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Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008 ❖
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August 13-19, 2008 ❖ Volume LII, Number 33
Potomac
This Isn’tWhatStinksNews, page 3
Get Out of TownReal Estate, Page 13
Singing HerOwn Tune
People, page 10
The C&O Canal has long been plagued by thesmell of raw
sewage. Many incorrectly
associate the smell with the Canal itself, butthe real culprit
is the Potomac Interceptor, a
sewer line that originates in Virginia, runsthrough Maryland and
into Washington, D.C.Plans to build odor-reducing facilities
along
the Canal were drawn up in 2000 but haveyet to be implemented.
The current estimate
is for construction to begin in 2010.
This Isn’tWhatStinksNews, page 3
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2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
The Potomac Tennis & Fitness Club10800 Potomac Tennis Lane •
Potomac, MD
(located next to Manor Care Nursing Home & Falls Road Golf
Course)www.potomactennis.com
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Lose Your Summer Weight Now!Fitness Memberships Available
Why Wait for Fall?
For Information Call (301) 983-1450
Join by Aug. 31st, and Receive First Months Membership Dues
Free(Up to $75. Junior Memberships $49)
8/30/08
Back-To-School FairMontgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
will
kick off the school year with a Back-to-School Fair atthe school
system’s central office location inRockville. The event for
Montgomery County PublicSchools families will take place on
Saturday, Aug.16, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m., on the grounds of
CarverEducational Services Center, 850 Hungerford
Drive,Rockville.
Coordinated by the Department of Communica-tions’ Division of
Family and Community Partnerships(DFCP), the fair will feature
information and re-sources for parents and activities and
entertainmentfor children.
Some of the highlights include student and com-munity
performance groups, local celebrities, inter-national food, and
health screenings provided byKaiser Permanente. MCPS staff members
will beavailable to answer questions and provide informa-tion.
Among the offices represented will be curricu-lum, special
education, food and nutrition, earlychildhood, consortia and
application programs, andtransportation. A number of county
organizationsalso will be present, including health and
humanservices, public libraries, Montgomery College, Col-lege
Savings Plans of Maryland, Montgomery CountyCouncil of PTAs, NAACP,
and the City of Rockville.
Items available for attendees to take home includebooks, school
supplies, and school system resources.More than 50 donated prizes
will be raffled, includ-ing an iPod, bicycles, and fitness
classes.
Parking will be available on the Montgomery Col-lege campus,
across Mannakee Street from the fairsite. Shuttle buses will run to
the fair site through-out the day from Northwest and Montgomery
Blair
high schools.For more information, call the Division of
Family
and Community Partnerships at 301-279-3100.
Burglary Suspect ArrestedA man suspected of breaking into
Potomac Pizza
and Fortune Garden restaurant in Potomac Villagein late July was
arrested last week. Frank StephenZadory Jr. was arrested by
Montgomery County Po-lice detectives from the 1st and 3rd districts
andcharged him with several commercial burglaries thatoccurred in
Burtonsville and Potomac.
Detectives developed Zadory as a suspect throughvideo
surveillance obtained from some of the storesinvolved.
On July 22 at approximately 3:21 a.m., officersfrom the 1st
District were dispatched to the PotomacPizza and Sub Shop located
at 9812 Falls Road inPotomac, for an alarm call. When officers
arrived theyfound the front door glass had been smashed
out.Officers also discovered the front door glass smashedout of the
Fortune Garden restaurant. Fortune Gar-den is located adjacent to
the sub shop, and sharesthe same address.
On July 23 at approximately 2:18 a.m., officersfrom the 3rd
District were dispatched to a burglarycall at the Cuba de Ayer
restaurant located at 15446Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville.
Officers foundthe front door glass had been smashed out.
On August 7 at approximately 5:30 p.m., detec-tives from the
Montgomery County Police RepeatOffenders Section located Zadory in
Langley Parkoperating a stolen car. It was determined that the
This Week in Potomac
See This Week, Page 4
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Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008 ❖
3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
See Fourth Presbyterian, Page 10
See Celebration, Page 12
Robert Paul Murphy, a resident ofthe 10700 block of Stable
Lanewas reported missing Mondaynight, Aug. 11.
Detectives from the MontgomeryCounty Police 1st District
InvestigativeSection are asking the public’s help inlocating him.
Murphy was last seen at10 a.m. Monday at his home.
He is described as a 62-year-old whitemale. He is 6’1" tall,
weighs 180 pounds,and is balding with gray hair. He waswearing a
dark suit with an unknowncolor shirt and tie when he left
homeMonday morning for work.
The Fourth Presbyterian School onSouth Glen Road has obtained
thepermits necessary to begin con-struction on their new 66,000
square-footfacility and could break ground as early asthe first
week of September.
“We do have all our permits and the onlything we’re waiting for
right now is ourbond financing,” said Tim Horst, the presi-dent of
the school’s board of directors. Thenew facility would roughly
quadruple thecurrent facility and will allow the school to
expand from a K-5 facility to include grades6-8. According to an
online search of theMontgomery County Department of Permit-ting
Services, the only permits still beingprocessed are those
pertaining to demoli-tion of existing buildings.
Plans for the expansion have been in theworks for several years
but most neighborswere not aware of them until this spring,and many
in the surrounding neighbor-hoods said were dismayed by the lack
ofoutreach by the school.
School officials said then that they hadsent out a notice to the
neighbors a yearago but when they heard no feedback fromthe
community they proceeded withoutmaking any further overtures or
attemptsto garner community feedback. School of-ficials have since
apologized for not involv
By Daniel LinThe Almanac
Against a clear blue afternoon skya little boy tossed a
basketballtowards a hoop. The hoop con-nected not to a pole stuck
in con-crete, but to a massive multi-colored moonbounce. Across the
street, parents andgrandparents lounged in the shade, watch-ing him
and other children play.
On Saturday, Aug. 9, young and old,people from the Scotland
community andbeyond gathered to celebrate the 20th an-nual Scotland
Community Day. The annualcelebration featured food and music,
clownsand even a horse.
“It’s a family event,” said Odelia Cooper,longtime Scotland
resident.
Family can stretch beyond the nuclear orextended.
“You get the people who live here, theirchildren, their
grandchildren. People who’vemoved come back and bring their kids,”
saidAlan Heard, who grew up in Scotland andstill lives there.
“People from other commu-nities come as well.”
Lining the entrance to the cul-de-sacwhere most of the day’s
attractions will take
place, a series of stands hawked vital wareslike education and
career opportunities forresidents.
Suburban Hospital has a longstandingrelationship with the
Scotland Community,said Monique Sanfuentes, the hospital’s
di-rector for community outreach. In 1993, thetwo established the
Scotland Partnership,in which the hospital works together
withcommunity leaders to provide better medi-cal services.
Throughout the yearSanfuentes and others visit Scotland to pro-
vide various health services and Sanfuenteshas attended
Community Days in the past,but this year marked the first that the
hos-pital has its own recruitment booth at thefestivities.
“We’re here to welcome high school kids,speak to them about
healthy living, intro-duce them to potential careers down theroad,”
she said. Suburban Hospital recruit-ment director Charmaine
Williams added,“Health care is the largest growing indus-try at the
moment. There are a variety of
options and many different areas for peopleto get involved.”
As they spoke, soldiers in full militarygarb, camouflaged suits,
boots and all, satnearby prepared to answer questions
aboutvolunteering for the Army.
Beside them, Winston Churchill HighSchool had a booth to provide
educationalinformation. Standing behind the boothadjacent,
Montgomery College coordinator
20th Annual ScotlandCommunity Daycelebrates the bonds
ofcommunity and family.
A SummerCelebration
New Scotland Community Director Kimberly Bryant standing in
front of the refreshment table at the 20th
annual Scotland Community Day.
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Robert Paul Murphy of StableLane was reported missing byhis
family on Monday, Aug. 11.
Missing Man
Robert PaulMurphy
Murphy works atthe CongressionalBudget Office on E.Street SW in
Washington DC. He alsoteaches at George Washington Universityin
Washington. He drives a green ToyotaSienna van with Maryland
tags.
There is no evidence to suspect foulplay but his family is
concerned for hiswelfare, according to police.
Anyone who has information regard-ing the whereabouts of Robert
PaulMurphy is asked to call the MontgomeryCounty Police
non-emergency number at301-279-8000.
Renovation of privateschool on South GlenRoad could startearly
September.
Fourth PresbyterianPrepares to Break Ground
Potomac Almanac Editor Steven M. Mauren703-917-6451 or
[email protected]
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4 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
From Page 2
NewsThis Week in Potomac
By Aaron SternThe Almanac
When Mac Thornton first moved to Cabin Johnin 1996, he traveled
for business a lot andspent many a late night driving back
fromDulles Airport in the dark. He would take theGW Parkway to
I-495, then quickly get off the American Le-gion Bridge onto the
Clara Barton Parkway, and it was there,in the middle of the night,
that the smell would hit him.
“I’d say ‘Oh, I must be home,’” Thornton recalled. “It wasa
mixed blessing to come home.”
That smell is one that Cabin John residents and C&O Ca-nal
frequenters know well. It is hydrogen sulfide and to mostit
conjures up images better left in a restroom or a gross-outmovie.
It is also a smell that many people identify – incor-rectly – with
the Canal itself. That was what people first toldThornton when he
asked about it – that the foul stench thatfrequently plagues the
Canal was the water in the Canal,but Thornton wasn’t convinced and
it didn’t take him longto find the real culprit.
The real culprit is a 50-mile sewer line that runs from
theDulles Airport area in Virginia, under the Potomac River andinto
Maryland, and through the C&O Canal National His-torical Park
and into the Blue Plains water treatment facilityin Washington,
D.C. On its Maryland sojourn the line, knownas the Potomac
Interceptor, runs along the Canal, and airvents along its path emit
the foul stench into the air above.The scent is exactly what it
smells like – raw sewage – and itis particularly bad during the
humid summer months.
“At some times the system smells as bad as it ever has andat
other times it doesn’t,” said Thornton. “I think if you talkto
people who are out on the Canal a lot there is still anunacceptable
level of stink a lot of the time.”
It is a situation that residents of Cabin John long ago grew
tired of, and in the late 1990s several local civic
associationsbanded together to urge officials from the Washington,
D.C.Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) to do something aboutit. The
Potomac Conservancy, the American Canoe Associa-tion, and the Canoe
Cruisers Association filed suit againstWASA in federal court in
2003. The lawsuit was ultimatelyunsuccessful, but in its aftermath
WASA officials devised aplan to permanently solve the stench
problem.
