February 22, 2013

Gaithersburg’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Kentlands, Lakelands, Quince Orchard Park and More
The
TOWN
Vol. 10, No. 4
Courier
www.towncourier.com
City Considers Replacing Oktoberfest
By Jenny Chen
O
The Town Courier
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
PRSRT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Gaithersburg MD
Permit #1722
ktoberfest in Kentlands
may soon become simply a memory.
At the Jan. 22 Mayor and
Council meeting, Denise
Kayser, Gaithersburg’s arts
and events division chief for
the Department of Parks,
Recreation and Culture, presented a proposal to revamp
two long-running city events,
the annual Oktoberfest celebration at Kentlands and
the Celebrate! Gaithersburg
Festival in Olde Towne.
Due to numerous complaints about long lines
and crowdedness at the
Oktoberfest, Kayser proposed
to replace the fall festival with
a summer arts and wine festival that would span a larger
area and separate kids’ activities from adult entertainment.
“We get a lot of complaints
from people that they can’t
manage their way through the
crowd,” Kayser said.
Oktoberfest,
sponsored
by the city of Gaithersburg
and the Kentlands Citizens
Assembly, has been a community event for 21 years, but it is
no longer on the current city
calendar for 2013.
Some residents, like Elly
Shaw Belblidia, would be
sorry to see it go. “I’m pretty fussy about festivals; a lot
of them aren’t that good. But
the Kentlands Oktoberfest is
a gem. It’s so popular and it’s
so well done. There are activities for everybody. … It’s the
best neighborhood festival I’ve
ever been to,” Belblidia said.
Kayser said the proposed
arts and wine festival would
be in the best interests of
Kentlands residents because
the city would heavily solicit
suggestions and involvement
of community businesses in
creating the new event. In addition, because the proposed
festival would span a greater part of the Kentlands area
— both the Old Farm area
and the area between Market
Square and Main Street —
visitors would get a better idea
of the Kentlands community,
and the event would encourage them to patronize more
Kentlands businesses during
their visit.
Kayser also said holding the
festival in the summer will
n
PROPOSAL Continued on page 3
February 22, 2013
A Familiar Face at the Corner
By Maureen Friedman
E
very day at 8:20 a.m. and
3 p.m., Patty Frederick takes
just a few steps from her
Kentlands home and promptly assumes her post on the corner of
Tschiffely Square Road and Kent
Oaks Way as a crossing guard for
Rachel Carson Elementary School
(RCES). Neighborhood families
know her by name, but even more
impressive is that she knows theirs.
“I love it,” said Frederick. “I
know 90 to 95 percent of the
kids’ names … even their dogs’
names! I try to greet everyone
who comes by.”
Frederick has been a crossing
guard for more than 11 years.
She was initially posted at Dufief
Elementary School but was
moved to RCES after a retiring
guard recommended Frederick
because of her close proximity to
the post. At first, Frederick was
the only guard for RCES, but a
second was added a few years later
due to an increase in the student
population.
Before becoming a crossing guard, Frederick lived in
Potomac with her son, who is on
the autistic spectrum, and worked
part-time in retail. “But I always
wanted to be a crossing guard —
Flex Academies a Winner
“We had trouble keeping the kids
in the classrooms and not wanderuring her tenure as Lake- ing around in the halls. It became
lands Park Middle School a problem for me, the instructors
(LPMS) PTSA president, and the school itself.”
Kim Skimmons found after-school
Last year Skimmons received
programming was a challenge.
a fortuitous email. “[Joshua
“We had trouble finding and Chernikoff, the owner of Flex
training instructors,” she said. Academies,] was running a pilot
of after-school programs locally and
wanted to know if
we were interested in
participating.”
The initial conversation
sounded
too good to be true,
said Skimmons, who
now serves as head
fundraising for
Photo | Phil Fabrizio of
Aaron Leonard presents to fellow Lakelands Park Middle School
the LPMS PTSA.
By Maureen Stiles
D
students Priyanka Ravi, Tracy Yan and Shalmali Mirajkar during a
Flex Academies debate class run by teacher Matthew Lasnoski.
n
FLEX ACADEMIES
Continued on page 6
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
Rachel Carson Elementary School crossing guard Patty Frederick has helped students safely
cross the intersection of Tschiffely Square Road and Kent Oaks Way for a decade. She plans to
retire in June.
ever since I was a little girl,” said
Frederick. “I liked the cute outfits
the lady crossing guards used to
wear. They were like what flight
attendants use to wear!”
Frederick said she had never
investigated the job because she
didn’t know where to begin and,
back then, didn’t know how to
use the Internet. But one day, as
fate would have it, Frederick was
in the checkout line at a nearby
grocery store and overheard the
cashier say she only worked at the
store part-time because she was
also a crossing guard for a local
school.
“Being the busybody that I
usually am, I [said], ‘What, what?
Tell me about it!’”
The cashier gave her information, and soon Frederick was on
her way to having her dream job.
The crossing guard post at
RCES keeps Frederick on her
toes for most school days of the
year. On average, Frederick theorized she helps approximately 80 children walk through the
intersection twice a day. She said
the biggest factor impacting the
n
CROSSING GUARD Continued on page 9
QOP Hosts Council in the
Communities Meeting
By Karen O’Keefe
T
here was standing-room
only on Feb. 12 at the
Quince Orchard Park
(QOP) Clubhouse when the
neighborhood hosted a Gaithersburg Council in the Communities meeting for an open
discussion of issues affecting
QOP and the city.
Gaithersburg staff updated
QOP residents on many topics
including MedImmune planning, road safety, neighborhood crime, tree management
and replacement, Vistas construction and more.
Liz Huntley, the associate
director of public engagement
and corporate citizenship at
MedImmune, gave a presentation on changes sought by
the company in site density.
Gaithersburg’s mayor and City
Council were scheduled to
consider the requested zoning
changes to MedImmune’s annexation agreement. Pending
approval, the company plans
to offer the city and community several amenities and
contributions. These include
a pedestrian bridge over Great
Seneca Highway, a donation
of land for a potential park,
n
MEETING Continued on page 6
Page 2
The Town Courier
February 22, 2013
The Town Courier
February 22, 2013 City Fires Longtime HR Director
By Karen O’Keefe
F
ormer Gaithersburg Human Resources Director
Margaret Daily’s last day with the city of Gaithersburg was Feb. 2. After working for the city for
nearly 28 years, including 17 as director of human resources, Daily was terminated by City Manager Tony
Tomasello.
Tomasello was hired as Gaithersburg’s first economic development director in 1996, having previously worked for the state of Maryland’s Department of
Business and Economic Development for eight years.
He was promoted to assistant city manager in 2001,
and was made deputy city manager in 2010. He was
named acting city manager on June 15, 2012, following
the resignation of predecessor Angel Jones, and was appointed city manager on November 29, 2012.
He has worked for the city for 17 years.
Daily, in her capacity as the city’s human resources
director, coordinated the search for the new city manager. The Gaithersburg mayor and City Council hired
Tomasello after the talent search narrowed to three finalists, including Tomasello and two individuals from
outside the city.
In a Town Courier interview, Daily emphasized, “I
love the city dearly. I will miss my wonderful staff and
the employees the most.”
Daily, a Kentlands resident, said her relationship with
Tomasello had suffered as a consequence of her responsibilities in the recruitment of candidates for city
manager.
She said she was not involved in making the city’s final decision, but “it was my opinion that Tony was not
the most qualified candidate for the position, and he
was aware of that.”
On Jan. 30, Daily received a termination notice citing that it was in “the best interests of the city.”
“While I did not want my career with the city to end
under these circumstances, I can understand how Tony
might feel, and I wish him much success in his new role
as city manager,” Daily said.
A call from this reporter to Tomasello was returned
by City Attorney Lynn Board. Board confirmed that
Daily “separated from the city on Feb. 2.” She declined
to comment further, saying it was a “personnel matter.”
The city’s elected officials also declined to comment.
Feedback Missing from Budget Forum
By Karen O’Keefe
T
o the expressed surprise of
Gaithersburg public officials and
staff, the public had nothing to
say at the Feb. 11 Budget Forum held
to solicit input on funding priorities
for Fiscal Year 2014.
