January 2010

Pony
Passion
See page
31
Urbana’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Urbana, Villages of Urbana, Ijamsville and More
The
TOWN
Vol. 6, No. 1
Courier
www.towncourier.com
January 2010
Vandals Cause
Thousands in
Damages
UMS Parents
Continue Push
for Safety
By Carrie Dietz
By Patsy Beckman
In two separate incidences,
vandals smashed windshields and
damaged at least 35 vehicles in
Villages of Urbana in December,
causing thousands of dollars in
damage.
At press time the Frederick
County Sheriff ’s Office would
not release any information regarding the December 16 incident
other than to say that police officials were trying to “set up an interview with a possible suspect.”
The investigation is ongoing.
The incidences occurred during the early morning hours
of December 3 and 16. About
15 vehicles were damaged on
December 3, and 20 were damaged on December 16.
Reporting on the December 3
incident, Cpl. Jennifer Bailey said
report of a “rash of bricks thrown
at vehicles” came in around 2
a.m., and sheriff ’s deputies began
notifying some of the residents
right away on streets including
Lew Wallace Road Beall’s Farm
Road and Sprigg Street. “We did
leave case numbers on the vehicles
whose owners we weren’t able to
Julie Virnelson, Urbana
Middle School (UMS) PTSA
president, took her plea to
protect the students of UMS
to Frederick County’s Board
of Education (BOE).
At the December board
meeting, Virnelson spoke to
members there about joining
forces to prevent a tragedy on
the roadways that lead to the
middle school.
“I spoke to the dangerous
situation at the intersection
and how it came to be so bad
— the loss of more than half
our bussing, increased traff ic volume, and high speeds,”
Virnelson said. She described
to board members several accounts of near misses between
students and motorists and infractions by some of the school
system’s very own busses.
At a public comment session, Virnelson’s appeal didn’t
receive much feedback from
the board.
This month, she says she is
looking forward to organizing
a meeting between Frederick
n
vandals
Return Address:
The Town Courier
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
PRSRT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Dulles
VA
Permit #163
Continued on page 12
Photo | Tracey McCabe
Winter Wallop
The record-breaking snowfall December 19 forced Frederick County government and schools to close in the days before Christmas. While it took
time and muscle power for area residents to shovel out Villages of Urbana resident Farrell Keough looked at the bright side. “Amazing day,” he
said. “We had so many neighbors helping each other out with snow blowers and shovels.”
Voltaggio Is ‘Top Chef’s’ 2nd-Place Finisher
By Patsy Beckman
W
e won’t see him
again on Bravo’s
Wednesday night
hit, “Top Chef: Las Vegas,” so
the next glimpses of Villages
of Urbana’s (VOU) Bryan
Voltaggio, reality television’s
second-best chef, will have to
be in his downtown Frederick
restaurant, Volt, or perhaps at a
new venture with his brother,
Michael Voltaggio. Michael was
ultimately crowned the number one chef ’testant during the
show’s season finale.
Bryan Voltaggio told The
n
voltaggio
Continued on page 8
n
safety
Continued on page 13
Medical
Practice
Opens
By Carrie Dietz
The Pediatric Center of
Frederick’s new Urbana
location opened in early
December, offering area parents a new choice in pediatric
medical care.
“We’ve had a full schedule
every day since we opened,”
said Brenda Campbell, the
practice administrator. She
Photo | Courtesy Bravo
In a thrilling season finale, VOU’s Bryan Voltaggio awaited word from host Padma Lakshmi on
who would be crowned “Top Chef.”
n
pediatric center
Continued on page 9
Page 2
The Town Courier
AroundTOWN
Need Up at Urbana Food Pantry
The Urbana area food pantry
is currently serving 56 families
on a regular basis, up from 38
families this same time last year. To help local families have gifts
this year, e-mail Jo at allsodifferent@yahoo.com for gift
suggestions.
Governor O’Malley Opens Gateway
to Frederick
Governor Martin O’Malley
joined local and state elected
officials and business leaders
December 14 to officially open
a new gateway to Frederick.
The $107 million project consists of a new interchange at
MD 85/East Street and I-70
and an extension of East Street.
The improvements are designed
to ease congestion and improve
safety through the corridor as
well as provide enhanced access
to Frederick’s MARC train station. Since the project was announced in 2005, roughly 500
jobs were supported during
the construction, according to
O’Malley’s staff.
New Year’s Eve at Urbana Fire Hall
Ring in the new year at the
Urbana Fire Hall, December
January 2010
Compiled by Carrie Dietz
31 from 8 p.m. – 1 a.m. with
appetizers and music by D.J.
Shakey. After the ball drops,
stick around for coffee and donuts. $20 per person. More information: 301.606.3008.
Road Closure
The
Frederick
County
Department of Highways and
Transportation
temporarily closed lanes at Stronghold
Square, located at the intersection of Comus and Sugarloaf
Mountain roads, just north of the
Frederick County/Montgomery
County line. Instead of a detour
route, traffic to the square and
approaching roads will be reduced to one lane at times and
controlled by flagmen.
The rehabilitation project
started on or about December
8 to allow the contractor, Jerry
Justice Excavating, to remove
and replace the existing concrete in the square and approximately 160 feet on Comus Road
with asphalt. The company will
also correct drainage issues in
the square as well as repair and
replace existing concrete curbn AROUND TOWN
Continued on page 17
Photo | S. Nicole Davis
Helping Man’s Best Friend
Mom and her eight puppies are resting comfortably at the Greenbriar Veterinary Hospital and Pet Resort after a Good Samaritan brought the cold, wet,
hungry and very pregnant dog in to the clinic on a cold December night. “We took her in and within hours she was in labor,” said Jessica Finnegan with
Greenbriar. “She had eight beautiful puppies.” Now, because the humane societies are full and there are so many newborn puppies, the hospital adopted
the furry family until mom and puppies find a safe home. All are doing well. Greenbriar staff plans to keep them for the first eight weeks and then attempt to find them new homes. “If this Good Samaritan had not brought this mommy to our doors, she would have had her pups in the cold darkness of
winter, and they would have all died,” a very touched Finnegan explained. “ This is community helping the community.” If you’d like to adopt one of the
puppies or their mother, please contact Greenbriar Veterinary Hospital at 301.874.8880.
The Town Courier
January 2010 Shop Talk
By Carrie Dietz
Bella Consignment Bustling
Walk into Bella Consignment
on Worthington Boulevard, and
it’s evident business is bustling.
Inventory is up and so is business, according to owner Andrea
Winovich.
“Our sales have grown each
month,” said Winovich, who
opened the shop in September
and runs it with daughter Ashley
Seiler.
Concentrating on buying and
selling high end women’s and
children’s clothing, the mother
daughter team has developed a
strong customer base and, using
social networking such as Twitter
and Facebook, they’re able to keep
clients up to date on what’s hot.
“We have a lot of repeat customers,” said Seiler. “We have new
things come in every day so people stop in often.”
So what are the hot brands?
Jeans such as Seven for all
Mankind, Coach and, for kids,
Mini Boden items don’t last long
in the shop. “There was definitely a need in this community for
a kids’ consignment shop,” said
Winovich.
The shop also recently began
selling the full line of Melissa and
Doug toys.
Winovich’s new lifestyle as a
shopkeeper is a welcomed change
from a job in sales for Congressional
Quarterly, which necessitated a
long commute into D.C. “I’ve
lived in the greater Urbana area
for years, but just in the past few
months I’ve developed a bigger
sense of community because I’m
here,” she said. “It’s the most rewarding job I’ve had.”
Holiday Cheer or Cheerless?
With the holiday season in full
swing in the Urbana area, some
merchants and residents wonder
where the holiday cheer is in the
Urbana Town Center.
“It’s a busy time of year for us
and I’ve been trying to get Kimco
to decorate, but they never have,”
said The Painted Cone owner
Sean Gamage. “We pay a lot in
rent, and it would be more welcoming for customers to have
holiday décor up like you see in
every other shopping center.”
Subway Sandwiches area manager Jose Ramos agrees. “You
can see holiday spirit at our other locations in Germantown and
Gaithersburg, but there’s no holiday spirit in this shopping center,”
he said. “I’d like to see at least the
lamp posts decorated.
Ramos said he understands the
center is still somewhat new and
that several tenants have already
closed up shop, but he believes
that’s all the more reason to spread
the cheer.
Villages of Urbana resident
Kevin Shipe also noticed the lack
of holiday décor. “This has been
bothering me for the last couple
of years, especially since my office faces the shopping center,”
he said.
The future of holiday décor in
Urbana Town Center remains
unclear as inquiries with Kimco
Realty were not answered at
press time.
At the Turning Point Plaza
holiday décor is evident but minimal with greenery and lighting. That’s just right for City
Magnolia Day Spa co-owner
Aubrey Rogers, who said the
subtle décor complements her spa
nicely.
It’s the first holiday season for
the Urbana Village Commons,
and Emilia Izquierdo, senior
manager with JBG Rosenfeld
Retail, which manages the center, said there is currently no holiday décor because the center is
still in the development stage.
“Once the project is fully up and
running I am sure that we will
Page 3
Bright Lights, Big Dreams
By Carrie Dietz
G
otta dance. And sing.
And act. Nine-yearold Maddie Reefe
doesn’t complain about backto-back performances or long
tech rehearsals as long as she’s
doing what she loves: performing. So December’s month
of many performances made
the holiday season bright for
Reefe.
The Centerville Elementary
School fourth-grader performed in a dance recital, chorus concert and seven performances of the Maryland
Ensemble Theater’s (MET), “A
Christmas Carol.”
“I play Fan, Scrooge’s little
sister,” Reefe explained the afternoon of one of the performances at the Carroll County
Arts Center. The show also
played at the Weinberg Center
for the Arts.
Reefe loves the imagination in acting, she said. “You
get to be a whole other person.
It’s a lot of fun to not always be
yourself.”
Still while performing on
stage doesn’t usually make her
nervous, she burns off that extra energy when necessary by
being productive. “I just rehearse my lines over and over
backstage,” she said.
Acting also puts her in challenging positions sometimes,
too, like when her character
Fan has to hug another character. “Sometimes it’s not very
comfortable to hug someone
else, but if I want to act I have
to do it, so I do,” Reefe said.
Although she has danced for
several years Reefe was bitten
by the acting bug two summers
ago after landing a small part
in, “Once Upon a Mattress,”
n child star
Continued on page 13
Photo | Submitted
Urbana resident Maddie Reefe takes a break
from rehearsal at the Weinberg Center for
the Arts.
n shop talk
Continued on page 12
Photo | Cyndy Hammet
Hoseok Lee and Heather Ovenshire show off their recently published book.
A Different Kind of Book
By Krista Brick
H
Photo | Tracey McCabe
Mother/daughter team Andrea Winovich and Ashley Seiler own Bella Consignment in
Villages of Urbana.
ow many things could
a four-legged flea and
an 8-year-old have in
common? More than you think.
Especially if you are as determined and courageous as Urbana
Elementary School third grader
Hoseok Lee. Hoseok, born with
significant developmental challenges, hopes to help others face
their own through a book he
wrote called “A Different Kind of
Flea.”
On sale in major bookstores,
the 28-page book sold out in less
than 30 minutes at a recent book
signing at the Barnes & Noble
at the Francis Scott Key Mall in
Frederick. The reason could be
because readers are so taken by
this articulate boy who has really faced obstacles that would have
stopped many in their tracks.
Like Hoseok, the flea in the
book named Famina, has trouble
due to her developmental challenges. Her determination and
help from her friends and older brother finally enables her to
travel the world like other fleas.
Hoseok’s mom, Catherine
Lee, attributes his success in surmounting his issues to his own
perseverance but also to the many
n author
Continued on page 9
d
s
Page 4
The Town Courier
VIEWPOINT
OURVIEWS
Your Utility
Payments At Work
By Fred Ugast
I
admit to being unsure of
what to make of “globalwarming.” I can accept that
the planet has been warming and
that greenhouse gas emissions
caused by industrial processes and
lifestyles are a plausible culprit. I
have doubts that the predictive
models are likely to be on target
and suspect that, even with massive expenditures, we are likely to see increasing atmospheric
concentrations of carbon dioxide
for many years to come. Like it or not we are going to be doing
more adaptation than mitigation.
Personally, I am more persuaded that we should be transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable sources for national and
economic security reasons, but that’s the subject of a future
column.
Regardless of whether you believe climate change is real or
primarily a man-made problem, you are already paying for it.
In Maryland, all of the major utilities have instituted demand
reduction programs designed to reduce electricity consumption
by 15 percent by 2015. These EmPower Maryland programs are
expected to replace 2,000 megawatts of peak demand that would
otherwise be required, the equivalent of 2.5 new nuclear power
plants.
In our area Allegheny Power (AP) expects to spend $33 million through 2011 on these programs. Not to be confused with
the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) surcharge that
covers the utilities’ costs for our regional cap and trade program
expenses, the Empower Maryland surcharge pays directly for
these demand reduction programs. In 2010, the cost to ratepayers is very small — about 6/100ths of a cent per kilowatt-hour
(kWh) in AP’s service territory. If you use an average of about
1,000 kWh per month, your share of the cost will be about $0.61
per month. The surcharge will be recalculated each year, and it’s
safe to assume that the cost will rise in the future.
All of the utility demand reduction programs share a number
of features, and the overall goal is to provide assistance to every
customer through some aspect of the program. Allegheny’s program is known as Watt Watchers and received Public Service
Commission approval last summer for a program that is just now
getting underway.
Rebates for equipment that meet energy efficiency criteria are
available for a wide variety of home appliances from $25 for super-efficient dishwashers that use less than 324 kWh per year to
$200 for high-efficiency (SEER 16) central air conditioning or
heat pump replacements.
Low-income homeowners and renters can also receive up
viewpoint Continued on page A5
Correction:
The Villages of Urbana proposed 2010 budget of
$2.5 million includes $405,000 for reserves.
Diane Dorney
Publisher
301.330.0132
news@towncourier.com
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
For advertising: 301.606.8833
Also on the Web at www.towncourier.com.
January 2010
Matt Danielson
President
301.330.0132
matt@eink.net
The End (Thank Goodness) to a Tough Year
In this, the 12th month of an economically driven,
history-making year, we especially want to thank our
advertisers and our readers for all of their support. It is
no secret that newspaper publishers have felt the recession big-time, our team included.
