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JINGLE BELL CLOCKED Adventure Theatre-MTC recounts classic Christmas tune. A-11

The Gazette GAITHERSBURG | MONTGOMERY VILLAGE

DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

25 cents

Man arrested in shooting death of former football standout Jefferson Daniel Delgado charged with first-degree murder and is held without bail n

AND

BY KRISTA BRICK ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH STAFF WRITERS

The day after 25-year-old Michael Kirby Alvarado died on a sidewalk in Gaithersburg after being shot in the head, police ar-

rested the Silver Spring man they say pulled the trigger.

Police charged Jefferson Daniel Delgado, 20, with first-degree murder Friday.

On Monday, prosecutors asked at a court hearing that he be held without bail.

Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Herdman said Delgado was a flight risk and said police had recovered a gun that they believed had been used in the slaying.

John Lavigne, Delgado’s attorney, asked District Court Judge Barry A. Hamilton that a bail be set for Delgado, a contractor who

he said lives in the area but had been working in Florida. Police have said he lived on Quebec Terrace, but online court records list an address for him at Dawson Avenue.

Hamilton denied Lavigne’s request.

Police have not shed light on what might have motivated Alvarado’s killing.

Several members of Delgado’s family attended the hearing, but declined to speak to reporters.

Alvarado’s slaying sent investigators combing the area around the Streamside Apartments complex on North Summit

Avenue last week in search of suspects. Initially, police were looking for two men — one dressed in all black, and one dressed in a black and white striped shirt. The shooting and manhunt had four local schools in a “shelter in place” or lockdown status Thursday. According to Delgado’s charging documents, police identified and spoke with one of the men, who then identified Delgado as the shooter.

Police arrested Delgado at about 8

See DEATH, Page A-9

Alvarado

Planning Board votes to support highway option Chosen route would destroy more parkland than alternatives n

C O U N T Y

BY

T R U A N C Y

STAFF WRITER

COURT-STYLE PREVENTION PROGRAM LOOKS BEYOND ATTENDANCE n

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

University of Baltimore School of Law student Andrea Bento (left) and assistant state’s attorney George Simms (right) listen to a student during Truancy Court at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School in Silver Spring.

students

seats

GETTING BACK IN

LINDSAY A. POWERS AND ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH

BY

M

STAFF WRITERS

ontgomery County students who repeatedly miss class are getting guidance from unlikely allies: local prosecutors and judges.

In a program that spread to the county from Baltimore in 2010, Montgomery County prosecutors and a local judge meet with students facing a range of attendance issues, from persistent lateness to chronic absence.

According to a report by Montgomery County’s Office of Legislative Oversight, “habitual truancy” is defined as missing 18 days in a semester or 36 days of school in a school year.

About 984 county public school students were habitually truant in 2009, including about 627 in high school, the report

HABITUAL TRUANCY

In a tense, 11th-hour decision, the Montgomery County Planning Board voted to support a new highway that would extend Midcounty Highway to Ridge Road in Germantown.

After months of deliberation, park tours and hundreds of public comments, the board’s decision on Thursday came down to a 15-minute INSIDE debate among the four members and ChairA detailed listing of woman Francoise CarMidcounty Highway rier. Board member Amy Presley pushed the options board to choose an alPAGE A-9 ternative as the meeting ran past 10 p.m. By a 3-2 vote, the board chose to support Alternative 9A, the master plan route.

Alternative 9A is a new four-lane highway between the existing Midcounty Highway and Watkins Mill Road, then an extension north through Wayfarer Road and Germantown parkland, ending at the future intersection of Ridge Road and Snowden Farm Parkway just north of Brink Road.

According to the county’s study, Alternative 9A

See M-83, Page A-9

Montgomery County Public Schools’ habitual truancy rate has increased slightly in recent years as Maryland’s rate has decreased. “Habitual truancy” is defined as missing 18 days in a semester or 36 days of school in a school year, according to a report by Montgomery County’s Office of Legislative Oversight.

2.5 2.0

STATE

2.32%

2.25%

1.93%

1.89%

1.80%

0.63%

1.13%

1.08%

2011-12

2012-13

1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0

MONTGOMERY

0.72% 2008-09

0.40% 2009-10

2010-11

SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

says. The same year, more than 8,600 students were chronically absent, missing 20 or more days of school.

Montgomery County ranks in the middle of the pack among Maryland counties’ habitual truancy rates.

NEWS

SPORTS

Book lovers rejoice as newly renovated Gaithersburg Library looks to open in January.

Magruder High School grad recovers from serious blood clot, pursues dream of playing professional soccer.

A-3

B-1

LIBRARY PREPS FOR OPENING

SYLVIA CARIGNAN

A PATH WITH MANY DETOURS

The Truancy Court Program is in five Montgomery County

See TRUANCY, Page A-10

Automotive Business Calendar Classified Entertainment Opinion School News Sports Please

RECYCLE

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Montgomery County Planning Board Commissioner Amy Presley listens to a staff briefing and recommendations for the midcounty corridor study Thursday at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission regional offices in Silver Spring.

