
POLICEBLOTTER Compiled by Pam Schipper
Theft from Autos
1999 Dodge Durango was traveling westbound on Quince Orchard Road approachOn Jan. 14 and 15, three thefts from autos
ing a red traffic light at Quince Orchard
were reported in the areas of Little Quarry
Boulevard. The Dodge Durango struck the
Road and Kent Square Road. In all three in- Acura in the intersection.
cidents, an unknown suspect(s) entered the
The driver of the Acura was ejected from
vehicles by unknown means and removed the vehicle and was pronounced deceased
property from two of the cars.
at the scene. The driver of the Dodge was
transported to a local hospital where he sucFatal Collision
cumbed to his injuries and was pronounced
On Sunday, Jan. 19 at 6:58 p.m., 6th deceased. Preliminary investigation indiDistrict patrol officers, Gaithersburg patrol cates that neither driver was wearing their
officers, and fire rescue units responded to seatbelt.
a personal injury collision on Quince OrThe driver of the Dodge Durango is idenchard Road at Quince Orchard Boulevard. tified as Jared Lee Fondren, a 41-year-old
Upon arrival, officers observed a two vehi- male, of the 600 block of E. Main Street in
cle collision where one of the drivers was American Fork, Utah.
ejected from a vehicle.
The driver of the Acura TL is identified
Preliminary investigation indicates a sil- as Bok Sun Kim, a 67-year-old female, of
ver Acura TL was on Quince Orchard Bou- the 400 block of West Side Drive in Gaithlevard turning left to eastbound Quince Or- ersburg.
chard Road on a green traffic light. A silver
From Gaithersburg and Montgomery County Police Reports.
Staff Photographer
Phil Fabrizio
Staff Writers
Nora Caplan
Jenny Chen
Mike Cuthbert
Nora Fitzpatrick
Maureen Friedman
Gina Gallucci-White
Sean Gossard
Betty Hafner
Sheilah Kaufman
Vanessa Mallory Kotz
Donna Marks
Karen O’Keefe
Matthew Ratz
Syl Sobel
Maureen Stiles
Student Writer
Christina Xu
©2014 Courier Communications
The Town Courier is an independent newspaper published twice a
month that provides news and information for the communities of
Kentlands, Lakelands and Quince Orchard Park in Gaithersburg, Md.
The paper is published by Courier Communications, which is responsible for the form, content and policies of the newspaper. The Town
Courier does not espouse any political belief or endorse any product
or service in its news coverage. Articles and letters submitted for publication must be signed and may be edited for length or content. The
Town Courier is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers
Letters to the Editor and Commentary do not necessarily reflect the
views of the staff, management or advertisers of The Town Courier.
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014 cityscene Compiled by Pam Schipper
City Enhances Security of Free Wireless Network
On Thursday, Jan. 23, traffic on Public-COG, the city of Gaithersburg’s free wireless network that is available at several municipal
facilities, was encrypted. A password is now required, and can be
obtained from the reception staff at City Hall, the Activity Center at
Bohrer Park, Casey Community Center, the Gaithersburg Upcounty
Senior Center, Kentlands Mansion, the Arts Barn, and the Olde Towne
and Robertson Park Youth Centers.
Parking and Additional
Programming Discussed for
Observatory Park
At a Jan. 27 Mayor and City Council
meeting, additional parking for Observatory Park to include eight spaces (two of
which would be ADA-accessible) and a bus
pull-off were favored for DeSellum Avenue. Staff and councilmembers also discussed bringing additional programing to
the historic park and observatory that was
built in 1899 to measure the earth’s wobble
on its polar axis.
Registration Opens for Gaithersburg
Summer Camps
All-day camps for elementary and middle school ages will be conducted in four
separate sessions. Session I runs from June
16-27; Session II from June 30-July 11;
Session III from July 14-25; and Session IV
from July 28-Aug. 1. All-day camps operate from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended aftercare available for an additional
fee from 4 to 6 p.m. Camp Xceler8, which
ends at 5 p.m., has an additional session
from Aug. 4-8.
New this year is Kinderplay, a kindergarten camp for ages five and six. Participants will enjoy socializing, story time,
games, recess, and arts and crafts.
In addition to the summer camps, the
city also offers specialized art camps, sports
and dance clinics, a video production
clinic, half-day programs, and the School
of Skate. Summer camps and clinics are
held at a variety of convenient locations
throughout the city, including schools in
the Kentlands/Lakelands area and youth
centers in the heart of Olde Towne. Sessions vary for specialty camp programs.
Gaithersburg Summer Camp registration for city of Gaithersburg residents
begins Feb. 5, with March 5 as the opening registration day for nonresidents. For
complete details pick up a “Summer in the
City” camp guide at the Activity Center at
Bohrer Park, or go online to www.gaithersburgmd.gov/camps.
Residents Asked for Input at
Budget Public Forum
On Monday, Feb. 10, the Mayor and
City Council will host the annual Gaithersburg Budget Public Forum in the City
Hall Council Chambers starting at 7:30
p.m. In an informal, town hall setting,
staff will present the financial state of the
city, then elected officials will entertain
input from the community on funding
priorities for the coming fiscal year, which
begins on July 1.
CHARACTER COUNTS!
in Gaithersburg
The city of Gaithersburg presents Person/Business of Character awards to those
who consistently strive to exemplify the
Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness,
respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and
citizenship. Nominees for this award must
either live or work within the incorporated
city limits and their actions should benefit the community. Since its inception in
1997, 34 people have been recognized.
At their meeting on Monday, Feb. 3,
the Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council presented Person/Business of Character awards to Rev. Harold Garman, Janet
Neumann, Carrie Reed, Celia Rivas, and
Richard Biava/Gaithersburg Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc.
MEETING CALENDAR
2/10
Mayor and City Council Budget Forum, 7:30 p.m., City Hall
2/12
Board of Appeals Meeting, 7:30 p.m., City Hall
2/13
Multicultural Affairs Committee Meeting, 7 p.m., Activity Center at Bohrer Park
2/18
Mayor and City Council Meeting, 7:30 p.m., City Hall
2/19
Planning Commission Meeting, 7:30 p.m., City Hall
For the latest information on city meetings, visit the city of Gaithersburg website at www.
gaithersburgmd.gov.
Page 5
Page 6
The Town Courier
shoptalk
By Jenny Chen
Vintage Valentine’s Day Decorations
Inspired by Kentlands Do-It-Yourselfer
By Carrie Dietz
I
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
Largent’s opens with (left to right) managers Jason
Orr, Gari Katz, Jackie Dechter and Damon Christian;
owner Matt Largent; and managers Kristin Hall and
Jackie Dechter.
Largent’s Restaurant & Bar
Opening After Much Anticipation
Largent’s Restaurant & Bar is set
to open on Wednesday, Feb. 5 after
many delays caused by construction.
“Our foods are all-American grill.
We are a family-style neighborhood
restaurant with a lot of variety,” Matt
Largent said. “Upstairs we will have
TVs and karaoke, and downstairs will
have more of a family feel.”
Largent said that he is excited to
be opening his own restaurant, having worked as a franchise manager for
places like Subway and Manhattan
Bagel for many years.
The space has undergone many
n
shop talk Continued on page 15
February 7, 2014
t’s been a busy year for Kentlands resident
Bridget Edell, host of TV’s “Lip Gloss &
A Sander,” a new DIY show that appeals
to the do-it-yourselfer in all of us. The show
airs on both Montgomery Community Media Channel 21 and PGCTV Channel 76
(Comcast) and Channel 42 (Verizon Fios).
Additionally, all episodes can be seen on the
Lip Gloss & A Sander website at www.lipglossandasander.com.
Since last spring, Edell has shown viewers how to find furniture and home décor
pieces at yard sales and flea markets. Then
she walks them through the process of giving the treasures new life. She does this
from her garage-turned-workshop, now
also a TV studio. Edell was nominated for
a Viewer’s Choice Monty Award by MC
Media TV viewers and has been featured in
The Washington Post, on Fox 5 Morning
News, ABC’s “Let’s Talk Live” and on CBS
WUSA9 Morning News.
As the holiday of romance is upon us, the
vintage decorating guru offers a few ideas to
bring a hint of romance to your home and
for that special someone.
Vintage Coca-Cola Crate
“It’s so easy to use items that you find at
yard sales and/or flea markets throughout
the year for different holidays,” said Edell.
“Here I grouped white and reds together for
a romantic display for a tabletop. I am displaying this vignette on top of my black piano flanked by candles. The reds and white
against the black provide the contrast necessary for a visually pleasing effect. Remember to use cake plates or other items to give
height to the pieces in your display—this
will give your grouping visual interest.”
Tole Tray With White
Ironstone Pitcher
“Valentine’s Day doesn’t always have to
mean all red decorations,” explained Edell.
“This display has a soft, romantic feel. I used
a tole tray, an ironstone pitcher and some architectural salvage to create a lovely grouping with artificial flowers that can be used
n
diy valentines Continued on page 17
Photos | Kathy McKee
This vintage Coca-Cola crate is perfect for a romantic
Valentine’s Day breakfast in bed.
Bridget Edell is pictured behind her beautiful arrangement
of flowers, feathers and beads.
A bell jar full of Red Hot candies and loving words is sweet.
Ton of Fun Fitness Tips
A
t Fleet Feet Sports, some 140 people have been challenged to lose—
literally and collectively—a ton of
weight. At press time, these Ton of Fun
Challenge participants had lost a total of
602 pounds.
Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz and
Germantown resident Lynn Oundo offered to share their Ton of Fun Challenge
journeys with us.
Mayor Sidney Katz
of Gaithersburg
Mayor Sidney Katz said that he’s feeling healthier since starting the challenge
with his wife Sally and several friends and
coworkers. At a recent Parks, Recreation
and Culture meeting, someone noticed.
“This program is working because I’m
aware that others are watching,” he said.
“Over the years, I’ve gained and lost a lot
of pounds.”
He thinks that he has lost more than
three pounds since starting the Ton of
Fun Challenge on Jan. 4.
His secrets so far?
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
at City Hall, using the treadmill in his
basement for 30 minutes each morning
and afterwards using a weight machine
and rolling around on a big ball have
added more physical activity to his day.
“Drinking lots of water and being very
careful of what I eat” is the other half
of his weight-loss strategy. Sweets are a
temptation, he said. “I love it. My body
says, ‘Have another box.’”
Speaking to others in the program, especially his wife, about weight loss has
been very helpful, he said. When you’re
going about your daily life, people might
not notice that you’ve lost a pound. But
fellow program participants celebrate it,
and everyone feels good about themselves.
“It’s been very good that they’re (Fleet
Feet Sports) doing this,” he said. “It
makes me more aware.”
Lynn Oundo of Germantown
I had participated in the Fleet Feet
Sports No Boundaries (NOBO) running
program in 2012, and my goal for 2013
had been to do another NOBO program
before I graduated to the 10K program.