“We lost the battle but won the war, we think,”
saidThornton.
WASA OFFICIALS agreed to build six permanent charcoal-filter
stations along roughly 30 miles of the Interceptor –three in
Montgomery County, one in Washington, D.C. andtwo in Virginia – to
treat the smell and to cap most of theother 50 or so air vents that
emit the odor. The three sites inMontgomery County are near Old
Angler’s Inn, the I-495overpass, and an old pumping station along
the Canal. Thestations would also reduce the pressure of the line
allowingthe other uncapped vents to serve as air intakes rather
thandischarge points, according to WASA officials.
Five years on, and three years after the original target
date,however, those structures are still waiting to be built. Part
ofthe reason for the delay is the fact that WASA has to obtain46
permits from 17 different county, state and federal agen-cies to
build the structures, but turnover within the staffs ofWASA, the
National Park Service, and the Maryland-NationalCapital Park and
Planning Commission hasn’t helped any-thing either, said Dave Lake,
a Montgomery County repre-sentative to the WASA board of directors.
Those changes inpersonnel mean design reviews have gone through
differentstaffs, essentially restarting the process several times,
Lakesaid.
A lack of coordination between the various agencies andsome good
old-fashioned foot-dragging on behalf of WASAhasn’t helped anything
either, said Thornton.
“I think the will at WASA has been lacking. That is themajor
cause of the situation in my opinion,” Thornton said.
Meanwhile the smell hasn’t gotten any better, and a con-sistent
pattern of action and inaction has emerged.
“They make progress and then they get a little boggeddown, we
put their feet to the fire, they make some more
After years of inaction, asolution to the stench of sewagealong
the C&O Canal mayfinally be on the horizon.
Stopping the Stench
This capped ventbehind the RiverCenter atLockhouse 8 alongthe
C&O Canal isone of dozens ofvents along thePotomac Intercep-tor
that emits thesmell of raw sew-age. Six charcoalfilter facilities
areslated to be built in2010 along the 50-mile line that
areintended to elimi-nate the stenchthat often plaguesthe C&O
Canal andsurrounding com-munities such asCabin John and
thePalisades.
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car, a 2002 Saturn L200, had been stolen dur-ing a residential
burglary in the 3rd District. De-tectives stopped the car and
arrested Zadory with-out incident.
Zadory was charged with three counts of bur-glary in the second
degree, burglary in the fourthdegree, theft over $500, and three
counts of ma-licious destruction of property over $500. Zadoryis
currently being held in the Montgomery CountyDetention Center on a
$150,000 bond.
Zadory may be responsible for several othercommercial and
residential burglaries throughoutMontgomery County, according to
police, and fur-ther charges are anticipated. Anyone with
infor-mation about these crimes is asked to call theMontgomery
County Police 3rd District Investiga-tive Section at 301-565-5835.
Callers may remainanonymous.
Strathmore Film FestivalThe 11th Annual Comcast Outdoor Film
Festi-
val benefiting NIH Children’s Charities, kicks offFriday, Aug.
15. The festival runs from Aug. 15-24. Restaurants and grounds open
at 6:30 p.m.Showtime starts at 8:30 p.m. at the Mansion
atStrathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike. Admission isfree though
donations are requested. For moreinformation go to:
http://www.strathmore.org/eventstickets/calendar/view.asp?id=1943
Tiger’s BenefitMontgomery County announced last week that
the 2008 AT&T National Golf Tournament – thesignature event
of Tiger Woods – held last monthat Congressional Country Club in
Bethesda, gen-erated an estimated $16.8 million in total directand
indirect, positive economic impact to Mary-land, including $5.5
million in employee incomeand nearly 200 jobs. The bulk of that
impact wasconcentrated in Montgomery County.
The tournament is a huge spectator draw andone of the region’s
anticipated professional sport-ing events, according to a
newsletter from CountyExecutive Ike Leggett’s office, but what this
eco-nomic impact analysis also demonstrates is that itis an
economic boon for the local economy.
“We are very proud to have this impressive eventhosted by the
world’s greatest golfer, Tiger Woods,take place in Montgomery
County and we will doall we can to ensure that it stays here for
many,many years to come,” the letter read.
In an interview with The Almanac last monthLeggett said he hoped
the Congressional CountryClub membership would approve a
recommenda-tion by the club’s board of directors to hold it
therefrom 2012 through 2017. The tournament isscheduled to be held
there in 2009 then find anew home in 2010 as the course is
renovated forthe U.S. Open, which comes to Congressional in2011.
Leggett said that he would work with thePGA and TPC Potomac at
Avenel Farm – formerlyTPC Avenel – to bring a high-caliber
tournamentwhen that course completes a $25 million reno-vation this
fall.
Some 107,120 spectators attended the AT&T Na-tional over six
days in July, with an average dailyattendance of more than 25,800.
An estimated10,712 of these spectators stayed overnight in
theCounty. Additionally, the tournament broughtsponsors, suppliers,
players, caddies, families andmedia from outside the region who
accounted foran additional 3,000 overnight visits.
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Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008 ❖
5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Annie and Zachary are 6 month-old Black Lab mix puppies. They
arevery energetic and active puppies who love to play and run. They
woulddo best in a home with another dog and adults or older
children. They areboth altered, current on shots, and microchipped.
Annie and Zachary arecurrently up for adoption through the
Montgomery County HumaneSociety. If interested in meeting them,
contact their foster mom Meg [email protected] or call
240-483-2846.
Both of these pets are currently residing at the Montgomery
CountyHumane Society county shelter at 14645 Rothgeb Drive,
Rockville.Call 301-279-9677 or e-mail [email protected].
Your Dog’s Friend, a non-profit orga-nization that educates and
supports dogowners, has set its schedule for this fall.Free
workshops will be held at Potomacand Wheaton community centers
fromSept. 7 through Nov. 16.
Dog training classes, using positive,rewards-based methods, will
be run, fora fee, at the National Lutheran Home inRockville. These
include Puppy Kinder-garten, Basic Manners, and DogTraining for
Kids. The fee for theseclasses helps support Your Dog’sFriend’s
other free services. Dog ownerscan find more information and
registerfor the workshops and dog trainingclasses by going
towww.yourdogsfriend.info or calling301-983-5913.
This fall’s workshops will include:❖ Three Lessons That Every
Dog
Should Know, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2-4 p.m.,at the Potomac Community
Center,11315 Falls Road.
❖ Could My Dog Be a Therapy Dog?Sunday, Sept. 21, 3-5 p.m. at
thePotomac Community Center, 11315Falls Road.
❖ The Emotional Life of Dogs, Satur-day, Oct. 4; 2-4 p.m. at the
PotomacCommunity Center, 11315 Falls Road.
❖ What if My Dog Bites Santa?, Sat-urday, Nov. 15; 2-4 p.m. at
the
Potomac Community Center, 11315Falls Road.
❖ Bring on the Doggy Police (whenneighbors just can’t seem to
get along),Saturday, Oct. 18, 2-4 p.m. at theWheaton Community
Center, 11711Georgia Ave.
How Dogs Can Help Individuals withAutism and other Developmental
Dis-abilities, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2-4 p.m. atthe Wheaton Community
Center, 11711Georgia Ave.
WorkshopsPets
SparkleStella
Partnership for Animal Welfare (PAW) is an all-volunteer,
not-for-profitgroup. To adopt an animal, volunteer or make a
tax-deductible donation,visit www.paw-rescue.org, call 301-572-4PAW
orwrite to PAW, P.O. Box 1074, Greenbelt, MD 20768.
Stella is a female, 2-year-old,50 lbs., spayed Siberian
Husky.Stella is an intelligent, ice blue-eyed young beauty, typical
of heractive breed. She has great housemanners and is friendly with
otherdogs. Stella needs an active familywith a well-fenced yard
since herbreed was born to run andexercise.
Sparkle is a female, 2-year-old,30 lb., spayed Lab-mix. Sparkle
hashad a tough life prior to PAWrescue but her wonderful
personal-ity, hence her name, shinesthrough. She’s a sweet dog, a
nicesize and a lovely mix. Sparkle willdo best with a nice family
in a cat-free home.
Annie Zachary
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11230 Grandview Ave.Wheaton, MD 20902
301.962.8888
7745 Tuckerman LaneCabin John Shopping Center
Potomac, MD
301.983.5566
“Tucked away in the back corner of Cabin John ShoppingCenter
like a secret you want to keep to yourself”
Offer Expires 8/27/08
Total Bill3 - 5 pm
7 Days A Week
20% OFF
All-You-Can-Eat Lunch Buffet! $8.95
Now OpenUmberto’s II
in Wheaton, MD
Offer Expires 8/27/08
Total BillGood Anytime
ExcludesLunch Buffet
Early Bird Special 10% OFF
will work during a power failurewill work during a power
failure
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6 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion POTOMACALMANAC7913 Westpark Drive,
McLean, VA 22102
EDITOR &
PUBLISHERMary Kimm
[email protected]
EDITORIALPHONE: 703-917-6476
FAX: 703-917-0991E-MAIL:
[email protected] Site: www.potomacalmanac.com
EDITORSteven Mauren703-917-6451
[email protected]
COMMUNITY REPORTERAaron Stern
[email protected]
SPORTS EDITORAaron Stern
[email protected]
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTMatthew Razak703-917-6476
[email protected]
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERSRobbie Hammer, Louise Krafft
CONTRIBUTING WRITERSCissy Finley Grant, Carole Dell,
Kenny Lourie
Art/Design:Zohra Aslami, Geovani Flores,Laurence Foong, John
Heinly,
John Smith, Stu Moll,Tam Nguyen, Wayne ShippProduction
Manager:
Jean Card
ADVERTISINGPHONE: 703-821-5050
FAX: 703-917-0997E-MAIL: [email protected]
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVESDisplay Advertising:
Kenny Lourie 703-917-6475
Employment:Barbara Parkinson
703-917-6418Andrea Smith 703-917-6401
Classified Advertising
Potomac Almanac is published byConnection Newspapers, L.L.C.
