October 2013 - The Town Courier

Transcription

Urbana’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Urbana, Villages of Urbana, Urbana Highlands, Ijamsville and More
The
TOWN
Vol. 9, No. 10
Courier
40 Pages
October 2013
Locals Share Concerns on
Proposed Urbana School
By Kristy Crawford
R
PRSRT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Gaithersburg MD
Permit #1722
epresentatives from Frederick County Public Schools
hosted a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the Urbana Regional Library to provide more
information and answer parents’
questions about the future elementary school to be built in Urbana.
The new school is slated to open
for the 2017/2018 school year. It
is to be located north of Urbana
Elementary School’s (UES) current location within a new, mixed
development on the west side of
Route 355. UES’ current facility
is scheduled for major renovation
by 2020.
According to FCPS projections, three developments are
planned in the UES attendance
area within the next 10 years,
bringing an additional 300 students to the area, but the new
school should help relieve overcrowding and meet the needs of
the community. Approximately
350 students from Centerville Elementary School will move to the
Urbana schools on Route 355.
About 15 people turned out for
the September meeting to learn
more about the proposed “pairedschool” configuration, using one
school as a primary school, for
kindergarten
through second
grade, and the second for third
through fifth. Currently, elementary schools in Middletown and
Thurmont employ the pairedschool option.
“We have both traditional and
paired-school models in Frederick County that work,” said executive director of FCPS facilities,
Ray Barnes. “We look at each
particular situation and family
input to decide which application
should be used.”
Several other FCPS representatives attended the meeting including facilities planner, Beth
Pasierb and elementary school instructional director, Kathy Prichard, who moderated the meeting.
Middletown Primary School
Principal Karen Hopson was also
on hand to explain how the system worked at her school. Also in
attendance were Board of Educan
NEW SCHOOL Continued on page 12
Recreating the
Blair Witch
Experience
By Kristy Crawford
The Town Courier
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
O
ne of Maryland’s
many claims to fame
is the haunting legend of the Blair Witch in the
forest of Burkittsville — just
about 20 miles northwest
of Urbana. Several parts of
the successful 1999 horror movie, The Blair Witch
Project (BWP), were filmed
in Burkittsville and are still
popular visiting spots for fans
today.
The Blair Witch Project
was co-directed by Eduardo
Sanchez, who lives with his
n blair witch Continued on page 13
Photo | Tracey McCabe
Fall Begins at The Great Frederick Fair
The Great Frederick Fair offered family fun to locals across the county, including Urbana area
residents who gathered at a packed Fair Day, Sept. 20. Fair Day, which launches the season each
fall, was celebrated with cotton candy and funnel cakes, ferris-wheel rides, live music, visits to
the fair animal birthing center and much more. For more Great Frederick Fair photos, see page 7.
Gil House Finds the Time
the first-floor mantles. Later on, Federal troops used
n a bright, sunny
Landon House, and Union
day in early Sepsoldiers added a drawing
tember,
Urbana
of President Abraham Linhistorian Gil House is siftcoln.
ing through the bones of
Today, the house is beLandon House — nails,
ing renovated by Kidwell
beams, mortise-and-tenon
Contracting, under the
joints, old wiring and indirection of Al Clapp of
sulation — looking for the
Architectural
Concepts
clues of time. This is an
Group, who asked House
amazing opportunity for
to consult. In its strippedHouse, who has researched
Photo | Pam Schipper down state, Landon House
Landon House for at least Marion Stancioff converted the Landon House property’s smokeis giving up more of its sehouse into a private chapel when she owned the property with her
a decade.
crets.
The 12,000-square-foot husband Ivan, Gil House explains while standing in the chapel.
That is, if you know
Landon House’s new owners, Praveen Bolarum and Rohit Khirba
historic house is famous for with their partner Chakri Katepalli, plan to turn the chapel into a
where to look.
its roles in the Civil War. It museum.
There’s the brick noghoused Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
ging, an early form of insuand his men in September 1862 was used to treat CSA soldiers lation, that was inlaid in the walls
and was the site of the Confed- wounded in a skirmish the night and the tar paper on the outside of
erates’ Grand Ball at Urbana, lat- of the ball. These Rebel soldiers
er termed the “Sabers and Ros- left charcoal drawings of Presin senior moments
es Ball.” At that time, the house dent Jefferson Davis over one of
Continued on page 15
By Pam Schipper
O
Page 2
The Town Courier
October 2013
A Fresh New Focus on Selling the Town of Urbana, Maryland
Delilah Dane
www.DelilahDane.com
Direct: 301.717.7755
RE/MAX Town Center
at Park Potomac
12505 Park Potomac Avenue
Potomac, MD 20854
Broker: 301.637.9762
G!
TIN
W
NE
LIS
3732 North Sprigg Street, Villages of Urbana
Search Homes Instantly at www.DelilahDane.com
List with me today...
Sell with me tomorrow!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
T
ER
D
UN
N
CO
T!
C
RA
Complimentary Staging
Excellent Exposure for Your Listings
Innovative Strategies for Selling
Proven Marketing Excellence
Property Management
New Construction
And More...
Www.DelilahDane.com
Happy Halloween!
As a resident and your neighbor for the last 12 years, I learned about the
amenities of The Villages of Urbana that attract buyers.
Don’t take my word for it... ask your neighbors who know me.
Call Today! 301-717-7755 • delilahdane.com
The Town Courier
October 2013 Page 3
creative outlets
communityspotlight
n
shoptalk
Linda Ropelewski’s Town and Country Bus
bus 13 years ago, it was to help finance her daughter’s wedding. Richhen longtime Urbana res- ard Wandres Jr., FCPS Transportation
ident Linda Ropelewski manager then, was concerned she
started driving the school might quit after the wedding.
Ropelewski smiled. “I loved
it so much, I kept going,” she
said.
The kids who rode her bus
loved it, too. Her first Halloween, in 2001, she decorated the
bus. “It just grew from there,”
she said. Her end-of-year bus
celebration in 2001 featured
leis, party blowers, cookies and
sparkling cider.
Today, her Bus Number
Photo | Pam Schipper
1463,
which covers rural and
Kindergartener Tyler Wright just started riding Miss Linda’s
Village
routes for Urbana Elecountry bus to Urbana Elementary School.
By Pam Schipper
W
mentary School (UES) and Urbana
High School (UHS), is decked out
for almost every holiday — Christmas and Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day,
St. Patrick’s Day and more. She often
gives her riders treats as they get off
the bus before school breaks, but she
is careful to accommodate all food
allergies. Cookies are simple cut-out
ones without nuts, and she always has
celiac treats. One grandson follows a
gluten-free diet, so she understands
food allergies and learns the allergies
of every child on her bus.
While her bus is warm and festive
year-round, Ropelewski is even more
committed to safety. She tells all of
n
ROPELEWSKI Continued on page 12
Wesley Chapel Grows Vegetables for Hungry
into it,” said Wilcox’s son,
Cody, who also volunteers at
olunteer gardeners at
the garden.
Wesley Chapel United
Adult church members
Methodist Church in
plowed the garden plot, which
Urbana are working hard to
is 20 feet by 15 feet in size and
feed the hungry — one row
located on the Wesley Chapel
at a time. The youth group
property.
started an organic garden
In late May and June, the
this year to donate produce
youth group planted a wide
to the Greater Urbana Area
variety of vegetables, includFood Bank. Young people in
ing green beans, zucchini, topre-K through high school in
Photo| Submitted matoes, cucumbers and pepthe Sunday School program The youth group at the Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in
pers. Volunteers also recently
planted the garden with the Urbana planted a garden this year to grow vegetables to donate to
planted crops to harvest in the
the Greater Urbana Area Food Bank. Pictured here are (from left)
help of their parents.
fall such as kale, lettuce, Brus“Everything that is harvest- Jo Ostby, Lexi Main, Kailee Herald, Katerina Panichas and
sels sprouts and broccoli.
ed from the garden is donated Zachary Main.
Cody, an 11th grader at Urto the food bank,” said Sherry Wil- gardening schedule and helps tend bana High School, found that he
cox, a Christian education leader at the garden.
Wesley Chapel who organizes the
n wesley chapel Continued on page 14
“Everyone put a lot of hard work
By Sally Alt
V
The Frederick Classical Charter School
Opens its Doors
By Sally Alt
T
his fall, The Frederick Classical
Charter School swung open its
doors, offering area students an
alternative to public school education.
The school, which began its first
term in August, is available tuition-free to Frederick County students from kindergarten through
sixth grade. Its focus is on providing
a classical education that emphasizes
the liberal arts and sciences.
The students are “so responsive”
and adapt quickly to classical education, said Ginger Mortellaro, one of
the founders of the charter school and
a parent of two children at the school.
Mortellaro is also vice president of
Frederick Classical School, Inc., the
non-profit organization that started
the charter school.
Photo | Submitted
The Frederick Classical Charter School held a ribbon cutting ceremony and opened its doors to students
in August.
The classical education model is
based on three stages of learning:
grammar (first – fourth grades), logic
(fifth – eighth grades), and rhetoric
(ninth – 12th grades), said Mortellaro.
At the charter school, she explained,
teachers present lessons in a historic
sequence. In the first grade, teachers
n
CHARTER School Continued on page 14
By Kristy Crawford
Photo | Submitted
Monocacy Crossing patrons in Urbana happily returned for dinner on the
terrace Friday, Sept. 13, at the end of a forced 10-day closing due to a
water line break.
Monocacy Crossing Re-opens after Flood
Monocacy Crossing is once again open for business,
after a Labor Day mishap closed the popular restaurant
for 10 days.
A water line broke early in the morning on Sept.
2, flooding the kitchen and part of the dining room.
The ServPro truck was dispatched immediately and
professionals worked full time to repair and restore
the restaurant.
“It took almost a week to get everything dry, so we
could begin putting it all back together,” said Monocacy Crossing co-owner, Kelly Regan.
Regan opened the restaurant at 4424 Urbana Pike
in 2000 with her husband and head chef, Rich Regan. The restaurant has become popular in the area
for its contemporary American cuisine, and warm and
comfortable indoor and outdoor ambience. In fact, after the professionals completed work, loyal customers
were among the volunteers who pitched in to handle
the rest.
“We have been very blessed,” said Regan, “that,
in addition to our very dedicated staff, some of our
friends and regular patrons came out to help us.”
Monocacy Crossing re-opened just in time for
a large and happy crowd on Friday, Sept. 13. For
more information, call 301.846.4204 or visit www.
monocacycrossing.com or the Monocacy Crossing
Facebook page.
Urbana Neighbor Offers Massage in
Home Studio
Kim Curry-Fogarty
has worked as a massage
therapist for more than
13 years — 10 at Frederick Memorial Hospital
— and this summer she
decided to set up shop in
her Urbana Highlands
home. “My primary
goal,”
Curry-Fogarty
said, “is for a family-foPhoto | Submitted
cused, accessible and afKim
Curry-Fogarty
just
set up a
fordable service.” As a
massage studio in her home in
wife and mom herself, the Urbana Highlands. Here she
Curry-Fogarty under- is pictured with Sam, her friendly
stands the need for con- hound dog.
venience and comfort,
and she finds that it especially appeals to customers
with children, who don’t want to go to a spa.
“Kids love massage just like their parents,” Curry-Fogarty said, “and I work with a lot of young
people with sport-related pain and musculoskeletal
issues. I have a cozy sitting area where Mom or Dad
can wait right outside and enjoy a cup of coffee or
tea. We even have an official greeter – a very friendly
n
sHOP TALK Continued on page 26
Page 4
The Town Courier
October 2013
askthe editor
Editorial: 240.409.6734
Advertising: 301.606.8833
www.towncourier.com/urbana
Diane Dorney
Publisher
[email protected]
Matt Danielson
President
[email protected]
Bethany E. Starin
Managing Editor
240.409.6734
[email protected]
Virginia Myers
Copy Editor
Patsy Beckman
Advertising Manager
301.606.8833
[email protected]
Sally Alt
News Editor
[email protected]
Student Writer
Madelyne Xiao
Staff Writers
Nora Caplan
Betty Hafner
Emily Feliz
Sheilah Kaufman
Teresa Bell-Stockman
Gina Gallucci-White
Get Out for a Dose of Vitamin D
J
ust now, I got back
from a run. Little
boosts my work ethic, mood and outlook on
life more than a little dose
of Vitamin D.
Honestly, I really do not
love running. I was the
first one in my family to By Bethany
start running and realE. Starin
ly have tried every other
way to get exercise — Pilates and yoga
classes, biking, Zumba, gym memberships.
Staff Photographers
Tracey McCabe
Shannon Wagner
Kristy Crawford
News Writer
[email protected]
©2013 Courier Communications
The Town Courier is an independent monthly newspaper
providing news and information for the communities
of Urbana, Urbana Highlands, Villages of Urbana,
Ijamsville, Green Valley, Monrovia and Kemptown
in Frederick County, 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 ref lect the views of the staff,
management or advertisers of The Town Courier.
I’ve settled on running, because nothing
motivates me more than the refreshed feeling I get after some sunshine and sweat.
Being outside changes everything for me.
Here are a few ways I keep myself motivated:
1.You don’t have to run that far. Recently, I was unable to fit long runs into
my schedule so instead of giving up
altogether, I set a goal to jog one mile
every day. Even jogging slowly, my
entire run, from stretching to walking
out and in the door, is 15 minutes. It’s
pretty easy to squeeze 15 minutes in
somewhere.
2.Mix it up. Try intervals — running for
three minutes, then walking for three
minutes and repeat. As you get into
the rhythm, you will be able to increase your running time and decrease
your walking time.
3.Try running a new route. Frederick’s
Baker Park has lovely trails that wind
their way from a pond with a beautiful weeping willow tree, past the bell
tower, through downtown Frederick
and along the waterway. On
the city of Frederick website,
check out their 1 – to 3.1mile route options.
4. Think grateful thoughts.
While I jog, I busy my mind
by enjoying the details of
the trail I’m running on —
beautiful fall foliage, end
of summer flowers, houses
I run by. Often, I pray for
friends who come to mind
or decisions that loom ahead.
And I make mental lists of
things in my life for which
I am grateful. It’s amazing
what a perspective change
Photo | Bethany E. Starin
Find creative ways to get outside this month with budget-savvy travel tips you will find on page 5. Pictured here is the fall glory of Rocky
Mountain National Park several Octobers ago.
n
ask the editor
We’re moving to better serve the needs of
our patients in Southern Frederick &
Northern Montgomery County
Our new location will offer a full range
of services 5 days a week
• General orthopaedics
• Foot and ankle care
• Sports medicine
• Rheumatology
• Spine care
• Pain management
• Pediatric orthopaedics
• Physical therapy
Coming October 14, 2013 a new location for
MMI Urbana
Knowledge Farms Office Complex
3280 Urbana Pike, Suite 105, Ijamsville, MD 21754
301-694-8311 • 800-349-9386
www.mmidocs.com
The Town Courier
October 2013 Hitting NYC on a Dime
By Bethany E. Starin
I
adore cities and in particular, New York
City holds many endearing memories
for me.
The first time I emerged from the subway, I remember the corners of my mouth
subconsciously turning up as I was instantly in love with the energy and vibe of this
place. That was the spring of my senior
year of college. Several Septembers later,
on a perfectly crisp evening with a breeze
coming off the Hudson, my brother proposed to my darling sister-in-law on the
Brooklyn Bridge. My now-husband and I
waited nearby with a bottle of celebratory
bottle of champagne at a cozy bistro in the
Wall Street District. I saw the Rockefeller
Christmas tree, sipped the best coffee of
my life and ate cheesecake in the city the
next Christmas. Most recently, my sister,
mother and I made a threesome weekend
of it and figured out how to make fun in
the city — and on a dime.
Having been in New York City in just
about every season, my vote is cast for fall
as the best time to book a trip, for its temperatures and lack of holiday traffic. Consider taking a few gorgeous autumn days
to use these first-hand tips and set off to
explore the charm of New York — all on
a budget.
Take the Bus
Transportation and lodging are by far
the priciest parts of any trip, so start by
taking Megabus. Take it from me — we
have driven and flown into the city and
not only does this save on money, it saves
you the stress of trying to
park and pay (not worth it).
While the closest Megabus
stop is D.C., I recommend
the Baltimore stop for the
free parking. A quick search
shows this month’s weekend
tickets to NYC are about
$23 one way — a whopping $46 round trip. The
trip from Baltimore is three
hours and since the Megabus
has Wi-fi, that’s just a movie
and a half on Netflix. Once
you get there, transportation
is easy, with NYC’s subway
and a plethora of available
taxis. For more information,
visit us.megabus.com and
http://new.mta.info/nyct.
Groupon It Up
Probably to a fault, I love
browsing travel deals. I’m
a sucker for Travelzoo’s
Top 20 emails, Groupon
Getaway ads and Living
Social restaurant offers. On
our girls’ trip, my Travelzoo
skills came in handy as we
Save
money
in
New
York
by
eating
as
you
walk,
exploring
local
favorites such as
snatched a room at The
Stumptown Coffee Roasters, where I had the best mocha of my life.
