Gaithersburg`s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Kentlands

Transcription

Gaithersburg’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Kentlands, Lakelands, Quince Orchard Park and More
The
TOWN
Vol. 10, No. 22
Courier
www.towncourier.com
Star Diner Stays in
Business With Chapter 11
By Pam Schipper
W
hen Marty Kobrin
signed his lease with Beatty Management Company in 2000, the economy was
booming and the 3,795-squarefoot space, built in 1999, was almost brand new. His rent was set
appropriately.
When the economy slowed in
2009, Kobrin found it increasingly difficult to pay those year
2000 lease rates.
You’ve heard of upside-down
mortgages? Kobrin, for all in-
tents and purposes, had an upside-down lease. “Spaces are being leased for much less today,”
he said.
According to CoStar, the average triple-net retail rate per
square foot for a comparable
freestanding building in the
Gaithersburg 2-4 star market is
$21.73. Five years ago in 2008,
the comparable commercial rent
was just over $28 per square foot.
Kobrin’s lease agreement was
structured with four five-year
n
star diner Continued on page 6
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
The Town Courier
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
PRSRT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Gaithersburg MD
Permit #1722
(Left to right) Star Diner owners Marty and Sharon Kobrin with their baby Charley enjoy Saturday morning at the restaurant with longtime employees Fernando Argaez and Carmen Fleites.
November 22, 2013
Clongen Labs Opens in Gaithersburg
By Karen O’Keefe
O
n Nov. 7, county and Gaithersburg officials
joined lobbyists, scientists, businesspeople and
others to celebrate the opening in Gaithersburg of the new home of Clongen Laboratories.
The lab’s relocation to Gaithersburg is significant
because Clongen is a business that has opted to stay
in Montgomery County at a time when other businesses are opting to move elsewhere due to the relatively high cost of doing business – and paying taxes — in the county. The presence of Clongen in
Gaithersburg is also significant because the laboratory is a nationally known center for infectious disease testing, noted especially for Lyme disease and
other tick-borne illnesses.
Founded nine years ago and located until last
month in Germantown, the Gaithersburg location
of Clongen labs more than doubles the lab’s size.
The new facility located on Perry Parkway is 6,000
square feet.
Initially begun in California in 1999 as a biotechnology consulting firm, Clongen moved to
Germantown as Clongen Laboratories in 2004.
Ahmed Kilani is Clongen’s president and laboratory director, as well as a Quince Orchard Park
resident. He is a board-certified clinical pathologist
who holds a master’s degree in Clinical Science and
a Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases and Immunity.
His lab has a national reputation for infectious
disease testing and offers more than 250 DNA and
RNA detection-based tests for infectious diseases.
The lab specializes in testing ticks, blood and human tissues for Lyme disease (LD) and other tickborne illnesses (TBI). It also provides lot release
testing services and custom assays for research.
On Nov. 7, most of the people on hand to cel-
ebrate with Kilani and Clongen employees were
talking about ticks.
“Last year, the Centers for Disease Control found
300,000 cases of Lyme disease across the United
States,” said Monte Skall, founder of the National
Capital Lyme Disease Association (NatCapLyme)
and a Lyme disease sufferer who spoke at Clongen’s
grand opening. “This information has particular
significance for Maryland, which is one of the states
with the highest reported incidences of LD in the
nation.”
“In less than a decade, Clongen Labs has become
a national expert in the field of clinical diagnostics of infectious diseases and especially Lyme and
tick-borne diseases,” she added. “Kilani’s laboratory team has worked on methods to recognize more
than 20 of the most relevant tick-borne illnesses. No
longer do people have to send a tick to a lab in New
York or Massachusetts and wait two weeks to get
the result.”
Skall emphasized Kilani’s commitment to patient well-being. “It is also hugely reassuring that
Dr. Kilani takes the time to talk to people who call
and explain what a test means and what a test result
means to that patient.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC), last year 95 percent of the nation’s Lyme
disease cases were reported in 13 states, all located
in the Northeast and the upper Midwest. One of the
13 is Maryland. In 2012, Maryland was number six
in confirmed cases.
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States. In 2012, it
was the seventh most common “nationally notifiable” disease. A notifiable disease is required by law
n
clongen labs opening Continued on page 6
Carol Sher Lives Life With a Bit of a Giggle
By Pam Schipper
M
eet Lulu and Mew, the incorrigibly fun
girlfriend and her faithful sidekick cat.
Lulu is your sister, daughter, mother,
aunt, cousin or friend—or the BFF you wish
you had.
“I started drawing Lulu when I was about
10 years old,” said Carol Sher, a Montgomery
Village artist who will be exhibiting at the
Sugarloaf Crafts Festival in Gaithersburg Nov.
22-24. “You know when you’re a kid and you
want to be older and you want to wear all
these cool clothes and dress up? That’s really what it was about — all that fun. As Cyndi
Lauper says, ‘Girls just want to have fun.’”
And Mew? She was the cat Sher wished she
had. Her parents, raising a family in Detroit,
Michigan, deftly dodged the pet issue. Today,
Sher has five-year-old Max, a rescue, and
20-year-old Jinxie.
In the world of Lulu and Mew — known
as “Life with a Bit of a Giggle” — dresses,
shoes, jewelry and handbags abound, be-glittered and bejeweled in a colorful and happily
patterned array. Each pen, ink and watercolor
drawing pulls you in with its detail and winsome expression before delighting you with a
funny saying.
“I get my ideas from myself, my girlfriends,
my customers and sister. I use only original
thoughts and sayings, and they’re never sarcastic or hurtful,” Sher said. “I just want women
to smile.”
Lulu and Mew have tag-teamed it onto
greeting cards, compacts, clocks, purses, aprons—even checks and a Crazy 8-ball.
They have their own calendar and, of course,
prints. A book of 90 drawings that Sher created over the past 15 years is in the works.
Lulu and Mew’s porcelain tiles are stunning.
This may be because Sher tucked the two
away for years while she pursued a multi-faceted career as a porcelain artist, who was known
also for her gold work and jewelry. To look at
the breadth and quality of her work—exquisite miniature porcelain dolls, shoes and hats,
tiny tooth fairy boxes, tea sets and charm boxes—you might think she was educated as an
n
Sher Continued on page 8
Creator of the diva-and-feline duo Lulu and Mew, artist Carol
Sher cuddles real-life cat Max.
Page 2
The Town Courier
November 22, 2013
Charlie Holbrook, Realtor
Theresa Holbrook, Licensed Assistant
RE/MAX Metropolitan Realty
345 Main Street Kentlands
Direct: 240-447-6610
Ofﬁce: 301-947-6500 x 222
Email: charlie@charlieholbrook.com
www.charlieholbrookhomes.com
FO
RS
405 Tschiffely Square Rd
SO
$1,149,000
!
Kentlands
Elegant and stately home with 5,000+ sq ft, 5 bedroom, 4 full baths, with 2 bedroom apartment suite over the 3-car garage.
FO
RS
406 Kentlands Blvd #104
$290,000
Spectacular two bedroom, two bath condo, and two patios! Fantastic location!
LD!
ALE
305 Beckwith Street
$975,000
Kentlands
SO
LD!
ALE
!
Kentlands
712 Lake Varuna Mews
$471,000
Lakelands
James Beatty
Branch Manager
301-728-3286 Direct
Jim.Beatty@everbank.com
November 22, 2013 The Town Courier
thehot spot With Maureen Stiles & Phil Fabrizio
This issue’s Hot Spot topic is the rare convergence of Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah on Nov. 28.
According to a calculation by Jonathan Mizrahi, this won’t happen again for more than 77,798 years.
Most people told us that what has been termed Thanksgivukkah was “great” or “good.” Two community members
went a bit further. Here’s what they had to say.
Page 3
AROUND TOWN
Compiled by Pam Schipper
Photo | Pam Schipper
Joseph Katzel, who served with the U.S. Army Medical Corp., and Ronald
Lee, who completed two tours in Vietnam, were recognized at the Third
Annual Kentlands Manor Veterans Day Flag-Raising Ceremony.
“I think Jews in our community are excited about the confluence of these two holidays. Hannukah
itself is a home-based holiday, with the central observance being the lighting of candles in the windows
of our homes. And of course Thanksgiving is also an important time for extended families to come
together — so I hope it will be a double celebration for many of our families.
“In addition, many scholars believe that Hannukah itself was celebrated as a delayed version of
the fall harvest holiday of Sukkot. Since the Temple had been defiled by a foreign ruler, the holiday
could not be celebrated in its normal time in October. But when the Maccabees wrested control and
sanctified the Temple once again, they celebrated that eight-day harvest holiday of Thanksgiving a few
weeks late, creating what we now call Hannukah. This shares the same spirit as the first Thanksgiving.”
Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal
Shaare Torah Congregation
Veterans Day at Kentlands Manor
“This is not going to happen again for another 70,000 years or so. My family is never
all together for Hanukkah, so having it begin
on Thanksgiving means that we can celebrate together, which is great and would not
normally happen.”
Rachel Maryn
Gaithersburg
A Sweet Success
By Maureen Stiles
L
ike typical parents of a teen
would, the Eyrichs and Lisles regarded their daughters’ plan for
charity fundraising as half-baked at
best. And as any typical teen would, the
two girls used that lackluster reaction
as part of their motivation to make that
plan a reality.
“No one took us seriously,” said
Brooke Eyrich as partner Meghan
Lisle nodded her head in agreement.
“So we used that doubt to drive us
and prove them wrong.” Thus, M&B
Cookie Jar was born.
The final concept was a long time
coming as the girls pondered and discarded many options before settling
on baking and selling cookies.
“We knew we wanted to do something for charity,” said Lisle. “So we
thought about cooking meals and
some other ideas, but cookies seemed
like the easiest thing to do.” And
as Eyrich added, “Everyone loves
cookies.”
The duo, both seniors at Quince
Orchard High School, chose St.
Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital
as their charity. This was due in large
part because Lisle has a cousin living
in Tennessee who suffers from childhood Leukemia.
“Once we got the ball rolling, we sat
down and made a brochure and logo
and gave it to our family first,” Lisle
explained. The families jump-started
the fledgling operation with $100 in
seed money. Then things really took
off.
“We wanted to put the cookies in
mason jars with ribbon,” said Eyrich,
“so we went to Kmart
and found them for
$.75 apiece, and we
filled our first order on
Aug. 4.”
An order consists
of a dozen cookies
packed in a labeled jar
and tied with a ribbon
for $7, or a half-dozen
cookies in a bag with a
ribbon for slightly less.
Current flavors include
M&M cookies, chocoMeghan Lisle and Brooke Eyrich have cooked up $1,500 for St. Jude’s
late chip, sugar, oatChildren’s Research Hospital by selling homemade cookies through their
meal and more.
charity business, M&B’s Cookie Jar.