Because of the important role we play in keeping our
readers informed about the people, places and events
happening in the Urbana area, and due to the need by
our advertisers to stay out in front of the readers, we
took the approach that failure was not an option, and
then took the necessary steps to make sure that wouldn’t
happen.
Direct-mailed to thousands of readers once a month,
our paper is posted online, and distributed on newsstands
throughout the Urbana area at local grocery stores, coffee shops and in the Urbana Library. Our ever-increasing circulation has hit 7,000 this year, and we intend to
keep growing. Even though mailing the paper is one of
our biggest expenses, we are committed to make sure
our stories are read and our advertisers are seen.
Every year is tough for small newspapers like ours;
this year was close to impossible. Some of our advertisers’ businesses didn’t make it; others needed to scale
down some or completely with their advertising.
We are honored to serve the residents and business
owners of our targeted communities with an objective
and professional paper. With the continuing help from
our advertisers and through the dedication of our employees, we feel blessed to have made it through 2009
and look forward to 2010 with a lightened heart and
full of hope.
Happy holidays from our Courier family. Sincerely,
— Diane Dorney and Matt Danielson
Publishers, The Town Courier
O’KEEFE’SJOURNAL
Exhilaration and Freedom on a Bike
By Karen O’Keefe
H
.G. Wells once said,
“When I see an adult
on a bicycle, I do not
despair for the future of the human race.”
I purchased my bike for
$10 at the big Prince of Peace
Lutheran Yard Sale held each
year in June.
Not this June and not, I think, By Karen O’Keefe
June ‘08. Maybe June ‘07.
It has taken until a couple of
months ago for me to ride the bike. As happens, I’ve
been way too busy. Or maybe I was scared — not of
being unsafe, but of touching something from long
ago and being disappointed.
However, now that I’ve begun riding my bike, it
feels exactly like the spring 40-plus years ago when
I was finally allowed to ride the shiny, black bicycle
with gears and hand brakes I’d found by the Christmas
tree.
Even though this “new” bike is white and the old
one was black, I fantasize it is the same bike with a different paint job. Because the experience of riding it is
just as wonderful now as it was then. The wind blows in my face. I am soaring. My inner
self is forced into the sunshine by endorphins. There is
exhilaration and freedom.
Two feet, glued to earth or a car floor for years are
above ground now and propelling me.
Of course, riding the bike, memories return. Riding down the middle of a deserted road with,
yes, blacktop hot enough for cooking, with hands off
handlebars and arms reaching to the sky.
Riding down an old pot-holed road where the holes
Carrie Dietz
Managing News Editor
301.869.2515
carrie@towncourier.
com
Patsy Beckman
Advertising Manager
301.606.8833
patsy@towncourier.com
Claire Fleischer
Copy Editor
Staff Photographers
S. Nicole Davis
Terri Stilwell
Tracey McCabe
Cyndy Hammett
Staff Writers
Sonya Burke
Patsy Beckman
Krista Brick
Nora Caplan
Betty Hafner
Sheilah Kaufman
Karen O’Keefe
were filled with warm muddy water, feet and legs out
to the sides to avoid the gray-brown wake.
Wheeling our bikes through the woods to spy on
an isolated house we had decided was inhabited by
witches and pedaling out fast when an old woman at
the house spotted us and started yelling words we were
too far away to make out. Undoubtedly magic spells.
Phew.
When I ride my bike, I am once again within the
world. If I want to stop to look at a flower, I can do just
that — and it’s not a big deal.
Can’t do that in my car.
A friend of mine said she rode her bike for the first
time in a very long time — for hours yesterday — at
Black Hills Regional Park. At the end of the day, she
stood alone with her bike on a pier watching the sunset until the very last ray was gone. I don’t think she
felt alone.
I need a better helmet. The one I’m using belongs
to one of my grown children, and it wobbles on my
head.
I need a bike lock, too. So far I’ve been lucky when
I leave it outside the grocery store and the library. I
don’t know how much longer I can count on the bike’s
ramshackle appearance and the $10 price tag it still
bears to keep it safe.
“Consider a man riding a bicycle,” said author
William Golding. “We know that if, at any point ...
[on] his journey he stops and does not get off his bicycle, he will fall off of it.
“This is a metaphor of the journey through life of
any living thing, and I think, of any society of living
things.”
Riding my bike is the adventure of journey rediscovered and the fixation on destination abandoned. I
want to keep pedaling.
karen@towncourier.com
©2009 Courier Communications
The Town Courier is an independent monthly newspaper providing news
and information for the communities of Kentlands, Lakelands and Quince
Orchard Park in Gaithersburg, Md. The paper is published by Courier
Communications, which is responsible for the form, content and policies
of the newspaper. The Town Courier does not espouse any political belief or
endorse any product or service in its news coverage. Articles and letters submitted for publication must be signed and may be edited for length or content. The Town Courier is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers
Letters to the Editor and Commentary do not necessarily ref lect the views
of the staff, management or advertisers of The Town Courier.
January 2010 The Town Courier
Urbana Today all in Your Perspective
By Scott Maucione
S
tanding at the top of the hill on Tabler
Road one can see the true dichotomy
of Urbana.
Just past the cornfields and a few old farmhouses lies a vast sea of suburban houses that
continues until the roofs meet the horizon.
According to a study by the University
of Maryland published in Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, Maryland residents are moving further from big cities,
flooding once rural areas like Urbana.
How has all of this growth affected the
personal interactions and community in
Urbana?
Over the past 10 years the once-rural
Urbana has added over 3,000 new homes,
a library, a grocery store, at least 25 businesses — including the 247,000-square-foot
Fannie Mae technology center — and five
stoplights.
Urbana is now more reminiscent of
Montgomery County than the classic, small
Frederick County town that it was a decade
ago.
Sue Waterman remembers when she first
moved to Urbana in 1976. Her friend’s heart
had stopped from an accidental mixture of
medicine and alcohol. Within 20 minutes
emergency personnel and neighbors were at
her doorstep reviving her friend and asking
if anything could be done to help the family.
“I remember I was just so touched by that,”
Waterman said.
Are community connections still as tight as
they were in 1970s when Urbana was barely
an obscure dot on a map?
According to Cornell University, sprawl
nationwide is caused by market forces such
as low land values, rising wealth, job growth
outside of traditional business districts, and
consumer preference for large lots.
“Urbana remains a commuter suburb,” said
Denis Superczynski, the principle planner for
the Urbana region. “Four months out of the
year people are going to and from their jobs
when there is no sunlight.”
The commuter atmosphere leaves less time
for casual neighborly interactions, especially in the winter when short days and cold
weather keep families inside.
The Urbana Volunteer Fire Department
■ viewpoint
from page 4
to $5,000 worth of energy efficiency retrofits
in a program that’s costs are shared between
Allegheny and the state Department of Housing
and Community Development.
AP will also be subsidizing the cost of
Home Energy Audits performed by Building
Performance Institute-trained auditors. For
$40, an auditor will perform an energy efficiency check-up of your home’s insulation, duct
work, water heating, cooling and heating system and report on overall efficiency. They will
even waive the $40 fee if you accept a free energy efficiency kit including six compact fluorescent lighfact bulbs, a low-flow showerhead and
faucet aerators. If you use electric heat you can
also receive a 15 percent rebate on additional
ceiling insulation, if needed, up to $1,000.
has seen drastic changes since the urbanization of the area. Doug Smith, the president of
the fire department, said the fire department
has seen a decrease in volunteers by more
than half. “We get four to six volunteers a
year. … We are lucky if we can keep one,”
Smith said.
Before Urbana’s growth the fire department could run completely on volunteers,
according to Smith. Now Smith hires three
firefighters and a medic as well as volunteers
to maintain the level of service needed by the
community.
Donations to the fire department have also
declined. Smith said that the largest fundraiser, the Urbana carnival, has been down
at least 10 percent each year for the last two
years. “My theory is it costs so much for people to maintain their family life. … Some
have to work two jobs,” Smith said.
The fire department still finds ways to build
the community despite the setbacks. Every
holiday season the fire trucks give Santa a ride
through all the neighborhoods to distribute
candy to the kids.
George Seaton II, the principal of Urbana
High School from 1997 to 2008, found different results from the population growth of
Urbana. “We kept the small school feel even
though we were the second largest school in
Frederick County,” Seaton said.
Traffic became a problem for the school,
however, and a left-hand turning land was
added to Route 80 strictly for the school.
“Traffic was bad. … Now you get in those
circles and people will run you over,” Seaton
said.
Since the Villages of Urbana and the
Urbana Highlands were built in phases, “new
Urbana” has residents that have lived in the
area since the beginning of the development
and others that moved in just months ago.
Rusty Austin moved to the Villages of
Urbana nine years ago. “I’m in one of the
original sections, and we are still pretty
neighborly. … I can’t speak for the other sections, though,” he said. According to Austin,
neighbors invite each other over for house
parties and used to do a Fourth of July block
party.
Austin said that when he lived in
Montgomery County there was not nearly the same amount of neighborliness even
A comprehensive Home Energy Audit
available for $180 includes a blower-door test
and infrared evaluation of thermal leakage.
Unsubsidized, a comprehensive audit could
cost up to $500. If you accept the free energy efficiency package, the fee will be reduced
a further $40 to a net out-of-pocket cost of
$140.
One can argue about whether these programs are a wise use of ratepayer money, but
the state is committed to reducing energy use.
For a variety of reasons that is probably a good
thing. But whether you agree with that or
not, there is no good reason not to take advantage of these programs that you are paying
for anyway. Call AP’s Watt Watchers program
at 1.877.928.8928 to schedule an audit or visit the Watt Watchers section at www.alleghenypower.com to learn more about the available programs and rebates. Have a happy and
healthy 2010!
though the developments were fairly similar.
Danielle Pinkel moved to a newer section of the Villages of Urbana on Carriage
Hill Drive in May and also found that the
community is blossoming. “The first day we
moved in our neighbors brought us pizza,”
Pinkel said. Pinkel’s neighbors also throw
parties and holiday events, the most recent
being a Halloween party.
Superczynski offers a few theories on why
Urbana may be different than other sprawl
neighborhoods. Urbana was built in a nontraditional theme, which leads pathways from
the sidewalk to the front door instead of forcing a pedestrian to walk up the driveway.
This, according to Superczynski, creates
more conditions for contact with neighbors
as well as front porches.
Natelli Communities also hired a variety
Page 5
of builders to construct homes so that the
Villages of Urbana and Urbana Highlands
would not have the cookie cutter suburban
feel. According to Superczynski, the Villages
of Urbana and Urbana Highlands are not the
classic “yuppie” neighborhoods that are associated with sprawl.
Superczynski thinks that “pioneer” Urbana
residents like Austin may have closer ties to
the community because they have watched
the town grow from the beginning of the
development.
Urbana still has a good bit of growing to
do. Superczynski thinks that the planned outlet mall may increase community by creating
more jobs. He says it’s hard to gauge the community of Urbana since it is still growing.
For better or worse, it is clear Urbana has
changed and will continue to change.
Page 6
Resolutions 2010
It’s that time of year again when you
swear you’ll lose 10 pounds or promise to
tackle that messy storage room once and
for all. The Town Courier asked area residents and some staff members, too, about
their New Year’s resolutions. Here’s what
they said:
“I’m thinking mind, body and spirit for
2010. At 53 years old and having had cancer treatment, I realize the importance
of taking extra steps to insure a sharp
mind. I resolve in 2010 to learn more, to
study Greek mythology and Shakespeare,
subjects I’ve always wanted to know more
about.
“In 2010 I will walk more and discover
some of the trails in Frederick County I
have yet to walk. I will also take dancing
lessons and be able to dance at my daughter’s wedding in June.
“I also resolve to continue studying the
bible and keep company with people who
lift me up, encourage me and bring out
the best in me.”
— Jo Otsby
“I do make New Years resolutions, but
I am not the best at keeping them. Mine
generally tend to expire by around
January 10. So this year I am going to resolve to pick one important change I want
to make and try to keep it going for more
than the first week of the New Year!”
— Lisa Giuliani
“I resolve to be more of a pain in the
The Town Courier
arse than I have been last year! Yes, this
will require focus, vigilance, and a concerted effort! I will accomplish this via
the following methods: “I will yell at and make fun of more
children walking on my grass or just
‘looking’ like trouble-makers or punks.
(Please be aware, this will likely include
your children!) “I will make even more foolish jokes on
the Message Board! (I know how enjoyable my Irish sense of humor is to everyone who gets a piece of it!) “I will increase my verbal assaults on
weasels — commonly known in this area
as cats — as they are scientifically proven
to be God’s most insincere creatures! “I will continue to come down hard
on our elected representatives and various
bureaucratic officials for the power grabs,
waste of taxes, and harmful laws and proposals they make. Okay, this is not any
kind of change in action for me, but I do
enjoy helping the public to see the shenanigans going on behind the scenes. (If
you don’t know the word shenanigans,
look it up in an Irish dictionary!) “I will recycle more. Specifically, reuse of jokes, funny pictures and conservative ideological concepts. ( Just because
it is not a new and shiny theory, a proven
track record is no reason to throw out the
baby with the bathwater. See, I already
re-used an idiom!)
“Finally, I will make a concerted effort to allow more river rock to be placed
around our homes. Not because it does
beautify the area, but because I enjoy
the stories of people having to pick them
January 2010
all up and figure out where to get rid of
them!”
— Farrell Keough
“The year of 106 Tobias Run. I’m finally taking my house back. I owe it to
everyone who visits me (over the age of
12). And I’ve promised my husband for
the last three years that I would do it.
We’ve been married for 14 years. And I
really want to celebrate No. 15. Not just
because the gift is crystal, but because I
truly love him. This year, I’m really going
to follow through with my resolution.
“I’m putting an end to the nagging
questions and wisecracks made by family
and friends. ‘And you have a toy in every
room of your house because?’ or ‘So, I see
you made it over to the Gymboree closing
sale.’ (Not a terrible remark; however, it
is when it is said in my master bedroom.)
And I can’t stand hearing, ‘Just when
did you start doing daycare out of your
home?’ (This hurts the most.)’
“When I had my children, I took
‘learning through playtime’ very seriously. Is it so wrong to have outdated furniture and a souped-up bouncy seat in the
kitchen, or the Little People Christmas
Village in the living room? (I’m most
proud of this.) And everybody should experience my family room’s Internet baby
gates. (Hardened criminals incarcerated
for consecutive sentences couldn’t find
their way out of them.)