Milford
Hotel
(www.
milfordplaza.com) for less than $200 money (currently $180 to $400 per night)
per night — including welcome drinks. for its location. You can find it just between
Currently, Travelzoo has a number of hotel 44th and 45th streets — only two blocks
options in New York City, so make sure from Times Square and just one block from
to do your research before booking at full the subway. Also, make sure to ask — most
price. Even if no deal applies, Milford has
a fun, modern vibe and may be worth the
n Budget Traveling Continued on page 16
onTHE GO
Cruise Hopping for the Holidays
By Eileen O’Donnell Schlichting
P
umpkins are popping up at farm
stands, the leaves have just begun
to flash gold and crimson, and very
likely the last thing on your mind is planning a holiday trip for December. But if
you want to get away for some winter sun
before prices are sky high, now is the time
to book a holiday cruise. While many Caribbean resorts have 10 – to 14-night minimum stays over the holidays — and you
pay hefty air fares to get there — you can
sail from the East Coast or Florida on a
four to 10-night cruise that will bring you
to sandy beaches and sunny skies without
breaking the bank.
Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas
cruises from Port Liberty, N.J., on a seven-night Bahamian adventure that mixes
an afternoon in Port Canaveral with two
days in the Bahamas — the first in Nassau
and the second at Royal Caribbean’s private island of Cococay. Three sea days offer
a chance to relax en route. The Dec. 2128 sailing offers balcony cabins beginning
at $1,859 per adult in a double cabin, and
$1,019 for a third or fourth person in the
same cabin. The total for two, with taxes,
comes to $3,799, and for four persons in
one cabin, the total is $6,277. Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas docks even
closer to home, with departures from Baltimore, but its 10-night Dec. 24 cruise is
almost sold out.
The Florida ports
of Fort Lauderdale,
Miami and Port
Canaveral are home
base for dozens of
fam i ly-f r iend ly
cruise ships. Disney
Cruise lines feature
their
trademark
characters, imagiPhoto | John Schlichting
native children’s ac- Cruises are a fun way to make memories as a family around the holidays. Here, The Queen
tivities and a special Mary 2 and Wind Star’s Wind Surf sail off at sunset in the Caribbean Sea.
nursery for tots between three months and
three years. Despite Disney’s reputation
as a kid magnet, a surprising number of
adults choose to sail with Disney. Travelers 18 and over can hang out in separate
areas onboard, or choose from special excursions offshore. The Disney Magic sails
from Miami on Dec. 22 for a five-night
cruise that alternates sea days with stops in
Grand Cayman and Cozumel. A balcony
cabin for two begins at $2,425 per person,
for a double cabin total of $4,998 including
taxes. A family of four in a balcony cabin
would spend $2,650 each for the first two
passengers, and $1,115 for a third or fourth
passenger, bringing the cabin total with
taxes to $7,807.
Kids’ clubs also abound on Celebrity,
Holland America, Princess and Royal Can
jones Continued on page 16
Page 5
Navigating the World
of Travel Deals
U
rbana resident Cliff Choy runs
travel agency, Travel By C, out
of his home office. Specializing
in international trips, Choy offers advice to locals on how to navigate the
overwhelming number of travel deals
that hit our inboxes. From Groupon
and Living Social to Capital Deal and
Travelzoo, the travel opportunities often seem too good to be true. Here,
Choy gives some input for what to
look for and what to book.
“In general of course, as a travel
agent, [travel deals] are kind of like my
competition,” Choy said with a laugh.
“My take on it would be to be careful.
Sometimes things are not always what
they seem to be.”
Watch out for complicated
trip options.
“[If ] you know what is being offered — absolutely go for it,” Choy
said. “If it is something a little more
complicated, be careful and you might
want to consider using a travel agent.”
For example, Choy said that if it’s
a two-for-one deal for a downtown
D.C. Hyatt hotel and you know the
price is usually twice that — grab that
deal. “Those deals are ones I would
use myself,” he explained. Yet, he added, if it is a multi-city, international
trip with transfers between cities, just
make sure to do your research.
Look for reputable names
in the offers.
Choy suggests looking for wellknown tour operators and hotel
names, etc. “A hotel in London is not
the same as a Marriott in London,” he
said. “If it just says two or three star
hotel in London — you might need to
look into it deeper.”
You most often get what you
pay for.
“I know a lot of people who do use
n
travel tips Continued on page 17
Page 6
The Town Courier
October 2013
aroundtOWN
By Kristy Crawford
Photo | Submitted
Photo | Submitted
The Woodham family fared well at the semi-annual Urbana Highlands yard sale on Saturday, Sept. 14. “It went really well,” Jon Woodham says, “I don’t think we
have anything left.”
Holly Liposky, and her dog, Russell, enjoy the Urbana Highlands Fourth Annual
Dog Day at the Pool, on Saturday, Sept. 7. More than a dozen pooches and their
owners attended the annual pool-closing event.
Photo | Submitted
Congressman John K. Delaney
celebrated Constitution Day in
Frederick County by speaking to
Urbana Middle School’s sixth and
eighth-grade students on Sept.
17. Delaney discussed the role
of Congress in our government.
Here, Ellen Georgi, sixth-grade
social studies teacher, is pictured
with Delaney (right).
Photo | Submitted
Urbana resident, Carol Monroe, shows off her favorite breakfast of sausage and gravy
biscuits at Breakfast at Shafer’s Mill on Sunday, Sept. 15. This is the second year for the
weekend morning event on the pool terrace. Breakfast is served by The Gourmet Gang,
run by Urbana residents Bob and Stephany Faulkner. The Gang also provides food each
summer for both pools in the Villages of Urbana. Breakfast will be available from 9 a.m. –
1 p.m. on the weekends of Oct. 12-13 and 26-27. The final breakfast weekend will be Nov.
9-10.
Photo | Kristy Crawford
Students and families enjoy an ice cream party on Friday, Sept. 13, to celebrate the first week of the school year at Friends Meeting School in
Ijamsville. The small, private school for pre-K – 12th grades is based on the Quaker values of nurturing a community spirit, respect and caring for
their world, as well as academic excellence. Opened since 1995, the school has 90 students and continues to expand on the 50-acre lot on Green
Valley Road.
October 2013 The Town Courier
aroundtOWN
Page 7
By Kristy Crawford
Photos | Tracey McCabe
A group of students from Centerville Elementary School and their younger siblings enjoy fair treats at the Great Frederick Fair on a September afternoon.
Kimberly Baker, third grade teacher at Centerville Elementary School, helps a Centerville Elementary
School student plant a garden in a glove as part of the STEM tent at the Great Frederick Fair in September.
Calves were born at the birthing center at the Great Frederick Fair and (pictured here) a girl enjoys meeting one.
Page 8
The Town Courier
October 2013
localpalate By Sarah Withers
Eating Your Way Through Fall
T
he crisp and colorful season of fall
calls for at least one trip to the pumpkin patch. Fall means it is time for
hayrides, Halloween costumes and warming sips of apple cider. The season also
brings a plethora of fall festivals right here
to Frederick County, where eager visitors
can take care of many autumn bucket list
items in one fell swoop. Here is a sampling
of what our area has to offer.
Mt. Airy Fall Festival
Held Oct. 5 – 6, Saturday from 9 a.m. –
6 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. For
more information, visit www.mtairylions.
com.
Fall Festival at Rose Hill Manor
Held Oct. 5 – 6, Saturday from 10
a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday from 12 p.m. – 4
p.m. For more information, visit www.
rosehillmuseum.com.
Maryland Pumpkin Festival at
Summers Farm
Held Oct. 12 – 13. For more information, visit http://summersfarm.com.
Autumn Reggae Wine,
Music and Arts Festival
at Linganore Winecellars
Held Oct. 19 – 20, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. both
days. For more information, visit www.
linganorewines.com.
Oktoberfest at Schifferstadt
Architectural Museum
Held Oct. 19 – 20, Saturday from 10
a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday from 12 p.m. – 5
p.m. For more information, visit www.
frederickcountylandmarksfoundation.org.
Family Festival at the Farm at select
farms around Frederick County
Held Oct. 19 – 20, Saturday from
10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday from 12 –
4 p.m. For more information, visit www.
discoverfrederickmd.com/funfarm.
Fall Harvest at The Murphy’s Farm
Held Oct. 26 – 27, Saturday from 9 a.m.
– 4 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. For
more information, visit www.mdihcc39.
org.
Halloween on the Farm at
Crumland Farms
Held Oct. 12 – 13, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. both
Catoctin Colorfest
days. For more information, visit www.
colorfest.org.
Held Oct. 27, 1 – 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.crumland.com.
GREEN VALLEY
CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS CENTER
Offering gentle therapy for neck, back, shoulder and knee pain.
ESSENTIAL OILS &
AROMATHERAPY WORKSHOP
Wed., October 16 at 6:30 p.m
Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils
have immune boosting, antibacterial,
stress relieving properities, etc.. Come
experience how to use these natural
products in your household at this free
workshop. Spaces limited so call or
email us to reserve your spot!
Welcome fall with a visit to a local festival or by dishing up a bowl of homemade squash soup.
After all this fall fun, you may work up
a hearty appetite. Here’s a recipe that will
make your house smell like fall and satisfy
your taste for the season.
Savory Butternut Squash
and Apple Soup
Serves 4
6 strips bacon
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled,
seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 large honeycrisp or braeburn apples, peeled, cored and cut into
wedges
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 and 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
shredded cheddar cheese for topping
1.Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2.Cook the bacon. Let rest on a paper
towel to drain. Once cooled break
into small pieces and set aside.
3.Toss squash in 1.5 tablespoons of the
olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread out on a
large rimmed baking sheet. Roast for
30 minutes, stir once about halfway
through. While that is roasting, mix
the apples and sage in the same bowl as
the squash with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. At the 30 minute
mark, stir the apples and sage in with
the squash and roast everything for 15
to 20 minutes more.
4.Put half of the squash-apple mixture
into a blender with 1 cup broth. Puree
until smooth. Pour into a dutch oven
or soup pot and repeat with the other half of the squash-apple mix. Once
everything is in the pot, stir in the remaining salt and your bacon pieces.
Heat over medium until everything
is heated through, about 6 minutes.
Serve each bowl with a little cheddar
cheese sprinkled on top and a hearty
piece of bread on the side.
Enjoy!
Editor’s Note: Sarah Withers is the owner of
Taste Frederick Food Tours. She enjoys eating
her way through Frederick County’s food scene.
You can find her tweeting about all things food
and Frederick at @TasteFrederick.
EXPERTS
in heating and cooling
(301)865-6534
www.greenvalleywellnessctr.com
*Located in the Green Valley Shopping Center in Monrovia
Eric Smock Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.
301-831-8288
www.ericsmockhvac.com
The Town Courier
October 2013 Page 9
Members of the Urbana High School bands
washed dozens of cars on Saturday, Sept. 14, to
raise money for the more than $600 in equipment
expenses each member pays each year.
monthlyagenda Local Events
Halloween Dance DJ Party at Urbana
Dance and Performing Arts Studio
The Halloween Dance DJ Party will be
held on Oct. 25 at the Urbana Dance and
Performing Arts Studio from 6 – 7:30 p.m.
for ages 9 – 12 and from 8 – 9:30 p.m. for
ages 13 – 17. Admission is $10. For more
information, contact Kim Switlick at
[email protected].
Oktoberfest at Schifferstadt
Oktoberfest at Schifferstadt will feature
arts and crafts, German food, craft beers,
living history demonstrations and children’s activities. The event will be held
Oct. 19 – 20 from 10 – 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 12 – 5 p.m. on Sunday at
the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum
in Frederick. For more information, call
301.668.6088.
City of Frederick Fifth Annual
Halloween in Baker Park
The Fifth Annual Halloween in Baker
Park, held Oct. 23 – 25 at 6:30 p.m., will
feature a Halloween Haunt guided walking tour through Baker Park with goblins,
zombies and creatures of the night. Dance
Unlimited of the Performing Arts Factory
will be performing at the band shell. For
more information, call 301.600.1492.
Step Out Frederick: Walk to Stop Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association’s
annual fundraising 5K walk, Step Out
Frederick, will feature entertainment, live
music, kids’ activities and lunch on Sunday
from 12 – 4 p.m. at Baker Park in Frederick. Registration is free, and there is no
fundraising minimum. For more information, call 410.265.0075.
available. For more information, call Kristen Weddle at 301.696.0315.
Theatre
Pinkalicious
Pinkalicious, a play based on the book
by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann, will be
performed Oct. 5 – Nov. 2 at the Way Off
Broadway Dinner Theatre in Frederick.
The tale is about Pinkalicious, who cannot
stop eating pink cupcakes and ends up at
the doctor’s office with Pinkititis, a condi-
Compiled by Sally Alt
tion that turns her pink. Performances will
be held on Oct. 5, 12, 13, 19, 23, 26 and 27.
For more information, call 301.662.6600.
Saint Joan
Performances of Saint Joan by Bernard
Shaw will be held Sept. 4 – Oct. 20 at Olney Theatre. In this production, Joan of
Arc is portrayed as a French farm girl and a
true genius whose focus on the individual
challenged the Church and State. For more
information, call 301.924.3400.
2013 Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Western Maryland Walk
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s event in
Frederick will be held on Oct. 20 at the
Maryland School for the Deaf. Registration will be from 1 – 2 p.m. in front of
the parking lot off Clarke Place. The walk
is about 3 miles and a 1-mile route is also
Arts, Concerts and Film
Maysa and her Jazz Funk
Soul Symphony
Maysa and her Jazz Funk Soul Symphony will perform at the Weinberg
Center on Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. Maysa,
a Baltimore native, brings her jazzy,
down-home and bluesy style to the
stage. The concert will feature music from her latest album, which has
eight of her own songs. For more information, call 301.600.2828.
Expires 10/31/13
Young Frankenstein
The Weinberg presents Young Frankenstein, a 1974 film directed by Mel
Brooks and starring Gene Wilder, at
the Weinberg Center on Oct. 31 at
7:30 p.m. Dr. Frankenstein’s grandson inherits his grandfather’s castle
and repeats the experiments. Happy
hour begins at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 301.600.2828.
Photo | Submitted
Maysa and her Jazz Funk Soul Symphony will perform
on Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Weinberg Center.
Page 10
The Town Courier
October 2013
Econ Challenge Team Prepares for
Annual Competition
he most enjoys about being
part of the Econ Challenge
he Econ Challenge
team is learning about curteam at Urbana
rent events. He likes being
High School (UHS)
informed enough to have
has some good ideas for
conversations with his
improving our economy.
family about what is going
At the annual economon with world events and
ics competition at Mount
the economy. “I think that
St. Mary’s University, the
type of education is imteam plans to share them
portant,” said Schaeffer.
in a speech, with recomStudying world events
mendations to the Presiand the economy can also
dent.
help students choose a caThe team will also anreer path, a place to live or
swers questions about the
an investment strategy lateconomy from three judger in life, said Kachur.
es, including an economBefore the competition,
ics professor, an economeach student on the Econ
ics college student and a
Challenge team prepares a
business professional. The
speech he or she writes at
team, which won first
home, addressing one to
Photo | Submitted
place in the competition
two economic issues such
last year, competes against The Econ Challenge Team at Urbana High School studies current events to prepare for its annual compe- as the deficit, Social Secutition at Mount St. Mary’s University in April.
six other high school teams
rity, the national budget
in the region.
or the federal tax system.
The UHS group currently has four analyze and keep up with current events,” “The speech is not …just a list of statistics,”
members, all seniors. Nathan Kachur, the said team member Tina Huang.
said Kachur. “It is using statistics to support
team’s advisor and economics teacher at
In order to prepare for the annual com- your analysis.”
UHS, is looking for a fifth member and an petition, which will take place in April,
Students usually begin writing in Dealternate to join the team.
students read newspapers, magazines and cember or January, and Kachur helps them
“You learn a lot about the economy in online articles to keep up with current with editing before the competition. “We
general and how to think critically and events. Kachur, who has been coaching the try to memorize as much as we can,” said
team for seven years, said he encourages Huang. Then, two weeks before the comstudents to spend a minimum of 10 min- petition, the team meets every day after
utes every day reading the news.
school — a challenge for students who are
“We are not just taking the opinions of involved in other extracurricular activities.
Vot
others and regurgitating them,” said Kyle
During the competition, each team
e
Bur d Bes
Elswick,
who
is
on
the
team.
“We
are
t
g
member
plays a character, such as a polFre er in
forming our own opinions.”
Cou deric
nty k
n Econ challenge Continued on page 27
Team member Will Schaeffer said what
MD
By Sally Alt
T
!
Urbana’s Chinese School
Teaches More Than Language
By Sally Alt
T
welcome to take classes there.
The Frederick Chinese School has “excellent” teachers and staff who are “helpful and friendly,” said a local parent, who
asked to remain anonymous but takes his
son and daughter to Chinese classes. “We
feel very welcome,” he said.
he Frederick Chinese School held at
Urbana High School (UHS) is more
than just a place to learn a foreign
language. It is also a community center
where families meet, develop friendships
and learn new skills.
n Chinese School Continued on page 27
The private school, which
offers classes at the high school
every Sunday from 1 – 5 p.m.,
features courses in Chinese
language, as well as other subjects such as martial arts, yoga,
dance, Chinese painting, SAT
preparation, math and chess.
