October 2012

Urbana’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Urbana, Villages of Urbana, Ijamsville and More
The
TOWN
Vol. 8, No. 10
Courier
Faith Issue
Local Women
Make Dinner
Preparation
a Dream
Urbana
Northern
Development
May Expand
By Gina Gallucci-White
By Kristy Crawford
I
O
n Sept. 19, the Frederick
County
Planning
Commission approved the
addition of 110 homes to the original plans for the Urbana Northern
mixed-use development.
Natelli Communities plans to
build 610 homes, plus commercial and office space on 181 acres
on Md. Route 355 northwest of
the Villages of Urbana. The commission also supported removing
age restrictions for approximately
30 percent of the homes.
“The commission also approved eliminating the original requirement from 2006,”
Supercxynski said, “that would
have required the developer to
contribute $250,000 toward an
I-270 Transitway Study.”
All but one planning official
approved the proposal, which
will include single-family homes,
townhouses and condominiums.
n
urbana expansion
PRSRT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Gaithersburg MD
Permit #1722
Continued on page 4
Photo | Kristy Crawford
Pastor Chris Bishop of FaithPoint United Methodist Church, left, pauses for a photo with parishioner Mike Betteker while breaking down
equipment after Sunday services at Urbana Middle School.
Portable Churches in Urbana’s Schools
By Kristy Crawford
E
very Sunday morning at around 8:30 a.m., a
dozen or so members of FaithPoint United
Methodist Church meet at Urbana Middle
School’s cafeteria to set up for Sunday services.
They empty two trailers, put out several tables
and rows of chairs, and set up the instruments
and speakers for the church band. The nursery
and Sunday school rooms are prepared, and welcoming packets and refreshments are set up. An
hour-and-a-half later, the 10 a.m. service begins. After the hour-long service, parishioners often hang around to chat, and then the crew gets
busy breaking down, packing the trailers and
cleaning up.
“We have a dedicated team of helpers. They
could probably do this with their eyes closed,”
said FaithPoint pastor Chris Bishop. “There is real
community created as the team serves with one
another.”
By 1 p.m., the group is gone, and no one would
ever know they had been there.
As in many newer communities in the United
States, churches have flocked to Urbana and surrounding areas to meet the spiritual needs of the
growing communities. Some of the new churches
launch by meeting in local schools. According to
a 2007 national survey by LifeWay, a Christian research agency, more than 12 percent of newly esn
portable churches Continued on page 10
Green Meadows Petting Farm Kicks Off
Fall with Barnyard Days
By Teresa Bell-Stockman
G
The Town Courier
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
October 2012
reen Meadows Petting Farm offers a handson experience for all ages, and this fall the
Monrovia farm has big plans. The season officially opens on Oct. 3 and runs through Nov. 4.
Marketing and Events Coordinator Maggie
Mackay is excited about the kickoff weekend, Oct. 6
and 7.
Barnyard Days will feature a large pumpkin patch
and farmyard maze, with a reduced admission of $8
(admission is usually $12). And “everyone gets a
pumpkin,” Mackay said.
For Barnyard Days, Mackay has also lined up
the local Fire Department to make an appearance,
and a slew of vendors will sell food and wares. Also
planned are scarecrow-making, pumpkin painting,
face painting and free games and crafts. In addition,
hayrides through the nearby woods will be offered.
As always, the main attraction is the animals.
If you have ever driven by the farm, located at the
t is 5 p.m. Your stomach is
rumbling, but the refrigerator
looks like a ghost town.
‘What’s for dinner?’ is the question of the moment.
Two local women created a business five years ago this
month to help answer that daily question with easy to prepare,
home-cooked meals that save
time and some money, as well.
Jamie Carr and Tracey Muragaki
are the owners of Urbana Dream
Dinners, located in the Turning
Point Inn Shopping Center.
To celebrate the anniversary,
the business is offering a variety
of special offers for new and returning clients, including holding a raffle to give away five $100
gift cards and offering meals for
$5. Normally the meals are priced
from $11 to $20.
Dream Dinners is a national franchise with two stores in
Maryland: Urbana and Silver
Spring. The Urbana store mainly
n
dream dinners Continued on page 18
Local Faith
Experiences
By Kristy Crawford
A
Photo | Teresa Bell-Stockman
Sydney the kangaroo loves to lie in the sun and can be quite sociable.
corner of Fingerboard and Prices Distillery roads,
you can’t help noticing the emus, alpacas, llamas,
goats and sheep, donkeys, pigs, cows, horses, mules
— and even two zebras. There is also a buffalo, a
ccording to a 2011
Gallup poll, nine out
of 10 people believe
in God in some form, although their interpretations
and attitudes can run the entire spectrum of religious beliefs. Religion is a personal
topic and private for some,
but many Urbana area residents were happy to share
their experiences with faith
when approached for interviews this month. While
this shows just a sampling of
the faiths in our area, these
n
n
BArnyard days Continued on page 12
local Faith Continued on page 13
Page 2
The Town Courier
October 2012
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Page 3
Muslim Students Welcome People of All Faiths
By Sally Alt
Compiled by Kristy Crawford
T
he Muslim Student Association
(MSA) at Urbana High School
(UHS) isn’t just for Muslims.
The association’s members welcome
students of all religions to join or attend its activities throughout the year.
The MSA, which has about 20 student members, meets every two to
three weeks to discuss issues related
to Islam and plan events. Last year,
the association also started hosting
an after-school Friday prayer group
at UHS in which students take turns
leading prayers and giving a sermon.
“Anyone is welcome,” said Deborah
Winkles, an art teacher at Urbana
High School and advisor for the MSA.
In 2008, students asked Winkles to be
the advisor of the association, she said.
“I was concerned about how the
Zumba Classes in the Villages
Photo | Tracey McCabe
Urbana High School’s Muslim Student Association participates in many fundraising and cultural awareness
activities and meets every two to three weeks. Pictured from left are Scott MacDonald, Allison Kang, Rashidah Zhussanby, Grahya Guntur and Taliqa Rafiq.
media in the United States projected ideas about what it means to
be a Muslim,” she said. Winkles, a
non-Muslim, said she had studied
Islam and Islamic art in college.
Winkles said she does help facili-
tate the group, but the “kids really do
run the show.” The MSA provides a
place to have discussions about current events and Islam-related issues
that kids don’t have the chance to talk
n
MUSLIM ASSOCIATION Continued on page 14
An Accidental Tourist Sets Up Shop
By Julie Virnelson
O
ne of the first things customers will hear as they enter Paul
Berkowitz’ antique shop is,
“Hello, where are you from?” There
is a story waiting in the answer to that
question, as well as the beginning of a
relationship.
Berkowitz is a storyteller at heart,
and he cares to share his stories with
those who walk into one of his shops.
Wandering through the well-appointed store, which is heavily laden
with antiques of deep, rich woods and
sumptuous textures, as well as soaking up the history behind each piece,
makes a visit to Great Stuff by Paul an
experience.
Berkowitz is often at the larger of
his downtown Frederick stores and
n
accidental tourist Continued on page 14
shoptalk
Zumba classes are
now available in the
Villages of Urbana.
VOU resident Carol
Monroe teaches two
classes every week
— Thursday, 7 – 8
p.m., and Sunday,
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. —
both at the Natelli
Photo | Submitted
Community Center.
The first 12-week Villages of Urbana resident Carol Monroe
poses with Beto, the founder of Zumba
session started on at a recent trade show. Monroe recently
Sept. 20, but drop- began teaching Zumba classes two days
ins are always wel- a week at the Natelli Community Center.
come. The cost is $5
per class, and a 10-class punch card can be purchased
for $45. The minimum age for classes is 16.
Monroe took her first Zumba class at her gym in
2009 when she went to lose baby weight from her
two children.
“I was overtaken by the music and the fun everyone seemed to be having,” Monroe said. “I have been
hooked ever since.” She first started teaching Zumba
at the Tuscarora Recreation Center and now wants to
share the popular exercise class with Urbana.
“I hear people say they can’t dance and are too shy
to try Zumba,” Monroe said, “Zumba is not about
getting the steps right, but about moving your body
and having fun. You don’t have to look like your instructor, just have a good time.”
For more information, visit Monroe’s website
at www.carolmonroe.zumba.com or email her at
LetsZumba@me.com.
Photo | Bethany E. Starin
Paul Berkowitz runs two antique shops, both named Great Stuff by Paul, in downtown Frederick.
Photo | Kristy Crawford
Construction is near completion for RE/MAX PLUS on Urbana Pike, next
to Wesley Chapel.
Spiritual Films and Dialogue Build Frederick Community
By Sally Alt
I
nspired by their spiritual faith,
four women in Frederick County
are striving to make a difference in
the world by working at a local level.
Barbara Boden and Tonette
Hartmann at Unity Church in
Frederick show films with a spiritual focus at events they have dubbed
Conscious Cinema. Sue deVeer and
Anastasia Rosen-Jones organize community-building workshops and potluck dinners as part of their Small
Zones of Peace Project. All four of
these women say their goal is to educate and inspire others to help create
more peace in the world.
The Unity Church shows a variety of spiritual films at its Conscious
Cinema events that are open to the
public in September, November,
January, March and May. The mission
Photo| Sally Alt
Unity Church hosts Conscious Cinema events that
bring together people of all faiths to watch and
discuss spiritual films.
of Conscious Cinema is “to awaken
universal consciousness in the heart
of community,” said Boden, a member of Unity Church in Frederick
who leads the program, as well as a
women’s healing group called Our
Heroine’s Journey. Boden said she has
been a seeker of universal truth for
more than 25 years.
The spiritual films are “positive, uplifting, thought-provoking and entertaining,” said Hartmann, Conscious
Cinema’s co-leader. Movies shown
at previous events include, “I Am,”
by the Hollywood director Tom
Shadyac, and, “Visions,” by Barbara
Marx Hubbard. In September, Unity
Church showed the movie, “Happy,”
which takes viewers on a search for
the secret to happiness across five
continents.
The films can help people get
through difficult times by giving
viewers an “expanded understanding
of who we are as humans and spiritual
beings,” Boden said.
Unity Church in Frederick provides childcare at every Conscious
Cinema event and, following the
movie, volunteers serve homemade
cookies while people gather in small
n
SPIRITUAL DIALOGUE Continued on page 15
RE/MAX Office Coming to Urbana
Construction is nearing completion for RE/MAX
PLUS in Urbana. The real-estate office is completing a major overhaul of a mid-20th century home
on Urbana Pike, next to Wesley Chapel, that once
housed a Maryland State Highway office, video store
and dance studio.
RE/MAX also has independently owned and operated offices in nearby Clarksburg, Mt. Airy and
Gaithersburg. With the rapid growth in Southern
Frederick County, RE/MAX PLUS owner Robert
Krop saw a need for a more local presence and said,
“Urbana is the place to be.”
Eleven agents will be connected to the Urbana location. For more information, visit the RE/MAX
website at www.plus.maryland.remax.com, or call
301.874.5050.
Facebook Provides Resident Information
Local Facebook pages have become very popular in
the past few years as a way to help neighbors communicate and share information. Several have been cren
shop talk Continued on page 24
Page 4
The Town Courier
October 2012
AskTHE EDITOR
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
For advertising: 301.606.8833
Also on the Web at www.towncourier.com.
Diane Dorney
Publisher
301.330.0132
news@towncourier.com
Matt Danielson
President
301.330.0132
matt@eink.net
Patsy Beckman
Advertising Manager
301.606.8833
patsy@towncourier.com
Sandra Christian
Advertising (Frederick)
sandra@towncourier.com
Claire Fleischer
Copy Editor
Bethany E. Starin
Managing Editor
240.409.6734
bethany@towncourier.com
Sally Alt
Staff Writer
sallyalt@earthlink.net
Madelyne Xiao
Intern Writer
Staff Photographers
Phil Fabrizio
Tracey McCabe
Staff Writers
Nora Caplan
Betty Hafner
Sheilah Kaufman
Teresa Bell-Stockman
Gina Gallucci-White
Kristy Crawford
News Writer
kbcraw@gmail.com
©2012 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
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or advertisers of The Town Courier.
Faith Notes
W
hen the air
turns crisp and
I begin to smell
brown-sugar and cinnamon notes, I know fall
has come. Fall to me is
synonymous with favorite memories of my mom
— her killer pumpkin By Bethany
cake and fresh fall decE. Starin
orations. It reminds me
that another season of life
has come to an end, and a fresh one is about
to start.
If I’m honest, what the changing seasons
of climate and life remind me of the most
is faith.
I had a favorite poster framed on my wall
when I was a teenager— a large black and
white print of dramatic rock formations in
Colorado Springs, Colo. — and below it
was written: Faith, the certainty of things
hoped for and the confidence of things
not seen. A definition, a scripture I’d often heard, but something that didn’t really
echo in my soul until I needed to grasp a
faith of my own.
My parents both had strong faith in God,
my Dad the senior pastor at the church I
grew up attending. Growing up, what was
attractive to me about their faith was not
what I heard on Sunday, but the fact that
what they believed about God weathered
the seasons of our family’s life. They didn’t
reject God when my mom fought breast
cancer and later a brain tumor. But looking back, I see that I mostly leeched off
their faith — until I found myself in a place
where they were not anymore — rather
isolated in the rural villages of India.
I’d headed to India in the winter of 2005
to figure out if I wanted to be a teacher,
volunteering nine weeks at an orphanage and school in Visakhapatnam, a city
on the east coast of India. In the process, I
found I had an incredible passion to write
the stories of the people I was meeting, to
tell the stories of individuals hidden in rural villages. In addition to this discovery, I
was completely thrown out of my comfort
zone — no phone, computer, nothing familiar to eat, not even a comfortable place
to sleep. I needed a confidence in something far greater than myself to have a true
hope in life.
When doing research for this month’s
issue of The Town Courier, I interviewed
Matthew Bostick, profiled in our Teacher
Spotlight this month (see page 5), who said
that one of the things that most drew him
to his faith was the direct relationship with
God the Quaker faith offered.
One of the most incredible spiritual experiences of my life was discovering just
that. Standing in the town square in a rural
village of India, I looked out over this vast
ridge of mountains and was suddenly aware
that the God of the universe had pursued
me, giving me the gift of faith. He became
a personal God to me on that trip — one
who cares about the details of my life and
not only in my salvation. Since then, I discovered that faith is not just about one sea-
son of life, it’s something to call on in all
seasons whether we realize our need of it
or not.
This issue of The Town Courier focuses
on faith represented in the people, families and religious groups in the Urbana
area. Urbana High School (UHS) junior
Spencer Allgaier said something during
our interview that struck me.
“Religion ... is ultimately the most important thing in this life. It’s not just soccer
or friends — it’s religion,” he said.
These pages show the wealth of passion
for faith in our community, a range of topics from a Muslim Association at Urbana
High School (see page 3) to person epiphanies by our columnist, Nora Caplan (see
page 25). Take a look at the athlete profiles
on page 32, stories of young men who are
willing to bear their faith in front of their
teammates, both on the wrestling mat and
on the soccer field. On page 8, foodie writer Sarah Withers digs into a plate of Greek
fare offered at the Greek Orthodox Food
Festival last month. Don’t miss the way a
local church has rallied around John Smith
and his family during their difficult time
(see page 6) or the local women seeking to
make a different through community conversations (see page 3).
I would love to hear your stories of faith
— how your faith affects your everyday
living and the way you view and tackle
life. Contact me at 240.409.6734 or jot me
a note anytime at bethany@towncourier.
com.
■ urbana
is hardly anywhere left for students to play
at recess.”
Tom Natelli, president of Natelli
Communities, has agreed to donate close
to 13 acres to the area for a new elementary school.