“There’s just one small problem now:
My boys went and turned 8 and 6.
“So, on January 4, 2010, I’m heading
down to Gladhill Furniture to order some
sophisticated decor, and then I’m coming
home to clean, box up Thomas, Percy
and Lady, and throw Diego in the trash.
(I’m too embarrassed too donate him.
Somehow the kids’ Oreo Cakester residue has impeded his rescue pack.) I can’t
wait to invite my girlfriends over after the
eight- to 12-week delivery timeframe to
show off and gloat some. Although, when
my son asks me if his 6-year-old buddy,
Steven, can come over to play, I’ll just
have to say, “He sure can! But he won’t
have any fun.”
— Patsy Beckman
“Ten miles, here I come. I resolve to
register for and actually run a 10-mile
race this year. After two failed attempts
because of injuries I am going to cross
that finish line once and for all. “
— Carrie Dietz
January 2010 The Town Courier
Urbana Residents: Deal Us In
By Patsy Beckman
T
o ease the transition from busy
parents to empty nesters, Urbana’s
Linda Ropelewski and husband,
Steve, decided it was time to turn off their
television sets.
Linda and Steve had found it intriguing
to watch others play poker on national television, but the time came when they simply had enough. They thought to themselves, it’s time to try our hand at the game
locally.
“When my husband and I became empty
nesters, he told me, ‘I think we can go and
try to play poker,’” Ropelewski said.
Every single night of the week, the Starsn-Bars Poker Series holds a Texas Hold ‘em
poker event at a bar or restaurant in the
Frederick area.
“It really is a fun pastime. People who
like to play poker enjoy it tremendously. It
is a nice way to pass time,” said Ropelewski.
“It is also very addictive.”
Local venues such as Houlihan’s,
Champion Billiards Sports Cafe and The
Greene Turtle all host matches.
However, for many Urbana residents
— the Ropelewskis included — their best
bet is a Wednesday evening at Villages of
Urbana’s (VOU) New York J & P Pizza
to play Hold ‘em with their friends and
neighbors.
“We love to come to play with the
‘Village People,’” said Ropelewski about
matches against a variety of friends from
VOU, including Dennis Baranik and Tony
Ratcliff.
Texas Hold ‘em is free to play — one of its
major draws for participants; you can play
without the fear of losing your fortunes.
Given that it is illegal to gamble in
Maryland, restaurants offer players prizes
as incentives.
“I was terrible at first,” said Ropelewski,
who then went on shortly after to win her
first $20 gift certificate, which gained her
some confidence at the poker table.
Texas Hold ‘em is played by the same
rules as poker. The game is simple and has
gained much popularity through the televised World Series of Poker.
Joe Newman is the Stars-n-Bars tournament director in Frederick, Montgomery
and Baltimore counties. Every night of
the week, prizes, such as gift certificates,
are awarded to winners. Participants can
go onto win cash, trips to Las Vegas and
Atlantic City, and ultimately a seat at the
popular World Series of Poker. “This is really what you want to play for,” he said.
According to Newman, Stars-n-Bars
has sought out bars and restaurants on
their slow nights of the week. “Our aim
is to bring people in for business,” he said.
“We bring people into the bars to enjoy themselves, and we bring business to
restaurants.”
Establishments pay a flat fee to Stars-nBars per player.
“It is 100 percent free,” said Newman
about playing Texas Hold ‘em. “Most people come in and enjoy themselves and buy
drinks and food to bring in business to the
restaurants.”
With the economy continuing its struggle to right itself, Newman says participation in local poker matches has taken a hit.
Some bars and restaurants have had to pull
back on prizes being offered.
Laurie Buell, who is originally from
Alabama but now resides in Frederick, has
played Texas Hold ‘em for a little over two
years now.
“This is the only place I play cards. The
food is good,” said Buell about poker night
at J & P. “And the casinos cost me a whole
lot more money.”
Steve Ropelewski said he loves playing
Hold ‘em in the winter only; summer has
been set aside for his golf game. “Not that
I have it, but you have to have patience,”
he said about a winning strategy at the
poker table.
J & P holds Texas Hold ‘em night every
Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
“I do play often. What else can you do
better than sitting in front of the television? And we’ve made some really nice
friends,” said Ropelewski.
Photo | Patsy Beckman
VOU’s Dennis Baranik puts on his best poker face as he plays a round of Texas Hold ‘em at New York J & P Pizza in the
Villages’ Market District. Urbana’s Steve Ropelewski (at left) and Libertytown’s Joan Glock (at right) joined Baranik at
Stars-n-Bars poker night.
Page 7
Page 8
The Town Courier
January 2010
■ VOLTAGGIO
301-874-3411
WE ALSO
cArrY cAbiNeTS.
We offer four
different lines of
cabinets:
Semi-custom to
fully-custom.
from page 1
Town Courier that his performance on
“Top Chef ” and travels to Las Vegas and
Napa Valley were an opportunity of a
lifetime, and it really was as much fun for
him as it was for residents in Urbana at
home watching his cooking skills weekly on television.
“I got to actually go out there and
cook and do everything that I like to do
and make things,” he said. “It was a great
experience, a very happy experience. It
was all very exciting.”
Seventeen aspiring chefs began competing against each other when the television season began in August. When
the finale aired in December, Voltaggio,
along with Michael, the chef at The
Dining Room in Pasadena, Calif., and
Atlanta’s Kevin Gillespie, were the only
ones left cooking.
After capturing “Top Chef ” honors,
Michael, who grew up alongside his
brother in Frederick, became $150,000
richer. He has sharper knives in his
kitchen and a brand new car to drive.
What is bestowed on the second-place
finisher? “Bragging rights; that’s about
all,” quipped Voltaggio.
And a lot more, really. “Obviously for
Michael and I to come out of this on top,
we know a lot will come out of it for the
two of us,” he said.
The brothers have already started collaborating on their futures together.
They’ve launched their own Web site:
http://www.voltaggiobrothers.com/.
Could one project pit the two working
side-by-side in the same kitchen somewhere in the local area?
“We will start to think about other
things. It might be very small at first, but
we will get something to start working
on,” he said.
Much of the taping for “Top Chef ”
happened in the spring when the reality
show worked to narrow its chef ’testants
from 17 to three. In October, the top
three contestants returned to tape the
show’s season finale.
During the hiatus, Voltaggio said he
kept in close contact with his brother.
“We always talked about food — daily. Every day we were talking. I knew it
would be tough going for it, and I really
wanted Michael to win,” he said. “We
wanted to get down to the last two, so
one of us could win.”
Urbana resident James Gallagher has
watched Bravo’s reality cooking show
every season it has aired. “I view it as
the only reality show based on a skill set,
not just lying to each other about random things,” he said. “This season had
way better chefs.”
Now that “Top Chef ’s” season has
ended, Voltaggio is back to stay at his
restaurant on North Market Street.
“I want to thank everyone in the community, and in Frederick, and the whole
county. Their support was huge. It is a
testament to the type of community we
have,” Voltaggio said.
Gallagher, who works at Turning
Point’s Dunkin’ Donuts, was three episodes into the show when his mother, also an avid viewer, told him that
“the chef from Volt” was a contestant.
“He [Bryan] came in here once, and I
was like, oh, that was the guy on ‘Top
Chef.’”
It seems the chef and part restaurant
owner has returned from Las Vegas with
a new title: local celebrity. “I am very
supported around town,” he said.
And his restaurant is busier than
ever. “There are new dynamics. People
are coming from all over the metropolitan area — Baltimore and beyond,
Philadelphia, New York and out West,”
he said.
Those dining at Volt might notice
one small change about the food that is
served to them. After being criticized by
“Top Chef ” judges for his conservatism,
Voltaggio said he has decided to spice it
up some, heeding the advice from experts who suggested that he be more aggressive when adding flavor to his cuisine. “I will try new ideas in my own
kitchen,” he said.
When asked if he was pulling for his
hometown chef to win it all, Gallagher
said, “Yes, but not because of the
Frederick thing, but because the final
three were really the best.” He thought
this year’s food and talent was far better
than the last couple of seasons.
Voltaggio said he wasn’t sure if he
would ever return to the small screen for
more reality television. “I think for now
one a year is enough,” he said. “Maybe
later in a different way.”
Don
Hoffacker’s
Air Conditioning
& Heating, Inc.
“We have been given top ratings for both price
& quality by a local, prominent consumer group.”
SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATIONS
9834 Liber rOAD • FreDerick
301-898-7400
HEAT PUMPS
HUMIDIFIERS AND FURNACES
19703 Waters Road
Germantown, MD 20874
check us out on angieslist.com
301-972-0017
The Town Courier
January 2010 ■ author
from page 3
treatments, therapies and support network
he has to help him. Hoseok has had traditional occupational and physical therapy as
well as infrared sauna treatments, restricted diets and even treatment in a hyperbaric
oxygen chamber.
“I can bake cookies out of vegetables and
make fried rice without rice,” his mom
said. She said she feels lucky Hoseok has
been able to find the right mix of treatments that work for him.
Hoseok said he knows he has gotten
through some of his challenges only by
relying on the help of others. He said he
wants to give back and found writing this
book was a way to do that.
“I want to help people see that because
they have a disability doesn’t mean they
can’t do anything. It has been difficult for
me, but I overcame them. Growing up I
needed a lot of help and got more help than
other people. Now I want to help others,”
Hoseok said.
To do that Hoseok is donating the proceeds from his book to the Frederick
County Infants and Toddlers Program
and Kiva.org, a micro-lending Web site
designed to enable individuals to lend to
unique entrepreneurs around the world.
The Infants and Toddlers program was one
of the resources the Lees leaned on.
Hoseok’s story was born from his hardbound book of ideas, a book full of blank
pages he uses to express himself when it
was difficult to do so orally. His older sis-
■ pediatric
from page 1
center
said they were seeing both existing patients
who are using the Urbana location because
it’s more convenient, as well as a great deal
of new patients.
“I’m not surprised we’re full here,” said
Dr. Paul Feinberg, whose only regret is not
ter, Grace, herself a published poet, encouraged her brother to turn one of his
stories into a book.
“I think having his challenges has helped
him to become a stronger person. I think
the more challenges you go through it
helps you to become a stronger person. I
am proud of him,” Grace said.
Hoseok said he picked a flea as a main
character because he hasn’t seen many books
starring fleas. He partnered with Urbana
Elementary School art teacher Heather
Ovenshire, who illustrated Hoseok’s work.
The two met weekly and brainstormed
about how the fleas should look. She did
the drawings in watercolor and ink.
The book is self-published through
AuthorHouse and copies are available via
www.amazon.com,
www.authorhouse.
com and Barnes & Noble.
“It was amazing to see how I can use
my gift of art to make an impact and help
other people,” Ovenshire said of the book
that was released the end of November. “It
makes me realize the immense amount of
potential these kids we teach have.
Hoseok was recently invited to Hood
College to an English literature class.
“It felt great to talk to college students,”
he said of his experience.
There may be more books in the series
about Famina the Flea. Hoseok said he
wants to do another adventure that deals
with bullies.
His future plans may include becoming
a writer, a doctor, a police officer or a firefighter. For now his favorite subject is math
and free writing time.
leasing a larger space. “Urbana is a fastgrowing community with lots of kids.”
Just days after the center opened Feinberg
was already working with construction
crews on ways to retrofit the 1,000-squarefoot space to accommodate more patients.
“We’re busting out of here already.”
Open Monday through Friday, the office
will be staffed with a rotating doctor and
nurse daily and an office administrator.
Have you surfed the news?
www.towncourier.com
Page 9
s
l
a
nt
Re
Do
yo
un
ee
d
he
lp
?
Rental Management
Rentals Available
Urbana Rentals:
Townhouse: Three bedrooms, three
bathrooms. Only $1,950 a month.
Single-Family Home: On one acre of
land. Four bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms.
Only $1,850 a month.
Single-Family Home: Four bedrooms,
2 1/2 bathrooms. Only $2,100 a month.
Homestead Leasing
Bob Dent • 240.409.9300
Page 10
The Town Courier
SchoolNEWS
CES Receives Gift from Rotary
Centerville
Elementary
School was the recipient of 160
special dictionaries thanks to
the Southern Frederick County
Rotary. Nate Harris and John
Pelicano delivered the paperback dictionaries December
9 that include 32,000 words
and definitions, maps, the U.S.
Constitution, the Periodic
Table, a multiplication charts,
Roman numbers, Braille and
sign language. They also contain short biographies on
each president, state and statistics about several hundred
countries.
BOE Elects Officers
The Board of Education of
Frederick County elected its
members December 9 at its
annual meeting. Kathryn B.
Groth accepted the position of
BOE president, and Michael E.
Schaden accepted the position
of BOE vice president.
Groth has served on the
Board since April 2004 when
she was appointed by the Board
of County Commissioners. She
was elected to a four-year term
in November 2004 and reelected to serve another four-year
January 2010
Compiled by Carrie Dietz
term in November 2008. She
served as president of the Board,
December 2006-07, and as vice
president, December 2005-06.
Schaden was elected to the
BOE to serve his first fouryear term, December 2002-06,
and reelected for a second term
December 2006-10. He served
one year as president, December
2005-06, and two years as vice
president, December 2003-05.
Other BOE members are
Daryl A. Boffman, Bonnie M.
Borsa, Donna J. Crook, Angie
L. Fish and Jean A. Smith. The
student member is K. Alex
Eckard. Five Urbana Schools on Out-ofDistrict Restriction List
Centerville, Green Valley,
Kemptown and Urbana elementary schools and Urbana
Middle School made the county’s list of schools restricted
from out-of-district transfers
because of capacity projections
for the 2010-11 school year.
The number of schools
countywide on the list is 19, up
from 18 last year.
Four schools have been ren
school news Continued on page 11
Photo | Submitted
Nate Harris and John Pelicano deliver 160 dictionaries to Centerville Elementary School December 9.
The Town Courier
January 2010 SchoolNEWS
moved from last year’s restricted list: Glade Elementary,
Crestwood Middle, Linganore
at Oakdale High and Urbana
High. Five have been added:
Green Valley Elementary,
Hillcrest Elementary, Oakdale
High, Parkway Elementary and
Urbana Elementary.
FCPS publishes a list of restricted
schools
annually.