Unfortunately, in the spring of 2013 I
broke my right ankle and was forced to
stay home for 10 weeks. The orthopedic
advised that I not run for a year and that I
lose a few pounds to put less strain on my
ankle and make running easier.
I didn’t do much last year. I maxed out
on sweets during the holiday season, and
I started to see changes in my body due to
the bad eating habits and lack of exercise.
Like many people who start the new year
with resolutions, I decided I would join
the Ton of Fun Challenge.
My first weeks in the program have
been really hard. I thought that if I worked
n
fitness tips Continued on page 17
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014 Page 7
The Whiz Kids of Rachel Carson
By Pam Schipper
T
he all-purpose room at Rachel Carson Elementary was abuzz the evening of Jan. 29 as students, parents,
other family members and friends came
out in force for the school’s 6th Annual
Science and Invention Night, produced by
PTA Co-chairs Meredith Fogle and Jessica
Hancock. Scientific inquiry and creativity
took many forms as 113 students, kindergarten through fifth grade, displayed 93
projects—22 of these inventions.
From rubber chicken bones demonstrating the importance of calcium to turning milk into plastic, discovering the best
plants and food to dye cloth with, the rate
of M&M melt influenced by candy coating
color and operating blinking LEDs with a
micro-controller, this fair showcased great
minds at work.
Students seemed to know that the best
science benefits everyday life.
Second graders Casey Whichard and
Sarina Kitchen recognized this when
they tested five different brands of microwave popcorn to determine the brand
that popped the most kernels. “We both
love popcorn,” Casey said. With size and
weight held constant, the Giant brand
won—a surprise because the two friends
had expected Orville Redenbacher’s to
pop the most.
Jenny Whichard, mother of Casey, was
proud of the two. They really “owned this
project” and figured it out for themselves,
she said.
After the experiment, the friends were
left with a large bowl of popcorn to enjoy.
Fourth grader Muhammad Hussain built a
robotic snowplow designed to clean the sidewalk and other areas around your house. The
Robo-Plow took three or four weekends to
build, he said. This was his first robot, and he
looks forward to building another one.
Are you living
with foot pain?
Photos | Pam Schipper
Muhammad Hussain built a robot that plows snow.
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Hussain is a member of Cub Scout Pack
221, the Rachel Carson troop that is always
at the Science and Invention Night. This
year, Pack 221 rolled out something different—racing balsa wood subs built by the
scouts. Scouts solved engineering problems
and learned construction skills for this project that culminated in a fun competition.
www.kentlandsfootdoctor.com
n
science night Continued on page 14
tions to write code, fix bugs, create documentation and find creative ways to get
other students interested in participating in
open source. Habel worked with Copyleft
Games Group to become a winner.
LPMS’ Carrie Reed Awarded
CHARACTER COUNTS!
Photo | Courtesy of Google
Matt Habel, winner of the Google Code-in 2013
Contest, will be joining Googlers at the Mountain View
headquarters, pictured here, in April.
QO’s Matt Habel Wins the Google
Code-in 2013 Contest
Matt Habel, a Quince Orchard High
School student, is one of only 20 grand
prize winners in the Google Code-in 2013
contest. All winners will be flown to Google’s Mountain View, Calif., headquarters
along with a parent or legal guardian in
mid-April for a four-night trip. Students
will talk with Google engineers, take part
in an awards ceremony and enjoy time exploring San Francisco.
For seven weeks, 337 teens from 46 countries worked with open source organiza-
301-330-5666
Casey Whichard and Sarina Kitchen discovered what brand
of microwave popcorn pops the most kernels.
assignmenteducation
Compiled by Pam Schipper
• CompleteFamilyFootand
AnkleCare
• PodiatricMedicineandSurgery
• Non-InvasiveShockwave
TherapyforHeelPain(ESWT)
• SportsMedicine
• DiabeticFootCare
• IngrownToenail,NailFungus
• InofficeDiagnosticUltrasound
forinjuriesetc.
Lakelands Park Middle School Assistant Principal Carrie Reed was awarded
the city of Gaithersburg’s CHARACTER
COUNTS! at the Feb. 3 Mayor and City
Council meeting in recognition of her
fulfillment of the six pillars of character:
trustworthiness, respect, responsibility,
fairness, caring and citizenship. In addition
to tutoring struggling students during her
lunch time, Reed has helped to train and
mentor other assistant principals. In the
words of a student, “I like Mrs. Reed: She
is strict … but like a mom!”
County Executive Commitment
to Education
In the recently released Capital Improvements Program for Fiscal Years 2015-2020,
County Executive Isiah Leggett signaled
n
assignment education Continued on page 15
Page 8
■ kamkam foundation
from page 1
came into her office to get immunizations
because he was preparing to go down to
Haiti to help with relief efforts. He asked
her if she knew of anyone else who would
be able to volunteer.
“I came back home that day and mentioned to my sister that this would be a
good thing to do since we had just started the foundation,” Zouine said. Her sister
agreed, and four days later, Starnes was in
Haiti. She was there when 6.1 aftershock
earthquake hit.
“She came back 50 pounds lighter and
very distraught,” Zouine said. “She said
that these children really need our help.”
So the sisters decided to focus all their
■ patient first
from page 1
acre parcel accessed by the main entrance to
Lakelands off Great Seneca Road onto Lakelands Drive. The proposed medical complex
would be entered by a pre-existing road. A
large building (12,000 square feet) for medical care would occupy the center of the
three acres, with a separate, smaller building
to the west. Both would be one-story office
buildings. Patient care would be offered in
the big building, and medical services in the
smaller one.
The Patient First facility would be the 50th
urgent care facility opened by the firm, with
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014
attention on the children in Haiti. They
picked Cité Soleil, one of the poorest and
most dangerous areas in the Americas, as
their focus. After the 2010 earthquake,
many gang members escaped from the
damaged Haiti prisons and criminal activity escalated. Crime rates continue to rise,
and Cité Soleil has been largely neglected
in the earthquake relief efforts.
The sisters selected 30 children in Cité
Soleil. Through donations from family,
friends and community members, they
were able to help provide schooling, one
meal a day, and other daily necessities for
those children.
KamKam Foundation Program Director Mecene Bastien oversees the children
during most of the year, but the sisters
make frequent trips to Cité Soleil at their
own expense to make sure that everything
is running smoothly, Zouine said.
The sisters have high hopes for their
children.
The wealth gap in Haiti is extremely
wide. According to a report by the British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), “Haiti:
An Economic Basket-Case,” 1 percent of
Haiti’s population owns nearly all of the
country’s wealth. It is almost impossible
for children from places like Cité Soleil to
grow up and hold any sort of government
position. But Starnes and Zouine hope that
with proper education, nutrition and foundation support, one of their children will
have the resources to make a difference in
the country.
“If one of our children can grow up to
replace the corrupt officials at the top, we
would call that a success,” Zouine said.
Zouine said that it’s remarkable to see
the changes in the children after a couple
of years of schooling. “Three years ago,
the kids didn’t know how to use the toilet
or write their names. They acted violent
and smacked each other, but now they sit
quietly and listen to directions. They don’t
throw trash in the streets anymore. They
help clean up the street.”
The sisters hope to move the children
out of the dangerous streets of Cité Soleil
to a nearby community where their caretakers can grow their own vegetables and
become self-sufficient.
On March 2, 1 to 4 p.m., KamKam
Foundation will be hosting a fundraiser
at Pasha Land Restaurant. They are
looking for donations of money, as
well as clothing, toothpaste, shoes and
more. For more information, visit www.
kamkamfoundation.org.
the closest other facility in Maryland located in Columbia. There are 14 Patient First
facilities in Baltimore. It would be designed
to serve patients seven days a week, from 8
a.m. to 10 p.m. A staff of about a dozen professionals, including at least one board-certified M.D. at all times, would serve the
facility. Average time waiting for treatment
would be about 45 minutes, all on a walk-in
basis with no appointments necessary. It is
expected that the facility would draw urgent
care patients from a 6 to 7 mile radius.
With the broad outlines of the project and
its scope explained, discussion soon centered on environmental and other issues.
Prominent among the issues discussed was
the matter of design of the facilities and
trees and other changes to the landscape
that might affect property values and cause
aesthetic issues. Complicating the discussion
was the fact that the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) plans for the Great Seneca side
of the site will include extensive re-grading
and resultant loss of trees. Extensive landscaping and soil quality and erosion control
issues are already a part of the plan.
A second factor in the discussion was the
already existing zoning of the three-acre
parcel for restaurant use in the Master Plan
for Lakelands. One resident mentioned, “I’d
rather have doctors than a restaurant.”
Other questions centered on the identity
of Lakelands and how a large building at the
entrance to the community would damage
its special nature. No signage is contemplated by the company other than a sign at the
entrance off Lakelands Drive. The architects
from Baskerville said that citizen comments
on redesign of the exteriors to suit the Lakelands “look” better would be possible and
relatively simple to do.
According to the city of Gaithersburg,
nothing has been filed yet by the developer, Classic Community Corp. Conversion
of this property from restaurant to medical
use will require a Schematic Development
Plan amendment and a full public process
(a Joint Public Hearing of the Planning
Commission and the Mayor and Council,
a Planning Commission recommendation,
and Council action).
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It’s divorce: the modern way.
February 7, 2014 ■ ruptured sprinklers
from page 1
quately insulated and cared for properly.
In wet pipe sprinkler systems, water is
constantly maintained within the sprinkler
piping. When a sprinkler activates, this water is immediately discharged onto the fire.
Installing adequate insulation when the
sprinkler is put in, to protect water-filled
pipes in freezing temperatures, is key.
Wet pipe are both the most commonly used fire sprinkler systems and the type
involved in most of the recent ruptures in
Gaithersburg and Montgomery County.
For sprinkler systems, the applicable
Gaithersburg code (from the International
Residential Code 2009) dictates, “5.41 A
wet pipe system shall be used where piping
is installed in areas that can be maintained
reliable above 40ºF (4ºC).”
Fire Marshal Humberson explains that
the applicable code language is perfor-
■ ‘a little night music’
from page 1
Company, opens Feb. 7 and runs Fridays,
Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 23.
Originally based on an Ingmar Bergman
film, the musical follows several couples’ romances.
“It’s a story about love and relationships
and reconnecting with old loves and really finding the right person,” said D. Scott
Richards, director.
The music is challenging and all of the
roles have a lot to do, he emphasized.
“At the end of the day ... it’s a love story,”
Richards said. The show is “just really intelligently written, and I’ve always thought
the characters in it were really interesting.”
Tryouts began in late October with rehearsals starting around Thanksgiving for
the 17-member cast.
Liz Weber was thrilled to be cast in the
role of Desiree, an actress who longs to settle down. “It’s a great part, and of course
you get to sing the iconic song ‘Send in the
Clowns,’” she said.
Weber made her living as an actor during
the ‘80s and ‘90s. She also hosted her own
weekly radio show on Washington, D.C.’s
FM 99.5 called “Sunday Show Tunes.” Now
working at NASA, she tries to do one or
two shows a year with community theater
groups.