In fact, there may have been as few
as three members of the public in attendance — of the handful of individuals in the gallery, most were city of
Gaithersburg staff members.
Director of Finance Harold Belton
and City Manager Tony Tomasello
provided a broad overview as well
as a description of economic factors
and other issues that could affect the
budget.
Mayor Sidney Katz then invited members of the public to comment. Planning and Code Director
John Schlichting stood by to deliver
a microphone to those who wished to
speak — but none did.
After the session, Tomasello said
the city had notified “every HOA
and PTA in the city” about the bud-
■ PROPOSAL
from page 1
avoid conflict with multiple other
projects the city juggles in the fall,
relieving some of the stress event
timing currently places on several
departments.
“Many leaders in the [Kentlands]
community are talking about having
a community-based Oktoberfest, so
more of going back to the original vision [for that event,]” she said.
Judy Gross, the Kentlands Citizens
Assembly secretary and a member of
the Cultural Arts Commission, said
KCA members are unhappy they were
Page 3
AROUND TOWN
Compiled by Claire Fleischer
Delaney Comes to Gaithersburg
Newly elected Congressman John Delaney recently announced the opening of a Gaithersburg
district office, located at 9801 Rio Washingtonian
Blvd., Suite 300. In addition to his congressional office in the Longworth House Office Building downtown, he will also maintain a second district office in
Hagerstown, Md.
“Constituent service is job one for my office and
my staff,” said Delaney. “Our district offices allow us
to be closer to the community and save constituents a
long trip into Washington. Whether 6th District residents need help working with a federal agency, securing their benefits, passport processing, a military
academy nomination, or any other issue, our door
will always be open.”
According to Mayor Sidney Katz, this is the first
time a congressional office has been located within
Gaithersburg’s city limits.
Hours for the Gaithersburg office are Monday
through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Phone:
301.926.0300
For more information on constituent service, visit:
delaney.house.gov.
get forum. He added that the event
had been well publicized via a press
release, social media, announcements
at city meetings, and on several weeks
worth of city mail.
The public will have the opportunity to give testimony to the mayor and Council at two future public
hearings before the budget is approved
and may submit comment in writing
or by email.
Tomasello and Belton reported that
Gaithersburg is in excellent financial health. In 2012, the city budgeted for slightly over $48 million while
actual revenue was over $54 million
— nearly $6 million “above budget.”
The biggest chunks of additional revenue came in licenses and permits (almost $2 million, including $624,000
more in street permits than anticipated), $1.5 million more than expected
in income taxes and over $2 million
in “fines and forfeitures.”
The fines and forfeiture money, said
Tomasello, is an “anomaly” despite
the photo radar enforcement technology in use to curb speeders. “The
speed is not going down.”
Tomasello also credited a frugal
city staff with some of the good budget news. Expenditures were below
budget, he said, because staff purchases were “only what they needed.”
Economic factors to impact the
coming year included “federal budget
uncertainty, state and county budget
issues, and health care reform,” reported Tomasello and Belton.
The federal government’s “sequestration” scenario will likely happen,
predicted Tomasello, but the detrimental impact on city revenues will
not be as great as the impact on the
county government’s budget. Direct
(federal) revenues to the city are
“pretty limited,” he said, a total of
“less than 2 percent.”
The mayor and Council will next
examine the budget at the 2013 Mayor
and Council Retreat on Feb. 25 at
6:30 p.m. at the Gaithersburg
Upcounty Senior Center (80 A
Bureau Drive). The public is invited
to attend but may not provide comment during the retreat.
RCES Teacher on “The Job”
not notified of the proposed changes before the proposals were unveiled
at the mayor and Council Meeting.
However, she personally thinks the
proposed changes are a good idea.
Oktoberfest has become “too commercialized,” she said.
According to Kayser, KCA
President Tim Clarke did not want
a presentation made directly to the
KCA, but he attended the Jan. 22
mayor and Council meeting.
“The original response of the
[KCA] board was, ‘Keep us advised
[of City Council discussions],’ and
I said okay,” said Clarke. “The city
hasn’t concluded [its] discussion yet.
The KCA board meets on [Feb. 27].
It’s on the agenda to discuss. … If the
city doesn’t want to do Oktoberfest,
Kentlands can do Oktoberfest if it
want[s].”
Changes
to
the
Celebrate!
Gaithersburg Street Festival are also
under consideration, including moving
the event to a Saturday in October and
focusing it around a central fall theme.
A work session is scheduled for
March 11 at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall to
receive public input and discuss further the concerns such as funding, proposed dates, impact on area businesses,
scheduling of vendors and more.
Register Now for Spring Youth, Teen Sports
Rachel Carson Elementary School ESOL teacher
Will Medina will appear on the March 1 episode of
“The Job,” a new CBS reality show in which candidates vie for a job at their dream company. Medina
and four others will compete for an associate producer
position with MLSsoccer.com.
The program will follow Medina and the other candidates as they compete in several rounds of elimination challenges before a panel of executives from the
Major League Soccer organization. Representatives
from three guest companies from related industries
also have opportunity to make an on-the-spot offer to
one of the candidates on the show, who must decide
if they will accept the offer or remain in the running
for the highlighted job.
“I am excited about my upcoming appearance on
… ‘The Job,’” Medina said. “It was a once in a lifetime experience. It was great to get a chance to meet
the executives of Major League Soccer. It gave me the
chance to showcase my talents and outline my sports
media experiences. For the last six years, I have enjoyed my time as a teacher, but if I win, this opportunity would allow me to return to covering sports
(which I did for nine years prior to becoming a teacher) at the highest level.
And does he win? Tune in on March 1 at 8 p.m. to
find out! Look for more on Medina and his experience on “The Job” in The Town Courier in March.
Registration deadline for spring youth and teen
sports programs in the city of Gaithersburg is March
4. Spring offerings include volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, t-ball and track and field.
Additionally the city is offering Start Smart introductory programs for 4- and 5-year-olds and their
parents in golf and baseball. Registration is on a first
come, first served basis, and is limited to the first 20
participants.
Volunteer coaches are needed. Gaithersburg certifies all coaches through the National Youth Sport
Coaches Accreditation Program. Background checks
will be conducted.
n
around town Continued on page 9
Page 4
The Town Courier
February 22, 2013
shoptalk Oculus Realty Moves into Kentlands
Oculus Realty, a real estate company
specializing in investment advising and real
estate asset managing, has opened at 333
Main Street. Oculus Realty was founded
by sole owner David Meit and had shared
space on Shady Grove Road with management company The Donaldson Group
since May 2010.
Oculus’s new office is upstairs above
Stiles Dentistry. Meit had been looking
for a space on and off for a year when the
second floor Main Street space became
available.
“[This] is one of the area’s best locations,
and I jumped at the opportunity. We can’t
wait to host clients and friends on the patio
overlooking the green,” said Meit.
Meit said he chose Kentlands because
he loves Main Street’s small town feel.
A Lakelands resident, he added, “The
four-minute commute isn’t bad either!”
Despite being a real estate broker and
a member of the National Association
of Realtors, Meit has never actually sold
property. “I have been a property manager
my entire career,” he said.
That career spans almost 25 years and includes work in New York City, as well as
Washington, D.C., and its suburbs.
Oculus Realty uses cutting-edge technology to deliver its services, said Meit.
“We have high service standards for [both]
our clients and tenants.”
Overall, Meit is very excited about the
new site of Oculus Realty and looks forward to working in what he believes is an
exceptional community. “I have been doing business with venders [in and around
the Kentlands/Lakelands area] for years,”
Meit said. “Steve at Framer’s Choice has
doing my work for well over a decade, and
Henry at Batik has been feeding my family
since they opened. We feel very fortunate
to join such a close-knit group of [neigh-
bors] who really care. [And now that] I
have been appointed to the Gaithersburg
Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs, I
look forward to giving back.”
Meit lives with his wife Flo, an avid
knitter who works at Woolwinders in King
Farm, son Benjamin, 15, a freshman at
Quince Orchard High School, and daughter Hannah, 11, a fifth grader at Rachel
Carson Elementary School.
For more information on Oculus Realty,
please visit http://www.oculusrealty.com.