“We just expanded to offer shipping out of county or at Oktoberfest, selling all but a box
state for an extra fee,” said Eyrich, or two of jarred cookies. “We made
“and we hope that helps with the hol- $1200 at Oktoberfest,” said Lisle. “So
that gives us about $1500 total since
idays coming up.”
Looking for a way to reach a broad- August. We never thought it would
er audience, the pair decided to set take off this fast.”
That $1500 is currently in an onup a booth at Oktoberfest in the
line account linked to a St. Jude’s
Kentlands last month.
“We had to get permits from the Walkathon the girls are doing in
city for the booth,” said Lisle. “It was Tennessee on Nov. 23.
“We are really excited about going
so complicated.”
to
Tennessee,” said Eyrich. “One of
Eyrich’s mother, Kylah, concurred,
the
reasons that we picked a big charadding, “The city of Gaithersburg
ity
like
St. Jude’s is because we knew
was so wonderful to work with.
they
could
help us with marketing
They were great and really walked us
and
a
web
page.
Being linked with
through the entire process so we could
their
page
is
so
much
easier. If we ever
get the girls set up with a booth.”
host
a
bigger
event,
we know they
Committing to Oktoberfest meant
will
send
us
things
to
hand
out, too.”
a lot of baking—3,600 cookies to be
Baking
doesn’t
seem
time-consumexact—and you can’t accomplish that
ing unless you consider that both girls
without help.
“We babysit a lot,” said Eyrich, are trying to complete college ap“and the kids we sit for helped bake plications and finish out their senior
and take around brochures. Our fam- years.
“I don’t know how we find the
ilies helped, too.”
M&B’s Cookie Jar was a success
n
Sweet success Continued on page 6
On a picture-perfect Veterans Day, 18 men and one
woman who had served in World War II through the
Vietnam War were honored by Kentlands Manor staff
and their fellow residents. Michael Baniak, Quince
Orchard High School sophomore and Pritchard Music
Academy student, began the ceremony with a beautiful rendition of “Taps.” Boy Scout Troop 291 North
Potomac helped with the flag-raising ceremony, and
World War II veteran Betty Davis carried the flag.
Vivian Stevens, Kentlands Manor assistant property
manager, thanked all veterans for their “willingness
to die defending this country,” and introduced each
resident veteran by name and type of service. They
are Guy Berado (Navy), Eugene Blacher (Army),
Bob Blazo (Army), Orrin Butts (Army Air Force),
Betty Davis (Army Medical Corp), Gordon Golder
(Marines), Alex Grabowski (Navy), Walter Jimenez
(Army Ranger), Joe Katzel (Army Medical Corp),
Ronald Lee (Army), Mel Longhi (Army), Eugene
Lunghofer (Air Force), Ronald Mahan (Navy),
James Martin (Army Air Corp), Maurice Martin
(Army), Ronald McCleary (Air Force), Dan Miller
(Army), Robert Placious (Army Air Force), and Allen
Pritchard (Army Air Force). Each veteran was presented with a certificate of appreciation and a pin.
Rockville Fire Station 31 stood in attendance
Deck the Halls in Red, White and Blue
“How nice would it be if people put red, white
and blue bunting, ribbons or an American flag up
when they decorate for the holidays?” said Terri
Downs, owner of JT Interiors in North Potomac and
Kentlands resident. Downs’ father, father-in-law and
uncle all served in World War II, and the idea came
to her this Veterans Day—why not start an initiative to make this holiday season a patriotic one in the
Kentlands community. “We have a lot of retired and
working military here,” she said, “and it would be
nice to honor the people coming home.”
Downs urges Kentlands businesses and residents to
include American flags and other patriotic decorations
with the usual garland and lights.
Lakelands Turkey Bowl 2013
Lakelands resident Ed Fowlkes and Direct Deals MD
are organizing the 3rd Annual Lakelands Turkey Bowl
at Lakelands Park field, 8:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving
morning for residents of the Lakelands, Kentlands and
surrounding neighborhoods. This year, the Lakelands
Turkey Bowl raises funds for Manna Food Center in
Gaithersburg. A $10 cash donation to Manna may be
brought to the game but is not required to participate.
Donations to Manna Food Center for the game may
also be made online here: http://bit.ly/turkey2013.
n
around town Continued on page 14
Page 4
MEETING CALENDAR
11/25
Mayor and City Council Work
Session, 7:30 p.m., City Hall
12/2
Mayor and City Council Meeting,
7:30 p.m., City Hall
12/4
Mayor and City Council Meeting,
7:30 p.m., City Hall
12/5
Historic District Commission
Meeting, 7:30 p.m., City Hall
For the latest information on city
meetings, visit the city of Gaithersburg
website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
The Town Courier
November 22, 2013
cityscene Frederick Corridor Study Opens a
Dearth of Options
On Oct. 14, Sage Policy Group, Inc.,
Dewberry, and The Traffic Group presented findings from the Frederick Avenue
Corridor Development Capacity Study to
the city of Gaithersburg. The study indicated that the Frederick Avenue corridor
was seeing a decline in economic growth
in surrounding areas, and its major recommendations included boosting aesthetic appeal and attracting more businesses to the
area.
The presentation was met with a lot of
discussion from Mayor Sidney Katz and the
City Council. Some of the recommendations by the City Council included amendments to the zoning districts to underground utilities, thereby reducing the risk
of outages and improving the aesthetics of
the neighborhood. On Nov. 7, the city received a $50,000 grant from the Maryland
Department of Business and Economic
Development (DBED), covering nearly
half of the cost of the Frederick Avenue
Corridor Development Capacity Study.
At the moment, the city staff is working on a strategy to prioritize and implement recommendations, said Gaithersburg
Economic Development Director Tom
Lonergan.
Gaithersburg Awarded Medal
for Let’s Move! Initiatives
Four medals were awarded to
Gaithersburg for actions taken to improve
access to healthy, affordable food and increase opportunities for physical activity. Gaithersburg received Gold, Silver
and Bronze medals for helping residents
make healthier choices with their food.
Information is prominently displayed at all
city venues where food is available. The
city also received a Bronze medal for promoting nutrition and physical activity in
early care and education settings. Among
the city initiatives that meet this goal are
its Start Smart© sports programs for 4and 5-year-olds and their parents, support
of supplemental meal programs for elementary school students, and educational
programs coordinated through the city’s
grants to nonprofit organizations for food
assistance.
The awards were given by the National
League of Cities (NLC) in conjunction with Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move!
campaign.
Aquatic Center
Renovations on Track
The city of Gaithersburg and
Montgomery County Public Schools
(MCPS) have completed structural repairs
to the Gaithersburg Aquatic Center, located
at 2 Teachers Way. The facility, which was
built in 1975 and is co-owned by MCPS
and operated by the city of Gaithersburg,
has been closed since January 2012 when
cracks that compromised the building’s
structural integrity were discovered in exterior support columns.
The city of Gaithersburg and
Montgomery County Government are
now working together to complete interior
improvements to the swimming pool complex. Facility enhancements include a new
white coat for the main pool, a new filtration system and installation of an ultraviolet disinfection system. It is anticipated that
the Gaithersburg Aquatic Center will reopen in spring 2014.
City Identifies Most Vulnerable and
Chronically Homeless
As part of the nationwide 100,000
Homes Campaign, an effort to identify the
most vulnerable and chronically homeless, the Gaithersburg Team did a survey of
homeless people in the city from Nov. 4-6.
Diane Dorney
Publisher
301.330.0132
news@towncourier.com
309 Main Street
For Advertising: 301.279.2304
Also on the Web at www.towncourier.com.
Matt Danielson
President
301.330.0132
matt@eink.net
Pam Schipper
Managing Editor
301.330.0132
pam@towncourier.com
Debi Rosen
Advertising Manager
301.279.2304
ads@towncourier.com
Sandra Christian
Advertising Sales
240.401.1020
sandra@towncourier.com
Staff Photographer
Phil Fabrizio
Staff Writers
Nora Caplan
Jenny Chen
Mike Cuthbert
Nora Fitzpatrick
Maureen Friedman
Sean Gossard
Betty Hafner
Sheilah Kaufman
Jeff Kinney
Karen O’Keefe
Vanessa Mallory Kotz
Donna Marks
Syl Sobel
Maureen Stiles
Student Writer
Christina Xu
Compiled by Jenny Chen
The city found eight homeless people in
three designated areas: 355 Corridor, Olde
Towne area and Quince Orchard shopping center. Those who could be surveyed
were surveyed to determine their needs.
“This is the first time we have participated in the 100,000 Homes Campaign,” said
Gaithersburg Acting Director of Homeless
Services Jimmy Frazier-Bey. “[The vulnerable and chronically homeless] are the
most likely to die if they don’t get housing.”
Gaithersburg Adds New Speed
Camera on South Frederick Avenue
A new location was approved for enforcement efforts under the city of
Gaithersburg’s Safe Speed Program on
the southbound side of South Frederick
Avenue at Education Boulevard. The posted speed limit in the 500 block of South
Frederick Avenue is 35 miles per hour. The
camera became operational on Oct. 28.
Local Charities Benefitted by
Annual Winter Lights Festival
The 18th City of Gaithersburg Winter
Lights Festival, Nov. 29-Dec. 31 at Seneca
Creek State Park, will benefit the following
six local charities. Andy’s Safe Haven rescues dogs that are scheduled for euthanasia
in high-kill shelters. The Asbury Methodist
Village in Support of Gaithersburg Beloved
Community Initiative supports intergenerational relationships and initiatives between Asbury Methodist Village residents
and youth and families in the surrounding neighborhoods. Baby’s Bounty MC,
Inc. provides essential clothing and gear
to babies born into disadvantaged families. Friends of Wells/Robertson House,
Inc. supports a continuum of prevention
and intervention programs and services to
reduce chronic addiction and homelessness in the community. The Gaithersburg
Community Soup Kitchen provides hot,
nutritious meals and other essential services to homeless and needy persons in the
Gaithersburg area. The Pain Connection Chronic Pain Outreach Center, Inc. provides information, psychosocial support,
coping skills, and training to individuals
with chronic pain, as well as their families
and healthcare providers. For more information, visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/
winterlights.
Advisory Committee Members
Sought for Bus System
The MTA is currently building a rapid
bus transit system throughout Montgomery
County from Clarksburg to Shady Grove
Metro Station in Gaithersburg. Corridor
Cities Transitway (CCT) Area Advisory
Committees have been created to aid in
the creation of this system. Committee
n
city scene Continued on page 5
©2013 Courier Communications
The Town Courier is an independent monthly newspaper
providing news and information for the communities
of Kentlands, Lakelands and Quince Orchard Park in
Gaithersburg, Md. The paper is published by Courier
Communications, which is responsible for the form,
content and policies of the newspaper. The Town Courier
does not espouse any political belief or endorse any
product or service in its news coverage. Articles and
letters submitted for publication must be signed and may
be edited for length or content. The Town Courier is not
responsible for any claims made by advertisers Letters to
the Editor and Commentary do not necessarily ref lect
the views of the staff, management or advertisers of The
Town Courier.