“I try to work with the community groups
that do good shows and do interesting
shows,” she said. Her previous roles include
Miss Hannigan in “Annie” and Jeanette in
“The Full Monty.” Both shows were put on
by the Rockville Musical Theatre.
Weber has enjoyed working with Richards and Musical Director Keith Tittermary. “They are very specific about what they
want,” she said. “They want you to delve
into the character and not just present the
show. They want you to understand the
character and tell the story.”
While no lyrics or dialogue have been
changed in the two-hour production, Richards decided to set his musical version in the
present—not in its original turn-of-thecentury setting.
“Even if you have seen ‘A Little Night
Music,’ ours is going to offer you something different,” he said. “And maybe you
The Town Courier
mance- rather than prescriptive-based. The
code does not specify how much insulation
to use, only that the insulation obtains a specific result—maintaining the temperature at
or above 40 degrees.
“This is largely because the sprinkler code
is intended to be used internationally, and to
create prescriptive requirements … would
make the code extremely cumbersome due
to the wide variation of requirements for areas with different climates,” he said. “It is
left to the building designer or architect to
come up with a design that will achieve the
intended result (minimum 40 degrees at all
times) based on the expected temperatures
for the locale in which the building is being
constructed.”
Nonetheless, the freeze also ruptured dry
systems in some of the commercial spaces affected, according to Humberson. Dry
systems are kept pressurized with air. Moisture accumulates, and the systems must be
drained periodically to prevent freezing.
“For the most part, the freezes in those sys-
are going to love it. Maybe you are going
to relate to it in a new way. Maybe you are
going to disagree with me, and that’s great,
too. Come and find out. I think you’ll have
a great time.”
Richards first got involved in theater in
the second grade. While standing in line at
a school assembly, a teacher, who was putting together the spring play, noticed him
because he looked like Michael Banks from
“Mary Poppins.” He was called out of class
the next day.
“They asked me if I could do a British accent, and I was in second grade and I had no
idea what that meant,” he recalled. “They
did it, and I was able to repeat it.”
What he didn’t know was that he had just
auditioned for the spring show. “I went to
rehearsals for about a week before I realized
what I was doing,” he said.
That teacher’s fateful sighting led to Richard’s pursuit of roles with theater groups and
a bachelor’s degree in musical theater. His
acting career post-college includes improv
in Chicago and stage readings and children’s
theater tours in New York.
He directed “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”
for Damascus Theatre Company two seasons ago. Richards said his favorite part of
the entire production is rehearsal.
“That’s when you have fun,” he said.
“That’s when you can explore. That’s when
you can try things. You can take some risks.”
The production is one of four musicals the
Arts Barn will present this season. “Scrooge!
The Musical” sold out its entire December
run. “The Great American Trailer Park”
will take the stage in April, followed by
“The Producers” in June.
Musicals are a real draw, according to Arts
Barn Director Shellie Williams. “People
love the stories in musicals,” she said. “It’s
two hours of a complex problem that gets
tied up with a nice red ribbon in the end.”
Tickets for “A Little Night Music” are
$16 for city of Gaithersburg residents and
$18 for non-residents. To purchase, call
301.258.6394 or go to RecXpress at recxpress.gaithersburgmd.gov.
Weber believes people should support
local groups. “There is really good theater
going on at the community theater level and
people need to get out there and support it,”
she said.
Page 9
tems were due to a lack of maintenance (not
draining the system or not draining it often
enough),” Humberson said.
Once a building experiences a rupture,
the fire sprinkler system is turned off to prevent further ruptures. Per fire regulations, a
fire watch—required when a fire alarm or
sprinkler system is placed out of service—is
then instituted.
The frequency of the fire watch depends
on the type of hazard and the size of the
building, but this is usually at 15-minute,
30-minute or, in rare cases, hourly intervals.
At as much as $50 an hour, this is a costly
patch for a thorny, preventable problem.
On Jan. 27, members of a Quince Orchard Park Condominium Homeowners
Association gathered in the Quince Orchard
Park Clubhouse to discuss the situation and
to speak with Dan Stanley, sprinkler systems
manager, Guardian Fire Protection Services,
the contractor responsible for servicing the
sprinkler systems in the community’s condo
buildings.
Guardian is also the company that will
turn the sprinkler systems back on, once the
ruptures are repaired.
The hope is that once the known ruptures
are repaired and the system is activated, no
new leaks will come to light in places yet
unseen.
“Guardian did not install the systems,”
Stanley emphasized. “We are managing the
systems, and we can only inspect what is
there.
“The systems have to be maintained at 40
degrees,” he continued. “This is a building
issue, not a sprinkler issue.”
If you want to buy or sell
your home in 10-15 years,
call us…
If you want to buy or sell now, call our Mom.
She’s the best!
Cell: 240.988.1094
Office: 301.424.0900 x173
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.KatyThoms.com
Page 10
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014
Chris Goodrich and a Life Well Versed
By Mike Cuthbert
C
hris Goodrich has come home. Born
and raised in Montgomery Village,
he left many years ago to make his
way in the world. He spent time in New
York, widely regarded as the theatre mecca, became an actor and director, turned
into a poet and teacher and, with wife Rachel Stroud-Goodrich and two beautiful
little girls, Mayzie and Leilah, and a third
child to join them in March, ended up back
home.
Some might ask, why leave New York?
Chris doesn’t hesitate. “Partly, just to get
out of New York. Living there is tough.
I needed a change after nine or 10 years.
… We tried Philly, thinking it would be
a smaller New York, but it wasn’t. We
wanted to start a family, and we had family
here. They’ve been incredibly helpful with
the kids.”
Both Chris and Rachel work full-time,
Chris at Northwood High School in Silver Spring where he teaches English and
poetry and Rachel at the Kennedy Center
in group sales. Both share another passion,
however—the Unexpected Stage Company.
While driving around the county to get
Mayzie to sleep one night, they saw an
empty stage in Seneca Creek State Park
and decided it was an excellent venue. The
name of their theatre company, launched
in summer 2010, came from this “unexpected” discovery. From that humble be-
ginning, in four years, they’ve done four
shows and winter events. This summer,
they’re doing their first musical and will
premiere it as well as another show in development for the Kennedy Center.
Alongside the work in theatre, Chris is
a published poet with one volume out already and another in the process for summer. He is a “domestic poet,” for lack of
a better term. Many of the poems in his
first collection, “Nevertheless, Hello,” are
centered about his life before and with Rachel and friends, concerned with everyday
things and thoughts.
When reminded that he picked two
of the least profitable fields in America
to make a living in, he laughed and said,
“Yes. I picked up teaching and figured, if
that didn’t work out, I could fall back on
poetry.”
Chris’ students at Northwood are interested in his life as a professional poet, although being teenagers, “They discovered
my book in the library, read it, then asked
about all the sex stuff,” he said.
Many of the poems are personal, but Rachel is fine with that. “You have to remember, in poetry there’s a speaker!” she said.
Comparing living in New York to living
in Montgomery Village as a poet, Chris
said that the inspiration of being around
literary types in New York is OK, but he
has found that his children, teaching and
returning to the place where he grew up
are inspiration in their own rights. “There
is a sense, that I’ve felt, of failure, a sense
of ‘What am I doing here?’ back in the
hometown, but I think I’m growing out of
it. I’m coming to realize there are things
here that I wasn’t aware of growing up.
Even the theater—such a blossoming arts
scene here—when you have an adult mind,
it’s amazing to realize how much there is
here.”
Part of the blossoming scene is the proliferation of theatres in the area, and with it, a
ready supply of actors and crew. As former
actors, Chris and Rachel are dedicated to
respectful treatment of their casts. While
an all-Equity cast is a goal, they currently
cast amateur and Equity actors alike and
pay them all, though not to Equity levels.
Audience development is also a challenge
as, unlike New York, you cannot rent a
hall, cast a play and have it filled up with
locals. Both Goodriches are working on
that aspect of growing the theatre. Their
dedication is matched by their confidence
that it can be done without sacrificing their
standards of performance or choice of repertoire to succeed.
The next step is to commission works
just for Unexpected. This season, for example, they will be producing two plays
that have not yet been published, but that
have been seen in New York. By 2015,
they should be producing a play for debut
with their company.
Rachel and Chris seem like a couple that
has it together, as in “together.” Busy as
Photo | Mike Cuthbert
Together, Chris Goodrich and Rachel Stroud-Goodrich
create a life in the arts.
they both are, they are concentrating on
projects that are strictly theirs to nurture in
their own vision. They have the clear-eyed
innocence and energy of youth tempered
with experience—and dreams built on a
solid basis of discipline and determination.
Any success they have will certainly not be
“unexpected.”
I Pause to Remember the Experience of Your Nose Piercing
By Christopher Goodrich
A cup of coffee and a second opinion
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of their financial plan and the investment strategy that
they've been following.
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difficult markets come and go and we can certainly
empathize with those who find the current environment
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Investment Advisory firm.
You sitting on the surgeon’s table, tight-fisted,
me without the courage to close my eyes,
and a woman neither of us had previously met
clutching a long black nail,
ready to stake your nose.
It was often like this.
The two of us sitting slightly nervous
in a room not our own.
A third party ready to take one of us down.
©2009 Christopher Goodrich All Rights Reserved
For My First Wife, While Married to My Second
By Christopher Goodrich
It has been a long time since we sat down
to green bean casserole. I hope Richard
has recovered. Emily and I have finally settled
meaning I’m tired now and safe
but mostly, in trouble. It’s not that I wish
differently. It’s not that I miss the money.
It’s just that—-the children have started
their sledding, the snow has gotten them out
of the house and yesterday, I spotted you
at the supermarket touching the nectarines,
looking like you couldn’t put your mind
on something you needed. If we never speak again,
that would be fine—honestly I have nothing to say.
But maybe you do. And maybe I could sit with my arms
Unfolded, kind-of closing my eyes. I mean,
I’d like to hear you without hearing myself.
I mean, if you needed butter to borrow,
if you came up short, maybe, I would have it.
That’s all, that’s all I want to say.
©2009 Christopher Goodrich All Rights Reserved
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014 Page 11
arts& entertainment The Pâté Painters and Glass Artist
Tony Glander
Jan. 31-March 23; Artists’ reception,
7-8:30 p.m., The Arts Barn
The appropriately named Pâté Painters
celebrate life and friendship by enjoying fine
foods and wines each time they gather to
paint. Their paintings—watercolor, gouache,
acrylic, pastel, pencil, oil, tinted papers and
even fabric—depict places, people and scenes
that are meaningful to the artist and pleasing
to the viewer.
Tony Glander has been a resident artist at
the Arts Barn since its inception, with a studio that serves as an enclave for lovers of the
medium of glass. Glander started working
in stained glass in 1989 and is nationally recognized for his work. For this exhibit, Glander will be sharing some of the special glass
bowls he has been creating in celebration of
both his birthday and studio anniversary.