The revised plan will be presented to
county commissioners for final approval at
a public hearing on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. at
Winchester Hall.
For
more
information,
contact
Community
Development
Division
Director Eric Soter at 301.600.1138
or
visit
www.PlanningandZoning@
FrederickCountyMD.gov.
from page 1
expansion
Commissioner John McClurkin was the
sole dissenting vote because of his concern
with overcrowded schools.
Urbana resident, Cyndi Jacobs, agreed.
“I understand that we live in a growing area, and I support development for
new business and jobs,” Jacobs said, “but
without a solid timeline for building a new
school or a solution to the overcrowding,
I don’t think there should be more housing built. There are so many portable classrooms currently at Centerville that there
C
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The Town Courier
October 2012 Page 5
TeacherSPOTLIGHT
AROUNDTOWN
Matthew Bostick: Science Teacher at
Friends Meeting School
By Bethany E. Starin
A
t Ijamsville’s Friends Meeting
School, science teacher Matthew
Bostick begins his classes with what
he’s dubbed his “Moment of Chill.”
“I have a moment of silence that I call
my Moment of Chill,” Bostick said. “We
take a deep breath and we focus on the objective of the day — which is not only science but focusing on [them as people]. ...
Bottom line, I will be teaching science, but
I am also interested in them as students.”
Bostick said this proves effective, helping the students to focus and allowing him
to keep a calm voice tone in his classroom.
Bostick also fuses humor with this calm
classroom mood.
“It’s a long day for us all so we might as
well have some laughs along the way,” he
said with a laugh.
Bostick, 31, began teaching four years
ago at Friends Meeting School after completing a graduate degree at the University
of North Carolina (UNC). While at
UNC, Bostick taught undergraduate biology — among other classes — and discovered his passion was to teach high schoolers
and at a Quaker school.
A 2003 undergrad graduate from
Guilford College, a Quaker-founded
college, Bostick said he was drawn to
Quakerism during his years there.
“[Quakers] want to see a change in the
world with everyone treated equally. I was
really liking what I heard and seeing how
Quakers influence the world in a positive
way and are very accepting,” he said.
Another aspect of Quakerism that appealed to him was the direct relationship
to God that it holds out — without a pastor
being involved. “When I started hearing
these ideas, I realized that is how I had felt
for my entire life.”
Because Friends Meeting School is a
school built on Quaker values, Bostick
often continues his Moment of Chill by
posing a question to the students, sometimes based on the theme of the school
that month. For example, the theme for
September was “God in Others.”
“In this context [I might ask] how you
respect someone else’s individuality,” he
said, adding that he might pose to the students the question, “Are you are person
who is tolerant?”
When prepping for his science lectures,
Bostick said it is very important to him that
the students grasp science concepts. This
year he’s teaching Advanced Placement en-
Jewish Preschool Fosters
Interfaith Atmosphere
By Bethany E. Starin
A
t lunchtime on a September afternoon, Margie Barber chats with
nine 3- and 4-year-olds as they
happily munch on sandwiches and sip
juice boxes, talking about how they’re
going to spend the upcoming Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Barber is the director of Beth Sholom Early Childhood
Center in Frederick and said she agreed
to direct the school on one condition.
“The only way I agreed to be the director was if I could still teach, which
is my first love,” Barber said with a
warm smile, adding that she teaches the
4-year-olds every Friday. “Really every
child is different, every class is different,
and I just have never gotten bored [of
teaching]!”
Beth Sholom Early Childhood Center
has about 60 students from ages 2 to 4
enrolled this fall, including students
from Urbana. Interestingly enough,
out of the nine students participating
that day in what they’ve dubbed Lunch
Bunch that fall afternoon, only a couple
are from entirely Jewish families. Most
are part of interfaith families, with one
parent Jewish but not the other.
Barber adds that this is true of the
school enrollment as a whole. Only
Photo | Bethany E. Starin
Students gather in the lobby after Lunch Bunch at Beth
Sholom Early Childhood Center in Frederick, a Jewish
preschool that welcomes students from families of
all faiths.
about 30 percent of the students are from
a home where both parents are Jewish,
and about 50 percent of the students
come from interfaith families. The remaining 20 percent of students have
families with no Jewish connection
whatsoever, Barber said.
For those who are Jewish or from interfaith Jewish families, Barber said the
classrooms do help provide a sense of
community — something Barber explained she did not have in her classrooms growing up.
“Growing up here in Frederick
County, I was often the minority in my
class, and I think that is still the case,”
n
beth SHOLOM Continued on page 21
Compiled by Kristy Crawford
Photo | Kristy Crawford
With the help of American Red Cross employee
Chris Zenobia helps Urbana resident Chuck
Hancock donate blood in August at the Urbana
Volunteer Fire and Rescue Station. The fire station
periodically holds blood drives to help maintain
supplies for area residents in need.
Urbana Fire Station Holds
Blood Drive
Photo | Kristin Antonino
Matthew Bostick teaches science at Ijamsville’s Friends
Meeting School and fosters a discussion-oriented classroom atmosphere.
vironmental science, chemistry and a middle school science course. After his lectures, Bostick said Quakerism shows up in
the classroom through the fostering of re-
On Aug. 30, Urbana Volunteer Fire
and Rescue held a blood drive to support the American Red Cross. The
station runs periodic drives to support
ongoing and emergency needs for
Frederick County.
VOU resident Chuck Hancock attended for one of many donations in
several years. “I’ve probably given 10
gallons to the cause since high school,”
Hancock said.
American Red Cross employn
n
teacher spotlight Continued on page 22
around town Continued on page 19
Page 6
The Town Courier
October 2012
John Smith Moves Forward
By Kristy Crawford
A
t the end of their recent dedication ceremony at the Unitarian
Universalist
Congregation
of
Frederick, Aiden, Cilly and Neil Smith,
were thrilled to watch their father, John,
do a backflip in front of the congregation
this summer. At ages 6, 4 and 2 respectively, the Smith kids were always delighted to
watch any of their parents’ feats and antics,
but this was special.
“It was a first for Neil,” said Smith, “He
has never known his dad as anything but
sick since he was born, and I want my kids
to see their dad as a strong person who is
a fighter and won’t give up.” It was quite
a feat for Smith, considering what he had
been through for the last two years.
Smith, a Frederick resident, is a former competitor in diving and trampoline,
and a long-time diving coach at several
Frederick County high schools. He started
the Frederick Area Divers program in 1988
and has trained national-caliber competitors, including Urbana High School senior
Lydia Lehnert.
For the past two years, Smith has had
to focus on a fight to recovery from brain
cancer. He was diagnosed in October 2010
with level-four glioblastoma multiforme
(GBM), a highly aggressive form of brain
cancer. Surgeons removed a 4-centimeter tumor at that time, and Smith began
chemotherapy and radiation to reduce the
chances of a recurrence. Since then, despite
suffering medical complications and financial difficulties, he is determined to win
this fight, and says he will not give up.
When he was profiled for The Town
Courier in January 2011, three months after
he had been diagnosed, Smith was easing
back into a normal life with his family and
very hopeful for the future. The diagnosis
came at the same time his wife, Sabrina,
was on maternity leave with their now
2-year-old son, Neil. After taking a limited medical leave to support her husband
and care for their children, she returned
to teaching fifth grade at Walkersville
Elementary School.
Smith enjoyed a relatively smooth recovery and health for a year — until another,
smaller tumor was found last October, requiring a second surgery.
Again, Smith’s recovery seemed to be
going well, until he suffered a seizure in
late January and doctors had to remove fluid that had built up in his brain. He was
given strict orders to do nothing but rest,
which included not lifting his young son
for several months. Since he had always
taken care of the children while his wife
worked during the day, this was a significant challenge, compounded by difficulties
with Sabrina’s teaching job at the elementary school.
In December 2011, a month before
Smith’s third surgery, Sabrina’s then-school
administrator told her she would risk losing her job if she took additional unpaid
leave. With the help of friends and neighbors, Sabrina was able to continue teaching
until John’s seizure a month later. She was
put on leave shortly afterward and had to
rely on substitute teaching.
Photo | Submitted
Longtime diving coach John Smith gives a pep talk to several divers preparing to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
“Substitute teaching is not as readily available as some people think,” Smith
said, “and since I couldn’t work and she
was earning much less, we couldn’t make
it work.”
The Smiths filed for bankruptcy and
were only able to stay in their apartment
and pay bills because of support from their
community.
“We will always be grateful,” Smith said,
“for the tremendous support from friends,
the Universalist Unitarian Church community and the Patty Pollatos Fund for
keeping us afloat.”
The Patty Pollatos Fund is a local, community-based, nonprofit organization
based in the Frederick area that relies on
donors and volunteers to raise money and
support cancer victims and charities in
the local area. Frederick resident Debbie
Williams started the organization to support her friend Pollatos, who was financially devastated while suffering from terminal cancer.
Friends and church members brought
food and took Smith to appointments
while his wife worked and helped care for
the children. The Pollatos fund helped pay
their rent and bills.
“I can never say enough good things
about the wonderful people who have
helped us,” Smith said, “and I look forward
to becoming independent again and paying
it forward.”
John has grown stronger since last spring,
and Sabrina is back to work as a full-time
teacher at Walkersville. “It was an adjustment to move from fifth to second grade,”
she said, “but I’m so happy to be back with
the kids, and I appreciate the support of the
new school administration.”
She and John are trying to help improve
Frederick County Public Schools’ (FCPS)
disability policies to better support employees and their families dealing with ma-
jor medical issues.
Smith has been happy to help his community when he can. This summer, he was
asked to organize a diving show leading up
to the Olympics in London, where several
local divers, including some of his former
students, were headed to compete.
“It was a major endeavor to create the
hour-long show, but it was great,” Smith
said. “We had diving competitions and exhibitions with our Olympians and comedy
divers to entertain and inspire them.”
Smith said he was very happy to once
again help motivate and energize the
young athletes before the big event. “I
encouraged them to focus on the future
and do their best,” he said, “but most of
all, to celebrate being there and enjoy the
experience.”
In 2009, Smith was instrumental in convincing FCPS not to cut the diving programs for schools, and he is promoting
the creation of a large aquatic facility in
Frederick so local divers wouldn’t have to
go to neighboring counties to train, residents would have access to additional recreational activities, and Frederick could
support a national competition.
Smith will get brain scans every two
month for the next several years, and the
doctors are keeping an eye on a small
change detected at the last one, he said.
But he is pressing on and said he has many
goals for the future that include diving in
a national competition. He said his most
important goal, though, is “to see my kids
grow up. I also want to support the diving
community that helps encourage so many
kids, and I want to help others who are
dealing with this disease.”
Smith said, “We don’t know how long
we’ve got, and we can’t always control our
physical state, but I am determined to stay
positive, keep busy and continue to help
and motivate others while I can.”
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The Town Courier
October 2012 Page 7
Burn, Baby, Burn
By Madelyne Xiao
O
“What do we want?”
“Clean air!”
“When do we want it?”
“Now!”
n Aug. 22, the sidewalks in front of
C. Burr Artz Public Library played
host to a No Incinerator Alliance
demonstration, one of many activities organized by the grassroots group to promote public awareness of plans for a new
WTE (Waste-to-Energy) facility, near the
current McKinney-Ballenger Wastewater
Treatment Plant and the Monocacy
Battlefield.
The proposed WTE facility will incinerate municipal waste to generate up to
55 megawatts of electricity for Frederick
County residents and other energy customers. Carroll County, originally a partner in
plans for the WTE, has been wavering over
the feasibility of a partnership in the face of
the financial burden of the facility’s construction and maintenance. As a result, the
Board of County Commissioners is currently investigating the construction of a
smaller incinerator for Frederick County
alone.
Opponents of the incinerator cite financial burden and potential risk to environmental health. A portion of non-combustible waste will still be hauled to landfills,
they argue, while some ash from the incinerator will also be buried in the ground.
Furthermore, fine particulates that result
from incinerator use pose potential health
risks, they say, as do any quantities of mercury that may be released into surface water and rivers after burning.
According to research extracted from
the No Incinerator Alliance webpage
(www.no-incinerator.org), the proposed
WTE facility will cost millions of dollars
to maintain. In accordance with its partnership with Carroll County, Frederick
County was originally due to share 60 percentof construction costs, or a sum of $221
million. Concerned residents point out a
financial shortfall of roughly $21 million
Villages of Urbana Residents
Face-off on the Altar
By Julie Virnelson
I
n ice hockey, the term face-off is defined as the method of starting play.
Villages of Urbana (VOU) residents
and avid hockey fans Staci Berkheimer,
24, and Kyle Graeves, 25, could think
of no better way to celebrate the start of
their life as a married couple than with a
hockey-themed reception.
The Caps fans had their guests head
over to “Will Call” to pick up their tickets or seating cards. The Penalty Box
was the name of one of the bars set up
around the reception room. Hockeythemed memorabilia was everywhere as
guests dined and danced in celebration.
Growing up in Olney, Md.,
Berkheimer and Graeves met at
Sherwood High School but did not begin dating until Berkheimer’s senior
year when Graeves was already in college. The two dated for five years before tying the knot in a 5 p.m. ceremony
last month on Sept. 15 at the Lutheran
Church of St. Andrews in Cloverly, Md.
Seven bridesmaids and eight groomsmen were in attendance, as well as close
to 200 family and friends. Guests were
treated to dinner and dancing with a live
band and were swept up in the Capsmania whether they were fans or not afterwards in the church reception hall.
Earlier this year, the couple took a
two-week tour of Europe, then honeymooned after their nuptials at Deep
Creek Lake for a week before returning home to the VOU. The duo built
their home in the Villages in 2009 and
said they’ve enjoyed it so much that they
convinced Berkheimer’s sister and her
husband to make the move to Urbana as
well.
Photo | Submitted
VOU residents Staci Berkheimer and Kyle Graeves tied
the knot Sept. 15.
Berkheimer’s
sister,
Brandi
Berkheimer, 28, is the owner of Posh
Bridal in Urbana, where Berkheimer
purchased her wedding and bridesmaid
dresses. Her dress, which had a grey ribbon at the waist, complemented her satiny, charcoal grey bridesmaid’s dresses.
Berkheimer said she loves that her sister is now living close by and, while they
are both busy — she working as a hair
stylist at Bubbles Hair Salon in Olney
and Brandi running Posh Bridal while
raising two small boys — they see each
other often. And after a beautiful wedding, a cheer or two for the Caps, and a
trip to Deep Creek Lake, the newlyweds
will relax into their new life in the VOU
as Mr. and Mrs. Graeves.
Photo | Madelyne Xiao
On Aug. 22, in front of the C. Burr Artz Public Library, members of the No Incinerator Alliance protest the construction of
a proposed Waste-to-Energy facility in Frederick County.
dollars for maintenance fees (paid off in
part by revenue from the sale of electricity
and non-ferrous metals), the bulk of which
will most likely come out of taxpayers’
bank accounts.
The Northern Maryland Waste Disposal
Authority (NMWDA), which will own
and operate the prospective facility, cites
job creation and environmental wellbeing as reasons for building. Roughly 1,700
jobs will be created in the process of construction and operation, according to the
NMWDA’s WTE fact sheet (www.nmwda.
org/frederick). In response to concerns
over health and environmental safety, the
Maryland Department of the Environment
(MDE) has cited strict guidelines for testing and maintaining air and water quality.
The debate will not reach a resolution
until the MDE issues WTE builders air,
surface water and water discharge permits.
The MDE will accept written comments
on the issuance of the WTE’s water permit
until Oct. 22.