Students who at that time are
already attending a school outside the attendance area where
they live may continue at that
school and need not reapply for
an out-of-district transfer.
Parents and guardians must
renew out-of-district transfers
for students when they transition from PreK to elementary,
elementary to middle school or
from middle to high school.
Transfer requests for students
whose day care providers are
located outside their assigned
attendance area will be denied
if the school the child would
be attending has been declared
restricted. FCPS will consider
special requests when a denial
would jeopardize the child’s
health or safety.
The at-capacity schools restricted for out-of-district
Page 11
Continued from page 10
transfers in August 2010 will
continue under that designation
as long as they are at 100 percent capacity or greater. Should
their enrollments drop below
maximum capacity in the fall,
FCPS will reopen them to outof-district requests.
Parents or guardians who
wish to request an out-ofdistrict transfer may apply
by completing the appropriate form, available at all local
public schools or at the FCPS
Student Services office. This
year, in anticipation of a large
number of requests related to
the Oakdale High School redistricting, staff will begin processing out-of-district requests
earlier than in previous years.
The Student Services office
will accept requests through
February 1, 2010. More information: 301.644.5238.
Urbana Library Sponsors Spelling
Bee Practice
Play games to practice spelling skills for the Third Annual
Frederick County Spelling Bee
January 12 and 26, February 9
and 23, 7 p.m. at the Urbana
Library.
Call for Nominations
The
Maryland
State
Department of Education and
Comcast are accepting nominations for the third annual
Comcast Parent Involvement
Matters Awards (PIMA). This
award program honors parents
and guardians whose exemplary
contributions to public education have led to improvements
for Maryland’s public school
children, teachers, schools,
programs and/or policies.
According to Shari Ostrow
Scher,
FCPS
Family
&
Community Involvement supervisor, “There are so many
parents who have tirelessly
worked on behalf of our students here in Frederick County
who are deserving of this honor. We really want to get the
word out about this award program. It’s a wonderful way to
thank them for their service
and to recognize the impact
of parent involvement in our
schools.”
Twenty-four
semifinalists
will be selected — one parent from each of Maryland’s 24
public school districts. Of the
semifinalists, five finalists and
one state winner will be named
at an award celebration hosted by Comcast in the spring
of 2010. The state winner will
receive a cash prize of $1,000,
and the five finalists will each
receive $250 to further their
efforts to improve their public
schools.
Last year, Frederick County
Public Schools’ winner Brian
Barron was a state finalist.
Complete eligibility, criteria, process information and
nomination guidelines are
available at www.fcps.org/
awards. Nomination packages
must be postmarked by January
20, 2010, and mailed to the
Maryland State Department of
Education, Office of Academic
Policy, 7th Floor, ATTN: PIMA, 200 West Baltimore
Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.
FCPS Offers Online Fitness
Reports
New this year, parents can
track fitness data via the Internet
for students at Frederick
County public schools. FCPS is
one of the first school systems
in Maryland to offer parents
online access to the confidential fitness reports. They show
the child’s current fitness level
as well as progress over time,
beginning in the fourth term
of second grade and continuing
through grade nine.
Physical education teachers
encourage parents and students
to use the online data to reflect
on personal fitness levels, set
goals and develop strategies to
maintain active lifestyles, says
Elementary Physical Education
and Health curriculum specialist Kathleen Wack. There is a
tutorial section to guide firsttime users.
To log in to the FCPS Physical
Education Fitness Database at
www.fitstatsweb.com/fcps/indexstudent.php, use the child’s
FCPS student ID as the password. This will provide access to the child’s fitness profile, showing measured results
for cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility
as well as explanations, definitions and suggestions that relate
to each. Also online are progress
charts for activities and exercises such as chin-ups, pushups and the mile run. Teachers
update fitness scores quarterly
throughout the school year.
Page 12
The Town Courier
20% OFF
all first-time cleanings for all
new customers with this coupon.
New weekly or bi-weekly clients only. Not valid with any other offers.
301.694.9326
castle-maids.com
We specialize in residential cleaning.
“Take back your spare time and
let us handle the dirt and grime!”
Complete Design/Build Services
• Beautiful Custom Kitchens
and Baths
• Expandable Closets, Suites
and Dressing Rooms
• Basement’s, Theaters
and Game Pods
• Indoor and Outdoor
Entertainment Rooms
From Simple Closets to Whole House
Renovations or Additions, Trust
Innovative Homes for all your
Remodeling Needs.
“Quality Built On Value”
Construction & Remodeling
Custom Kitchens • Bathroom Remodeling
Closet Organizers • Outdoor Living
Authorized Wellborn Cabinet Installers
Call Us Today
301-802-8730
January 2010
■ vandals
from page 1
reach that night,” she said.
Police canvassed the area in search of a
suspected red or other dark-colored Jeep
Cherokee and provided a lookout for the
remainder of the night. However, at press
time no suspect had been apprehended.
The incidences are still under investigation,
and Bailey asked anyone with information
to contact the Frederick County Sheriff ’s
Department at 301.600.1046.
According to Bailey some vehicle owners
believed the cost to replace a window to be
around $500 and about the same to repair
damaged bumpers.
Laurie Janus was among the unlucky
VOU residents awakened at 3 a.m. by the
ringing of her doorbell. “The sheriff ’s deputy talked with us for a few minutes, but
we didn’t know the extent of it until the
morning,” she said. Two of the three vehicles parked in front of their house were
damaged with bricks, including her husband’s rear window and rear bumper and
her mother-in-law’s rear bumper. “There
were bricks and glass all over the street.”
Janus was still waiting for estimates to fix
the vehicles but anticipated the cost to exceed $1,000, an expense the family would
rather not have during the holiday season.
The experience is “very unsettling,” said
Janus, who added that she and her fami-
ly recently moved to VOU and is embarrassed that the damage happened to a guest
in her home. “It seems like nice neighborhood, and I looked forward to having family coming to visit. … I’m embarrassed that
it happened to a visitor. She’ll think twice
about coming up and parking her car here.
She’ll think she’s coming to some to high
crime area.”
Peter Cromwell received a similar 3 a.m.
visit December 4. “[Sheriff ’s deputies] informed us that ours and approximately a
dozen other cars in the neighborhood were
hit by vandals,” he said. Cromwell’s windshield was smashed with a brick and the
side of the car was kicked in and dented.
“I’m not aware of anything stolen during
the highly annoying and expensive spree,”
he added.
The vandalism marks the end of a year
of several incidents of vandalism in VOU.
Earlier in 2009 numerous fences were
spray-painted; street lights have been damaged; and the VOU pool was contaminated
with human feces, forcing the swim team
to cancel a major swim meet. In addition,
the Urbana Library’s courtyard fountain
was destroyed this fall.
Janus said while the incident is unfortunate, she doesn’t feel unsafe in her new community. “There’s a police presence here,”
she said. “The cars were under a string of
lights. I don’t feel like we’re under-secured.
I am surprised that we didn’t hear a thing,
though.”
MHIC 124024 • Insured
ADVERTISEMENT
Photo | S. Nicole Davis
Tom Facchina cleans glass from his car after a vandalism spree on Tabard Lane left 21 cars damaged in the early morning
hours of December 16, 2009.
■ shop
talk
from page 3
address the issue of decorations in the future,”
she said.
Greenbriar to Open General Practice Vet Services
Greenbriar Veterinary Referral and
Emergency Hospital in Urbana will open
a general practice February 1, adding to its
emergency services and boarding operations, according to Dr. Brigid Hirth with
Greenbriar.
The general practice will be open six days a
week, said Hirth, who will see patients along
with Dr. Lyn Sheldon at the clinic. “The afterhours emergency services will remain the
same, but having an awesome boarding facility, doggie daycare, medical boarding and
emergency services will help support a general
practice here,” Hirth said.
More information: www.greenbriarpethospital.com.
New Nail Trend Lands in Urbana
Beyonce wears them. Mariah Carey, too.
Soon Urbana area residents will be able to
snazz up their nails with Minx Nails at City
Magnolia Day Spa in Turning Point Plaza.
Minx is the hot trend that molds heated
flexible polymer to nails and gives wearers
some pretty wild design options. From leopard print to plaid to metallic finishes, the options are vast, and City Magnolia co-owner
Aubrey Rogers says she expects to see more
outrageous designs on area toes than fingers.
“Because of our more conservative clientele
we’re expecting this to be more popular on
toes next spring and summer,” she said.
January 2010 ■ safety
from page 1
County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, BOE
President Katie Groth, UMS Principal
Frank Vetter, developer Tom Natelli
and Villages of Urbana (VOU)
Homeowners’ Association (HOA)
members. “We are moving along, and
I am very grateful for that,” she said.
The situation is and has been paramount to UMS administrators and parents for months. Now those leaders are
seeing others throughout the Urbana
community and county joining with
them to prevent a student from being
struck on his or her way to school.
Groth told The Town Courier she
would be happy to attend a community meeting in Urbana.
She acknowledged that the route to
school has become a problem, and said
she knows the area well from a traff ic study conducted a few years ago.
However, an added volume of motorists driving in a hurry has heightened
her concern, so she plans to visit the
troubled site early this month.
“This is a problem that needs to
be solved by many people, not just
the Board of Education, but by the
Sheriff ’s Department, State Highway
Administration, and the county commissioners,” she said. “The board needs
to walk the walk, as we often do. This
will take a real community effort.”
Urbana Elementary (UES) PTA
President Nicole Robertson says parents at her school are well aware of
what lies ahead for their children, and
they are willing to join the f ight for
added safety precautions.
They realize that, with the budget
crunch, having busses return anytime
soon is out of the question, but they
feel that isn’t the end of the story. “We
want our walking [route] revisited because we just want our students safe,”
said Robertson, the mother of a UMS
sixth-grader.
VOU HOA members said they will
do what needs to be done to try to
solve this problem.
At a recent HOA meeting, Virnelson
heard from parents who shared accounts of accidents at the intersection
The Town Courier
in question at least two to three times
in the last year, as well as incidences of
Frederick County Public School busses
not following crosswalk regulations.
“We are tempting fate by allowing this
to go on and not putting some safety
measure in place,” she said.
To try and help matters, Jenkins
sat down with State Highway
Administrators to see about the construction of a pedestrian walkway that
would cross over Route 80. “It is really not feasible because of funding.
Secondly, people — based on past experience — will not even use it, so it is
still a problem,” he said.
Virnelson told board members that
another Frederick County school recently let its two crossing guards go,
because they felt they were not being
utilized. “I told the BOE that we were
only asking for one crossing guard at a
cost to the board of $5,500,” Virneslon
said. “This seems to me a very small
price to pay to save the life of a child.”
Being that it is a state road, the
Sheriff ’s Off ice is unable to assist with
guards.
“A crossing guard could be of help to
students who are texting and talking to
their friends,” Virnelson said.
Other traff ic options are years
away, such as the installation of speed
cameras.
Virnelson gathered 50 signatures
back in November for a petition to step
up safety measures by exploring the
possibility of using intersection monitors at the contentious site. That idea
has since been scrapped because of the
liability fees that would be incurred.
Urbana is a town known for advocating for its children. There was a loud
cry to save freshman sports, aid the
diving program with funds to upgrade
outdated equipment, and place shuttles
in two communities to get students to
school safer.
Now that the many parties have
agreed to join forces, they will have
to determine if unprotected students
walking from their homes to UMS
across a dangerous Route 80 is a solvable problem.
“I see this as a community issue. I
don’t live in Urbana, but I am part of
the community,” said Groth.
■ child
from page 3
Page 13
star
presented by the Fredericktowne
Players. Since then she’s also been
seen in the Players’, “Annie,” where
she played an orphan, and she takes
acting classes at MET.
Maddie also has plenty of other interests such as baking, gymnastics and
hanging out with friends. “Me and my
mom always make the Thanksgiving
gravy together,” she said.
Schoolwork is also a priority, but
Maddie admits that in recent weeks
she’s had to squeeze it in at the
breakfast table because of her holiday performance schedule. “It’s not
always like that.”
Mom Teresa Reefe said she’s
thrilled that her daughter wants to
perform and gives her credit for having the self-control necessary to sit
still behind stage for long stretches
of time. Teresa hopes Maddie continues to dance and sing and act her
heart out as she gets older. “It’s great
for building self-confidence,” said
the Villages of Urbana resident.
Maddie, too, sees a future in the
theater and dreams of one day landing a part on a Disney Channel
show just like her current favorite
star Selena Gomez. “That would be
the ultimate,” she said.
At Villages of Urbana
3531 John Simmons Street D8
Urbana, MD 21704
240.699.0008
240.699.0019
www.chopstixurbana.com
A place for healthy
and unique Chinese food
50% OFF
Sunday Through
Thursday Special
Buy one dinner entreé at the regular price and receive the
second dinner entreé that is of an equal or a lesser value 50% off.
Sun, Wed, Thr: 11:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.
Mon, Tue: 4 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.
Fri, Sat: 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Free delivery service within 5 miles,
minimum order $15.00
We accept all major credit cards, and we
serve beer, wine, and liquor
9 Convenient Offices To Serve Our Patients
•
•
•
•
Frederick—56 Thomas Johnson Drive
Frederick—63 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite E
Ballenger Creek—610 Solarex Court
Spring Ridge—9093 Ridgefield Drive, Suite 104
(301) 694-3111
(301) 694-7600
(301) 682-5500
(301) 682-4100
•
•
•
•
Brunswick—610 Ninth Avenue
Jefferson—4014 Mountville Road
Woodsboro—10200 Coppermine Road
Walkersville—19 W. Frederick Street
NOW OPEN!
(301) 834-7188
(301) 834-7188
(301) 845-6322
(301) 845-6336
Urbana—3034 Worthington Blvd, Suite 103
(240) 215-6900
Hanna Siwiec, MD Now Accepting
New Patients IN OUR URBANA OFFICE
•
•
•
•
Same day appointments for urgent care
Evening and Saturday appointments available
Most insurance plans accepted
Hospital care at Frederick Memorial Hospital
•
•
•
•
Wellness Care, Physical Exams, Allergies
Dexa Scans, Diagnostic Testing, Travel Health
Minor Surgeries, Physical Therapy
New Location in Urbana!