The Arts Barn gallery viewing hours are
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
and Saturday, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to a free Artists’ Reception on
Tuesday, Feb. 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. www.
gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbarn
Multimedia Works From the Art
League of Germantown
Feb. 7-April 4; artists’ reception Feb. 11,
7-8:30 p.m., Kentlands Mansion
More than 20 members of the Art
League of Germantown, including fiber
artist Elaine Katz, exhibit their work at the
mansion. Free. www.gaithersburgmd.gov/
kentlandsmansion
‘A Little Night Music’
Feb. 7-23, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m,
Sundays at 2 p.m.
Special Thursday performance on Feb. 20, 8 p.m.
The Saturday, Feb. 22 performance will be held
at 2 p.m., The Arts Barn
Produced by Damascus Theatre Company, “A Little Night Music” presents witty
and heartbreakingly moving moments of
adoration, regret and desire. Don’t miss
Stephen Sondheim’s most accessible and
melodious musical. Tickets are $18 for
nonresidents, $16 for city of Gaithersburg residents. For information and tickets, call 301.258.6394. Tickets can also be
purchased online at www.gaithersburgmd.
gov/RecXpress.
Indoor Flea Market
Feb. 8, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Montgomery County
Agricultural Center
Discover gently used and new items. You
never know what you’ll find! Free admission. www.gaithersburgmd.gov
Waterfowl Festival
Feb. 9, 12-4 p.m., Black Hill Regional Park
Bring the whole family for a day filled
with activities, demonstrations, and exhibits to celebrate the water birds that call Little Seneca Lake home during the winter.
Try your hand at carving a decoy. Make
a bird bonnet to look like a hooded merganser or a bufflehead. Learn about wood
duck nest box Citizen Science initiatives.
Join guided birding excursions to catch a
glimpse of marine ducks, swans, and maybe even the Black Hill eagles! All attendees
must register, but this festival is free. www.
montgomeryparks.org
‘African American History in the
Greater Gaithersburg Area’
Feb. 11, 7-8:30 p.m., Gaithersburg
Community Museum, 9 South Summit Ave.
In honor of Black History Month,
this session will focus on the legacy of
African American history in Gaithersburg
and the surrounding areas. Tickets are
$5. Call 301.258.6160 or visit www.
gaithersburgmd.gov/museum for more
information.
Covey Promotions’
Presidential Punishment
Feb. 15, 7 p.m., Bohrer Park Activity Center
at Summit Hall
Covey Pro Wrestling is a family friendly
“Old School” style of professional wrestling. Covey Promotions held its first show
on Sept. 23, 2006, in Berkeley Springs,
W.Va. Since then, Covey Promotions has
run numerous shows in Berkeley Springs,
as well as other towns across West Virginia and Pennsylvania. This is their first
Montgomery County show. Tickets can be
purchased at El Pollo Rico, 211-G North
Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, online at
www.coveypro.com or at the door.
District Comedy
Feb. 15, 8 p.m., BlackRock Center for the
Compiled by Pam Schipper
Arts
Back by popular demand, it’s Comedy
Night on Valentine’s Day weekend! Treat
your sweetheart to a laugh-filled night of
the unexpected … and the hilarious. Tickets are $15. www.blackrockcenter.org
‘The Exquisite Corpse Project’
Feb. 16, 4 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts
Ben Popik brought his former comedy
troupe a challenge: The five writers would
each write 15 pages of a movie, having read
only the previous writer’s last five pages.
They agreed, but with one stipulation:
If they wrote the movie, he had to make
it. The result is this one-of-a-kind narrative-documentary hybrid that is equal parts
comedy, children’s television show, love
story and supernatural adventure. Meanwhile, documentary footage provides an
inside look into the creative process and
the group dynamics that make collaboration between friends difficult. Tickets are
$8. www.blackrockcenter.org
African American History
Month Celebration
Feb. 18, 5:45-7:15 p.m., Activity Center at
Bohrer Park
Winners of an essay contest will be recognized during this special tribute, which
will also feature the artwork of African
painter Ephrem Kouakou. Following the
reception, a proclamation in honor of African American History Month will be pren
arts & entertainment Continued on page 17
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Fax: 301.355.4973 • [email protected]
Page 12
The Town Courier
The ParkPages
News and Current Events for Quince Orchard Park
n
February 7, 2014
Meeting Calendar
2/11 — Quince Orchard Park Board and HOA, Clubhouse, 7 p.m.
2/24 — Condo Board I, Clubhouse, 7 p.m.
2/26 — Condo Board II, Clubhouse, 7 p.m.
E-mail your contributions to [email protected]
n
February 2014
MANAGEMENT MENTIONS
Trash and Recycling
Photos | Karen O'Keefe
On Sunday, Jan. 26, parking on Winter Walk Drive included a "Next Day Blinds"
vehicle facing the wrong way.
An overflowing dumpster at the Vistas construction site on Winter Walk Drive, Sunday, Jan. 26.
Residents on Winter Walk Drive Complain
of Trash and Vehicle Congestion From Vistas
R
esidents on Winter Walk Drive who live near the active
Churchill Group’s Vistas construction site have complained to city of Gaithersburg officials that trash from the
site is blowing around the area, strewing rubbish in the street
and on residential property.
Residents have also complained about congestion on Winter
Walk Drive because of construction traffic and construction-related parking. A large sign at the intersection of Orchard Ridge
Drive and Winter Walk directs construction traffic to Autumn
View Drive and away from Winter Walk.
“We are doing enforcement,” said Gaithersburg Director,
Planning and Code Administration, John Schlichting in a Jan.
28 telephone interview. “We have been monitoring in an aggressive way.”
Schlichting said also that there was no written agreement between the city and Churchill Development regarding parking
on the street—and that sometimes construction vehicles must
park in front of a house under construction, depending on what
is going on that day. “We do not allow construction vehicles to
be on the street overnight,” Schlichting said.
In a Jan. 16 response to an emailed complaint about trash and
parking congestion from Winter Walk resident Suzanne Scharf,
Gaithersburg City Manager Tony Tomasello wrote, “A number
of city staff, including myself, have been at the site over the past
two days. We understand your frustration. The reality is that
no local government has the staff to be at any given construction
site 100 percent of the time, which makes total compliance very
much dependent on the voluntary cooperation of the contractor
and subs. This is usually not much of a problem, but we are
clearly not getting that in this case.
“Given that the development is entering its final stages, our
goal is to have the work completed, have the new owners settle
on their homes, and simply get the crews out of your neighborhood for good. We need to balance how additional enforcement action might actually slow that process with the need to
keep an orderly site. Please be assured that we are watching and
that our ultimate objective is to complete this project as quickly
as possible.”
Winter Walk resident Bill Burke said Jan. 27 that trash had
been an ongoing problem at the construction site.
Regarding the city of Gaithersburg’s inclination to hold back
some enforcement in order to get the construction done quickly, Burke said on Jan. 26, “I don’t find that a good solution.
There is a large dumpster that has been overflowing (with trash)
for weeks on end.
He added, “Though it’s a bit better today, it’s been a trash pit
with all kinds of stuff blowing around.”
QOP News
Quince Orchard Park Board News
The Quince Orchard Park HOA monthly meeting was canceled in January due to absence of a quorum.
April Board Election – An election will be held at the Annual Meeting/Board Meeting on April 8 to fill two seats on the
five-member board. The term of a Quince Orchard Park board
member is three years.
The seats are currently held by Chuck Crisostomo and Les
Stano. Crisostomo has announced he will not seek reelection.
Clubhouse Furnace Replacement
One of the two furnaces in the clubhouse failed in January,
and is being replaced. During regular inspection and mainte-
nance of the heater, a dye test revealed a crack in the heating
assembly. The life expectancy of the unit was 12 to 15 years; the
unit is 13 years old.
It is expected that the replacement furnace will function 18 to
22 years. Replacement costs are estimated to run $7,340. Funds
for the replacement unit will come from the HOA Reserve.
Outdoor Cold Weather Safety
Be aware that when the National Weather Service (www.
weather.gov) issues a WIND CHILL ADVISORY for Montgomery County — as it did several times in January — temperatures are low enough to freeze exposed skin in as little as
five minutes. Hypothermia is a dangerous possibility. Please
keep pets inside.
Trash, which is collected on Tuesday
and Friday, must be placed in lidded trash
cans. Trash should not be left for collection
in bags. These are ripped open by dogs,
birds and other pests, and trash is strewn
throughout the community. Continued use
of bags may result in fines.
Consider painting your house number
on your trash cans and lids so they may be
returned on windy days.
Trashcans and recycle bins must be stored
out of sight on non-pickup days.
Recycling is picked up on Fridays.
Containers with lids are now available from
the city of Gaithersburg. Please contact the
city at 301.258.6370 to have a lidded bin
delivered and the old one picked up. The
new bins will lessen the problem with trash
in the neighborhood. It is helpful to label
recycling bins with house numbers. Bulk
recycling pickups are the first Friday of each
month. March 7 is the next bulk recycling
pickup day.
The city of Gaithersburg and Potomac
Disposal (301.294.9700) both offer
collection services for bulk items at no cost.
Dog Duty and Animal
Services Information
Cleaning up after dogs is the legal responsibility of every canine owner walking a dog in the community. Dogs are not
permitted off-leash on common property in
the city of Gaithersburg.
To request non-emergency animal services or for information related to animal
control, during business hours, residents
may contact the Gaithersburg Animal
Control Office at 301.258.6343. Information is online at www.gaithersburgmd.
gov/animal.
For after-hours/emergency animal service calls, city of Gaithersburg residents
should call the Montgomery County Police
non-emergency number at 301.279.8000.
Animal Services Division officers are oncall, patrolling neighborhoods and responding to any animal-related emergencies. If you see an animal left outside that
appears to be in danger, please call the Animal Services Division.
Website
Agendas for meetings, as well as many
important documents (minutes and meeting
summaries) can be found at the QOP
website: www.quinceorchardpark.com.
QOP Management
Contact Information
Quince Orchard Park Community Managers, Ruchita Patel and Quinn Chase
C/o The Management Group Associates,
Inc.
20440 Century Boulevard, Suite 100
Germantown, MD 20874
Phone: 301.948.6666
Fax: 301.963.3856
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
February 7, 2014 ■ reforestation
from page 3
Students were so enthusiastic, Potter recalled, that some spoke of bringing their children to the park someday to see the trees they
had planted.
This spring, reforestation is planned for
Lake Varuna on Lakelands Drive (45 trees),
Green Park near Sam Eig Highway (120
trees), and Blohm Park on Watkins Mill
Road (45 trees). Blohm Park is the grant’s
extra site, not located within the Muddy
Branch Watershed.
■ cct
from page 3
But we are hearing from the community that
those numbers may not be accurate, so I actually propose that we come out here at 6 or
7 o’clock in the morning to see whether our
computer model is accurately portraying existing conditions.”