More than 100 students attend
the Chinese school, which has
more than 20 teachers.
Students as young as 3 or 4
years old can attend the school
if accompanied by a parent,
said Jianwei Zhu, the chairPhoto | Submitted
man of the board for the Chi- Tengchang Men teaches eighth, ninth and 10th grade classes in Chinese at
nese school. Adults are also the Frederick Chinese School held at Urbana High School.
The Town Courier
October 2013 Page 11
SCHOOLNOTES Compiled By Bethany E. Starin
Photo | Ellen Georgi
Maryland State Senator Ron Young paid a visit to Urbana Middle School in mid – September.
State Senator, Congressman Visit
Urbana Students
On Tuesday, Sept. 17, students at Urbana Middle School (UMS) celebrated Constitution Day with a visit from two elected officials. Maryland State Senator Ron
Young and U.S. Congressman John K.
Delaney paid a visit to UMS, speaking to
sixth and eighth-grade students. Delaney
helped UMS celebrate Constitution Day
by talking about his role in the U.S. legislature and how Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution defined the role of Congress. He
talked to four social studies classes in the
UMS media center, and students were able
to ask him questions for about 20 minutes.
Young talked to another four classes in
the afternoon about the Maryland and U.S.
Constitutions and contrasted the differences between the two. He explained his job
in Annapolis and described some of the
legislation he worked on in the latest session.
Ellen Georgi, a sixth-grade social studies teacher, met Delaney during the day’s
events and had her students write letters
to Delaney and Young, thanking them for
coming and asking them questions.
Among the letters were these, the first
from Nico, and second from Amber:
“Dear Mr. John Delaney, I was very interested in your speech this morning and I would
like to say that you are a great man and a hard
worker. The part about the three branches (of
government) was something I could relate to because I was taught this in 5th grade.”
“Dear Senator Young, I want to thank you
for coming to our school, Urbana Middle. I
learned a lot about the Constitution today. No
one could have done a better job explaining it to
me. I wonder what it is like being Senator. Is it
fun, boring, honoring or lots of work? I think
it would be honoring to be a senator, but a lot
of work. I wonder if I would be a good senator.
Probably not, I don’t like speaking to a lot of
people like you did today.”
thankfulness brings.
Running may seem just like another fad.
Rich Terselic, longtime Villages of Urbana
resident, explored running a few months
ago in his Local Voices Column and said,
“Given the current grand scale of interest in running, there must be something
very attractive to large numbers of people.”
Terselic, who plays senior softball and admitted to walking and minimal running to
stay in shape, discussed the positives — the
amount of charity money raised through
running — and the negatives, the effect on
one’s joints.
Let’s be honest — not everyone can run.
But I do encourage you to consider the
benefits of getting outside on a regular basis. While at the beach this spring, I commented to my husband that one of the rea-
Merit Scholarship Finalists
In early September, it was announced
that nine high school students from Frederick County public schools achieved
semifinalist status in the 2014 National
Merit Scholarship Program. This includes
Jeremy Meredith, Matthew Perrin, Gareth
Weakly and Madelyne Xiao from Urbana
High School.
Nationwide, about 16,000 high school
seniors were named semifinalists for 2014.
Semifinalists may advance to finalist standing in the competition by meeting high
academic standards and other requirements
to be considered for a National Merit
Scholarship. Finalists continue in the competition for $2,500 National Merit scholarships in addition to corporate-sponsored
and college-sponsored merit scholarships.
Winners are chosen on the basis of the candidates’ academic skills and achievements,
extracurricular accomplishments, potential
for success in rigorous college studies and
other criteria. For more information, visit
http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php.
New Bullying Reporting System
Frederick County Public Schools has
launched a digital form that parents, students and staff can complete and submit
online to make it easier to report bullying.
This new system is designed to ensure that
each student is respected, and safe from violence.
For more information, go to the digital
form at www.fcps.org/bullyingform. You
can also watch a YouTube video about
the new system at www.youtube.com/
watch?v=AGWPth-h65Y.
Private Kindergarten Program
in Urbana
Beginning next fall, The Goddard
School in Urbana will be offering a private
kindergarten program.
BUILDERS & REMODELERS, INC.
Quality is our Business
askthe editor
from page 4
“Our credentialed teachers deliver a
curriculum which combines the goals and
methodology of the Frederick County
Public Schools district with developmentally appropriate practices required by The
Goddard School,” said Jill Pelicano, owner of Urbana location of the franchised
school. “The size of our kindergarten provides individualized attention for our children.”
The Goddard School offers a program
for children ages 6 weeks through school
age that focuses on building a strong and
balanced foundation of emotional, social,
cognitive and physical skills for each child.
Goddard provides children with a nurturing environment and a curriculum that encourages learning through play. Families
have the convenience of extended hours
from 6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., the flexibility of
either half or full-day schedules and quality assurance standards that are monitored
corporately.
An information session that’s open to the
public is scheduled for Nov. 6 at 6:10 p.m.
at The Goddard School (3825 Carriage
Hill Drive, Urbana, Md.). For more information, call 240.699.0006.
sons one comes back from a beach vacation
so renewed is that so much time is spent
outdoors. Perhaps get some Vitamin D this
fall through some fall travel. If you want to
escape for a fall getaway but need some inspiration, take a look at my article on page
5 that gives some tips on traveling to New
York City for the weekend on a budget —
or check out the new travel column series
launching this month, also on page 5.
Each month, we have been running
a two-page spread of photos in Around
Town [see pages 6 and 7], so please send
photos to me to include at bethany@
towncourier.com. Happy Fall!
Licensed and insured in Frederick & Montgomery
counties for over 30 years
Custom Homes, Additions
and Renovations
Kitchens • Bathrooms • Basements • Patios • Decks
301.407.0080
www.JonesPremiumBuilders.com
We now accept credit cards
Page 12
■ new school
from page 1
tion Vice President Joy Schafer and Urbana
Elementary Principal Jan Hollenbeck.
The FCPS staff presented a list of positive
and negative aspects of the paired-school
program, based on input from families
from current paired schools, plus 700 responses received from a recent local survey.
Positive aspects included a single focus in
each school of the particular learning skills
and needs of each age group and increased
confidence in younger students, without
dependence on the older age group.
Some of the stated disadvantages were
limited sharing opportunities and trans-
The Town Courier
portation coordination. However, according to Barnes, with a readjustment
to Route 355 in the school area, traffic
would be significantly reduced and more
students could walk to school. Currently,
all UES students are car or bus riders, since
the school is directly on Route 355. Hopson shared her experiences at Middletown
Primary and supported the paired-school
option.
“The younger students are in a more
protected and nurturing environment,”
Hopson said, “which gives them a solid
start to their education.”
Urbana resident, Kim Cochrane, voiced
several concerns at the meeting. “Why
must this decision be made now?” Co-
October 2013
chrane said, “when we will have more information in the future?” Barnes explained
that although plans for the new school will
mirror typical Frederick County elementary schools, early planning is required for
major renovations of the current school,
which was built in 1959.
Cochrane also echoed one of the major
concerns parents had about transportation
and scheduling issues, especially for families with children in two schools, which
Barnes and Prichard said is a major consideration. Courtney Bray will have her three
children in Urbana Elementary in 2017
and said she needs a lot more information
on the school issues.
“I’m concerned about things like dropoff and pick-up schedules,” Bray said, “as
well as back-to-school and conference
nights.”
Ashley Worth, who now has a kindergartner in UES, asked how the schools will
run during construction. “Will we have
second graders outside in portables?”
Barnes explained that feasibility studies
and the comprehensive plan by the Fred-
erick County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will help with construction decisions and implementation. In
response to Worth’s inquiry, Prichard confirmed that, if the paired-school option is
chosen, the magnet program would begin
in third grade instead of the current second
grade start.
Laura McKee has seen all five of her children through UES and said she was confident that the quality of education would
remain, no matter what changes were
made.
“Even with a large student body and
throughout every change,” McKee said,
“they somehow managed to make you feel
as if your child was the most important.
My kids have been given a solid academic
foundation.”
The Power Point presentation is available
on the FCPS website, and the deadline for
survey responses has been extended until
the next BOE meeting on Oct. 9, where a
final decision on the school configuration
is expected. More information is available
at www.fcps.org/urbanaschools.
■ ropelewski
trip list, checking things like oil and other
fluids, tires, lights, brakes, suspension and
wheels.
“We have to take buses in for two major
inspections at the high school in the fall
and spring,” Ropelewski explained. Major maintenance on the buses is performed
over the summer.
It helps that Ropelewski parks her bus
right outside her own door. “I love the fact
that I walk out my back door and I’m at
work,” she said. Parking the school bus at
home also helps on those bad weather days.
“If it’s going to snow, I’ll park at the elementary school or bring the bus up to the
top of my driveway,” she said.
“There are many drivers in Frederick
County who keep their buses at home because there’s not enough room at Hayward
Road for 350-plus buses.” She said she feels
this is a “win-win situation” for both the
Transportation Department and bus drivers, saving fuel and time.
Of her colleagues, Ropelewski can’t say
enough about all the FCPS drivers who
care deeply for their riders’ wellbeing.
Most are retired from other professions, she
said, mentioning farming and police work.
Ropelewski herself worked as an executive
secretary for many years before taking time
off to raise her children.
Ropelewski has had a number of
“white-knuckle runs,” like the afternoon
she found herself on Roderick Road with
her high school students and was warned
of an impending tornado. “I’m thinking,
‘Where do I go, what is the safest thing for
me to do,” she said. “I told the high school
kids to look for funnel clouds. … You can’t
put a bus in a ditch, you can’t take kids off
the bus to put them in a ditch. … The best
thing is to bring kids back to the school,
but that was a few minutes away.”
There was “no good answer” that day,
but Ropelewski kept her kids safe. Every
child on her bus is like one of her own. In
fact, grandsons Nathan and Ben, a junior
and a freshman at UHS, ride her bus each
day.
from page 3
her riders, especially the little ones just
getting on the big bus, “You’re with me.
You’re safe.”
“I take my job very seriously,” she said.
“Responsibility for my job is number one.”
For instance, FCPS regulations stipulate that kindergarteners and pre-K students must be met at a bus stop by a parent, guardian or sibling who is 13 years or
older. If a sibling younger than 13 meets
the bus, Ropelewski must bring the young
rider back to the school.
But Ropelewski is more cautious than
regulations dictate. “We can leave first
graders at the curb,” she said, “but my
motherly instinct said, ‘No.’” She has been
known to keep an elementary school rider
on the bus and then circle back to his or
her stop, hoping that a late parent will, by
then, be there.
She’s proud of the camaraderie on her
bus routes, but she’s careful to keep those
wild hairs that all kids have in check. “My
saying is, ‘Nothing goes past the glass. No
trash, no fingers, no heads, no books,’” she
said.
Beyond the glass, Ropelewski herself
keeps a keen eye trained on other drivers. Last year, when she was driving Bus
365, she had at least 12 confirmed runners
— cars that fail to stop for the school bus’
flashing yellow and red lights. It was so bad
— with Route 355, Tabard and Worthington being the worst spots — that FCPS installed an exterior camera by early spring.
Bus drivers are asked to call in every time
they experience a runner, but Ropelewski said that in that moment, “I’m looking
at the kids, not tag numbers. I’m worried
about the safety of my kids.”
Drivers who are caught on camera while
passing a stopped school bus receive a $125
ticket from the Sheriff ’s Department.
Upkeep of the bus is paramount, too. In
addition to cleaning and fueling, all drivers run through a daily 15-minute pre-
The Town Courier
■ blair witch
from page 1
family in the Urbana Highlands. Sanchez
has gone on to many other films and projects, but the movie has a loyal following.
The film is known for Sanchez’ use of the
now-popular first-person point of view,
and for not showing the villain onscreen;
instead, he left much up to the viewer’s
imagination.
One fan is now trying to recreate the experience of the film character by holding a
spooky event, this month.
“I was watching the movie in July with
my girlfriend,” said Scott Goldberg, a musician, former movie director and score
producer in New York. “I thought it would
be cool to come out to the location where
the movie was filmed.”
Matt Blazi is a friend of Goldberg and a
fellow BWP fan.
“I was so enthralled with the film,” Blazi
said, “that two days after starting college
I got the Stickman figure tattooed on my
arm.”
In 2000, Blazi visited the Rustin Parr
House, one of the major movie scene locations, and he said it was enough to stoke
his interest. Since then, the house has collapsed (in 2003) and Blazi, who lives near
Photo | Submitted
Coffin Rock is a prominent part of the 1999 movie, The Blair Witch Project, co-directed by Urbana resident, Eduardo
Sanchez. A group of avid fans has arranged a camping trip and tour of the major locations of the film in Burkittsville, Md.,
on Oct. 5.
Hershey, Penn., has been in two horror
films by well-know director of the genre,
George Romero.
Goldberg contacted Blazi about a possible BWP event. “I love his enthusiasm,”
Goldberg said, “as a fan of both BWP and
the horror genre. The idea was to go to
each [BWP] location and to experience the
whole aura of the film.”
Goldberg and Blazi scouted spots used
in making the film, discussed the idea and
invited friends.
“The plan is to start at the cemetery in
Burkittsville,” Blazi said, “and then head
over to Black Rock Mill and Coffins Rock
and finally to the Rustin Parr House, near
Ellicott City. We hope to take people on a
hike in the woods — as the movie characters did — then set up tents, have a campfire and maybe watch the movie.”
After they started planning the event,
Goldberg and Blazi talked to Sanchez, who
gave them more information to enhance
the experience, and Sanchez discussed it
on a recent live podcast for fans.
“Everyone started asking us about it,”
Blazi said, “so in a matter of minutes it
went from a simple camping trip to a big
event.” Depending on his schedule, Sanchez has said he hopes to attend.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct.
5 at 9 a.m. According to Blazi, there is no
cost for the trip; it is organized by the fans
for the experience.
“I may even spring for a can of Vienna
sausages,” Blazi said, a reference that BWP
fans will understand. “If you’re going for
the experience, you might as well go the
extra mile!”
The Blair Witch Project and Camping
Trip Facebook page has details on the trip,
and there is still time to sign up, if done
quickly, on Facebook or by contacting
Goldberg at ScottGoldbergmovies@gmail.
com, or Matt Blazi at monrozombi@
gmail.com.
Nightmare Manor
If in the mood for a creepy Halloween experience, Urbana has a new attraction — Nightmare Manor. Held at a historic Ijamsville quarry, Nightmare Manor is a
scary attraction and not recommended for children 10 and under. Held Thursday through Sunday, ticket sales begin at 6:45 p.m. with shows each Thursday and
Sunday from 7 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 7 to 11 p.m. Family nights are offered Oct. 6 and Nov. 1, appropriate for younger audiences when the scary
elements are toned down for two days. For more information, visit www.nightmare-manor.com.
I’m Lina Yi – Your Neighbor
I’ve been living in the Urbana community for 8 years
and helping customers to find the Mercedes-Benz of
their dreams in Germantown. I invite you to meet me,
tour our facility and test-drive one of our remarkable
German-engineered cars when you are in the area. See
you in the neighborhood.
Call me for an appointment.
Direct: 301.601.5516 • Cell: 301.502.6773
[email protected]
Sales and Lease Consultant
www.eurogermantown.com
866.334.8060
19750 Germantown Road • Germantown, MD 20874
Page 14
The Town Courier
■ CHARTER school
from page 3
start talking about ancient times, and as students advance to upper grades, they study
the medieval, early modern and modern
periods in history. In fifth grade, teachers
repeat lessons in ancient history with more
in-depth lessons of the time period.
Students also begin learning Spanish in
kindergarten and continue to study the
language through sixth grade. They are required to enroll in Latin classes in fourth
through sixth grades.
The school, with class sizes of about 20
students, provides individualized attention
to students. A smaller class size enables
■ wesley chapel
from page 3
learned a lot about gardening by volunteering. “I really liked working with everyone,” he said.
Cody said he focuses on weeding at the
garden, while his parents pick the vegetables. He also helped put up a fence for the
garden, he said.
Although none of the volunteers are
“master gardeners,” they are “thoroughly
enjoying” the work in the garden, Wilcox
said.
Every week, two families are assigned to
work in the garden. “They are responsible
instructors to teach more effectively, and
teachers can literally have a dialogue with
every student in the class, said Jacquelin
Piro, the Head of School. The school also
provides after-school help sessions where
teachers offer tutoring for students.
A classical education is more “organic”
than traditional education, according to
Piro, and helps students “see the natural relationship between all subjects.” Once they
connect their subjects, she added, “then
learning is fun and easy.”
Instead of simply memorizing facts, students learn practical applications for their
studies. In math classes, for instance, students learn why civilizations created numbers in the first place and how numbers are
used today. Piro calls this style of education
“naturally engaging.”
Teachers also help students by providing
clear expectations for performance and behavior, said Piro. Instead of focusing on an
end result, they show students how to be
organized, responsible, accountable and attentive, giving them skills that they can use
in college. Each teacher uses a similar style
to help students learn. “Classical schools
are consistent from kindergarten the whole
way up,” said Piro.