B-13 B-5 A-2 B-9 A-11 A-8 A-6 B-1

Check out our Services Directory ADVERTISING INSIDE B SECTION

1906197

THE GAZETTE

Page A-2

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

PEOPLE& PLACES More online at www.gazette.net

Gaithersburg teen is among nation’s math whizzes Solving math problems sometimes can be frustrating for high school students, but for Gaithersburg’s Dennis Zhao, it’s an exciting challenge.

Dennis, a junior in Montgomery Blair High School’s magnet program in Silver Spring, is one of 10 students who will compete in the 2014 National Who Wants to Be a Mathematician contest Jan. 16 in Baltimore. The event is sponsored by the American Mathematics Society.

Dennis beat out more than 2,000 students from across the country during the two qualifying rounds of the contest. In each round, participants were administered an online, timed test that included questions from algebra, geometry, probability, trigonometry and the history of mathematics. Students who answered at least eight questions correctly in the first round moved on, and then the highest-scoring contestants from the second round qualified for the national competition.

A member of his high school’s math club, Dennis said he took a liking to math at an early age and has stuck with it because of the rewarding rush he feels when he solves a difficult problem.

“I like solving the problems because it really challenges my

EVENTS

JENN DAVIS

mind,” he said. “It can be frustrating sometimes, but once you solve it, there’s some sense of accomplishment you feel and I really enjoy that.”

The winner of the final round will receive a $5,000 prize, plus a matching monetary prize for his school. The second-place winner and his school will be awarded $3,000.

Dennis said he is less nervous about his performance in the competition and more thrilled to meet new people with similar interests.

“The results aren’t such a big deal to me,” he said. “I’m most excited about meeting more people who share my interest in math.”

City recognizes employee of the quarter Kentlands Mansion custodian

Maria Membreno was presented

with an Employee Recognition Award for the third quarter of 2013 from the Gaithersburg mayor and city council on Nov. 18.

Membreno, who manages housekeeping and laundry services at the mansion, was recognized for her high level or productivity,

Thanksgiving Eve Concert, 7:30-9 p.m., Faithful and True Christian Center, 4040 Blackburn Lane, Burtonsville.

Free. www.fatcc.org.

FRIDAY, NOV. 29 Garden of Lights Winter Walkthrough Holiday Light Display and Railway Train Exhibit, 5:30-10 p.m.,

Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, lasts through Jan. 5. $25/car Friday-Sunday, $20/car Monday-Thursday. 301-962-1453.

Black Friday Dance Party, 8 p.m., Dance Bethesda, 8227 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda. $10 for those wearing black, $18 otherwise. 301-951-3660.

Small Business Saturday, 10 a.m.,

SAT

30

A Family Event Music Drama, 7-9 p.m.,

“I like solving the problems because it really challenges my mind,” says Dennis Zhao of Gaithersburg, a junior at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring. quality of work and exceptional customer service.

Volunteers needed for holiday gift wrapping Hospice Caring of Gaithersburg is looking for volunteers to provide free holiday gift-wrapping services for customers at select Barnes & Noble bookstores in the county.

Gift-wrapping stations will be set up at three stores next month: • Sunday through Dec. 24: Washingtonian Center, Gaithersburg, 21 Grand Ave., Gaithersburg.

• Dec. 9-24: 4801 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda.

• Dec. 17, 18, 22: Rockville Shop-

29 Courthouse Square, Rockville. Free.

301-762-0096.

Epworth United Methodist Church, 9008 Rosemont Drive, Gaithersburg.

A one-woman dramatic performance of “Little Stockey and the Miracle of Christmas.” Free. 301926-9722.

MONDAY, DEC. 2 Scams and Computer Security Tips, 1:15-2:30 p.m., Holiday Park Se-

nior Center, 3950 Ferrara Drive, Wheaton. www.holidaypark.us.

TUESDAY, DEC. 3 Dine and Discover Retirement Living, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Ingleside at King

SUNDAY, DEC. 1 Germantown Comunity Flea Market, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., MARC Communter

Parking Lot, Germantown Road and Bowman Mill Drive, Germantown.

Free admission. 301-972-2707

A&E Creation of Hanukkah Forever stamp explored.

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Peerless Rockville’s Holiday Open House, 1-4 p.m., Red Brick Courthouse,

Free admission. 301-710-6259.

Future Fab Jr., 2-3:30 p.m., Rockville Maryland Library, 21 Maryland Ave., Rockville. Free. 240-777-0020.

Heyser Farms and Great Shoals Winery, 14526 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring. 301-384-7859 Outdoor Holiday Bazaar, 1-7 p.m., Kunzang Palyul Choling Buddhist Temple, 18400 River Road, Poolesville.

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SPORTS Check online this weekend for coverage of the state semifinal football games.