Meeting participants urged Kiegel to look at
traffic in the evenings and to study conditions
on Lakelands Boulevard during mornings,
evenings, and at times of school bus transit.
Several questions reflected the concerns of
residents of Chevy Chase Street in Lakelands,
whose neighborhood is close to the transitway, about noise and traffic blocking access to
their homes.
Kiegel said that concerns expressed by
residents around Chevy Chase Street at a
meeting “two summers ago” had resulted
in a decision to run the transitway “at grade
through this intersection” to ameliorate
visual and noise problems. He said traffic
The Town Courier
Page 13
Maura Dinwiddie, recreation program
supervisor for Gaithersburg’s Department
of Parks, Recreation and Culture, orchestrates student involvement in the planting
along with the Audubon Naturalist Society
and teacher sponsors. She said that in addition to learning how to plant a tree, students
are taught about the types of trees by Public Works and Audubon staff. Spring trees
include red maple, redbud, dogwood, black
gum, Kwanzan cherry, pin oak, willow oak
and swamp white oak.
Stream cleanup, she explained, is also
part of the day of planting. Students learn
about the health of water and stream and are
amazed at the amount of refuse hauled out.
While the majority of student volunteers
come from Gaithersburg High School, the
city is working on creating an outreach program at Quince Orchard High School. Students from all over Gaithersburg are currently involved through the City of Gaithersburg
High School Student Union, Dinwiddie said.
Environmental benefits of reforestation include more root systems to stabilize stream
banks and prevent erosion. Roots also absorb
water from the ground and filter it, returning
it cleaner to pond, lake or stream. Lake Varuna is important in controlling storm water
runoff into Muddy Branch.
Lake Varuna’s 45 trees would be downhill
of the proposed Patient First site, suggested for
the three-acre parcel off of Lakelands Drive.
Adam Newhart, the city’s public works operations administrator who is leading the reforestation project, said that building on that
parcel would mean the loss of trees. The city,
possibly working with the developer and the
Lakelands HOA, could mitigate storm water
runoff by planting more trees near Lake Varuna.
Potter cautioned that the Patient First proposal is still in its infancy. According to the
city, nothing has been filed yet by the developer, Classic Community Corp.
studies are continuing.
Kiegel was asked whether other cities had
bus rapid transit systems (BRTs). “We are not
innovators here,” Kiegel responded, pointing
to systems in Pittsburgh, wBoston, Cleveland,
Miami, Los Angeles and Eugene, Oregon.
Kiegel listed several characteristics of BRT,
which combines features of bus and light rail
systems. The two-way dedicated transitway
will be congestion-free, and utilize lane and
signal priority to shorten travel time. The
planned stations are “well distributed” with
platforms on a level with bus doors.
“We think we will be using a 60-foot articulated bus—that’s a bus with an accordion
section in the middle. There will be multiple
doors so everyone can get on and off, very
similar to Metro,” he said. “Fare collection for
the system is going to be done on the platform
like Metro. … Our intention is just being
able to stop at the station, load, unload—very
tight—and then move on down the line to the
next station.
“At peak times, buses will move through
the stations at 3.5-minute intervals, and at
other times at 15-minute intervals.”
By 2035, the year planners estimate that
everything will be maximally built out along
the line, projections are that CCT ridership
will reach 35,000 per day.
Some people who attended the briefing
complained bitterly that the CCT was being
implemented at all; some predicted that ridership would not meet expectations.
One resident said, “I am an avid bus rider
and I basically know who takes buses—most
people don’t.” The speaker suggested that instead of implementing the CCT, authorities
should “take the existing bus system, make
it top-notch. The (Ride-On buses) are dirty.
People don’t like to take them. They are kind
of seedy.
”We moved into Lakelands having no
conceptions (about this). I think it’s a travesty if this is coming through, destroying our
very stately entrance.”
The same resident predicted that using the
CCT will be cumbersome at best. “Now you
have this (CCT) circuit … no people in their
right minds are going to go figure out how
to get to the bus, then take a bus—(it will
be) very, very inconvenient.”
Kiegel defended the MTA’s computer
model for predicting usage. He pointed to
successful BRT experiences in other regions.
Kiegel also said that to the extent possible, the state would seek to ameliorate any
deleterious aesthetic changes necessitated
by CCT construction. “Whatever the state
impacts, we are obligated to replace. If we
take out a stone sign or … landscaping, we
are obligated to rebuild—just back from the
CCT roadway.”
Next up for the CCT, said Kiegel, will be
activation of the three 15-member resident
CCT Area Advisory Committees, which
were created by the MTA to encourage involvement from the community regarding
the design and construction of the transitway, as well as how the stations will be incorporated into the existing community.
The history of the CCT extends back
more than four decades. For more information, visit www.cctmaryland.com or call
410.454.9761
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Page 14
The Town Courier
■ detective honored
from page 4
to find those responsible. One person has
been arrested and two arrest warrants have
been issued.
The brothers were at the Cancun Cantina on Diamond Avenue when an argument
began with a group of people they didn’t
know. “One brother ended up getting
stabbed multiple times,” Caron said. “The
second brother saw him, went over to help
his brother, picked him up off the ground
and ended up getting stabbed in the process
of trying to help his brother.”
Both were taken to area shock trauma
centers where they underwent emergency
surgeries. The first brother had to have parts
of his large intestines removed due to the
severity of the stabbing.
As lead detective on the case, Caron
worked with the department’s Street Crimes
Unit to develop leads, work undercover and
speak with an informant to identify the alleged attackers who face attempted murder
and other charges.
For his efforts, Caron was named the department’s December Officer of the Month.
“Due to Detective Caron’s persistence,
determination and his excellent working
relationship with fellow officers, he was able
to identify suspects and hopefully bring this
case to a closure,” said Chief Mark P. Sroka.
The honor is bestowed based on an officer’s overall performance. The department’s
command staff and Sroka take multiple factors into consideration, including statistical
performance, investigative work, case closures and supervisor nomination reports.
“I had written a little blurb to try and
bolster my counterpart, Officer (Willie)
Delgado,” for the recognition, Caron said,
“saying what a great job he did helping me
out. I was so thankful he had helped me so
much. I was hoping he was going to get it—
not knowing I would be the candidate.”
Caron was taken aback when he saw his
name as the recipient. “I was extremely surprised,” he said.
The nearly eight-year department veteran
has received the honor at least three times
before.
Born and raised in New Hampshire,
Caron studied criminal justice at New
Hampshire Technical Institute. After graduation, he served several years in the U.S.
Coast Guard.
After spending several years in Georgia
working as a police officer, Caron moved
to the Washington, D.C., area when his
wife’s government job was transferred. He
joined the Gaithersburg Police Department
in March 2006 and served as a patrol officer
until becoming a detective two years ago.
He enjoys the investigative nature of his
job because he finds it rewarding to identify
alleged criminals and see them answer for
their actions in court.
“I guess I always knew I wanted to be a
police officer,” Caron said. “Even when I
was a little kid, I remember telling my mom
at the age of two or three that I wanted to
be a police officer. It’s something I always
wanted to do.”
■ science night
changed the absorbing ground from grass
to lake to parking lot. When the parking lot absorbed no water, flooding of the
stream was impressive.
Mad Science brought dry ice, bowls and
beakers for a popular demonstration. Students shivered a bit when told that they
should never touch the solid form of CO2
with their bare hands because it is -110 degrees.
BioReliance of Rockville returned to
the Science and Invention Night for a
fourth year with an interactive exhibit on
how to wash your hands and good and
bad bacteria. BioReliance does bio-safety
testing, biologics and drug testing, and the
firm partners with Rachel Carson on projects like Read Across America Day as well.
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February 7, 2014
from page 7
In addition to student inventors and scientists, members of the community were
on hand to educate, amaze and inspire.
Siamak Esfandiary and his daughter
Monelli, a fifth grader at RCES, demonstrated how floods happen with a watershed model used by Homeland Security,
where Esfandiary works. He explained
that he was not at the Science and Invention Night in an official capacity, but just
to participate with his daughter, who will
be graduating soon. Monelli poured water through Lucite punched with holes.
As the water rained down on a surface elevated slightly from the stream, her father
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014 Doctors First
shoptalk
from page 6
changes, Largent said. He added bathrooms downstairs, a move that Largent said
has met with a lot of approval. In addition,
his team has opened the patio and made the
stage bigger. “It’s so great to have people
come in and see the changes we’ve made,”
Largent said.
Largent’s family lives in Germantown in
a neighborhood very similar to Kentlands.
“I want to make [Largent’s Restaurant &
Bar] a neighborhood restaurant,” he said.
“I want to try to be involved with local
groups.”
Page 15
Internal Medicine/Primary Care
Romance at the Bistro
Kentlands Lebanese Bistro will be
open for Valentine’s Day with a special
Valentine’s Day menu that offers filet
mignon, rockfish on cedar plank, lamb
chops and Valentine’s Day desserts. Visit kentlandslebanesebistro.com for more
information.
Monday — Friday: 9 AM – 6 PM
• All ages
• Providing premier
primary care services
• On-site labs and
diagnostic studies
•
•
•
•
•
Minor injuries
Illnesses
Dot exams
Work exams
Sports physicals
Thai Express Opens for Takeout
and Dine-in
Jimmy Saipong, owner of the popular
Charmthai Restaurant in D.C., brings a
smaller version of his restaurant to the Kentlands area, Thai Express. Saipong wanted
to start a business closer to his family in
Rockville. This iteration is much smaller
than Charmthai and will focus on takeout,
although seating is available.
Saipong said that Thai Express offers
many dishes popular in Thailand but not
available on most Thai restaurant menus,
such as Pad Cha, Chiang Mai and Kua Gai.
The Bangkok native originally came to
the United States in 2001 to get a masters in
information systems, but he jumped at the
chance to help operate a restaurant. Since
then, he has been working with restaurants
all over D.C. and loving it.
How is owning a restaurant different from
working in an office building? “You get to
have more control,” Saipong said
Fleet Feet Sports Hosts Diva Night
On Feb. 21, Fleet Feet Sports will host
their annual Ladies Big Night Out from
7:30 to 9 p.m. The shop will be closed to the
general public and women who register for
the event will be treated to pampering from
Fleet Feet, including delicious treats from
Not Your Average Joe’s and Bonefish Grill,
gift bags, karaoke, and sports bra fittings.
The night will benefit the charity Critters
for the Cure, which helps women with gynecological diseases cope during illness and
recovery through animal therapy.
Book appointments online at Drsfirst.com
or call 301-515-2902
806 W Diamond Avenue, Suite 110 • Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Also open extended hours at our Germantown office:
19785 Crystal Rock Dr., Suite 209 • Germantown, MD 20874
301-515-2901
Monday — Friday: 9 AM – 6 PM
Photos | Submitted
Valentine’s Day at Kentlands Lebanese Bistro is
sweet with this heart-shaped baklava with raspberry
honey and strawberry petit four cookie with
pistachio gelato.