Page 5
POLICEBeat By Jeff Kinney
Police Say Cameras Are Saving Lives
By Jeff Kinney
S
peed cameras might be annoying,
but they have curtailed speeding and
saved lives, according to Sgt. Scott
Scarff of the Gaithersburg Police Department’s traffic unit.
Scarf recounted the origins and accomplishments of the Safe Speed Program on
Nov. 6, a few days after the city’s latest
speed camera location was approved on
the southbound side of South Frederick
Avenue at Education Boulevard.
Gaithersburg’s part of the program
(which is run concurrently by Montgomery
County outside of city limits) started in
2007 when the county and the state legislature first started investigating the use of
speed cameras. Scarff noted that cameras
had been used extensively in Europe, and
eventually various U.S. jurisdictions imported the idea.
“We moved in conjunction with
Montgomery County and Rockville,”
Scarff said. “The idea began with red light
cameras, and throughout the country there
was an effort to see if cameras could be
used for photo speed enforcement.”
After
considerable
research,
the
state green-lighted a pilot program in
Montgomery County. When the pilot proved to be successful, the city of
Gaithersburg presented the idea to the
mayor and City Council, and they gave
their blessing for speed cameras to be installed within city limits.
Currently the city manages two cameras mounted on mobile van units, two
fixed cameras on South Frederick Ave.,
and five portable cameras. These serve
11 approved locations: South Frederick
Avenue, Diamond Drive, Marquis Drive,
North Summit Avenue, Quince Orchard
Boulevard, Quince Orchard Road,
Watkins Mill Road, West Deer Park Road,
Christopher Avenue, Clopper Road and
Girard Street. The up-front cost to the city
is zero. The vendor, Xerox ACS, provides
and maintains the units free of charge in
exchange for a percentage of citation revenue, or $16.25 of every $40 fine.
Although both the city and Montgomery
County manage speed cameras, the only
overlap is on Quince Orchard Road, a
busy street that can use stepped-up enforcement. Even there, the city and county
cameras are located within the appropriate
jurisdictions.
Placing speed cameras requires a lengthy
investigation process. First, the city looks
at factors such as community complaints
about speed, the impact of traditional enforcement, and whether speed bumps
or some other approach would be more
appropriate.
Studies are then conducted to determine
the 85th percentile speed at the proposed
location. In order for speed cameras to be
effective, the majority of vehicles in the
area need to be traveling at least 12 mph
above the posted speed limit.
Finally, the city looks at criteria such as
the number, type and severity of collisions;
surrounding uses like churches, schools and
pedestrian walkways; and traffic volume.
If a camera is still deemed to be appropriate, all of these data are presented to an advisory committee composed of people representative of the community, who provide
their opinion in the form of a non-binding
vote. Finally, the city manager, mayor, and
City Council have to sign off.
Although Scarff said the program has
been instrumental in lowering speeds and
reducing collisions, he understands that
not everyone is enthusiastic about the cameras. Some people think they are mostly
designed to generate revenue, and others
consider them a violation of civil liberties.
“The revenue generation argument has
been around throughout the history of law
enforcement,” he said. “The police department has never looked at these cameras
from a financial standpoint. The program
from its beginning has always been about
safety. Plus, money isn’t necessarily a bad
thing.”
He said revenue from tickets is used to
pay for the program, and any profits are
funneled to public safety projects like sidewalk improvements.
As for civil liberties, Scarff sees little difference between a police officer standing
on the side of the road with a radar gun
and a standalone unit with a similar device.
“It’s kind of an emotional issue for a lot
of people,” he said. “I guess you feel better when you have a person you can argue
with.”
He also noted that cameras, unlike police officers, are always on duty and can
ticket every speeder. An individual officer
can cite only about one in every 30.
“I like to believe the silent majority are
in favor of the cameras,” he said. “Certainly
most people in the neighborhoods that
have them generally believe they’re a good
thing.”
cityscene
from page 4
members will partner with the MTA and
representatives from Montgomery County,
the city of Gaithersburg, and the city of
Rockville to plan the proposed station areas along the CCT corridor. They will be
advising in a variety of subjects, including
station design and amenities, safety and security, and traffic management.
Residents, community organization
members, area employees and business
owners are encouraged to complete the
self-nomination form to be on the committees, which can be found at www.mta.
maryland.gov/cct. Completed forms are
due to the MTA by Dec. 3.
Questions can be directed to Tracee
Strum-Gilliam, the project’s community
outreach coordinator, at 410.454.9761 or
strum@pbworld.com.
POLICEBLOTTER
Compiled by Jeff Kinney
Residential Burglary
On Nov. 7 at 8:02 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the unit
block of Pontiac Way. An unknown
suspect(s) entered the residence
through a window and removed
property.
On Nov. 11 at 5:24 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 200
block of Shadow Glen Court. An unknown suspect(s) forced entry into the
residence but did not remove property.
A traffic camera at Education Boulevard enforces safe
speed near Gaithersburg High School.
Source: Gaithersburg and Montgomery
County Police Reports
Page 6
The Town Courier
shoptalk
By Jenny Chen
Photo | Library of Congress
The holidays are officially ho ho humming along,
Thanksgiving and Chanukah quickly leading into
Christmas. This “throwback Thanksgiving” image was
created in 1909 by Schrader & Dennis, Three
Oaks, Mich.
W
hether your extended family is coming to town for
Thanksgiving or you’re staying home with your family, Kentlands
has plenty to offer.We compiled a list of
special things that area restaurants and
shops have to offer for the holiday.
The Bar Method Matches
Food Donations
The week of Thanksgiving, bring
in a bag of nonperishable food for
donation to Manna Food Center in
Gaithersburg and The Bar Method
will match your donation with another bag of food.
n
shop talk Continued on page 13
■ clongen labs opening
from page 1
to be reported to government authorities.
“Vector-borne disease” is the term commonly used to describe an illness caused by
an infectious microbe that is transmitted to
people by blood-sucking arthropods like
mosquitoes and blood-sucking arachnids
like ticks. The term “vector” refers to any
arthropod or arachnid that transmits disease through feeding activity.
The diagnosis and treatment of Lyme
disease patients in the United States is controversial within the medical community.
Greg Skall, a business attorney who is also
counsel to NatCapLyme, speaking at the
Clongen celebration summarized recent
research findings that indicate “39 percent
of patients later determined to have LD do
not meet CDC surveillance criteria for LD
serology.
“The research concluded that the two-tier (diagnostic approach) currently being
used in medicine is ineffective. Patients do
not develop antibodies early enough and
diagnosis of tick-borne disease remains
problematic as a result. The Lyme disease
test, designed for surveillance, not for diagnosis, has sensitivity set very, very low.
Therefore, by definition, it generates substantial false negatives — and obviously is
very problematic.
“Lyme patients need a high quality,
highly principled laboratory with a strong
commitment to improving tick-borne illness diagnostics. We are blessed to have
Clongen and Dr. Ahmed Kilani. His suc-
November 22, 2013
cess will mean
better and more
meaningful
services for sufferers
of LD and TBI,” he
emphasized.
“Our commitment from day one
has been to improve health,” said
Kilani in his concluding remarks.
“In addition to the
cell technology and
other molecular diagnostics we do,
I am committed
to Lyme patients,
tick-borne illnessPhoto | Karen O’Keefe
es and improving Dr. Ahmed Kilani, founder and president of Clongen Laboratories and Quince Orchard Park
diagnostics. This is resident, celebrates the grand opening of the lab’s new facility on Nov. 7 with Montgomery
County Executive Isiah Leggett, Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz and many others.
my mission.”
He quoted Dr.
city of Gaithersburg can all work togethBill Foege, a public health doctor who er to make certain that good businessspent his life fighting smallpox in Africa es remain in the state of Maryland and in
and is credited with devising the glob- Montgomery County. For that, we are
al strategy that led to the eradication of very pleased,” said Gaithersburg Mayor
smallpox in the late 1970s: “‘The philos- Sidney Katz.
ophy behind science is to discover truth.
Also on hand to congratulate Kilani
The philosophy behind medicine is to use
was Montgomery County Executive Ike
that truth for the benefit of patients. The
Leggett. “This is reflective of Montgomery
philosophy behind public health is social
County where so many businesses start at
justice.’”
Kilani observed, “We do not yet have the local level with an idea and with great
social justice. In an area plagued with tick- people. Our county is home to over 300
borne illness, we heard too many cries from biotech firms, the FDA, NIH, universities
women with little children suffering from and institutions.”
Leggett presented Kilani with a certifa problem no one could diagnose. We saw
icate
from the county “in recognition of
a need for someone to step up and put all
their resources and knowledge into (the ef- your nine-year anniversary and the openfort) to tackle tick-borne illness – and that’s ing of the new facility.”
Katz presented Kilani with a proclamawhat we have been doing.”
“This day shows that Montgomery tion that Nov. 7 “is Clongen Laboratories
County, the state of Maryland and the Day in the city of Gaithersburg.”
■ star diner
from page 1
options and a standard 3 percent annual increase. He currently pays $39.53 per square
foot, or $12,500 per month in rent, Kobrin
said. With a year-and-a-half left on the
most recent lease option, he began talking
to landlord Beatty this summer. He hoped
for a bit of a break on rent to bring his rate
more in keeping with current market value
for commercial space in the area.
Beatty was reluctant initially to negotiate and asked for payment of the $180,360
■ sweet success
from page 3
time … we just do,” said Lisle. “It is important to us to do something for others.
We already have our service hours completed, so this is not about adding something to the college application. We just do
it to give back.”
And the process has given them plenty
as well. “It has definitely made me more
money-conscious,” said Eyrich. “We
clipped coupons to save money so more
could go back to St. Jude’s.”
The girls put every penny possible back
owed, Kobrin said. He had no recourse but
to file for Chapter 11 reorganization on
Nov. 5.
“I did this to stay in business,” he emphasized, adding that debt owed is mainly
to Beatty Management Company.
Negotiations with Beatty resume this
week, and Kobrin is hopeful. He looks forward to providing great meals and camaraderie year round, as well as beautiful music
on warm evenings in Market Square for a
13th year.
“It’s business as usual inside the diner
with the same food and service,” Kobrin
said.
into the business and take no profit for
themselves. “It just feels really good to do
this. We are proud of it,” said Lisle.
And that pride extends to the parents.
“We were skeptical initially, but now we
are so proud of the girls and all that they
have done to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s
Research Hospital,” said Kylah Eyrich,
speaking for herself and Nancy Lisle.
Both girls are adamant that they “could
not have done any of this without our parents. They have been so supportive and
wonderful.”