Holiday Gift Show, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sandy Spring Museum, 17901 Bentley Road, Sandy Spring. 301-774-0022.

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MORE INTERACTIVE CALENDAR ITEMS AT WWW.GAZETTE.NET

SATURDAY, NOV. 30

We Provide Personalized And Prompt Care

Northwest’s E.J. Lee battles for tough yards against the Quince Orchard defense Friday in the 4A region final. For more, go to clicked.gazette.net.

Farm, 701 King Farm Blvd., Rockville.

240-499-9019.

Annual Holiday Mix and Mingle, 5-8 p.m., Huckleberry Fine Art, 12051 Nebel St., Rockville. Hosted by the Rockville Chamber of Commerce and the Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County. Bring a holiday gift for a child in the Community Ministries of Rockville Holiday Giving Program. 301-807-3766.

For more on your community, visit www.gazette.net

ping Center, 12089 Rockville Pike.

The nonprofit receives support from the stores.

For more information or to sign up for a shift, visit hospicecaring. org/giftwrapping.html.

ConsumerWatch

Denny’s offers turkey dinners Thursday The Denny’s restaurant in Montgomery Village will offer free traditional turkey dinners to the less fortunate from 2 to 6 p.m.

Thursday.

The restaurant, at 19290 Montgomery Village Ave., also will accept donations for local charities that day.

Send items at least two weeks in advance of the paper in which you would like them to appear.

Go to calendar.gazette.net and click on the submit button. Questions? Call 301-670-2070.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 27

Are You Seeking Compassionate and Confidential Care?

GALLERY

DEATHS

LIZ CRENSHAW

Why is it that sometimes we have to sign credit card receipts after a purchase and sometimes we don’t?

You can credit NBC 4 consumer reporter Liz Crenshaw with this answer.

WeekendWeather FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Elizabeth B. Argent Elizabeth B. Argent, 89, formerly of Bethesda, died Nov. 20, 2013. Interment will take place in the spring. Covenant Funeral Service in Fredericksburg, Va., handled the arrangements.

42

28

46

30

Russell T. Kinsey Russell T. Kinsey, 66, of Silver Spring, died Nov. 15, 2013.

A service took place at 10 a.m.

Nov. 23 at Parklawn Memorial Park in Rockville.

35

Get complete, current weather information at

NBCWashington.com

Richard Wayne Heaton Richard Wayne Heaton, 46, of Augusta, W.Va., formerly of Olney, died Nov. 17, 2013, at Winchester (Va.) Medical Center. Giffin Funeral Home in Capon Bridge, W.Va., handled the arrangements.

51

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GAZETTE CONTACTS The Gazette – 9030 Comprint Court Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Main phone: 301-948-3120 Circulation: 301-670-7350

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THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Page A-3

LOCAL

Maryland court rules in favor of Johns Hopkins in Belward land dispute

Library due to open a new chapter in January About 30,000 square feet has been added to the renovated facility n

BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER

BY

STAFF WRITER

Johns Hopkins University won a key judgement Thursday when the Maryland Court of Special Appeals ruled that the university’s plan to develop a 108-acre donated farm complies with a donor’s agreement with the school.

Johns Hopkins bought the 108-acre farm, known as the Belward Farm, from Elizabeth Banks in 1989 for $5 million, a fraction of the estimated $54 million value of the property, with the remainder to be considered a charitable donation.

The farm is off of Muddy Branch Road and Md. 28.

In November 2011, Tim Newell, one of Banks’ relatives, sued Johns Hopkins University.

He claimed the university was violating a land use agreement it made with Banks when she sold the land to the institution in 1989, believing it would be used for a low-density academic campus, according to the statement.

Johns Hopkins plans to build a 4.7 million-square-foot “science city” on the property which would be substantially larger than the 1.4 million square-foot complex that Newell says his great-aunt imagined.

On Thursday, the Court of Special Appeals’ three-judge panel ruled unanimously affirming a 2012 ruling by a Mont-

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Assistant Lisa Holston prepares books in the new Gaithersburg Library, set to open in January. and become part of the community,” Bowman said. “I look at the library as that kind of partnering to help them do that.”

A comprehensive children’s library space is also on the first floor and includes reading material, computers with educational games and programs and a children’s programming room, where events like storytime can be held.

One room in the children’s section has been designated as the Language Discovery Center, a place where parents or caregivers can work with their young children to help them develop language skills.

“One of the things that helps children develop language skills is storytelling,” said Jan Derry, head of children’s services at the Gaithersburg library. “The LDC has toys that stimulate the imagination, like puppets, dolls, toy trucks and puzzles.”

“Laptop lanes,” or stretches of counter space where library members can hook up their own computers, and touch-screen monitors for catalogue searching will also be placed throughout the first floor.

Upstairs, there is a community meeting room that can accommodate up to 300 people. The room, which has a soundproof divider that can be lowered to make two separate spaces, has a large projection screen and whiteboards.