Bits & Pieces
A Beatty Companies representative has
confirmed that negotiations are underway
with a potential tenant for the former 44
Sports Bar and Grill space in Kentlands
Market Square. The company hopes to
make an announcement later this month.
The site has been vacant since 44 Sports
closed in June 2012. Since opening as The
Last Mango in July 2005, a total of four
restaurants have tried and failed to succeed
at this location. (Zodiac Grill and Tony and
James are the other two entities on the list.)
Here’s hoping 2013 will bring renovations, good food and strong service to a
space the community would love to see
succeed!
The Wine Harvest, a combination
wine store/bar/gastro pub located at 114
Market Street, was recently honored by
state. On Jan. 10, Maryland Comptroller
Peter Franchot honored The Wine Harvest
with a Certificate of Recognition as a local landmark and an exceptional business.
The certificate, which now hangs on the
wall over the bar next to several city of
Gaithersburg “Golden Shovel Awards,”
reads: “In recognition of providing a great
neighborhood gathering place with a welcoming, friendly atmosphere, delicious
•
•
•
•
•
•
By Maureen Friedman
food and an amazing wine selection to the
greater Gaithersburg area. With special appreciation for your contributions to the
community and gratitude for being a notable local landmark, best wishes for continued growth and success.”
The Kentlands location of The Wine
Harvest has been in business for 13
years. Current owners Marty and Randy
Meyrowitz took over the business 11 years
ago. They opened a second Wine Harvest
in Park Potomac in 2010.
“I think it’s a very nice gesture — a real
nice recognition to a local establishment,”
said General Manager Stanley Cohen. “We
provide a public service, you know — we
sell booze!”
Rockafellas Bar and Grill closed its
doors for the last time after the Super Bowl
on Feb. 3.
The Town Courier reported in
January that, according to co-owner Bill
Tempchin, Rockafellas was “doing great.”
In the interview, he also said, “I have nothing I want to say about [the rumors] to my
customers or to my employees.”
Tempchin has said the space will soon be
occupied by a medical facility.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will
cease to deliver mail on Saturdays starting in August in an effort to cut costs.
The announcement was made on Feb. 6
without permission of the U.S. Congress.
However, the USPS has stated in the past
that Congress would need to confirm such a
measure before it could take effect. Despite
this, and barring any congressional action
that may take place between now and the
end of the summer, expect mail delivery to
change to a five-day-a-week basis.
The Kentlands Post Office will remain
open for Saturday business hours, which
are currently 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Private and Group Music Lessons
Piano, Brass, Woodwinds, Strings, Guitar, Percussion and Voice
Chamber Ensembles
Early Childhood through Adult - All Levels
Instrument Sales and Rentals
Music Books, Accessories and Gifts
Your Kentlands Neighborhood Music Center!
325 Main Street Gaithersburg, MD 20878
www.PritchardMusic.com — info@PritchardMusic.com
301-355-8079
309 Main Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
For Advertising: 301.279.2304
Also on the Web at www.towncourier.com.
Diane Dorney
Publisher
301.330.0132
news@towncourier.com
Matt Danielson
President
301.330.0132
matt@eink.net
Claire Fleischer
Managing Editor
301.330.0132
claire@towncourier.com
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Advertising Manager
301.279.2304
ads@towncourier.com
Sandra Christian
Advertising Sales
240.401.1020
sandra@towncourier.com
Staff Photographer
Phil Fabrizio
Staff Writers
Nora Caplan
Mike Cuthbert
Maureen Friedman
Betty Hafner
Sheilah Kaufman
Jeff Kinney
Karen O’Keefe
Shaun May
Matthew Ratz
Syl Sobel
Maureen Stiles
Student Writer
Christina Xu
©2013 Courier Communications
The Town Courier is an independent monthly newspaper
providing news and information for the communities
of Kentlands, Lakelands and Quince Orchard Park in
Gaithersburg, Md. The paper is published by Courier
Communications, which is responsible for the form,
content and policies of the newspaper. The Town Courier
does not espouse any political belief or endorse any
product or service in its news coverage. Articles and
letters submitted for publication must be signed and may
be edited for length or content. The Town Courier is not
responsible for any claims made by advertisers Letters to
the Editor and Commentary do not necessarily ref lect
the views of the staff, management or advertisers of The
Town Courier.
February 22, 2013 The Town Courier
Page 5
Peppers Offers a Taste of Everything!
Returning to India to care for his ill father in 1994, Mike met Jyoti, the daughter
ike and Jyoti Bhatnagar are not typ- of a family friend and business partner in a
ical neighborhood takeout restau- restaurant venture there.
rant owners. They have decades
“I was so taken by all his stories,” said
of experience and enough stories to keep Jyoti.
customers satisfied even before their food is
After Mike’s father passed away and he
ready.
and Jyoti had married, they returned to
Primarily a catering company initially, America. Running their restaurants in
Peppers opened as Monsoon Kitchens in India had become increasingly difficult
Kentlands Downtown two years ago. The due to the corruption and bribery in the
Bhatnagars added the name Peppers to the local government, said Mike.
marquee when they increased their takeHe returned to ADAMARK in 1999,
out, delivery and limited seating business working at sites in Pennsylvania and
seven months ago.
Chicago before becoming the food and
beverage coordinator for Grand Oaks
in Washington, D.C. Jyoti started Monsoon Catering at night in
2006. As their children got older and
Mike’s downtown commute became
more of a hassle, the Bhatnagars decided to concentrate on their catering
business.
Today, Peppers’ takeout side is
mostly fueled by locals, but the
Bhatnagars said many of their catering customers are in Washington,
D.C., and Northern Virginia.
“It’s mostly because of word-ofmouth,” said Mike.
The Bhatnagars said they aim to
appeal as a homey, family business.
Indeed, a sense of homeyness prevails
in the restaurant, from the cabinets
and shelves displaying family china to
the quiet presence of Mike and Jyoti’s
son and daughter, who attend Rachel
Carson Elementary School, diligently doing homework in the corner.
“This place is a dream come true
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
Mike and Jyoti Bhatnagar, owners of Peppers/Monsoon Kitchens,
for me,” Jyoti said. “It’s my kitchen.”
want customers to feel at home in their Market Square restaurant.
The couple’s passion for cooking
drives them to teach others as well.
Mike teaches weekly cooking classHowever, this is not Peppers’ first incar- es at Lakelands Park Middle School once
nation, and the Bhatnagars are not new to a week and plans to soon offer classes at
the restaurant and catering business. Mike Peppers itself.
has worked in the food, beverage and serThe Bhatnagars attribute much of
vice industry for 40 years, and both he and Peppers’ success to their Kentlands neighJyoti are experienced chefs.
bors. “The nearby businesses … recomMike attended the Institute of Hotel mend us to all their customers,” said Jyoti.
and Catering Management in India before “The owner of Crepes-A-Go-Go actually
moving to the United States in 1974. He brought us food when they ordered takeearned certificates in food and beverage out once. That was the first time in my life
management from Cornell University and [anyone did that]! It’s really a blessing to
food production at the Culinary Institute have neighbors like that.”
of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Though he
Mike keeps friends and customers endhad an understanding with his employer, lessly entertained with stories from his past
the Indian prime minister, that he would — he has worked for prime ministers in
return home in one year, Mike became an India and Europe, cooked for and served
American citizen and did not live in India U.S. presidents and even Pope John Paul
again for decades.
II. His favorite person to work for, he said,
From 1974 - 1981 he worked for was “Jackie O.”
Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn, Sheraton and
Still, he and his family also have many
Hilton, as executive chef, food and bever- plans for the future. They hope to get into
age director, general manager and, final- more corporate catering, which they said
ly, regional manager. He then worked for is more profitable, more reliable and less
ARAMARK, a food services company, stressful than working with smaller busirunning the cafeterias and food needs of nesses and individuals. They also plan
major defense contractors.
to resume serving breakfast and lunch at
He opened his own restaurant, the orig- Peppers once the weather warms up a bit
inal Peppers, in Los Angeles, Calif., which and more people are out and about earhe soon expanded to include a nightclub. lier in the day. And while their second
This led to additional California locations floor space definitely has its upsides, the
in Manhattan Beach and Hollywood.
Bhatnagars are considering a move to a
By Maureen Friedman
M
street-level spot in the future.