Page 8
The Town Courier
October 2012
localpalate
Greek Food Festival
By Sarah Withers
E
very spring, the Saints Peter and
Paul Greek Orthodox Church in
Frederick celebrate the culture and
food of their congregation during their annual Greek Festival. It’s a big event, drawing many hungry Frederick residents to
the church in search of gyros, spanakopita,
baklava and much more.
This year, Greek Festival lovers only
had to wait a few months between events.
With the continued growth and success of
the spring event over the past few years,
the organizers thought it might be time to
try holding a fall festival, which took place
Sept. 7 - 9.
The spring festival proceeds go towards
the church’s regular operating budget. The
hope is that the fall festival will bring the
parish closer to being able to do some renovations. The church originally served a
Protestant congregation and was purchased
by Saints Peter and Paul in 1993. The
church has some ambitious plans to give
the building more of a traditional Greek/
Eastern Orthodox look and feel, maybe
even eventually adding some stucco artwork to the front of the church.
Since moving back to the Frederick area
after college, I don’t think I’ve missed a
spring festival. I wasn’t about to let another opportunity to dine on authentic Greek
Photo | Sarah Withers
Kataifi pastries were a sweet and crunchy dessert, made
from scratch by members of the congregation.
fare pass by. I ventured over to the festival
on its first day to grab a late lunch and get
the lowdown on the food.
Festival Director Andy Zoulias said the
food at the festival is entirely made by members of the church. The gyros are made by
congregation member Nick Strates, whose
company, Strates Fine Foods, makes and
sells gyros for many different functions in
the area. The rest is made by volunteers,
most of it right in the church kitchen.
Zoulias said the preparation for the fall festival began over Labor Day weekend.
As much as I wanted a gyro (my usual
standard order), I decided on this particular visit to try something new. I went for
the Yiayia’s appetizer sampler that includ-
Photo | Sarah Withers
Spanakopita and Tiropita: fillo dough filled with spinach, feta and more feta, served up at the Saints Peter and Paul Greek
Orthodox Church in Frederick’s Greek Festival in September.
ed pastichio (layers of pasta and meat sauce
topped with béchamel sauce), tiropita (fillo pastry filled with feta cheese), meatballs,
spanakopita (fillo pastry filled with spinach
and feta cheese), black olives and some feta
cheese. I also couldn’t resist trying some
of the rice pudding after Zoulias told me
they “make and sell out of 16 gallons and
eight dozen eggs worth of the pudding
each day.”
I really didn’t miss my traditional gyro
too much. The fillo pastries filled with
spinach, cheese and more cheese were perfectly buttery and flaky. I was pleasantly
surprised at the pastichio pasta dish; it had
a subtle sweetness to it. It also reminded me
of paella, as the pasta on the bottom was
a little burnt and crispy and added some
great crunch. The rice pudding was very
rich and tasted homemade.
As full as I was after sampling everything I did, I couldn’t in good conscience
leave without purchasing dessert to take
home. Fresh, traditional Greek pasties
are always for sale at these festivals, made
from scratch by members of the congregation, specifically the Ladies Philoptochos
KUMDO
Society. I am a big fan of baklava, and there
was another pastry, kataifi, that caught my
eye on this occasion. The description said
it was very similar to baklava in flavor but
it was covered in what looked like shredded wheat. I dug in as soon as I got home
and was enamored by the sweetness and
satisfied by the crunch the shredded fillo
topping provided.
Actually, I was very satisfied by my entire meal. At least I don’t have to wait an
entire year for the next event. The spring
festival is already on my calendar — it’s
scheduled for May 16 – 19, 2013.
Editor’s Note: Sarah Withers is the blogger behind www.foodandfrederick.com, where
she covers food and life in downtown Frederick.
She is also the local behind Taste Frederick
Food Tours. After college at the University of
Maryland, Withers moved back to her hometown and has lived here ever since. She loves
everything about food — cooking it, eating eat,
serving it to others, learning about it, taking
photos of it, even traveling for it. By day she
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The Town Courier
October 2012 Page 9
Residentartists
By Madelyne Xiao
Cameron Petke
By Madelyne Xiao
C
ameron Petke, a graduate of
Middlebury College in Vermont, is
a ceramics teacher at Urbana High
School (UHS). He completed his Master of
Fine Arts at Hood College and is an active
exhibitor, seller and designer of his work.
Petke resides in downtown Frederick
with his wife and two daughters, Pia, 7, and
Noa, 4, and is currently designing and producing a series of clay temple bells, which
he forms on a potter’s wheel before adding aesthetic detail and firing in a kiln. The
bells, when struck with special wooden
strikers, emit pure tones that vary in pitch
and timbre in accordance with clay type,
firing technique and firing temperature.
The Town Courier (TC): Of all
things, why temple bells?
Cameron Petke: I was searching for
something meaningful, something I could
see myself doing for a long time. And I find
[temple bells] incredibly beautiful. They
have such a symbolic significance — in
Buddhism, they represent calmness, and
when they’re rung, they signify a time for
mindfulness. And I feel, more and more,
that making things by hand, slowing down
in the digital age, is important.
TC: In working with the temple
bells, have you looked into East
Asian spiritualism and religion?
Petke: I have! Quite a bit — I studied
religion and philosophy in college. I’ve applied to several residencies in Japan and
China, and I’m hoping that, next year, I’ll
be able to spend some time there to make
art. I’d like to go to China to visit some of
those temple bell sites.
TC: What aspects of Eastern
art appeal to you? What differentiates Eastern and Western
works?
Petke: Well, for instance, the temple
bell versus a Western bell. A Western bell
has this sort of “S” curve to it. An Eastern
aesthetic is very minimalist and quiet. And
I love the simple, honest proportions and
lines of Eastern art. With the temple bells,
I think it’s pretty distinct — just a smooth
line that runs across the shape.
TC: Are there any artistic idols
you seek to emulate?
Petke: My first professor at Hood
College was Kevin Crowe, and he was a
great introduction to throwing large forms
[on the potter’s wheel] with porcelain. But
his personal philosophy was really inspiring. He was a very zen human being, and
he’s also doing fantastic things as an artist.
He speaks a lot about the same philosophy
as the arts and crafts movement, which followed the Industrial Revolution. It was the
return to making things by hand; we had
the ability to make things in factories, but
the arts and crafts movement was about reconnecting to that personal touch. [Crowe]
would talk an awful lot about that — how
important that is, not just for the world,
but also for the individual, to be able to re-
connect to making things by hand, sharing
them with other people.
TC: What aspect of your work do
you find most difficult?
Petke: I’ll spend a lot of time working
on a profile. Some potters are production
potters, and they make things very quickly. I tend to work much slower, and I often like to have five or 10 things going on
at the same time. The most challenging
thing, I think, is working uninterrupted.
I’m not a full-time artist, so maintaining
a regular studio schedule is difficult. But
there’s something magical about turning
a lump of mud into an image from your
mind or your sketchbook.
TC: Do you have a favorite
finishing technique for
your pieces?
Petke: I have two contrasting techniques. My favorites are hand-polished —
I polish bells with diamond pads, so a lot of
my bells and vases feel like marble. In contrast, I also like earthy, smoke-fired pieces.
I have to have both going on at the same
time. Otherwise, I get bored. If I’m only
making pristine, perfect things for a chunk
of time, I really need to take a break and
make something a little more fluid and natural and surprising. You never know how
smoke-fired pieces will turn out.
Photo | Madelyne Xiao
Local artist Cameron Petke experiments with a multitude of firing and finishing techniques, resulting in an array of
unique pieces.
TC: Any other works in progress? Future projects?
Petke: Well, I’m trying to build my inventory for all my designs, so I’m making
temple bells for a potential future show,
and I also have sales on my website. But I’m
also trying to build an inventory of cups,
mugs, vases, bowls, so really my project is
to fill up my studio inventory, have a show,
or try to sell to a store.
I’ve applied for a residency in the Arts
and Industry project at the Kohler factory in Wisconsin. Kohler makes things like
sinks and toilets, but they have an art residency there. You can make some forms,
and they’ll help you mass-produce them.
My goal would be to go in and make several different bell forms and have them cast
in porcelain and bronze.
I’ll also begin teaching at Hood College
this coming spring. I’ll still [also] be teaching at UHS, though.
To view Petke’s work, visit www.
bakedclaystudio.com.
Madelyne Xiao, our writing intern, is a junior
at Urbana High School.
TC: You mentioned that you minored in physics in college. How
has this affected your outlook
as an artist?
Petke: For me, an interest in science has
come into my artwork. It was quite a scientific process, trying to test the bells for
their acoustics. In my thesis, there’s an entire two chapters on the experiments I did
to make sure I’d tested all the clay bodies
and shapes that produce different sounds,
as well as the firing temperature. There’s a
little bit of chemistry, a little bit of geology,
a little bit of physics involved. That whole
process was scientific. But there’s that artistic mix in there, too, which is, for me, the
perfect match.
TC: You’ll have to tell us more
about the three-dot insignia that
appears on your pieces.
Petke: It’s actually inspired by the
Roerich Banner of Peace. During World
War I, Roerich designed this peace banner,
which was basically three red dots. They
would paint the symbol on top of cultural
centers — universities, libraries, museums.
That would tell the planes above that that
was a cultural site. It’s like the Red Cross
of art history.
TC: Have you exhibited in or
around Frederick?
Petke: Right after I finished my MFA,
a gallery from Washington, D.C., called
Gallery Neptune invited me to have a
show, and I exhibited with two painters.
I had an MFA show with 50 or 60 pieces. Since then, I’ve also exhibited at the
Cultural Arts Center with the Potters’
Guild.
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Page 10
The Town Courier
■ portable
from page 1
October 2012
churches
tablished Protestant churches in the United
States meet in schools. Survey respondents
said the major draw for the new and expanding churches is the ability to offer
worship close to parishioners’ homes at significantly less cost than creating their own
building.
Most religious groups that meet at schools
are Christian, since Muslim and Jewish services are usually held on Saturdays, which
conflict with school-related activities.
Traditional churches are still very popular, and some prefer a full-service building,
structured programs and traditional hymns
they may have grown up with. Some people are looking for something new and different. Many churches, new and old, traditional and non-denominational churches,
now offer contemporary services, with
a casual atmosphere and modern music
played by church members.
FaithPoint was a “church plant” — a
new ministry set up and supported by a
regional office — from the BaltimoreWashington Conference of The United
Methodist Church. Weekly services started
more than 10 years ago at the home of the
original pastor and a few years later moved
to the middle school.
Bishop sees many benefits to their portable program. “We get to dream each week
about what we want the worship space to
be. Because pews and chairs aren’t drilled
into the floor, we can make the space fit
our needs rather than being bound to one
configuration.”
He admits there are some challenges,
but he also sees a silver lining in each one.
“It takes a while to set up and break down
each week,” Bishop explained, “but this
keeps us flexible.’ According to Bishop, the biggest benefit to worshipping in the school is that, by
paying less to own a church building, more
money is available to serve the community.
“We want to invest in people first,” Bishop
said.
FaithPoint has an active youth group,
several small groups that meet in members’ homes, and several outreach programs that they produce or participate in in
the Frederick area and beyond. Teenagers
have taken mission trips to impoverished
areas in the south, and several adults take
an annual mission trip to the Dominican
Republic to help residents rebuild their
lives after natural disasters.
Mountain View Community Church
“planted” a new church at Urbana High
School (UHS) in 1997, first meeting in
the chorus room, and soon moved into the
UHS auditorium. In 2002, the church purchased land on Fingerboard Road, close to
Sugarloaf Mountain, where, according to
Pastor Guy Kneebone, they had a “mountain view.” Mountain View moved to its
new location in 2010.
Kneebone has been with the non-denominational church since the beginning.
He and his wife, Lorrie, lived in Iowa, but
wanted to branch out and serve others in
need. So they researched growing communities throughout the United States.
“We looked for areas with at least a 10
percent growth rate in five years,” said
Kneebone. Between 1990 and 1995,
Frederick had 16 percent growth. After
meeting with Urbana residents and se-
curing the support and commitment of 10
families, Kneebone and his family packed
up and moved to Urbana.
Living Grace Lutheran Church now
meets at Urbana High School on Sunday
mornings. Originally a satellite for
Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown Frederick, Grace Lutheran started
at Urbana Elementary School. According
to Pastor Dave Albertson, the church “was
encouraged by the irrational exuberance
and growth in the first part of the new century,” and acquired property nearby. The
economic slump hit hard, and Evangelical
Lutheran decided to sell the property.
An experience Albertson had during
a mission trip to Mexico soon afterward
drastically changed his attitude and the direction of the church, he said.
“We were in a poverty-stricken area and
asked where the church was. Our translator
just laughed and said, ‘The church doesn’t
come here. All they care about is money
and buildings.’ That really hit home and,
from that point on, our congregation began to see the church as a community of
people working to care for one another and
serve others,” he explained.
Living Grace has an active youth group
and many opportunities for adult fellowship in small groups. The church has an
annual Vacation Bible School and an after-school program at the middle school,
partners with local nonprofits to support
community needs, and organized a local
event for The Big Day of Serving, a group
that sponsors a day of community service
by children, youth and adults.
NorthStar Community Church started at Windsor Knolls Middle School in
2001. The church’s website describes
it as a “casual, creative, contemporary
Christian church that recognizes that real
people want a real church.” Outreach and
Ministry Coordinator Sharon Blache has
been with NorthStar since 2004 and helps
set up its portable church most Sundays.
“After so many years, it just becomes a
regular part of life,” Blache said. “My favorite part is we can start with a blank slate
and transfer the church into what we want
it to be.”
The portable church trend is so popular
that some companies sell packages, ranging
from $15,000 to $200,000 for pre-packed
trailers. Kendra Malloy, marketing director for Portable Church and Church in a
Box, estimates there about 24,000 trailer-stored churches in the United States and
Canada, and approximately 75 percent are
in public, private or charter schools. None
of the portable churches in Urbana have
invested in these packages. They often rely
on the generosity of their parishioners and
prefer to use the bulk of their funds to support the community.
On Oct. 7, FaithPoint will hold a special
event called Miles Of Prayer. After a brief
service at 10 a.m., participants will go out
into the community to pray for residents,
leaders and those who work in Urbana or
the surrounding areas. On Friday, Oct. 5 at
6:30 p.m., NorthStar is planning a movie
night with ice cream. Families and friends
are welcome to enjoy ice cream sundaes
and a classic movie.
For more information on FaithPoint,
visit www.faithpointum.org; for Mountain
View,
www.mvccfrederick.org;
for
NorthStar go to www.mynorthstar.org;
and for Living Grace, www.livinggracelc.
com.
The Town Courier
October 2012 Page 11
localvoices
The VOU to Hold Elections
T
he
Villages
of
Urbana
(VOU)
Homeowners
Association will be holding elections at the Nov.
13 annual meeting to
fill expiring term seats
on its board of directors.
By Rich
Staggered terms expirTerselic
ing include one currently
filled by a developer representative and two by residents. The board
is currently comprised of seven, with three
developer representatives and four residents. The developer has voting rights, the
number of which declines as undeveloped
lots are bought by builders.
The VOU now has about 2,600
homes occupied, with a Planned Unit
Development (PUD) total of just more
than 3,000.
A quorum is needed for elections. In
some prior elections there has been a problem in that the number of attendees at the
annual meeting plus absentee proxy votes
was not sufficient to achieve quorum.
Absent a quorum, a second annual meeting must be scheduled at added cost to the
community.
The community is encountering new issues and problems. I believe some are simply related to the aging of the community,
such as the increasing need for infrastructure repair. Some are one-time events,
such as the need for better secure entry at
the Harris Street tennis facilities, and some
may be attributed to impinging societal
issues.