If you would like to support M&B’s
Cookie Jar, you can find them on Facebook
or visit www.mbcookiejar.com.
Page 7
QOHS Directors Discuss The Mousetrap
third year as QOHS director, and The Mousetrap
uince
Orchard
marks his sixth show.
High School’s proStudent director Miranda
duction of Agatha
Levin is a third-year vetChristie’s murder mystery
eran of QOHS Drama and
The Mousetrap came to a
has played leads as Lucy in
close on Saturday, Nov. 16.
Charlie Brown and as Belle
The play was the culmiin Beauty and the Beast.
nation of eight intensive
She has played a supportweeks of rehearsal and
ing role in Legally Blonde
set construction, led by The cast of the Nov. 16 QOHS production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap includes Scotty Fletcher, Joand was an understudy in
QOHS Drama Director anna Wolfgram, Wyatt Muma, Sanjana Taskar, Lawrence Simon, Sarah MacPhee, Slava Yun and Simon Brake. Noises Off. Student direcScott Tarzwell and student
tor Nicole Beltran is also a
directors Nicole Beltran
arate casts—a completely different one for third-year veteran and has played a lead as a
(senior), Miranda Levin (junior) and Lara each weekend. There were 22 performers poet in An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe and
Dunkelberg (sophomore).
total, including off-stage radio announcers as Belinda Blair in Noises Off. She has diThe Mousetrap, set in London in the year and singers.
rected Legally Blonde and has been on run1950, follows the suspenseful activities of
Rehearsals for The Mousetrap began with ning crew for Charlie Brown and Beauty and
Monkswell Manor, a manor house new- a read-through on Sept. 16. The cast and the Beast.
ly opened as a modest retreat. On open- crew had a total of eight weeks to prepare,
The job of the student directors is to
ing weekend, a call comes from the police which is standard for high school play pro- block the play, make major production dewarning that a suspected murderer may be
ductions. Musicals, on the other hand, are cisions and guide the actors toward the diheaded toward the manor. A blizzard traps
rector’s vision. “The director ... will give
generally given 10 to 12 weeks.
the detective sent to investigate with guests
Tarzwell explained that the final week them the blocking of the scene. And then
at the manor. Chaos ensues.
before opening is known as “Hell Week,” we’ll run it with them and be on their butts
According to Tarzwell, the play opened
for lines,” explained Levin.
in 1953 in London’s West End, is still per- where the cast and crew “bring all aspects
Tarzwell’s introduction of a double cast
formed today, and is the longest continual- of the play (costumes, makeup, hair, block- is a major change from previous QOHS
ly running play in modern times. After 60 ing, lights and sound) together and work productions. “This being the smallest cast
years, the play remains fresh, and “does not out the kinks before the opening of the of a fall play in a very long time, it made
deviate from the original story by Agatha show.” This week “can lead to some late sense,” he said. “Rehearsals have actually
nights and some raw nerves,” he observed. become better. Since each character has a
Christie,” Tarzwell said.
At Quince Orchard, The Mousetrap was Typical rehearsals ran from around 2:45 partner watching, I have more eyes, and
performed in four shows: one matinee and p.m. to 5 p.m.; Hell Week rehearsals ran therefore, more effective notes are being
one evening performance on Saturday, from around 2:45 p.m. to 7 or 8 p.m.
taken.”
The Mousetrap was under the leadership
Nov. 9, and again on Saturday, Nov. 16.
The performances were played by two sep- of seasoned veterans. 2013 marks Tarzwell’s
n The Mousetrap Continued on page 14
By Christina Xu
Q
assignmenteducation
County Leaders Ask for More
School Construction Funds
At an Oct. 31 event at Julius West
Middle School, Montgomery County
School Board President Christopher
Barclay and Superintendent Joshua Starr
joined a group of state and county leaders
in asking the state of Maryland to increase
funds for classroom and school infrastructure improvements. County Executive
Isiah Leggett cited enrollment growth between 2000 and 2012 of 15,000 students,
with 25,000 additional students predicted
to enroll in the next 12 years. The school
system is asking the state for $20 million
and the county will invest $40 million to
fund $750 million in construction bonds.
Hope and Innovation
More than 750 people attended the 2nd
annual State of the Schools at the Music
Center at Strathmore on Nov. 11. In his
address, Superintendent of Schools Joshua
P. Starr recognized Blessed Sheriff, a junior
at Richard Montgomery High School, and
praised her poem on what hope means to
her. “I loved how Blessed compared hope
to a fire that burns in us,” he said. “Hope is
what gets us up in the morning and keeps
us going all day. Hope motivates us to keep
trying. Hope is the engine of innovation.
And innovation is what I really want to
talk to you about today.” He continued
to explain how MCPS has “not run from
change. We have welcomed it and lever-
aged our current structures to provide our
students with the education, support, and
services they need.” Goals for the future
include eliminating the achievement gap.
While MCPS serves many students very
well, “despite our best efforts we have not
been able to reach some children, and many
of them are students of color, students with
special needs, students who are learning
English, or students who are poor.”
Understanding the Common Core
Tune in to MPT Thursday, Nov. 21, 7
p.m. for a Maryland Public Television program on Common Core State Standards
and how Maryland students are preparing for college and career. This “Today’s
Student, Tomorrow’s Workforce” edition of the Town Hall television program
is aired in partnership with the Maryland
State Department of Education. For
more information, visit www.mpt.org/
education/studentworkforce.
2014 African American History
Month Essay Contest
The city of Gaithersburg’s Multicultural
Affairs Committee is holding an essay contest for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students
based on the question, “In your opinion,
which African American has made the
greatest contribution to our society and
why?” Submissions are due Dec. 6. The
top three winners will read their essays
at the African American History Month
Celebration on Feb. 18, 5:45-7:15 p.m. at
the Activity Center at Bohrer Park.
What to wear
to a holiday party or a cruise?
Rent Designer Dresses
FashionLib.com
margaret@FashionLib.com
• Now offering a free try-out at
your convenience
• Fashion jewelry available
240-888-8659
Page 8
The Town Courier
■ sher
from page 1
artist. Her work has been sold by Lennox,
Winterthur and Disney. At one point, she
was in more than 200 stores.
In fact, while Sher spent her childhood
constantly thinking of ways to make or
decorate things, she never took many art
classes. “I couldn’t leave anything alone,”
she said. “I felt like I was a mad scientist
sometimes … sew it, glue it, paint it, jewel it.”
Her parents discouraged her from pursuing art professionally. “They said, ‘No way.
You’ll starve,’” she recalled.
Sher also liked science, “so I became a
histologist and I worked in Detroit hospitals, but I took an adult education class in
china painting and it was like, ‘This is so
fun.’”
She started painting every night, and
people started asking if they could buy her
work. “I was just so excited that somebody
wanted what I did,” she said.
She liked her lab work—she did diagnostic work for surgery and autopsies—but
her art provided a necessary release. Then
she was offered a job in research, accepted
it and ended up with a month off between
positions.
“Somebody said, ‘Just try this (art)
show. Just try it,’” she said. “So I tried it.
Even with a blizzard, I made more than I
made in a month (at her fulltime job). So I
never looked back. It took me on quite an
adventure.”
She hooked up with Harper Galleries out
of Chicago, bought a camper and toured
with them. The camper gave way after a
while to a Dodge ’58 Bluebird school bus
that was completely revamped with all
November 22, 2013
of the amenities of home—kitchen, full
bathroom, bedroom and living room. She
loved touring. “I went into labor with my
son at a fair,” Sher said, smiling.
“The most wonderful thing about this is
that you meet so many incredible people,”
she emphasized, “the customers and the
other artists. Being part of this art community, what a gift.”
After her son was born, she settled in
Florida for a couple of years and eventually
made her way to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Her porcelain work and jewelry supported
them well and put her son through college.
She sold through venues as diverse as
Bellagio in Las Vegas and the Japanese
home shopping network. “I was having the
time of my life,” she said.
When her son finished college, she felt
that it was time for a change. That’s when
Lulu and Mew came back. “I drew for like
three weeks straight. I was obsessed,” Sher
said of the return of her beloved childhood
characters.
Then “I incorporated the porcelain into
the drawings,” she explained. Today, Lulu
and Mew shine happily on iridescent porcelain tiles.
She decided to go back on the art festival
circuit and give Lulu and Mew new life.
Eric Winter, fellow artist and significant
other, works with her, championing booth
design and setup—“He’s a genius,” Sher
said—as well as graphics for “Life with a
Bit of a Giggle.”
Their booth comes complete with pink
chandeliers that light Lulu and Mew’s glittering life. One of Sher’s drawings says,
“Everyone needs a little sparkle in their
life. I just need a little more.”
Through her art, Sher shares that sparkle
with everyone she meets.
Page 9
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Contact AMY & PATRICIA at
240.472.1719 or 240.672.7783
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Page 10
The Town Courier
November 22, 2013
The ParkPages
News and Current Events for Quince Orchard Park
n
Meeting Calendar
Jan. 14 — HOA Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
E-mail your contributions to karen@towncourier.com
n
November 2013
MANAGEMENT MENTIONS
Trash and Recycling
Photos | Phil Fabrizio
(Top) Halloween Pizza Party sponsors said this year's crowd was the
biggest yet. They are (left to right)
Nicole Savarick, Amy Schwartz and
Liz Pilloff.
(Left) Among the guests at QOP
Halloween 2013 were superpowers
Jordan and Madison Bookhart.
Dog Duty and Animal Matters
QOP News
QOP Cub Scout Food
Drive A Success
Holiday Home Decorating Contest
Trash, which is collected on Tuesday and Friday, must be
placed in lidded trash cans. Trash should not be left for collection in bags. These bags are ripped open by dogs, birds
and other pests, and trash is strewn throughout the community. Continued use of bags may result in fines.
Consider painting your house number on your trash cans
and lids so they may be returned on windy days. It is also
helpful to label recycling bins with house numbers – and to
place bagged newspapers and magazines atop commingled
materials in the bin. Trash cans and recycle bins must be
stored out of sight on non-pickup days.
Recycling is picked up on Fridays. Containers, with lids,
are now available from the city of Gaithersburg. Please
contact the city at 301.258.6370 to have a lidded bin delivered and the old one picked up. The new bins will lessen
the problem with trash in the neighborhood. It is helpful
to label recycling bins with house numbers. Lids may be
attached to bins by drilling small holes and attaching with
twine.
Bulk recycling pickups are the first Friday of each month.
Dec. 6 is the next bulk recycling pickup in Quince Orchard
Park.
The city of Gaithersburg and Potomac Disposal
(301.294.9700) both offer collection services for bulk items
at no cost. Under no circumstances should items be dumped
in the woodlines or natural areas, including yard waste.