The Gilchrist Center, which offers free and low-cost English language classes, citizenship preparation and computer courses, also has an office on the second level.

The entire building is certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. Permeable pavement outside in the parking lot and a rooftop garden absorbs rainwater and reduces runoff.

While the new building was under construction, the interim Gaithersburg library was stationed on the second floor of Lakeforest mall. It closed on Oct. 31 to allow the transfer of all materials back to the new library and give the librarians and helpers time to catalogue and shelve the items.

Starting in January, the library will be open regularly from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

“We look at the new library as really being a very vibrant place that will have a lot going on all the time, whether it’s children’s programming or a class on computer literacy,” Bowman said. “It should be a dynamic place for the community to come together.” jedavis@gazette.net

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gomery County Circuit Court Judge Ronald B. Rubin in favor of Johns Hopkins.

In its decision, the threejudge panel wrote “our task is to examine the agreement the parties did sign, not the agreement that one or the other now wishes they had negotiated instead.”

“We understand the Family’s frustration as they face the increasingly likely prospect that the Farm will transform into a campus that they believe Ms. Banks would never have countenanced,” the panel wrote.

University spokesmen said they were “gratified” by the ruling, and that they planned to develop the Belward Research Campus “in full compliance” with its obligations under its agreement with Banks and her siblings.

Newell, the lead plaintiff in the suit against Hopkins, said that the ruling had left him “extremely disappointed.”

He said the ruling erroneously considered the transaction between Banks and Johns Hopkins as a real estate transaction and not a charitable contribution.

“This is not about a simple arms-length real estate contract,” he said. “It’s about a 22page agreement, that states this is a charitable contribution to Johns Hopkins University.”

“If it was a simple real estate transaction, we would have sold it for $54 million years ago,” he said.

His family planned to appeal the ruling to the Court of Appeals, he said.

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After waiting more than three years, local bookworms will have a new place to curl up with a book or hop on to a public computer when the freshly renovated Gaithersburg library opens its doors Jan. 4.

A grand opening, complete with a ribbon-cutting, entertainment, special programs, refreshments and tours of the library, will be held on that day to welcome patrons back to the facility at the corner of Montgomery Village Avenue and Lost Knife Road.

The opening marks the end of a $25.6 million major renovation project that expanded the 33,700-square-foot structure by adding 22,200 square feet on the main level along the front, back and sides and 7,900 square feet on a partial second floor.

The library has been closed since May 2010, and construction on it began in December 2011.

“I have had so much interest from schools calling. Everyone wants tours.

Everyone wants to be a part of the opening,” said Kay Bowman, the Gaithersburg library’s branch manager. “I just look at our staff as really anxious and eager to welcome the community back.”

More than 100,000 books, DVDs, magazines and other material will line the shelves throughout the new library, according to Bowman. The library’s blog, which has periodically published construction updates and announcements, wrote that about 9,941 feet of shelving was installed in the building. That equates to about 1.88 miles of shelving units.

On the first floor, the library will have 40 public computers, a large quiet room for reading, two group study rooms and four tutoring rooms. The tutoring spaces require reservations in advance because of popular demand, Bowman said. A lab with 12 computers is on the floor, too, and will be used for teaching courses, such as creating resumes.

“This community has so many resources to help people get up on their feet, get jobs

University officials say they plan to develop research campus n

THE GAZETTE

Page A-4

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

LOCAL

InBrief

Montgomery Village debates future of golf course Plans call for almost 600 new residential units, community amenities n

BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER

While some Montgomery Village residents continue to worry about the development planned for the former golf course in their neighborhood, others see it as a welcome addition that will offer new amenities to the entire village.

Monument Realty, the owner of the property, held its fourth workshop with more than 50 Montgomery Village residents on Thursday night to solicit feedback as they work to finish a draft concept plan for development.

Torti Gallas and Partners Inc., the architectural and planning firm for the project, has been mapping out possible development models.

In each workshop, the number of residential units has decreased. On Thursday, the number fell from 608 to a range between 544 and 598. It also looked at changing the location of some of the community amenities and making strings of townhomes shorter to provide more open space.

Some residents agree with the proposed development, hoping it will rejuvenate the community.

Nancy Jakubowski has been living in Montgomery Village for 17 years, and in that time, she said she has watched the area go into “disrepair,”

citing the defunct golf course and empty storefronts in the Montgomery Village Shopping Center.

Jakubowski said she is excited for the development and believes it will benefit everyone by providing community amenities, which include Central Park, which would be on the west side of Montgomery Village Avenue, just south of Fairway Islands. The plans also call for a picnic pavilion, dog park, children’s playground, community gardens and open lawn space.

“The plans they’re doing here, to us, is an opportunity to invigorate the village and to make it have amenities for everybody to use,” she said.

Other village residents still are not convinced that the proposed development will be a good addition to the area.

Montgomery Village resident Anand Sampath said traffic remains one of his biggest concerns. Sampath was bothered to hear that any future traffic studies will focus only on the village itself, and not the effect it will have on accessing Interstate 270.

