HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PREVIEW Assistant takes over as head of Springbrook program. B-1
The Gazette
BEST OF MONTGOMERY
GAITHERSBURG | MONTGOMERY VILLAGEE
Readers voted for their favorite businesses in 50 categories. Find out who won inside today.
PROMOTIONAL SUPPLEMENT
DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
25 cents
Former school janitor given new job after conviction n
BY
Montgomery Village man recently charged with sexually abusing his dog
DANIEL LEADERMAN AND LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITERS
Dimitri Angelakis prepares chickens at his restaurant, Athens Grill, in Gaithersburg. The chickens were donated to families in need.
BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Giving thanks by giving back
Montgomery Village restaurant prepares dinners, volunteers deliver BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER
D
imitri and Alexandra Angelakis have owned Athens Grill in Montgomery Village for nearly 25 years, and for almost every one of those years, they have gifted local needy families with a warm Thanksgiving meal. This year was no exception. On the Wednesday before the holiday, the Angelakises cooked and packaged 34 meals for struggling school families at their restaurant, which specializes in traditional Greek fare and sells its homemade Angeli Gourmet dressing and marinade. Each dinner included a whole rotisserie chicken, pita bread and salad. “Thanksgiving has nothing to do with religion. It is just a day to say thanks to God,” Dimitri Angelakis said. “I was fortunate enough to have enough on my table. On that day, I feel everyone should have a meal on the table.” Ultimately, Dimitri Angelakis said he hopes his action of giving back to the commu-
nity inspires others to do the same in whatever way they can. “I want other people to be generous and donate to the less fortunate,” he said. More than 100 hungry mouths were fed with the donated meals since each one feeds up to four people, Dimitri Angelakis said. Select families who have children at Goshen and Whetstone elementary schools, and Montgomery Village Middle School were the recipients. This year’s chickens were donated by Athens Grill’s food supplier and some residents donated cash to the effort, according to Dimitri Angelakis. Once the meals were packaged, a group of about 14 volunteers arrived to pick them up and deliver them. Pam and Frank Mondell, friends of the Angelakises and patrons of their restaurant, have been leading the team of volunteers for about six years. Having been an active member of the Montgomery Village community for several decades, Pam Mondell has used her connec-
tions and knowledge to work with several area schools over the years to identify families going through difficult times. “There’s an awful lot of need here in this area,” she said. Pam Mondell also organized the fleet of volunteers by grouping them into pairs and giving them a list of no more than three delivery locations. The warm meals were all delivered on the evening of Nov. 26. “It’s easy to do this because you get so much satisfaction out of it,” Pam Mondell said. “It’s our pleasure to take the food to their homes.” Seeing the looks of joy and appreciation on the faces of the children and adults who receive the food is one of the most rewarding aspects, Pam Mondell said. “Very few of the families actually speak English so usually what you get is a smile,” she said. “It’s the looks on their faces.” jedavis@gazette.net
Red Mill sports new look Renovations brighten Derwood shopping center n
BY
VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER
A UPS store is expected to open in early 2015 in the newly renovated Red Mill Shopping Center in Derwood, according to a spokesman for the center owner. As of early December, there also are
See RED MILL, Page A-11
B-13 A-2 B-9 A-13 A-12 B-1
City: Enrollment figures worrisome n
Gaithersburg cannot grow more without school capacity, officials say BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER
Gaithersburg city officials and residents are questioning Montgomery County Public Schools’ ability to accurately project future school enrollment with the worry that incorrect predictions are hindering capacity projects and city growth. Much of Monday evening’s discussion focused on the Quince Orchard Cluster, which includes a bulging Rachel Carson Elementary. The Kentland school is
See ENROLLMENT, Page A-7
School child abuse policies, processes being examined One member calls work group ‘a complete farce’ BY
LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER
VIRGINIA TERHUNE/THE GAZETTE
Owners of the Red Mill Shopping Center and office building in the Magruder area of Derwood are nearly finished upgrading it with new red and white facades.
EMBRACING GREATNESS Middle and high schoolers bring comedy to life.
A-13
1932808
See JANITOR, Page A-9
n
ENTERTAINMENT
INDEX Automotive Calendar Classified Entertainment Opinion Sports
three other vacant spaces available for lease, said Peter Mathieson, principal with GoldLeaf Associates in Elkridge. Built in 1985 and owned by Red Mill Shopping Center Associates, the center is at the southwest corner of Redland and Muncaster Mill roads in the Magruder neighborhood of Derwood. Anchored by a CVS store, it includes an L-shaped row of stores, a freestanding McDonald’s restaurant and a
A man recently charged with sexually abusing his dog was allowed to continue working in the county school system after a conviction earlier this year of spying on students in a locker room. His employment situation came to light in a recent WJLA-TV report, and has drawn fire from a county PTA official. Josh Andrew Greenberg, 29, of Montgomery Village pleaded guilty to one count of visual surveillance with prurient intent in March. He was accused of watching female students change their clothes through a window into the girls locker room of Herbert Hoover Middle School in Rockville in November 2013. Greenberg was a janitor at the school at the time.
Volume 27, No. 49 Two sections, 32 Pages Copyright © 2014 The Gazette
Please
RECYCLE
A Montgomery County Public Schools work group is aiming to improve the district’s regulations and processes around child abuse, including staff training, parent and student awareness, and communication when
See POLICIES, Page A-11