Haroon Akhtar, MD - James Amerena, MD - Gene Ashe, MD - Joseph Ashwal, MD - Janet Ciarkowski, MD - Vivian Dechosa, MD Gerard DelGrippo, MD - Jill Durfee, MD - Edward Fisher, MD - Chris Fleming, MD - Caroline Gessert, MD - Richard Gough, MD - Dale
Heitzig, MD - Rebecca Herman, DO - Chan-Hing Ma Ho, MD - Karen Hundemer, MD - Amy Jones, MD - Diana Juliano, MD - Leonard
Kinland, MD - Stephen Lee, MD - Michael - Lerner, MD - Nabila Shad, MD - Hanna Siwiec, MD - Kathleen Stern, MD - Virginia Wiley, MD
Page 14
The Town Courier
January 2010
The Town Courier
January 2010 VILL AG ES
www.villagesofurbana.net
OF
Page 15
U R B A N A
Reporter
News You CAN USE
Association Accepts Section M-5
There is a process by which a “turnover” of responsibility for the physical assets of a new section or village
occurs involving the developer and the Association.
When the developer believes that a new section or village
is complete and assets are in finished condition, a “walk
thru” is requested with Association representatives. Once
deficiencies identified are corrected, a final “walk thru” is
scheduled. If all are corrected or commitments are made
for correction of remaining items, a “turnover document”
is signed by both parties. Thereafter, the Association
assumes full responsibility for maintenance.
This process was recently completed for the M-5 townhouse section located on Worthington Boulevard near
Route 80.
The developer has requested an initial “walkthru” of
Village 13, which will occur soon, weather permitting.
VOU Chooses New Trash Hauler, Same
Services
The 2009 Association trash contract was limited to one
year. Competitive bids were invited for a new multi-year
contract and several were received. A three-year contract
was awarded to Key Sanitation, which was the contractor
during 2008. That the prior year contractor, J&J did not
receive the award was not a reflection of any dissatisfaction with the service the company provided.
While residents will observe no change in weekly service, the contract provides for two particularly important
new provisions.
First, the contract has fixed annual prices for each of
the three years, regardless of the number of settled homes.
In past contracts the Association paid on the basis of a
per-per month cost. This meant that as new homes were
settled, the monthly payment increased.
Second, the contract includes an option (and pricing)
to permit the Association to change from twice/week to
once/week trash collection from single-family homes during the second and third years of the contract. However,
no plans have been made to actually implement such a
change.
Please make sure your trash is placed out by 6 p.m.
the evening before scheduled collection days or by 7 a.m.
Collection day. Also, residents that have their trash collected on the Tuesday/Friday schedule should be aware
that the provider will collect on Saturday, January 2nd
instead of Friday in observation of New Years Day.
Christmas Tree Recycling
Christmas trees will be picked up on the 2nd day of
weekly collection (e.g, Tuesday/Friday - trees will be
picked up on Friday). The dates include: 1/7, 1/8, 1/14,
1/15, 1/21, 1/22, 1/28, 1/29.
Save the Dates
The Social Committee has announced the dates for the
VOU 2010 festivals. The Spring Fling is scheduled for
May 15th from 11:00am - 2:00pm and the Fall Festival
will be held on September 26th from 1:00pm - 4:00pm.
Both events are free and will be held at the Anthony
Natelli Community Center which is located at 9023 Harris Street and will go on rain or shine.
A cornerstone of the festivals is the Community Expo
where local businesses and organizations can exhibit their
products and services. To get an exhibitor application
go to the Social Committee area of villagesofurbana.net
The Social Committee is accepting applications for both
festivals as follows:
If you are not a home based business consultant, you
may submit your application now. Please send all of your
information in a word document to vousocial@villagesofurbana.net.
If you are a home based business consultant:
Applications from home based businesses will be
accepted starting at 10:00am February 13th for residents
and 10:00am on February 27th for non residents. Applications received prior to these times will be rejected.
Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served
basis on the time the e-mail was received at vousocial@
villagesofurbana.net
The VOU limits participation to the first consultant
of each home based business who submits a completed
application.
For questions and the application please e-mail
vousocial@villagesofurbana.net
Clearing Sidewalks of Snow & Ice
While the Association’s contractor clears sidewalks of
townhouses and neo-singles when a snowfall exceeds 2
inches, other than at school bus stops, no such clearing
occurs in traditional single-family sections. Residents that
live in neo and traditional single family homes are responsible for clearing their own sidewalks including common
area sidewalks adjacent to their homes. Clearing walks is
important to the safety of children and others walking on
sidewalks.
January 2009
January Meetings
1/5
Design Review Committee, 7 p.m.,
Clubhouse
Finance Committee, 7 p.m.,
Clubhouse
1/6
Pool and Recreation Committee,
7 p.m., Clubhouse
1/11
Grounds Committee, 7 p.m.,
Cluhbouse
1/12
Social Committee, 7 p.m., Clubhouse
1/13
Covenants Committee, 7 p.m.,
Clubhouse
1/14
Asset Management Committee,
7 p.m., Clubhouse
1/19
Design Review Committee, 7 p.m.,
Clubhouse
1/25
Finance Committee, 7 p.m.,
Clubhouse
VOU Social Committee Presents
Wine Tasting & Social
February 20 starting at 7 p.m.
Anthony Natelli Community Center
Featuring:
• Wine tasting poured by the staff of Franklin Liquo
rs
• Wine and cheese
• Other refreshments
• Fun for couples and singles
There is no charge, but RSVPs are required by Febru
ary 10.
E-mail your name, address and the number attend
ing to
vousocial@villagesofurbana.net
On-Site Staff Member Returns After Surgery
Nina Cruz, the on-site staff member who supports the
Association Covenants enforcement process returned to
part-time work following her absence for recovery from
back surgery. Welcome back, Nina!
Congratulations, Top Chef!
All of us at the VOU/HOA management office would
like to congratulate Michael Voltaggio for winning this
season’s “Top Chef.” We would also like to congratulate
Bryan Voltaggio for standing next to his brother at the
final moment. Bryan and his family are residents of the
Villages, and I know we all watched with excitement
for both brothers. Bryan also owns the restaurant Volt
in Frederick, so we hope everyone has a chance to go
and sample for themselves some of the exquisite dishes
offered there. VOU Turkey Trot 5K Race Was Something to
be Thankful For!
On a brisk Thanksgiving morning, close to 100 racers
joined the VOU’s first annual Turkey Trot 5K race. The
generosity of VOU was overwhelming as participants
came armed with non-perishable food and toiletries for
the Frederick County Food Bank. In the Youth category,
Ariel Rodriguez sprinted in first with a time of 19:01. In
the Men’s category Bart Elias came in close behind with
a time of 19:41 and Patrick Adams came in at 19:15.
Kerry Jenkins came in with an impressive 24.43. In the
kid’s 1K fun race, Ryan Hayden sprinted over the finish
Photo | Tracey McCabe
Scott and Tracey Celi of 3746 Spicebush Drive are the winners of the
single family traditional home holiday lights contest.
line in 5:26. The race concluded with awards and refreshments. The
Pool & Recreation Committee wants to thank ALL of the volunteers that
made the Turkey Trot possible, including VOU residents, the Frederick
Sheriff’s Dept. as well as UHS students and our t-shirt sponsor, Buffalo
Wild Wings. Thanks also to Franklin Liquors, Corrigan Sports, and NV
Homes for their donations.
Congratulations Holiday Lights Contest Winners
Thanks to all who participated in the VOU holiday lights contest. Driving through the neighborhood it was evident VOU was ablaze with holidays spirit. Congratulations to the winners and to a job well done:
• Townhome Traditional — 3617 Worthington Boulevard: James &
Elizabeth Smith
• Townhome Contemporary — 3713 Singleton Terrace: Jose & Shirley
Vergara
• Single Traditional — 3746 Spicebush Drive: Scott & Tracey Celi
• Single Contemporary — 9215 Shafer’s Mill Drive: Olugbemiga
Odegbile & Trudy Buckman
On-site office: 9023 Harris Street • Phone: 301.831.4810 or 301.874.0487
Office hours: Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Page 16
The Town Courier
January 2010
The Town Courier
January 2010 AROUND
TOWN
Continued from page 2
ing. Colored, stamped asphalt crosswalks
will be installed at each entrance to the
square. In addition, two speed humps
will be installed, one on Comus Road
east of the square and one on Sugarloaf
Mountain Road west of the square. The
project will last for approximately 60
days, weather permitting.
Daddy-Daughter Dance Registration Now
Open
The Frederick County Parks and
Recreation Department announced registration for its annual daddy-daughter
dance February 6. Light refreshments
will be served, and photo opportunities
will be available. An adult male must accompany his princess(es). Preregistration
is required, and the registration deadline
is January 29. Space is limited so sign up
early. Princesses must be 4 – 12 years old,
and the cost is $40 per couple and $10
for each additional child. The dance will
be held at the Frederick Fairgrounds in
the Null Building on February 6, 2010
from 6 – 8:30 p.m. Call the Frederick
County Division of Parks and Recreation
at 301.600.2936 or log on to www.
Recreater.com to register.
TransIT’s Invites Commuters to Test ‘Pool
Rewards
To reduce traffic congestion along
I-495 and I-395, Commuter Connections
has launched ‘Pool Rewards, a pilot
program designed to encourage commuters traveling through three of the
Washington, D.C., metro region’s most
congested corridors to try carpooling to
and from work instead of driving alone.
Frederick area commuters traveling on
the Capital Beltway through Bethesda
to Tysons Corner may qualify for a $1
incentive each way for carpooling during the ‘Pool Rewards three-month pilot
program. Commuters traveling on I-395
from the District across the 14th Street
Bridge into Northern Virginia or the
Beltway from the Baltimore-Washington
Parkway to I-270 may also qualify.
Commuters who are currently driving
alone to and from work in one or more
of these corridors during peak commuting times may apply for the ‘Pool
Rewards program at www.commuterconnections.org. The program includes
three simple steps: Apply, log each commute trip, and cash in. Eligibility requirements, rules and limitations apply.
Commuting to work by car costs
about $54 in total vehicle expenses per
100 miles, according to AAA’s 2009
edition of “Your Driving Cost.” Now,
commuters can save money by reducing fuel costs and earn money through
‘Pool Rewards. In addition, ridesharing commuters may also be eligible for
other money-saving services such as the
free Guaranteed Ride Home program
that ensures a ride home up to four
times each year when one of life’s unex-
upcoming EVENTS
1/5
BOCC Work Session, 8:30 a.m., Winchester Hall
1/12
BOCC Work Session, 8:30 a.m., Winchester Hall
1/13
Planning Commission, 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m., Winchester Hall
1/18
Frederick County Government Offices Closed
1/19
BOCC Work Session, 8:30 a.m., Winchester Hall
BOCC/BOE Meeting, 1:30 p.m., 115 E. Church Street
BOCC Public Hearing, 6 p.m., Frederick High School
1/20
Planning Commission, 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m., Winchester Hall
1/21
BOCC Meeting, 6 p.m., Winchester Hall
1/26
BOCC Work Session, 8:30 a.m., Winchester Hall
1/27
Planning Commission (tentative), 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m.,
Winchester Hall
1/28
BOCC Meeting, 7 p.m., Winchester Hall
pected emergencies arises.
TransIT is a member of Commuter
Connections, a regional transportation network coordinated by the
Metropolitan Washington Council of
Governments. ‘Pool Rewards is part
of an ongoing efforts to improve traffic flow, decrease air pollution, and promote long-term changes in commuting
behavior.
For
more
information:
www.
FrederickCountyMD.gov/transit.
Frederick Business & Professional Women’s
Club Offers Scholarship
The Frederick Business & Professional
Women’s Club is seeking applicants for
its annual scholarships awards. The organization’s scholarship will be awarded to women currently enrolled and
attending a college-level course study.
Applicants must be women, residents of
Frederick County, must show financial
need, have professional promise, have
academic achievements and professional
qualifications.
All applications, college level transcripts and letter of reference must
be received by February 13, 2010.
Scholarships will be awarded for the
summer and/or fall semester of 2010.
Applications are available at www.bpwfrederick.org.
Singles Prayer Breakfast
The Clarksburg Church of God will
host a singles prayer breakfast January 9
from 9 – 10:30 a.m with a service following featuring special guest Minister
Markeeta Lee from New Home Baptist
Church in Landover, Md. The breakfast is free to all and childcare will be
provided. Please RSVP by December
31 by calling 240.364.8202 or by emailing
clarksburgCOG@hotmail.
n
Around TOwn Continued on page 18
Page 17
Page 18
The Town Courier
AROUND
TOWN
Continued from page 17
com. Clarksburg Church of God 23900
Clarksburg Road Clarksburg, MD
20871.
For
more
information:
www.
ClarksburgCOG.org.
FCPL Launches Online Winter Reading Club
Frederick County Public Libraries recently launched Frederick County’s first
public library online Winter Reading
Club for adults to bring the comfort,
coziness and camaraderie of a customfitted book club to your nearest online
access point. The Winter Reading Club
began December 1 and extends through
Sunday, February 28. From the moment
you are registered, your participation is
activated. This winter, you won’t need to venture past the warmth to read books,
share reviews with other adult readers and contribute comments. You’ll
find access to recommended reading lists such as “New York Public
January 2010
Library Recommended Reads”, and
“Webruary Booklists” as well as other Cool Links including “You Pick
the Setting & Characters!”, “Get Book
Chapters Emailed to You!” and information about BookFest 2010. Submit
your reviews and read recently added
reviews from your fellow online Winter
Book Club readers. You’ll be automatically entered in prize drawings for free
books and tickets to cultural outings.
The club’s promotional partners include manga publisher, TOKYOPOP,
and Geppi’s Entertainment Museum in
Baltimore.
To register: www.fcpl.org.
Christmas Tree Recyling
After the holiday season think “green”
and recycle your Christmas tree at one
of Frederick County’s seven temporary
drop-off locations including the Reichs
Ford Road yard trimming area at 9030
Reichs Ford Road and Kemptown
Park (lower left parking lot) at 3456B
Kemptown Church Road in Monrovia.
Please remove all ornaments and garland, tree stands and plastic bags before
leaving the tree. The locations will remain open until January 25. More information: www.frederickcountymd.
gov/recycle.
Photo | Submitted
Villages of Urbana resident Farrell Keough clears his driveway during the record snowfall December 19.
January 2010 The Town Courier
Page 19
Page 20
The Town Courier
January 2010
REader’sCHOICE
“The Life and Times of the
Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir”
Written by Bill Bryson
B
ill Bryson feels
anecdote about his falike an old
ther’s unsettling habit
friend.