“In terms of assessing this project, you have to look at it in terms of a large global space,” he said. “Getting onto 270 is a very important consideration and they’re not putting that in their map.”

Monument president Russell Hines responded to traffic concerns by explaining the importance of analyzing the benefits of the proposed development to see if it outweighs the dis-

advantages, which includes busier roads.

“It would be very difficult to make plans for the future if, as a starting point, we would say that we’re not going to tolerate any new traffic volume on our streets,” he said.

Torti Gallas and Monument have proposed adding a variety of residential units to the property, including multifamily homes, duplexes, townhomes and mid-sized single-family homes.

Each unit, with the exception of the multifamily units, would include two parking spaces.

Monument bought the failing golf course for $5 million in March, though the estimated value of the site was about $1.6 million, according to state records. Former owner Jack Doser, a professional golfer, ran the golf club for 34 years before declaring the multimillion-dollar business unprofitable at Montgomery Village Foundation meetings in 2011.

Despite some hesitancy among residents, Hines said he believes the meetings have been productive.

“Everyone has been very fair and listening to what we have to say,” he said.

Torti Gallas plans on coming back to residents in January 2014 to present a finalized concept plan based on the feedback from the meeting.

Monument is currently keeping the Montgomery Village Golf Club’s 18-hole course open. jedavis@gazette.net

An army of support Despite Quince Orchard High School’s Red Army student cheering section’s raucous support, the Gaithersburg school’s football team fell 28-20 to Northwest High School of Germantown Friday night in the 4A West final.

See story and state championship football preview, Page B-1.

BRIAN LEWIS/FOR THE GAZETTE

Civic group to hear night time report Heather Dlhopolsky, chairwoman of the Montgomery County Night Time Economy Task Force, will discuss the group’s findings at the Montgomery County Civic Federation meeting from 7:45 to 10 p.m. Monday at the County Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville.

After her presentation, there will be a question-and-answer period and updates on other key local issues.

All county residents and representatives of civic organizations are welcome.

Free parking is available in the adjacent county garage.

For more information, visit www.montgomerycivic.org.

Work up an appetite and help feed the hungry Montgomery Village will help feed the hungry by hosting its annual Thanksgiving Morning Aerobic Sampler on Thursday morning. Local aerobics instructor Karin Baker will lead participants in sample Jacki Sorensen aerobic routines for a workout.

Guests are asked to bring nonperishable food donations as part of the entrance fee, which is $5 with a donation and $7 without. No registration is required. All proceeds benefit Gaithersburg Help, a food collection agency.

The event will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Lake Marion Community Center, 8821 E. Village Ave., Montgomery Village.

For more information, call 301-948-0110.

Chamber awards dinner is Dec. 5 The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual celebration dinner and awards Dec. 5.

The evening will start at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Washington, D.C., North/Gaithersburg hotel at 620 Perry Parkway.

A silent auction will be held in addition to the dinner and awards presentations. The chamber will present its annual You Made A Difference, Small Business of the Year and Young Professional of the Year awards. Four scholarships will be awarded to Montgomery College students from business members of the chamber.

POLICE BLOTTER

Kagan, a former delegate, to run for Senate in District 17 She joins Simmons, a current delegate, in June’s Democratic primary race n

BY

RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER

Former Maryland Del. Cheryl Kagan will seek the District 17 Senate seat currently held by Sen. Jennie M. Forehand (D), joining current Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons (D) in the 2014 race.

The district, which includes Gaithersburg and Rockville, needs a senator who can build coalitions and be a leader on public safety, transportation, health care and education, Kagan said on Nov. 20.

Kagan said her nature is to reach out to others to understand their priorities and interests, so she can educate them on issues she cares about.

Forehand has held that Senate seat since 1995 and is waiting until early next year to state whether she will run again.

Simmons, who is finishing his fourth term in the House, announced his Senate candidacy on Nov. 13.

Kagan, a Democrat, represented

District 17 in the House from 1995 to 2003.

She said Nov. 20 that she wants to help change perceptions about Montgomery County in the General Assembly.

She said that when she was first elected, she was amazed at how many other legislators still looked at Montgomery as a largely white and affluent county without any problems or adversity.

If lawmakers still have that mindset, Montgomery won’t get money for school construction or other needs, she said.

Kagan, 52, said that when Montgomery lawmakers invited colleagues from other parts of the state to a meeting in Rockville, they’d always show up late because they had gotten stuck in the traffic that county residents deal with every day.

Once the other legislators had experienced Montgomery’s traffic, transportation money for the county was much more forthcoming, she said.

Kagan said she has great respect and admiration for Forehand’s record in Annapolis.

But with Forehand not expected to announce her plans until after the start of the General Assembly’s

session in January, Kagan said she didn’t feel she could wait that long to begin raising money and meeting with potential supporters.