The Frederick Classical Charter School,
which was in the planning and development phase for about five years, was founded by parents who wanted to start a school
with a different educational style than the
model used in public schools, said Piro.
Plans are underway to add seventh grade
next year and eighth grade in two years.
What Piro finds most rewarding is interacting with the kids by assisting in the
classroom and talking to students. She also
enjoys mentoring the teachers in her role as
instructional leader.
Teachers at the Frederick Classical Charter School support students in becoming
happy, successful and productive citizens,
Piro said. The Frederick Classical Charter
School does more than prepare students for
college, she said: “This is preparation for
life.”
for weeding, watering, harvesting and delivering anything that they collect to the
food bank,” Wilcox said. The volunteers
make up to three deliveries to the food
bank each week, she added.
About 12 families and 15 young people help in the garden. “We don’t have a
shortage of labor,” Wilcox said. Some of
the kids already had gardening skills from
working in a garden at home.
“The children find it very rewarding
that they are able to help families right in
Urbana,” said Wilcox. The vegetables that
they grow in the garden help feed about
140 families, she said.
Wesley Chapel has been collaborating
with the Greater Urbana Area Food Bank
for years on a variety of projects, said Wilcox. In the past, the church has taken collections for the food bank in the Sunday
School program.
The garden has yielded much more produce than the volunteers expected. “The
garden has been so prolific this year,” said
Wilcox.
The garden “turned out better than I
thought it would,” said Cody.
Volunteers installed two rain barrels,
which were decorated by the Sunday
School youth, to collect rain water for the
garden. If it doesn’t rain, the volunteer gardeners can use water from the rain barrels,
said Cody.
In the future, the “youth garden” will
probably be expanded and become an annual project, according to Wilcox.
The garden is important, because it gives
the children an opportunity to serve the
community, said Wilcox. The children are
also able to see the results of their labor.
Cody feels that volunteering at the garden helps to set an example for kids and
others in the community. He added that
the garden shows people that “anything
can be done with hard work.”
Keeping up with the ever changing you.
Services:
Laser Hair Removal
Intense Pulse Light Therapy (IPL)
MicroResurfacing
CoolSculpting
Injectables
Vein Therapy
$50 Off Services
Not to be Combined with Any
Other Offers.
Expires October 31, 2013
8927 Fingerboard Rd, Suite E
Frederick MD 21704
301-810-5740
October 2013
www.alazzospa.com
[email protected]
The Town Courier
Seniormoments
from page 1
some of that brick, most likely put in
during the 1940s. Some of the original
window panes remain, betraying their age
with charming bubbles of imperfection.
You can even see some knob and tube wiring, commonly used between 1880 and
1930 and most likely still operational when
current renovation on the house began.
Nails especially reveal a lot. Today,
they’re scattered throughout the three story, two-staircase house. Flathead nails date
from 1820 to 1850, House explained. If
you find a rosehead, named for the way it
was fashioned in a rose shape with multiple
strikes by a blacksmith’s hammer, that nail
dates back to the 1700s.
Sources date Landon House to 1754, and
one story suggests that it was originally
constructed on the shores of the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg. Dismantled in the 1840s, it was brought to
Urbana and reconstructed as The Landon
Female Seminary in 1846.
There’s a door here, House explained,
with 1754 written on it. It’s considered
part of the evidence that dates the house,
but he’s skeptical. Transporting a large, dismantled structure from the Fredericksburg
area to Urbana in the early 1800s would
have been time-consuming and expensive.
The dated door could have been repurposed from an earlier structure.
In mid-September, House made a discovery that may lead to further revelations
about Landon’s origins and construction.
Practically every day, House brings his
camera to Landon, photographing aspects
of the house as they are revealed during
the renovations. On Sept. 16, he photographed some roof underlayment boards.
It was not until he arrived home and took
a good look at the images that he realized
what was written on one of the boards, “R
Phillips Ijamsville.”
The Rev. Richard H. Phillips had the
house constructed as The Landon Female Seminary in 1846. House surmised
that this board arrived by rail since it was
marked Ijamsville and not Urbana. The
board would have then been brought by
wagon to Urbana.
The writing has remained hidden since
at least 1846, House explained. It was only
discovered because the plastered ceiling has
been removed during the renovation.
To date, House has collected many records relating to Landon House, and is
especially interested in primary sources
like the diary of Heros von Borcke, Gen.
J.E.B. Stuart’s aide, and newspaper accounts, many from the 1940 to 1970 period when Bulgarian diplomats Marion and
Ivan Stancioff owned the property. House
relates his excitement when he found a Bal-
C
timore Sun photo of Ivan
Stancioff standing in the
same room that hosted
the CSA’s Grand Ball.
Marion Stancioff, a
devout Catholic, converted the property’s
smokehouse,
located
in back, into a private
chapel. Today in disrepair, the chapel still
bears a peeling portrait
of the Blessed Virgin
Mary and sacred phrases
on the chapel’s beams,
painted in white against
the blue commonly associated with Mary.
The new owners of
Landon House, Urbana
residents Praveen Bolarum and Rohit KhPhoto | Pam Schipper
irbat with their partner
Urbana’s Gil House has contributed much to the renovation of the Landon House,
Chakri Katepalli, plan says Al Clapp of Architectural Concepts Group, director of the project. House has
to move Mrs. Stancioff ’s offered information on construction techniques of the period when Landon was built,
chapel to the front yard but he also appreciates new techniques and materials that will help preserve the
and turn it into a mu- house for years to come.
seum featuring artifacts
All of which keep him extremely busy.
from Landon, some discovered during the “It’s a good thing that I’m retired,” he
restoration.
smiled, “or I don’t know where I would
These include an old canteen, a Civil find the time.”
War-era bullet and some picture frames.
And finding time is his specialty — the
Architectural artifacts like examples of markings of time that still exist, if you
wood-and-peg construction and Roman know where to look.
numeral hatch marks etched in the wood
(a system used by sawmills to tell carpenters what pieces belong together) will also
be included in the museum, said House.
House is quick to point out that he’s not
a professional historian. Paula Reed, Ph.D.,
an architectural historian, is consulting on
several phases of the project. But House, a
Frederick native, has long held a passion for
history, research and observation.
When House retired from COMSAT in
2000, where he worked as an engineer for
25 years, he began researching the Buckingham Industrial School in Buckeystown
(now the Claggett Center) where his father
had been educated. Since then, House has
undertaken many research projects, including one on Urbana area post offices —
really important back in the day of horse
and buggy when people could not travel
easily and post offices were within a couple
of miles of each other, he said. Recently, he
put together an historical walking tour of
watering holes in the Downtown Frederick Historic District, a Preservation Trades
Workshop hosted by the National Park
Service’s Historic Preservation Training
Center. He also does building accessibility
reviews for the county as a volunteer, and
gives presentations to a variety of groups,
including the Urbana Senior Center.
The Town Courier
Stay up to date on our
Facebook page.
www.facebook.com/TownCourierUrbana
October Happenings at the
Urbana Senior Center
By Susan Hofstra
Dance Exercise with Ethnic Flair
Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.
Each month features a different ethnic group.
Strength Training
Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m.
Exercise to Video
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 11 a.m.
Celebrate National Dessert Month
Tuesday, Oct. 15, 6:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Breakfast for Lunch, and Ask Nurse
Steve
Thursday, Oct. 10, Noon
“Did I just forget or is it dementia?”
Each month we publish a complete
schedule of our programs. Copies of
the monthly calendar are available
at the Urbana Senior Center, 9020
Amelung Street (bottom floor of
the library building), at www.
FrederickCountyMD.gov/aging
or
via phone at 301.600.7020.
Page 16
■ budget traveling
from page 5
hotels give a significant discount to AAA
card holders.
Pick Your Splurge
While I recommend a splurge meal
(Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill is a favorite),
many prefer to splurge on a Broadway
show or another attraction. The city is full
of expensive, fun options — so pick your
splurge before you go and stick to it. Let
one thing be your money memory, whether it’s an incredibly delicious meal or an
evening at the theater or an elevator ride
to the top of the Empire State Building –
and enjoy it! Make sure to make a reservation for your meal or attraction, or look for
sweet ticket deals on www.stubhub.com.
The Town Courier
Walk and Eat
My favorite food memories in New York
City are local dives where you grab great
food and walk with it — or take it to a park
and enjoy it al fresco. Stumptown Coffee
Roasters (www.stumptowncoffee.com) is
a must-go for coffee lovers and even those
who don’t drink coffee can enjoy the ambiance and delicious smells. Lines can be
long, but stick with it, try the mocha and
grab a bag of beans to brew at home as a
souvenir. They just opened a second NYC
location in May.
Around the corner is a friendly Italian
foodie market extraordinaire. Dubbed Eataly (www.eataly.com), it’s the perfect place
for a glass of wine and a cheese platter at
the standing bar area, an afternoon gelato or dessert to go or a sit-down bowl of
pasta in the restaurant in the back. My fa-
vorite Eataly memory is buying a slice of
panuozzi, a foccacia bread pizza topped
with eggplant, onions and feta. Grabbing
this delicious lunch and a bottled Italian
soda, we ate in the Madison Square Park
just outside the front door, overlooking the
flatiron building.
Donation for Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(www.metmuseum.org) is worth an afternoon. Even better, the entrance fee is paid
on a donation basis, so when you enter, just
let them know what you can spare that day.
Make sure to venture far enough through
the maze of art to find the stunning Egyptian exhibit encased in a glassed-in room.
Browse the Bridge, the Park
While at the Met, spend a couple
October 2013
hours browsing the adjacent, and free,
Central Park. It is beautiful and there’s
lots of complimentary and amusing people
watching — yoga classes, proposals and
picnics are always taking place somewhere
along the winding paths, leafy groves and
ponds. If you make it to the south end
of Central Park past the lake, take the
escalator inside the Shops at Columbus
Circle to Bouchon Bakery and Cafe (www.
bouchonbakery.com) located on the third
floor. Chef Thomas Keller is no joke —
you’ll have the most incredible French
pastry of your life.
Finish your trip off with a walk across the
beautiful bridge that connects Manhattan
to Brooklyn — the Brooklyn Bridge. You
can take a taxi to the start of the bridge, or
if you’re feeling adventurous, pick up the
speed by renting bikes for a few hours and
wheel your way to Brooklyn and back.
onthe go
from page 5
ribbean, beginning at age 3 for kids who
are potty-trained and happy to separate
from their parents. Most ships offer programs for ages 3 to 17, with day activities
and optional evening pajama parties or discos for older teens. The large size of these
ships makes them ideal for multigenerational travel, as passengers can choose from
modest inside cabins, oceanfront balcony
cabins or lavish suites with butler service.
Celebrity Cruises is featuring special
children’s rates for its holiday cruises. The
brand-new Celebrity Reflection departs
Miami on Dec. 21 for a seven-night cruise
that drops anchor in San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten, with three sea days. A
balcony cabin starts at $1,599 per person
for the first two passengers, for a double
cabin total of $3,396 with taxes. Children
who serve as third or fourth passengers in a
cabin are just $339 each, so a cabin for four
with taxes would total $4,271.
On a cruise onboard Celebrity’s Solstice
in the Caribbean, our ship was decked out
in Christmas and Hanukkah colors, holiday-themed dinners were served, and religious and interdenominational services
offered. Caroling, a visit from Santa and
special shows added to the festive spirit.
We especially enjoyed the carols sung by
the ship’s crew in dozens of languages on
Christmas Eve. The two biggest celebrations onboard are usually Christmas Eve
and New Year’s Eve. If you go island-exploring, Christmas and New Year’s Day are
the time to head to the beach as most shops
and many activities close.
When planning your budget for a cruise
holiday, it’s a good idea to think about the
extras you’ll encounter onboard the ship.
The passenger cruise fare includes meals,
entertainment and taxes. Alcoholic beverages, sodas, specialty waters and coffees are
additional, as are gratuities, shore excursions, Wi-Fi, spa treatments, gambling and
video games. The ships mentioned above
feature two dress-up evenings during a
week-long cruise, with jacket and tie requested for gentlemen, although there are
also casual spots where you can dine without dressing up.
Author’s note: All prices were correct at press
time but are subject to change.
Editor’s Note: Eileen O’Donnell Schlichting,
a Kentlands resident, is a certified travel advisor
and president of Transatlantic Travel.
■ travel tips
from page 5
those [deals] — most of their offers are legitimate and most of them are good deals
but buyer beware, you have to be cautious,”
he said. “Do a little research on your own.
When you are spending two, three or up to
four thousand dollars – you just have to be
more careful.”
Choy said he knows of a couple who
used an Ireland-trip deal and had a great
experience. Their only complaint was that
the hotel that was advertised in being in
Dublin was a ways out of the city.
Read the fine print.
“The problem is that you have to get
people to read the fine print,” he said.
“Most of the time we don’t.”
This can get you into trouble with online travel deals. Choy said he knows one
party who booked a vacation using www.
cheapcaribbean.com but didn’t read the
fine print. When they arrived, only half
the restaurants and bars advertised in the
offer were available. The resort told them
they couldn’t guarantee everything on the
website.
Overall, Choy emphasized knowing
what you are purchasing.
Consider using a travel agent.
A widespread misconception is that travel agents charge a fee. Choy explained that
nine out of 10 times they do not (and he
does not charge a fee) — the resorts or ho-
The real value of
agents is that they
have done a lot of
your research for you
... and some of it has
been done in person
through their own
travels — so they can
give you first-hand
recommendations.
Page 17
Gaver Farm’s
Fall-Fun-Festival
SEPTEMBER 13 - NOVEMBER 3
Fall-Fun-Festival
corn maze
jumping pillow
farm animal arena
rubber ducky races
giant slides
Farm Market
— Cliff Choy, Travel by C
tels pay them a commission for their booking, but not the client.
“I never used a travel agent [when I was
younger] because I thought why should I
do that, I can probably do it a lot cheaper
myself. And that is a misconception. There
are a lot of times that I get people deals that
are as good as or less than what is on the
internet or other places. They don’t pay me
a fee — it is a misconception.”
The real value of agents is that they have
done a lot of your research for you, Choy
said, and some of it has been done in person
through their own travels — so they can
give you first-hand recommendations.
For more information on Travel by C,
call 301.802.8155 or visit www.travelbyc.
com.
pedal karts
mini mazes
straw activities
and more.
pumpkins
apples
cider
gourds
corn stalks
straw
baked goods
and more.
Fall-Fun-Nights
Campfires and Moonlight Corn Maze
Pumpkin Patch
FREE hayrides on weekends
Barn Grill and Bakery
Try our famous apple cider donuts!
Open daily 10-6
Fall-Fun-Nights October Friday and Saturday nights open until 9
301-865-3515
www.gaverfarm.com
Page 18
The Town Courier
October 2013
2nd Annual
Pumpkin Patch
at
Free Pumpkin for Kids!*
*Kids must be ages 12 or under. One per child. While supplies last.
Sat., October 19, 2013
1 – 4 pm
At the Villages of Urbana Community Association
9023 Harris St, Urbana, MD 21704
!
NcEaW
tion
Lo
Hosted by your local Urbana
All donations will go to Children’s Miracle Network.
For more details about the event, go to Facebook.com/RemaxPlus.
3527 Urbana Pike • Urbana, MD 21704
Some of our office listings:
FREDERICK
$849,950
FREDERICK
$599,900
MT AIRY
$459,500
MONROVIA
$449,900
URBANA
$439,500
BEL AIR
$419,900
UNION BRIDGE
$399,000
FREDERICK
$339,900
URBANA
$329,900
BALTIMORE
$324,900
NEW MARKET
$319,900
URBANA
$274,900
FREDERICK
$249,900
FREDERICK
$224,999
MIDDLE RIVER
$119,900
ROCKVILLE
$2,700/mo
Page 19
ideal
Insight into Determinants of
Exceptional Aging and Longevity
F
ADM REE
ISSI
ON!
Why do some people reach age 80, 90, and older living free of physical
and cognitive disease? National Institute on Aging (NIA) researchers
on the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) are exploring this
question through the IDEAL (Insight into Determinants of Exceptional
Aging and Longevity) Study. Although research exists on the relationship
between long life and functional decline, we still know relatively little
about why certain individuals have excellent health well into their 80’s
while others experience disease and physical decline earlier in life.
IDEAL Study participants can help
NIH researchers uncover secrets of healthy aging.
Participants are 80 years or older and:
Can walk a quarter mile unassisted
Have no severe memory problems
Have no major medical conditions
Does this describe you or someone you know?
Call Toll-Free 1-855-80 IDEAL (1-855-804-3325)
or email [email protected]
www.nia.nih.gov/ideal
National Institutes of Health
Page 20
The Town Courier
October 2013
Year-Round
Riding Lessons and
Birthday Parties
(301) 874-2000
www.UrbanaRidingClub.com
2 miles from Rts. 270 and 80 interchange
The Town Courier
October 2013 NEW LISTING!
LISTED AND SOLD BY KATIE!
Page 21
SOLD!