I’ve
of doing isometric exhiked the Appalachian
ercises against the outTrail alongside him
er wall of airplanes in
(“A Walk in the
flight to his final stoWoods”), criss-crossed
ry of graduating from
America with him
high school leading
looking for the idethe school in absences
al small town (“The
all three years and one
Lost
Continent”),
year “achieving the
and traveled by his
By Betty
distinction of missing
side through England
Hafner
more days than a boy
(“Notes from a Small
with a fatal illness,”
Island”). So I decided to go he is winning.
back to his hometown of Des
Bryson, born in 1951, grew
Moines, Iowa, in the 1950s with up on the superheroes of comhim and hear about “The Life ics, radio and TV and was nevand Times of the Thunderbolt er without a vivid imagination.
Kid.”
One day the 6-year-old was
I can always count on Bryson digging around the basement,
to make me laugh out loud, as he says, “seeing if there was
surprise me with escapades that anything sharp or combusdemonstrate how goofy the op- tible I hadn’t come across beposite sex can be, yet still edu- fore” and found a tattered old
cate me with well-researched jersey with a golden thunderfacts about his subject. His bolt across the chest. He knew
2006 memoir doesn’t disap- at once that ownership of that
point. From the hilarious first special top would afford him
special powers, such as “X-ray
vision to peer beneath the
clothes of attractive women
and to carbonize and eliminate
people — teachers, babysitters,
old ladies who wanted a kiss —
who were impediments to my
happiness.”
Not all of us who spent
childhoods in the ‘50s were as
lucky as Bryson was to have superpowers, but so many of his
Worship
Directory
St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Community
4103 Prices Distillery Road, Ijamsville, MD 21754 • Telephone (301) 695-8845 • Fax (301) 695-0259
Celebrate with St. Ignatius
of Loyola Catholic Community
Rev. Michael J. Jendrek, Pastor
• Saturday, 5:30 p.m. ~ Mass
• Sunday, 8:00 a.m. ~ Mass
• Sunday, 10:00 a.m. ~ Mass
(Interpreting for the Deaf & Children’s Liturgy of the Word)
• Sunday, 12 noon ~ Mass
• Reconciliation after the 5:30 p.m. Mass
on Saturday or by appointment
• Weekday liturgy is in the Country Church (across from the Exxon station) on Urbana Church Rd.
on Tues., Wed., Thurs. & Fri. at 8:45 a.m.
memories are universal:
civil defense drills at school
where the class “dropped
to the floor and parked
themselves like little
cars under their desks”
(Bryson once chose not
to participate). Dick
and Jane early reading
books (to this day he
is “still looking for a
family that would all
try to touch their toes
together”).
Those
enthusiastic ad slogans (“More Doctors
Smoke
Camels
Than Any Other
Cigarette!”).
Bryson talks fondly of his quirky but
loving family. His
father was a sportswriter for the
Des Moines Register who traveled regularly to follow baseball games. His mother worked
as an editor for the same newspaper and did not exactly excel in the domestic arts. As he
affectionately reports, “Theirs
truly was a marriage made in
heaven, for no one could burn
food like my mother or eat it
like my dad.” Bryson was significantly younger than his two
Bill Bryson
siblings, so he recalls spending
much time alone in his house,
which felt at times like “a nice
boardinghouse where the people got along well but respected and valued one another’s
privacy.”
I wouldn’t believe it possible, but Bryson has succeeded where very few have. He
has written a compelling, terrifically entertaining memoir
about a happy childhood.
The Town Courier
January 2010 Page 21
13 Things your Fitness Instructor Won’t Tell You
By Liz Corah
1. We have our cake and eat
it, too. Sure, we eat “clean”
and shop the outer isles of
the grocery store, but we
(like you) have major indulgences. We’ve all eaten
many a chocolate bar on the
way home from the grocery
store.
2. We love to hear that we’ve
kicked your butt! Not only
is it our duty to make sure
you sweat, it is our pride to
make sure you’ve received
your daily beating. There’s
no music better to our ears
than, “You are my Jillian
Michaels.”
3. To gym or not to gym?
Some days there is no better
question. We also have those
days where we’d rather be in
bed watching Lifetime than
doing bicep curls.
4. You motivate us! To be better, to train you better and to
deliver your workouts. Your
enthusiasm, goal setting/
achieving, and showing up
for class is an enormous part
of what fuels our fire.
5. We look forward to class,
too! It is equally as fun for
us as it is for you. We look
forward to seeing our “reg-
ulars,” meeting new clients
and delivering #2.
6. Preparation. We do it a lot!
No instructor will tell you
that when we were “using
the bathroom” we were also
going over the choreography or sequence of our class
we made up last night before bed, or in the car while
singing out loud to our favorite song. Music, shoes,
the “right” teaching outfit
and tune belt. Believe it or
not, we definitely did not
just walk into the gym without having our head in the
game.
7. Nervous? Yup! If you don’t
like it, we don’t like it. Our
goal is to present an effective,
safe and motivational exercise class. Instructors may
be nervous about meeting
class expectations or kicking
the “really strong” girl’s butt
who stands in the front.
8. If you’re discouraged, so are
we. If a client were to say to
their instructor, “I want to
lose 15 pounds,” we would
be right in your ring cheering
you on. We may even throw
in a special exercise for you
here or there to let you know
that we are here to help you
reach your fitness goals. Your
frown or triumph at the scale
is ours as well. The battle of
the bulge is our battle.
9. Practice what you preach. I
love wine — enough said.
10. “The secret sauce.” Every
instructor has it. It’s that
“thing” that they do that separates them from all the other instructors on the schedule. Whether it’s a “move” or
a song, they’ll never tell you
what it is.
11. How many times they failed
their instructor written
exam.
12. How much they weigh.
13. We like to workout right
along side you. Sometimes
we have to remind ourselves
that this is not our workout, it’s yours. And we’re not
there to sweat but to make
sure you do! But when the
music is playing, the fan is ablowing, the comeraderie is
high, and the energy in the
room is sizzling, there’s no
helping it. After all, why not
sneak in a workout with you,
if the class is that good?
Optional: “You have too much
junk in the trunk.” I can elaborate if you want!
Liz Corah is an area fitness instructor and avid Town Courier reader.
Photo | File
Workouts with a trainer can help keep you focused and challenged according to fitness experts.
Page 22
The Town Courier
January 2010
Kaufman’sKITCHEN
Food Tastes Better in Clay
By Sheilah Kaufman
“Perhaps it was the different shapes and sizes,
the colors and glazes, the myriad variations on
primal shapes that attracted me. Or perhaps it
was just that earthenware produced such greattasting food. And that’s where I begin this book,
by asserting a simple truth: Most food — and
Mediterranean food in particular — tastes better cooked in clay. Ever since I started studying Mediterranean cuisines 50 years ago, I heard
cooks from the south of France to Morocco sing
the praises of clay pots and how they enhanced
the local food.” — Paula Wolfert, from her
new book, Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking:
Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and
Share (Wiley).
I
have been a follower and devotee of
Wolfert’s since I began taking cooking classes almost 40 years ago. She
was one of my first teachers. She is widely acknowledged as one of the premier
food writers in America and the “queen
of Mediterranean cooking.” Wolfert is a
self-acknowledged clay pot “ junkie.”
This book is just as much of a joy to
read as it is to cook from, and Wolfert
offers 150 recipes that evoke the very essence of this famed culinary landscape as
well as practical guidance. Woven seamlessly throughout are stories of Wolfert’s
travels and studies in the Mediterranean,
with a supporting cast of locals and famous chefs that she has met along the
way.
Starting off with a clay pot primer,
Wolfert describes the three main materials that are referred to throughout the book: earthenware, stoneware
and flameproof ceramic cookware (also
called flameware), then demystifies the
process of selecting the appropriate vessel
for her recipes. She predominantly uses
the same half-dozen basic and relatively inexpensive pots throughout the book
so cooks with a less-extensive collection
than her own need not be intimidated.
Personally, I have used Romertopf and
Schlemmertopf clay bakers for almost 35
years and still love the ease of cooking
in them.
Clay pots and other international goods
can be ordered from
Tulumba.com (traditional clay pots are
handmade, not coated inside, see Web
site for instructions
on how to use and
clean).
Potato Gratin Dauphinoise
Serves 6 to 8.
Every Dauphiné home cook will have
his or her version of this most famous of
all French potato gratins. In Paula’s version, thinly sliced potatoes are bathed in
an egg-enriched cream and then piled
into a gratin dish. Bake the gratin, let it
stand for at least 15 minutes, and then reheat it before serving. The second heating makes the gratin taste even better.
Preferred Clay Pot: 9-by-12-inch gratin or shallow baking dish (10- to 12cup capacity).
Suggested Clay Environment: double
slabs of pizza stones or food-safe quarry tiles set on the upper and lower oven
racks.
1 garlic clove, halved
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups whole milk or half-andhalf
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 egg
1 cup shredded Emmenthaler, Gruyère
or Comté cheese (about 3½ ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes,
peeled, thinly sliced, rinsed and patted
dry
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Rub the
inside of the gratin with the garlic clove.
Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease
the dish.
Heat the milk and ¾ of the cream in
a large conventional saucepan until bubbles just begin to appear around the edge
n
kaufman’s kitchen Continued on page 23
New Year’s Eve Dance
$20 per person
DJ Shakey
8 p.m. until 1 a.m.
Lite fare appetizers served
Coffee and Doughnuts after 12 a.m.
Call 301.606.3008 for reservations.
The Town Courier
January 2010 Page 23
Kaufman’sKITCHEN
of the pan.
In a medium bowl, beat the
egg lightly. Gradually whisk in
the hot creamy milk in a thin
stream to temper the egg. Add
¾ cup of the cheese, return to
the saucepan, and cook over
medium heat, stirring, for 3 to
4 minutes to melt the cheese.
Season with salt, pepper, and
nutmeg.
Add the potato slices to the
sauce and stir to coat. Transfer
to the buttered gratin and spread
out in an even layer. Sprinkle
the remaining ¼ cup cheese on
top and dot with the remaining
1 tablespoon butter. Set in the
oven. Raise the heat to 400°F
and bake for 1 hour.
Transfer the gratin to a wooden surface or folded towel to
prevent cracking; let cool for
15 minutes. Loosen the sides
of the gratin with a flat knife
and, brush the top of the gratin with the remaining ¾ cup
heavy cream. Return the baking dish to the oven to bake for
15 minutes. Turn off the heat
and let the gratin finish browning in the receding heat for 30
minutes longer.
Romertopf Clay-Baked Chicken
with Fromage Blanc, Tarragon and
Tomatoes
Serves 4.
Generations of Provençal
cooks have employed the combination of cheese, tarragon and
tomatoes to flavor chicken. The
trick is to choose a type of moist
cheese that will generate sufficient steam from the cavity to
drive the tarragon and tomato
flavors into the meat. I generally use a French-style skim-milk
cheese called fromage blanc,
which is moist, flavorful and
low in fat. You can substitute
well-drained thickened yogurt,
low-fat ricotta, or good-quality
cream cheese.
Preferred
Clay
Pot:
a
Romertopf clay baker, 3 to 5
pounds.
1 frying chicken with liver
(3 to 3½ pounds), preferably
organic
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
at room temperature
4 ounces fromage blanc or
other French-style skim-milk
cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
tarragon
1 tablespoon tomato paste,
canned or homemade
Rinse the chicken inside and
out and dry with paper towels.
Reserve the liver for the stuffing; save the neck and giblets
for stock or some other use.
Slip your fingers under the skin
of the thighs and breasts and
gently separate from the meat
to create an air pocket without tearing the skin. Combine
pinches of salt and pepper and
the chopped garlic with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Insert
pinches of this mixture under
the skin and massage into the
flesh. Season the cavity and the
skin with salt and pepper, wrap
the chicken in paper towels, and
refrigerate. Chop the chicken
liver. Mash it with the cheese;
then blend with salt and pepper,
half the chopped tarragon, and
the tomato paste. Set aside until
ready to stuff the chicken.
About 2 hours before serving, soak the top and bottom of
a medium clay baker in water
for 15 minutes. Stuff the chicken with the mixture and close
the opening with white kitchen string. Rub the outside of
the chicken with the remaining
2 tablespoons butter and season
generously with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken, breast side
up, in the baker, cover, and set
in a cold oven. Turn the temperature to 475°F and bake un-
til the chicken is almost tender,
about 1 hour.
Remove the clay pot from
the oven and place on a wooden
surface or folded kitchen towel
to prevent cracking. Put the lid
on another kitchen towel. Tilt
the pot and strain the pan juices
into a medium skillet. Skim the
fat off the top and reserve the
juices.
Set a wire cake rack over the
bottom of the clay pot, place the
chicken on top, and return to
the oven to finish roasting, uncovered, until an instant-read
thermometer registers 165° F
and the skin is nicely browned,
10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the
clay baker to a wooden surface
or folded kitchen towel to prevent cracking and let rest for 10
minutes.
Remove the cheese stuffing
from the chicken and add it to
the juices in the skillet, whisking to blend. Bring to a boil and
continue to cook until the sauce
is reduced by half. Add the remaining tarragon and season
with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook, stirring, for 1 minute
longer. Carve the chicken, arrange on a serving platter, and
pour the sauce over the chicken
pieces.
Sweet Tomato Jam
Makes about 1 ¾ cups.
This easy condiment can be
held in the refrigerator for up to
four days.
2 pounds Roma or other flavorful ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4
teaspoon
ground
cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1 teaspoon orange flower
water
2 teaspoons sesame seeds,
lightly toasted
Preheat the oven to 450° F.
Place the tomatoes on a rimmed
baking sheet and roast until
charred and soft, about 45 minutes, turning them after 20 to
25 minutes. Let cool completely, then peel, seed, and coarsely
chop them.
In a flameware skillet, cook
the tomatoes in the olive oil over
medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching,
until all the moisture is evaporated and the tomatoes are sizzling, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the honey, cinnamon,
salt, and pepper. Reduce the
heat slightly and simmer for 2 to
3 minutes longer. Remove from
the heat and let cool. Stir in
the orange flower water. Serve
at room temperature in a shallow bowl, with the sesame seeds
sprinkled on top.
For more recipes, visit www.cookingwithsheilah.com.
Tw e n t y Te n
$20 for 10 Months
EFT with joining fee
www.GreenValleyJFC.com
January 25, 2010
301.524.8107
Valid only on January 25, 2010.