Before her time in the Senate, Forehand, 77, served in the House of Delegates from 1979 to 1995.

Forehand said she thinks that one reason she’s had such success in Annapolis is that she can work well with everyone.

“Getting along with your colleagues is really a major factor in your effectiveness” in the General Assembly, she said, adding that she was speaking generally and not referring to Kagan or Simmons.

Simmons has served in the House since 2003 as a Democrat, after serving one term from 1979 to 1983 as a liberal Republican.

On Nov. 19, his campaign released the results of a Gonzales poll he commissioned. The poll showed that if the primary were held today, 44 percent of District 17 Democrats who responded said they’d vote for Simmons and 28 percent for Kagan, with 27 percent undecided.

The poll was conducted by telephone between Oct. 10 through 20 among Democrats who said they’re likely to vote in the 2014 primary.

Simmons, 64, said on Nov. 20

that Kagan’s entrance into the race had been expected, and he would continue to work in the months before the June 24, 2014, primary, as he has over the past 12 years.

“I’ll just continue plugging away until June and then accept the results at that time,” he said.

Susan Heltemes, a Democratic strategist and long-time observer of Montgomery politics, said she thinks there’s some sense that Forehand won’t run again.

If that’s the case, this would be the time for people to start announcing their intentions to run, she said.

Heltemes said she thinks that with the political unrest at the national level, many challengers could be thinking this might be the year to take on an incumbent.

Forehand probably would have the advantage as the incumbent if she ran in a race against both Kagan and Simmons, she said.

But a race without Forehand would likely be a toss-up, since Kagan’s and Simmons’ names have both been on the ballot before.

“If Jennie doesn’t run, it’s a whole new ballgame,” Heltemes said. rmarshall@gazette.net

Complete report at www.gazette.net The following is a summary of incidents in the Gaithersburg area to which Montgomery County police and/ or Gaithersburg City Police responded recently. The words “arrested” and “charged” do not imply guilt. This information was provided by the county and/or the city of Gaithersburg.

Aggravated assault • On Nov. 9 at 10:10 p.m. in the unit block of N. Summit Drive, Gaithersburg. Known subjects and victim were involved in a physical altercation.

Armed robbery • On Nov. 9 at 8:10 p.m. at Sunoco gas station, 20050 Goshen Road, Montgomery Village. The subjects threatened the victim with a weapon and took property.

• On Nov. 12 at 9:35 p.m. in the area of Strawberry Knoll and Bell Tower drives, Gaithersburg. The subjects threatened the victim with a weapon and took property.

Auto theft • Between 6:30 a.m. Nov. 4 and 6:30 a.m. Nov. 5 at the intersection of Kentlands Boulevard and Booth Street, Gaithersburg. No further information provided.

• Between 7 p.m. Nov. 4 and 12:15 p.m. Nov. 5 in the 400 block of Little Quarry Road, Gaithersburg. No further information provided.

• Between 8:30 a.m. Nov. 5 and 9:10 a.m. Nov. 7 in the 100 block of Metropolitan Grove Road, Gaithersburg. No further information provided.

• On Nov. 8 between 7 a.m. and 5:51 p.m.in the 16600 block of Raven Rock Drive, Gaithersburg. No further information provided.

Bank robbery • On Nov. 11 at 6:25 p.m. at Suntrust Bank, 12251 Darnestown Road, Gaithersburg. No further information provided.

Commercial burglary • On Nov. 5 at 9:30 a.m. at the Citgo Gas station, 409 E. Diamond Ave., Gaithersburg. An unknown subject(s) attempted to enter the business through the front door.

THANKSGIVING CLOSURES Most Montgomery County and other government offices and programs will be closed Thursday in observance of Thanksgiving Day. Here’s a schedule: • County offices: Closed.

• Libraries: Closed.

• County liquor stores: Closed.

• Recreation: All programs and fa-

cilities closed.

• County parks: Closed. Operating schedules for Friday, including for Brookside Gardens, ice rinks, tennis centers, trains and carousels, are at www.MontgomeryParks.org.

• Ride On bus: Sunday schedule.

• Metrobus: Sunday schedule.

• Metrorail: Sunday schedule.

•TRiPS commuter stores in Silver Spring and Friendship Heights: Closed • Trash and recycling: No collec-

tion. Thursday pickup will be Friday; Friday pickup on Saturday.

• Transfer station: Closed.

• Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters: Free.

• Public schools and offices: Closed.

• State offices and courts: Closed.

• U.S. Postal Service: Post offices closed; no mail delivery.

GAITHERSBURG • City offices: Closed Thursday and Friday.

• City facilities: Closed Thursday

and most closed Friday; on Friday, Bohrer Park activitiy center open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Arts Barn open for evening performance only.

• Police offices: Normal business hours both days.

• Recycling: Thursday pickup on Saturday; Friday pickup on Friday.