Peter LabovitzPresident/CEOMary Kimm
Publisher/Chief Operating OfficerJerry Vernon
Executive Vice PresidentWesley DeBrosse
ControllerDebbie FunkNational Sales
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004First Place Award
Public ServiceMDDC Press Association
1998, 2001, 2002, 2003Newspaperof the Year
An Award-winning Newspaperin Writing, Photography, Editing,
Graphics and Design
By Roger BerlinerCouncilmember, District 1
Arguably the Council’s most impor-tant responsibility is to fund
Countyprograms and services while main-taining a balanced budget.
In goodyears, when revenues are ample, as they werein 2006-2007,
that is not a particularly diffi-cult task. In a rising tide,
floated by revenuesfrom a strong economy, we could fundthe programs
and services our commu-nity has come to expect in MontgomeryCounty
and keep our commitment toyou not to exceed the “Charter Limit”on
property taxes (for those of you who donot follow the County’s
budget process closely,the Charter Limit was passed by the citizens
toessentially limit increases in property taxes tothe rate of
inflation, unless a supermajority ofthe Council, seven members,
votes to overrideit).
In bad economic years, like this one, whenthe national economy
is tottering on the edgeand revenues from development and real
es-tate transactions have fallen off the chart, it isa horse of a
different color. We entered the laststage of the budget process
staring at a $300million projected deficit, the largest
projecteddeficit in the County’s history. The options atthat stage
are not good ones.
The County Executive proposed to the Coun-cil that we achieve a
balance by increasingproperty taxes by $138 million over the
Char-ter Limit, increasing the property tax rate, andreducing the
rate of growth in governmentspending. I, for one, found that
particular com-bination to be unacceptable. I felt that it puttoo
much of the burden on our taxpayers, anddid not achieve enough
savings. For that rea-son, I initially voted against the budget, a
votethat forced the Council to consider other op-tions.
Most importantly, I felt that it was essentialthat our
employees, generally slated to earn 8percent more this year than
last year, andwhose compensation represents approximately80 percent
of the County’s budget, should bepart of the solution. I felt that
it was not rightto ask our taxpayers to pay this much over
theCharter Limit without a sense of “shared sacri-fice.” I was not
seeking to “balance the budgeton the backs of our workers,” but I
was hoping
that there would be a meaningful rec-ognition that in an economy
in whichour taxpayers are really struggling, somemodest voluntary
concession on theirpart, particularly given the size of the
increase they were otherwise entitled to, woulddemonstrate that
we must all be in this to-gether.
A number of our county employee unions —the police,
firefighters, and government em-ployees — indicated their
willingness to en-gage in a constructive dialogue to explore sucha
result, and I was gratified by that response.However, the Board of
Education Presidenttestified publicly that the school system
wouldfully fund their contracts regardless of whatthe County
Council did and claimed the legalright to do so. This same message
was con-veyed privately in no uncertain terms. In theabsence of a
comprehensive understandingwith all County employees, there could
not bea deal at all.
Given that we needed seven votes to passthis budget (since it
would exceed the charterlimit), it became clear that this was as
goodan outcome as I was going to be able to ac-complish. It did not
please me, and I statedpublicly that this was “not a budget to
cel-ebrate.”
The bottom line is that we passed a budgetthat had greater
savings than the County Ex-ecutive proposed, lower property taxes
thanhe proposed, and held the line on the prop-
erty tax rate, which limited the increases oncommercial
properties and many District 1 resi-dences. While directionally
better, I take nopleasure in sharing this result.
INFILL DEVELOPMENT REFORMAs you may know, I have been working
for
more than a year to find a better balance be-tween individual
property rights and neighbor-hood compatibility when it comes to
infill de-velopment issues. The goal is to achieve a moregraceful
transformation of our older commu-nities, one that still allows for
a natural eco-nomic evolution, but an evolution that honorsthe
character of the community.
I am cautiously optimistic that we willachieve this goal by the
fall of this year.
I am continuing to work to improve the leg-islation based on the
public comments thatwere provided. For example, the current
ver-sion of the legislation requires homes to besmaller even if
they sit on lots that are a halfacre or larger. In my view, homes
on half anacre do not raise the concerns common to“McMansions” on
small lots, and thereforeshould not be included within the scope of
thelegislation.
If you have views on this legislation, eitherpro or con, you
should feel free to share themwith the full Council by sending an
e-mail [email protected],which will then be
distributed to all memberson the Council.
“THE GREENING OF MONTGOMERYCOUNTY”
I am very pleased to report that the Councilmet the goal I set
in my last newsletter by pass-ing all seven of my global warming
bills onApril 22 – Earth Day. It was a very nice EarthDay
celebration indeed! Thank you to all the
Get Involved in Council Decision-making
CouncilUpdate
See get Involved, Page 15
SnapshotTraffic on the American
Legion Bridge heading intoVirginia from Potomac couldbe heavy
and slow at timesover the next five years as theCommonwealth of
Virginiamoves forward with aBeltway widening project.Construction
started thismonth and will add two“high occupancy toll” (HOT)lanes
in each direction fromGeorgetown Pike to theSpringfield Mixing
Bowl.When complete, the separatelanes will be free for vehicleswith
three or more occu-pants, and will be open tovehicles with a one or
twooccupants for a fee. The tollwill vary based on theamount of
congestion, withthe designers promising tokeep the HOT Lanes
movingat least 45 miles per hour.American Legion Bridge, Monday,
Aug. 11, 11:45 a.m.
-
Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008 ❖
7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
To submit an item for the Civic Calendar,e-mail
[email protected] or fax the submission to
703-917-0991. Deadline is Thursday at noon twoweeks prior to the
event. For questions, call703-917-6451.
SATURDAY/AUG. 16The Healing Power Of Grief
workshop led by MontgomeryHospice staff. 10:30 a.m. – 12
p.m.Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Homes,inc., 300 W. Montgomery
Ave,Rockville. Free. To register for thisworkshop call Pumphrey
FuneralHomes at 301-652-2200.
Back-to-School Fair. For the first timeever, Montgomery County
Public
Schools will kick off the school yearwith a Back-to-School Fair
at theschool system’s central office locationin Rockville. The
event forMontgomery County Public Schoolsfamilies will run from 10
a.m.–3p.m., on the grounds of CarverEducational Services Center,
850Hungerford Drive, Rockville. Call301-279-3100.
TUESDAY/AUG. 19Book-A-Librarian. Drop into the
Bethesda Library, 7400 ArlingtonRoad, Bethesda, any
Tuesdaymorning between 10 and 11 a.m. forindividualized help with
aspects ofthe library. Call 240-777-0970.
WEDNESDAY/AUG. 20S.O.S. Sounds of Souljahs will be a
benefit concert for United NationsRefugee Agency at the Cabin
JohnPicnic Area, 7701 Tuckerman Lane,Potomac. The event will raise
moneyfor UNHCR and to give local bands avenue.
THURSDAY/AUG. 21Montgomery County Green
Democrats will meet from 7:30-9p.m. at Azteca Restaurant,
15855Redland Road, Rockville. The speakerwill be Delegate Jeff
Waldstreicher,Dist. 18, Maryland Assembly.
[email protected].
Civic Calendar
-
8 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008 Potomac Almanac ❖
August 13-19, 2008 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
CalendarTo have community events listed free
in The Potomac Almanac, send mail to7913 Westpark Drive, McLean,
Va.22102, e-mail to [email protected], or fax
to703-917-0991. Deadline is Thursday atnoon for the following
week’s paper.Photos and artwork encouraged. Unlessotherwise noted,
al l events are inPotomac. If you have any questions,
call703-917-6451.
WEDNESDAY/AUG. 13Focus Music. Big Wide Grin will
perform at O’Brien’s BBQ, 387 EastGude Drive Rockville, 8 p.m.
Ticketsare $15/general and $12/members.Visit
www.focusmusic.org.
Potluck Supper. Join The WellnessCommunity - Greater
Washington,D.C. for a celebration of summer forpeople with cancer
and their lovedones, 5:30 – 8 p.m. Enjoy a potlucksupper, music and
companionship.Attendees are encouraged to bringsalad, side dish or
dessert. Location:The Wellness Community- GreaterWashington, DC,
5430 GrosvenorLane, Suite 100, Bethesda. Forreservations call
301-493-5002 [email protected].
Fiction Book Group. Discuss fictionbooks with other readers at
Barnesand Noble, 4801 Bethesda Ave.,Bethesda, 7:30 p.m. Call
301-986-1761.
Shadow Puppets. Puppeteer DavidBarash brings international folk
talesto life as he demonstrates the ancientart of shadow puppetry
at thePotomac Library, 10101 GlenoldenDrive, Potomac, 7 p.m. Call
240-777-0690.
Concert. Taylor Carson (Alternative/Pop) will perform at
Bethesda Lanefrom 6-8 p.m. Located whereBethesda Avenue, Woodmont
Avenueand Elm Street meet in Bethesda.
Visitwww.bethesdarow.com.
THURSDAY/AUG. 14Summer Reading Club Grand
Finale at the Bethesda Library, 7400Arlington Road, Bethesda, 1
p.m.Daniel Barash Shadow Puppets willshare an Insect-themed show
and theFriends of the Library will provide icecream for an ice
cream social. Call240-777-0970.
FRIDAY/AUG. 15Six String Sing-a-Long. A musical
performance and sing-a-long ofchildren’s favorites with
EllisWoodward at the Cabin John MallAtrium, 11325 Seven Locks
Road,Potomac, 9:30 a.m.
Contra Dance. Contra dance is a typeof folk dance for all ages.
All dancesfeature top quality live music. Contradances are held
every Friday night atGlen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen
Echo, with a lesson at7:30 p.m. and the dance from 8:30 -11:30 p.m.
Beginners are alwayswelcome. Admission: $9. ContactEmail:
[email protected].
Swingin’ the Blues. The Glen EchoPark Partnership presents
anotherFriday night Swingin’ the Blues for asoothing
end-of-the-work-week dancein the Bumper Car Pavilion at GlenEcho
Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.,
Glen Echo. This night offers dancers achoice of two different
lessons: WestCoast Swing or a Slow Blues lesson,with Mike and Donna
from 8 - 9 p.m.The lesson is followed by music fromBG & the
Mojo Hands. Lesson from 8to 9 p.m., dance from 9 p.m. tomidnight.
The $13 admission includesthe lesson. No partner required.Contact
Email:[email protected].
Moths. Come discover why mothsconstitute about 90 percent of all
theLepidoptera on the planet from 7:30-11 p.m. Join Dr. David
Adamski inreviewing the most common mothfamilies found in the
Capitol Region.After sunset, he’ll help participantsidentify the
moths that are attractedto his blacklight set-up on theWoodend
grounds. Audubonmembers: $19; Nonmembers$26.50.