KATIE FOUND THE BUYER!
11110 Innsbrook Way, Ijamsville
3977 Trition St.
3665
Worthington
Blvd.
Villages of
Urbana
$373,900
3817 Shetland Ct.
Urbana Highlands - $609,900
DREAM HOME FOR SALE!
SOLD!
5310 Ijamsville Rd., Ijamsville
2326 Persimmon Dr., Ijamsville
Holly Hills Area - $1,399,900
Windsor Knolls - $539,900
Villages of Urbana - $459,900
KATIE FOUND THE BUYER!
SOLD!
10704 Pheasant Dr.
Old Orchard Estates - $379,900 Green Valley Estates - $947,000
Katie Nicholson, CRS, ABR
Re/Max Town Center
3595 Holborn Pl.
Villages of Urbana - $307,000
Area Specialist!
Direct- (301) 370-5022 • Office- (301) 540-2232 • [email protected]
Katie is a top producing, award winning agent. She works in every price range and is committed to excellence for all
of her clients. She is a long time Southern Frederick County resident who knows what it takes to sell and/or buy in the
area. She lives here and she loves it here. Call her today for all your real estate needs and get the RESULTS you deserve!
Page 22
The Town Courier
October 2013
3430 Worthington Boulevard,
#102 • Urbana
NOW OPEN!
(301) 662-0133 Main
(301) 662-1930 Billing
(301) 662-5399 Referrals
•
•
•
•
•
•
Comprehensive pediatric care
Seven offices to better serve you
Convenient office hours including nights & weekends
Telephone advice from our nurses during office hours
Online referral & perscription refill requests available
Committed to patient service & satisfaction
3430 Worthington Boulevard, #102 • Urbana
1475 Taney Avenue, #201 • Frederick / 1502 S. Main Street, #200 • Mt. Airy
610 Solarex Court, #200 • Frederick / 9093 Ridgefield Drive, #106 • Frederick
187 Thomas Johnson Drive, #4 • Frederick / 3020 B Ventrie Court • Myersville
24
Ac -Ho
ce ur
ss
!
Please visit us online at www.thepedcenter.com
Back To School means
Back to the Gym!
Urbana’s Only 24-hour Gym
Month to Month
Memberships Available
Free Training Session
with New Membership
Urbana’s Health & Fitness Club
Staffed Hours | M-F: 8am-12pm;12:30pm-7pm, Sat: 10am-2pm
Now accepting trainer resumes.
Se Habla Español. Nahke 3raby.
3280 Urbana Pike, Suite 102 • Urbana, MD 21754 • www.infitnessurbana.com • 301-685-5066
Page 23
Page 24
The Town Courier
October 2013
The Town Courier
Residentartist
Photo | Amelia Willett
Urbana High School art teacher Amelia Willett is pictured here with her current project — a bottle sculpture constructed entirely from glass bottles and concrete.
The Meta-Bottle Showcases Larger-Than-Life Creativity
By Madelyne Xiao
T
he sculpture stands waist-high, a marvel of concrete
and colored glass. It’s hardly a stretch to imagine it
on display in the National Gallery of Art or MoMA
in New York, but Amelia Willett, an art teacher at Urbana High School (UHS), knows that she’ll be keeping her
masterpiece close to home.
In her backyard, to be exact.
Willett, who teaches drawing, painting and ceramics at
UHS, has been working on a larger-than-life sculpture of
a bottle for the past year. The sculpture sits on a concrete
platform in her backyard and is, in fact, made of thousands
of wine and champagne bottles.
“It’s visible from the street,” said Willett. “It’s unmovable.”
Most of the bottles in Willett’s sculpture have been
sourced from restaurants and wineries, including nearby Linganore Wine Cellars. The conglomerate of bottle
types and shapes — wine, champagne, square, triangular — make for a uniquely complex patchwork. Shades
of blue and green dot the sculpture’s walls. The bottles
are sealed bottoms-out, corked necks pointing towards the
sculpture’s interior. Upon completion, the bottle sculpture
will be about Willett’s height.
“I underestimated how much time I’d need to finish
it,” said Willett, laughing. “I think it’ll take four years,
depending on how much time I have to build.” Willett
manages to incorporate 10 bottles into the sculpture per
day with a mortar and trowel (her record is 22 bottles in
one sitting).
But why a bottle made of bottles?
“I saw a picture of a similar project online,” Willett
explained. “I loved the way sunlight shone through the
glass.”
In addition, Willett wants to bring folk art to her neighbors. Her latest project stands as a tribute to folk and community art.
“Kids in the community have come by just to see it,”
said Willett.
Willett’s dedication and creativity will be a gift to the
stranger in the street and the next-door neighbor alike.
“It’ll be a present to the next person to live in my house,”
said Willett, smiling.
Page 26
The Town Courier
October 2013
shoptalk
from page 3
and very spoiled three-legged hound dog
named Sam.”
Urbana Family Massage offers deep
tissue, Swedish and prenatal massage and
myofascial release. Curry-Fogarty’s clients
run the gamut from people with chronic
pain and injury to people looking for relief from stress and anxiety. Rates run from
$35 to $95, with discounts on packages for
regular clients. She offers gift certificates,
sometimes specified to a certain group in
need. This summer, Curry-Fogarty offered massages at $20 for well-deserving
teachers. For more information, contact
Kim Curry-Fogarty at 240.446.1781. You
can also follow Curry-Fogarty’s Facebook
page, under Urbana Family Massage.
Choices Expand for Urbana
Sporting Gear
Urbana High School’s (UHS) Athletic
Department proudly announces the
official Urbana Athletic Team Store.
Through Kelly’s Sports, a 40-yearold retailer in Pennsylvania, Urbana’s
Athletic Department can now offer UHS
merchandise such as sweatshirts, pants and
accessories with Urbana’s logo. Ordering is
done online and merchandise is delivered
to your home. For more information, call
1.800.6SPORTS, or visit the website at
www.kellysteamstores/Urbana.
The Linganore-Oakdale-Urbana Youth
Athletic Organization (LOUYAA) now
has a Booster Store available on its website, www.louyaa.org. Money raised from
all sales helps provide additional opportunities for competition and character development.
LOUYAA has a branded online portal where supporters can find reasonably
priced merchandise from suppliers like Under Armour, Fathead and Blue Nile. There
is no fee for membership, and each time a
member shops at the store, LOUYAA receives donations for its many year round
youth programs. Visit the Booster Store at
www.louyaa.org.
Kayotic Gear is a new custom T-shirt
venture recently started by Urbana resident
Kayos Mathewson. Along with the similarity to Mathewson’s first name, Kayotic
stands for Kids and Youth Out To Inspire
Photo | Submitted
Urbana Academy Martial Arts moves to a bigger, better space in Monrovia this month.
Urbana Academy Relocates
To accommodate its growing clientele, Urbana Academy Martial Arts is moving to a new and larger location in Monrovia.
“We’d love to stay right in Urbana,” said co-owner, Andrew Goldfarb, “but we
have already outgrown our current location and right now there’s not enough
space. Our kid’s programs have just exploded and we want to offer smaller
classes, additional mats and more individualized instruction.”
The Academy will move the first week in October from its original location,
at 3532 Worthington Blvd. in Urbana, to The Green Valley Plaza, at 11791 Fingerboard Road, next to Dominick’s Pizza. The plan is for a seamless transition
and no breaks in class schedule.
Urbana Academy specializes in three primary programs: Gracie Jiu Jitsu is
a Brazilian form of the grappling form of martial arts and self defense. Krav
Maga is an intense self-protection skill program, designed to be used against
unarmed attackers. A third and new program is Muay Thai Kickboxing, a martial arts form popularized in Thailand in the 16th century. Muay Thai came to
the western world in the 20th century and uses stand-up striking and clinch
holds for full-contact fighting.
“All three programs offer excellent physical fitness and self-defense training
and are popular with men, women and children,” Goldfarb said. “Many women
come for Krav Maga and then close to 50 percent add Jiu Jitsu.”
A special event is planned to celebrate the new location on Oct. 21, when
Ben “Big Ben” Rhodes, a Pedro Sauer black belt, visits from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“People familiar with martial arts are usually aware of the difficulty of attaining a Pedro Sauer black belt,” Goldfarb said, “so his visit will be special.”
For more information, call 301.529.6289, visit www.urbanaacademy.com,
or go to the Urbana Academy LLC Facebook page.
Change. “I have been building the company idea in my mind,” Mathewson said,
“since my service in the Gulf War.” Aside
from selling shirts to area sports teams,
churches and Hood College, Mathewson
wants to hold classes for children to teach
them the business.
A one-man online operation for now,
J.U.T. STAR STUDENTS
Heidi (teacher) & Brian (research chemist)
“Since studying Taekwondo and Kumdo with
Master Jeong, we have embraced a healthier
lifestyle and have proven to ourselves that it
is never too late to start something new. The
classes challenge us mentally and physically
and we look forward to every session. ”
Jeong’s Urbana Taekwondo, Kumdo, Yoga
Korean Mixed Martial Arts
www.jeongstkd.com
|
301-874-4706
Mathewson hopes to expand and build
the Kayotic Gear brand merchandise. For
more information, visit the website at
www.kayoticgear.com, or go the Kayotic
Gear Facebook page.
Shopping Notes
There has been minimal activity in area
commercial construction. “Welcome to
the slow pace of the development business,” said Andy Brown, who is chairman
of Stanford Properties, owner and developer of the former Cracked Claw property.
Stanford hopes for a response to its proposed layout for the planning commission
by November, but no businesses are confirmed for the site. For more information,
contact Brown at abrown@stanfordprop.
com.
The site plan is also in for review for
the Landon House property, but work
continues under the building permit
that was approved in August. According
to Al Clapp, co-owner of Architectural
Concepts Group, a new roof will be
installed soon, and the firm continues to
work with historic consultants to maintain
the historical integrity of the building.
“We are working with an architectural
curator,” Clapp said, “to restore and
preserve civil war artwork created by
soldiers from the era. “The likenesses
of notables such as Abraham Lincoln,
Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee were
miraculously protected by wallpaper for
many years,” Clapp said, and then added,
“During the current work, no ghosts have
been encountered!” Clapp can be reached
at Al @archconceptsgroup.com, or visit
the website at www.archconceptsgroup.
com.
Roads are under construction for the
The Manor at Holly Hills on Ijamsville
Road near Rte 144. Twenty-one lots of
1 to 20 acres are planned at the former
Ritchie Farm property, according to Dave
Wilkinson, vice president of real estate
firm MacRo, Ltd. The company has recently sold other local properties, including
a 17-acre lot, 5 acres of which are cleared
space, on Araby Church Road, to a resident who plans to renovate an abandoned
home there. Another residential lot was
sold recently at Ball Road near Route 355,
but according to Wilkinson, property is
scarce in southern Frederick. “There is not
much available near Urbana,” Wilkinson
said. “A property was sold near Sugarloaf
Mountain last year for over $500K.” For
more information, contact MacRo Ltd. at
301.698.9696, or visit the website at www.
macroltd.com.
from page 10
itician or private business executive, who
debates economic issues. “You learn how
to argue and back up your opinion,” said
team member Gareth Weakly. Because
students don’t know what the judges will
ask them, they also have to think on their
feet.
Schaeffer said he decided to join the
Econ Challenge team because he loved
Kachur’s economics class. “I was really
looking for the next step up, and this definitely provided it,” he said.
Students are not required to take his
economics class in order to be accepted on
■ chinese school
from page 10
Founded in 2006, the school offers the
opportunity for parents to play sports such
as volleyball, tennis and basketball at the
high school gym or outside of the school
while their children are in class. Open to
both Chinese and American students, it
also supports Chinese families who move
to the area by helping them continue to
study Chinese language and culture, and
by providing general community information, about the housing market, insurance
and local restaurants, as well as financial
advice.
An American student came to the school
to study Chinese, because she was going
to adopt a child from Taiwan, said Zhu.
She was one of most hardworking students
there, he added.
Although learning Chinese can be challenging, if students take time every day to
study, they can learn the language more
easily, according to Tengchang Men, who
has taught Chinese for 10 years.
Men recommends that students study
Chinese from 40 minutes to an hour daily.
He also encourages students to speak Chinese in all of his classes. In order to help
them learn Chinese, parents can speak
Chinese to their children at home, and
show them Chinese movies and videos.
Men said that parents, who work hard and
provide a lot of support to their children,
help him as a teacher.
In his classes, Men first teaches students
to recognize Chinese characters. Then he
helps students with reading, writing and
listening comprehension. He teaches se-
nior classes, including eighth, ninth and
10th grades at the UHS Chinese school
and instructs students in fifth through 10th
grades at another Chinese school in Montgomery County.
The Chinese school at UHS is the only
Chinese school in Frederick County. Students also travel from Montgomery, Carroll and Washington counties to attend
classes there.
The high school is a “very good location,” said Zhu, who expressed a “deep
appreciation” to UHS for hosting the organization. “They are very supportive of
our operation there.”
Buyong Ma, who became principal at
the school in March, said that the Chinese
school participates in many multicultural
events in the region. Every year, students,
teachers and staff attend the International Night at Monacacy Middle School and
give a presentation about Chinese culture.
Ma said that at some of the cultural events,
he translates American names into Chinese
characters, a popular activity among participants.
Ma said that he hopes the school can become more multicultural by offering classes in Korean, Japanese and Indian language
and culture.
“We want to try to expand our school,”
said Zhu. He would like to offer Advanced
Placement Chinese classes and make it
possible for high school students to earn
foreign language credits for classes at the
Chinese school. “We want to contribute to
the community as much as we can.”
For
more
information
about
classes and tuition, please visit www.
frederickchineseschool.org or contact
[email protected].
Take a
closer
look at
the new
Town
Courier.
www.towncourier.com/urbana
ORIENTAL RUGS • FURNITURE & CUSTOm WINdOW COvERINGS
• PICK UP & dELIvERY • CLEANING & REPAIR • CHANdELIER INSTALLATION & REPAIR •
the team, said Kachur, but taking it helps
them learn the fundamentals of economics.
Weakly said students in the class get a lot
of theory they can put into practice while
participating on the team.
A history major in college, Kachur started his UHS career as a history teacher. Later, he was asked to teach economics and
found that he really enjoyed the subject. “I
love world events, and I love politics,” he
said.
Kachur said that at one time, the annual competition offered monetary prizes to
winning students. “The fact that they do it
now for free, just for the knowledge of it…
shows you that they have a passion for the
subject area.”
Page 27
Persiano Gallery
201 Market Street Gaithersburg • 240.683.1022
www.persianogallery.com • [email protected]
We now offer Hunter douglas Window
Coverings & Custom drapery design.
Beautiful design at competitive pricing.
Complimentary Design Consultation with this Ad
• PICK UP & dELIvERY • CLEANING & REPAIR • CHANdELIER INSTALLATION & REPAIR •
■ econ challenge
The Town Courier
ORIENTAL RUGS • FURNITURE & CUSTOm WINdOW COvERINGS
October 2013 Eugene L. Souder, Jr.
My practice areas are:
• Family Law
• Bankruptcy
• Criminal Law
• Personal Injury
• Wills and Estates
We are a full service firm with offices in Frederick, Kensington, and Upper Marlboro
with over 50 years Practicing Law.
We do weekend and evening appointments.
Experienced, Attentive Counsel that Gets Results While Minding Your Bottom Line
Criminal Defense, Drunk Driving, Drugs, Theft
Candid. Courteous. Convenient.
All Major Credit Cards Accepted
Wampler & Souder, L.L.C.
7 N. Market Street, Suite 301
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 668-5111 • Fax: (301) 668-2770 • www.wandsfirm.com
Page 28
The Town Courier
October 2013
POLICEBLOTTER Compiled By Bethany E. Starin
Area House Fires
Frederick County Fire and Rescue units
were dispatched at 5 p.m. on Sept. 15 to 24
Jeffrey Lane in Brunswick for the report of
a house fire. The first arriving unit reported that fire was visible from the rear of a
two-story, single family home. The Incident Commander quickly requested a rapid
intervention dispatch.
The bulk of the fire was out at 5:28 p.m.
and firefighters continued to extinguish
hot spots, monitor conditions and conduct overhaul. No injuries were reported.
Investigators were called to the scene and
the fire remains under investigation. Initial damage estimates place the total loss at
$250,000. The fire caused extensive damage to the home and the American Red
Cross offered assistance to the residents
who were displaced by the fire.
Firefighters returned to the neighborhood on Sept. 16, offering free smoke
alarms, replacement batteries and safety
information to residents.
The following day, Sept. 17, the adult
occupant at 8606 Valley Court in Middletown noticed fire coming out from around
a bathroom light and ventilation fan on the
second floor. She turned off the electrical switch, evacuated the home with two
young children, activated 911 and provided
detailed information about the location of
the fire.
Fire and Rescue units from Frederick
and Washington Counties were dispatched
at 11:43 a.m. The first arriving unit reported that smoke was coming from the
house. Crews entered and quickly located the fire, at the reported location, in a
bathroom on the second floor. The fire
was extinguished within ten minutes and
damage contained to the bathroom.