MyGaithersburg
“MyGaithersburg” is an
This year’s deadline for decorating the oute-mail-based news service,
Generous
Quince
side of your home is Dec. 21. The Quince
designed to help anyone
Orchard Park residents
Orchard Park Board awards first, second and
find out about city governwho participated in the anthird places. Prizes are Lowe’s gift certifiment news and events, emnual “Scouting for Food”
cates ($100, $75 and $50).
drive by Cub Scout Pack
ployment opportunities and
1316 donated an estimated
more. It is a "custom" serannouncements from the city of
450 pounds of nonperishvice that lets you select arable food that was collected Saturday Gaithersburg and the law enforce- eas of interest to you. Every notice
ment community.
morning, Nov. 9.
about a news or website update item
To sign up to receive e-mail bul- included in MyGaithersburg conSeven Cub Scouts distributed food
bags on Saturday, Nov. 2, and re- letins via the Quince Orchard Park tains a link to its location on the city
turned the following weekend to website, go to the website at www. of Gaithersburg website.
collect the donations. Donated food quinceorchardpark.com.
• To
sign
up
for
filled 70 bags.
• Login to the private side of the
“MyGaithersburg,”
go
to
“We had great weather for both
site. (Note: If you do not have
www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
Saturdays,” said Cub Scout leader
login information, please submit
• Click on “MyGaithersburg”
Daniela Stake. “The boys were in
a login request via the website.)
on the right menu bar. Follow
great spirits and worked really hard.
• Click on “My Profile” in the top
We were very proud of them. We
the prompts.
menu tab to go to your website
want to thank all the people that doprofile.
Alert Gaithersburg
nated food.”
•
Verify
that
the
e-mail
address
This alert system is administered
The Capital Area Food Bank disshown in your profile is the one by the city of Gaithersburg to contributes food collected by the metwhere you would like the bulle- tact subscribers during a major crisis
ropolitan area Scouting for Food
tins to be sent.
or emergency. Alert Gaithersburg
Drive.
• Click on “Subscriptions.”
will deliver important alerts, noSign Up to Receive E-mails
• Scroll down to the end of the tifications and updates to you on
page and click on e-mail bulle- all your devices at once (including
from Quince Orchard Park and
tin subjects for which you would e-mail account, cell phone, text
the City of Gaithersburg
like to receive notifications.
pager and other devices). Updates
The Quince Orchard Park website
•
Be sure to save all changes by and instructions include informasends e-mail with accurate, timely
clicking the box at the bottom tion on where to go, what to do
information regarding communiof the page.
or what not to do, and whom to
ty-sponsored and community-sanctioned activities, issues affecting
(Please note that this is an opt-in list- contact.
Emergency
messages
from
safety, health and physical welfare serv available to homeowners and not
of QOP residents, announcements tenants. If you do not opt-in to receive Montgomery County's Homeland
from the HOA Board of Directors certain types of announcements, they will Security Department are also sent
including calls for volunteers, and not be sent to the e-mail address listed.)
via the Alert Gaithersburg system.
Cleaning up after dogs is the legal responsibility of every
canine owner walking a dog in the community. Dogs are
not permitted off-leash on common property in the city of
Gaithersburg.
Contact Information for Gaithersburg Animal
Control
To report after-hours/emergency animal service calls,
city of Gaithersburg residents must now contact the
Montgomery County Emergency Communication Center
(MCECC) at 301.279.8000. MCECC will then notify
and dispatch a Gaithersburg Animal Control Officer for
response.
To report non-emergency animal service calls and for
information on related animal matters during regular business hours, residents may contact the Gaithersburg Animal
Control Office directly at 301.258.6343. Regular hours
of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m.
For more information, please visit www.gaithersburgmd.
gov/animal.
Website
Agendas for meetings and many other important documents (including minutes and meeting summaries) can
be found at the QOP website at www.quinceorchardpark.
com.
Crime Watch
New to the neighborhood? Join the Quince Orchard Park
Neighborhood Crime Watch Program. E-mail Ruchita
Patel at rpatel@tmgainc.com or Quinn Chase at qchase@
tmgainc.com to join the program or for more information.
QOP Management Contact Information
Quince Orchard Park Community Managers, Ruchita
Patel and Quinn Chase
C/o The Management Group Associates, Inc.
20440 Century Boulevard, Suite 100
Germantown, MD 20874
Phone: 301.948.6666
Fax: 301.963.3856
E-mail: rpatel@tmgainc.com
qchase@tmgainc.com
Holiday Gift House is Open
Page 11
Mon – Sat: 10:00 – 6:00
Sunday: 11:00 – 5:00
301.299.0487
9904 River Road, Potomac Md. 20854
Page 12
The Town Courier
November 22, 2013
HOME of
STONEWALL
KITCHEN PRODUCTS
Mon.-Sat.: 10 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sun.: 11 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
2013
arts& entertainment
Nov. 22-24, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday &
Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Montgomery
County Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg
More than 400 top artisans sell unique
creations—jewelry, clothing, ceramics,
fine art and more. Admission is $10 for
adults, and children 12 and under are admitted free. www.sugarloafcrafts.com
65 animated displays. The festival benefits six local charities: Andy’s Safe Haven,
Asbury Methodist Village in Support
of Gaithersburg Beloved Community
Initiative, Baby’s Bounty MC, Inc.,
Friends of Wells/Robertson House,
Inc., Gaithersburg Community Soup
Kitchen and Pain Connection - Chronic
Pain Outreach Center, Inc. Admission
rates per car are $12 Monday through
Thursday and $15 Friday through Sunday.
www.gaithersburgmd.gov/winterlights
Neil Simon’s God’s Favorite
The Magic & Comedy Society
Sugarloaf Crafts Festival
Nov. 22-24, 8 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays,
2 p.m. Sundays, The Arts Barn
Don’t miss the final weekend!
Montgomery Playhouse and the Arts Barn
present the story of Joe Benjamin, who is
a modern-day “Job” with a demanding
wife, ungrateful children and wise-cracking household employees. Admission is
$16, $14 for city of Gaithersburg residents.
www.gaithersburgmd.gov/theater
PHILADANCO
Nov. 23 at 8 pm.; Nov. 24 at 3 p.m.,
BlackRock Center for the Arts
For more than 40 years, PHILADANCO
has been known for its innovation, creativity
and preservation of predominantly
African-American traditions in dance.
A post-performance Q&A session with
the dancers follows both performances.
There is a pre-curtain talk on Sunday,
Nov. 24 at 2:15 p.m. Tickets are $32.
www.blackrockcenter.org
Kentlands Acoustic Jam Session
Nov. 26, 6-9 p.m., Kentlands Carriage House
Drop by to make or listen to beautiful music! You’re invited to bring a
pre-Thanksgiving dish, dessert or drink to
share. All are welcome, especially out of
town guests. For more information, e-mail
kentlandsjam@gmail.com.
Winter Lights Festival
Nov. 29-Dec. 31, 6-9 p.m. SundaysThursdays, 6-10 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays
Closed to cars Dec. 2 & 9; closed to all on Dec.
25, Seneca Creek State Park
Drive 3.5 miles through a winter wonderland of 365 illuminated vignettes and
Buca di Beppo
Relatives coming to town? Need to feed
10-plus mouths? Buca di Beppo is offering Thanksgiving meals for dine in and
carry-out to help you out! The dinner includes turkey, two side dishes and dessert
(including pumpkin cheesecake and cannoli). Hours will be limited due to the holiday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Grape Escape
The Grape Escape will be open on
Thanksgiving from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for all
those who are looking for alcoholic treats
to complement their feast. At 5 p.m., The
Grape Escape will host their annual dinner
for family, close friends and clients who ei-
Doctors First
Internal Medicine/Primary Care
Monday — Friday: 9 AM – 6 PM
• All ages
• Providing premier
primary care services
• On-site labs and
diagnostic studies
•
•
•
•
•
Minor injuries
Illnesses
Dot exams
Work exams
Sports physicals
Nov. 29, 8 p.m., The Arts Barn
Magician Mark Phillips hosts and performs with special guest Mutts Gone Nuts,
Scott Houghton’s hilarious trained dog act.
Tickets are $15 for nonresidents and $12
for city of Gaithersburg residents. Visit
comedymagicsociety.com or muttsgonenuts.com for more information.
Angelina Ballerina, the Very
Merry Holiday Musical
Nov. 30, 1 and 3 p.m.,
BlackRock Center for the Arts
Angelina and her friends plan an absolutely, positively spectacular holiday dance
pageant! Tickets are $14. www.blackrockcenter.org
Metropolitan Klezmer
Dec. 1, 5 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts
Metropolitan Klezmer brings eclectic exuberance to Yiddish music genres
from all over the map. Tickets are $25.
www.blackrockcenter.org
A Charlie Brown Christmas
with The Eric Byrd Trio
Dec. 1, 5 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts
The winsome and winning combination of the classic animated film and the
Eric Byrd Trio have made this a highly anticipated BlackRock December tradition.
Tickets are $14. www.blackrockcenter.org
Kentlands Acoustic Jam Session
Dec. 3, 6-9 p.m., Kentlands Clubhouse
Come ready to play! This group meets
twice a month, usually on the first and
n
arts & entertainment Continued on page 14
shoptalk
from page 6
Page 13
ther don’t have family or who can’t travel
home for the holiday.
Lebanese Cafe
Lebanese Cafe hosts its grand opening
on Nov. 23. True to Lebanese Cafe style,
there will be food samples, arts and music.
On Thanksgiving Day, the restaurant will
be open regular hours, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Wine Harvest
The Wine Harvest at 114 Market St.
will not be open for Thanksgiving, but
they will have a selection of their popular
Thanksgiving wines available for purchase.
Wines include pinot noir and German
Riesling. Stop by and ask about perfect
pairings for the Thanksgiving meal you
are planning!
Book appointments online at Drsfirst.com
or call 301-515-2902
806 W Diamond Avenue, Suite 110 • Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Also open extended hours at our Germantown office:
19785 Crystal Rock Dr., Suite 209 • Germantown, MD 20874
301-515-2901
Monday — Friday: 9 AM – 6 PM
Se Habla
Español
Page 14
The Town Courier
November 22, 2013
aroundtown
from page 3
Phil Fabrizio Wins Monty Award
Men and women ages 12 and up are invited for an incredibly fun but competitive game of football. Please RSVP to Ed
Fowlkes at ed@directdealsmd.com.
On Nov. 17, Montgomery Community
Media (MCM) contributors attended the
28th Annual Monty Awards at the BlackRock
Center for the Arts in Germantown. Thirtythree volunteer contributors to MCM were
recognized. Among them was Phil Fabrizio,
freelance photographer and Town Courier
Photo | Montgomery Community Media
staff member, who won a Monty in the new
category “Most Popular Blog.” His winning At Montgomery Community Media’s 28th Annual
Monty Awards, Phil Fabrizio was awarded a Monblog post is the Dec. 3, 2012, “Building ty for his blog “Building a Lasting Legacy.”
a Lasting Legacy” on last year’s 4A State
Championship game between the Quince Orchard Cougars and the Dr. Henry
A. Wise Jr. Pumas.
“It is a great evening out, and it’s just nice to watch it and learn what people
really do and how they utilize MCM to take advantage of their skills and really
highlight what their love is,” Fabrizio said at the event.