Visitwww.audubonnaturalist.org.
SATURDAY/AUG. 16Back to School Fair. Montgomery
County Public Schools (MCPS) willkick off the 2008–2009 school
yearwith a Back-to-School Fair from 10a.m. to 3 p.m., on the
grounds of theCarver Educational Services Center,850 Hungerford
Drive in Rockville.The fair will feature information andresources
for parents to activities andentertainment for children.
Familiesare invited to enjoy food fromdifferent countries, live
music,storytelling, a moon bounce, andmore. Contact DFCP at
301-279-3100.
Storytime. Kat Tales featuring KatAerobics will be at Barnes and
NobleBook sellers, 4801 Bethesda Ave.,Bethesda at 11 a.m. Call
301-986-1761.
Laugh Riot. Enjoy five local comics andhave a chance to tell
one’s own jokesat the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, 7400Wisconsin Ave.,
Bethesda, 8-10 p.m.Cost $10. Call 301-657-1234.
Carousel Tours. Carousel tours start at12 p.m. at Glen Echo
Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, and givevisitors a closer
look at the 1921Dentzel carousel. Find out how it was
made, how it works, and about therest of the amusement
parkattractions that were built around it.Visit
www.nps.gov/glec.
Park Tour. Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo,
toursbegin at 2 p.m. and lead visitorsthrough a walking tour of the
Park tolearn about its history and the currentprograms in arts,
dance and children’sactivities. Admission is free. Toursbegin at
the visitor’s desk in theArcade Building. Visit
www.nps.gov/glec.
Nature Program. Come visit DiscoveryCreek Children’s Museum
Forest Talesexhibition at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen
Echo. Spendtime with the entire family whileparticipating in
engaging science andnature activities. In the former GlenEcho Park
stable building, near thepark entrance. Open 10 a.m. - 3
p.m.Admission is free for members andchildren under 2, $5 for
nonmembers.Call 202-337-5111 to makearrangements or
visitwww.discoverycreek.org.
Swing Dance. Gottaswing.com presentsa swing dance with SingCo
RhythmOrchestra in the Spanish Ballroom atGlen Eco Park, 7300
MacArthur Blvd.,Glen Echo. Beginner swing lessonwith Tom &
Debra, 8 to 9 p.m.;dancing from 9 p.m. to midnight.Admission: $15.
Contact Web site:www.gottaswing.com.
English Conversation Club. Join inpracticing and improving your
spokenEnglish with the help of volunteersleading discussions at the
PotomacLibrary, 10101 Glenolden Drive,Potomac, 3 p.m. Call
240-777-0690.
Canoe and Camping Trip. Comeenjoy the great outdoors with a
canoetrip lead by Byron Bradley onSaturday afternoon that will
start atCarderock Picnic Area and end onMinnie’s Island for a night
of campingunder the stars and waking up onSunday morning at the
River Centerat Lockhouse 8. Starts at 4 p.m. RSVPat
www.potomac.org.
SUNDAY/AUG. 17Carousel Tours. Carousel tours start at
12 p.m. at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, and
givevisitors a closer look at the 1921Dentzel carousel. Find out
how it wasmade, how it works, and about therest of the amusement
parkattractions that were built around it.Visit
www.nps.gov/glec.
Park Tour. Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo,
toursbegin at 2 p.m. and lead visitorsthrough a walking tour of the
Park tolearn about its history and the currentprograms in arts,
dance and children’sactivities. Admission is free. Tours
begin at the visitor’s desk in theArcade Building. Visit
www.nps.gov/glec.
Nature Program. Come visit DiscoveryCreek Children’s Museum
Forest Talesexhibition at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen
Echo. Spendtime with the entire family whileparticipating in
engaging science andnature activities. In the former GlenEcho Park
stable building, near thepark entrance. Open 10 a.m. - 3
p.m.Admission is free for members andchildren under 2, $5 for
nonmembers.Call 202-337-5111 to makearrangements or
visitwww.discoverycreek.org.
Waltz Dance. Waltz Time presents abeginning waltz lesson from 3
to 3:30p.m., followed by an afternoon ofwaltzes and other couples
dances inthe Spanish Ballroom at Glen EchoPark, 7300 MacArthur
Blvd., GlenEcho. Dancing from 3:30 to 6 p.m. tothe music of Cabaret
Sauvignon. Asalways, no partner is required for thisdance in the
Spanish Ballroom, andthe cost is $8, including lesson.Contact
Email:[email protected].
Blues Dance. The Glen Echo ParkPartnership presents a Blues
Dancewith ACME Blues Company in theSpanish Ballroom at Glen Echo
Park,7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Fordancers who want to learn
moreabout slow blues dancing, MikeMarcotte and Donna Barker offer
ablues lesson from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Nopartner required. Doors open
for“dance only” at 8:15 p.m. Admission:$12 dance only/$17 lesson
& dance.Contact Email:[email protected].
Contra and Square Dance. TheFolklore Society of
GreaterWashington presents traditionalAmerican dancing with a focus
onNew England style contra dances,including square dances,
countrymixers, waltzes and other coupledances at Glen Echo Park,
7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo in theBumper Car Pavillion. All
dances aretaught, and no partner is necessary.The newcomers’
welcome lesson is at7 p.m., followed by called dances withcaller
David Millstone calls to AnnaPatton & Friends from 7:30 to
10:30p.m. Admission: $12 nonmembers/$9FSGW members. Web
site:www.fsgw.org.
MONDAY/AUG. 18Storytime. Monday morning storytime
at Barnes and Noble Booksellers,4801 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda,
11a.m. Call 301-986-1761.
TUESDAY/AUG. 19NIH Tour. The Wellness Community -
Greater Washington, DC will sponsora free guided tour of the
NationalLibrary of Medicine at NIH for peoplewith cancer and their
loved ones,1:30-3:30 p.m. The tour will befollowed by a special
demonstrationof medical research databases.Participants should meet
at TheWellness Community at 1 p.m. tocarpool to NIH grounds.
Meetinglocation: The Wellness Community-Greater Washington, DC,
5430Grosvenor Lane, Suite 100, Bethesda.For reservations call
301-493-5002 [email protected].
Science Book Group. Discuss bookson Science and Technology at
Barnesand Noble, 4801 Bethesda Ave.,Bethesda, 7:30 p.m. Call
301-986-1761.
Bustles and Beaux. Join Michael Bevelfor a discussion of Booth
Tarkington’snovel “The Magnificent Ambersons” atBethesda Library,
7400 ArlingtonBlvd., Bethesda, 7 p.m. Call 240-777-0970.
WEDNESDAY/AUG. 20Concert. Willow Garden Theater
presents afternoon concerts atBethesda Gateway Building,
7201Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, 12-2 p.m.Free. Call 301-352-5387.
Concert. Meritxell Project (Jazz) willperform at Bethesda Lane
from 6-8p.m. Located where Bethesda Avenue,Woodmont Avenue and Elm
Streetmeet in Bethesda. Visitwww.bethesdarow.com.
FRIDAY/AUG. 22Contra Dance. Contra dance is a type
of folk dance for all ages. All dancesfeature top quality live
music. Contradances are held every Friday night atGlen Echo Park,
7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen Echo, with a lesson at7:30 p.m. and the
dance from 8:30 -11:30 p.m. Beginners are alwayswelcome. Admission:
$9. ContactEmail: [email protected].
Cajun/Zydeco Dance. Dancing by theBayou presents a Cajun/Zydeco
dancewith live music in the Bumper CarPavilion at Glen Echo Park,
7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo.Admission includes an
introductorydance lesson with Michael and Sharonat 8 p.m. followed
by dancing untilmidnight to music by the Pine LeafBoys. Admission:
$18. ContactWebsite:www.dancingbythebayou.com.
SATURDAY/AUG. 23English Conversation Club. Join in
practicing and improving spokenEnglish with the help of
volunteersleading discussions at 3 p.m. at 10101Glenolden Drive,
Potomac. 2 hours.Call 240-777-0690.
Storytime. Kat Tales featuring Kat
Aerobics at Barnes and NobleBooksellers, 4801 Bethesda
Ave.,Bethesda, 11 a.m. Call 301-986-1761.
Swing Dance. Frankie Manning willperform in the Spanish Ballroom
atGlen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen Echo. Beginning
swinglesson at 8 p.m., followed by dancingfrom 9 p.m. to midnight.
Admission is$15.
Grammar Workshop. Crash course inthe common errors of spelling
at TheWriter’s Center, 4508 Walsh St.,Bethesda, 1:30-4 p.m.
Members, $75;non-members, $90. Call 301-654-8664.
English Conversation Club. Join inpracticing and improving
spokenEnglish with the help of volunteersleading discussions at 3
p.m. at 10101Glenolden Drive, Potomac. 2 hours.Call
240-777-0690.
Laugh Riot. Enjoy five local comics andhave a chance to tell
one’s own jokesat the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, 7400
Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, 8-10 p.m.Cost $10. Call
301-657-1234.Carousel Tours. Carousel toursstart at 12 p.m. at Glen
Echo Park,7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo,and give visitors a
closer look at the1921 Dentzel carousel. Find out howit was made,
how it works, and aboutthe rest of the amusement parkattractions
that were built around it.Visit www.nps.gov/glec.
Park Tour. Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo,
toursbegin at 2 p.m. and lead visitorsthrough a walking tour of the
Park tolearn about its history and the currentprograms in arts,
dance and children’sactivities. Admission is free. Toursbegin at
the visitor’s desk in theArcade Building. Visit
www.nps.gov/glec.
Nature Program. Come visit DiscoveryCreek Children’s Museum
Forest Talesexhibition at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen
Echo. Spendtime with the entire family whileparticipating in
engaging science andnature activities. In the former GlenEcho Park
stable building, near thepark entrance. Open 10 a.m. - 3
p.m.Admission is free for members andchildren under 2, $5 for
nonmembers.Call 202-337-5111 to makearrangements or
visitwww.discoverycreek.org.
2008 Solar Car Derby. For childrenages eight through 14, from 10
a.m.to noon at the Eastern MontgomeryRegional Services Center
located at3300 Briggs Chaney Road, SilverSpring. At the derby,
children willassemble and keep a working, solar-powered model car
and race theircars, weather permitting. Studentswill also learn
about clean energy. To
participate, parents or guardiansshould contact DEP at
240-777-7700or [email protected] the name of
the participant, theparent or guardian’s name, addressand home
phone number.
