SAYING GOODBYE Local civic leader Dacek dies at 81. A-5
The Gazette
NEWS: Local students compete in American Legion oratorical contest. A-7
GAITHERSBURG | MONTGOMERY VILLAGE DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
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Starr aims for 2nd term at the helm
Restoring memories Gaithersburg woman wouldn’t let mother’s bike get junked BY
SPORTS: Gaithersburg ‘hotdog’ basketball and track coach succeeds with a little relish. B-1
Several board members commit support as decision deadline nears n
PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITER
In its 63 years, Patricia Thomas’ bicycle has seen a lot of use and misuse. When they recently saw it in a state of rust and disrepair, Thomas’ daughters disagreed on its future: love it or leave it. Jodie Morris of Gaithersburg won. She put the bike in her car, brought it to Maryland from Pennsylvania and started looking for someone to restore the bike that she considered had too much history to be lost. Thomas, who is 85 and lives in Bloomsburg, Pa., bought the Raleigh bike in England in 1951 during a trip to Europe as part of a student diplomatic exchange program, according to Morris. In a phone interview, Thomas said she and others in the student group — she had just graduated from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa. — decided to
See BIKE, Page A-7
BY
STAFF WRITER
In the home stretch of his first term, Superintendent Joshua P. Starr said he’s hoping for a second round leading the school district and is “in it for the long haul.” Two out of seven board members said they’re ready to support Starr. Others, however, are not yet picking a side, saying they’ll consider a range of issues before deciding. Starr, whose contract expires June 30,
See CONTRACT, Page A-8
PHOTO BY VIC CALDAROLA
“I couldn’t bear the thought of discarding it,” said Jodie Morris of Gaithersburg, pictured with the newly restored 1950 Raleigh bicycle that belonged to her mother.
Downtown Crown sold n
New fitness studio lets music take control n
LINDSAY A. POWERS
Spotlight Studio in Gaithersburg offers group exercise classes BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER
Dance has long been a passion for Mouriena Amalia, but it wasn’t until late last year that she turned her enthusiasm for rhythmic moves into an entrepreneurial career. The Germantown resident opened Spotlight Studio, a dance and fitness facility, in Gaithersburg on Dec. 18 to improve the lives of others through
physical fitness and support the community at large. Spotlight Studio, at 18505 Frederick Road, offers a variety of group exercise classes — including Zumba, Zumba Gold, Zumba Toning, Yoga, Hot Hula Fitness, WERQ and others — on a rotating basis for people of all ages and fitness levels, Amalia said. Fourteen instructors teach at the studio and up to five classes are offered on most days. Clients can choose different pricing packages depending on the amount of classes they want to attend, starting with a drop-in class cost of $6. The company’s mission extends beyond the
Commercial district contains 258,000 square feet BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER
walls of the studio with its commitment to have a positive and uplifting impact on the local community, Amalia said. Among other initiatives, the studio intends to adopt a local family in need each year, host charitable drives and dinners, hold social dances open to the general public and make the 4,000-square-foot space available to be rented for private events. Amalia said Spotlight Studio serves as a tribute to her late father, who helped nurture her ambition to open a business and emphasized that one of its purposes should be to assist others.
Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg has seen a lot of change over the past year as it continues to welcome new businesses, but one of the property’s most recent developments is the acquisition of a new owner. Retail Properties of America Inc. of Oak Brook, Ill., announced on Jan. 12 that it had purchased the retail portion of Downtown Crown for $162.8 million from The JBG Cos. and JBGR Retail. Shane Garrison, the executive vice president, chief investment officer and chief
See MUSIC, Page A-8
See CROWN, Page A-8
Gaithersburg teen advances in ‘Idol’ n
New York audition pushed singer to next round
BY
SAMANTHA SCHMIEDER STAFF WRITER
With big hair, a big smile and an even bigger voice, 19-year-old Shaina “Shi” Scott of Gaithersburg belted her way through to the next round of the 14th season of Fox’s long-running singing competition “American Idol” on Thursday. Scott auditioned in the summer of 2014 in New York and participated in callbacks in September. She sang Amy Winehouse’s song “Valerie” and was pushed through by two of the three ce-
INDEX Automotive Calendar Classified Entertainment Opinion Sports
B-11 A-2 B-7 A-12 A-10 B-1
lebrity judges. “I’ve been holding onto this for a long time. It’s the biggest thing happening in your life and you can’t tell anyone,” Scott said. Due to the filming schedule, “American Idol” contestants must keep quiet about the results to maintain the integrity of the show and surprise viewers each week. “The way they shoot is they shoot all the way through until the live shows,” Scott said. She explained that she moved around a lot growing up and has lived in Florida, Delaware and, for the past 10 years, Maryland. She graduated in 2014 from Gaithersburg High School. “Now that I’ve graduated high
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school, I don’t see myself heading in any other direction,” Scott said. Though she was confident she wanted to delve into the music business, she wasn’t sure what avenue to take to get there. Scott said that someone told her to audition for “American Idol” and she immediately thought she couldn’t. Her family asked her, “What do you have to lose?” “I couldn’t think of an answer,” she said. Scott said she’s been watching “American Idol” since she was a little girl and remembers telling her mom she was going to audition, though at the time the notion seemed far away.
See IDOL, Page A-7
ENTERTAINMENT
YOUR FRIEND, OUR FRIEND ... Lumina Studio Theatre brings Dickens’ final novel, “Our Mutual Friend,” to life on stage.
A-12
1932824
FOX BROADCASTING CO.
Shi Scott, 19, of Gaithersburg, auditioned in New York for “American Idol” last year and appeared in the Jan. 15 episode of the show.
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