Particularly upsetting to residents is
crime, including vandalism. The last issue
of the Urbana Town Courier had a lengthy
article on vandalism. When questioned
about incidences, the Sheriff ’s Office has
advised the levels of reported crime are low
for a community of VOU’s size. Other issues of concern to residents include: decisions related to community financing
of recreational programs, enforcement of
rules related to property maintenance and
outdoor décor, managing the process for
collection of overdue resident assessment
payments, and accounting for delinquency
collection costs and related recoveries.
An important issue but not yet a subject
for decision involves possible annexation of
a development planned for west of Route
355.
While I don’t have hard data to support
it and admit I could be wrong, my model
of a “typical” Villages home-owning couple is that they:
• work outside the home and commute
substantial distances;
• leave home early in the morning;
• have school-age children who are involved in after-hours activities (in
which the parents are also involved);
• don’t have the time, energy or interest in volunteering for participation on
community committees; and,
• get much of their information about
community happenings from the
Courier, the VOU message board and
neighbors.
I believe these “typical” residents and
others have simple expectations. They:
• want to live peacefully;
• are concerned about property values;:
• enjoy a good looking community and
its amenities;
• have a measure of confidence that the
assessment fees they pay are prudently
managed; and,
• don’t want to be hassled by what they
consider as trivial community rules.
An issue that has upset some residents is
how the juveniles accused of starting the
fires that destroyed two garages will be
treated in the criminal justice system. The
VOU board and community management
have no ability to influence such actions.
An interesting development over the
past couple years has been vocal residents
who have concerns about which they feel
are not being satisfactorily addressed. They
hold the current board and community management at fault, and the message
board is one vehicle for expressing their
concerns. Some attend community meetings and express their misgivings. While
expression of criticism and concern is quite
appropriate and among residents’ freedoms, in my opinion, critical assertions are
sometimes made based on incorrect data
and assumptions.
Hopefully, residents will associate a high
priority with voting in the upcoming election and in participating in community forums where the opportunity exists to learn
the facts about issues and express views.
I feel obliged to identify myself as a current member of the VOU board and a candidate for reelection. What I have written
represents my personal opinion, and I don’t
speak for the board.
Editor’s Note: Rich Terselic is a member of
the board of directors of the Villages of Urbana
Homeowners’ Association.
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Page 12
The Town Courier
Hilltop Convenience & Liquor
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Sam Adam 12pk Bottles
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Bud Light Lime a Rita 12pk
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■ barnyard
from page 1
October 2012
days
lone 14-year-old red deer, a kangaroo and
wallaby on the farm, too.
Of course, there are rabbits, chicks,
ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea pigs, but
also exotic African guinea keet fowl and
two large, red foot tortoises from Brazil.
“Everything’s touchable but the zebras,”
said Farm Manager Candy Wachter, who
cautioned that they can bite. Wachter has
been working at Green Meadows for more
than a decade, really since Ken and Gail
Keyes bought the 125-acre farm in 2002.
“It took a couple of years to get it up and
running” they way they wanted it, said
Gail Keyes.
The couple lives on-site in the original farm house, and running the petting
farm is their way of life. It is also the family business, started in 1964 in Waterford,
Wis., when Ken’s parents, Bob and Coni
Keyes turned their 80-acre hog and cattle
business into a “pick-your-own” vegetable
and raspberry farm that welcomed children
and families. They hit on the idea to bring
the farm animals into the experience, and
the petting farm took off. By the early ‘70s,
the farm was hosting some 1,200 visitors
during the spring and fall. With 13 children in the family, the Keyeses figured
they could certainly expand on their success — and expand they did.
Today, Green Meadows Farms are open
in the original Waterford, Wis., location
and also in Sherwood, Wis.; Kissimmee,
Fla., where Bob and Coni “retired”;
Hazlet, N.J.; Orange, Conn.; Floral Park,
N.Y.; Grand Prairie, Texas; and in two
Maryland locations.
Ken and Gail Keyes also own and operate the Texas farm, as well as one in nearby Jessup, Md.. During the petting seasons
(spring and fall) they can employ up to 30
people, and the animals here sometimes
travel to different locations as well. The
animal barn is always a big draw.
“The kids come in here and can pretty much touch everything,” says Wachter.
“The babies will be in here, and there will
be a mom and baby pigs. Kids go for the
baby animals.”
“Kids love the feel of the Rex rabbit,”
she said, as well as feeding the animals.
Food is included in the price of admission,
and feeding the animals is also one of the
most popular things to do at the petting
farm, along with getting to milk a cow.
“All the kids get to milk a cow,” Mackay
said.
Also included in the admission price are
the popular pig races. Partipating in the
big races is the little brown-striped razorback pig named Jelly, new to the farm this
season. Just 4 months old, Jelly, who got
her name via a Facebook contest, will race
with two 8-month-old pot belly pigs, appropriately named Peanut and Butter.
“They are easy to train,” says Wachter,
and, like most of the animals at the farm,
“they get handled a lot [and] are used to
people.
“We got the bison when he was about 2
days old,” recalls Wachter. Cody, she says,
is now 6 years old and de-horned. Wachter
knows the name and age of most every animal on the farm. Sydney the kangaroo,
who loves to lay in the sun, is 6 and can be
quite socialable. He knows to back up to
the pen fence so children can scratch him.
His pen partner is Willie the wallaby, who
is 10.
Another new addition is 5-month-old
Gaby, a Mammoth donkey Ken Keyes
got from Stubborn Ass Acres in Virginia.
Mammoth donkeys are the largest of the
breed and very gentle and friendly. “She
has the largest ears,” said Mackay, and
will probably grow into them. The donkey shares a pen with 7-month-old Misty,
a Belgian draft horse and another “baby”
on the farm.
Probably the largest animal on the farm
is Rusty, Wachter said. A beautiful Belgian,
Rusty stands about 18.1 hands. “If I had to
guess, he’s probably around 2,300 pounds,”
she adds. Rusty shares a pen with Minnie
the mule and a miniature horse named
Muffin Man. As an aside, Wachter notes
the zebras get along better with the mules
than the horses.
Some animals are always on this farm
and others get moved a bit.
“The emus stay here,” said Wachter, and
also the Belgian draft horses.
Mackay, who has been with Green
Meadows about a year, also books the
birthday parties at the farm or will even
bring the animals to homes. Last spring
Mackay held the first annual Easter Egg
hunt weekend, which she said was a huge
success. She also handles social media and
said, “We will also have daily weather updates” on the Green Meadows Facebook
page.
For the fall season, Green Meadows
Petting Farm is open Wednesday through
Friday, beginning at 9 a.m. and at 10 a.m.
on Saturday and Sunday. The last admission of the day is at 2 p.m. General admission is $12; children 1 and under are free.
Green Meadows is closed on Monday and
Tuesday.
For more information, go to www.greenmeadowsevents.com or call 301.865.9203.
Business Hours
Mon - Thurs 7AM-10PM
Friday 7AM-11PM
Saturday 8AM-11PM
Sunday 10AM-8PM
10519-A Old National Pike
New Market, MD 21774
Tel (301) 865-3354
Fax (301) 865-3433
WWW.HILLTOPLIQUORS.COM
FIND US ON FACEBOOK: HILLTOP CONVENIENCE & LIQUOR
Photo | Teresa Bell-Stockman
Green Meadows Petting Farm, located on the corner of Fingerboard and Prices Distillery roads, will open for the fall
season on Oct. 3. The first weekend in October, the farm will celebrate with Barnyard Days. Admission is $8, and everyone
takes home a pumpkin.
The Town Courier
October 2012 ■ local
from page 1
faith
community members discussed the impact
their faith has on their lives and families.
“I grew up as an Episcopalian,” said
Karen Morris, a Villages of Urbana resident. “When we moved here several years
ago, a friend invited me to her women’s
Bible study group, and I loved how down
to earth everyone was.
“We had been driving downtown to our
original church every Sunday, so we decided to try FaithPoint just up the street.
We never left. We love the friendly people,
the strong youth group, and the important
message each week. I sing, and my husband
plays guitar with the band — it’s been a
wonderful community for my whole family, and many of our closest friends are with
the church.”
Urbana’s Mary McQuillen attends St.
Ignatius of Loyola with her family. St.
Ignatius is the largest Catholic church in
southeast Frederick community with more
than 1,000 members. McQuillen said her
family attends the church “to express our
gratitude to God for His love. We feel it
strengthens us in our walk of faith and
helps give us peace in daily life.”
“We enjoy the fellowship with other parishioners and feel blessed to be a part of a
vibrant parish,” said McQuillen.
The Kuntz family lives in Urbana and
started going to Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Frederick when their oldest
child, Matt, started preschool.
“We were happy when they started an-
other service in Urbana Elementary,” said
Linda Kuntz, “because it was so much closer and easier and we really like the pastor
and the people. Having church services in
the small school was quite an effort, and
the whole family helped with setup to turn
the cafeteria into a church, and then the
breakdown, to turn it back into a school
each week.
“We moved to the high school when [the
church] became Living Grace, which made
the setup much easier and has allowed our
congregation to grow. Living Grace has fit
the needs of our whole family, especially the growth and learning experience for
our two children. Our Pastor has helped
the church grow, works well with all age
groups, and is always open to new ideas to
keep if fresh.”
When Farnaz Hashempour Louderback
was a child, her family rarely went to
church, but prayed at night. When she had
her own son, she taught him to pray before
bed but never went to church. After moving to Urbana from Gaithersburg in 2007,
Louderback went through a difficult divorce. “My brother convinced me to consider going to church,” Louderback said,
“and to find a support group to share with
people with similar situations.”
She found DivorceCare, a national support group with meetings at Mountain
View Community Church, so she joined
the group and decided to try the church,
which met at Urbana High School at the
time. Before attending her first service, she
called the pastor.
“I fell in love with him on the phone,”
Louderback said. “I started going to the
church, learned about the greatness of God
and prayer, and it has completely changed
my life. I think my faith is much stronger
than many people who grew up with it.
I read the Bible every day, and I have put
my life in God’s hands and know I can get
through anything.”
Patty Howell and her family have attended Gaithersburg’s Seneca Creek
Community Church for 16 years. “We
stayed with the church after moving to
Urbana,” Howell said, “because it is like
family to us, and it is a church that encourages authenticity, serving our neighbors
and personal growth.
“For me it is not about religion — the
rules and rituals — but the belief in God’s
truths and promises. My faith affects absolutely every aspect of my life. As I grow
older, I have become more aware how everyone faces struggles and crises, but we
are not alone in our struggles. With faith
in God and the support of my church community, I know I get through whatever
comes my way.”
Urbana resident Kate Landro is a member of The Church of Jesus Chris of LatterDay Saints in Frederick. “Members are
known for strong family values and high
moral standards,” said Landro, “plus missionary service and humanitarian efforts.
Having a knowledge of who I am, where
I’ve come from and where I am going has
helped me anchor my life. As I navigate the
ups and downs of living, I am very thankful for my beliefs.”
Page 13
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Page 14
■ MUSLIM
from page 3
The Town Courier
ASSOCIATION
about in regular classes, she said. “It’s important to give students a place to express
their ideas.”
This year, the students gathered at Baker
Park in downtown Frederick to discuss
the attire of Muslim women and why they
wear head scarves. The group also hopes to
organize a question and answer session for
discussing Sharia, the moral code of Islam,
later in the school year.
The association’s membership currently
includes non-Muslim members, said Neha
Khan, the president of the MSA and a senior at UHS. People of other faiths “get to
see we’re just normal people — we’re just
■ accidental
from page 3
tourist
his warehouse on East 6th Street. This
shop boasts 42,000 square feet of antiques
from all over the world, each handpicked
by Paul, each with its own story.
“That desk came from an old classroom
in Brooklyn,” Berkowitz said, pointing at
items in his shop, “and that armoire came
from the home of a wealthy family in
India.”
Aisle after aisle of amazing pieces sit patiently, waiting to be discovered. Walking
through Berkowitz’ shop is like following along with his travels across the world.
Here is a table from Beijing, doors from
like them,” she said.
Non-Muslims who have joined the
group learn facts about Islam they didn’t
know before, said Taliqa Rasiq, a member of the MSA and a junior at UHS. “We
all get along,” she said. “Everyone mixes
together.”
Swaksha Rachuri, a UHS senior who
joined the MSA as a Hindu, said, “I know
a lot of Muslim students in the schools, so
I thought it would be cool to help out.”
Originally from India, Rachuri said the
MSA needs to let more students know
about their organization because a lot of
kids are not even aware it exists.
Khan said she is looking forward to
working with MSA students to make a
video about a day in the life of a Muslim.
The video is intended to educate students
India and a temple piece from Thailand.
There is a rocking horse from England, a
basket from China and a dough bowl from
Holland. Each expertly restored piece
speaks to you of another time and another life.
Converted from an 1840s carriage
house, the Carroll Street shop houses another 10,000 square feet of amazing finds.
Stunning quilts, tables and desks with a
character all their own, and — more in
this store than the other — frames, clocks
and some smaller pieces that help bring it
all together.
Joan Berkowitz, Paul’s wife of 36 years as
well as his business partner, took over the
Carroll Street shop a year ago, and it has a
bit of a feminine touch.
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October 2012
of other faiths about Islam and show how
Muslims are like everyone else, she said.
Parents have been active in the MSA,
Winkles said.
“We’ve actually had Eid celebrations at
the homes of students,” she said. Parents
have cooked meals for everyone. Eid, a
Muslim holiday, comes at the end of the
holy month of Ramadan, a period of fasting and spiritual reflection.
In the past, MSA students have organized
activities for charity, including a food drive
to collect non-perishable food at school to
send to poor people in Somalia.
One year, 60 people participated in the
MSA’s “fast-a-thon,” in which students
voluntarily fast for a day. “It was wonderful
to see,” said Khan. The association raised
$2,000 for the Frederick food bank from
the event. The MSA hopes to hold another
“fast-a-thon” this year at UHS.
The students in the association, as well
as kids from other classes, also plan to take
a field trip to the National Geographic
Museum to see the Muslim Golden Age
exhibit. Winkles said people in Western
culture do not acknowledge the contributions from the Eastern culture as much as
they should.
Winkles said she really enjoys being
part of the MSA. “I am very fortunate,”
she said, “because I get to work with great
kids.”
People can learn more about the Muslim
Student Association at Urbana High School
by emailing advisor Deborah Winkles at
deborah.winkles@fcps.org.
He became an accidental tourist,
jetting off to new places all the time
to select new items for his clients.
Eye-catching pieces include a clock
made out of forks and spoons and the antique bird cages. Also, beautiful pewter
frames inlaid with glowing stones are hung
on a velvety ribbon. A nearby old Philco
radio — which still works — looks like
something from “A Christmas Story,” a
holiday classic.
Although they are now well known for
their antiques, Paul and Joan were not always aficionados. Berkowitz explained
that his wife actually was the first one in
antiques.
“She really got me into antiques,”
Berkowitz said. “She had a antique shop in
Bethesda before I ever did.”
When the couple met, Berkowitz was
actually making his mark in hair and beauty salons. After closing Joan’s Bethesda antique shop, the duo did very well owning
and running six beauty salons together,
the largest called Bananas in College Park,
Md. As a side hobby, the couple enjoyed
antiquing and began collecting. Berkowitz
was drawn to antique trunks and enjoyed
refurbishing them. Soon the trunks were
taking over the Berkowitz house, and in an
effort to get rid of some of them, he decided to try selling them at an antiques show.
The trunks were well received and sold so
quickly that Joan then managed the salons
so Berkowitz could begin a company called
Trunks by Paul. Traveling all over the
country to antiques shows with his trunks,
Berkowitz did well and made a good deal
of connections in the antiques world.