“We have been thinking about the former Marble Slab Creamery space,” Mike
said.
They are also seeking new cooks specializing in ethnic cooking, as well as extra
hands to help run day-to-day food prep, catering delivery and setup. (“We will pay $8
to $10 per hour and will teach you [everything about the business] you would otherwise need to go to a school for,” Mike said.
“Also, we will give you unlimited food!”)
Peppers/Monsoon Kitchens’ catering
menu offers a wide selection of food options for every palate, and their takeout/
delivery offerings range from Italian to
Mexican, American to Indian.
“My dad’s favorite restaurant in New
Dehli, India, in the 1970s had no menu at
all. The owner cooked whatever you felt
like that day. That place today is a chain
with 40 or 50 locations. [I learned] from
that,” said Mike. “So if we don’t have
something on the menu — but we have the
ingredients? We’ll make it!”
Peppers/Monsoon Kitchens catering is located
at 251 Market Street West, Suite 200. For more
information, call 301.977.3855 or visit https://
www.facebook.com/PeppersKentlands?fref=ts.
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Page 6
The Town Courier
■ MEETING
from page 1
and funds for more on-street parking
on Orchard Ridge Drive.
Eliciting the most spirited comments
from QOP residents at the meeting
was a report by Sgt. Scott Scarff, of
the Gaithersburg Police Department’s
Traffic Safety Division, on changes
and improvements to the intersection
of Great Seneca Highway and Orchard
Ridge Drive planned by the Maryland
State Highway Administration (SHA).
The intersection has been the site of
several recent collisions, including a
pedestrian (a MedImmune employee)
who was hit and seriously injured by
a motorist while crossing Great Seneca
in the crosswalk in 2012. The SHA
studied the intersection for more than a
year, according to Scarff, and plans six
basic amendments to the intersection.
Scarff said the SHA found a major
problem with the intersection is the
geometry of the crosswalks. “Motorists
did not have ample time to see pedestrians or pedestrian controls,” he said.
Planned changes include extending the westbound left-turn lane on
Orchard Ridge Drive, and changes to the medians on Orchard Ridge
Drive and Great Seneca Highway
(north) to enhance pedestrian visibility and make turns easier. Perhaps most
critical are plans to realign the crosswalk across Great Seneca Highway.
Sidewalk ramps will be upgraded (per
the American Disability Act), and the
intersection will be resurfaced.
The project is in the design phase
and, pending funding, construction is
planned to begin in 2014, Scarff said.
Responding to complaints from residents that Gaithersburg is not doing
enough to improve the intersection’s
safety, Scarff said the city regularly patrols the intersection, but that because
Great Seneca is a state road, changes to
the road’s geometry or traffic signals
are the purview of the SHA.
Residents suggested dedicated leftturn lanes would make the intersection
safer. However, Scarff said a dedicated left-turn lane from Orchard Ridge
Drive “is not going to happen” because
it would delay traffic on Great Seneca
Highway. He said SHA policy favors
expedience for vehicles on the road
carrying the bulk of the traffic.
“Believe me, as a police officer, I
would like to see every [intersection]
have dedicated left-hand turn lanes,”
said Scarff. “There would be fewer
collisions.”
He added that in meeting with the
SHA, representatives of Gaithersburg
had forwarded the community’s concerns. He encouraged individual residents to continue to contact the SHA
directly with concerns.
Gaithersburg police issued 276 warnings and more than 40 citations last
year for drivers and pedestrians at the
intersection, Scarff said. Overall, police issued 900 citations and warnings
to drivers on Great Seneca Highway
last year.
Residents also commented they
would like to see more police presence
in the intersection.
Summarizing neighborhood crime
in QOP, Gaithersburg Police Chief
Mark Sroka detailed eight crimes that
occurred in the last six months: two
forgeries, a burglary, a drug-related
crime, and four instances of disorderly conduct. He described 44 “miscellaneous calls” to date in 2013, including
calls about parking, “complaints to 911
disconnect,” domestic disputes without
assault and residential alarms.
“This is a very safe community,” he
said. “We have very few crimes committed in Quince Orchard Park.”
In addition to Mayor Sidney Katz,
City Council members Jud Ashman,
Cathy Drzyzgula, Henry Marraffa,
Mike Sesma and Ryan Spiegel attended the meeting. Key city staff members present included City Manager
Tony Tomasello, Economic Director
Tom Lonergan, Planning and Code
Administration
Director
John
Schlichting, Neighborhood Services
Director Kevin Roman and Public
Works Operations Superintendent
Mark Scafide. Gaithersburg Police
Department representatives included
Sroka, Scarff and Public Information
Officer Dan Lane.
February 22, 2013
■ FLEX ACADEMIES
from page 1
“So, here is this company that is going to set up after
school programs, hire the instructors, handle registration and give a percentage back to the PTSA? We
were definitely interested.”
Fundraising at any middle school can be a challenge because parents aren’t “as invested and enthusiastic as they typically are in elementary school,”
said Skimmons. “We generally ask parents to write a
check to support the school instead of selling things,
but in these economic times it can be hard.”
Once the program was given the green light, Flex
Academies used a survey to gauge interest and structure class offerings.
“This past September, we started with classes in
three different categories: fitness, learning, and arts
and entertainment,” said Skimmons. We had classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays because
that is when the activity buses run and that ensures
kids who are not walkers have a way to get home.”
A few of the classes, which ran for eight weeks,
were instant hits. Cooking, App Making and Fashion
Design all had waiting lists.
Chernikoff speculates that “the reason the surveys
show that schools want arts and entertainment classes
is because these are the items being cut from regular
school budgets. There is a real need.”
Lee Wexler, a sixth grader, registered for the fashion design session and “loved it” according to mom
Sandy Wexler. “I think it was a great opportunity for
Lee to do something she really enjoyed and learn a
skill at the same time,” Wexler said.
Wexler was also “impressed with the turnkey operations of the company that ran the program. It was
n
FLEX ACADEMIES Continued on page 12
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The Town Courier
February 22, 2013 POLICEBLOTTER
From Gaithersburg and Montgomery County Police Reports
Lakelands Accident
A single-vehicle accident occurred on
Main Street in Lakelands near the entrance
to the Public Safety Headquarters building on Feb. 13. According to Montgomery
County Police, the 78-year-old driver of
the vehicle said she accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake going around
the curve. The vehicle went off the road,
broke through a wooden barrier, and came
to rest after hitting a tree down the embankment. The driver was transported
with non-life threatening injuries to the
hospital. Her passenger, also female, was
not transported. Both are from Oakmont,
Penn.
Strong Arm Robbery
On Feb. 3 at 1:16 p.m., a strong arm
robbery was reported at Lakeforest Mall.
The victim was in her vehicle when an
unknown male entered the vehicle on the
passenger side and demanded the car. The
victim exited the vehicle and the suspect
drove the car away in an unknown direction. Police have arrested a suspect in this
case.
policebeat By Jeff Kinney
Police Academies Help Students
Stay on Right Side of the Law
By Jeff Kinney
T
he Gaithersburg Police Department
began conducting a “Junior Police
Academy” Feb. 6 at Gaithersburg
Middle School.
The six-week program, which meets on
Wednesdays for an hour, is designed to introduce sixth- and seventh-graders to police work and help them make good life
choices.
“Kids that age are starting to figure out
who they are, who they want to identify
with, who they think is important and not
important,” said Kristy Keteltas, a social
worker in the school mental health program
at Family Services Inc. in Gaithersburg. “It
gives them a model to think about making
better decisions. A lot of kids think police
officers are cool, and we want them to stay
on the right side of the law.”
A similar program could be introduced
in Kentlands-area schools if residents
show enough interest, Gaithersburg Police
Officer Dan Lane said.
The program is a partnership between
the Police Department and Linkages
to Learning, a school-based collaboration between the Montgomery County
Department of Health and Human
Services, Montgomery County public
schools, and nonprofit organizations to
provide accessible services to at-risk children and their families.
Keteltas, who worked for Linkages to
Learning when the Junior Police Academy
started at Forest Oak Middle School three
years ago and still has a hand in the program, said organizers are looking for kids
who might be receptive and “not connected yet” with another social modeling program or after-school activity.