“It’s obvious [the resident] had a plan,
remained calm and put the plan into action
when the emergency occurred,” said Chief
Denise Pouget of the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services.
“She did a fantastic job and made our job
easier!”
The Incident Commander called the
Fire Marshal from the Frederick County
Fire Marshal’s Office to the scene. They
determined that the bathroom light/ventilation fan had overheated and caught on
fire. The fire has been ruled accidental.
Damage estimates place the total loss at
$7,500. No injuries were reported.
For further information, contact
Community Services Liaison Doug
Brown at 301.600.1905 or at dbrown@
frederickcountymd.gov.
Homicide Arrest
On Sept. 13, the Frederick County
Bureau of Investigation arrested Melissa
Dawn Brittle, 36, of Thurmont, Md., on
charges related to the homicide of Robert
D. Watkins. Brittle was arrested on a war-
Driving Restrictions Increase for Cell Phones, Seat Belts
On Oct. 1, new traffic laws went into effect in the State of Maryland. These
new laws were enacted to help reduce the number of accidents caused by
distracted driving and to reduce injuries resulting from unrestrained occupants. New laws include:
•Drivers operating motor vehicles while using a hand-held cell phone can
now be stopped with this as a primary offense. Although in the past this
has not been the case, now law enforcement can pull over operators
using hand held cell phones without needing an unrelated violation in
order to make the stop. The law also expands the prohibition on the
use of a handheld device. A driver of a motor vehicle that is in the travel
portion of the roadway may not use his or her hands to use a handheld
telephone. Fines for first-time violators will increase from $40 to $75.
Fines for a second violation will be $125, and $175 for a third or subsequent violation.
•Maryland will require that all occupants in a motor vehicle wear a seat
belt. Transporting more people in a vehicle than there are belts is against
the law. Fines increase from $25 to $50 per unbelted passenger.
•The new law expands the adult passenger (at least 16 years of age) seat
belt requirement to all positions in the vehicle.
•The mandatory use of child safety seats applies to the transportation of
all children younger than age eight, unless the child is 4 feet, 9 inches
or taller.
rant for Accessory After Child Abuse First
Degree, and Child Abuse Second Degree.
The investigation determined that the
victim’s caretaker, Melissa Brittle, had direct knowledge of the child abuse caused
by Raymond Brittle and failed to act and
protect the child. The investigation also
revealed that she had an active role in misleading investigators during the early stages of the investigation. The Office of the
Chief Medical Examiner in Washington
D.C. ruled the cause of death of Robert
Dean Watkins as blunt force trauma and
the manner of death as homicide.
Advertise your business
in the NOVEMBER issue:
Get RESULTS!
Meet Patsy Beckman,
The Urbana Town Courier’s
Advertising Manager.
Patsy Beckman knows how to get results
because she knows the local business beat
better than anyone in town. Whether your
company is small or large, results matter
in this tough economic climate. Patsy has
a keen eye for detail and provides the personal attention you need to bring new customers into your store.
About The Town Courier:
• Direct mail delivery to 7,500 homes plus
rack distribution in high traffic locations
throughout Urbana.
• Dedicated and loyal readers, giving each
edition long shelf life.
• Unmatched local coverage of news that
matters to Urbana families.
• The Urbana Town Courier is delivered
to every home and business in Urbana
including the Village of Urbana, Urbana
Highlands and Ijamsville.
Patsy Beckman
301.606.8833
[email protected]
Urbana High School (UHS) fans gather at halftime at the UHS Hawks
v. Westminster Owls game on Sept. 20. The Hawks swooped in with a
27-14 victory.
The Town Courier
localvoices
Loving the Locally Grown at Urbana’s Farmers’ Market
A
recent
Sunday
morning found me
browsing our local
Urbana Library Farmers’
Market with my kids in
tow.
While many might
think the market is closed
for the season, Urbana’s By Colleen
Cusimano
market is held from April
through mid-October. I
love the flavor and freshness of fruits and
vegetables that have been very recently
harvested from farms in our region. Shopping at the Farmers’ Market and being able
to speak to the farmers and vendors who
provide the goods for sale adds a whole
new dimension to enjoying the food on
our table.
Many families have begun to make a
conscious decision to eat food products
with limited chemical production and intervention. Many environmentally-conscious consumers have begun to question
how much we could benefit the earth by
choosing to consume what is nearby rather than transporting food and goods on
trucks, boats and planes. Our family supports those ideas and really enjoys purchasing locally produced foods while chatting with the people who have picked and
packaged or made them.
Many of our local grocery stores offer
locally grown produce, but if you aim to
consume primarily locally grown, you will
find a more limited selection there. In this
region, we have four distinct growing seasons. For instance, our strawberries and
tomatoes appear exclusively in late spring
through early summer. Apples and squash
are plentiful in the fall.
As a mom, I have enjoyed taking my
three children to the Farmers’ Market, and
watching them ask questions of the purveyors. They seem particularly drawn to
the honey salesman from Allen’s Apiary
– who also happens to be the bee-keeper
who harvests the honey. He can intriguingly describe the bee colonies he tends
and explain the distance they must be from
one another to ensure they have adequate
Local farmer, Rich Kemphill, displays some of the products at the Urbana Farmers’ Market in mid-September. Kemphill and his family sell home-grown produce and naturally raised meats
at their Boonsboro farm, Faerie Springs Farm. Vendors have set up shop since July, selling many varieties of fruits and vegetables, meat, honey, sweets and arts and crafts. The market is
open summer to early fall, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the back parking lot of the Urbana library. Sunday, Oct. 6 is the final day for the 2013 season.
farm land to work – these bees do a lot of
work. He can talk at length about the process of the honey-making and harvesting,
as my children stare wide-eyed, wondering
how anyone could choose a job spending
so much time with bees.
My son’s primary experience with bees
had been less than friendly. He vividly remembers being stung once in our yard and
once at the local pool. He found it fascinating that bees have such an important job
to do. Farms actually hire the bee keeper
to maintain hives on their land. The bees
pollinate (almost) all of the plants so that
they can produce fruits and vegetables. No
bees – no vegetables. Really makes it seem
like the bees shouldn’t be lounging around
at the pool!
Moving on through the market, the
Buttercup Baking Company folks can tell
you about the ingredients in the many
breads, rolls and sweet offerings they sell.
If you would like a specific type of bread
or baked good, you can call or email them
You’re invited to the
URBANA VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE
Annual Fire Prevention Open House
SUNDAY, OCT. 20, 2013 12 – 4:00 PM
DEMONSTRATIONS AND DISPLAYS
Available throughout the day for the whole family
Frederick Key’s Mascot “Keyote” will be in attendance
from 1 to 3pm.
FREE HAYRIDE TO PUMPKIN PATCH
TO PICK OUT YOUR FREE PUMPKIN !
Come see the fire equipment
Fire prevention handouts...
AND LOTS MORE!
Visit us at www.urbanavfd.org
3602 URBANA PIKE • URBANA, MD 21704
to order. You can arrange to purchase your
special order at the market, or arrange to
pick up your order some other time. Their
pastries are flaky and light – we especially
enjoy the cheese and onion croissants, and
the doughs that are dense and a little sweet,
perfect for sandwiches.
The market also has several vendors offering locally grown peaches, root vegetables, lettuce and kale. Full Cellar Farm
from Jefferson also has chicken and pork
available. In late summer/early fall, you
can sign up for your Thanksgiving turkey.
They are a limited product, though – sold
on a first-come, first-served basis.
Although the late summer market season
does close, many of the vendors at our local
Farmers’ Market have products available
all year. South Mountain Creamery offers
farm-fresh dairy products to local families at the small retail store on the farm.
If you time your visit right, the children
can watch the calves at feeding time. South
Mountain also offers home delivery. Cato-
ctin Mountain Orchard in Thurmont and
Scenic View Orchards in Sabillasville have
a wide variety of apples, pumpkins, squash,
gourds and many fresh-made pies and
goodies at the orchards. Halloween season
welcomes the festivities at numerous area
pumpkin patches and farms, where you can
get your pumpkins and a number of other
seasonal offerings.
Personally, I feel very fortunate to live
in Frederick County, where agriculture
is such an integral part of our local community. We can appreciate the plentiful
locally-produced food, and also raise our
families with a clear view of where food
comes from.
Editor’s Note: Colleen Cusimano lives in
Ijamsville with her husband and three teenage
children. She has been an active member of the
community for more than 20 years. This summer, Cusimano was elected to the Frederick
County Board of Education.
Page 30
The Town Courier
October 2013
nora’scorner
Nurturing Deep Connections to the Earth
I
t’s hard for me to believe that a relatively short time ago,
Montgomery
County
was mostly rural. Families like the Becrafts had
a ready market for their
farm products in Washington, D.C.
By Nora
Leonard Becraft is a
Caplan
tall, slim, pleasant-looking man who has lived in
our county for most of his life. At one time
his family owned “Greenwood,” an early
18th century plantation that still stands in
Brookeville, Md., and he knows the area’s
history well. Driving around to tour historic homes, for example, he pointed out
a stone shed for the oxen that were once
used for plowing and pulling heavy farm
equipment.
During the Depression, when so many
farms were foreclosed, Becraft’s grandfather Henry Becraft lost his farm near Burtonsville, Md. Because he had acquired so
many skills by then — carpentry, home
construction, and how to dig a well — he
passed these skills along to his son, Auston,
who in turn passed them along to Leonard and his brother Roland. Henry Becraft
carried on his hand-dug wells business until 1980.
Leonard Becraft still keeps his family’s
well-digging equipment: a pick, a shovel, a
five-gallon bucket, a long, sturdy rope, and
a tripod made of three 12-foot-long logs
with a 10-inch diameter log that served as
a fulcrum. At the top of the tripod was a
windlass (pulley) tied to a rope that was attached securely to the bucket. Becraft and
his brother were assigned the job of turning the handles on the windlass.
A well had to be 36 inches in diameter
and perfectly round. As Becraft’s father
dug a bucketful of dirt, he would yell to
them,“Take it up!” The boys pulled up
the bucket of dirt, threw it onto a pile of
earth and lowered the bucket back into the
hole. At the end of their workday, Auston
stepped into the bucket and held tightly
to the rope. “Take me up!” he’d call, and
the boys would haul him up to the surface.
When a worker reached the desired depth
of the well, in earlier times he began lining
the sides with wood slats. Later, the lining
was bricks; still later, terra cotta clay pipes,
to prevent cave-ins. Hand-dug wells are
no longer permitted in Frederick County
for reasons of sanitation and safety, and few
people would want to hand dig a well because mechanical equipment, now readily
available, makes the digging much easier.
Digging wells may seem like a simple
but back-breaking business, but it was also
dangerous. Becraft has a repertoire of well
stories. For instance: Once a storm was
passing by as a digger was trying to line
the bottom of the well with bricks. As the
worker at the top was bringing bricks to
the site, one of the bricks fell down and hit
the digger in the forehead.
Fortunately, one of his feet was in the
bucket. He managed to cling to the rope as
the crew hauled him up.
Leonard explained that a sideline of his
As a native of rural southwestern Missouri,
I’ve heard too many witnesses of water
witching to discount it entirely. Besides, it’s
an ancient connection with the earth that I’d
like to believe still exists.
father’s business was cleaning the bottoms
of wells. The accumulated debris of rotting leaves and tree roots emits a special
gas that can cause fatalities. Once, a well
digger was removing the trash when the
gas was released, and he almost passed out.
He managed to attach himself to the bucket and rope. After he was rescued, he fell
unconscious onto the ground. It took an
hour for him to be revived.
Some farmers still follow the ancient
custom of “water witching” to find the
Now Offering Saturday
GYN Hours in the
Frederick Office
Our physicians and nurse practitioners work
together to provide warm, compassionate,
and quality care for women all of ages.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Obstetrics & Gynecology
UroGynecology
Bone Density Scans
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Office based Surgery
In office Ultrasound & Laboratory
Services
Robotic Surgery
3430 Worthington Blvd. Suite 202
Urbana, MD 21704
301-663-6171
www.cwcare.net
desired site of a well for a customer. They
hire a water witcher who goes to the
place where the customer wants the well.
The water witcher first breaks off a thinskinned, forked branch of a wild cherry
tree, which he cuts into a “V.” He begins
to walk north and south. Streams run east
to west. The water witch holds the branch
upright. When he crosses an underground
Other locations:
stream, the divining rod turns down. If
it doesn’t work, he walks another 20 feet
in the same direction. “Some streams are
running strong,” said Becraft. “The stick
determines how strong the stream is running. You have to believe in it for it to
work. Some people think it’s a hoax.”
As a native of rural southwestern Missouri, I’ve heard too many witnesses of
water witching to discount it entirely. Besides, it’s an ancient connection with the
earth that I’d like to believe still exists.
The Town Courier
offthe shelf
eLibrary is Free and Easy
Y
ou’ve always been
able to check out
books with your library card, but now your
card gives you free and
easy access to eBooks,
magazines and music.
Frederick County Public
Libraries has added sevBy Amy
eral new services recently
Whitney
which are available anytime, anywhere and you can find them at
www.fcpl.org/eLibrary.
Using your FCPL library card, you can
borrow eBooks using Overdrive or 3M
Cloud, or download your favorite magazines before they’re even out on the newsstands. You can also download up to three
songs each week for free using Freegal Music, and keep those songs forever. Here is a
quick overview of four of the newest services that we offer.
3M Cloud offers popular fiction and
nonfiction for children, teens and adults.
Just download the 3M app onto your device, and use your library card as your username — no password is necessary. One
nice feature is that 3M Cloud automatically syncs all the devices onto which you’ve
downloaded the app, so if you start your
book on your iPhone and then later switch
to your Kindle, you can pick up where you
left off.
3M Cloud doesn’t offer downloads of
audiobooks, but you can get those through
both Overdrive and OneClickDigital via
the library website. While Overdrive has
been available for a couple of years, OneClickDigital is a newer service, and offers
audiobooks for kids, teens and adults. The
best feature of this service is that most titles
are always available — no waiting.
Zinio allows you to download full digital issues of the latest magazines to your
PC or device using the Zinio app and your
Zinio account. Make sure you create a
log-in through the library website and the
Zinio site before you download the app to
your device. Once you do that and choose
which magazines you want to download,
the magazines appear on your device automatically with each new issue, all at no
charge to you! I have this on my iPad, and
the magazines look beautiful online — the
color photography just glows and comes
alive on the screen.
Freegal Music gives you access to thousands of titles from the Sony music catalog.
You can download three free songs each
week with your library card. Songs are in
DRM-free MP3 format, and each Sunday
starting at midnight, you can choose your
next three songs. Please note that if you
are using the iOS app, songs are saved in
the app, not your iTunes Library. To add
a song downloaded with the app to your
iTunes Library, you must download it on a
computer within two weeks of the original
download.
More information about all of these services is available at the link above, or call the
library information desk at 301.600.7004.
You can even set up a personal session with
library staff to walk you through the set up
process.
Editor’s Note: Amy Whitney is director of the
Urbana Regional Library. She can be reached
at [email protected] or
301.600.7012.
“Quality care for furry babies”
I am an experienced dog owner, animal lover & VOU resident offering quality dog
walking and pet sitting services.
*Always Reliable, Super Responsible, Very Reasonable Rates*
Please call or email for more information:
Rachel Shifaraw
(301) 502-1500
[email protected]
www.villagepetaupair.com
reader’schoice
“The Chaperone”
By Laura Moriarty
I
can’t think of a more
enjoyable way to get
a social history lesson
on the 1920s than reading
Laura Moriarty’s 2012
novel, “The Chaperone.”
Moriarty brings alive that
decade while telling a
story that is impossible to
By Betty
put down.
Hafner
Before starting the
book, Moriarty had read about Louise Brooks, the famously irreverent silent
screen actress — a fellow Kansan— and
learned that when the beautiful young
woman was 15 and still unknown, she
was accepted into a prestigious New York
dance school in the summer of 1922. Louise’s parents agreed to let her leave Wichita
and go to the big city only if she had a chaperone. This bit of history gave Moriarty
the idea of imagining a life story for the
woman charged with keeping the headstrong teen in line.
The fictional chaperone is 36-year-old
Cora Carlisle, a Wichita housewife whose
twin boys are away for the summer and
whose husband is a busy attorney. After
a brief interview she is engaged by the
Brooks family who assure her that because
of Louise’s passion for dance, she will behave. “Our little lion should be docile as a
lamb,” Louise’s mother said.
The reality is, of course, much different. Louise is not just a pretty face, but
also a well-read, quick-thinking manipulator. Cora once peeks at a passage of
Schopenhauer that the girl has underlined
— “Whoever attaches a lot of value to the
opinions of others pays them too much
honor.” Louise seems unreachable.
The banter between the two mirrors
the personal battles that were being waged
around the country in the Roaring Twenties when a new generation of women was
tossing out the old rules, cutting their hair,
raising their skirts and, gasp, even driving
automobiles. Moriarty is generous with
details of the period but occasionally just
lists them in a stilted way.