After about five years, Berkowitz sold all
their salons, except Bananas, and decided
to try his hand at some other types of antiques. When a friend asked if he would
be interested in jointly purchasing some
antique wagons from Europe, Berkowitz
took a leap of faith and bought into the
deal — and so began his illustrious career.
His first purchases were from Holland and
Germany, but he quickly branched out to
China, Turkey, India and many other places all over the world.
Berkowitz said he had really never travelled before he began down this path. He
became an accidental tourist, jetting off to
new places all the time to select new items
for his clients. With a career that has enabled him to see so much of the world and
to meet so many new people, Berkowitz
said, “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
When asked about the secret to his success, Berkowitz said, “I found my niche.
I didn’t want to do what everyone else
does.” His shops differ from other stores
because each piece is handpicked and because he buys and imports his pieces in
bulk. Because he sells in quantity, he can
offer his clients lower prices.
“We don’t bargain. Period,” said
Berkowitz. “I go straight to the source and
bring back what my clients want.” And,
clearly, he has a knack for knowing what
his clients want. Antiques from Great Stuff
by Berkowitz has been featured in Martha
Stewart Living and Country Living, and has
been on the Nate Berkus show. Items from
the shops have also been used in movies
such as “Batman: The Dark Knight” and
“Seabiscuit.”
When asked what his favorite piece
in his shop is, Berkowitz walked to the
back of the store and pointed to a statue.
Standing at about 7 feet tall, the statue,
which Berkowitz brought back from China
five years ago, is impressive. Known as a
Temple Guard, the piece is hand-carved
out of a single tree and is approximately
500 years old. Used to guard against demons and evil spirits, Temple Guards were
kept at the entrance to homes and places of
business.
Whether or not Berkowitz sees his
Temple Guard as a talisman, considering
the success Great Stuff by Berkowitz has
had, maybe he should keep the “Not For
Sale” sign hanging on his favorite piece
and his Temple Guard standing watch for a
long time to come.
Great Stuff by Berkowitz has two
Frederick locations, 10 N. Carroll Street
or 301.631.0004 and 257 E. 6th Street or
301.631.5340.
The Town Courier
October 2012 ■ SPIRITUAL
from page 3
DIALOGUE
groups to discuss the film. Hartmann said
Unity Church hopes to create a “welcoming, positive, warm [and] fun environment
for people to come together.”
“There is a special energy that is created
during this kind of group experience — it’s
really something magical,” said Hartmann.
Conscious Cinema is important for the
community, said Boden, because it “brings
together people from different faiths.” The
events give us “an opportunity to explore
what we share — what we have in common,” instead of our differences, she said.
The Small Zones of Peace Project also
strives to bridge the differences between
people. The project provides community
dialogue programs for small groups and organizations such as schools, churches, civic
organizations and businesses to help create
peace.
“If we want to build peace in the world,
we best begin by carving out small zones
of peace,” said deVeer, who has been a lifelong Quaker. People can create peace in
their family, spiritual community, workplace, neighborhood or other areas of their
life, she explained.
The mission of the Small Zones of Peace
Project is to educate individuals in how to
create peace wherever they go. The project’s community-building initiatives help
groups resolve conflicts by addressing and
overcoming issues of a polarizing nature
such as interfaith disparity, racial sepa-
Page 15
ration, and community differences. The
Small Zones of Peace Project has study
groups and meetings at the Quaker meeting house in Frederick.
When deVeer was young in Sunday
school, she explained, she learned two
things that she applies to her peace-building work: Divine qualities exist in everyone, and it is important to focus on the divine in every person you talk to.
DeVeer and Rosen-Jones both have
led overcoming polarization, community-building workshops for organizations such as the Centennial Memorial
United Methodist Church in downtown
Frederick. They helped the members of
this congregation, as well as other groups,
develop skills based on principles of cooperation and unity so they can learn to listen
to each other, express their true feelings,
and live peacefully together.
People are tired of polarization and
conflict, said Rosen-Jones, who grew up
Jewish and has worked as a therapist for
many years. Rosen-Jones said that what
is most rewarding about working for the
Small Zones of Peace Project is bringing
out clarity and synergy in a group of people in conflict. It’s like “climbing the highest mountain and being at the top,” she
said.
For more information about Conscious
Cinema, visit http://unityfrederick.org
or email unityfrederick@verizon.net. To
learn more about the Small Zones of Peace
Project, visit z/ or email zonesofpeacenh@
aol.com.
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Page 16
The Town Courier
VILL AG ES
www.villagesofurbana.net
OF
October 2012
U R B A N A
Reporter
october 2012
october Meeting Dates
Monday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 8, 6:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m.
VOU Budget Meeting
Design Review
Grounds Committee
Grounds
Covenants
Pools & Outdoor Recreation
Physical Assets Management
Social & Activities
Design Review
Finance
Board of Directors
november Meeting Dates
Monday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 12, 6:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 26, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 27, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m.
Pools & Outdoor Recreation
Grounds
ANNUAL MEETING
Covenants
Physical Assets Management
Design Review
Finance
Board of Directors
Social & Activities
All meetings are held in the Natelli Community Center at 9023 Harris
Street, except for the Physical Assets Management Committee,
which is held at the Shafer’s Mill Recreation Center. The Annual
Meeting will be held at the Urbana High School.
Save The Date
Saturday, Nov. 10, 7 to 9 p.m.
We will be
sampling
an
exciting selection
of Thanksgiving
and Holiday wines.
The event is open
to residents over
21; please RSVP
to the community
management
at
301.831.4810 or by
email to manager@
villagesofurbana.net
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Villages of Urbana Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting is scheduled for Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.
at Urbana High School. Proxies will be mailed out on or
about Oct. 10. Please fill out your proxy and return it in
the official envelope by Nov. 13.
Landscaping Updates
The Grounds Committee has approved a major tree
replacement project throughout the Villages of Urbana.
Trees to be replaced have been marked with a ribbon and
areas where trees have already been removed and a replacement is planned have been flagged. Please do not remove
the flags or ribbons. If you have a question about a particular location, or why a specific tree is being removed, please
contact the management office for information.
The Grounds Committee is also working to improve
visibility on the Sugarloaf Parkway medians, and to repair damaged landscaping and turf throughout the com-
munity. If you have any questions, or if you are aware of
an area that requires attention, please contact the management office.
Physical Assets Updates
A small concrete repair and replacement project will
take place in late October. If you have any questions, or if
you are aware of an area requiring attention, please contact
the management office at 301.831.4810.
On-site office: 9023 Harris Street • Phone: 301.831.4810 or 301.874.0487 • Office hours: Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
October 2012 The Town Courier
Page 17
Page 18
■ dream
from page 1
The Town Courier
dinners
serves the Frederick and Montgomery
county areas, but Carr and Muragaki have
customers from all over the area including Waynesboro, Pa. and Annapolis and
Ellicott City, Md.
“We have met people we never would
have met without this store,” Muragaki
said.
New and returning guests choose dinners and sides from a menu, which changes every month. October’s menu features
creamy chicken risotto, maple glazed pork
roast, and steak with savory walnut butter. The items on September’s menu included Greek Island shrimp with pasta and
California chicken lasagna.
After setting up a session time, customers
come to the store to prepare their meals.
By putting together the ingredients,
guests may season their meals to fit their
family’s preferences, Muragaki said.
“Everything is open and out,” Carr said.
“It’s a very social environment.”
Items are already cut up and employees
clean up after a customer is finished. The
meals are then taken home and can be frozen for an upcoming dinner.
Urbana Dream Dinners charges for how
much of an item you use, not the whole
item, Muragaki said. For example, if a resident wants Marsala wine sauce, they have
to go out and buy a bottle of wine even
though the recipe may only call for a small
amount. At Dream Dinners, they only pay
for the amount that goes into the sauce.
Factoring in shopping, preparation and
cleanup time, Muragaki said a customer
saves about 30 hours a month. Instead of
working in the kitchen, she is able to be
outside with her kids doing drawing with
chalk and riding bicycles.
“We save them time and money, and
that’s why our guests come back,” she said.
One of their repeat customers is Cathy
Condon. After having gastric bypass surgery, her food choices were limited, and
many nights her dinner was a single, boring chicken breast.
About a year and a half ago, a co-worker
told her about Dream Dinners, which has
a variety of healthy, protein-based options.
“It was the perfect fit for what I needed,”
she said. “Their meals helped me to stay
on track.”
October 2012
Condon has lost a total of 160 pounds
(75 prior to her time at Dream Dinners).
“I love going there,” she said. “Everyone
is nice.”
There is no monthly commitment, and
guests may make as many meals as they
choose to buy.
Over the five years the two women
have been in business together, they have
learned about customers’ families and
have heard about weddings and seen new
baby pictures. Those are relationships they
cherish.
“It feels good to serve the community,”
Muragaki said.
For more information, call Urbana
Dream Dinners at 301.874.1515 or email
turningpointmd@dreamdinners.com.
Photo | Gina Gallucci-White
Urbana Dream Dinners will celebrate its fifth anniversary this month. Co-owners Tracey Muragaki and Jamie Carr are
shown here holding menus customers use to make their meals.
The Town Courier
October 2012 aroundtown
from page 5
ee Chris Zenobia, a resident of Hanover,
Penn., helped donors at the drive. “I started working for the Red Cross about a year
ago,” Zenobia said, “because there is always a big need for donations, and I wanted to help.”
For information about future blood drives
and events, visit the Fire Department’s
website at www.urbanavfd.org, or call
301.606.3008.
Photo | Submitted
Dog Days at the Urbana
Highlands Pool
Daisy and Nellibelle are ready to enjoy the annual after-season Dog Days at the Urbana Highlands pool
on Sept. 8.
On Sept. 8, the Urbana Highlands Pool
held Dog Days, the annual after-season
swim for local dogs.
“They love it,” said owners and
Highlands residents Gail and Rusty Duff,
“and we enjoy watching them have so
much fun.”
The popular event attracts many residents but was cut short this year by the
threat of heavy thunderstorms. According
to Aimee Winegar, site manager for the
Villages of Urbana, the Pools and Outdoor
Recreation Committee is considering
holding a similar event next season.
Photo | Kristy Crawford
One-year-old Camden Miller of Frederick plays with some of the many dogs who came out for the grand opening of
Frederick County’s newest dog park at Ballenger Creek Park in August.
Frederick County Opens New Dog Park
Frederick County Parks and Recreation Division opened a new dog park in
Ballenger Creek Park on Ballenger Creek Pike, adjacent to Tuscarora High School.
The 4-acre site includes two separate small-dog and all dog areas, trails, benches and
water fountains for both people and pets. Construction also included a new parking
lot, two canopy structures, fencing and new landscaping.
Frederick resident Libby Miller and her husband brought 1-year-old Camden to
play with the dogs. “He’s been around dogs for most of his life,” Miller said, “and
he is just loving this!”
The park is open from 8 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. until Nov. 1, when winter hours
take effect, from 8 a.m. until sunset. For more information and dog park rules, call
301.600.1646, or log onto www.recreator.com.
Page 19
Page 20
The Town Courier
October 2012
schoolNOTES
National AP Scholar Awards
Frederick County Public Schools
(FCPS) students took 5,460 of the College
Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) exams last May after completing the challenging college-level courses at their local
high schools. Among them, 26 achieved
national distinction, earning the highest
commendation: the National AP Scholar
Award.
National AP Scholar Awards go to students who earned average scores of at least
4 on all AP exams taken and scored 4 or
higher (on a 5-point scale) on eight or
more AP exams. In Frederick County, students took AP exams in 29 courses.
FCPS high school students achieving
the 2012 National AP Scholar Award include Urbana graduates Seo-Hyun Cho,
Jessica Crouch, Mary Galuardi, Andrew
Li, Anirudha Nahar and Kenyon Wagner.
According to the College Board, most of
the nation’s colleges and universities award
credit, advanced placement, or both for
students who have performed successfully
on AP exams. A student earning this score
on eight exams could be eligible to skip an
entire year of college courses.
“Our students’ success on AP exams is
simply remarkable. I’m so proud that 26 of
our students received the highest national
distinction possible. I’m prouder still that
hundreds more FCPS students were recognized for their exemplary performance.
These results are further testament to the
fact that students, teachers and administrators in Frederick County will settle for
nothing less than the highest standards of
excellence,” said FCPS Superintendent Dr.
Terry Alban.
National Merit Scholarship Students
Ten high school seniors who attend
Frederick County public schools achieved
semifinalist status in the 2013 National
Merit Scholarship Program. Three of these
students were from Urbana High School —
Jiaqi Jiang, Cody Smith and Ellen Wang.
Nationwide, about 16,000 high school
seniors were named National Merit
Scholarship semifinalists for 2013. More
than 1.5 million juniors entered the
2013 National Merit program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit
Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/
NMSQT), which serves as the initial
screening of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high
school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of
semifinalists in a state is proportional to
the state’s percentage of the national total
of graduating seniors.
Compiled By Bethany E. Starin
Semifinalists may advance to finalist
standing in the competition by meeting
high academic standards and other requirements to be considered for a National Merit
Scholarship. Finalists continue in the competition for National Merit $2,500 scholarships in addition to corporate-sponsored
and college-sponsored merit scholarships.
Winners are chosen on the basis of the candidates’ academic skills and achievements,
extracurricular accomplishments, potential
for success in rigorous college studies and
other criteria. Details are online at www.
nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php.
Green Valley Montessori School
Green Valley Montessori (GVMS) is
a new preschool that started on Aug. 27
in Hyattstown, about four miles south of
Urbana on Rt. 355, located at 1896 Urbana
Pike. This preschool is for ages 2 – 6 and
follows the Monntessori approach to education, which is famous around the world
started by Dr. Maria Montessori. Sangi
Krishnaswamy, who ran a small center
called Urbana Montessori in Villages of
Urbana for several years, started Green
Valley Montessori due to increased demand for alternative preschool education in the surrounding areas of Urbana,
New Market, Ijamsville and Clarksburg.
Currently GVMS has with two Primary
rooms (Age 3 – 6) and one Pre-Primary
(age 2 – 3) room. There is room to expand up to six classrooms in the future. All
the lead teachers are degree holders with
Montessori certification with several years
of working experience. More information
and admission process is available at www.
GreenValleyMontessori.com.
Energetic Start to the FCPS Year
On Aug. 27, Frederick County Public
Schools (FCPS) opened all 64 schools on
schedule and welcomed nearly 41,000 students. The teacher total across Frederick
County reaches about 3,000, in addition to
administrators, office staff and other FCPS
employees.
Superintendent Terry Alban and other
senior school administrators visited schools
on Aug. 27, starting the day at Linganore
High, where she joined Principal Dave
Kehne in welcoming 1,511 students.
“I’m deeply impressed with how smoothly the first day is running,” she said. “Our
bus drivers, teachers, parents and administrators all pulled together for a remarkable
opening day for our students.”
To launch the year, the Transportation
Department reported a remarkably organized return to the road for the county’s
438 buses. Staff reported that the day went
remarkably well with only a few minor
glitches, such as late buses. Frederick Mayor Visits UMS
In honor of Constitution Week, an annual commemoration that celebrates
the United States Constitution, Frederick’s Mayor Randy McClement spoke
at Urbana Middle School (UMS) to a combined group of 6th and 7th graders.
At 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 19, McClement spoke about the charter for the city of
Frederick and the role of the federal government and the municipal government.
Senator Barbara Mikulski sent her staffer Julianna Albowicz to speak to another combined class about how the Constitution defined the legislative branch
of government. She also gave the students their own copy of the Constitution
and gave UMS a senatorial commendation for honoring Constitution Week.