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

County native helps HealthSherpa launch n

Site provides information on exchange plans BY

KEVIN JAMES SHAY STAFF WRITER

About a month ago, three 20-something entrepreneurs launched a website that some users say helps them learn information about health insurance plans more easily than the federal government’s healthcare. gov site that an army of workers has developed for years.

Co-founders of the privately run site, TheHealthSherpa.com, include Potomac native Michael Wasser. The Seattle resident majored in computer science and economics at the University of Maryland, College Park.

“We aren’t trying to compete with the federal government’s site,” said Wasser, 26. “We have different goals in that we are mainly providing information and don’t sign up people. You can’t really compare the two.”

The site essentially takes government information on health plans and makes it easier for people to access, he said.

The company doesn’t just rely on government sources but collects other information such as details on co-payments and deductibles, as well as provides information on insurers for users to contact directly.

Since launching, the site has seen traffic rise dramatically, with about 2 million page views in the past three weeks, he said.

Wasser and co-founders George Kalogeropoulos, 28, and Ning Liang, 27, have already been

PHOTO FROM HEALTHSHERPA.COM

Potomac native Michael Wasser is co-founder of the privately run site TheHealthSherpa.com.

featured on CBS News, Fox Business News and other media outlets.

Yale University graduates Kalogeropoulos and Liang live in the San Francisco area, where the fledgling business is based.

“I can work fine remotely from Seattle,” said Wasser, who met his partners through a friend about nine months ago.

A New Hampshire woman, who praised the site as “much easier” to use than the government one, said on the CBS newscast that she “was not surprised” three guys in their 20s could devise an easier site to access than the federal government.

The trio recently met with Bryan Sivak, chief technology officer of the Department of

Health and Human Services, to discuss their website and how they can help people learn more about the plans. This month, U.S. Sen. Angus King Jr., an independent from Maine, urged residents to use HealthSherpa as a temporary alternative for those experiencing difficulties with the federal site.

More than 30 states do not have their own sites and exchange markets, and residents there must use the federal site.

The rest, including Maryland, have their own sites.

“HealthSherpa offers a userfriendly platform to quickly browse through available health insurance plan options, including monthly premium costs, coverage plans and possible premium subsidies,” King said in a statement. “I recommend that Mainers who are having trouble with Healthcare.gov use HealthSherpa as a temporary alternative until the federal website functions properly.”

The Maryland site, MarylandHealthConnection.gov, also has had its share of technical difficulties. In its first month of operation in October, about 1,300 people signed up for private health plans, below the pace of some states with fewer residents such as Vermont and Connecticut.

But the pace has picked up in November. Almost 1,000 people in Maryland enrolled for private plans from Nov. 3 through Nov. 16. Officials have a goal of signing up 150,000 by March 31.

Three arrested in two assaults over weekend In each case, two people attacked by group in Gaithersburg n

BY ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH STAFF WRITER

A man and two juveniles were arrested for their alleged involvement in two assaults that took place in the city last weekend, sending at least one victim to the hospital, police say.

Eric Dashon Haynes, 19, Lee Steven Jandres, 17, and Derrick Antonio Morton, 17, all of Gaithersburg, have since been arrested and charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, first- and second-degree assault and theft, according to Gaithers-

kshay@gazette.net

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burg city police officer Dan Lane. Online court records list Morton’s first name with one “r.”

Jandres and Morton are being charged as adults in the case, Lane said.

Online court records show that each of the three were being held in lieu of $250,000 bail.

One of the assaults took place at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, when two people were attacked by a group of men and women near West Deer Park Road and Summit Hall Road, Lane said. One of the victims was taken to a nearby hospital for a checkup after suffering non-life-threatening injuries, the other suffered minor injuries, according to Lane.

Police found a group matching the description of

the assailants a few blocks away from where the assault took place and made an arrest, Lane said.

Police also believe that the group was behind a strong-arm robbery that took place on Gold Kettle Drive several hours earlier on Saturday night, he said.

In that incident, he said, two boys were in a parking lot near the 100 block of Gold Kettle Drive, Lane said. Gaithersburg City Police believe the group approached the two boys and began talking to them, then attacked them, robbed them and ran off, Lane said.

Unlike in the Sunday incident, in the Saturday robbery, the alleged robbers did not know they victims, he said. sjbsmith@gazette.net

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Once-in-a-lifetime holiday: Thanksgivukkah Kyle Silberman (left), 5, and brother Michael, 7, of Silver Spring work on their “menurkey,” a turkey-shaped menorah they made out of clay and painted for a joint celebration of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving.

Convergence of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah hasn’t happened since 1888 n

BY

TERRI HOGAN AND PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITERS

What do you get when you combine Thanksgiving and Hanukkah?

Thanksgivukkah? Or maybe Thanks-a-latkes?

This is the year to make the most of the convergence of the two holidays. It hasn’t happened since 1888 and it will not happen again “in our lifetime,” said Rabbi Bentzy Stolik, director of Chabad of Olney.