SUNDAY/AUG. 24 Geology of the C&O Canal. Callan
Bentley will use rock evidence todeduce geologic history of the
regionat River Center at Lockhouse 8, C&OCanal National
Historical Park, CabinJohn, 10-11 a.m. Seewww.potomac.org.
Contra and Square Dance. TheFolklore Society of
GreaterWashington presents traditionalAmerican dancing with a focus
onNew England style contra dances inthe Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen
EchoPark, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., GlenEcho. All dances are taught,
and no
partner is necessary. The newcomers’welcome lesson is at 7 p.m.,
followedby called dances from 7:30 to 10:30p.m. Orrin Star calls to
the LoveMongrels. Admission: $12nonmembers/$9 FSGW members.
Family Fun Day Carnival. 11 a.m. - 1p.m. at Congregation B’nai
Tzedek,10621 South Glen Road, Potomac.Family, friends and
prospectivemembers are invited to help kick offtheir 20th
anniversary. Lots of adultand child friendly
activities,inflatables, games and great food.Admission free; charge
for food only.Call 301-299-0225.
Carousel Tours. Carousel tours start at12 p.m. at Glen Echo
Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, and givevisitors a closer
look at the 1921Dentzel carousel. Find out how it wasmade, how it
works, and about therest of the amusement parkattractions that were
built around it.Visit www.nps.gov/glec.
Park Tour. Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo,
toursbegin at 2 p.m. and lead visitorsthrough a walking tour of the
Park tolearn about its history and the currentprograms in arts,
dance and children’sactivities. Admission is free. Toursbegin at
the visitor’s desk in theArcade Building. Visit
www.nps.gov/glec.
Nature Program. Come visit DiscoveryCreek Children’s Museum
Forest Talesexhibition at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen
Echo. Spendtime with the entire family whileparticipating in
engaging science andnature activities. In the former GlenEcho Park
stable building, near thepark entrance. Open 10 a.m. - 3
p.m.Admission is free for members andchildren under 2, $5 for
nonmembers.Call 202-337-5111 to makearrangements or
visitwww.discoverycreek.org.
MONDAY/AUG. 25Storytime. Monday morning storytime
at Barnes and Noble Booksellers,4801 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda,
11a.m. Call 301-986-1761.
TUESDAY/AUG. 26Open House. FAES Graduate School
open house for fall 2008, FAES, 9101Old Georgetown Road,
Bethesda, 4-7p.m. Free. Call 301-496-7976.
Book-A-Librarian. Drop into theBethesda Library any
Tuesdaymorning between 10 and 11 a.m. forindividualized help at the
BethesdaLibrary, 7400 Arlington Road,Bethesda. Call
240-777-0970.
WEDNESDAY/AUG. 27Focus Music. Enjoy music at O’Brien’s
BBQ, 387 East Gude Drive, Rockville,8 p.m. Tickets are $15
general, $12members. Visit www.focusmusic.org.
Concert. Ewabo (Steel Drums) willperform at Bethesda Lane from
6-8p.m. Located where Bethesda Avenue,Woodmont Avenue and Elm
Streetmeet in Bethesda. Visitwww.bethesdarow.com.
Concert. Willow Garden Theaterpresents afternoon concerts
atBethesda Gateway Building, 7201Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, 12-2
p.m.Free. Call 301-352-5387.
FRIDAY/AUG. 29Contra and Square Dance. The
Friday Night Dancers presents Contradancing as well as some
squaredances and waltzes in the Bumper CarPavilion at Glen Echo
Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. There isa Contra dance lesson
from 7:30 to8:15 p.m. followed by the calleddance from 8:30 to
11:30 p.m.Beginners are always welcome. Thisevening features the
band SomeAssembly. Admission: $9. ContactEmail:
[email protected].
‘One Maryland, One Book’Montgomery College will host a special
event Tuesday, Aug. 19, to celebrate
Maryland’s first-ever statewide community reading initiative,
“One MarylandOne Book.” The initiative, developed by the Maryland
Humanities Council,aims to get millions of Marylanders reading,
thinking about and talking about“A Hope in the Unseen,” written by
Ron Suskind about Cedric Jennings’ life.Jennings will share his
personal story and sign books at 7 p.m., in the The-atre Arts Arena
on Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus. This event is freeand
open to the public. To learn more about the One Maryland One
Bookinitiative, go to:
www.mdhc.org/programs/one-maryland-one-book/.
Big Wide Grin will perform for Focus Music, Aug. 13.
Last ChanceThe Popcorn Gallery at Glen
Echo Park presents an exhibition ofartwork by students of all
ages, cre-ated in classes at Glen Echo Park,through Sept. 1.
Includes painting,drawing, photography, ceramics,glass, sculpture,
jewelry and more.Saturdays and Sundays from 12-6p.m.
OngoingThe Metropolitan Center for the Vi-
sual Arts (VisArts at Rockville), 155Gibbs St., Rockville,
presents “FromFarm to Market”, through Aug.17. This exhibit
explores the impactfood has on people’s lives, revealingways in
which it influences relation-ships in how it is produced and howit
is portrayed through a variety of artmediums. This summertime
exhibi-tion features work by local areaartists who look to food as
theirsources and inspirations for theirwork. Visit
www.VisArtsCenter.org.
Osuna Art, 7200 Wisconsin Ave.,Artery Plaza Lobby, Bethesda,
willpresent “James Hilleary, Paintingfrom the ‘60s” and pieces from
theWashington Color School throughAug. 20. Gallery hours are
Wednes-day to Saturday, 12-5 p.m. Call301-654-4500 or
visitwww.osunaart.com.
An exhibition by members of theAdvanced Master Printing
classtaught by Frank “Tico” Herrera willbe at Glen Echo Park,
7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo,through Aug. 29. Look for
imagescovering a variety of approaches tophotography. In the
Photoworks Stu-dio. Wednesdays and Sundays, 1-8p.m., and at all
times during day andevening classes. Admission is free.Call
301-229-7930 or visitwww.glenechophotoworks.org.
“Sumi-E Society of America”,East Asian brush paintings and
callig-raphy will be on display fromthrough Aug. 23 at the Mansion
atStrathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike.Gallery hours are Monday -
Friday, 10a.m. – 4 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. –9 p.m.; Saturday, 10
a.m. – 3 p.m.Free. Call 301-581-5200.
38th Annual Labor Day ArtShow. The 38th Annual Labor DayArt Show
at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, is held inthe
historic Spanish Ballroom. Thefree event, sponsored by the GlenEcho
Park Partnership for Arts andCulture, runs from 12 - 6 p.m.,
Satur-day through Monday, Aug. 30 –Sept 1. The show features the
workof more than 200 artists — both adultsand children — from the
mid-Atlanticregion. Many artists have a connectionto the Park,
either as students orteachers. Includes sculpture, paint-ings,
works on paper, ceramics, glass,jewelry, photography, furniture
andmore. Most artwork will also be forsale. A reception on Friday,
Aug. 29,from 7 - 9 p.m. is open to the public,and many
participating artists are ex-pected to attend. Admission is
free.
The Dennis and PhillipRatner Museum , 10001 OldGeorgetown Road,
Bethesda willpresent “Creative Expressions” fromSept. 3-28. A meet
the artists recep-
tion will be from 10 a.m. -4:30 p.m.,Sept. 7. Museum hours are
10 a.m.– 4:30 p.m., Sundays and 12-4 p.m.Mondays – Thursdays. Call
301-897-1518.
The exhibit “Good Advice” willsurvey almost 200 years of
Americanadvice books, aimed at helpingpeople to improve their lives
from topto bottom. The exhibit will be on dis-play through Sept.
21, at theBeall-Dawson House, 103 W. Mont-gomery Ave.,
Rockville.ºMuseumhours are 12-4 p.m., Tuesday to Sun-day. Included
with museumadmission ($3 adults/$2 seniors &students).
The exhibit “Breakfast” is a vi-gnette-style exhibit, on
displaythroughout the Beall -DawsonHouse, 103 W. Montgomery
Ave.,Rockville, in conjunction with theexhibit “Good Advice.”ºThe
vi-gnettes include a family breakfast,formal breakfast, breakfast
in bed,breakfast preparation, and evenGeorge Washington’s breakfast
andwill be on display through Sept.21. Included with museum
admis-sion ($3 adults/$2 seniors &students). Call 301-762-1492
orwww.montgomeryhistory.org.
The Photoworks gallery is openevery Sunday and Wednesday,
1-8p.m., and during all scheduled classesand workshops at, Glen
Echo Park,7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo.Call 301-229-7930 or
visitwww.glenechophotoworks.org.
Glassworks is the DC area’sfirst glass school located in
GlenEcho Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.,Glen Echo. When classes are not
insession, the studio is open for visi-tors to observe glassblowing
andview the work of resident artist RickSherbert. Call 301-229-4184
or visitwww.ricksherbertglass.com.
The Art Glass Center at GlenEcho exhibits continually in the
ArtGlass Center Gallery. These exhibitsfeature the work of resident
artistsDiane Cab, Christine Hekimian, Bevand Zayde Sleph, and Bobbi
Vischi.Sculpture, vessels, functional art,and jewelry are also for
sale. All ex-hibited work is made at the ArtGlass Center Studio.
The Art GlassCenter also produces other exhibitsfeaturing resident
artists, faculty,students and invited artists. Thegallery and
studio are open to thepublic on the weekends and by ap-pointment.
Contact Bobbi Vischi [email protected].
Glen Echo Pottery. Glen EchoPottery maintains ongoing exhibits
inthe Glen Echo Pottery Gallery in GlenEcho Park, 7300 MacArthur
Blvd.,Glen Echo. These feature a specialselection of work by
resident artists,instructors and students. Every Satur-day and
Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.Call 301-229-5585 or
visitwww.glenechopottery.com.
Yellow Barn Gallery at GlenEcho Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.,Glen
Echo. Free exhibits of emergingartist work and art sales. Each
week-end features the work of a differentartist. Every Saturday and
Sundayfrom 12 - 5 p.m. Call 301-371-5593or visit
www.yellowbarnstudio.com.
Fine Arts
“Little Red Riding Hood &The Three Little Pigs” will
bepresented by The Puppet Co., GlenEcho Park, Playhouse,
7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echothrough Aug. 31. Show times
areWednesday-Friday, 10 a.m. and11:30 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday,11:30
a.m. and 1 p.m. Ages 3-15.Cost is $8. Call 301-320-6668.