The Town Courier
October 2012 ■ beth
sholom
from page 5
Barber said, adding that her sense of community came from belonging to the local
Beth Sholom congregation. “So when they
come here, they can meet kids who are a
similar faith.”
Beth Sholom is the only Jewish preschool
in Frederick and was formed about 30 years
ago. To celebrate their Jewish faith, a blessing is said in Hebrew before snack every
day, Barber said, and the teachers explain
the prayer to the students. Each week,
blessings are sung for the Sabbath, as well.
“We don’t want them to be saying
sounds, we want them to know what they
mean,” she said, explaining that the blessing is “thanking God for our food.”
To include children who are not of theJewish faith, after holidays not celebrated
at Beth Sholom — such as Christmas —
during “circle time,” the teachers openly
listen to students who want to share how
they celebrated their differing holidays.
Why do some families with no Jewish
connection pick Beth Sholom? Barber said
often it’s through word of mouth recommendation. Often, too, people see the kids
playing at Staley Park (adjacent to Beth
Sholom) during their day at preschool and
inquire as to what program they are part
of.
Urbana residents Amanda and David
Meltzer enrolled their 3-year-old son
Shane in Beth Sholom this fall. Amanda
said that, while she and her husband are
Jewish, she knows of many families who
attend Beth Sholom who are not. For ex-
ample, last year one of the moms she got to
know was Hindi, Meltzer said. She said she
thinks the location is part of why it’s selected by non-Jewish families. In addition,
the atmosphere is such that kids feel really
welcome.
“All of them come out smiling and happy, and there are no kids [who] don’t want
to go. They love it there. They all feel very
comfortable,” she explained. “They are
good teachers. They all really care about
the students; they go the extra mile to
make them feel safe or welcome.”
While the Meltzers opt to send their
children to public school after Jewish preschool, one of the reasons they chose Beth
Sholom was to encourage their son in their
faith.
“Our faith is important to us,” she said,
adding that they also appreciate the school’s
openness to other faiths.
“I liked that they were open to all faiths
even though they are a Jewish school,”
she explained. “I want them to be well
rounded.”
To include children who are not of the
Jewish faith, after holidays not celebrated
at Beth Sholom — such as Christmas —
each student is welcome to share how they
celebrated their differing holidays during
“circle time.”
“Two-, 3- and 4-year-olds are very accepting at this age,” Barber said. “We want
to be a place where children want to come
every day. … For many this is their first
learning experience, and we want it to be
fun.”
For more information on Beth Sholom,
visit www.bethsholomfrederick.org/early_childhood_center or call 301.663.3437.
Page 21
www.frederickchineseschool.com
Serving Frederick County and Clarksburg Areas
Sunday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
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2012 Fall Semester Opens
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Page 22
The Town Courier
October 2012
teacherspotlight
from page 5
spect for each student and their perspective.
“I like to teach the science alongside of
opportunities to let them formulate their
own ideas and discuss the ethics surrounding what I teach,” he said. “Quakers really
strongly believe that there is that of God in
everyone and they should have an opportunity to be heard. The individual matters
in Quakerism.”
For example, when teaching about the
bioethics of developing the HIV vaccine,
Bostick said he would open up a discussion
about developing a vaccine and doing trials
on people who may not be able to afford
the vaccine later.
“Once you kind of foster that environment, they do say things that are so profound,” he said.
Bostick said his goal as a teacher is for
students to not just comprehend science
concepts but to also grow as people.
“Of course I want them to pass a test and
do well in science,” he said, “but if the students do well in science and come out as
good people and global citizens and as individuals — then that is awesome.”
Bostick has held a range of experience —
he even fed mountain lions and lemurs as
a zookeeper in North Carolina — but he
settled on the Friends teaching position after finding the opening online and moving
to the area in 2009. He began teaching that
fall and, three weeks later, got married.
Bostick and his wife Kristina now have a
1-year-old son, Ethan. Bostick moved to
part-time teaching this year so he could
play Dad in the afternoons.
“I am still on a journey myself spiritually, but Quakerism has given me a foundation to explore these ideas,” Bostick said.
If the students do well in
science and come out as
good people and global
citizens and as individuals
— then that is awesome.
The Town Courier
October 2012 Page 23
vitalSIGNS
Hot Topic: Concussions in Sports
T
here has been a lot
of talk over the
past few years regarding concussions in
the NFL and their potential long-term effects.
Unfortunately, concussions can occur in any By Dr. Jeremy
contact sport, accident or
Dunker
physical activity involving unpredictable circumstances.
Just recently, a close friend of mine suffered a concussion in a head-on bicycle collision turning a corner on a wooded trail.
Fortunately, both riders were wearing helmets and no one was seriously injured, but
my friend did miss a few days of work to
recover from the effects. As science is researching further into the cumulative and
lasting effects of recurrent concussions in
professional football players, it reminds us
to increase our awareness of the signs and
symptoms to safeguard our families.
The term “concussion” is used to describe a mild traumatic brain injury that
changes the way our mind works. Any
forceful blow or jolt to the head or body
that results in rapid movement of the head
may cause a concussion. The effects typically resolve in time with rest, however
every concussion does injure the brain to
some extent. Recognizing the signs and
symptoms of a concussion is crucial to protecting the brain from further damage.
Observable signs and symptoms that may
be noticed by coaches, trainers, or parents
include:
• Appears dazed or confused;
• Forgets sports plays;
• Is unsure of game, score, or opponent;
• Moves clumsily;
• Losses consciousness;
• Shows behavior or personality changes; and/or
• Can’t recall events surrounding the hit
or fall.
• Symptoms reported by athletes:
• Headache or pressure in head;
• Nausea;
• Balance or dizziness problems;
• Blurry vision;
• Sensitivity to light or noise;
• Feeling foggy or groggy; and/or
• Does not “feel right.”
The onset of these symptoms may occur immediately or be delayed by hours or
even days after the injury, so it is important
that parents know what to look for in the
days following the event. If you or a loved
one has had head trauma, it is important
to monitor them for signs of deteriorating neurological function which would require taking them to the emergency room:
• Headaches that worsen;
• Seizures;
• Neurological signs (numbness/tingling etc.);
• Drowsiness or cannot be awakened;
• Repeated vomiting;
• Slurred speech;
• Can’t recognize people or places;
• Increasing confusion or irritability;
and/or
• Weakness in arms or legs.
It is recommended that you call your
child’s doctor if your child receives anything more than a slight blow to the head.
If there are no signs or symptoms as listed
above, then further testing is probably not
necessary. An athlete that incurs a blow to
the head and exhibits signs and symptoms
of concussion should be removed from play
and not return until they have been evaluated and cleared by a medical professional. Research has shown that high school
athletes who have demonstrated less than
15 minutes of symptoms following trauma exhibited decreases neurological and
mental testing lasting up to a week after
the injury.
The likelihood of a second concussion is
also much greater in the days following the
first concussion and is often much more severe. Precaution is the name of the game
until we know more about how the brain
recovers from these injuries.
Your physician should be able to provide
you with information regarding return to
activities such as driving, school, practice,
training, and return to competition. Rest
is the best treatment to speed the recovery.
This may require limiting school activities, TV, video games, texting, computer
and physical activity that may cause a reemergence of symptoms. If symptoms do
not improve, further imaging studies may
be necessary, as well as evaluation by a neurologist to better assess the amount of damage incurred.
Prevention and precaution are the best
ways to avoid concussions. Proper fitting
equipment and technique is imperative especially in the contact sports such as football. A helmet goes a long way to protect
from direct impact, but remember it is often the rapid deceleration or whiplash that
causes the brain to slosh back and forth,
impacting the inner walls of the skull that
cause the concussion.
More information regarding prevention,
treatment, and recommendations on concussions is available at www.MayoClinic.
com and the CDC. Most important is to
pay attention to your child through observation and questions, communicate with
coaches and trainers, and consult with your
child’s physician with any concerns.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Jeremy Dunker co-owns
Urbana’s Sage Orthopedic Physical Therapy
with his wife, Stephanie Dunker, MSPT. The
Dunkers write “Vital Signs” on a bi-monthly
basis for The Town Courier.
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Page 24
The Town Courier
October 2012
shoptalk
from page 3
ated for residents of Urbana and surrounding areas.
Villages of Urbana resident, Lisa
Giuliani, a realtor with RE/MAX, has
strong ties to the community and says she
often looks for opportunities to help. Two
years ago, she started the “In the Hood”
page for VOU residents.
“I started the page to help neighbors talk
freely about their concerns and to share information,” Giuliani said, “and it seems to
be very popular.”
Close to 400 residents regularly log on
the page to share information, such as
alerting neighbors of important issues or
asking for help with home repair.
The Urbana Highlands also has a page
with close to 200 members. Both pages are
open to anyone who wants to join.
Online yard sales have also become popular. They allow residents to avoid having
to wait for scheduled sale dates or spend a
whole day sitting on their driveway or driving around the neighborhood. In August,
another VOU resident, Jen Werts, started
the Urbana Facebook Yard sale page.
“I’m expecting a baby girl soon,” Werts
said, “and I have to purge tons of blue boy
things from my two sons, and make way
for pink. This is easier than eBay or consigning items, and it’s been fun.” In the
short time the page has been started, more
than 340 people have joined.
Another popular site is the Urbana/
Monrovia Online Yard Sale. This is a
closed group and requires an invitation and
acceptance.
Our physicians and nurse practitioners work
together to provide warm, compassionate,
and quality care for women all of ages.
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Other locations:
“I got this suggestion from a Mt. Airy
page,” said page administrator Loretta
Bing, “to keep it among neighbors and
avoid abuse.”
Progress on Cracked Claw Property
The new owners of the former Cracked
Claw property are now considering several
offers for building on all or part of the property. Up to three retail pads are available
for retail use. According to Dawn Furman
Gordon, vice president of American
National Properties, Inc.’s Urbana office,
decisions are expected and information
will be available by early October.
CIRCA-Home Now Open to
the Public
The CIRCA-Home factory store is now
opened to the public. CIRCA-Home manufactures soy-based products, including
candles and lotions and sells to spas, museum shops and specialty stores. Products are
now available at the factory store on 3513
Urbana Pike, near Wesley Chapel. For
more information, visit www.circa-home.
com or call 301.874.3231.
Wawa Plans New Store
Wawa is planning to open a new convenience store and gas station at the corner of
Urbana Pike and Holiday Drive. The site
was the former location of Houlihans and
Perkins restaurants. Public comments will
be accepted about the site plan at meeting of the Frederick County Planning
Commission on Oct. 10 at 9:30 a.m. at
Winchester Hall in Frederick, Md.
The Town Courier
October 2012 Page 25
NORA’sCORNER
Personal Epiphanies
F
or many years I
thought the only
meaning of the
word “epiphany” was the
name for the Christian
holiday observed on
Jan. 6 each year, which
celebrates the visit of the
Magi to the baby Jesus.
Later in my life I learned By Nora H.
Caplan
that epiphany has another
meaning ... the very word
had been waiting for to describe the feeling
I’ve experienced on certain rare occasions.
The Collins English Dictionary gives this second definition of epiphany: “any moment
of great or sudden revelation.” The joy of
discovering this meaning was an epiphany
in itself for me.
One evening many years ago while I was
attending a concert of the Springfield, Mo.,
Symphony Orchestra, I heard for the first
time Ravel’s “Introduction and Allegro.”
A harpist was the soloist, and that in itself was a rare occasion.The only person in
town (with a population of about 70,000
at the time) I’d ever heard of who had
learned to play the harp was a young lady
who’d had to take the train all the way to
St. Louis to have lessons. It was either she
or a guest soloist (I don’t remember now
who it was) who played the principal part
in Ravel’s composition.
Before that night, my favorite composers
were Bach and Debussy. But “Introduction
and Allegro” was a revelation. I seemed to
visualize deep woods where sunlight casts
slanting pillars of light. The music opened
a window in my soul and still does whenever I hear it. In short, it was an epiphany,
a feeling so deep and rich I knew I would
always remember it.
When I lived in Springfield, there was
only one art museum on the north side
of town, which wasn’t very accessible to
those of us who lived south of the Square,
the center of town. The museum’s collection was necessarily modest, due to limited funding. For someone like me who had
lived in southwestern Missouri all her life
and had never traveled farther than Kansas
City and St. Louis, I’d never had a chance
I’m so grateful I’ve had these personal
epiphanies... They have given me such joy and
sudden insights that I feel blessed to have
experienced them.
to view great art.
One year, though, I received a portfolio of art prints as a bonus from the Bookof-the-Month Club. Included was a reproduction of El Greco’s “View of Toledo.” I
felt almost as if I’d been struck by lightning
the first time I saw it. I don’t know why
that picture gave me such a feeling of intense awe. I could almost hear the sounds
of timpani and thunder when I stared at it.
I instinctively realized that the city in the
distance wasn’t of this world. It seemed to
be a very mystical, Old Testament sort of
painting.
“View of Toledo” startled me profoundly. It could have been a vision of Judgment
Day by an artist steeped in medieval imagery. I think this painting gave me a glimpse
of how great art can bring about a powerful response from a viewer. In my case, this
epiphany instilled in me a life-long appreciation of paintings by great artists and a
special interest in El Greco.
I’ve been an Anglophile almost all my
life. I think this admiration began when
I read “Wuthering Heights” when I was
only 10 years old and too young to understand it fully. Like Emily Dickinson, I’d
“never seen a moor” or “a foggy night in
Londontown,” but I was so besotted, I began to save my allowance to go to England
someday. Unfortunately, the money didn’t
stay very long in my world globe bank. I
was in my 50s when I finally landed on
English soil. It was hard to believe that I
was really in the land of the Bronte sisters and Samuel Pepys, to say nothing of
Shakespeare and Beatrix Potter. To be in
the country my Quaker ancestors had left
to escape persecution and the threat of
prison was unbelievable. One of them had
come to London from America as a missionary and was buried in the Dissenters
Cemetery in London.
One cold, damp day in March when my
friend B. and I had walked up Ludgate Hill
to St. Paul’s Cathedral, the realization of
where I was struck me so suddenly that I
had to plop down on a bench to take a deep
breath and try to slow down my heartbeats.
I was on the very site of Old St. Paul’s, the
epicenter of The City. This was the actual
locale where the Great Fire of London in
1666 began that destroyed Old St. Paul’s
and most of the buildings in medieval
London. I was here at last! I think I said
a prayer of Thanksgiving for being able to
realize one of my life’s greatest dreams.
I’m so grateful I’ve had these personal
epiphanies and a few more at times during
my lifetime. There’s a spiritual dimension to them, assuredly. They have given
me such joy and sudden insights that I feel
blessed to have experienced them. They
have been torches to lighten my way onto
new paths of learning and discovery.
Fre
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• Allergist at our Ballenger Creek location on Tuesday
87 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 101 • Frederick, MD 21702 • 301-694-0606
6550 Mercantile Drive East, Suite 106 • Frederick, MD 21703 • 301-668-6347
3500 Campus Drive, Suite 102 • Urbana, MD 21704 • 301-874-6107
1502 South Main Street, Suite 206 • Mt. Airy, MD 21771-3280 • 301-829-6146
VISIT US AT WWW.FREDERICKPEDIATRICASSOCIATES.COM
Serving Frederick County for 31 years.
Page 26
The Town Courier
October 2012
OFF THE SHELF
Fall Happenings at the Library
O
ne Maryland One
Book (OMOB),
a program of the
Maryland
Humanities
Council,
encourages
people in a community
to come together to read
and discuss one book.