“This charity is close to our hearts because our owner, Robyn, is a breast cancer
survivor,” said Brittany Jackett, marketing
director of Fleet Feet. Last year, Diva Night
drew in more than 100 participants, Jackett
said. These participants are often athletes or
their mothers and sisters who come in for
the fun.
Admission is by donation of $15 by Feb. 7
and $20 from Feb. 8-21.
assignmenteducation
from page 7
county commitment to school construction combined with his leadership to bring
more state dollars to Montgomery County
for school construction needs. An additional 2,500 students are expected to enroll
in Montgomery County Public Schools
each year for many years to come.
The CIP allocates more than $1.7 billion for school construction and technology enhancements. Local funding for this
is $1.247 billion, $128.5 million more
than the previously approved budget. The
county hopes for an initial $230.7 million
in new state-supported school financing to
address overcrowding. At full implementation, this initiative will leverage $600 to
$700 million in new funding.
New buildings planned include four
elementary and two middle schools. Additions are slated for 18 elementary, two
middle and two high schools. This new
construction will add a total of 455 classrooms.
The Board of Education’s requested revitalizations/expansions schedule for 21 elementary, four middle and five high schools
will be maintained.
Other CIP allocations include new funding for one alternative center, Blair Ewing
Center Improvements, $5 million for relocatables to address overutilization of the
schools, and an additional $37 million in
funding for the Heating, Ventilation and
Air Conditioning (HVAC) project.
Se Habla
Español
Page 16
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014
reader’schoice
“The Goldfinch”
Written by Donna Tartt
M
ississippi-bor n
writer
Donna
Tartt told an interviewer that she writes
to create a work like
the ones she loved as a
child—“galloping, gleeful,
you-don’t-knoww h a t ’s - g oi n g - t o - h a p By Betty
pen-next.” Her stunning,
Hafner
almost 800-page novel
“The Goldfinch” is overflowing with that
spirit. With her elaborately constructed story and memorable characters, Tartt plunked
me into her vivid settings and surrounded
me with her characters. I can’t think of another book that felt so real to me.
When narrator Theo Decker mentions his
“predicament” as the story opens in pres-
ent day, we have a strong taste of irony in
his word choice. The “predicament” refers
to Theo’s long involvement with a Dutch
painting (real, but used fictionally), “The
Goldfinch,” painted by Carel Fabritius in
1654. At the age of 13, Theo and his beloved
mother had dashed into the Metropolitan
Museum of Art for a quick look at some
Dutch masters on their way to his private
New York City school. A terrorist bomb
exploded in that museum wing, and Theo’s
mother along with scores of people were
killed. Theo crawled out of the wreckage
with two things—an engraved ring given to
him by a dying man and the small painting,
a favorite of his mother.
Theo is lost without his mother. His father
had left the two of them a year earlier (with
no forwarding address), so the boy moves
into the Park Avenue home of the Barbours,
the welcoming family of his friend Andy.
The Barbours are a cast of memorable characters. Andy Barbour is a brilliant but socially inept boy who talks like “one of those
computer programs that mimic human response.” Mrs. Barbour, elegant and kind, is
“a masterpiece of composure.” Brother Platt
Barbour is “a champion lacrosse player and a
bit of a psychopath.”
The ring Theo was given at the time of
the bombing leads him to a downtown New
York antique shop where Theo meets Hobie, the business partner of the dead man,
who befriends the boy and teaches him all
about his trade. Theo begins his new life.
Before long, though, Theo is forced to
leave Manhattan when his father shows up
to cash in on his ex-wife’s money and be-
longings. He takes Theo back to Las Vegas
where he lives with glamorous, young Xandra in a deserted subdivision on the outskirts
of town. Theo befriends Boris, a Ukrainian
classmate with “the unwholesome wanness
of a runaway,” and this new friend becomes
a shining beacon to Theo and an unforgettable character to us readers. The story cranks
into high gear whenever Boris is involved.
Some episodes involving the over-the-top
drug use and underworld dealing are hard to
read about and go on longer than necessary,
yet Tartt threads thematic strands through
the story that touch the heart—dealing with
overwhelming grief, loving the wrong person and finding your place in the world. I
can’t say I loved every one of the 771 pages, but I can say there were pages I loved so
much they took my breath away.
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The Town Courier
February 7, 2014 ■ fitness tips
from page 6
out a little, adjusted my food a little, then the
pounds would just start melting away and I
would hit great weight loss goals each week.
Unfortunately, that has not been the case.
One of the things I continue to learn is that
I have to eat enough so that my body does
not go into starvation mode, hence reducing
my metabolism and weight loss.
Working out is also challenging, but the
hardest part about it is actually getting up to
exercise. Once I get to the gym, the feeling
after the workout is priceless. I have struggled with going to the gym in the evenings,
always coming up with more than a hundred
excuses not to go after a day at work. So I
decided to go to the gym at 4:30 a.m. at least
three or four times a week. If I can wake up
■ diy valentines
from page 6
year after year after year. In the flower arrangement, I added some feathers and beads
to mix with the flowers. At Valentine’s Day,
I put a pale pink pillar candle in a hurricane
jar and surrounded the candle with sweetheart candies that are popular this time of
year. Add a frame in a complementary color
to round out the grouping.”
Gift Ideas for a Special Someone
“Buying red roses on Valentine’s Day can
be costly. Consider other types of red and
white flowers in a painted vase or other container that has been painted, decoupaged or
refinished in another manner to reflect your
personal touch. After all, it’s the thought
early to go to work Monday through Friday and get paid for it, why don’t I first start
off the day paying myself by going to the
gym? Trust me, when my alarm goes off at
4 a.m., I always have to fight with myself.
But I know that without the work, I won’t
get the results I am trying to achieve. Plus,
I know I’ll start my day off full of strength
and a great attitude.
My weight is slowly coming down at an
average so far of a pound a week. I know I
have to put in the work when it comes to exercising as well as pay attention to what I eat.
I just started tracking my food, and although
I don’t like doing it, I am learning to be conscious about the foods I allow myself to eat.
The fun part of this challenge is I get to
meet people on the same journey. They help
me to not be too hard on myself. We share
ideas and learn from one another..
that counts. Also, in this display I put Red
Hot candies in a bell jar with a wired top.
After the candy is finished, you can reuse
the bell jar as a vase. To add a personal touch
to the gift, you can print a favorite movie
quote, wedding vows, or any other words
that have meaning to you and your significant other inside the jar. Think outside the
box for gift ideas.
“Also, instead of giving just a plain candle
as a gift, here is a different twist on the gift
that is easy and affordable. For this project I
applied some glue to the candles, rolled the
candles in red glitter and used cord to attach
an X and O to the candle to make it a more
fun and creative gift.”
Want more design tips that won’t break the
bank? Visit www.lipglossandasander.com.
arts& entertainment
from page 11
blackrockcenter.org
sented to Mr. Kouakou and Multicultural
Affairs Committee Chairperson Charlemagne Orisme at the Mayor and City Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall
Council Chambers, 31 South Summit Ave.
The public is invited to both. The Feb.
18 reception is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Please
email [email protected] or call
301.258.6350 by Feb. 15.
Singer Songwriter Concert Series:
Slaid Cleaves With Tony Denikos
Feb. 20, 11 a.m., The Arts Barn
Preschool Songs and Stories gives 3- to
5-year-olds and their parents or guardians the opportunity to explore the arts
through singing, dancing and active listening to story books. Admission is $3 per
child; there is no fee for adults. Payment
may be made at the door. For more information, call 301.258.6394 or visit www.
gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbarn.
Feb. 22, 3 p.m. workshop, Kentlands Mansion
Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m. concert, Arts Barn
Slaid Cleaves spins stories with a novelist’s eye and a poet’s heart. Twenty years
into his career, the celebrated songwriter’s
“Still Fighting the War” spotlights an artist
in peak form. Cleaves’ seamless new collection delivers vivid snapshots as wildly cinematic as they are carefully chiseled. Dress
William Faulkner with faded jeans and a
worn six-string for a good idea. Maryland
singer songwriter Tony Denikos is also featured, presenting his modern Americana
with deep roots. Admission for the concert
only is $30, or $28 for city of Gaithersburg
residents. Admission for the concert and
workshop combined is $50, or $48 for city
of Gaithersburg residents. For tickets and
information, call 301.258.6394 or visit
www.gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbarn.
Robin and Linda Williams
Dar Williams
Preschool Songs and Stories
Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., BlackRock Center for the
Arts
For more than three decades now, Robin
and Linda Williams have made it their
mission to perform the music that they
love, a robust blend of bluegrass, folk, oldtime and acoustic country that combines
wryly observant lyrics with a wide-ranging
melodicism. Tickets are $25. www.
Page 17
Feb. 22, 8 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts
Dar Williams is a singer-songwriter
specializing in pop folk and a frequent
performer at folk festivals. Plain spokenly
heartfelt yet inspired and ambitious,
Williams stands as one of the most prolific
and endearing singer-songwriters of
contemporary folk. Tickets are $32. www.
blackrockcenter.org
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Page 18
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014 Page 19
MIKEAT THE MOVIES
August: Osage County (R) *****
This film will take
over your mind and start
gnawing at your soul before you know what happened. It is the story of a
family brought together by what nobody will
admit was the suicide of
By Mike
the clan leader, Beverly
Cuthbert
Weston (Sam Shepard).
Shortly before his demise,
he tells the audience, “My wife takes a lot
of pills. It interferes with my drinking.”
His wife, Vi (Meryl Streep), allegedly a
victim of mouth cancer, is indeed hooked
on pain pills of all sorts, so we are never
sure whether it is the cancer, the pain pills
or her nature causing her to be such an incredibly nasty person. She has trained her
daughter Barbara ( Julia Roberts) to behave
in the same way, and when the two of them
face off, the screen almost ignites.
Like an onion, the elements of the fantastic plot peel off, each one painfully. Juliette Lewis as the desperate Karen tries to
rationalize everything that is happening,
so needy for some sort of security that she
ignores the warning signs about her fiancée, Steve, who ends up messing with her
14-year-old niece, Jean (Abigail Breslin).
The fact that he has already been married
three times also fails to raise red flags for
her.
There are plots within plots and secrets within secrets as this story unwinds,
marked by two epic confrontations between Barbara and her mother. One is
sparked by a challenge to Vi’s addictions
by Barbara. That ends with Vi on the floor,
Barbara at her throat. The other is almost
funny as Barbara confronts Vi and sister
Ivy ( Julianne Nicholson) over a catfish
lunch. If you find your mouth dry at the
end of this battle, the reason is clear: You’ll
watch much of this with your jaw hanging open in shock and surprise as it winds
down unforgivingly. Truly top-of-the class
performances by Streep and Roberts lead
the way, but the cast is uniformly excellent. Leave the kids at home—the language
is extremely rough—but take your hearts
along. This is great film-making.
Philomena (PG-13) ****
The Irish Catholic school system has
been the subject of several gritty movies.