The heart of the book though is in Cora’s story. Although the matron tells friends
and neighbors she has never been out of
Kansas, we learn that she carries a secret
that connects her to New York. I won’t reveal more but simply say I was astounded
at the dimensions of an initiative in that
era that dramatically affected more than
200,000 children.
What Cora learns and experiences that
summer causes her to re-examine her behavior, her values and her marriage. As it
turns out, it is the chaperone that has the
life-changing summer experience. I was
not surprised to learn that Moriarty’s delightful book is soon to be a film.
Complete outdoor living design/Build serviCes
301-874-1801
www.metrohardscapes.com
ICPI Certified • MHIC #121308 • NCMA Certified • Locally Owned
Page 32
The Town Courier
October 2013
kaufman’skitchen
Foods to Keep You Healthy
F
iggy
Demerara
Snacking
Cake?
Whatever Greens
You’ve Got Salad? I want
all of it! Melissa Clark’s
smart, welcoming style
and love of food infuse
her wonderful cookbook,
Cook This Now: 120 Easy
By Sheilah
and Delectable Dishes You
Kaufman
Can’t Wait to Make. It is
an extremely personal
collection of recipes, each with its own
subtle twists and original flavors. For anyone who has ever been intimidated while
shopping at a local farmers’ market, overwhelmed by various fresh seasonal offerings, or relegated an heirloom squash to the
back of the fridge for weeks on end, this
book is for you. Organized by season and
month, it includes lots of fresh, healthful,
easy dishes the whole family will devour.
Pistachio Shortbread
This is Melissa’s signature dish, great for
any and all occasions.
2 cups flour
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup pistachios
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into
1/2-inch cubes
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the
sugar, pistachios and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are coarsely to finely chopped. Pulse in the butter and orange
blossom water until a moist ball forms.
Press the dough evenly into an 8-inch
square baking pan. Prick the shortbread all
over with a fork. Bake the shortbread until
barely golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Slice the
shortbread while warm.
Breakfast Quinoa with Blackberries
Quinoa is so healthful, and here is a great
way to use it for breakfast. I like to add
fresh bananas and raspberries.
From: Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet
Yields 5 servings
1 cup red quinoa (see cook’s notes)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup diced mixed dried fruit, such
as apricots, figs, peach, mango and
papaya
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek-Style yogurt
1 cup fresh blackberries
Put the quinoa and 2 cups water in a
small saucepan. Bring to a boil on high
heat. Cover and decrease the heat to medium-low. Simmer until tender and the
water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Gently stir and set off the heat, covered, for 4
minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium
skillet on high heat. Add the almonds and
cook on medium heat until golden, shaking the skillet to redistribute the nuts as
they brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the
dried fruit, syrup and cinnamon; stir and
cook until heated through.
Add the quinoa and gently toss. Divide
the quinoa mixture between five bowls.
Place small scoops of yogurt in the center
of each serving. Surround with the blackberries.
Cook’s Notes: In its natural state, quinoa
is coated with bitter saponins. Most quinoa
sold in North America has been processed
to remove the coating, so it doesn’t need
rinsing. Check the cooking instructions
on the package to see if they direct you to
rinse the quinoa before cooking. If buying
in bulk or if package advises rinsing, rinse
quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer under
running water for about 45 seconds. Shake
handle rigorously to remove excess water.
dairy-free, meat-free, thin crust artisan
pizzas.
Makes two large (12 – to 14-inch) or
four individual (8 – to 9-inch) thin-crust
pizzas
Spelt is actually a distant cousin of domestic wheat, with a lovely, nutty flavor.
Although spelt flour does contain gluten,
it contains less, which makes it easier to eat
for some people who are sensitive to wheat.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine the
onion, apples, squash and rosemary in a
large baking dish. Pour in the broth and
stir to moisten. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until the squash
is tender when pierced with a fork. Season
to taste. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and
sliced apple. whipped up in 15 minutes.
Makes 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups
3 1/4 cups white spelt flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast, at room
temperature
1 1/4 cups warm water (110° to
120°F)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons agave syrup
In a large bowl or a food-safe 4-quart
plastic Cambro bucket, combine the flour
and salt, mixing well with a fork. Sprinkle
the yeast on top of the dry mixture, and
add the warm water, olive oil and agave,
and stir with the fork until everything is
combined well and there are no traces of
flour left. If the dough seems dry, add a little more water as necessary to make a soft,
Roasted Apples and Squash
moist dough. If the dough is super wet, you
with Rosemary
can stir in a little more flour. Remember
If you’ve never thought about an apple as
that this is a wetter dough. There is no
a fruit to roast, this will have new appeal.
need to knead this mixture.
This is a new way to get your apple a day. Cover the bowl or bucket with plastic
This side dish has it all – fragrant aroma,
wrap or a fitted lid, and set aside in a warm
delicious flavor, and ease of preparation. place to rise for 2 to 3 hours (or up to 6
The recipe is from Swing Back From Breast
hours). At this point, you can also refrigerCancer by Barbara Unell and Judith Fertig
ate it, covered, for up to 5 days, or divide
(Andrews McMeel Publishing), a life-afthe dough into 2 or 4 pieces and freeze
firming book created specifically for breast
them in a sealed zip-top bag (with room
cancer survivors (by the grassroots nonfor dough expansion) for up to 2 weeks.
profit organization Back in the Swing US).
Thaw the frozen dough overnight in the
Full of 150 feel-good, easy-to-prepare
refrigerator before shaping.
recipes, with lovely photos, it is a book to
Shape and bake the pizza according to
make mind, body and spirit feel energized
the recipe directions.
and empowered. Serves 8.
Variation: Use half whole-grain spelt
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
flour and half white spelt flour for a stron2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, ger whole grain flavor and color. Somecored, and cubed
times whole grain spelt flour may need
1 lb. cubed butternut squash
a touch more or less water. The dough
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rose- should be very moist and soft.
mary
Cheddary Cashew Cheese Sauce
3 cups vegetable broth
salt
Sometimes you just don’t want to use a
pepper
packaged cheese on your pizza, and that is
fresh rosemary sprigs and thin-sliced where this silky cashew-based sauce comes
Granny Smith apple, for garnish
in. It’s creamy and delicious, and it can be
Spelt Dough
Vegan now means delicious, homemade
pizza thanks to Vegan Pizza: 50 Cheesy,
Crispy, Healthy Recipes by Julie Hasson
(Andrews McMeel Universal). Home
cooks everywhere can learn the secrets to
creating 50 fabulous modern recipes for
1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
In the jar of a blender, combine 2 cups
of water, the cashews, nutritional yeast,
onion, smoked paprika, and salt. Blend
the mixture at high speed until completely
smooth and no bits of nuts remain.
Pour the cashew mixture into a medium
saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium
n
kaufman’s kitchen Continued on page 34
The Town Courier
MIKEAT THE MOVIES
“The Spectacular Now” (R) *****
As a critic, I have
been hard on low-talent,
high-glamour young actors who mistake posing
for acting and care little
for depth or development of character. What
a joy, then, to find not
By Mike
one but two outstanding
Cuthbert
young actors who make
anticipating their next
roles exciting. Miles Teller as Sutter and
Shailene Woodley as Aimee make magic
together in this spectacular film (yes, like
the title). Sutter begins as an ego-driven
party boy. His high school years are full
of loyal friends and his flask, but lacking
in academic accomplishment and direction
for his life. Aimee is so nice that you wonder if she’s real. As it turns out, she is that
nice and turns to partying with Sutter reluctantly. Sutter’s world is alien to Aimee,
even though both share absent fathers and
strong but tired mothers.
What could have been just another high
school romance movie turns into much,
much more as each discovers new aspects of
character. Aimee confronts her emerging
sexuality enthusiastically and awkwardly,
and Sutter approaches her sexuality with
unaccustomed care. He senses, through
booze and his own self-image, that Aimee
is something different, something to be
valued and not exploited.
Both characters grow throughout the
picture, Sutter more obviously. He searches
for his long-absent father only to discover someone who is less than an ideal role
model. Aimee helps him through this crisis, but Sutter turns against her as he takes
his father’s continued rejection of him
personally and, in turn, rejects Aimee. Aimee, you see, is quite plain. One friend of
Sutter’s remarks: “Strange choice for a rebound,” and even her friends are surprised
and wary that she’s falling for him. But, as
another of Sutter’s friends says, “You’re not
the joke everyone thinks, man.”
Is Aimee plain and nice, or just weak? Is
Sutter really the jerk he appears to be, full
of BS and a smooth line (as well as booze),
or is there something to him? As it gets
closer to prom night, we realize that Sutter
has simply been overwhelmed by Aimee’s
sweetness of character. Even her yielding
to Sutter sexually is an expression of her
niceness and he accepts it as a deep expression of love, not just a “hookup.”
This could have been the clichéd high
school romance that I have complained
about for years. Fortunately, it is so, so
much more than that—its honesty tears
your heart out. There is not a false emotional note in the entire movie. This movie
is rated R and could be deeply affecting for
older teens and their parents. With its taste,
passion and careful attention to character,
“The Spectacular Now” is one of this summer’s best made films. Bravo!
“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”
(PG-13) **
This is a difficult film to review since so
much of it is a documentary of recent black
history in the U.S., with much of the material taken from newsreels. Loosely based on
the story of Cecil Gaines, a White House
butler who served for more than 30 years,
most of his story is fiction. The made-up
stuff is what causes problems with this
movie.
Gaines’ family is portrayed as at the center of every significant moment in black
history, from a son joining the Black Panther Party to another son giving his life
in Vietnam. Neither actually happened.
There is a somewhat cynical episode in
the film in which Nancy Reagan (played
by Jane Fonda!) invites the Gaines’ to the
White House for a state dinner. That did
happen, but the moment is lost when Reagan (Alan Rickman) flatly turns down
any help at all for Nelson Mandela and
his history of opposition to Civil Rights
is brought up. Similarly, Lyndon Johnson,
advocate of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is
seen in a speech referring to the “Negroes”
of the United States. As one quietly cynical
White House employee says, “Since when
did he start calling us ‘Negroes’?”
Oprah has the strongest role, playing a
sympathetic black mother out of her social
element, a drunk and a mistress of a neighbor. (It should be noted that none of these
things was true of the real-life woman her
role was modeled after.)
I must admit I have a great deal of difficulty with the title of the movie: “Lee
Daniels’” as if Daniels was Tyler Perry. It
is offensive to take as much film from archives as he does, make it his own and create a melodrama to fit his purposes. I felt
it lessened the effect of the actual history.
Winfrey is okay, given so much material to
chew on. There are multiple opportunities
for significant dialogue, none of which are
missed, but this seemed to me too much
“Lee Daniels’ Highlight Moments of Black
History” to be as powerful as it might have
been.
“One Direction: This is Us”
(PG-13) **
Only at the Justin Bieber movie did I feel
more out of place than this movie makes
any man feel. Other than security guards
and bus drivers and, of course, the five
boy-band members, there are three males
in the film, all oddly enough in Italy. The
rest are screaming, leaping maidens from 6
to 26 (give or take a few years). Why they
buy tickets to see One Direction (or “1D”
as we who are in the know call them) is a
mystery since none of them can hear anything but the screaming. The band doesn’t
care. They often encourage more noise,
and they get it.
The five members of the group were individual losers on “The X Factor” talent
show in the UK. Simon Cowell shepherded them from individual losers into a group
that also lost. Naturally enough, this led to
a world tour for the group and this film.
The band is a sensation among young
girls like those who started the craze in the
UK and aggressively preached “1D” to a
waiting world. The group has problems
musically. They have similar voices in the
n
mike at the movies Continued on page 34
Canine Influenza
Vaccine Clinic
Special—$25.00
(A $36.50 Value!)
WALK INS WELCOME DURING
REGULAR VETERINARY
HOSPITAL HOURS
Annual & Initial 2 part vaccine
series available. Second booster
must be given with 2-4 weeks.
(Includes Brief Exam With
Clinic Technician, Vaccine, &
Bio-Hazard Fee. Offer expires 10/31/13)
Get your pet vaccinated today!
The CIV vaccine is now a required canine
vaccination for services performed here at
Greenbriar Veterinary Hospital
& Luxury Pet Resort
3051 Thurston Road, Frederick, MD 21704
(301) 874-8880 www.greenbriarpets.com
Page 34
The Town Courier
October 2013
mikeat the movies
from page 33
same register, which limits their harmonies. They seldom sing as a group, and
instead concentrate on solos and duets for
most arrangements. Most despairingly,
they are emotionally one-dimensional;
perhaps this is because they sing through a
din of crowd noise that makes their ballads
meaningless.
The film’s main point is that members of
“1D” are just regular guys who are having
a great time. Before their musical careers,
one was a baker and another would have
been a farmer or a factory worker. They are
just grateful for the opportunity to make
music. There are endless shots of the boys
being boys. As one of their keepers says,
“The only complaint I have is that they are
all a pain in the arse.” As Liam’s mum proclaims, seeing her son’s photo with the rest
outside New York City’s Madison Square
Garden, “It all feels quite surreal.”
Once again a rock movie stuns the viewer with the lavishness of the lighting effects and the sets, even if the costumes are
nothing special (with the exception of the
all-orange suits worn in Amsterdam). It is
sad to note that there is no social life for
the boys, at least in the film. They spend
some effective moments wondering about
their futures. Will they be just another of
Don
Hoffacker’s
Air Conditioning
& Heating, Inc.
“We have been given top ratings for both price
& quality by a local, prominent consumer group.”
SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATIONS
HEAT PUMPS
HUMIDIFIERS AND FURNACES
19703 Waters Road
Germantown, MD 20874
check us out on angieslist.com
301-972-0017
Frederick Pediatric
Associates
Providing loving care for over 25 years!
Sick Walk-in Hours:
Monday thru Friday
8:00a.m. – 9:00a.m.
those boy bands that are forgotten when
their audience grows up? One of the saddest moments in the film occurs when they
return home for a brief break. They miss
each other, have to force feelings of being “one of the kids from town who made
good” and clearly do not belong in their
neighborhoods any more. In fact, one of
them buys Mum a fancy new house so she,
too, can be removed from home by way of
his fame and riches.
Another moment that promised a style
breakout but failed occurs when the band
gathers around a campfire and talks. One
wishes they could have shown another dimension by singing in harmony some of
the old folk songs of their neighborhoods,
or something that at least showed them capable of real singing without lighting effects and screaming. Alas, they just talk.
Wonderful for One Direction fans (that’s
“1D,” sorry) but a bit short on substance
for the rest of us.
“Paranoia” (PG-13)**
In a world in which everybody is wired,
cameras and microphones and smartphones are all around and techies predominate, why wouldn’t you be paranoid?
That is the dilemma of this film unless you
choose to disregard the title and treat it as
a thriller, which it actually is. Hunk Liam
Hemsworth, Aussie star of The Hunger
Games franchise, is the improbable target
of two corporate heads, both interested in
dominating the world. The pairing is excellent as both Gary Oldman and Harrison
Ford are evil indeed as the heads of rival
tech companies, the Wyatt Corporation
and Eikon. Both men want to capitalize
on recent GPS technology and monopolize
the world market in being able to follow
anybody anywhere, listen to their conversations, read their email and take over
their personalities. Actually, there is a bit of
technology that is sort of cool—it’s called
3DPS and allows anybody with it to track
the location of anyone they wish geographically, but also vertically. Are you looking
for the enemy? You can find what building
he’s in, what room and what floor!
Jock Goddard, played by Harrison
Ford, hires Adam Cassidy, played by Liam
Hemsworth, without knowing that Adam
is being sponsored by the Wyatt Corporation, represented by Gary Oldman. Adam
is given a great apartment, a super sports
car, buckets of money and Emma, played
by Amber Heard, and thinks he’s the cat’s
meow. Of course, he is not and we realize, even if Adam does not, that he’s a tool.
Fortunately, he has great friends who stay
by him (why is not exactly clear) and act
to protect him by some electronic wizardry of their own. (Think: innocent techies
against corporate expertise.) You cannot
avoid watching this film and thinking of
the old saying, “It’s not paranoia; they are
out to get you.” With that in mind, forget
trying to track all the electronic stuff and
watch the thriller wind down to an inevitable conclusion. This film is probably too
complex for younger viewers.
Enjoy more of Mike’s movie reviews at www.
towncourier.com.
kaufman’skitchen
from page 32
heat, whisking continuously. Once the
mixture comes to a simmer, lower the heat
slightly and continue cooking and whisking until fairly thickened. This will take 10
to 15 minutes total. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Use this sauce as
directed in the recipe, or drizzle anywhere
that you want a nice cheddary-flavored
sauce, like over tacos or scrambles or tossed
with cooked macaroni.
Tip: If you don’t have a powerful blender, make sure to soak your cashews in water to cover for several hours. Drain the
soaking liquid and proceed with the recipe.
This recipe can be cut in half.
Editor’s Note: For more from Sheilah’s kitchen, go to www.cookingwithsheilah.com.