The Puppet Co. presents “TinyTot Tuesdays,” a programdesigned
for our youngest theaterpatrons (ages 0 - 4).ºThe shows areshorter,
the lights stay on, the doorsstay open and the show is set up onthe
floor. Performances on twoTuesdays each month (exceptDecember and
January, which havejust one) at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.$5 for children
(including babies)and adults. Reservations are
strongly recommended. Call 301-320-6668 or
visitwww.thepuppetco.org.
Elementary school students ingrades 4, 5 and 6 can now enjoy
aneducational and entertaining 45-minute play called “ClaraBarton,
the Courage Within”at Adventure Theatre at Glen EchoPark, 7300
MacArthur Blvd. GlenEcho. After the play, students visitnearby
Clara Barton NationalHistoric Site where Miss Bartonlived and
conducted the AmericanRed Cross for 15 years. Tuesdays at10 a.m.
during the school year forschool groups and other largegroups of
age-appropriate children.Tickets are $8. Minimum 50-personaudience.
No charge for visiting thehistoric home. Contact AdventureTheatre
at 301-320-5331.
Theater
Call for reservations703-790-5164
CocktailsMajor Credit Cards
6627 Old Dominion Drive • McLean, VAMcLean Square Mall
A RealFrench Bistroin the Heartof McLeanSince 1981
“Best of McLean!”-The Washingtonian
See us at www.cafetatti.com
LET’S TALKReal Estate
byMichael Matese
For professional advice on allaspects of buying and sellingreal
estate, call:
MICHAEL MATESEWashington Fine
Properties301-806-6829
[email protected]
STORAGESTRATEGY
Most buyers put storage spacehigh on their list of prioritiesfor
a new home. No matter howmuch storage space a homeoffers, most
people want more.
Sellers often face the minorindignity of having
prospectivebuyers open all of their closetsto determine the
capacity ofeach one. Even an enormouscloset looks small if it is
clut-tered. Straightening and organ-izing your closets will help
sellyour home. Also, if you get ridof your excess belongings
aheadof time, your move will be lessstressful when the time
comes!
Have a yard sale or rent astorage unit temporarily ordonate
extra stuff to a charita-ble thrift organization. UncleSam
currently gives you up to$5,000 in itemized deductions ifyou donate
household items tosuch non-profit organizations.
When all of your closets are inorder, move on to the
attic,basement, pantry, and wine cel-lar. Your storage areas will
lookmuch more spacious and attrac-tive if they are neat and
wellorganized.
-
10 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
People
From Page 3
ing their neighbors in the process moreand have held a series of
community meet-ings over the summer to address concernsranging from
the noise of construction tothe added traffic the school’s
increased en-rollment could produce.
Deborah Bradford, who owns a homeadjoining the school’s
property, said thatthat while she still isn’t excited about the
construction process she has softened herstance.
“Quite honestly I don’t think there’s awhole lot you can do
about construction anddemolishing,” Bradford said. “I think thefact
that they started dialogue with theneighbors and they continue to
have meet-ings… I think its clear to me that they havethe
neighbors’ interests at heart.”
— Aaron Stern
By Daniel LinThe Almanac
There’s a little pocket in Potomac,nestled in a bend of lush
green,where thick trees drown thenoise of nearby River Road,where a
woman, a wife, a mother of 2, hasbegun to see a childhood dream
come intobloom, now, in adulthood, here in Mary-land. Recently, on
July 13,a Sunday afternoon, forfamily and friends gatheredat her
home, she performedher first pubic recital as adebut soprano
soloist. Sheadmits to nerves — “Soonas I heard my introduction,as I
was walking in, oh boy,I felt very nervous!” — butshe swallowed her
butter-flies and delivered what herson Julien calls
“perfec-tion.”
Mimi Williams is nostranger to the performing life. She’s
feltthe tremble of the arena, rocked by the roarof the crowd, the
nervous excitement thatrushes through both spectators and
partici-pants. Her husband played on basketball’slargest stage.
Buck Williams starred in the NBA for sev-enteen seasons, playing
for the New JerseyNets, the Portland Trailblazers, and finallythe
New York Knicks. At each stop thesounds of the basketball court
reigned, butbeneath the court’s loud clamor, a littlevoice sang.
She loved the traveling, the see-ing new places and faces, all the
fresh cul-tures in which to dip and learn, but sheknew “all along,
through it all” that shewanted to sing.
BORN IN PHILADELPHIA, raised inWashington, D.C., Williams sang
in churchchoirs all through childhood. Under theguidance of Grammy
Award winning gos-
pel singer Ri-c h a r dS m a l l w o o d ,W i l l i a m snursed
herlove in college,
as a member of the University of Maryland’sUniversity Choir.
Then, the dream lay prone for a while.“It just wasn’t the right
time,” Williams re-calls. There was family, first theglobetrotting
with her husband, then theneighborhood navigating, not just the
gro-cery shopping at Potomac Village but thefrequent back and
forth, from nearby bas-ketball courts to those in D.C. or
Virginiaor further; wherever her sons’ games led,she followed.
This past season Julien performed wellas a freshman at Emory
University andMalek as a freshman at Gonzaga HighSchool. As she
watched her sons chase theirdreams, her own began its nibbling
oncemore, at the tails of her imagination.
At the suggestions of her mother, Williamsenrolled in
Washington, D.C.’s LevineSchool of Music. As her sons hit the
gym,honing their jumpshots and perfecting their
footwork, Williams made her trips to thesound booth, warming up
her chords, tun-ing her power and range.
The sessions were exhausting — “It’s aworkout!” — but
exhilarating. Her persis-tence and dedication impressed her
hus-band. “Most people have dreams but theymight not have the
patience to work to-wards them. She puts in the time and theheart.
It’s beautiful,” said Buck Williams.
It’s not for money. It’s not for fame. “It’sjust something I
enjoy, something that I’vealways loved. If I can help others as
I’mdoing it, make someone’s day easier throughmy singing, then that
just makes everythingworth the while.”
She’s planning on holding more recitals,thinking about how to
more involve hercommunity. “I would love to tie it to a char-ity,
make it an annual event, maybe, withlocal singers and everything,
to bring inmoney and awareness to causes that de-serve
attention.”
SHE’S SINGING ALONE NOW, withoutthe comforting crutch of
company, but herfamily’s providing plenty of support. Shemoved to
Potomac primarily because “our
families were close. This was a great placefor us to settle in
and be closer to our fam-ily.” So from a literal stance, they were
al-ready close, but this experience has cer-tainly brought the
family closer, from a figu-rative glance.
“I’ve played in every sport you can thinkof,” says Julien. “I’ve
played in state, out ofstate, in the morning, at night, every
timeand place imaginable. And she’s alwaysbeen there. She’s up in
the stands, in thebleachers, on the sideline, always there,always
supporting me. With this, I have theopportunity now to show her
some of thesupport she’s always given me.”
Julien’s played in over 500 games, atcramped community centers
and sprawlingcollege gymnasiums, for crowds large andsmall, raucous
and quiet. He has had hisname called over the loudspeakers so
manytimes “It doesn’t really faze me anymore.”
But on July 13, when he heard hismother’s name announced, he got
shivers.Mom, as always, took note. “He was sweat-ing! I kept
saying, gosh, what’s wrong withhim. He was very nervous.” But it
touchedher. “He really wanted me to do well. Julien,Malek, my
husband, they believe in what Ido. I think that for me is what
makes thisso very special.”
She sings opera and classical, often in Ital-ian, music whose
style and language trans-lates foreign to her sons, children of
gen-eration hip hop, but a woman chasing herdreams — that needs no
interpretation. Sothey cheer on.
“Sometimes we take baby steps in life,”said Williams. “We don’t
want to step allthe way out there.” Now Williams has takenthe leap
and, whether she falls or flies, herfamily’s there to catch
her.
WILLIAMS WILL PERFORM next for theLevine School in Washington,
D.C. and atBethesda’s Strathmore Hall. She is currentlytaking Music
Theory at the Levine Schooland plans to take Italian Language in
thenear future so that she can “make sure I givemy presentations
the integrity they need.”Recording and further touring might
becomerealities down the road but for now she isfocused on starting
a local annual fund raiserwhere she and other performers will
singfor the benefit of various charities.
Potomac womanfollows her dream toshare music withher
community.
Mimi Williams Finds Her Voice
Mimi Williams and, from left, son Malek, hus-band Buck, and son
Julien, taken on a recentfamily vacation this summer.
Mimi Williams
Silt fencing andsigns marking
stands of protectedforest areas have
gone up around theFourth PresbyterianSchool’s property in
preparation forconstruction on a
new facility thatcould begin the firstweek of September.
Pho
to by A
aro
n S
ter
n/T
he A
lman
ac
Pho
tos c
ourtesy o
f Mi m
i Wi lli am
s
Fourth Presbyterian Prepares to Break Ground
“Julien, Malek, my husband,they believe in what I do. Ithink
that for me is whatmakes this so very special.”
— Mimi Williams
-
Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008 ❖
11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Lester L. Greer and Lauren T.Greer, husband and wife, have
gradu-ated from the Uniformed ServicesUniversity, F. Edward Hebert
School ofMedicine in Bethesda, Md. Both gradu-ates were promoted to
the rank ofcaptain and commissioned as a U.S.Army Corps
officer.
He is the son of William L. and KarenL. Greer of Wyndham Lane,
Lansing,Kan., and brother of Robert W. Greer ofSummer Meadows
Drive, ColoradoSprings, Colo. He received a bachelor’sdegree in
2003 from the U.S. MilitaryAcademy, West Point, N.Y.
She is the daughter of Peter H. andDale C. Turza of Cammack
Drive,Bethesda. She received a bachelor’s de-gree in 2004 from
Columbia University,New York, N.Y.
Army Cadet Evan R. Ellsworthis one of 267 cadets who attended
the2008 George C. Marshall Foundation
Awards Seminar at Virginia Military In-stitute in Lexington, Va.
The cadetreceived the George C. Marshall ROTC(Reserve Officer
Training Corps)Award at the seminar. The award ispresented annually
to the most out-standing senior Army ROTC (ReserveOfficer Training
Corps) cadets in mili-tary science studies and leadershipvalues in
each battalion at host univer-sities or colleges.