Lane said 12 to 16 Junior Police Academy
participants receive a general introduction
to law enforcement, including how to become a police officer, what the real policy academy requires, and different career
paths available in law enforcement. Classes
also address problem solving, physical fitness, alcohol and drugs, and what K-9 officers do.
At the end of the program, the police
chief passes out certificates and speaks to
the students about making the most of
their lives.
On Jan. 30, the Police Department
concluded a similar program called the
Teen Police Academy, held in partnership with the Olde Towne Youth Center
in Gaithersburg. Lane said this program is
geared more toward teens’ concerns like
shoplifting and goes into more depth about
criminal investigations, the juvenile detention process, etc.
By all accounts, Lane and Keteltas said,
most students have benefitted greatly from
the two programs. But police officers benefit, too.
“I think the officers are excited about
it because they really do see a change in
the kids,” Keteltas said. “They go from being sort of apathetic to being very interested and proud of what they accomplish.
A lot of them go from getting in trouble
to wanting to please the officers and make
them proud. It has been very rewarding to
the officers to see those kids change.”
Lane agreed and said the program has
been such a success that he would like
to see it expand to other Montgomery
County schools. However, both he and
Keteltas said someone would have to take
the initiative to make that happen.
“The program could move independently if it had a host,” Keteltas said. “If a community nonprofit wanted to partner with
the police and take it into the Kentlands
schools, that would be very feasible.”
Page 7
Page 8
The Town Courier
The ParkPages
News and Current Events for Quince Orchard Park
n
February 22, 2013
Meeting Calendar
3/12 — Board and HOA, 7 p.m., QOP Clubhouse
E-mail your contributions to: karen@towncourier.com
Standing
Room Only
at Council in
Communities
Meeting
Approximately 50 residents, including Quince
Orchard Park (QOP) board member Chris Crisostomo
(front row), attended the Feb. 12 Council in the
Communities meeting at the QOP Clubhouse. Read
full coverage of the meeting on page 1. A brief QOP
board business meeting followed the Council in the
Communities event.
Photo | Karen O’Keefe
news you can use
Crisostomo Focuses on Community
L
ongtime Quince Orchard Park
(QOP) board member-at-large Chuck
Crisostomo is a husband, a father and a
man immersed in community.
In QOP, Crisostomo is also known as
the chair of the Social Committee. With
a cadre of neighborhood volunteers (new
volunteers always welcome), Crisostomo
is the man behind popular and community-bonding events including the annual
dog swim, the Independence Day parade
and festival, the Halloween party, the annual yard sale and others.
Crisostomo’s first involvement with the
QOP board came, ironically, because he
was cited for a landscaping violation —
using white stones. It was about 2005, he
said, early in the community’s history.
QOP had inherited rules, including design
guidelines, from the time when the builders still comprised the board of directors.
“I pulled out the rules and realized that
some of them needed to be changed,” he
said. “I joined the board to make a difference. We set up a resident group to look
at the rules, and within nine months had
drafted a new set. We have only tweaked
them in the years since.”
Crisostomo is still thinking about ways
to meet the community’s evolving needs.
He points to the need for trees in planters
on Swanton Lane.
He is also watching the changing demographics in the neighborhood. Soon
the large population of small children will
be in middle and high school. He is looking for ways to provide them with ame-
nities, including a park with recreational
facilities.
“A large field would be nice,” he added.
In his professional life, Crisostomo is
planning chief for the Office of Emergency
Management and Homeland Security,
Montgomery County. He is responsible for
efforts including the county’s emergency
operations plan, mitigation plans, and continuity of operations plans. Additionally,
his division coordinates the department’s
preparedness and community outreach
efforts.
Community outreach is essential, according to Crisostomo. “When you don’t
get lots of emergencies, as in Montgomery
County, you are apt to have a complacent
population,” he said.
While his department prepares the
county for both natural and technological
hazards, Crisostomo said the probability of
natural disasters is greater. The derecho of
last summer is an example, he said, as is
Hurricane Sandy, which fortunately did
not affect the area directly.
Crisostomo had just returned from a visit to Guam when he found the time for an
interview with the Town Courier’s Park
Pages. Guam is his birthplace, and a place
where he has lived — on and off — for
many years. Crisostomo’s mother is originally from Pennsylvania; his father is from
Guam.
“I visited Mom and hundreds of relatives
in Guam,” he said with a smile. “I try to
get back every couple of years.”
The journey to Guam (via Honolulu)
takes almost 20 hours, less time than in the
past now that there is a direct flight from
D.C. to Honolulu, he said. It is a beautiful
place to live, said Chrisostomo.
Perhaps Crisostomo’s Guam upbringing spurred his interest in protecting the
public. Guam’s geographic location is such
that typhoons (sustained winds 75 to 150
mph) are always a potential threat. “Super
typhoons” (sustained winds over 150)
are increasingly common, according to
Crisostomo.
After Typhoon Karen destroyed
much of Guam in 1962 (with sustained
winds clocked at 215 mph), 9-year-old
Crisostomo moved with his family to
Alexandria, Va., where he attended grade
school and middle school.
Crisostomo studied environmental
health in college and attended graduate
school at the University of Hawaii where
he studied epidemiology.
Crisostomo and wife Nita, who is originally from the Philippines, purchased their
QOP home in late 2002. The two raised
four daughters, now grown. His family
shares his community values. One of his
daughters is a graphic artist and the creative force behind seven years of posters
announcing community events, he says
proudly.
Crisostomo joined the QOP board several years ago “to make a difference.”
Many agree he has done just that.
Thank you, Chuck Crisostomo.
Got QOP News?
Email Karen@towncourier.com or call 240.654.2841.
n
FEBRUARY 2013
MANAGEMENT MENTIONS
Lidded 18-Gallon Recycling Bins
The new containers, with lids,
are now available from the city of
Gaithersburg. Please contact the city
at 301.258.6370 to have a lidded bin
delivered and the old one picked up.
The new bins will lessen the problem with trash in the neighborhood.
It is also helpful to label recycling bins
with house numbers. Lids may be attached to bins by drilling small holes
and attaching with twine.
Dog Duty
Cleaning up after dogs is the legal
responsibility of every canine owner walking a dog in the community. Dogs are not permitted off-leash
on common property in the city of
Gaithersburg.
QOP Management
Contact Information
Quince Orchard Park Community
Manager Ruchita Patel
c/o The Management Group
Associates, Inc.
20440 Century Boulevard, Suite 100
Germantown, MD 20874
Phone: 301.948.6666
Fax: 301.948.6663
Email: rpatel@tmgainc.com
Stingrays Prepare to
Make a Splash in 2013
T
he Diamond Farm (DF) Stingrays
Swim Team represents swimmers from
the Diamond Farm, West Riding,
QOP and other neighboring communities
in Gaithersburg. The team swims at the Diamond Farm Swimming Pool, located at 1203
Quince Orchard Blvd.
Carol Valis is Quince Orchard Park’s liaison to the DF Stingrays and a swim team
board member (valiscb@yahoo.com).
On March 2 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
and March 5 from 4 - 5 p.m., the Stingrays
will host their first event of 2013 — a combination Information Meeting for newcomers and members, a “New Spiritware Sale”
and a suit fitting at the Quince Orchard Park
Clubhouse.
“We plan to welcome new swimmers and
give them an opportunity to learn about the
team, and to welcome back regular team
members. The swim season will be here
soon, and it is time for swimmers to get
geared up and excited for the season ahead,”
said Valis. “Come ready to have fun!”
Valis said the team is also seeking sponsors
($99 - $150).
“Last summer, we were able to obtain four
of six sponsors from the QOP neighborhood,
which is a strong supporter of the Stingrays.
For more details about the Stingrays,
please see their updated website: www.
dfstingrays.com.
The Town Courier
February 22, 2013 ■ AROUND TOWN
from page 3
Register or volunteer at www.gaithersburgmd.gov/sports. For questions, call
301.258.6350.
Stop Teen Dating Violence
The Fourth Annual Choose Respect
Montgomery Teen Dating Conference will
be held on March 3, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at
Globe Hall on the Germantown Campus of
Montgomery College. This free event is for
students in grades six through 12, their parents and youth service providers.