MVP at Kentlands Manor
Walter Jimenez, maintenance supervisor, is a Property Management Association
(PMA) Maintenance Professional Award
Winner, designated “2013-Most Valuable
Player.” Kentlands Manor staff surprised
him by attending the awards ceremony on Oct. 23 at Martin’s Crosswinds in
Greenbelt. Kentlands Manor residents honored him with a reception and cake on Oct.
29, and Joe Pritchard of Pritchard Music
Academy gave a moving speech. Jimenez
has worked for Kentlands Manor for approximately five years, and he was chosen
for the award from a pool of 180 properties
in the Maryland, Virginia and D.C. area,
according to Vivian Stevens, Kentlands
Manor assistant property manager.
Dine With Santa
Santa returns to Kentlands Mansion
Photo | Courtesy of the city of Gaithersburg
Stephanie Scangas and daughter Talia visit with Santa at
the annual Kentlands Mansion Dine With Santa event.
Dec. 7 and 8 for a 9 a.m. buffet breakfast
replete with holiday music by the Pritchard
Music Academy. Families can enjoy pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, breakfast pastries and fruit and take
lots of photos with Santa. Afterwards, head
over to the Arts Barn to make some fun
holiday ornaments. Reservations are required. The cost is $20 for adults and $15
for children ages 12 and younger. For more
information, visit www.gaithersburgmd.
gov/kentlandsmansion.
5th Annual Kentlands Tree Lighting
Ring in the holiday season with the
Kentlands Downtown Partnership Annual
Tree Lighting event. Gather on Market
Square behind Star Diner on Sunday,
Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. for music, activities,
refreshments, the tree lighting and Santa!
Live entertainment includes Impact
Performing Arts, Kentlands Community
Chorus, Pritchard Music Ensemble,
Rachel Carson Elementary School Holiday
Music Group and Throwing Wrenches.
Gaithersburg Mayor Sydney Katz and
members of the City Council will be on
hand as the crowd joins in the countdown
to lighting the tree. For more information,
visit www.kentlandsdowntown.com.
John Neumann Catholic Church is located at 9000 Warfield Road, Gaithersburg.
Rosborough Cultural Arts Center Theater
is located at Asbury Methodist Village, 409
Russell Ave., Gaithersburg. For more information, contact Suzanne Takahashi at
301. 258.6394 or stakahashi@gaithersburgmd.gov.
Singer Songwriter Concert Series:
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion
arts&Entertainment
from page 13
fourth Tuesdays. For more information,
e-mail kentlandsjam@gmail.com.
idents and $9 for children through grade
12. www.sandyspringtheatregroup.org
Gaithersburg Chorus Celebrates
Benjamin Britten With Winter
Scrooge!
Concerts
Dec. 6-22, 8 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays, 2 p.m.
Dec. 7 and 8, 7:30 p.m., St. John Neumann
Sundays, The Arts Barn
In 1970, renowned writer-composer-lyricist Leslie Bricusse adapted the classic Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol into
the hit screen musical Scrooge! Now adapted as a charming stage musical, Scrooge! enjoyed a hugely successful tour of England
starring the late Anthony Newly. In this
production directed by Ken Kemp, the
Sandy Spring Theatre Group includes six
new songs. Tickets are $18 for nonresidents, $16 for city of Gaithersburg res-
Catholic Church
Dec. 10, 7 p.m., Rosborough, Cultural Arts
Center Theater
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Britten, the
chorus will perform Britten’s beloved
“Ceremony of Carols” (1942) with harpist Monika Vasey and the jubilant festival cantata “Rejoice in the Lamb” (1943).
These free concerts are directed by Hugh
Harvey, III with organ and piano accompaniment by MaryLu Hartsell. St.
Kentlands Acoustic Jam at Lakeforest Mall
Dec. 7, 12:45-1:45 p.m.
Session regulars from Kentlands Acoustic Jam perform holiday songs in a
free program at Lakeforest Mall. Check out their music at www.reverbnation.
com/kentlandsacousticjam.
A Civil War Christmas at Home
Dec. 10, 7-8:30 p.m., Kentlands Mansion
Living history presenter Mary Lou Luff
portrays the mother of a Civil War-era
doctor. She’ll highlight food and holiday customs of the day as practiced in the
Gaithersburg/Rockville areas. Examples of
period gifts will be on display. Tickets are
$5. www.gaithersburgmd.gov/museum
■ the mousetrap
from page 7
“We weren’t planning on it,” Levin added, “but there was just so much talent that
we couldn’t decide.”
Beltran originally met the decision to
implement a double cast with skepticism.
She was “really afraid that because of double-casting—two people playing the same
role—people would get competitive.”
However, she noted that “it’s been surprisingly helpful. … [Each double’s] partner
has been so helpful. … They feed off of
each other’s power and positivity.”
Indeed, the whole experience of being
in The Mousetrap was empowering and positive. “My favorite part of the show is …
I get to hang around all these drama kids,
and I consider them my family,” Beltran
said. “They’re so fun to be around. And
when you see your family achieve their
goals in a show, it’s fulfilling.”
Levin echoed her sentiments. “I just like
seeing the actors grow. I like seeing them
achieve their goals. It’s really cool.”
The Mousetrap cast featured many “new-
Dec. 11, 3 p.m. workshop and 7:30 p.m. concert, Kentlands Mansion and the Arts Barn
Woody’s granddaughter Sarah Lee and
husband Johnny are a folk-rock duo with
remarkable melodic strengths. Don’t miss
the 3 p.m. singer songwriter workshop with
this husband-and-wife team or their 7:30
p.m. concert with Billy Coulter. Tickets
for workshop and concert are $50 for nonresidents and $48 for city of Gaithersburg
residents. Tickets for concert alone are
$30 for nonresidents and $28 for city of
Gaithersburg residents. Call 301.258.6394
for tickets and information.
bies” and freshmen. Going into rehearsal,
Levin and Beltran were concerned about
their level of experience. “I didn’t know if
they knew how to present themselves on
stage correctly, or if they would be able to
act this out well,” Beltran said.
After what Levin described as a “bumpy”
start, the cast worked out initial kinks
to produce a “fantastic” opening night.
Turnout was high with the audience actively engaged.
“A crowd’s imagination is just really active, and they had so many wide-eyed theories,” Beltran said. “And it was great to see
how interactive they were with this play.”
Levin and Beltran both praised the actors
for their ability to improvise. “Sometimes
they forget their lines, but the audience
doesn’t even know because our actors
are fantastic and they are on top of what
their characters’ influences are,” Beltran
explained.
Beltran found staging The Mousetrap “an
adventure.”
Levin concurred, adding “We all support each other, and we’re all really passionate about what we do.”
Page 15
KAUFMAN’sKITCHEN
Celebrating Chanukah and Thanksgiving Together
T
his year, for the
first and probably
the last time I will
celebrate them on the
same day, Chanukah begins on Thanksgiving. I
usually make some Chanukah recipes with oil,
or fried, as is traditional,
By Sheilah
but I also like to include a
Kaufman
cheese recipe. Most people celebrate with potato
pancakes, but if you think about it, potatoes
came from the New World and probably did
not get to the Middle East until the 1800s;
so originally, a cheese pancake was most
likely used.
I like to include cheese in remembrance
of the beautiful widow, Judith. She learned
that the Assyrian General Holofernes and
his army were coming to annihilate the
Jews of her community. She invited him
to dinner, plied him with salty cheese and
lots of wine (to combat the salt), and he
fell into a drunken stupor. While he was
asleep, she took his sword and cut off his
head. She carried his head out of the tent
and when the general’s army saw it, his
men fled. Judith saved the Jews from destruction, and cheese dishes remind us of
her courage and triumph.
Here are some delights that can be used
for your Chanukah, Thanksgiving or both.
Falafel Cigars
The new cookbook Starters & Sides Made
Easy by Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek
(Artscroll/Shaar Press, 2013) has arrived
just in time for the holidays. Yields 20 cigars.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1/2 lb ground meat
2 tablespoons falafel mix
1 teaspoon salt
firstperson
Decorum
I
grew up in a house that
any builder would be
proud to present as a
model home. Not because
of its size, but because it
was meticulously decorated and looked like no one
lived there. That is, until
you got to my room.
Much to my mother’s By Maureen
Stiles
dismay, the model home
gene skipped right over
me and was replaced with the “if I can still
see the bed, then my room is clean” gene.
As with many things mom related, I
now understand how frustrating that must
have been for her. The sheer restraint she
showed by walking past my room countless times a day and never giving in to
the temptation to enter it with a trashcan,
shredder or blowtorch to just end the pain
is commendable.
My house is a step up from my childhood
room in that I have gotten better at hiding
my disorganization and dislike for hangers.
I married someone more akin to my mom
in matters of the home, and I think this
saved me from myself.
One aspect of my orderly childhood
home did stay with me, though—how to
decorate the home for the holidays. A talented artist, my mother transformed our
home each Christmas in creative, beautiful
ways. One year, she created a door covering depicting the blessed family in vibrant
pastels. Every decoration had its place on
our imitation Christmas tree, replete with
paint-tipped branches to guide assembly.
For years when the kids were little, I too
transformed our home with crafty, sweet
decorations. For Halloween, I picked
up jaunty pumpkin swags for the fence,
matching wreaths for all eight windows
and fencing for Christmas that I spruced
up with ribbons and ornaments. The effect
was understated, elegant and just what my
mom would expect.
And then the kids were old enough to “help.”
5 (10-inch) whole wheat wraps
6 tablespoons hummus or tahini
2 cups prepared coleslaw
1 large egg, beaten
Oil, for browning
Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium
heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about
5-7 minutes. Add meat and brown, pressing with a fork to break up the clumps. Stir
in falafel mix and salt.
Cut wraps into four segments, like pizza
wedges. Place the rounded edge of a wedge
facing you, with the pointy tip facing away.
Spread a layer of hummus along the bottom-center, about 1-inch from the bottom
and sides. Top with layer of meat. Top meat
with coleslaw. Keep the filling in a long,
thin strip for nicely shaped cigars. Fold in
the two sides over the filling. Fold the bottom up over the filling, and holding the
filling in place with your fingers, roll up
tightly, jelly roll-style. Brush tip of wrap
with beaten egg to seal. Heat a thin layer of
oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When
oil is hot, add cigars, seam side down, and
cook until golden brown, turning once,
about 1 minute per side.
Apple Latkes
Did you pass my house this past
Halloween? If you did, you will remember
it as the one that looked like Linda Blair
spewed venom all over anything that didn’t
move, spun her head around 360 degrees,
declared it beautiful and left.