This one, while less gritty than some of the
others, has enough angst and inhumanity to make you wonder how the Catholic
Church could tolerate such behavior. The
film provides one possible answer in the final speech of a nun who was complicit in
the baby-selling racket during the 1970s.
She blames everything on the girls themselves, who got pregnant and were forced
to work for slave wages for the convent.
The girls also signed away all parental
rights, so their children could be sold for
as high as £1000. That’s what happened to
Philomena’s son, Anthony.
We join Philomena’s story some 40 years
later as she gives finding him one more try.
Philomena ( Judy Dench) solicits the help
of a cynical and out-of-work journalist,
Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), and they
find themselves in Washington, D.C., ultimately discovering the truth. Philomena retains a hopeful but realistic attitude
during the search, while Martin rages
against the nuns who sold both Anthony
and his best friend at the convent, Mary
(Mare Winningham). Dench is extraordinary as she innocently charms Washington
and Sixsmith and grows away from innocence. Remarkably, she blames the times,
not the Catholic Church, and herself. Sixsmith cannot forgive.
The story is not sentimentally sloppy,
as it could have been, and therein lies the
charm. It is, however, hard on the nuns
who not only sold children but kept their
mothers in virtual servitude for years as a
penance. The story is unfortunately true.
Only one confusing note intrudes on a
tightly plotted script: When confronted by
Sixsmith, why was Peter Olson so reluctant at first to talk with Michael/Anthony’s
mother? He was deeply into the closet, but
that hardly excuses his rudeness to her. This
film is clearly not for children, but for Dench
and Steve Coogan fans, it’s a real treat.
The Nut Job (PG) **
This is a strange throwback animated
film produced almost entirely by Korean
investors. This one is highly derivative.
You’ve seen it all before in countless cartoons and other animated films with cleverer plots, but it is only mildly offensive.
The Koreans, like the Americans before
them, figured that appealing to a young
crowd with plot and characters wouldn’t
be enough. You have to get laughs with
unimaginative and repetitive passing wind
scenes. They got their laughs from the
youngest, also earning a PG rating for their
troubles.
The plot is simple. Basically, good-hearted but antagonistic and independent Surly
the squirrel (Will Arnett) competes with
the animals of the Park for a stash of peanuts. Led by Raccoon (Liam Neeson),
the domineering boss of the Park, Andie
(Katherine Heigl) doesn’t sign up for
the corruption. She’s the better squirrel,
helping Surly to fight off the evil-doers
through a series of sight gags and old jokes
to win the day. Two groundhogs support
the “passing wind” gags, and there are colorful characters all over, but the film will
be “been there, done that,” even to the
youngest viewers.
Enjoy more of Mike’s reviews at www.
towncourier.com
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Page 20
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014
O’KEEFE’S JOURNAL
Turning British
I
have never been to England—or is it Great
Britain?—but my husband thinks that I think I
live there.
And for the silliest reason.
These days, and for
about the past year, when I
watch television, I almost
By Karen
only ever watch the BBC
O’Keefe
or television shows produced in Britain on PBS.
Perhaps you noted the telltale phrase, “I
only ever watch .” Does it tell you anything?
Of course it tells you something—doesn’t
it?
It tells you I must be from England because, according to Doc Martin, Chief
Inspector Morse, Chief Inspector Lewis
(formerly Sergeant Lewis), Chief Inspector
Foyle and Chief Inspector George Gently—and every single person the collective
lot of them know and interact with— many
people in England say, “I only ever” all the
time.
I only ever drink herbal tea. I only ever
watch television in the evening.
Another little colloquialism I’ve picked
up from British television is the business of
ending informative, declaratory statements
with unnecessary, superfluous questions—
haven’t I?
Moreover, this Anglophile habit is not a
statement followed by a question, as in two
separate thoughts. This business is more
aptly described as one long sentence run
amok.
But you raather assuuumed that, didn’t
you?
How do they diagram these sentences,
or do they? I only ever ask these questions
when I find myself obsessing on a particular
aspect of British parlance.
When my husband picks up the TV remote control now and says he is going to
“look around,” I helpfully chime in with,
“OK. Only, would you mind just checking 22, 26, 32, 265 and 268?” For those
not in “the know,” these are PBS-WMPT,
PBS-WETA, PBS-WHUT, WETA-2, and
MPT-2.
“Of course,” he agrees, not surprised,
since I ask this at least once a day when he is
around, don’t I?
When he says, “Of course,” of course, I
say, “Brilliant.”
“Brilliant” is a word I’ve started using
since I turned British, haven’t I? “Brilliant”
in British means “Great” in American.
I love the British TV shows I see on public television. I love Doc Martin.
I love “My Family,” the show about a
dentist and his family.
I love Patricia Routledge as the snobbish
Hyacinth Bucket (she pronounces it ‘bookay’) in “Keeping Up Appearances.”
The shows are so unabashedly droll to me.
I have a hard time believing it’s me when I
am laughing out loud. I am unaccustomed
to laughing out loud at American TV shows.
And I hasten to add that watching the
shows commercial-free on PBS makes the
experience much richer.
Only, who would have thought I would
ever know so many Detective Chief Inspectors … without being a British criminal, I
mean?
Seriously, one of the things I like about
British television is less emphasis on a stereotypical female—or male beauty. For
females, what I think of as beauty “American-style” often means a perfect, thinnedout hourglass figure, long hair (frequently
blonde), and more makeup than I notice on
British actors. The overall image is less real,
more superficial, seen, as the actors seem to
be, through high-test makeup and gauzed
camera lenses.
Helen Mirren, who played Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison from 1991 to
2006, is a beautiful woman. However, she is
not Americanized “pretty.” Tennison was an
alcoholic — never a pretty thing when it is
in evidence — but more common and realer
than many imagine. And Mirren/Tennison
actually aged. She was 61 by the end of the
series.
Jane Tennison was one of my introductions to British TV, and she was so much
more real than the American characters that
have peopled my television screen over the
years.
Perhaps things have changed. I haven’t
watched too many American TV series
since “The Closer” final episode in August
2012, when I said a sad farewell to Deputy
Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, played by Kyra
Sedgwick. Her secret drawers and stashes
of chocolate bars, and her character’s other
human foibles were an instant bond for me.
As far as Sedgwick’s looks are concerned,
she is unquestionably a gorgeous woman,
but she also is, well, different.
I like different. I am tired of stylized
sameness.
Beauty manifests in many ways and the
way skin is stretched to fit the contours of a
skull is only one aspect of one manifestation
of beautiful.
Jim Gaffigan, a favorite comedian, has a
joke about British actors, implying that they
are not particularly good looking. When he
watches a British TV show, he tells his audiences, it occurs to him to ask, “You mean
those are the ones who got the jobs?”
I know what he means.
Only I certainly never would have predicted that I would turn British – would I?
My editor is a woman—and since she’s
more or less my boss when I write for the
paper, isn’t she?—recently I started calling
her “Mum” behind her back. Don’t tell her.
As for the odd fellow I encounter here and
there, for example if one is in my way in
the grocery store, I might say, “Pardon me
there, Guv’.”
Only, I can’t have someone holding me up
when I’m after me bits and bobs, now can I?
I am a busy lass, aren’t I?
I rather think I am, don’t I?
Brilliant.
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014 Page 21
Sports
Former QO Running Back Tommy Addison Now Stars in Europe
By Syl Sobel
I
n the galaxy of great ball carriers who
have starred in the Cougar Dome, none
shined brighter than Tommy Addison.
Addison, running back for Quince Orchard’s 2007 state champion team, ran for
1,600 yards and 21 touchdowns that year
and was named to all-state, all-Metro and
all-county teams.
But it was the final eight minutes of that
state championship game against Arundel
that secured Addison’s place in Cougar legend, when his touchdown runs of 28, 42
and 90 yards (still a school record) sparked a
29-point fourth quarter for the Cougars that
took them from 16 points down to a 36-30
title victory. Remarkably, that 90-yarder
came one play after an 85-yard run by Addison was called back on a penalty. “It felt
like I was in the zone,” Addison said of that
fourth quarter. “Everything was moving in
slow motion.”
Cougar fans will be happy to know that
Tommy Addison is still thrilling fans with
his signature, scat-back touchdown runs.
But if you want to watch him play, you’ve
got a long trip ahead of you. And you may
want to learn some French and bring warm
clothes.
Meet “Touchdown Tommy” Addison,
first-year running back for the Black Panthers of Thonon-les-Bains, an elite team in
the top French national division of American Football and defending French champions and European Cup winners. Addison
joins Thonon-les-Bains after a sparkling
debut in Europe last year for the Kouvola
Indians in Finland where, as a mid-season replacement, he ended up leading the
league in average rushing yards per game
and second in total rushing yards.
Addison’s path from the Cougar Dome to
professional football in the French Alps is a
story of perseverance, hard work and commitment to a dream.
Addison was not highly recruited out of
QO, notwithstanding his spectacular senior
season. A broken leg cost him his junior
year, and at 5 feet, 8 inches and no more
than 170 pounds, colleges wondered about
his size and durability. But that didn’t stop
Shepherd University in West Virginia from
taking a chance on him.
Shepherd was glad it did. Addison finished his career in 2011 as Shepherd’s fourth
Photo | touchdown.kuvat.fi
Quince Orchard alum Tommy Addison, no. 23, made a stellar debut last year for the Kouvola Indians in Finland.
all-time leading rusher with almost 3,600
yards and second in career average at 6.2
yards per carry. He was named a preseason
all-American in Division II and played in
a national championship semifinal game.
His achievements caught the eyes of some
professional scouts. He had private workouts with the Philadelphia Eagles and with
the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian
Football League, and he ended up going to
training camp with Edmonton.
“That, however, didn’t work out,” Addison said, so his agent got him in a program called Euro Stopwatch. It’s an online
forum where European teams can look at
American and other European players running various drills and workouts. Addison’s
workout landed him a job in Finland with
the Kouvola Indians. The team’s running
back had been hurt in mid-season, and
Kouvola needed a replacement. On a few
days’ notice, Addison found himself in Finland.
“When I first got there, everyone was
very friendly and most people spoke English very well,” Addison said. “The people are first reserved, but once you get to
know them they will open up and will
welcome you with open arms. Adjusting
to the country and culture was not that
hard.” Addison’s teammates included many
imports from America and around Europe,
including Poland, the United Kingdom,
Spain and Russia. “The fact that so many
of us were from different countries also
helped with getting adjusted to the team
and to the country.”
It also didn’t hurt that soon after arriving
in Finland, Addison met his girlfriend, Sophia, who along with her family helped acclimate Addison to the Finnish culture. “I
now have a newfound love for sauna, which
every Finnish household has.” He has also
tried to learn the “ridiculously hard” Finnish language and has mastered some of the
basics.
“Finland is like my second home now,”
said Addison. “The county is beautiful—
very green with hundreds of thousands of
lakes!” He has started to train in Finland
because he said the food and lifestyle are
healthier and better for athletes. “Everyone
eats very healthy and lives a great, active
lifestyle.”