The conference is a collaborative project of
the Montgomery County Domestic Violence
Coordinating
Council,
Montgomery
College, and numerous county agencies and
community partners.
One in three teens in the United States is a
victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner. Learn how
to recognize all types of abuse, learn how to
advocate for yourself, how to be there to support your friends and family, and how to stop
controlling behavior before it goes too far.
Workshops will focus on topics related to
teen dating violence, including a special focus on dismissing common myths about teen
dating abuse. Youth will be divided into
workshops by gender and age.
Ivy Rose, a local teen band sensation, and
winner of the University of Maryland’s Battle
of the Bands, will perform as the opening
act, and Hot 99.5 DJ Toby Knapp will emcee
the event.
For more information or to register,
visit
http://chooserespectmontgomery.
eventbrite.com/# or http://www.eligeelrespetomontgomery.eventbrite.com/.
Hospice Caring Volunteer Training
Hospice Caring, Inc., will hold volunteer training March 12 - 14, 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., at its Cottage at 518 South Frederick
Ave. at Bohrer Park. Hospice Caring is a nonprofit, non-medical, volunteer-driven hospice providing practical and emotional support to Montgomery County residents facing
life-threatening illness and grief.
The organization offers a patient and family program, and a children’s bereavement
program. Adult bereavement support groups
are open to anyone living in the metropolitan
area. All services are without charge.
For more info or to register for the training, contact Penny Gladhill at 301.990.8904
or pennyg@hospicecaring.org.
Page 9
■ CROSSING GUARD
from page 1
crowd level is the weather.
“If it’s really cold or [there is precipitation], a much smaller number of children
walk to and from school,” she said.
While she has had minor issues from time
to time, Frederick has thus far kept her post
under control and without any injuries to
the children. “The way I look at it is that every one of these kids is like my own baby,”
Frederick said. “I wouldn’t want to get a call
that my child had been hurt.”
When asked what her favorite part of her
job is, Frederick replied that it was watching the children grow up. “Its like [I’m] part
of their lives,” she said. “After the summer,
the kids have grown several inches — espe-
cially when they move from elementary to
middle school. And I love seeing the kindergarteners because they are in awe of anyone in uniform. I like calling them ‘honey’
or ‘sweetheart.’ … It’s like a grandmotherly
right of passage.”
Frederick said her advice to parents is to
“enjoy every second with your kids because
I see how fast they grow up.”
Until now, her crossing guard job has
helped her with the empty nest syndrome
she experienced when her son and daughter became adults. However, she will experience it anew when she retires at the end of
the current school year. Frederick will then
move to the Myrtle Beach area of South
Carolina with her son.
“It certainly is bittersweet,” she said with
a wistful smile.
Plan Ahead for Kentlands Day
Planning is underway for the fifth annual Kentlands Day, scheduled for May 4.
The event, which benefits the Kentlands
Community Foundation, Lakelands Park
Middle School and Rachel Carson Elementary
School, will kick off with a parade at 10 a.m.,
then continue with a festival in Kentlands
Downtown from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Sponsorship opportunities are available,
and registration for the business fair, Taste of
Kentlands and parade is now open. To find
out more, visit http://www.kentlandsday.
com/.
Charlie Holbrook, Realtor
Theresa Holbrook, Licensed Assistant
RE/MAX Metropolitan Realty
Direct: 240-447-6610
Office: 301-947-6500 x 222
Email: cholb@msn.com
www.charlieholbrookhomes.com
SO
201 Hart Rd
CO
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NT
$690,000
UN
LD!
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SO
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317 Booth Street
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$835,000
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!
Page 10
The Town Courier
February 22, 2013
nora’scorner
Off-Camera ‘Lincoln’
U
ntil mid-November,
I was afraid to see
the film “Lincoln.”
Even though I’d heard advance favorable reviews, I
reserved judgment until I
arrived at the annual Lincoln Forum symposium in
Gettysburg, Pa. I’d missed
By Nora
the private viewing of
Caplan
the film by many Forum
members the previous
evening, but the glow was still with them
the next day. Words like “masterpiece” and
“classic” were repeated by all the experts.
It was such a relief to Lincoln fans like
me. I’d grown up with the faces and voices of Raymond Massey and Henry Fonda,
who had seemed so perfect for their roles in
“Abe Lincoln in Illinois” and “Young Mr.
Lincoln.” Could Daniel Day-Lewis compare with the images of Lincoln that had
seemed so ideal when I was young?
After the general sessions, I joined a
small group that met with Harold Holzer,
author/editor of some 43 books and articles about Lincoln. I felt certain that Steven
Spielberg had consulted with him before
beginning the filming of “Lincoln.”
Harold began by telling us that several years ago, he had received an invitation
from Spielberg to join a few other Lincoln
7845 - G Airpark Rd.
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879
scholars, Tony Kushner (screenwriter), and
him in New York for an entire, all-expenses-paid day at the Essex House Hotel.
A chance to provide input to a new film
on Lincoln — especially one planned by
Spielberg — was a rare treat. Holzer agreed
to act as advisor on the script to check for
historical accuracy.
The group answered questions from
Spielberg and Kushner non-stop, an entire
day of Lincolniana. “How did he walk?”
for instance.
Harold wanted to know how Spielberg
would film the “Gettysburg Address.
“Oh, I might shoot it from the edge of
the crowd, with maybe a boy and a dog
running around,” he said.
Holzer told us how Doris Kearns
Goodwin (author of “Team of Rivals,”
the book upon which the film was loosely
based) had accompanied Day-Lewis on visits to famous Lincoln sites, how Day-Lewis
stays in character while acting, almost to a
point of being obsessive.
I asked Harold if Day-Lewis spoke the way
Lincoln’s voice was described by his contemporaries, that I had read he pronounced
“Mr. Chairman” as “Mr. Cheerman” in his
Kentucky pioneer accent.
Harold answered, “I’ve heard that he also
n
NORA’S CORNER Continued on page 11
February 22, 2013 The Town Courier
firstperson
Checking Out
A
lbert Einstein once
said, “The definition of insanity is
doing the same thing over
and over again and expecting different results.”
Obviously Einstein was
never actually subjected
to the self-checkout at the
grocery store, but the pro- By Maureen
Stiles
cess certainly could have
been the inspiration for his
quote.
The self-checkout is the best, worst idea
in history. In theory it is wonderful, in reality it is a nightmare. Despite my repeated
failure, I keep going back.
I am not sure how they found the woman who orders me around through my incar navigation system and hired her to also
order me around in the grocery store, but
there she is. Unfortunately, she sounds no
less annoying in Spanish. I know this because I have tested the theory.
There are perfectly nice store employees whose only job is monitoring and assisting those using the self-checkouts. This
job would rehabilitate criminals. One shift
would remedy the repeat offenders and free
up space in the prison system. Listening to
multiple automated voices commanding in
unison, “Please remove item from belt,”
and then waiting for the plaintive look from
the offending consumer all day long would
make even the most hardened, career criminal repent.
Buying produce is fraught with peril at
the self-checkout. Find the right category
and search by name? Try to decipher the
teeny tiny code from the sticker through
the bag? Either way, the person behind you
is tapping their toes and judging you impatiently. And you can’t put the item on the
scale one second before the autotron barks,
“Weigh your … golden delicious apples,” or
you will have to begin the process all over
again.
Ditto for the bakery items. Plus you have
the added pleasure of watching that delicate
white, cellophane bag careen down the belt
until it smashes up against your orange juice
and is reduced to half of its original size.
Maybe the self-checkout is God’s way of
punishing me for eating muffins and doughnuts because each time I attempt to navigate
this process solo, I become more convinced
that I am being punished for something. I
found a lone Giant store in Rockville that
had no self-checkouts and was never crowded. I loved that store. And they closed it
to punish me and my heathen full-service
ways.
So, I soldier on. There have been times
when I have gotten halfway through my order and realized I had a gift card that cannot
be activated at the self-checkout. So, I hit
cancel on the screen and watch as the world
comes to an end. The grocery Nazi barks
confirmation requests, the overhead register
light starts blinking, and the conveyor belt
starts moving in reverse. I am now officially a spectacle, and I still have to put all my
groceries back in the cart and go to another
register before I can slink out the door.