Upon graduation from the host collegeor university and
completion of the ROTCprogram, the cadet will receive abachelor’s
degree and a commission ofsecond lieutenant in the Army. The
seniorcadet is a student at Wheaton College, Ill.He is the son of
Phillip C. and Victoria M.Ellsworth of Garden Court,
Potomac.Ellsworth is a 2004 graduate of St.Andrews Episcopal
School, Potomac.
Air Force Reserve AirmanMoses A. Ross has graduated from
basic military training at Lackland AirForce Base, San Antonio,
Texas. He isthe son of Wellmon and Ranjana Ross ofTuckerman Lane,
Potomac. Ross is a2007 graduate of Walt Whitman HighSchool,
Bethesda.
Benjamin D. Barlow has graduatedfrom the Uniformed Services
University,F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine inBethesda, Md. The
graduate was pro-moted to the rank of captaincommissioned to serve
in the MedicalCorps of the Air Force. He is the son ofDouglas N.
and Diana K. Barlow of Wind-ing Oaks Drive, Colorado Springs,
Colo.His wife, Stephanie, is the daughter ofSteve and Maria
Luginbill of Wall St.,Rockville. The captain graduated in theyear
2000 from Air Academy HighSchool, Colorado Springs, and receiveda
bachelor’s degree in 2004 from theUniversity of Colorado at
ColoradoSprings.
To have an item listed free in ThePotomac Almanac, send mail to
7913Westpark Drive, McLean VA 22102, e-mailto
[email protected],or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline
isThursday at noon for the following week’spaper. Photos
encouraged. If you have anyquestions, call Matthew Razak at
703-917-6457.
Pottery Classes for Teens. A basicintroduction to the potter’s
wheel. Theseclasses allow students to throw at theirown skill
level. Classes meet for six weeksfrom 4 - 6 p.m. on Tuesdays (Sept.
2 -Oct 7) or Thursdays (Sept. 4 – Oct. 9).Tuition ($108) includes
tools and sup-plies. For students attending middle andhigh school
(age range: 11 - 16). At GlenEcho Pottery, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.,
GlenEcho. Call 301-229-5585 or visitwww.glenechopottery.com.
Joy of Dance Class. Fall semesterbegins new dance classes at Joy
of Mo-tion Dance Center, 7315 Wisconsin Ave.,Suite 180 E, Bethesda.
Call for more in-formation 301-986-0016.
Children’s Movement Classes.Creative Movement fall session
starts atKids Moving Company, 7475 WisconsinAve., Bethesda. Classes
held on Tues-days, Fridays and Saturdays. Times varyby ages. 9
months-9 years. $25/class or$375/session. 301-656-1543.
Dance Music. There is dancing everyweek from 3:30-6 p.m. at Glen
Echo Span-ish Ballroom, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., GlenEcho. Blend
together swing, waltz, tango,foxtrot and others for $8/person.
Freedance lesson at 3 p.m. 703-425-7926.
PEP Parenting Classes. Parentingclasses for parents of children
from birththrough age 18. Learn vital skills that willbring out the
best in children and par-
ents. Classes are offered both during day-time and evening
throughout the area.Call 301-929-8824 or
visitwww.parentencouragement.org.
The Montgomery County Com-mission for Women Counseling
&Career Center, 401 N. Washington St.,Suite 100, Rockville,
provides personal,career, and couples counseling forwomen.
Counseling sessions are avail-able in 50-minute sessions for $40.
Call240-777-8300.
City Dance Center, 5301Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, is
nowenrolling all ages and abilities for classes.Call 301-581-5204
or visitwww.citydance.net.
Master Greg Maye, owner, directorand head instructor of the
Jhoon RheeInstitute in Potomac Village, 11815Seven Locks Road, is a
6th-degree blackbelt and certified master instructor byGrandmaster
Jhoon Rhee. He is the se-nior instructor for the Jhoon
RheeInstitute of Tae Kwon Do’s Washington,D.C.-metropolitan area,
with 10 studioslocally. He offers private lessons, per-sonal
training and seminars. Visitw w w . j h o o n r h e e i n s t i t u
t e . c o m /contact_us.html for more.
The Eastern Montgomery Re-gional Services Center, inconjunction
with the African Immigrantand Refugee Foundation, has added aseries
of daytime ESOL (English forSpeakers of Other Languages) classes
foradults. The classes will be held on Tues-days and Thursdays from
9:30 a.m.-12p.m., and will run for 20 consecutiveweeks. The center
is located at 3300Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring. Childcare will
be provided at no charge. Theclasses are free, but a $10
refundabledeposit and $16 book fee are required.
Registration and placement testing willtake place on the first
day of class. Tosign up for a class or for more informa-tion, call
240-777-8400.
The Youth Programs division ofMontgomery College’s
WorkforceDevelopment and Continuing Edu-cation offers both full and
half-daycourses. The summer programs allowyouth to explore new
areas of interest orreceive in-depth instruction in their fa-vorite
subjects. Courses are taught ateach of the College’s three campuses
–Germantown, Rockville and TakomaPark/Silver Spring. A complete
listing ofofferings can be found online at
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/youth.
Art classes for toddlers, karate,dance and magic-trick lessons
for chil-dren, fencing lessons for teens and yogafor adults are a
few of the courses offeredby the Montgomery County
RecreationDepartment at Potomac CommunityCenter. Elsewhere in the
county, the RecDepartment offers courses from skate-boarding to
yoga to cooking to youth art.Pick up the Montgomery County
Recre-ation Department Guide a PotomacCommunity Center, 11315 Falls
Road,Potomac, call 240-777-6840 or visitwww.montgomerycountymd.gov,
thenclick “Departments,” then “Recreation,”then “RECord” for course
information.
Dance Class. Learn ballet, jazz, hip-hop, yoga and more in a
variety of classesheld daily from 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. atDansez!
Dansez!, 4920 St. Elmo Ave.,Bethesda. All ages. Call for prices
andtimes. 301-652-2551.
Yoga Classes. Sample lyengarmethod of Hatha Yoga, Unity
WoodsYoga Center, 4853 Cordell Ave., SuitePH#7, Bethesda. Free.
Call for schedule.301-656-8992.
To have an item listed mail to 7913Westpark Drive, McLean VA
22102, e-mailto [email protected],or fax to
703-917-0991. Deadline isThursday at noon for the following
week’spaper. Photos and artwork encouraged.Unless otherwise noted,
all events are inPotomac. Questions? Call Matthew Razakat
703-917-6457.
Montgomery College offers an ar-ray of new, non-credit courses
that wereformerly offered by Montgomery CountyPublic Schools. These
courses, offeredprimarily during evenings or weekendsin public
schools and other convenientcommunity locations, are in addition
to
hundreds of other non-credit coursesavailable through the
College’sWorkforce Development and ContinuingEducation unit. A
complete schedule ofcourse offerings can be found online
atwww.montgomerycollege.edu/wdce.Also, printed copies of the fall
non-creditcourse schedule can be found at librar-ies, community
centers and other suchlocations around the county. For ques-tions
about continuing education coursesor to request a copy call
301-279-5188,visit
www.montgomerycollege.edu/wdce/mcps/mcps.html.
Jewish Social Service Agency offers“Educational Consultation
and
Support” for parents of children whohave been identified with a
learning,attention, or other disability that im-pacts academic
performance. Thisprogram helps parents identify andimplement the
services a child needs toachieve academic success. Available
tofamilies in Montgomery County. Adjust-able fees based on family
income. Otherservices to children with learning, atten-tion or
other disabilities include socialskills therapy groups, workshops
onparenting challenging children, indi-vidual and family
counseling, andsupport groups. JSSA is located at 6123Montrose
Road, Rockville. Call 301-816-2633 or 703-204-9100 for more.
Schools
Classes
Military Notes
Fall semester begins September 6, 2008
5600 Little Falls Parkway Bethesda, MD 20816www.w-e-s.org •
301-652-7878 • [email protected]
WASHINGTON EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
• Thursday, October 16, 2008, 9 a.m. • Tuesday, November 11,
2008, 9 a.m.• Sunday, December 7, 2008, 1 p.m. • Tuesday, January
6, 2009, 9 a.m.
The lessons your childlearns at The Little Gymwill fill you both
with pride:How to reach higher.How to listen better.How to tackle
challengeswith confidence and a smile.
sportsskil ls
development
preschool/kindergartengymnastics
parent/child
classes
gradeschool
gymnasticskarate dance cheerleading camp
birthdayparties
parents’survival
night
Now enroll ing for fall...schedule a free trial class!Learn more
at: The Litt leGym.com • Potomac Woods Plaza • tlgpotomacmd.com •
301-294-4840
Now! 1,000s ofpictures of sports,graduations, currentevents and
more—never published, but postedon the Web. Free for
evaluation,available for prints.
-
12 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008
www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
From Page 3
Sports
of admissions Cathy Kwolek readied bro-chures and pamphlets.
She called the event a “great opportunityfor us to meet students
firsthand and forthem to have a face to connect with.” Thiswas her
first time attending Scotland Com-munity Day but she sees great
potential insuch celebrations, not just for families toreconnect,
but also for the people in neigh-borhoods to forge fresh
connections withnearby institutions.
“The more [members of] the communityinteract with each other,
the better off ev-eryone is,” she said.
FRESHLY MINTED Director of ScotlandCommunity Center Kimberly
Bryant wasbusy Saturday making sure everything ransmoothly. She is
dedicated to “getting newprograms, getting the community more ofa
voice.” She said, “My goal is to be able tocollaborate with
community services, suchas [Montgomery County Public Schools],the
Literary Council, and the Departmentof Social Services, and various
private ser-
vices, like SCORE tutoring, and bringingthose services right
here.”
For now, she points to the people and theevents, the face
painting, the game booths,all the food and refreshments.
“[Commu-nity Day] really bonds the community to-gether. Everybody
has work Mondaythrough Friday, and this is the
culminatingevent.”
More arrive as the day went on. The sol-dier shakes a young
man’s hand. Kwolekbegins her pitch to prospective students. Inthe
moon bounce, children leap and bound,and laughing and cheering.
Mothers carrybabies, wrapped in their arms, to pet thehorse. People
generally stayed away fromthe clown.
“It’s intergenerational,” said Bryant, “andit’s beautiful, just
watching young and oldable to work together for a common
cause.Everybody accepts one another. There’sgreat cultural
diversity in this neighbor-hood. Everything and everyone just
meshestogether.”
Cooper leaned in her chair and nodded.“Each year it’s getting
better and better,”
she said.