Addison’s performance in five games last
year with Kouvola earned him a job this season with the top Thonon squad in France.
It’s “a bigger, better league,” Addison said.
“The level of the team and all the players
is much higher than in Finland.” Addison’s
new coach, Larry Legault, has dual citizenship in Canada and France, coaches for the
French national team and is well-respected
in the foreign American football leagues.
Thonon-les-Bains is a town of more than
30,000 people in the French Alps on the
shores of Lake Léman/Lake Geneva on the
border with Switzerland. “It’s incredibly
beautiful with snowy mountains, and we
are right by the lake with beautiful swans,”
said Addison. “There is a lot of skiing and
other winter activities.”
Of course, moving to another new country means learning a new language and new
customs again. “Opposite from Finland,
the people here don’t speak English, so I
am learning a lot more French. The French
culture and food are great. They serve a lot
of French fries and a lot of wine. Seems like
the locals serve and drink wine at every
meal! I have also tried special French foods
like escargot (snails) and frog legs, which
were surprisingly very tasty.”
The European diet and lifestyle seem
to have agreed with Addison, who now
weighs 196 pounds. “I have gotten a lot bigger and stronger,” he said. Addison said his
opportunities in Europe have “opened up
my football career to develop and get back
to the CFL and NFL.”
“I’m very proud of Tommy for pursuing
his dream of playing professionally,” said his
former coach, QO’s Dave Mencarini. “He
has overcome a lot of obstacles in his life and
used the sport of football to take him places
all around the world. That is pretty cool!”
Cool indeed and, some might say, a fine
career, even if he doesn’t reach his dream of
playing in the NFL. After all, the road from
Thonon to the NFL is a long one, with
mountains to climb and an ocean to cross.
But anyone who saw the lightning strike
that night in Baltimore with the state championship at stake—when QO was behind
by 16 and just eight minutes were left in the
game—knows that when there’s a dream on
the line, Touchdown Tommy Addison can
make magic happen. So let’s not bet he can’t
make lightning strike again.
QO Shot-Putters Go the Distance
By Sean Gossard
E
ven though this indoor track season was challenged
by wintry weather and disrupted schedules, the
boys’ team came in sixth at the Montgomery County Championships on Jan. 28 and Quince Orchard Indoor
Track has really shone in the shot put. “The important thing
is staying motivated, even with the snow,” said Head Coach
Seann Pelkey.
“Our shot-putters are among the best, with Noah Vernick and Donovan Tyler for the boys and Jamillah Jonjo for
the girls,” he noted.
Vernick and Tyler came in second and fourth place respectively at the Montgomery County Championships, and
Jonjo came in third in the girls’ contest that day.
Vernick has consistently been throwing in the 40-feet
range, with a high mark of 49 feet, 2 inches at the Holiday
Invitational in December. Tyler’s top throw of 49 feet came
at the Montgomery Invitationals early this year. For Jonjo,
who is also a top discus player, her top throw this season
came at the Southern Maryland Classic in early January
with a toss of 34 feet, 7 inches. Jonjo’s third place mark at
the County Championships fell just a few inches short of her
farthest throw.
On the ground, Quince Orchard’s stars have been Dorian
Jones in the hurdles and Regina Schreiber in the middle distance runs. Jones had a high mark in the 55-meter hurdles
during the Holiday Invitationals with a time of 8.24 seconds. For Schreiber, her time in the 1,600-meter run keeps
inching lower; her season’s fastest has been 5 minutes, 24
seconds at the Southern Maryland Classic.
Page 22
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014
QO Basketball Plays Hard and Shows Promise
By Syl Sobel
B
oth the boys’ and the girls’ Quince
Orchard basketball teams seem to be
on similar tracks this season. They
play good defense, work hard and are
usually in games. But mistakes down the
stretch and difficulty scoring plague them
in close games, and wins have been hard
to get.
Last Friday night, the boys ended a sixgame losing streak, beating Wootton at the
Cougar Den, 57-41, and lifting their record to 5-11. It was QO’s second win over
Wootton this season.
“The pattern with our team is play
tough defense and hope to get some scoring,” said Coach Paul Foringer. “The five
wins this year have only happened when
we have two players in double figures.” On
Friday, the Cougars’ leading scorer, senior
Jake Seiniger, had 24 points and sophomore Damon Daniel had 12. “If we can
continue to get that kind of scoring from
at least two players, we should be hard to
beat,” Foringer said.
Earlier in the week, the boys lost a
tough one to a 12-win Clarksburg team.
The Cougars had two chances to tie in the
closing seconds, but an offensive foul and
a missed layup at the buzzer ended their
hopes and Clarksburg escaped QO with a
42-40 win. Seiniger was the leading scorer
with 9.
“Same game, different day,” Foringer said, referring to the number of close-
but-not quite games QO has lost this season. Foringer cited a revealing statistic.
Through QO’s first 14 games, they took
178 more shots than their opponents, but
their opponents made two more shots than
QO. “Our opponents are being held to 51
points per game,” Foringer said, praising
his team’s defense, but bemoaning their
lack of scoring. “Got to have somebody put
the ball in the basket,” he said.
Lady Cougars Coach Ken Buffum could
say pretty much the same about his squad,
and has. Two weeks ago, the girls ended a
10-game losing streak by defeating Northwest on the road, 46-30. But last week
they were unable to build on their success,
dropping close games at home to Clarksburg and Wootton and their record to 2-14.
Playing against Clarksburg without second leading scorer Babette Sanmartin, who
was ill, the girls jumped out to an early 6-1
lead by pounding the ball inside to leading
scorer Brittany Beckwith. But Clarksburg
clamped down and forced turnovers, and
led 14-6 at the end of the first quarter.
QO fought the rest of the game to narrow the score and got to 37-34 with 5 minutes left when point guard Jasmine Chang
hit one of two free throws. But their offense stalled and Clarksburg pulled away
for the 48-41 win.
“We had opportunities,” Buffum said.
“When we need shots, we can’t hit shots.
But give them credit. They keep on fighting. They do what they’re told to do.” Beckwith, one of the area’s leading scorers, fin-
ished with 21 points while Chang had 12.
Sanmartin returned to the lineup against
Wootton on Friday, but her 9 points weren’t
enough to keep Wootton from winning,
55-50. “The girls played a great first half,”
said Buffum. “That first 16 minutes was
probably the best I have seen them play all
year,” and they went into the locker room
leading, 27-26.
But, as has happened several times this
season, “we had our typical letdown after
half-time. … I think fatigue has a lot to
do with it. Obviously, we really rely on
Brittany (19 points) and Babette, and when
I ask them to play 28 minutes a game, that
is tough to do. Jasmine (12 points) is also
playing well and is finding her groove.”
Beckwith said, “Hopefully, we’ll just
put all of our pieces together and pull it
through toward the end” of the season.
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
Andrew Fink scores at QO’s Jan. 31 game against Clarksburg.
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Your Kentlands Neighborhood Music Center!
325 Main Street Gaithersburg, MD 20878
www.PritchardMusic.com — [email protected]
301-355-8079
February 7, 2014 The Town Courier
Page 23
Come home to
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
Quince Orchard’s Andrew Mann was outstanding in the Jan. 18 100 fly event at the Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center.
‘WOW’!
Cougars Are in the Swim of It
By Mike Cuthbert
Q
uince Orchard and Magruder met on Jan. 18 and split a tight
dual match. The QO boys won
their match, 117-54, while the girls lost a
tough one, 91-80. Coach Todd Garner was
pleased with the overall effort. “This was
the last divisional meet of the season, and
we’re in good shape for the end of the season,” he said. The end is a long way off yet
as there are divisional, Metros, regionals
and states ahead of them.
Garner cited the cooperation of his entire
team in making the season a success with
particular mention of Nathan Kessler and
Jana Kuezevic, both of whom premiered in
the diving event. Kessler, the starting third
baseman on the Cougar baseball team,
finished second in the event, even though
judges may still be pondering the identity
of his last dive that veteran observers of the
Northwest Uses Strong Midseason
Surge in Push to Finals
By Sean Gossard
N
orthwest Indoor Track is using a strong
midseason showing in its push toward
regional and state success. “My plan is
simple, to get all of the team and parents to
believe in each other and put personal goals
… to the back and focus on what it takes us
to pull this off,” said Robert Youngblood,
Northwest High School Indoor Track coach.
Youngblood and Northwest’s Jaguars
proved that with a big outing at this season’s
Montgomery County Championships on
Tuesday, Jan. 28. With the team pulling together, the boys were able to finish the meet
in second place and the girls in third.
Top performers for the Jaguars included
senior Naomi Sheppard who took fourth in
the girls’ 800-meter run, junior Jalen Walker with a fourth place finish in the boys’
55-meter dash and a third place finish in
the 300-meter dash, and senior Austin Castleberry who finished first in the high jump
with a leap of 6 feet, 2 inches.
The team had another huge showing earlier in the season at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore High School Invitational.
In that meet, Jaguars’ top runners were able
to show why the team deserved the invitation. Dana Eckerstrom pulled out first place
in the girls’ 300-meter dash, and Diego Zarate picked up a pair of individual wins in the
boys’ 1-mile run and boys’ 3,200-meter run.
Along with the individual events, Zarate
was able to grab gold with teammates in the
Sprint Medley and the 4x800-meter relay.
The team had a little less success at the
Montgomery County Invitational, but several runners held their own with junior
Zarate grabbing third place in the boys’
3,200-meter run, increasing his time from
the previous meet by more than 20 seconds.
In the short distance running at the County Invitationals, Walker increased his 50and 300-meter dash times to pull into the
top spots for the county.
Runners to watch for the girls include
Tiara Wellman, Eckerstrom, Chanel Solomon in the short sprints and Naomi Sheppard and Gaby Go in the middle distance,
Youngblood noted. “They are the core of
the team,” he said.
For the boys, look to Walker and Josh Gills
to lead the team’s short distance team.Gills
helped lead the high school’s football team to
the state championship in December.
The boys hope to push just a little further
this season behind second year coach Youngblood, after finishing last season second in
county, regional and state championships.
“Now the guys must not believe in the
hype but understand they will be the hunted
this time,” Youngblood said. “It will take a
blending of sorts to put all the pieces together, but so far it has been pleasant.”
The girls look to go further in the state’s
this season after taking both the county and
state championships last year. “The girls have
serious depth at the short sprints to mid distance,” Youngblood said.
sport said they had never seen before. Kessler was good-natured about it, however.
“Hey! I survived!” he said after the meet.
Outstanding performances in the meet
included double event winners Maddy
Zarchin (200 IM and 100 fly) and Andrew
Mann (50 free and 100 fly), as well as 1-2-3
sweeps in the girls’ 100 fly and boys’ 500
free. All four relays won their races with
Metro times that qualify them for that
meet.
Amy Schwartz
Interior Decorator
(240) 505-4765
[email protected]
www.amyschwartzinteriors.com
Page 24
The Town Courier
February 7, 2014