On the rare occasions that I emerge unscathed through the scanning process, I am
always stumped by the signature required
for my credit card. The signature pad is in a
different spot in each store. So, I am left to
flounder around ruling out the coupon slot
and the coin return. Once I finally deduce
where I am supposed to sign, I am left to
decipher how to sign. More often than not,
I use my fingernail and etch out an illegible
version of my signature as there is no pen to
be found. Despite the lack of authenticity
in my signature, the automated voice genuinely thanks me while cautioning me not to
forget my receipt.
The premise of the self-checkout is to save
time, I am sure. However, I have never really seen a tremendous time savings, and I
double my aggravation and stress instead. It
remains a challenge. A mountain to be conquered. That steadfast determination is why
my kids roll their eyes and wander over to
the Redbox machine to peruse DVD titles
and pretend they don’t know me.
That’s fine because the self-checkout is
all about going it alone. Bagging your groceries just the way you want. Not making
idle chit-chat with the checker. Waiting in
a shorter line. Enduring the pain of the system, even if it makes you a little crazy.
nora’scorner
from page 10
said, ‘Mr. Charman.’”
I remembered the melodious, lilting
voice of Massey and the slow, Midwestern
drawl of Fonda, both the way I’d imagined
Lincoln sounded.
“Lincoln had a high-pitched voice …
like a tenor’s,” said Harold. He added that
Day-Lewis is Lincoln.
When asked if Spielberg had made any
historical mistakes, Holzer said that a few
times Spielberg, as a creative filmmaker,
had taken “poetic license” for greater cinematographic effect.
During the three-day Forum, I heard
Catherine Clinton, author of a fine biography of Mary Lincoln, mention how outstanding she thought Sally Field was in this
role. There were kudos, too, for Tommy Lee
Jones, who portrayed Thaddeus Stevens, a
member of the House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania and an ardent advocate
of civil rights for freedmen.
I was eager to see “Lincoln” after the
Forum ended. The theatre was crowded,
the audience was as rapt as I was throughout the entire film, and everyone applauded at the end.
“Lincoln” has my vote for a host of
Oscars.
Page 11
Page 12
The Town Courier
February 22, 2013
MIKEAT THE MOVIES
Who Will Win the Oscar?
at Potomac House
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My Picks
Best Picture: “Argo”
will
win;
“Lincoln”
should win.
Best Actor: Daniel Day
Lewis should win and will
(“Lincoln”).
Best Actress: Jessica
By Mike
Chastain (“Zero Dark
Cuthbert
Thirty”)
will
win;
Jennifer Lawrence should (“Silver Linings
Playbook”).
Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee
Jones will win (“Lincoln”); Christopher
Waltz should win (“Django Unchained”).
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway
will win (“Les Miserables”); Helen Hunt
should win (“Sessions”)
Best Director: Ben Affleck (Argo) should
win but was not nominated; Benh Zeitlin
will win (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”)
The Inside Scoop
“Argo” is amazing for its ability to
make a real event into a cliff-hanger, but
I found the historical depth and insights
of “Lincoln” to be even more compelling.
Recent trends in other award shows seem
to predict an “Argo” win, but how it can
■ FLEX ACADEMIES
expires: 02/28/13
from page 6
organized, parents had easy access to sign up
online, and they had information available
about the programs at back-to-school night.”
The company provides a unique website
for each school program, with daily reports
posted for each class so parents can follow
activity and progress, in addition to scheduling notes and updates.
Despite the enthusiastic response, there
have been “hiccups along the way,” said
Skimmons. “It has been an adjustment for
the parents because the previous after-school
program was free. But, as I say, you get what
you pay for. The prices for these classes are
in line with the fees charged in comparable
programs outside the school system.”
Skimmons also noted that administrators were considerate of the fact that some
families would be unable to afford the Flex
Academies program. “The principal determines if a student is eligible for assistance,
and we have allocated one spot in each class
for such a student,” she said. “We don’t
want the cost to be prohibitive, and Flex
Academies was on board with that.”
Chernikoff said, “[LPMS] has such a
strong administration and so much parental support. We have turned down schools
for the program because we did not have
the support. [Principal] Higdon is such a
wonderful principal; it has been a great
experience.”
Although enrollment for the winter session did not escalate as expected, Skimmons
feels this is all part of the growing process.
“Registration was in December when everyone is focused on other things,” she said.
win Best Picture without its director being
nominated is still a mystery.
Daniel Day Lewis is Lincoln. Vocally accurate from the testimony of history and
descriptions of Lincoln’s voice, overpowering physically and mournful in mien, this
is a tour de force performance.
I did not like Jennifer Lawrence before “Silver Linings Playbook,” but she is
magical here in a complex role. Chastain
will win because of the trends and the
heroic nature of her role. A tie would be
satisfactory.
Waltz is incredible in “Django
Unchained,” but many consider the film
to be too violent. Jones is excellent in
“Lincoln,” and I will not be upset if he
wins it.
Helen Hunt should have won Supporting
Actress in a walk but her movie, Sessions,
did not get the exposure that Hathaway’s
film did so Les Mis wins again. See Hunt
in her film if you haven’t already. A wonderfully shaded performance.
Benh Zeitlin is my outsider pick of the
year, though Affleck should have been
nominated. That he was not has to be the
2013 Scandal of the Year for the Academy.
Do not be surprised if Spielberg cops the
top award here for “Lincoln.”
“I think next year we will consider shortening the winter course length from 10 weeks
to eight weeks like we have in the fall and
let folks register in January after school is
back from break. [This gives] them time
and consistency for planning.”
“This is basically like starting a business
and we are only five months in at [LPMS],”
said Chernikoff. “The courses are going extremely well and are almost full, but there
are always ways to improve.”
Even the task of taming the roaming tendencies of teens was addressed through an
app for attendance and instructor check-in.
LPMS teacher and Flex Academies liaison
Todd Bumgardner is given an iPad to track
teacher and student presence for the classes,
and that record is made available to parents.
Wexler is pleased that her daughter, “has
something cool to do after school that is an
alternative to sports. I am a working parent
so I like that she can stay at school and have
options.”
Interest in Flex Academies programs is
spreading. Ridgeview Middle School offered several of the company’s programs in
the fall, and the Rachel Carson Elementary
School PTA recently sent an email to parents about Flex Academies offerings to
gauge interest for the next school year.
“This is a win, win, win situation,” enthused Skimmons. “The kids benefit from
having a quality, professionally run program
that lets them explore new things; the PTSA
gets a portion of the registration fees without having to administer the program; and
Flex Academies has another success story.”
For information on Flex Academies at
LPMS visit http://lakelandspark.flexacademies.com/.
The Town Courier
February 22, 2013 Page 13
arts& entertainment Compiled by Claire Fleischer
Jamming with the KCF
Acoustic Jam Sessions, run by the
Kentlands Community Foundation, are
now underway at the Kentlands Clubhouse
from 6 – 9 p.m. on the first and fourth
Tuesdays of each month. The next session
is Feb. 26.
“[The first session] was way cool,” said
KCR Executive Director Carrie Dietz.
“Eighteen people showed up, and they
played for three hours! I think this truly
embodies the cultural arts component of
the Foundation’s mission.”
According to program organizer
Markham Luke, the second session drew
good attendance as well, and musicians
have come from all around the area.
“Folks are asked to bring an acoustic instrument, a dish, drink or dessert to share
(potluck). Or you can just come to listen
or sing along,” said Luke. “We have a core
song list that is worked on by the group and
themed songs that switch out each month.
February had a love song theme due to
Valentine’s Day. March will be Irish, with
song selections from Irish bands mixed
with the core list.”
The scheduled plan is for an hour of slow
jamming, a break for food and drink, then
more jamming, he said.
Sessions are open to all regardless of address or skill level. Email kentlandsjam@
gmail.com to be added to the mailing list
for Acoustic Jam Sessions.
‘Truth Teller’ at the Arts Barn
The city of Gaithersburg continues its
Singer Songwriter Concert Series with
Mary Gauthier on Feb. 27. A workshop
with Gauthier, a master songwriter known
as the “truth teller,” will be held at 3 p.m.,
and a concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., both
at the Arts Barn.