Leaving me here alone with nary a jaunty pumpkin face in sight, to live with the
aftereffects every day. Green and white
webbing was stretched everywhere except in places where the rain took its toll.
There, it was reduced to an unmanageable
clump of goo strewn with leaves.
I am not sure what that webbing is made
of but I think the astronauts could tether
themselves to the space capsule with this
stuff and never end up free-falling like
Sandra Bullock in “Gravity.” Decorating
with this webbing is a forever commitment, and I pick it out of my bushes all
year long.
Halloween signs, skeletons, spiders and
skulls were hung on the fence, thrown on
top of bushes, and clung to railings with
no consideration for symmetry or style. A
Frankenstein cutout with moveable arms
and legs hung from the front door. The
boys seized upon the monster’s mobility
and consistently placed his hands over his
privates and crossed his legs like he needed to find a restroom quickly, which made
him look more needy than scary.
It was hopeless. I had no choice but to
release. No one—hopefully—would think
that an adult had created this milieu. And
the kids were thrilled, although they wanted it to be scarier. I wanted to shout that
our house was scary alright, our house was
Martha Stewart’s nightmare come to life.
But it was my life and I had no choice
but to embrace it. So I sat on the steps
Halloween night, amid the decorating horror, picked webbing off my shoes, handed out candy and gave my mother a silent
shout-out in solidarity for the restraint she
showed throughout my childhood.
I usually serve a big breakfast on
Thanksgiving, and then we just snack until early dinner. This recipe is ideal for a
special breakfast or a nice side dish. From
a Polish Country House Kitchen: 90 Recipes
for the Ultimate Comfort Food by Anne
Applebaum and Danielle Crittenden
(Chronicle Books) presents 90 recipes for
simplified Polish classics. Serves 4 to 6.
2 apples, peeled and coarsely grated
1 cup flour
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup water
pinch of salt
1 to 2 tablespoons grape seed or vegetable oil, plus more if needed
Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling
Place the apples, flour and yogurt in a
bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Add
eggs and stir, then water and salt and mix
again. Heat a large skillet over medium
heat, and spread just enough of the oil on
the bottom to cover it thinly (too much and
pancakes become greasy). Drop a heaping
1 tablespoon of batter onto the pan for each
pancake; do not let them touch one another. They should be thick and chunky. Cook on one side until the bottom is golden (3 to 5 minutes depending on how hot
your pan is), then flip.
As they cook, place them on a plate covered with paper towel, and if layers are
needed, place the paper towel in between
the layers. Before serving, sprinkle with
sugar.
Editor’s Note: For more recipes, go to www.
cookingwithsheilah.com.
Page 16
The Town Courier
November 22, 2013
nora’scorner
Riding the Rails Home for the Holidays
I
’m sorry to say that my
experience on Amtrak
just isn’t the same as
the B&O and the Frisco
trains were when I used to
take them in the late l940s
and early ‘50s. Part of my
pleasure of being reunited
with my family used to be
By Nora
that “sentimental journey”
Caplan
from Washington, D.C., to
St. Louis, and then on to
Springfield, Mo. The first time I took Amtrak to Raleigh, N.C., a few years ago, I had
looked forward to dinner in the dining car,
where I had anticipated a leisurely, enjoyable
meal on a white linen tablecloth, centered
with a fragrant red rose in a silver vase. I
had hoped to watch the passing landscape as
I was served by a waiter in a starched white
jacket. Instead, I found plastic-covered tables
in a club car, not a dining car. The menu
included such choices as chicken nuggets,
and there were no formally attired waiters
in sight. Self-service was the order of the day.
I used to save ticket money for weeks in
advance before I went home to Missouri,
not that the ticket cost so much. It was that
I was earning so relatively little in those
days. Still, my jobs with the Veterans
Administration and then the Library of
Congress were more enjoyable than my one
and only year of teaching English in a rural
high school in southwestern Missouri.
As Thanksgiving and Christmas approached, I could hardly wait to arrive at
Union Station and then some years later at
the B&O station in Silver Spring. I wore
travel clothes – sometimes a suit, hat and
gloves – even though I usually rode coach.
I wanted to look like a sophisticated city
girl when my family first saw me step off
the train. (During the ‘40s, jeans were just
beginning to be popular with teens and
young adults.)
St. Louis was an overnight trip on either the B&O or the Pennsylvania RR.
Each line took different routes west.
The B&O traveled up to Harpers Ferry,
crossed the bridge over the confluence of
the Potomac and the Shenandoah rivers,
and chugged through the Appalachians
in West Virginia. The Pennsylvania RR
went north and during the night rounded
the historic “Horseshoe Curve” five miles
west of Altoona, Penn. If I stayed up late, I
could look back and see the very last car of
the train. But I usually was asleep by then.
We pulled into the huge Union Station
in St. Louis the next morning. I had about
a half-day layover before I could board the
Frisco train that left for Springfield, Mo.,
late in the afternoon. After lunch I headed
for the bookstore within walking distance
that I had discovered the first time I had
taken the train home for the holidays. I still
have the small phonetic New Testament I
bought there once. Browsing was a pleasure that could last me almost until my
departure time. The city streets and department stores were decked out in holiday finery, and I began to get excited about
coming home again.
As the Frisco (St.
Louis – San Francisco
Railroad) slowly left
Union Station and
picked up speed southward, I began to recognize familiar place
names as we passed
them: Bois d’Arc
(pronounced “bowPhoto | Courtesy of the History Museum for Springfield Greene County
dark” in our vernac- A group boards the Frisco train in 1957 to go home for the holidays.
ular); Rolla, where
my cousin had been graduated from the formed waiter first served me a demitasse
University of Missouri’s School of Mines; of coffee in a blue and white cup on a sauLebanon; and finally Springfield. It was to- cer that read, “Good morning from the
Frisco Railroad.”
tally dark by now. Lights twinkled along
Sometimes my Washington-bound trips
the approach to our red-tiled roof, white
on the B&O were adventurous. Once I
stucco Santa Fe-styled station. And there
met a handsome midshipman returning
all of them were – my dear family, waiting
to Annapolis from his home in Missouri.
for me – Mother, opening her purse to get This resulted in an invitation to a “hop”
out a handkerchief to dry her eyes; Brother, one weekend at the Academy and sailing
smoking a Camel cigarette; Sister, taking on the Severn River. Another time I sat
my mother’s arm to steady her; my two beside an older man who turned out to be
nieces, who were only a few years young- an FBI agent, on what kind of mission I
er than I, waving to me. We fell into each have no idea.
other’s arms and began to babble, “How
I never ceased to be uplifted when we
was the trip? How long can you stay? I’m pulled into Union Station in Washington,
starved. Let’s go home and eat. …”
D.C., and I saw the Capitol straight ahead
When my visits home had ended and I as I exited. Somehow when I used to take
had to return to the East, the train to St. the train, I felt as if I had really traveled
Louis left Springfield about midnight, as I hundreds of miles when I arrived at my
recall. If I managed to awake early enough destination. Nowadays when I fly home,
the next morning before we had pulled even though air travel is less tiring for
into the maze of tracks leading to St. Louis, me, I’m not really sure I’ve actually left
I made my way to the dining car. A uni- Maryland and arrived in Missouri.
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onTHE GO Page 17
By Eileen Schlichting
The Discreet Charms of Baltimore
H
enri Matisse, Léon Bakst, passionate
collectors, unique homes, upscale dining and growing sophistication make
Baltimore an ideal getaway for a weekend,
or even a long Saturday or Sunday jaunt.
If your idea of Baltimore is based on John
Waters’ idiosyncratic movies (think Divine
in “Pink Flamingos” and not “Hairspray”)
or the neighborhood buddies struggling with adulthood in Barry Levinson’s
“Diner,” it’s time for a new look. The
neighborhoods and joints of Baltimore remain, but they’ve been graced by upscale
restaurants and hotels that provide a great
base for enjoying Baltimore’s rich cultural
offerings.
Friendship remains a central theme in
this city. It’s the linchpin of the story of the
two Cone sisters who brought modern art
to Baltimore. Heiresses to the Cone Mills
denim manufacturer fortune, Claribel and
Etta Cone visited Gertrude and Leo Stein,
also Baltimore natives, in Paris and thus
began a lifelong love affair with modern
art. The Steins introduced the Cones to
Pablo Picasso, then only 24 years old, and
Henri Matisse on that first trip.
For the next 50 years, the Cones made
many journeys to Europe and purchased
paintings, drawings and collectibles. They
filled the rooms of their two apartments in
the long-gone Marlborough Building on
Eutaw Street with an array of great art and
tchotchkes. After Claribel’s death in 1929,
Etta continued to collect art for another 20
years until she passed away in 1949. The
sisters had agreed to bequeath their personal collection to the Baltimore Museum
of Art (BMA) if “the spirit of appreciation for modern art in Baltimore became
improved.”
Baltimore must have stepped up, as
the Cone collection became the core of
the BMA’s Modern European Art galleries. It is considered the finest collection of
Matisse’s art in the world.
At the BMA, you can confront paintings like Matisse’s 1935 “Reclining Nude”
in large, well-lit spaces. You can step into
a living room full of furniture and objects from the Cone sisters’ apartments on
Eutaw Street, and you can see what it was
like to live with great art on an everyday
basis. A fascinating computer simulation
shows you where the modern paintings
hanging in the BMA were once placed in
the Cone sisters’ apartments.
Family fortune, a love of Paris and a passion for art are also on display at Evergreen,
a unique house museum and library managed by Johns Hopkins University. This
time, the fortune was made along the
tracks of the B&O Railroad, under the
ownership of the Garrett family. Three
generations of Garretts lived at Evergreen,
a Greek Revival mansion that was successively renovated to showcase their growing
library, coin and art collections.
Show up for one of the hourly tours at
Evergreen, and a docent will escort you
into a pre-WWII salon for art and culture. The last Garretts to live at Evergreen
were John Work Garrett, a diplomat, and
Alice Warder, who loved the European
salons where painters, dancers, musicians
Photo | John Schlichting
Night falls over Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
and writers mingled. During their marriage, the family’s amazing library and
world-class collections were enlivened by
then-contemporary art from masters such
as Picasso, Dufy and Modigliani. Alice is
often the subject of these paintings, and it’s
fun to trace the artistic trends of the day
through her portraits.
Evergreen, however, was not meant to
showcase a collection. Instead, it was intended to be a place where art happened
on a daily basis. A weekend guest might
have found Cole Porter at the piano in the
1930s, following a dance recital given in
the home theater designed by Léon Bakst
who was best known for his costumes in
the Ballets Russes. The theater Bakst designed at Evergreen is considered a modernist gem. Alice was often one of the
dancers, and you’ll see her costumes on
display. Book lovers will appreciate the
fact that Evergreen is dominated by its
multi-story library, home to such treasures
as the double elephant folio Audubon’s Birds
of America.
Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore’s
Clipper Hill area is the perfect spot for dinner after a day filled with art. Now celebrating its fifth year, Chef Spike Gjerde
has received national renown for his dishes built on superb local ingredients and
thoughtful flavor combinations. Virtually
every ingredient is made in-house, so the
charcuterie is home-cured, and pickles,
peaches and relishes were hand-canned
when summer produce was at its peak. The
menu changes often as it’s based on what
is fresh. Don’t miss the charcuterie plate,
pickles, any vegetable dish or the delicious
ice creams and sorbets.
If you would also like to sleep near
modern art, your best bet is the new Four
Seasons located between Baltimore’s Inner
Harbor and Fell’s Point. This stylish hotel added a welcome shine and splash to
Baltimore when it opened two years ago
as the city’s only five-star hotel. The bar
scene is lively, especially when happy hour
specials are offered. During the summer
months, the fourth floor splash pool and
grill are popular with both locals and outof-towners. An up-to-date spa makes the
hotel ideal for girlfriend getaways or a romantic weekend date. The best rooms have
harbor views. Hotel restaurants include
LaMill, with cutting-edge coffee preparations, Wit & Wisdom Café, an American
bistro, and Pabu, an upscale Japanese
Izakaya pub that has been praised by Tom
Sietsema of The Washington Post. Within
easy walking distance are a number of
Baltimore’s hottest restaurants.
Eileen O’Donnell Schlichting, a Kentlands
resident, is a certified travel advisor and president of Transatlantic Travel.
Welcome to The Lodge, a restaurant filled with rustic charm that evokes images of the Pacific Northwest’s open ranges and untouched natural beauty.
The great outdoors is not just seen in our interior craftsmanship, but inspires
our entire menu. Our food is all natural and all American, and the menu offers
a plentiful harvest of fresh meats, produce, and grains directly from your local farms. Experience a better organic burger, bison, venison, wagyu, elk, wild
boar, duck, kangaroo, and lamb—the way nature intended it: fresh and free of
hormones and steroids. It’s all reminiscent of a time when you got your food
from your own farm or your neighbor’s the day you ate it—“from farm to fork”
as we like to say. You can feel good at The Lodge because it’s delicious and it’s
good for you. So gather your family and friends, cozy to the fireplace, and eat
well—because we brought the great outdoors indoors just for you!
5100 Buckeystown Pike, Suite 174, Frederick, MD 21704
301.662-5852 • www.lodgerestaurant.net
Monday-Thursday 7am-11pm • Friday-Saturday 7am-12 pm • Sunday 7am-10pm.
Page 18
The Town Courier
November 22, 2013
Sports
Cougars Whomp Wootton, 40-0
By Mike Cuthbert
“W
No. 21 Nils Ebeka helps his team reach new heights as the Cougars win against Wootton, 40-0, on Nov. 8.
e just had to get our swagger back, to get ready for
the new season. It’s 0-0
now,” said Mike Murtaugh, a clean and
fresh-looking senior quarterback. Murtaugh
had just finished leading his Cougars to a
40-0 whomping of the Wootton Patriots on
Nov. 8.
Murtaugh was 7 for 11 for the night,
scored from 3 yards out, kept a couple of
other drives alive and played a thoroughly
relaxed game. He summed the evening up,
“I just throw the ball up, and they catch the
ball. That’s it.”
Coach Mencarini, on the other hand,
was still angry over the previous week’s
poor game against Northwest. He commented, “I don’t like losing.”
Was he still angry after a 40-0 blowout
win?
“I feel better,” he admitted. “It was how
we needed to respond. We came out angry,
and we thank Northwest for waking us
up.” The alarm clock went off early as QO
scored on its second play with Murtaugh
hitting Kyle Green for 34 yards.
Once woken up, the Cougars never stopped. Wootton, a team that set state
records for passing offense just last week,
never threatened them.
Wootton Patriot sophomore quarterback Sam Ellis was harassed, chased, flattened and crushed to the point of altering
his throwing motion and throwing a handful of interceptions while gaining very few
yards.
QO’s Brad Walker started the giveaway
parade with a recovered fumble that led to
a Cougar TD, and he followed it a bit later
with a grab that stopped a 16-play Patriot
drive at the QO 3. Walker grabbed one and
on third and twenty and ran it back to the
Wootton 3, leading to Murtaugh’s TD that
made it 34-0 deep in the first half.
John Ten Eyck surrounded yet another
Ellis toss that was cashed in on one play
later with a pass to Malcolm Brown from
18 yards out. At 2:24 left in the half, the
Mercy Clock started and the scoring for
the night ended at 40-0.
Notable for an away game was the fact
that the Red Army, calling a “white out,”
drowned out the home crowd the entire
game.
Cougars Top Clarksburg to Advance to Regional Final Rematch vs. Northwest
By Syl Sobel
K
evin Joppy has been called “Twos”
since childhood, based on sharing the
same name with his father. But this
week people may start calling him “Fives”
after the Quince Orchard running back
who wears no. 5 scored five touchdowns to
lead the Cougars to a 42-21 playoff win over
Clarksburg last Friday at the Cougar Dome.
QO’s victory combined with Northwest’s
36-7 thrashing of Gaithersburg sets up a 4A
West regional final match-up Friday night
at the Dome between the Cougars and the
neighboring Jaguars (9-2), who beat QO
three weeks ago for the only blemish on
their 10-1 record.
“I’m just happy we’re still playing”
said Quince Orchard head coach Dave
Mencarini after the hard-fought, physical
game against Clarksburg.
The Cougars’ theme this season is “allin” as they try to return to the state final
for a third consecutive season and win the
championship that’s eluded them. Friday
they played their best hand in the elusive
Joppy, who picked and powered his way
through the Coyotes defense for 231 yards
on 35 carries. He scored on runs of one,
three, three, 48, and three yards, and added
a two-point conversion.
“In the playoffs you want to put the
ball in your best players’ hands,” said
Mencarini, explaining why the multi-faceted Cougar offense relied so heavily on
Joppy’s running. The soft-spoken Joppy
deflected credit for his big night, saying
“the O-line was opening huge holes.”
The Cougars also featured wideout
Malcolm Brown in the wildcat formation,
taking direct snaps and gaining 28 yards on
5 carries. More “getting the ball to your
playmakers,” Mencarini said.
The game began ominously for QO
as Clarksburg took the opening kickoff
and marched 66 yards downfield on nine
straight running plays, taking a 7-0 lead at
7:45 of the first quarter. The Red Army
crowd stirred nervously, but the Cougars
countered quickly with their own groundbased attack, tying the game on Joppy’s
one-yard run.
“We had to make some adjustments,”
Mencarini said of Clarksburg’s early success. And sure enough the Black Paw
Defense stiffened and held the Coyotes to
less than 60 yards rushing the rest of the
night.
Meanwhile, QO scored on two of its
next three possessions on short runs by
Joppy and took a 20-7 lead into the locker
room at halftime. The Cougars stayed on
the ground and passed the ball only when
necessary to keep drives alive. Quarterback
Mike Murtaugh had an efficient 9-15 performance for 102 yards, including a 16-yard
touchdown pass to Preston Bampoe-Addo
on the opening drive of the second half,
which essentially put the game out of reach
at 28-7 with Joppy’s two-point conversion.
Clarksburg did not go down without
a fight, however. A 10-yard scoring pass
from Joe Nacci to
Terrell Drakeford in
the opening minute
of the fourth quarter
halved the score to 2814. Joppy responded
with a 48-yard scoring burst up the middle, but with 6:29 left
Coyote running back
Tavis Holland took
a pitch and tossed a
perfect pass to Bruno
Anyangwe in the back
of the end zone for a
21-yard score to again QO cornerback/wide receiver Malcolm Brown (No. 7) plays in QO’s hard-fought victory
trim QO’s lead to two over Clarksburg in the Nov. 15 4A West Regional playoff game.
touchdowns.
Kyle Gregory recovered the ensuing … so we have our work cut out for us.
squib kickoff, and QO marched method- They have a very explosive offense and
ically downfield behind key third down stingy, well-disciplined defense. … They
completions to receiver Elliott Davis and are a very talented team.”
This week, all the story lines converge.
tight end Greg Williams. Joppy’s fifth
touchdown accounted for the final margin. It’s the Battle of Great Seneca II, a neighDespite the win, Mencarini acknowl- borhood tussle between friends and riedged that his team had work to do to pre- vals who got a little chippy last time they
pare for Northwest. Clarksburg’s two sec- met. It’s the Rematch for the Regionals, a
ond-half passing touchdowns exposed the chance for QO to avenge their defeat three
same kind of vulnerabilities that Northwest weeks earlier, end Northwest’s season, and
exploited in their win. And, as Mencarini advance to the state semis. It’s The Next
said bluntly of the Jaguars, “they beat the to Last Hand in this all-in season as the
tar out of us last time.”
Cougars bid to play at M&T Bank for the
Northwest head coach Mike Neubeiser, big stakes that have eluded them the past
a former QO assistant, also paid respect to two years.
his opponent. “Quince Orchard is one of
It’s Friday Night Lights at the Cougar
the best programs in the state of Maryland Dome Nov. 22. Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Page 19
Northwest Tops Gaithersburg,
Heads to Region Finals
By Sean Gossard
W
ith Northwest High School firing
on both sides of the ball in the final weeks of the season, it was only
a matter of time for them to reach the regional semifinals.The Jaguars proved on Friday, Nov. 15, that their three-game winning
streak, including six of the past seven games,
was no fluke heading into the region finals
against Quince Orchard on Friday, Nov. 22.
First Northwest had to overcome a
tough division foe in Gaithersburg, which
the team did with a resounding 36-7 win
in the 4A West region semifinals. Helping
carry the team to victory was Northwest’s
senior wide receiver Matt Watson, who
caught for 197 yards and two long touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Mark
Pierce.
Pierce played well in the outing with 311
yards in the air, four touchdowns and 10 or
15 passes completed.
After scoring on a six-yard pass in the
first quarter, Gaithersburg tied the game
in the second with a touchdown run from
quarterback Nick DeCarlo.
Northwest seemingly put the game out
of reach in the second quarter when Pierce
threw to Watson for 58- and 85-yard
touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, the Jaguars
came up huge with several key turnovers.
The biggest of these came in the third
quarter when Gaithersburg was pushing a
steady drive deep into Northwest territory.
Senior Rodney Snider was able to recover
a fumble and return it more than 70 yards
for a touchdown, putting the score out of
reach at 28-7.
Quince Orchard, ranked No. 1 in the 4A
West division, topped Clarksburg 42-21
to set up the championship match against
Northwest. In their last matchup on Nov.
1, the Jaguars topped Quince Orchard
35-21.
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Page 20
The Town Courier
November 22, 2013
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Gaithersburg`s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Kentlands

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