All Locations
Daytime &
Evening Hours:
Monday thru Friday
By Appointment
Saturday Hours:
Sick Hours
By Appointment Only
Practice Limited to
Newborns to Age 21 Years
www.frederickpediatrics.com
Frederick Office:
87 Thomas Johnson Dr.,
Suite 101
Frederick, MD 21702
(301) 694-0606
Urbana Office:
3500 Campus Dr.,
Suite 102
Urbana, MD 21704
(301) 874-6107
Mt. Airy Office:
1502 South Main St.,
Suite 206
Mt. Airy, MD 21771
(301) 829-6146
Ballenger Creek Office:
6550 Mercantile Dr. East,
Suite 106
Frederick, MD 21703
(301) 668-6347
“The Green Valley staff is
thrilled with the response
they have been getting
from the ad. I know of at
least 2 memberships they
have gotten due to the ad
and there may be more by
now. Thanks again!!”
Janet Ryder, Marketing Director,
YMCA OF FREDERICK COUNTY
Let The Town
Courier help
your business
reach more
people
in 2013!
The Town Courier
HAWKTALK
Festival Weather
E
arly fall seems to be
a choice time for
outdoor festivals —
weather temperate, colors many and varied, and
a perfect balance struck
between the heat and
mosquitoes of summer
and the frost of the com- By Madelyne
ing winter.
Xiao
Just a few weeks ago,
I took a stroll through
downtown Frederick during the city’s
annual In the Streets fair. The festival,
which lasted for four hours on a Saturday,
featured local businesses and artisans in
and around Market Street. Carroll Creek
Promenade was lined with artists and their
wares — upcycled leather goods, scarves,
snarky t-shirts (“I fear no tofu” slogans for
the über-hip) and handmade jewelry laid
out for appraisal.
Venturing further into the heart of
downtown, I found that Frederick’s food
vendors had risen to the occasion. Chef and
Urbana resident Bryan Voltaggio staffed
an umbrella stand outside of his restaurant, Volt, and Sumittra, downtown’s only
Thai eatery, attracted long lines of customers looking to sample noodles and grilled
chicken. Also on the menu, at various locations in the streets: crab cake sandwiches, Italian ice, sauerkraut and bratwurst. I
wanted to try them all.
I walked past a miniature choir, cobbled
together in front of a table devoted to the
Frederick Children’s Choir. I strained for a
view of a martial arts display, held in a vacant parking lot. A block away, the diminutive pupils of a tumbling class put their
skills to the test, flipping, somersaulting
and back-hand-springing their way into
the hearts of those gathered to watch.
Downtown, already interesting on a
typical fair weather weekend, was even
more engaging during In the Streets.
Standing on the suspension bridge over
Carroll Creek, I noticed that the spokes of
a Ferris Wheel were visible in the distance.
The idea of the ride in the midst of the
tents and crowds of In the Streets struck
me as out of place, until I realized that the
Frederick Fair was in full swing a few miles
away. I could already smell the funnel cake,
but my parents vetoed a fair-hopping afternoon.
The next Friday, all Frederick County
Public School students were granted a day
off from school to celebrate Fair Day (for
photos from Fair Day, flip to page 7). The
holiday, long a subject of contention for
the school community, is just a day off for
many. I disagree: For those with harried
weekend schedules, the extra weekend day
makes it possible to join in a tribute to the
area’s farming legacy.
Frederick County is still predominantly agricultural — I live five minutes away
from a former dairy farm — and has all
the history and charm of the red barns and
Holsteins dotting its landscape. The fair
has always been a good way to honor those
traditions. So, I’ve tried to ditch the fastfood trappings of the annual celebration
(adieu, fried Twinkies) and focus on the
real people behind the fair — the Fredericktonians.
In the Streets and the Great Frederick
Fair are really a wonderful juxtaposition,
a side-by-side of the urban and the rural.
With a style and grace unique to Frederick
City, they both flourish in a town increasingly known for both.
Urbana’s Professional Service Directory
3280 Urbana Pike • Suite 202
Call for a FREE
Body Function
and Pain Analysis
Urbana, MD 21754
301.874.2226 • phone
301.874.5955 • fax
mdsportscare.com
New Hope Christian Church
(Formerly of Germantown)
is now making its home in Ijamsville
Services:
Sundays at 11 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
10097 Tyler Ct.
Ijamsville, Maryland 21754
301.515.3260
Transportation is Available
eink
Publications
Graphic Design
Web 2.0
Electronic Ink 703.669.5502
C
AK MUSIC STUDIO
The
Town
Courier
Stay up to speed on Facebook.
at Windsor Knolls
Piano, keyboard, theory, and more...
All age groups and levels are welcome.
Call for your Free trial lesson or evaluation
401-480-6641
Email: [email protected]
Page 36
The Town Courier
October 2013
UrbanaSports
New Coach Comes to
Urbana Volleyball
By Kristy Crawford
T
he Urbana High School (UHS)
Hawks volleyball program welcomed
a new coaching staffer for the 2013
season and she said she has high aspirations for the teams. Kayla Martin accepted the position of varsity coach for UHS
volleyball, coming from a five-year stint as
a junior varsity coach at Smithsburg High
School in Washington County. Her team
there won four Maryland 1A state championships four years in a row.
“I wanted to branch out and take over
a program and see how we could improve
the team to make it more competitive,”
said Martin, adding, “I was beyond excited
to be offered the opportunity to come to
Urbana.”
Martin brought along Brittany Malott,
another Washington County junior varsity
coach, and her rival for five years. Malott
is the coach of the junior varsity team, and
assistant to Martin for the varsity team.
As of Thursday, Sept. 19, when they lost
to Middletown, the Hawks varsity volleyball team holds a 2-2 record, but Martin is
encouraged with the team’s efforts.
“We have surprised so many with the
level of play we have already achieved this
year,” Martin said. “We’re concentrating
on focus and mental and physical stamina.
We still have work to do, but I have a great
group of girls, and I think they are going to
peak at the right time.”
The team includes two returning seniors, nine juniors and one sophomore.
Martin now teaches sixth and eighth
grade science at Oakdale Middle School
and lives in Gaithersburg, with her fiancé,
Joe, but feels like a Hawk. “I’m so honored
to be an Urbana Hawk,” Martin said, “and
I plan to spend many years building and
supporting a successful program at UHS.”
Kayla Martin is the new varsity volleyball coach for Urbana High School hawks. Pictured here (far right), she coaches her
team at a practice in September.
The Urbana High School (UHS) Hawks take on the Westminster High School Owls on UHS’ home field on Sept. 20. At
the packed out game, the Hawks defeated the Owls with a final score of 27-14.
Hourigan Joins the Team
F
rankie Hourigan is not new to Urbana’s athletic
fields. But Hourigan, who grew up in Ijamsville
and is a 2006 grad of Urbana High School (UHS), is
back on the fields again — this time, with a new purpose.
Hourigan, 24, was hired by Frederick County’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) as the Campus
Ministry Director of Frederick County, which means he
is devoting his full attention to the students of Frederick
County and is specifically behind the details for regular
“huddles” that happen at almost every Frederick County
middle and high school.
“I have always had a passion for sports and competition.
The lessons I have learned from competition — from
winning and losing — really helped me in my faith,”
Hourigan said. “I am excited to build relationships and
to have conversations about faith with these high school
and middle school kids.”
Every high school in Frederick County currently has
a weekly huddle, Hourigan explained, which is a short,
student-led Bible study held in a classroom. Hourigan
is the hands and feet behind the huddles, talking with
school administrators, getting the classrooms scheduled
and unlocked, training leaders and serving as a mentor.
“I will be there to give
feedback to the student
leaders and to answer
any questions,” Hourigan explained. “Also, [I]
meet with the student
leaders before their huddles to help them plan
and to make sure that
they have the resources
that they need and that
they are comfortable and
confident.”
A few weeks ago, the
huddles launched again
for the 2013-2014 academic year across FredPhoto | Submitted
erick County. On the Frankie Hourigan (far right) is Frederick County’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) newest staff member. Hourigan
first day huddles were is picture here with Urbana High School’s FCA huddle leaders including (from left) Parker Mellott, Win McKeever, Lucy
held at Urbana High Stephens, Kira Rubert and Haley Pannell.
School, 110 students attended, Hourigan said, including ed from UHS in 2006 and grew up playing Linganore,
56 students in block one and 54 in block four. Huddles Oakdale, Urbana Youth Athletic Association (LUYAA)
are also being held at Urbana Middle School and Wind- sports including football, basketball and soccer, as well
sor Knolls Middle School.
Hourigan, who lives in Dickerson, Md., graduatn Hourigan Continued on page 38
The Town Courier
October 2013 coach’scorner
By Frank Ferrari
Commitment Counts
A
s a young athlete, I thought that
commitment was the driving force
to success. I thought that you could
just work hard and success would come.
I remember playing high school football
and the very first day the coach asked us
all who was committed to winning. We all
answered —“We are coach!” — without
even knowing what it meant to be committed. I found out quickly that the coach
was not interested in my definition of
commitment. It was his definition of commitment that we were all being measured
against.
Today, as a coach, those moments still
stick with me. The sport may be different
but the core values of commitment are still
true today.
I currently coach golf at Urbana High
School. Today’s high school athletes are
more driven than any I can ever remember.
These athletes are starting at a young age
to commit to one sport, they have coaches
they work with all year long and they have
access to the best technology and equipment. They compete on the national stage
as early as 14 years old, and they have high
expectations and big dreams. Someone told
them early on that if they were committed
they would be successful.
As I think about commitment I’m reminded of the fable of the chicken and the
pig. When making breakfast of ham and
eggs, the chicken is involved but the pig is
committed. You need both to be successful. And, commitment takes sacrifice.
As a coach, I know we need committed players so we can obtain our goals.
The first thing we do each year as a team
is set both team goals and individual player
goals. Our team goals are outcome goals
and don’t change much each year. Individual goals involve process and improvement, not outcomes.
This year’s team goals for Hawks golf include winning in our district, going on to
the state tournament and finishing first in
our conference. Beyond that, we have set
our goal high to take first in the county
tournament as well.
Individual goals are specific for each
player. These goals will never be outcome
goals and will always be process and or performance-oriented. Once both team and
individual goals are established, we will
align our practice and workouts so that we
can commit ourselves to achieving them.
As a team, we take time to define what
commitment looks like. Commitment is
defined as a pledge to do something. In our
case that is to practice with purpose and
improve as individuals. We quickly find
that our success will not be defined by how
well we do as a team but, if our players improve as individuals, then the team will be
on its way to achieving its overall goals.
Commitment
is
not
just
one
n
coach’s corner Continued on page 38
Page 37
Page 38
The Town Courier
■ HOURIGAN
from page 36
UHS sports — cross country in the fall,
swim team in winter season and tennis in
the spring. Not only does his athletic history make him relatable to student athletes,
but his history in this area makes him a
good fit for the job.
“I know the rivalries and I know the
ways [of ] Frederick sports and the Frederick community and the Urbana community and the history,” he said. “I am excited. I
think it is a good fit because I really learned
so much from sports growing up and I am
excited that God is giving me this chance
to teach those lessons I have learned to the
high schoolers and middle schoolers in the
area.”
Hourigan said another aspect of FCA
that excites him is mentorship. He attended FCA Club in high school when it was
under the legendary Coach David Carruthers, and he recognizes the richness of
his mentorship from the people who taught
him to live out his faith.
As excited as he is to be joining FCA,
Hourigan admitted this is not what he pic-
October 2013
tured himself doing. After graduating from
Grove City College – where he was freshman roommates with local resident and
FCA staffer Chris Rich — Hourigan went
to Penn State Behrend and studied finance.
“I imagined going into business after
that,” Hourigan said, explaining that he
was an assistant coach there as well as holding a successful internship with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. But
after graduating with his MBA, he found
himself fascinated with aspects of business
but disinterested at job interviews. After
returning to the area and working parttime jobs, Rich offered him the position
with FCA, which he took.
“There were things about business that I
really enjoyed — I enjoyed working with
people, building relationships and math
came relatively easy to me. But there were
a couple of sales jobs which did not click
with me... It was a good career but it just
seemed like it wasn’t for me,” he said.
In his spare time, Hourigan plays flag
football, basketball and this summer participated in a triathlon and tough mudder
obstacle race.
For more information on FCA, go to
www.frederickfca.org.
coach’scorner
from page 37
word or one action but a group of
actions that work in conjunction
with your goal.
YOUR COMPLETE FINE WINE, SPIRIT AND MICROBREW STORE
Every Monday Franklin Liquors is offering 10 Percent Off to
Seniors! Must be 65 years or older. No coupons needed!
Every Sunday in October is FUN DAY! Just by shopping at Franklin
Liquors you will receive 10 percent off on a single item. No coupons needed!
FRANKLIN
LIQUORS
Wine tastings every Friday and October 30 and 31 from 4:30 until 7:30 p.m.
Visit our spacious store, where it is easy to shop. We offer independent parking that makes for
easy store access and incomparable varieties of wines, microbrews and spirits like no other
stores in the area.
301.363.8786
2913 Urbana Pike/Rt. 355 • Urbana, MD
Mon-Thur: 9:30am-9:00pm • Fri: 9:30am-9:30pm Sat: 10:00am-9:00pm • Sun: 11:00am-6:30pm
www.franklinliquorsinc.com • [email protected] • Like Us On Our Facebook Page
Become a “Franklin’s Club Card Member” and
receive 1% points towards your next purchase.
10% off 15% off
up to 6
Bottles of Wine
on a case of wine
that is 12 for 750 ml
and 6 for 1.5 ml.
Up to two cases only.
10% off
of a 750 ml size spirit
Excludes sale items. Limit up to a case - 12 bottles.
With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. Offer expires 10-31-13.
10% off
on beers except 18 pks and 30 pks cans
With this coupon.
Not valid with other offers.
Offer expires 10-31-13.
With this coupon.
Not valid with other offers.
Offer expires 10-31-13.
Excludes sale items
With this coupon. Not valid with other offers. Offer expires 10-31-13.
Our Commitment steps:
• Sacrifice time.
• Practice with purpose.
• Seek feedback.
• Be coachable.
• Play competitive rounds.
• Reflect and learn from each
round.
Photo | Submitted
• Have fun.
Frank Ferrari, varsity golf coach at Urbana High School, talks about
• Define success as self-im- commitment and how to cultivate that as an athlete.
provement, not achievement.
Editor’s Note: Frank Ferrari is in his fourth
The beauty of coaching at Urbana High
year
as the Varsity Golf Coach at Urbana High
School and any high school is that every
year brings new and different challeng- School. Ferrari has been married for 20 years
es. Seniors graduate, freshmen grow into and he and his wife have two sons — John, 14
sophomores, sophomores to juniors and
and a freshman at Urbana High School, and
we see an entire new group of freshmen.
Change is the only thing we can count on. Jacob, 11. Ferrari is an active member of the FelWe will stay committed to our process and lowship of Christian Athletes where he is leadsee what each year brings.
ership board chair.
Page 39
Page 40
The Town Courier
October 2013
Elaine Koch #2 Remax Agent
st
Ju sted
Li
d
re y
u
at rt
Fe ope
Pr
st
Ju sted
Li
st
Ju sted
Li
t
n
Re
r
Fo
New Price
9103 Travener Circle
VILLAGES OF URBANA • $599,900
www.9103TravenerCircle.com
ed
d
t
en
e
nt
Re
4028 Belgrave Circle
R
3576 Caldwell Place
ed
ed
t
en
t
en
R
R
3650 Tavistock Road
ld
ld
So
So
1 Car Garage!
3732 Singleton Terrace
ld
ld
So
So
9536 Hyde Place
ld
Short Sale
Elaine Did It Again!
3847 Triton Lane
9061 Clendenin Way
8929 Amelung Street
ld
ld
So
ld
So
Above List Price
in 11 Days
So
So
9002 Bush Creek Circle
ld
ld
So
So
3815 Sugarloaf Parkway
Short Sale
3882 Carriage Hill Road
ld
3524 Tabard Lane
ld
So
So
ld
ld
So
So
Sold in 6 Days!
2677 Brook Valley Road
t
d
ac
r
nt
3847 Triton Lane
l
So
Co
5202 Mussetter Road
IJAMSVILLE • $469,900
9822 Nottinghill Drive
d
l
So
d
l
So
9501 Burgee Place
d
4005 Wyndham Way
d
l
So
l
So
Contract in 11 Days
Found the Buyer
Listed &
Found Buyer
Elaine Did it Again
98.7% of List Price
2677 Brook Valley Road
WORKMANS MILL • $499,900
2613 Mae Wade Avenue
ADAMSTOWN • $515,000
5106 Garland Court
5215 Fairgreene Way
10 Jennifer Lynne Drive
BRUNSWICK • $296,000
Wondering the Value
of Your Home?
Request a FREE Home Market Analysis
www.elainekoch.com
301.840.7320
[email protected]
www.elainekoch.com
KENTLANDS OFFICE
345 Main Street
North Potomac, MD 20878
301-947-6500

October 2013 - The Town Courier

Transcription

Similar documents

Weekends at UIUC - The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Vol16No5 - PACACC.org

Party Invite - Captain`s Cove Online

Olympian Drive County Board presentation

January 2010

Frederick Douglass - Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

February 2015

103 E. GEORGE HUFF DR. REPLINGER 1968