According to her website, Louisiana native-turned-Nashville resident Gauthier
(it’s French; pronounced Go-SHAY) has
earned praise from Bob Dylan and Tom
Waits, and has been recorded by Jimmy
Buffett, Blake Shelton and many others.
Tickets for the workshop and concert are
$48 for city residents, $50 for nonresidents.
Tickets for the concert alone are $28 for
city residents, $30 nonresidents.
For tickets and more information call
301.258.6394 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/recxpress. For more information
about the artist and samples of her music,
please visit www.marygauthier.com.
Musicians come
together at the first
Acoustic Jam Session,
a new Kentlands
Community Foundation program.
Photo | Submitted
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Page 14
The Town Courier
February 22, 2013
Sports
QOSports report Boys’ Basketball
A blowout of Rockville is what Coach
Paul Foringer wanted, and by the early second quarter, QO led, 20-9 and didn’t look
back. This was about as balanced a game
as the Cougars have played all season: nine
players scored, two of them leading the team
with only 8 points (Andrew Fink and Chris
Wilson); Andrew Ankrah contributed 4
points and four rebounds, looking more and
more like a basketball player; and the Cougars
had only 12 turnovers, only three in the first
half.
The final was 50-31 and, as they say, it
wasn’t that close.
A highlight game of the year occurred at
Kennedy. “Third seed in the regional finals,”
said Charles Porter. “We had a task at hand
and a job to do. We did it.”
They did it by 10 points, 56-46. Turnovers
dropped considerably, offsetting the fact that
they were out-rebounded by the Cavaliers.
Porter led the Cougars with 28 points, including 10 of 12 free throws at crucial times,
5 of them in the last stanza. The Cougars shot
a torrid .563 for the game and led at the end
of each quarter.
“This is a huge game because we are in
third place in the region, and we get a home
game,” said Foringer. The key is to prove
what he contends: “We are the second best
team in the region.” First, Magruder, but being a third seed would allow the Cougars to
play the Colonels in the semi-finals.
Spring Signings
National Signing Day for college scholarships occurred on Feb. 6, and Quince
Orchard had a solid contingent of 16 seniors decked out in their new colors at
a special presentation. Cougars signing
included:
Baseball
Alex Thoms – Salisbury University
Boys’ Basketball:
Charles Porter – Salisbury University
The Cougars buried the Seneca Valley
Screamin’ Eagles, 73-41. Tobin Pagley led
the way with 14 points, 12 of them in the first
half. Eric Hoadley had 12, 10 in the first half.
Everybody got good playing time. Ankrah
played the entire fourth quarter, scored 6 and
corralled six rebounds. Porter had 9 and Jake
Seiniger had 7 with 11 Cougars scoring on
the night.
Winners of eight straight Southern Division
4A championships, 14-3 on the season, the
Churchill Bulldogs demonstrated their speed
throughout the night, but the quickness of
QO frustrated them continuously, leading to
a surprising 64-46 Cougar victory.
“Everybody played well,” said Foringer.
“Everybody contributed.”
Porter, however, wrote the story of the
game. The senior forward scored 29 points
and snared 13 rebounds.
Against a huge height disadvantage, the
Cougars out-rebounded the Bulldogs 3024. Most of Churchill’s turnovers came from
steals by quicker QO defenders, and even
diminutive guard Aaron King had two rebounds, coming out of under-the-basket
scrums with the ball like a squirrel spurting
out of the woods with an acorn. From most
points of view, it was the best win of the year
so far for QO.
The defending state champion Magruder
Colonels were just too fast, too physical, and
too good for Quince Orchard as they outclassed the Cougars in a 54-39 win. QO had
Girls’ Basketball:
Jackie Jackson – St. Mary’s College of
Maryland
several shots blocked in the game’s opening
minutes and the ball stripped on other possessions, and that set the tone for the rest of
the night.
Foringer said the Colonels’ speed and aggressiveness took QO out of its offense as
Magruder closed quickly on open shots and
contested every possession. The Cougars
played hard, though, showing better ball
movement than in their previous loss to
Sherwood, and rebounded well. Seiniger
showed particular aggressiveness and has
been an improving inside player.
Girls’ Basketball
Against Rockville, the Cougars played their
usual game of triumph and confusion, going
out to a big lead and letting it get away only to
hang on for a 56-52 final. Brittany Beckwith
led the Lady Cougars with 19 points.
“We started to get some of the younger
players looks,” said Coach Ken Buffum, “but
it just didn’t turn out the way I hoped: 21-7 in
the first quarter and then that third quarter!”
The Cougars had only three field goals in
the period and hit only six of 12 free throws.
For the game, Babette Sanmartin alone shot
two for 10 from the line, balanced only slightly by Jasmine Chang’s eight for 10. QO left
the middle of the lane open to the Rockets far
too often, refusing to take the charge, and that
kept Rockville in the game until the last whistle, outscoring QO 15-9 in the final period.
Against Kennedy, the Cougars were
whipped on the boards and had 10 more turnovers, losing, 50-38. They were outrebounded but, uncharacteristically, were thoroughly outhustled by a very athletic and eager
By Mike Cuthbert and Syl Sobel
Cavalier five. A general lack of effort doomed
QO.
Buffum was baffled after the game.
“Passion! Who wants the basketball more?
Tonight, it sure wasn’t us. We hit 5 points,
took the lead and just collapsed.”
Finally, a “laugher” for the Lady Cougars
as they put away Seneca Valley 40-29. Audrey
Rankin had 8 points and an astounding 15 rebounds. Beckwith led all scorers with 12 and
had 10 rebounds. The only negative was the
36 Cougar turnovers, described by Buffum as
“stupid stuff.”
Sanmartin had an outstanding game,
spending half her time scrambling on the floor
for loose balls, most of which she collected for
turnovers.
The Cougars could not get started against
Churchill, trailed in each quarter and lost
by 10, 51-41. Sanmartin had the only strong
game for QO team, leading all scorers with
16.
The Lady Cougars decisive 61-46 loss to
Magruder was one of the sloppiest and sleepiest games of their season. The only spark
was Beckwith, who started to dominate in
the second half but found herself alone with
Jackie Jackson. They scored 15 points each,
Beckwith garnering 14 tough rebounds.
Magruder led from the opening tip; QO shot
a deplorable .288 after a .200 first half.
After beating the Colonels in their first
match, this game had to be a major disappointment to the Cougars.
For more QO sports news, visit www.towncourier.com.
Football:
Andrew Ankrah – James Madison
University
Matt Choi – Monmouth University
Kieran Gregory – University of Richmond
Marcus Newby – University of Nebraska
Tyrell Williams – Georgetown University
Golf:
Jun Ahn – Wilmington University
Boys’ Lacrosse:
Dylan Chaikin – McDaniel
College
Kyle Garagusi – St. Mary’s
College of Maryland
Jack Harris – University of Mary
Washington
Grant Skipper – DePauw
University
Girls’ Soccer:
Isabelle Latour – Towson
University
Photo | Phil Fabrizio
From left, Cougar football players Matt Choi, Marcus Newby and Kieran
Gregory at QO’s National Signing Day ceremony on Feb. 6. For more signing day photos, visit http://towncourier-photos.smugmug.com.
Boys’ Swimming:
Jake Engel – University of
Maryland, Baltimore County
Jeremy Liu – Towson
University
Poms Take Third Place Honors
Photo | Submitted
The Quince Orchard High School pom squad capped a successful season on Feb. 2, finishing third out of eight
teams in Division 2 of the Montgomery County Pompon Championship. QO’s Remy Morris tied for third place in the
captains’ awards.
The poms performed a six-minute routine to contemporary music, choreographed by the team’s three captains,
Morris, Emily Mercanti and Jessica Matalon, all seniors. The team, under first year Coach Franki Mirkin, placed third
in another competition earlier this season, giving the Cougar poms the most award-winning season they’ve had in
several years.
“They say that nothing worth having comes easily, and that was definitely the case this year for this team,” said
Mercanti. “I couldn’t be happier of what we’ve accomplished.”
February 22, 2013 New Clients Will Receive 20% Off
With Priscila Weekdays
Through February 28th.
The Town Courier
Page 15
Page 16
The Town Courier
February 22, 2013
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE SLOGANS.
IT’S ABOUT THE SALES.
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