By James GischeThe Almanac
On Sept. 15, the 4 Star TennisAcademy’s new location atthe
Bullis School in Potomacwill open. The program’sfounder and
executive director, Bob Pass,is a familiar face at Bullis, having
coachedthe girls’ varsity team since 2001.
4 Star, based at the Four Seasons TennisClub in Merrifield, Va.
for 35 years, will runclinics and summer camps at Bullis for
play-ers of all skill levels. These programs willbe similar to
those fromthe departing Jack SchoreTennis Training Center atBullis.
However, “I predictthe total number of stu-dents involved will
besmaller,” said Pass. Thesize reduction is due toPass’s plans to
have onlyabout 16 students for eachtournament-level class andto
dedicate more courts to private lessons.
Bullis has long been a tennis powerhouse.Under Schore’s
direction, the boys’ varsityteam was consistently one of the best
squadsin the nation, with nine wins and two lossesthis spring. The
unit went undefeated from2005 to 2007. Starting in the spring of
2009,
the team’s coach will be Steve Miguel, aformer tennis star at
Ohio State University.“I’d love to keep the [team’s] tradition”
ofexcellence, said Miguel, who will also beDirector of Tennis for 4
Star at Bullis.
The Jack Schore Tennis Training Centergroomed numerous tennis
stars during itstime at Bullis, but Pass is confident his pro-gram
will uphold this legacy. “I don’t feelany pressure,” he said. “I’ve
produced hun-dreds of nationally ranked players.” One ofPass’s
strengths as a coach, according toMiguel, is that he can adapt his
style to eachstudent.
AT THE SAME time, though, Pass stressesthat he does not give any
special treatmentto his most accomplished players. “We’retrying to
do a good job for everybody, notjust the one or two superstars,” he
said. “Myphilosophy is to teach the kids to be as good
as they want to be.” In thebook “Coaching Tennis,”Chuck Kriese
quotes Pass:“I think the biggest thingis caring about the
person,and not just what theplayer is accomplishing,caring for them
and notjust for yourself as thecoach.”
Pass says he strives tocreate a “family atmosphere” and
ensurethat his students enjoy tennis. Darien Sears,who has trained
with Pass since the begin-ning of the summer and will start her
firstyear at Bullis as a junior this fall, describedPass as “very
calm” but persistent. She alsopraised the way 4 Star operates: “We
have
a lot of fun on the court,” she said.� Much of Pass’s confidence
in 4
Star’s expansion to Bullis comes from hiscolleagues. “I’m
bringing in a high-qualitystaff,” he noted. Besides Miguel, Pass
isbringing in Raul Iriate, the former captainof Bolivia’s Davis Cup
team, as the directorof 4 Star’s Young Tournament Players Pro-gram.
University of Maryland productMasha Senic will also work for Pass
at Bullis.Pass added that he is looking to add onemore trainer to
his staff.
Schore recognized the importance of his
assistants to the success of the program heoperated at Bullis:
“The fact that we havebeen able to serve over 40,000 families inthe
Montgomery County area is a testamentto the hard work and
excellence that mystaff has always attempted to achieve.”
During their respective teams’ seasons,Pass and Miguel plan to
be at Bullis full-time. As for the rest of the year, they willsplit
their time between Bullis and 4 Star’sVirginia location. “We’re
really looking for-ward to helping the kids at Bullis,”
saidMiguel.
Sign of the times: this sign along Bullis’s main entrance
informs stu-dents and parents about the arrival of the 4 Star
Tennis Academy.
Pho
to by J
ames G
i sche/T
he A
lman
ac
Prominent Virginiatennis programcoming to Bullis.
Changing of the Guard at Bullis
“My philosophy isto teach the kidsto be as good asthey want to
be.”
— Bob Pass
Scotland Celebrates a Day of Community
The moon bounce is a great hit. The clown seems to have an
aching back.
-
Potomac Almanac ❖ August 13-19, 2008 ❖
13www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Call Specific Agents to ConfirmDates & Times.
To add your Realtor-represented Open House
to these weekly listings, please call Kenneth Lourie
703-917-6475 or E-Mail the info
[email protected]
All listings due by Tues at 10 am.
OPENAug
HOUSES 16 th & 17 th
Find Your Next Home Here!
Bethesda
6211 Crathie Ln. $675,000 Sun 1-4 Jane Fairweather Coldwell
Banker 240-223-4663
9 Darby Ct. $2,495,000 Sun 1-4 Jane Fairweather Coldwell Banker
240-223-4663
9004 Ewing Dr. $1,299,000 Sun 1-4 Jane Fairweather Coldwell
Banker 240-223-4663
7304 Helmsdale Rd. $2,095,000 Sun 1-4 Leslie Friedson Long &
Foster 301-455-8795
6106 Kirby Rd. $1,650,000 Sun 1-4 Jane Fairweather Coldwell
Banker 240-223-4663
6009 Manor Oak Way $1,150,000 Sun 1-4 Leigh Reed Long &
Foster 240-497-1700
9940 Mayfield Dr. $500,000 Sun 1-4 Robert Young Weichert
301-656-2500
4703 Monaco Cir. $1,049,000 Sun 1-4 Jane Fairweather Coldwell
Banker 240-223-4663
5225 Pooks Hill Rd. #404s $449,000 Sun 1-4 Leslie Friedson Long
& Foster 301-455-8795
8308 Whitman Dr. $829,000 Sun 1-4 Leslie Friedson Long &
Foster 301-455-8795
Chevy Chase
4940 Bradley Blvd. #247 $495,000 Sun 1-4 Steve Gasque RE/MAX
301-652-0400
6902 Maple Ave. $2,199,000 Sun 2-5 Andrea Alderdice WC & AN
Miller 301-229-4000
Potomac
10716 Barn Wood Lane $1,795,000 Sun 1-4 Leslie Friedson Long
& Foster 301-455-8795
1405 Fallswood Dr. $699,999 Sun 1-4 Judith Casey Long &
Foster 240-497-1700
8002 Postoak Rd. $669,900 Sun 1-4 Minka Goldstein Long &
Foster 301-564-4900
9800 Tibron Ct. $1,675,000 Sun 1-4 Leslie Friedson Long &
Foster 301-455-8795
North Potomac
456 Clayhall St. $599,000 Sun 1-4 Jai Kim Keller Williams
301-515-1155
15616 Fellowship Way $625,000 Sun 2-5 Ying Zhi Zhang Tian &
Tian 301-540-8960
870 Flagler Dr. $359,900 Sun 1-5 Diane Leitner Weichert
301-540-1330
Find Your Next Home Here!
By Aaron SternThe Almanac
Forget what your neighbors sold their housefor in 2005 or 2006
and, for that matter,forget what your neighbors might have soldfor
just last year. Think more along the linesof last month and no
earlier than last winter.
Assessing the current reality of the real estate mar-ket is the
key to buying and selling a home in Potomacthese days, and that’s
not necessarily a bad thing,according to several local real estate
professionals.
“We were sitting down with people in ‘03, ‘04 tell-ing them this
is how much your place is worth andthey were high-fiving. … That’s
not the market any-more,” said Michael Matese, a Realtor with
Wash-ington Fine Properties.
Yes, the housing market has cooled off and yes,the days of
getting astronomical returns on a homein just a few years are gone,
but unlike the housingslump of the mid-1990s there are buyers to be
had ifa house is priced realistically and presented well,
hesaid.
“In this market people are out there, [but] theyhave to feel
like they’re getting a good deal and anice house,” Matese said.
“There are prospectivebuyers.”
ACCORDING TO FIGURES from MetropolitanRegional Information
Systems, average and mediansale prices of homes in Potomac in July
were downslightly from a year before. The average sales pricein
Potomac last month was $1,154,484 compared to$1,217,394 last July
and $1,139,823 the year be-fore; last month’s median price was
$890,126 com-pared to $947,500 in July of 2007 and $1,025,000the
year before. But the number of days the averagehome spent on the
market alsodecreased slightly from a year be-fore – 76 days in July
2008 versus80 in July of 2007. Those numbersdon’t compare to the
same time in2005 where the average homespent just 30 days on the
market,but that was also a time when thefinal sales price averaged
morethan 98 percent of the list price.Last month that figure was at
justover 93 percent.
“We have a lot of sellers stillquoting prices from ‘05, ‘06
andwe have tell them ‘No, that doesn’twork,’” said Anne Killeen,
who isalso a Realtor with WashingtonFine Properties.
MAKING A HOUSE look goodis key to getting it sold.
“Presentation is very important,its not like the old days when
it can look anywayyou want,” Matese said. “The people [with
homesfor sale] who are sitting out there are the peoplewho are
unrealistically priced. They have no chanceof selling. That’s
really the difference in this mar-ket.”
Sellers who took that approach likely could countthemselves
among the 52 units that sold last month
(compared to 64 that sold in July of 2007 and 61 inJuly of
2005). As of August 7 there were 87 newlistings in Potomac, 24 of
which were under con-tract and an additional 10 marked contingent
con-tract.
The real estate market traditionally slows down inAugust as most
prospective buyers are focusing on
one last summer vacation beforelooking to move, said Killeen.
Andthe Potomac market may have todeal with a trend that the rest
ofthe country does not.
As people with jobs tied to thefederal government await the
out-come of November’s election thereal estate markets near
Washing-ton, D.C. tend to cool a bit, saidMichael Seay, of W.C.
& A.N.Miller. That will likely have agreater effect on places
like North-west, D.C., Chevy Chase andBethesda, but it could also
play afactor in Potomac.
“I can tell you that, this happensevery four years, that the
marketalways seems a little bit slower go-ing into an election,”
Seay said.“It’s been like that in the past.”
Seay said he expected the market to get back tonormal in
November and December, and should sell-ers continue to be smart,
and buyers patient, the mar-ket is looking up, said Matese.
“It’s probably not as bad as everyone thinks it is.There are
houses that are still selling but they haveto be properly priced
and they have to be in realgood condition,” he said.
Real Estate
Seller Be SmartReality and presentation are key to selling homes
intoday’s real estate market.
A for sale sign along MacArthur Boule-vard. Potomac realtors say
that presenta-tion and reasonable pricing are the key toappealing
to prospective buyers in thecurrent market.
“We were sittingdown with people in‘03, ‘04 telling themthis is
how muchyour place is worthand they were high-fiving. … That’s
notthe marketanymore,”
— Michael Matese,Washington Fine Properties
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14 ❖ Potomac Alman