Classes offered at: 8:30 and 9:30 a.m.,
5:15, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Child care available at a.m. classes only.
www.GreenValleyJFC.com
Page 24
The Town Courier
January 2010
OUT & ABOUT
he holiday lights have been stored,
and the weather outside is frightful. Here are a few ways to get
you out and about in January:
T
to make your way around the rink? Stop
in for Skate Frederick’s public sessions
throughout the month. More information:
www.skatefrederick.com.
Gain a Little Insight on Love and Forgiveness
Watch History Come Alive
Love the heart-wrenching story of
“Atonement” or the tenderness of Jane
Austin’s “Sense and Sensibility”? Join Karen
Norman, English Ph.D., for discussions on
five pieces of literature — some classic,
some contemporary — on the themes of
love and forgiveness at the Urbana Library
January 7 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The twohour format includes a scholarly lecture as
well as group discussion. Related films will
also be shown. Titles include “Atonement”
by Ian McEwan, “The Namesake” by
Jhumpa Lahiri, “The Winter’s Tale” by
Shakespeare, “The History of Love” by
Nicole Krauss, and “Sense and Sensibility”
by Jane Austen. More information:
301.600.7004.
The Underground Railway Theater
presents “Are You Ready, My Sister?” a
powerful story about Harriet Tubman for
young audiences January 28 at 10 a.m. at
the Weinberg Center for the Arts. More
information: www.weinbergcenter.org.
Learn to Skate
Grab the family and burn off those holiday pounds at the ice rink. No matter
your age or ability, classes begin January
11 at Skate Frederick. Already know how
Frederick County
3409 A Urbana Pike
Frederick, MD 21704
Catch a Couple Fiddle Phenomenons in Concert
What’s better than one of the world’s
top Celtic fiddlers? How about two, who
also happened to be married. Cape Breton
superstar
Natalie MacMaster is a fiddling, singing, and step-dancing fireball on stage,
performing jigs and reels with unstoppable, foot-tapping energy. Her husband,
Donnell Leahy, the oldest sibling in the
musical Leahy family from rural Ontario,
is no slouch either as fiddler or step-dancer. The pair will share the stage with their
Celtic band January 27, 8 p.m. At the
Weinberg Center for the Arts. More information: www.weinbergcenter.org.
Montgomery County
451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 750
Rockville, MD 20850
Comprehensive Family Dentistry
at Knowledge Farms
New Patient
New Year’s Special:
Exam, Cleaning, and Complete X-ray Series.
(Offer Good in Absence of Gum Disease.)
$59.00. Expires: January 31, 2010.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Comprehensive family
and esthetic services including:
Fillings, root canals, crown and bridges
Cosmetic makeovers
Extractions, dentures, TMJ therapy
Periodontics (gum specialist available in house)
Orthodontic therapy for children and adults including invisalign!
CEREC cad/cam crowns and inlays available for one visit restorations!
No second visit! No second shot! No impression! No temporary crown!
Only 3% of dental offices have this technology!!
Georgetown University Graduate
26 years experience in all phases of dentistry
Robert A. Kenyon, D.D.S.
1983 Georgetown Graduate
CreditCardsAccepted•FinancingAvailable
3280 Urbana Pike, Suite 203
In Knowledge Farms
www.doctorkenyon.com
301.831.8303
Photo | Submitted
An instructor assists a young skater at Skate Frederick.
The Town Courier
January 2010 Page 25
MIKE AT THE MOVIES
By Mike Cuthbert
“Everything’s Fine” (PG-13)
HHHH
A part of many, if not most,
families is a certain level of secrecy and deception that keeps
members of them from each
other’s throats. In the case of
widower Frank Goode, played
by Robert DeNiro, everybody
in what remains of his family
lies to him or at least doesn’t
tell him the whole truth. There
are four children involved:
David, a troubled artist; Amy,
a rich suburban Chicago housewife played by Kate Beckinsale;
Robert, a percussionist with the
Pacific Northwest Symphony
Orchestra played by Sam
Rockwell; and Rosie, played by
Drew Barrymore. All of Frank’s
kids have secrets they have not
shared with their father. Frank
thinks they’re all doing very
well — “Many feet of wire got
them where they are today,” he
observes. (He’s retired because
of disability after years of working at putting PVC insulation
on telephone wires.)
Frank goes on a marathon trip
by bus, train and truck to see his
kids because they won’t come to
see him. In the process he perceives some of the secrets, but
the ultimate one eludes him because they won’t tell him what
happened to David.
DeNiro has never been better. His portrayal of a working
stiff who comes to realize how
much of life he lost just making
that phone wire is heartbreaking. As he lies to himself: “I’m
always lucky.” Not so. He’s been
careless with his family, and the
main question in the film is
whether or not he can live long
enough to realize it and do anything about it.
Frank comes to realize all is
not fine with his kids as he visits them one by one and perceives their problems. The information seeps into DeNiro’s
face and carriage almost drop by
drop as his idealized view of his
kids comes crushingly down on
him and reality begins to fight
to be recognized.
If the holidays are about family, this may become a classic
holiday film. Its reconciliation
of Frank’s basic nature — when
he opens a new cell phone near
the end of the picture it is a
wonderful moment — and the
realization on the part of his
kids that Pop is more perceptive
and stronger than they gave him
credit for comes at a redemptive
moment and with great emotional wallop. The youngest of
your kids won’t understand why
Mom and Dad
are wiping tears
away as they
experience this
film, but Mom
and Dad and the
older kids will
recognize their
own
secrets,
their own wasted precious moments and mourn for them.
“Brothers” (R) HHHH
Regardless of what the ads
have indicated about “Brothers,”
it is not about infidelity, assumed death and adjustment,
or any of the things you might
think. This film is an excellent study of guilt, both earned
and unearned. The Cahill family is torn apart when military
hero Sam (Toby Maguire) has
to go back to Afghanistan. He
does so shortly after driving his
brother, Tom, ( Jake Gyllenhaal)
back from prison. The arrival
at home of Tommy and the departure of Sam infuriates their
father, Hank, a former Marine.
Grace (Natalie Portman) is left
behind with two young daughters, the charming Maggie and
the thorny Isabelle. When Sam,
reported dead in Afghanistan,
turns up alive and comes back
home, the guilt starts to pile
upon guilt until it almost overwhelms the family. Tommy and
Grace are guilty though they
stopped what appears to be inevitable; Hank is guilty because
of the disparate way he raised
his two sons and his lack of understanding of them; and Sam
is guilty for reasons that surpass
understanding.
Isabelle is the conscience of
the family and will tear your
heart out in a performance that
is stunning in its depth and sensitivity. Both the daughters are
amazing performers — natural
and totally believable. (Bailee
Madison as Isabelle and Taylor
Geare as Maggie.)
The only question left at the
end of this wonderful film is
whether or not redemption is
possible for what Sam did. Can
he ever accept forgiveness for
what he was forced to do? And
can Tommy overcome his own
guilt at what he felt but did not
act upon? Will Hank receive
the blessings of both sons as he
changes? Or will he change?
Good movies ask important
questions. “Brothers” certainly
does.
“Armored” (R) H
Any time a movie starts with,
“Nobody’s going to get hurt,”
you know you’re in for a bloodbath. “Armored” fulfills the ex-
Photo | File
Princess Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog.”
pectation and then some. The
story of a heist gone wrong, the
movie grinds inexorably through
armored car chases, crashes and
violence, accompanied by a migraine-producing musical score,
without which any perceptive
viewer will recognize they’ve
seen it all before.
Matt Dillon does his usual one-facial-expression job in
such films; Columbus Short
does a serviceable job in the
role of war hero Ty Hackett;
but even French star Jean Reno
and Lawrence Fishbourne as
a drunken, bloodthirsty thug
cannot cause this movie to rise
above the level of mediocrity. Why anybody thought this
was a holiday release, worthy of
December, is beyond me.
Dillon’s character assures
all who will listen to him that
“There are only good guys
here.” Sure. And the Fascists
made the trains run on time.
There are so many other choices available. Pick one.
love.
There are spooky moments
in the film as the villain, Dr.
Facilier, a.k.a. “Shadow Man,”
scared a 3-year-old sitting in
front of me. “I didn’t like the
bad guys,” she told me grimly,
but loved it when the two frogs
kissed.
For those who are curious about the voices, there are
only three top-rank celebrities
in the cast: Oprah as Eudora,
Terence Howard as James and
John Goodman as “Big Daddy”
La Bouff.
The music, mostly by Randy
Newman, is outstanding, and
the recordings take you right
to Bourbon Street, especially
when Louis, the overweight alligator, heats up his trumpet.
The simple technique of the
entire film, harkening back to
older styles of Disney, keeps the
focus on the story, and that’s
exactly where it belongs. Good
fun for the holidays.
“The Princess and the Frog” (G)
HHH
Sports stories usually have
predictable endings, so the value of them is in the subplots underneath. In “Rudy” it was the
story of a fan getting a chance
to play for Notre Dame; in
“Whip It,” the subplot was the
discovery of her real self by the
main character. In “Invictus”
the underlying story is the story: the founding of a new nation
led by a charismatic new leader,
Nelson Mandela.
Mandela faced a divided
country of Afrikaners, loyal
to their race, and blacks, loyal to theirs. So loyal were the
blacks that they hated the South
African Rugby Team, the
Springboks. They would root
for anybody who played against
South Africa. Mandela shrewdly saw a chance for national uni-
This technically old-fashioned cartoon breaks ground by
having Disney’s first predominantly black cast of characters.
Tiana, the daughter of a seamstress for a plutocrat in New
Orleans has a dream of opening her own restaurant. The
frog, a Prince Naveen in reality, knows the drill and requests
a kiss. The surprise is that the
kiss doesn’t turn the frog back
into a prince: It turns Tiana
into a very charming frog. The
two spend the rest of the film
attempting to lift the spell on
them so that Tiana can pay the
mortgage on her restaurant
space and, by the end of their
adventures, marry the prince
with whom she has fallen in
“Invictus” (PG-13) HHH
ty in the Springboks and did everything he could to encourage
the team and force it out of its
somewhat elitist habits: They
went on the road to the settlements to teach young blacks the
sport. The move energized national support for them and the
team became the 1995 World
Cup champions.
What the movie does not
point out is that the South
African entry into the tournament it hosted was the first time
South Africa had ever played
in the Cup, being banished for
apartheid from all international
sports for many years.
Morgan Freeman not only
bears a resemblance to Nelson
Mandela but is absolutely noteperfect in the role. The conflicts he faces by supporting the
white-dominated team and the
preservation of its traditions
in the face of angry black demands for major changes in
the team represent his struggle generally to forge a peaceful and forgiving nation. Matt
Damon is equally superb as the
Springboks’ captain, Francois
Pienaar. The impact on him of
visiting Mandela’s prison cell
and of Mandela’s personal attention to him are moving parts of
a moving film.
Clint Eastwood produced and
directed the film and uses crowd
shots and skillful representation
of the final game instead of the
usual fake “play-by-play” narration of most sports movies.
Various segments of the South
African population are represented throughout the final sequences to great impact with
no loss of clarity as to what’s
happening.
So the ending is predictable.
Like I said at the beginning, the
subplot is where the action is.
So it is with “Invictus.”
Page 26
The Town Courier
January 2010
NORA’sCORNER
Adventuring with Limitations
By Nora H. Caplan
G
one
are
the years
w h e n
I could f ly to
Heathrow, hop on
the Underground
with a suitcase
in tow, get off at
Tavistock Square,
and wait until
check-in to register at my hotel —
all without sleep
the night before. With a Britrail pass
I could visit my friend in Yorkshire,
board local buses and walk miles
to places like the Brontes’ home in
Haworth or take self-guided walking
tours of London.
Nowadays, with some physical problems involving my feet and back, I’d
begun to think I could never travel
again. But recently I decided to consider the kind of trip I could make by
myself. Sometimes the obvious escapes
me. When I stopped by my local travel agency, brochures featuring cruises
leaped up at me. What about a cruise on
the western Mediterranean, stopping
at ports I’d never visited — Barcelona,
Malta, three ports in Italy, Cannes and
back to Barcelona? I wouldn’t have to
worry about where to have my meals
and how to get there; I wouldn’t have
to be concerned about repacking every
few days during my trip; I could visit
countries I’d never seen before. I’m a
good sailor, and seasickness has never
been a problem for me.
I did have to make some compromises with myself in advance. I’d have
to be satisf ied with the easiest level of
shore excursions — no walkabouts or
browsing in museums. My sightseeing
would have to be conf ined to motor
coach tours, following their agendas of
places to see. And in Malta, especially,
more stops at tourist shops like glassmaking, silver f iligree jewelry-making, and vineyards than I would’ve
liked. But at least we would have easy
stops at churches or piazzas, where we
could de-bus and have a pizza and a
“lite Coke” (a frequent combination
in Italian cafes) or a coffee at an outdoor bistro. I love to people watch, so
this was a treat.
It was fun to watch the young Italian
ladies tripping along cobblestone
streets in high heeled boots, black
tights, mini-skirts, short black leather jackets, and scarves wound twice
around their necks. Young men were
far less smart looking; they actually
looked purposefully scruffy.
So, I didn’t visit Vesuvius or Pompeii
when we anchored in Naples, but I had
a fabulous ride along the Amalf i Coast
and a delectable lunch at a restaurant
overlooking the Bay of Naples.
The ride the following day to Rome
was sheer pleasure; I had no idea
so much of the land would be tilled
and ready for planting. I saw three
huge windmills that probably provided enough electricity for the village
where they were installed. Through
the bus window in Rome I saw the
imprint of where the Circus Maximus
had once been and the towering remaining walls of the Colosseum near
it. I was able to take my life in my hand
and cross a stony street in between cars
and motorbikes that whizzed by me
to cross a bridge over the Tiber River
that brought back memories of my
high school Caesar Latin class. When
I saw artists with their easels stationed
along the riverbank, I remembered my
grandson’s semester in Rome and how
he did the same.
I didn’t get to see ‘David’ or visit
the Uff izi Galleries in Florence, but
the overview we had from the Piazza
Michaelango on a hill overlooking the
city was unforgettable.
Coincidentally, a wedding party was
celebrating at the same time and place
when we got off the bus, and the bride
in her white wedding dress and veil
was being tossed up into the air with
great bursts laughter by the wedding
party — an Asian custom unfamiliar
to us.