This year, individuals and
By Amy
book groups across the
Whitney
state are reading “The
Cellist of Sarajevo” by
Steven Galloway. This moving novel was
inspired by real events during the siege of
Sarajevo and the haunting story became an
international bestseller. Galloway will appear at the Weinberg Center for the Arts
in Frederick on Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. On
Oct. 8 at 6 p.m., join us here in Urbana
for a book discussion and a performance by
professional cellist Jessica Sammis, who has
performed with the National Symphony
Orchestra, the Maryland Symphony
C
Orchestra and other chamber music groups
throughout the area. Sammis’ appearance
is provided with support from the Friends
of the Urbana Regional Library.
Photographer Kelly Heck’s exhibit of
wintry snow scenes invites viewers to escape from the noise and upheaval of civilization. Leave the sounds of voices, cell
phones, music, traffic, and machinery behind and enter her world of “Beautiful
Silence,” on view now through December.
Everyday views of a playground, a farm
field, a solitary tree on a hill are transformed
in Heck’s work by the quiet snow cover.
Spend a few moments with her photographs and feel yourself slowly decompress.
A graduate of the Savannah College of Art
and Design, Heck comes to us through
our partnership with the Delaplaine Visual
Arts and Education Center.
Of course, October is a fun-filled
month for kids, and it starts on Oct. 9 at
4:15 p.m. with our first meeting of the
The Town Courier
Stay up to date on our
new Facebook page.
www.facebook.com/TownCourierUrbana
Complete outdoor living design/Build serviCes
301-874-1801
www.metrohardscapes.com
ICPI Certified • MHIC #121308 • NCMA Certified • Locally Owned
“2nd Tuesday Book Club” for kids ages
8 - 10. Participants will choose a book to
read for next month’s club and will create
a shadow puppet box. If you love the Star
Wars movies and books, dress up like one
of the colorful characters and party with
us on Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. (ages 6 – 11). And
Jack would have gotten in far less trouble if
he’d just made a mosaic with those magical beans instead of planting them! You can
make your own magical bean mosaic on
Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. (ages 8 – 11). Teens are
invited to act out their own spooky mystery at the library on Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. But
for kids, nothing can top Halloween —
costumes, parades, and candy make this a
favorite for all kids. Our Halloween Brew
Party for younger children (ages 3 - 5)
begins on Oct. 31 at 1:30 p.m. Kids can
make a fall craft, watch a puppet show, and
march in a costume parade. Kids ages 6 11 are invited to come at 3 p.m. that day for
a repeat performance.
For more information about the library
or any of the programs mentioned above,
visit www.fcpl.org or call the Urbana
Regional Library information desk at
301.600.7004.
Editor’s Note: Amy Whitney is director of the
Urbana Regional Library. She can be reached
at AWhitney@FrederickCountyMD.gov or
301.600.7012.
MIKE AT THE MOVIES
“Finding Nemo – 3D” (G) ★★★★
Let us be clear: This
is not “Finding Nemo
– 2.” That will be released in 2016 with a
new story and most of
the same voices. This
is a re-release of the
2003 film in 3-D. This
is such a classic animatBy Mike
ed feature that 3-D or
Cuthbert
not should not make a
difference and doesn’t.
The animation is bewitching and clever,
but the lines are what make Nemo enjoyable for all ages.
Most of you probably remember the story of the feisty Clownfish minnow; his
widowed father, Marlin; and Marlin’s accidental acquaintance, Dory. Dory’s problem is that she has short-term memory loss,
which makes finding Nemo somewhere in
Sydney a real challenge. Then add sharks,
a whale, a barracuda, pelicans and seagulls,
and you have a real tough chore for Marlin
and Dory.
I found the 3-D to be irrelevant. The action is plenty. If anything, the stereo sound
adds impact to the story if you’ve seen it
only on VHS or DVD.
There are bits for parents in it. The most
outrageous I heard was the name of the
lodge that Marlin enters. “Hockalugie.”
Say it out loud and you might recognize
something that teens still do a lot and, back
in the day, not a few parents did as well!
Most kids of a certain age will not have a
clue.
Ellen DeGeneres steals the show with her
daffy delivery and character. Her “speaking
whale” is an extended bit of madness that
broke up the audience. There are priceless
characters scattered through the film, and
keep an ear out for the dialogue.
This is well worth seeing again but see
the 2-D version if you want to save the
money for the glasses. It’s just as funny and
charming.
“The Words” (PG-13) ★★
The problem with many movies today
is they feature very little creative dialogue.
So it was with some sense of anticipation
that we watched a movie whose title promised more. Unfortunately for the viewer,
the words used in this film are as prosaic as
the action and the plots, and it is so slowpaced and intentionally “arty” that it fails
— on many levels.
The plots start with Clay Hammond
(Dennis Quaid) reading some horrid prose
from his novel to a rapt audience. The story
he is reciting has to do with a young author
named Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper) and
his wife, Dora (Zoe Saldana). Rory discovers a manuscript in an old briefcase in
Paris and, after moments to angst, decides
to copy it, word for word because his own
writing is lacking. Of course, the novel
becomes a smash, establishing Rory as an
“Author” in all the senses of the word he
wanted.
Quaid’s story moves on to introduce
“The Old Man” ( Jeremy Irons), who, naturally, wrote the novel that Rory copied.
So we have a lecturing novelist, a fictional
novelist and his wife, an old man who is
actually a novelist, and his wife, and we are
supposed to accept the fact that Quaid is
master-minding all three sets of folks.
Olivia Wilde appears as Daniella, a lit
student, who forces Quaid to come clean
with lots of “significant” words. We are
supposed to believe that Irons’ character
wrote his sensational hit in two weeks; that
he would write the first page on the back
of a “see you later” letter from his French
wife; that he would blithely abandon his
only copy to her in a French village; and
that people really say such things as: “I’m
not who I thought I was and I’m terrified
I never will be,” “Words ruin everything”
and “I loved words more than I loved the
woman who inspired them.
As far as I was concerned, “The Words”
has too many actors and not enough characters. Everyone in it seems to want to be
“sincerely deep” and they come as phony
and shallow — just like their words.
for my money is her voice. Sorry.
Enjoy more of Mike’s movie reviews at www.
towncourier.com.
The Town Courier
October 2012 Page 27
SeniorMOMENTS
National Family Caregiver Support Program
By Mary M. Collins
D
o you provide care to an individual over the age of 60 or with
Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia? Are you a grandparent or relative caregiver over age 55 providing care
for a child under 18, or an adult child with
disabilities between the ages or 19 – 59?
If so, the Frederick County Department
of Aging Caregiver Support Program can
help!
Passed as an amendment to the Older
Americans Act in 2000, the National
Family Caregiver Support Program is a
federally funded program requiring each
state to provide a support program to meet
the needs of caregivers. While continuously evolving to meet the changing needs of
caregivers across the spectrum, our program strives to provide individualized services to caregivers in need, without regard
to income.
The Caregiver Support Program offers services to caregivers that include:
• Individualized information, referral
and support services.
• Linkage with other relevant community resources and programs.
• Respite care and supplemental services
subsidies as funding allows.
• A monthly non-disease specific caregiver support group. This group is fa-
cilitated by a licensed clinical social
worker and meets the last Wednesday
of the month from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. at
the Frederick Senior Center.
• Education and training in coordination with other organizations.
• An annual caregiver appreciation
event.
• A resource lending library including
training videos, books, brochures,
journals, etc.
• A monthly caregiver update available
to caregivers via mail or email.
• An in-home care provider registry
listing individuals who provide care
services in the home.
As an added service to our caregivers,
Caregiver Program Coordinators in the
past year have received ongoing training
from the Information and Assistance (I&A)
staff to be able to provide I&A services to
the people they serve, when relevant. This
allows caregivers and the people they care
for to be screened for additional services
and programs.
Caregiving can be a rewarding and enlightening experience, but without the
right resources and tools, it can also be
overwhelming and stressful. Good news
— you don’t have to face it alone.
If you would like to be added to our
list to receive a monthly email with
information geared toward caregivers, be
notified of upcoming trainings, and receive
a reminder of the monthly support group,
give us a call at 301.600.6001 or email at
mcollins@FrederickCountyMD.gov.
On Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m., the Urbana
Senior Center (301.600.7020) will be hosting “Soaring Above Adversity: A presentation on being a caregiver for a loved one.”
The book, “Soaring Above Adversity,” by
local resident Bill Bugg, is an account of
his experiences as the primary caregiver for
his wife who passed away after an 18-year
struggle with Alzheimer’s. This presenta-
tion, by Bill, will focus on the six chapters
of his book, each presenting a unique topic but collectively presenting what everyone needs to know and accomplish to be
at their best whenever they may become a
caregiver.
For more information call, visit our
website at www.frederickcountymd.gov/
aging.
Editor’s Note: Mary M. Collins is a
Caregiver Support Coordinator at the Frederick
County Department of Aging.
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Worship Directory
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Page 28
The Town Courier
out&ABOUT
Urbana hosts its annual Urbana Indoor Art & Craft Show
on Oct. 27 at the Urbana Fire Hall.
Frederick), more than 60 artists and crafters will be on hand with their artisanal
wares at the Urbana Indoor Art & Craft
Show. You will be able to purchase art in
a variety of mediums from photography to
jewelry, and from glassware to floral arrangements and stained glass. Admission
and parking are free. Come hungry because large breakfast and lunch menus will
also be available, along with a table brimming with homemade baked goods. For
more information, contact Carolyn Maher
at maher323@verizon.net.
Urbana Indoor Art & Craft Show
Fire Station Open House
On Oct. 27, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., at
the Urbana Fire Hall (3602 Urbana Pike,
The annual Open House for the
Urbana Volunteer Fire and Rescue will
Photo | Submitted
URBANA LIBRARY FARMERS’ MARKET
Sundays at the Urbana Regional Library
Noon until 3 p.m.
We would like to thank all of our customers for coming out and
supporting us this season at the Urbana Library Farmers’ Market!
October 7 will be our last day for the season. Thank you, and we’ll see
you in the Spring!
For More Information or to become a vendor
contact: Jan Wickline, 240.405.4939
Please look for us on Facebook or at
www.theurbanalibraryfarmersmarket.com
be on Oct. 21, from 1 – 3 p.m. Some of
the events at the family-friendly event
include demonstrations and displays on
fire prevention and safety, free food and
drinks and a hayride to pick out a free
pumpkin. For more information, go to
www.urbanavfd.org or call 301.606.3008.
Halloween Brew Party
Come one, come all and bring your best
costume! The Urbana Regional Library is
hosting a children’s (ages 6 – 10) program
on Oct. 31 from 3 – 3:45 pm. There
will be a Halloween craft, a puppet show
and a costume parade, including treats!
Registration is required. Please visit http://
w w w.fcpl.org/infor mation/branches/
urbana/index.php. Registration opens on
Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
Rose Hill Manor Park Offers
Fall Festival
Rose Hill Manor Park is featuring
a weekend of fall fun on Oct. 6, from
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Oct. 7, from noon
– 4 p.m. with games, children’s old-fashioned toys and hands-on crafts, such as
candle making. There is a small fee for the
Manor house admission and for the crafts.
Also on hand, the Frederick County Farm
Museum Association will offer tractor pulls
on Saturday morning, and a cake auction,
hayrides, farm exhibits, animals, music and
food on Sunday. There is a $1 parking donation and small fees for the hayride and
food. Rose Hill Manor Park is located at
October 2012
Compiled by Julie Virnelson
1611 North Market Street in Frederick, or
you may visit www.rosehillmuseum.com.
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes
On Oct. 6, at 2 p.m., join locals in wearing some uncomfortable shoes for a very
worthwhile cause. This annual event helps
raise awareness and funds to benefit the
Heartly House, which provides comprehensive services for victims and survivors
of domestic violence, rape/sexual assault
and child abuse. To take a stand against domestic violence, men will walk a mile in
women’s high heels throughout downtown
Frederick. Women and children may also
walk — but they get to wear comfortable
shoes! Online registration can be found at
www.heartlyhouse.org. Event day registration begins at noon at the Carroll Creek
Pavilion. The walk will start at 2 p.m. and
will finish with a celebration and awards
ceremony at the Delaplaine Center for the
Arts.
Light the Night Walk
On Oct. 13, in Frederick’s Baker Park,
the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will
hold its annual walk to remember those
we have lost to cancer but have not forgotten. Participants who raise $100 or more
will carry special illuminated balloons,
will receive a commemorative T-shirt and
will enjoy complimentary refreshments.
Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., and the
Walk will begin at dusk. Please visit www.
lightthenight.org/md to register.
Frederick Primary Care Associates
Walk-in hours for our existing acute sick patients,
Flu vaccines are now available.
Please contact our office for more information.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Diana Juliano, MD •
Same day appointments for urgent care
Evening and saturday appointments available
Most insurance plans accepted
Hospital care at Frederick Memorial Hospital
Wellness Care and Physical Exams
Accepting New Patients
Integrative Physician Care
•
•
•
•
•
•
Acupuncture
Massage
Yoga
Stress Management
Nutrition
Biofeedback
Bonnie Fitleberg, MD • Terri Strobel, PA • Heather Hall, PA
October 2012 The Town Courier
Page 29
Page 30
The Town Courier
October 2012
arts& entertainment Compiled by Sally Alt
Photo | Submitted
Pianist Brian Ganz performs in Germantown, Md., on Oct.
7 at the BlackRock Center.
Concert at the BlackRock Center
for the Arts
Pianist Brian Ganz performs at the
BlackRock Center for the Arts at 3 p.m.
on Oct. 7 in Germantown, Md., with an
all-Chopin program. The performance
is part of Ganz’ attempt to perform all of
Frederic Chopin’s works in the next sever-
al years. The concert will include his performances of “Fantaisie, Op. 49,” “Three
Mazurkas from Op. 7,” “Polonaise in A-flat
Major, Op. 53 (“Heroic”),” “Nocturne in
B Major, Op. 62, No. 1,” five preludes from
“Op. 29; “Impromptu No. 2 in F-sharp
Major, Op. 36” Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op.
66,” and “Andante Spianato and Grande
Polonaise, Op. 22.”
Ganz takes everyone on a musical journey, through his playing and through stories and observations about the music.
Among the musicians who influenced him
is Leon Fleisher, with whom he studied
for one and a half years. Residing in the
Annapolis area, Ganz performs and teaches
in the region.
Tickets are $29 – $32, but BlackRock
offers a 50 percent discount for children
age 13 and under and a 25 percent discount
for students age 14 – 25. Groups of 10 or
more get a 10 percent discount. Purchase
tickets at www.blackrockcenter.org and
at 240.912.1058 from Tuesday through
Saturday, 12 – 5 p.m.
tries to win the respect of his father and
the love of Mary, a beautiful woman. The
film is being shown on Oct. 12 at 8 p.m.
at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in
downtown Frederick, Md. Tickets cost $7
for adults and $5 for students and seniors.
For more information, call the box office
at 301.600.2828.
‘The Kid Brother’
This musical reinvents Andrew Jackson
as a total rock star. This rock-fest, which
won the 2010 outstanding new off-broadway musical, will have you singing along
with the rebellion!
Performances can be seen Oct. 18
through Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. at the Maryland
Ensemble Theatre in Frederick, Md. The
show is recommended for ages 15 and older, because of mature language and situ-
“The Kid Brother” (1927) is an American
silent film comedy, which is one of Harold
Lloyd’s best films as he stars as a young
brother and would-be hero. The film
takes place in 1877. The Hickorys, including Sheriff Jim and his sons Leo and Olin,
is the prominent family in town. Harold
doesn’t match up to his big brothers, so he
72 Film Fest
The annual 72 Film Fest at the Weinberg
Center for the Arts in Frederick, Md.,
brings together many filmmakers across
the region who make short movies in only
72 hours. The best entries will be shown
Saturday night on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. The
other films will premiere on Friday night
on Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. People who are new
to the 72 Film Fest are encouraged to go
to the Saturday night showing. One-day
tickets cost $10 and two-day tickets cost
$17. For more information, please call
301.600.2828.
‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’
ations. Tickets cost $25.50 for adults and
$21.50 for seniors on Friday, Saturday and
Sunday. On Oct. 18, all tickets cost $16.50.
‘The Music Man’
Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man”
follows the traveling salesman Harold Hill
as he cons people throughout River City,
Iowa, into purchasing uniforms and instruments for a boys’ band that he claims
he will organize. His plan to leave town
with the money fails when he falls in love
with Marian, the librarian, who helps him
to become an honest citizen. “The Music
Man” will be shown Sept. 7 through
Nov. 3 at The Way Off Broadway Dinner
Theatre, which is located at 5 Willowdale
Drive in Frederick, Md. For more information, please call 301.662.6600.
16th Annual Fall Festival at
Summers Farm
Visit Summers Farm now through Nov.
6 and explore the corn maze, pumpkin
patch, pig races, country store, slides, farm
animals and more. Visitors are welcome
Monday through Thursday, 1 – 7 p.m.;
Friday, 1 – 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. –
10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Tickets cost $6.50 per person on weekdays
and $10 per person on weekends. Children
under 2 are free. Summers Farm is located at 5614 Butterfly Lane in Frederick,
Md. For more information, please call
301.520.9316.
Some of our office listings:
MT AIRY
$574,900
HAGERSTOWN
$439,900
GAMBRILL PARK
$ 364,900
FREDERICK
$349,900
MT AIRY
$313,975
BALTIMORE
$234,900
FREDERICK
$229,900
MYERSVILLE
$229,900
BALTIMORE
$224,900
SILVER SPRING
$209,900
FREDERICK
$164,900
HAGERSTOWN
$139,900
The Town Courier
October 2012 Page 31
designblue b ook
By Meredith Erickson
A Focus on the Fireplace
A
s fall sets in and cooler temperatures arrive, are you dreaming of
cozy days by the fireplace? The fireplace is often the most important — and
maybe the only — architectural feature in
your main gathering space. As an interior designer, architectural elements are one
of the focal points I try to establish in my
clients’ homes. Here are three simple ideas
to spruce up your “builder grade” fireplace
and help establish it as a true focal point.
Here’s to creating splendid spaces!
Cheers!
Editor’s Note: Meredith Ericksen is an
interior designer, entrepreneur, military spouse,
mom of three girls, amateur art historian
and lover of all things British. Her design
philosophy at her company, Tuscan Blue
Design (www.tuscanbluedesign.com), is beauty,
plus imagination, plus order, where her forte is
interior architecture. Meredith and family call the
city of Frederick their home.
Photo | Submitted
Create an eye-catching architectural element above the
fireplace using molding pieces. It visually expands the
ceiling height, as well.
1. Design an over-mantel using simple
molding pieces and parts, building on
the architectural interest of your existing wood mantel surround. A trip
to the local building store will provide
all the pieces and parts needed for this
upgrade. An over-mantel makes your
ceiling look taller by adding a vertical
element to the space. For inspiration
and design ideas, go to www.houzz.
com, a powerful, Pinterest-like site I
find useful for my clients to find their
niche style.
Photo | Submitted
Frame within a frame detail.
Photo | Submitted
Replacing the black granite with Craftsman-style handmade tiles lightens the overall look of this fireplace surround.
2. Keep your wood surround and add new tiles: Most builder-grade fireplaces have a
dark granite or stone surround. New accent tiles will add color, texture and pattern.
Take color cues from existing furniture and accessories — or think about what color
you want to bring into the space. Since it is a small amount of tile, consider using bold
colors or an interesting pattern.
3. Create a unique place to hang art above
the mantel: Make a “frame” out of applied moulding above the mantel,
paint an accent color inside the frame,
and you have a unique “frame within
a frame” detail. This technique is the
perfect backdrop for all kinds of art
from contemporary pieces to a vintage
piece of architectural metalwork.
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Page 32
The Town Courier
October 2012
UrbanaSports
Wrestling with Meaning
By Sally Alt
“O
nce you wrestle, everything else in life is
easy,” said Adam Krop, an Urbana High
School (UHS) graduate who qualified for the
NCAA wrestling tournament this year. Wrestling teaches
you hard work and discipline, as well as life lessons, Krop
said.
Originally from Monrovia, Krop said he has been wrestling since he was 6 years old.
“[I] was naturally flexible and athletic” and did well in
competitions, Krop said.
Krop won three state championships as a student at UHS
and, during his senior year, he helped run the Fellowship
of Christian Athletes (FCA). The coaches at Urbana High
School were great, he said, adding that the good relationships he formed with his coaches helped him to do well in
high-school wrestling.
His success in wrestling led to his recruitment by
Princeton University, where he recently finished his sophomore year and placed third at the Midlands wrestling
championships at Northwestern University.
There’s a big difference between wrestling in high
school and competing at the college level, said Krop. “You
go from wrestling boys to wrestling men,” he explained.
“Only the most elite high school wrestlers go on to wrestle in college.”
Photo | Submitted
Adam Krop is the first wrestler from Frederick County to qualify for the NCAA
wrestling tournament.
Krop said he believes his Christian faith has played a big
part in his success as a wrestler. No matter what happens
in a wrestling match, “I wrestle for Jesus Christ,” he said,
adding that he tries to “follow the example he set and glorify him through wrestling.” Krop explained that since he
has been given the talent for wrestling, it is his duty to do
his very best.
Krop’s religious faith is a central part of his life. “I actively seek out God’s plan for me,” Krop said.
Krop’s mentor, Steve Fittery, a four-time all-American at American University, often prayed with him before
competitions, which he said gave him strength to do well
in his wrestling matches. Krop said Fittery was instrumental in his success a wrestler.
Wrestling is challenging, said Krop. “Every part of the
sport is so intense.”
Students who wrestle also need to stay on a strict diet
in order to maintain their proper weight. Wrestlers do not
compete as part of a team, Krop explained. “Your fate is in
your own hands as a wrestler,” he said.
Currently, he is taking a year off from school to recover after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
He is now working in New York and plans to return to
Princeton in fall 2013.
Krop said he always looks forward to wrestling. Any
time he is stressed out with school or life’s pressures, wrestling is a way to get away from everything, he said.
His goal for the future is to win the NCAA championship. Watching the Olympics also inspired him to consider training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado
Springs, Colo.
Krop’s advice to students starting out in wrestling is to
“stick with it.” The sport “really teaches a lot of core values,” he said. It’s important to not take it too seriously at
first, said Krop. “Have fun with it.”
Sidelining on Sundays
By Bethany E. Starin
S
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
Late second quarter hand-off by Urbana against a tough Walkersville defensive line. Urbana lost 17 to 7 in an
energetic battle on the field at Urbana High School.
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
The Urbana High School student body turned
out for the game — and for a good time and
fun in the stands.
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
The Hawks gather round for a post-game meeting to reflect on
what was this evening and what will be coming up next Friday
night against Governor Thomas Johnson High School.
Loss at the Hawks Nest
The Urbana Hawks shook off a tough 17 to 7 loss to the Walkersville Lions, played
at the Hawks Nest on Friday, Sept. 21. While both teams played competitively
in the first half, the four second half turnovers by Urbana proved to be the
difference. Walkersville’s tough defensive front line forced a valiant Urbana passing
attack that fell short of moving the ball for scores. For more photos from the game, go
to www.towncourier-photos.smugmug.com.
— Phil Fabrizio
ince age 4, Spencer Allgaier’s passion
has been shown on the soccer field.
But on some Sundays, he stands on
the sidelines, cheering his team on instead
of taking the field. Why? He said he is sitting the game out for what’s most important in life — his faith.
“I am a Latter Day Saint — Mormon
— and it is like the Christian faith, but
we have more rules, you could say. We
don’t participate in activities on Sunday,”
Allgaier said. He adds that his faith sets
aside Sunday as a day of rest, so he tries to
keep it low key. Instead of playing games
those days, he attends the games and cheers
his team on from the sidelines.
“I know when I miss Sunday games, I
am missing it for something more important, which is religion — which is ultimately the most important thing in this life. It’s
not just soccer or friends — it’s religion,”
Allgaier said.
The junior at Urbana High School
(UHS) played little league soccer in North
Carolina on a team his dad coached. Upon
his family’s move to Urbana in 2005,
Allgaier said he became more serious about
soccer in middle school. His family moved
into the Villages of Urbana in 2006.
In his freshman year at UHS, he played
on the JV team, and and last year he made
the varsity team roster. Allgaier said he
didn’t get much playing time, so he practiced with the varsity team and also played
for the JV team. This year, he’s playing for
the varsity team in the outside back posi-
Photo | Submitted
Urbana High School junior Spencer Allgaier (right) plays
for the varsity Urbana High School (UHS) Hawks soccer
team against Walkersville High School on Sept. 8. UHS
won, 9-1.
tion, as well as getting some time in center
mid-field, his favorite position.
Allgaier describes himself as an aggressive team player, and he said he loves being
a creative athlete. He talked in energetic
tones as he described different ways to take
on defenders and the creative freedom that
this sport gives. He said change-of-speed
and step-over moves are some of his favorn
Sidelinging Continued on page 34
The Town Courier
October 2012 PLAYBOOK
A Conversation with FCA’s
Chris Rich
T
he sporting landscape
in today’s culture has
become a place of
worship where sports stars
are more recognizable and
famous than most other
professions. Many in our
society idolize these in- By Timothy
dividuals for better or for
Mellott
worse. This can create an
imbalance of priorities for many coaches
and impressionable amateur athletes where
they miss the most valuable lessons sports
can teach us.
Back in 1954, Don McClanen, the
founder of the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes (FCA), made the same observations regarding the influence of sports on
societal culture. He said he was inspired to
combine his love for the Lord and sports
into a sports ministry.
Fifty-eight years later, FCA has grown
into the world’s leading faith funded sports
ministry. The organization focuses on the
Four C’s of Ministry: Coaches, Campus,
Camps and Community. In 2011, 7,034
coaches attended FCA Bible studies and
more than 300,000 students were reached
on 7,916 campuses across America. More
than 52,000 athletes attended camps in 39
states and 24 countries while their Fields
of Faith program had more than 160,000
students participate on 475 fields across the
nation.
Frederick County FCA hired its first
dedicated area representative in January
2011. I had the privilege to sit down with
Chris Rich and ask him a few questions.
Mellott: What do you do for FCA?
Rich: As the Frederick County FCA
director, I oversee and seek to serve the
coaches and athletes in Frederick County
with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I oversee and provide resources to every public
high school, middle school and college that
meet in Frederick County. In addition, I
coordinate coach’s huddles throughout the
county. The huddles are place for coaches
to come together and learn how to coach
the heart of the athlete and use their influence as God intended.
Mellott: Why do you like working
for FCA?
n
playbook Continued on page 35
Photo | Submitted
Chris Rich presents the Don McClanen Volunteer of the Year award at the 2012 FCA Banquet. Don McClanen pictured in
the background.
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Page 33
Page 34
The Town Courier
October 2012
■ Sidelining
from page 32
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ite ways to get past defenders.
“I love the energy of the crowd and the
creativity and endurance that it takes,”
Allgaier said. “It is not like football
where you stop and start and do the same
plays. There is so much creativeness that
you can do in soccer.”
As much as he loves his sport, 15-yearold Allgaier hit a hard decision when he
began to play club soccer for FC Frederick
last year, a team that frequently holds
games on Sundays. Allgaier wanted to get
some more playing time in his sweet spot
on the field — center-mid field — and a
club team was a good place to find that.
Quickly, he discovered that following his
faith meant great sacrifice.
“I had to miss the state cup game for FC
Frederick,” he said of last year’s season.
“That was definitely one of the biggest first
decisions I had to make [about my faith]. ...
I had to sit out because I knew that was the
right thing to do, but I did got to support
my team by sitting on sideline and cheering them on.”
Allgaier said that he has been called out
on his faith by his teammates, but is getting
used to the conversations.
“I just tell them that it’s part of my religion to go to church on Sundays and rest.
… It’s not like I am making fun of them or
saying they are wrong for doing that, but it
is a decision that they chose,” Allgaier said.
He adds that his faith also makes him a
better player, teaching him diligence.
“I knew I was good at soccer, so I sort
of leaned on my talent and not so much
on my work efforts. My faith chastised me,
and I realized how much I needed faith to
help me through the game,” he said.
Allgaier said that rather than make him
lose the respect of his coaches, his faith
helped him develop his relationships with
them. “It set me apart for the coaches, and
it definitely showed my commitment,” he
said.
This year, his UHS team has a couple
of athletes who are also Mormon, Allgaier
said, which has made it easier, he said. In
addition, the UHS varsity team doesn’t
have any Sunday game conflicts. On his
club team, Coach Kenny Putnam has been
extremely supportive, Allgaier said.
“[He] noticed that I did not play Sunday
games and that it was big commitment to
me and a big challenge, and he was very
supportive of me doing that,” he said. “I
have to make up for games that I missed
on Sundays so that I still had a spot on the
team [because I had] less time to show him
what I have.”
When not on the soccer field, Allgaier
volunteers his time with the local troop of
Boy Scouts. In 2011, he achieved his Eagle
Scout Award. He said he ongoingly participates in local Eagle Scout projects.
Allgaier’s future goals include playing on
a professional soccer team, which he said
keeps a person active. His “Plan B” is to
pursue multimedia production.
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The Town Courier
October 2012 playbook
from page 33
Rich: I absolutely love working in the
FCA ministry to help coaches and athletes
understand how their faith can be a part of
everything they do. Waking up every day
and having the opportunity to teach character and godly principles is truly a gift.
I feel so fortunate to impact coaches and
athletes with these principles, knowing
they will carry them throughout their life.
We work hard to
teach our young
athletes about
what it means to
have character.
Mellott: How can FCA help a coach?
speak the language of sport in the context
of Faith. We understand the impact of a
coach and the platform from which they
work. Billy Graham said: “A coach influences more people in one year than the
average man does in a lifetime.” In FCA
we want to reach the heart of the coach so
that they can, in turn, change the lives and
hearts of the athletes they influence. Our
goal is to help the coach understand how
they can coach the heart of the athlete and
not just the scoreboard by walking alongside them through the ups and downs of
competition. All the while bringing them
hope in all that they do and how God has
them right where they are for a reason.
For more information, go to www.
frederickfca.org.
Rich: Coaches are some of the most
spiritually neglected people in the world.
In FCA, we seek to serve the coach right
were they are. It’s all about getting to
know the coach; it’s relational. My goal is
to come alongside them, walk with them
and love them no matter what. At FCA we
Editor’s Note: Timothy Mellott is an active Urbana community member who founded
the Southern Frederick County Youth Athletic
Facilities, coaches Predators Wrestling, and is an
FCA Character Coach at Urbana and Seneca
Valley High Schools. Mellott lives in Ijamsville
with his wife, Beth Ann, and son, Parker.
Mellott: How can FCA help an athlete?
Rich: There are so many stresses on
young athletes today. At FCA, our goal
is to come alongside each of them to provide hope that is bigger than sports. As we
pour into athletes they begin to see that
there is someone who loves them beyond
their performance and that weight is lifted
off their shoulders. We work hard to teach
our young athletes about what it means to
have character, challenge them to choose
a path of integrity and be different than
the mainstream athletes that we see. As a
Christian competitor you are called to be
different and a light for Christ in all that
you do, and that is what we strive to teach.
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The Town Courier
October 2012
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