I didn’t get to explore Cannes, but
the guide who narrated our ride from
Antibes to Nice pointed out the hotel
where Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald had
stayed and, unexpectedly, John Wayne’s
villa that had a sculptured cowboy hat
on the chimney. The ride along the
French Riviera was almost as beautiful
as the Amalf i Coast excursion.
On board ship I was amazed to see
how many families with physically
handicapped older members had accompanied them. One group had rented a motorized chair for their elderly
uncle. It was easily stored in the back
of the van they’d also rented. They
even invited me to accompany them
on a shore excursion. I regretted that
I’d already booked a tour that same
day.
I credit my superb travel agent for
helping to make my trip so easy and
comfortable. She arranged for me to
have a wheelchair waiting when I had to
change planes in Paris. My Norwegian
Cruise Line driver was waiting for me
when I landed in Barcelona. My experiment with traveling with
limitations was a huge success. So I’m
ready to roll again in the coming year
— who knows where? The world is a
big place for adventuring.
January 2010 The Town Courier
Page 27
Urbana’s Professional Service Directory
Reach your neighbors in Urbana, Villages of Urbana, Urbana Highlands and Ijamsville all year for as little as $36 per month with a business card ad in
The Town Courier’s Professional Service Directory.
Call The Town Courier TODAY; get great exposure next month!
Call Patsy Beckman at 301.606.8833.
OFFICE • 301-874-1801
CELL • 301-252-1415
FAX • 301-874-1804
Page 28
The Town Courier
January 2010
URBANASPORTS
Urbana Hawks Jr. Varsity Caps Undefeated
Season with State Championship
On Sunday December 6 the Urbana
Hawks 9-11 Jr. Varsity youth football team
completed a remarkable season by defeating the Peppermill Village Pirates 26-0 for
the Maryland State Championship. The
game at Good Council High School in
Olney Maryland capped a 14-0 undefeated
season for the Hawks.
The Hawks earned the right to play in
the state championship tournament by winning the Mid-Maryland Football League
Super Bowl 14-6 over the Damascus
Cougars. That win was preceded by 30-0
and 26-0 playoff wins against the Ellicott
Urbana Hawks Mini Pony Wins MD Youth Football State Championship
The Hawks Mini Pony team (6 – 8)
completed an undefeated season by winning the Maryland Youth Football
State Championship (Div II) against the
Peppermill Village Pirates December 6
at Good Council High School. The final
score was 12-7.
The Hawks are part of LUYAA and play
in the Mid-Maryland Football League
with teams from Frederick, Montgomery,
Carroll, Baltimore and Howard counties,
including local rival Linganore. They finished their season with a 14-0 record and
City Patriots and the Columbia Warriors.
The Hawks advanced to the state championship game by defeating the Aberdeen
Bull Dogs 18-6 in the state semi-finals.
Pictured lower left: Tyler Makarehchi,
Bryce Johnson, Jimmy Allen, Tyler Makosy,
Zach Cummings, Kyle Fremming, Nick
Maxsell. Upper left: Malik Boyd, Matt
Beveridge, Head Coach Rob Snelick,
Mark Shekletski, Chase Carbaugh, Grant
Waxter, Coach Jay Johnson, Brian Daily,
Brady Farrell, Brandon Carlson, Zach
Turner, Coach Jon Fremming. Missing:
Daniel Brown, Jake Galloway, and Team
Moms Stephanie Fremming and Jamie
Daily.
earned the right to play in the state championship tournament by defeating Linganore
12-0 in the Mid-Maryland Football League
Super Bowl.
Pictured front row from left: Jared
Somerville, Jacob Ferrari, Ryan Beach,
Corey Heflin. Second row: Joseph Bromley,
Michael Bromley, Graham King, Wyatt
McKoy, Kevin Makosy. Third row: Dalton
Nichols, Ben Trogolo, Cole Galloway,
Tucker Hall, Evan Hooper, Jordan Miller,
Bryan Bresee, Coaches: Pete Beach, Matt
Nichols, Dave Trogolo, Wendy Trogolo
(Team Mom), Brian McKoy, Preston King,
Ted Hall, Rich Bresee.
Winter Sale!
Specializing in body repair, spot painting, AND
painting your entire car for a lot less!
FREE ESTIMATES
REFInISh BuMpER
SpEcIAl
$129
95
Bodywork, prep and
surface reconditioning extra
Presidential Paint Service
$100 OFF
Regularly $399.95.
Now Only $299.95!
With this Coupon. Presented At Time Of Estimate.
Not Valid With Any Other Offers Or Prior Services.
Expires 01/31/10.
With This Coupon. Presented at time of estimate.
Not Valid With Any Other Offers Or Prior Services.
Expires 01/31/10
1439 Tilco Dr. Frederick, MD • 301.662.9755 • m2128@maaco.com
Open Monday-Friday 8-5, Saturday 9-12
Vans, trucks, and commercial vehicles by estimate. Bodywork, rust repairs, and surface reconditioning extra. Not valid with any other offer.
MAACO Auto Painting & Bodyworks centers are independent franchises of MAACO Enterprises, Inc. Prices, hours and services may vary.
January 2010 URBANASPORTS
LUYAA Soccer Takes First
The Linganore Urbana Youth Athletic
Association (LUYAA) U-13 team is the
2009 champs of the MSI league, Division
3 boys U-13. The boys accomplished a 6-1
record while outscoring their opponents
by 39 goals to 7 goals, according to coach
Randy Ullrich.
“Coming off of this successful season we
will be increasing our level of competition
by entering the Baltimore Beltway Soccer
League (BBSL) beginning with the spring
2010 season,” he said.
In addition, the team is always seeking
new players of good skills. More information: jenranu@verizon.net.
Pictured, top L-R: Greg K., Charlton
G., Jack A., Steven R., Matt K., Neal R.
Middle, L-R: Austin P, Colby E. Front,
L-R: Asst. Coach Jim Evans, Eric B., Justin
M., Jay U., Jacob M., Head Coach Randy
Ullrich, Nick S., Asst. Coach Juan Utrera.
Kneeling front: Trey S.
The Town Courier
Page 29
Page 30
The Town Courier
January 2010
UrbanaSports
Local Youth Win Titles at National Cross Country Championships
By S. Nicole Davis
A
fter qualifying at the Maryland
Youth
Cross
Country
Championships, 51 local youth
from Lightning Running Club (LRC) traveled to Nashville, Tenn., to compete in the
Cross Country Coaches National Youth
Championships on December 5. Racing
against the best youth cross country runners
in the nation, LRC runners demonstrated
they were a force to be reckoned with. By
the end of the day, 22 runners had won national medals in their divisions.
With the focus and determination typically seen only in much older runners,
8-year-old Brin Strouse became LRC Cross
Country’s first national champion, winning
the Primary Girls 2K race with a comfortable 22 second lead. Benjamin Lausch (7),
Nathan Davis (9) and Meghan Lockett (12)
were national runners-up in their race divisions, another first for LRC Cross Country.
Gaby Urso (10) demonstrated the unflappable confidence required to run cross country at a national level when, after losing a
shoe 500 meters out, she powered through
the finish line to a third place finish —
one shoe on, one shoe off — without ever
breaking stride.
Also achieving podium finishes (top eight
in the nation) in their race divisions were:
Jessica Zimak (sixth), Ryan Lockett (seventh), Jennifer Simmons (seventh), Chad
Sussman (eighth), Greyson Strouse (eighth)
and Melissa Poach (eighth).
Additional medalists (top 25 in the nation) included: Stephen Glick (11th), SarahRachel Glick (12th), Liam Coates (12th),
Alec Coleman (14th), Garet Strouse (16th),
Sarah Askine (17th), Ashlin Davis (17th),
Sarah Danner (18th), John King (20th), Brett
Sussman (23rd) and Ben Freed (25th).
LRC Cross Country’s youngest participant, 5-year-old Nicholas Redman, finished second in the 800-meter Race of the
Americas.
In addition to individual competition,
LRC Cross Country runners competed
as five- to eight-runner overall age-group
teams achieving a collective, combined score
based on places. LRC Cross Country had
four teams placing in the top 10 nationally.
The Bantam Boys team — Nathan Davis,
Ryan Lockett, Lars Eklund, Spencer Askine
and Joseph Danner — achieved a fourth place
finish. Achieving fifth place finishes were
the Midget Girls team — Meghan Lockett,
Jennifer Simmons, Charlotte Kowalk and
Tasha Freed — and the Midget Boys team
— Chad Sussman, John King, Cliff Tilley,
Liam Coates, Elijah-David Glick, Nicholas
Danner and Justin Buck. Greyson Strouse,
Ben Freed, Brett Sussman, Daniel-Judah
Glick, Cory Link and Dan Beck comprised
the Youth Boys team, which placed sixth.
“We are so very proud of all our athletes
who participated and represented the club,”
stated Head Coach Darcy Strouse. “Our
runners, regardless of whether they were 5,
11 or 17, exhibited poise, confidence and tremendous belief in themselves as they competed with the nation’s best. Their success
is a tribute to the dedication of the runners
themselves, their supporting family members, and our excellent volunteer coaching
staff who have been working with these
youth since the end of August.”
LRC is a developmental running program for youth ages 4 to 18 offering three
programs throughout the year. For further
information regarding LRC Cross Country
(late August through December) for youth,
or LRC Distance Running and Road
Racing (DR3) for youth and their parents
(February to August), visit www.lrcrun.org
or contact Dr. Darcy Strouse at lrc_xc@yahoo.com. LRC Track and Field runs from
March to July. For registration information contact Bill Gerhold at billygnmd@
aol.com.
Photo | Brian Lausch
Brin Strouse became LRC’s first National Champion after
winning the Primary Girls 2K - 8 year old division.
Recreation Council Tips Off Season
By Carrie Dietz
T
o start off the basketball season for the Urbana Basketball
Association December 5, special guest and University of Maryland
men’s basketball starting guard Grievas
Vasques tipped the ball in for the U10
girls team, which played Carroll Manor.
More than 500 kids ranging from
third to 12 grade play as part of Urbana
Basketball, which is part of the Urbana
Recreation Council and serves sports
and other activities in the Urbana area.
Urbana Basketball plays in the
Monocacy Youth Basketball Association
(MYBA), said Joe Parisi, league
coordinator.
Urbana is the largest of all the communities with 42 teams participating in
the league, and Parisi said there’s always
room for more. “The league is a recreational/instructional league as well as
competitive,” he said. “I like to call it a
traveling recreation league.”
More information: urbanabasketball.
com or monocacyyouthbasketball.com.
Photo | Submitted
Urbana Basketball’s U10 girls team gets a special visit from University of Maryland men’s basketball starting
guard Grievas Vasques December 5.
The Town Courier
January 2010 Page 31
UrbanaSports
UMS Riders Join High School Team
By Patsy Beckman
U
rbana Middle School
(UMS) riders will saddle up for the first time
this month with their counterparts
from Urbana High School (UHS)
as part of the school’s equestrian
club team.
UMS parent booster Cheryl
Glang said she had received an outpouring of interest and support from
the community when the notion
arose to start a team at the school.
“We are doing great,” said Glang
after attending middle school tryouts for placement on the inaugural team.
High school members assisted by
tacking up the horses and preparing the indoor ring for participants.
Fifteen boys and girls attended the
tryouts at Miles Ahead Farm off
of Lily Pons Road in Adamstown.
Approximately a dozen students
will be asked to join the team.
“For a ‘first,’ things went pretty
smooth,” said Glang.
Students from Windsor Knolls
Middle School (WNMS) are also
a part of the new UMS jumping
club.
Many student riders spent hours
at local barns, such as Miles Ahead
and Urbana Riding Club, training
for the opportunity to become a
club member.
“Part of being on the team is
continuing private lessons,” said
UMS team sponsor and coordinator Ellen Georgi, who also teaches
social studies to seventh graders at
the school.
UHS’ Trish Smallwood will
coach both groups. She is looking
forward to working with her new
team members and the benefits that
can be gained. “If a student can start
at the middle school level, a pattern
can start to be set, and they know
what is expected of them when
they get to the high school level,”
she said.
This is the fifth year the UHS’
equestrian team has been competing through the Inter-School
Horse Show series. The series offers a unique opportunity for riders
in sixth through 12th grades, and
riders can be recognized as either a
club or a team.
The equestrian club’s season spans
from September through April.
UMS and WNMS team members will get their start this month.
“The number of high school
members was dwindling, so we
needed to recruit middle school
kids,” said Glang. “We took the
plunge and decided to do it.”
Glang’s daughter, Lindsay, is a
standout sophomore rider for UHS’
junior varsity team.
Equestrian sports are big energy,
time and financial commitments.
Lindsay takes private lessons
once a week and meets with teammates at least once a month for additional practice. “Riding time and
ring time together [are] fun for the
girls,” said Glang.
She feels her daughter has found
something unique by participating
on the equestrian team. “There is
a sense of belonging, and it gives
them a comfort level,” she said. “I
think what makes our sport different is that we are out there showing
as a team.”
It was last November when Glang
turned to those in her community,
who were interested in being a part
of a team, to show their support at
Photo | Submitted
UHS sophomore Lindsay Glang, a member of the junior varsity equestrian team, practices with
her horse, Splash, at Whispering Winds.
a group meeting. She said the response couldn’t have been better.
“The interest was there.” So leaders
moved quickly to field and ready a
middle school team by January.
Very few middle schools in the
county have been able to assemble
teams. “I believe we are breaking
ground here in Frederick County,”
Glang said.
3430 Worthington Boulevard,
#102 • Urbana
NOW OPEN!
(301) 662-0133 Main
(301) 662-1930 Billing
(301) 662-5399 Referrals
• Comprehensive pediatric care
• Telephone advice from our nurses during office hours
• Seven offices to better serve you
• Online referral & perscription refill requests available
• Convenient office hours including nights & weekends
• Committed to patient service & satisfaction
3430 Worthington Boulevard, #102 • Urbana
1475 Taney Avenue, #201 • Frederick / 1502 S. Main Street, #200 • Mt. Airy
610 Solarex Court, #200 • Frederick / 9093 Ridgefield Drive, #106 • Frederick
187 Thomas Johnson Drive, #4 • Frederick / 3020 B Ventrie Court • Myersville
Please visit us online at www.thepedcenter.com
Page 32
The Town Courier
January 2010