“It’s impossible to determine if it will ever happen again,” Stolik said. “Hanukkah follows the Jewish calendar, which is based on a lunar system, but the number of months changes every two or three years to catch up with the Gregorian calendar.”

With the annual changing of Thanksgiving Day, which is celebrated the fourth Thursday of

PHOTO FROM CYNDI GLASS

November, it’s easy to see that the turkey might not catch up with the lighting of the menorah candles again for a long, long time.

“I’ve heard it will next happen in about 7,000 years,” said Ruth Lamberty, director of jconnect, a service of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

Hanukkah actually begins at sundown Wednesday, with the traditional celebration of the lighting of the first candle of the

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eight-day festival, a traditional meal and, for many, sharing of gifts.

Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple, desecrated by occupying invaders more than 2,100 years ago.

“Upon recapturing the temple from the Syrian Greeks, the Jewish people found only one jar of pure oil, enough to burn only one day, but it lasted miraculously for eight days until new, pure olive oil was produced,” according to a press release from Chabad of Olney. “In commemoration of this event, the Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting an eightbranched candelabra known as a menorah. The menorah is placed in highly visible place to publicize the miracle, with its message of hope and religious freedom, to all.”

Thanksgiving — which, according to tradition, was first celebrated in 1621 in Plymouth, Mass. — celebrates the provi-

dence of the previous year and the bounty of the harvest. It did not become an official holiday until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated each November. In 1941, Congress officially declared the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. Both holidays are about food, family and friends, Lamerty said, and many families will combine traditions on Thursday.

“I am making sweet potato latkes and pumpkin doughnuts,” she said. “The tradition behind them [as Hanukkah foods] is that they are both cooked in oil, something we use to commemorate the miracle of the oil in the temple.”

She also plans to serve turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, but will make a cranberry applesauce this year because applesauce is traditionally served with latkes, which are fried pancakes, usually made with white potatoes.

“I’m trying to make it fun,” she said.

So are many others. Online, celebrants can purchase Thanksgivukkah T-shirts and aprons picturing both a turkey and a menorah, notecards featuring a turkey behind a dreidel — the traditional Hanukkah spinning top — and one mimicking Grant Wood’s classic painting, “American Gothic,” showing the farmer holding a menorah. There is even a menurkey, a turkey-shaped menorah.

As many around the county toast the day with one tradition or another or a combination of the two, there is only one thing to be said: Gobbletov!

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SYLVIA CARIGNAN STAFF WRITER

It may be the holiday season, but that also means it’s the shopping season when more cars and pedestrians share the county’s parking lots. On Thursday, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett launched a campaign to educate pedestrians and help curb the number of accidents between pedestrians and cars in shopping areas.

At Dawson’s Market in Rockville, Leggett unveiled the educational campaign, including brochures, reusable grocery bags and pavement decals. The County Council has dedicated $50,000 to a pedestrian parking lot safety program this year, which is paying for the educational materials.

This year’s campaign is building on Leggett’s original pedestrian safety initiative, which started in December 2007.

“The original initiative looked at roadway collisions, and has focused on that,” county spokeswoman Esther Bowring said. “We realized that the increase from 2011 to 2013 in pedestrian collisions was actually an increase in those that occurred in parking lots.”

According to a county press release, 423 pedestrian accidents between people and cars were reported in Montgomery County in 2012.

About 30 percent of those, or 125 incidents, were in parking lots and garages. The county found that about 18 percent of parking lot crashes with pedestrians resulted in severe or incapacitating injuries.

Bowring said the same percent of collisions on roadways, about 20 percent, resulted in

Walk In Emergencies Welcome.

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ESTHER BOWRING

County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) promoted educational material for the county’s pedestrian safety initiative Thursday at Dawson’s Market in Rockville.

severe or incapacitating injuries.

“As we’re trying to figure out and get a handle on what is going on, and why these things are happening, we felt it was important — especially with the holiday season coming up — that people are educated,” she said.

Bowring said a county task force is working to find patterns in pedestrian crash data.

A group with representatives from county departments and agencies are sharing information and considering ways to educate the public about the issue.

The county is forming partnerships with developers to reach retailers throughout the county. They have formed relationships with FoulgerPratt, JBG Rosenfeld Retail, Lakeforest mall owner Urban Retail Properties, Peterson Cos. and others.

Dawson’s Market, which is part of Rockville Town Square and has garage parking, has educational materials from the county on display inside the store. Bus shelters and Ride On buses also have county brochures about pedestrian safety, including materials in Spanish. The campaign’s outdoor elements, like pavement decals, will be installed in county garages over the next few months, Bowring said. scarignan@gazette.net

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Frances J. Hayes passed on Saturday, November 16, 2013 at the Winchester Medical Center in Winchester, Virginia. A logtime resident of Gaithersburg, Maryland and loving wife of the late James A. Hayes, Jr.; mother of Diana Jenkins and fiance Billy Church, Jr., Front Royal, Virginia, Gary W. Hayes and wife April of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, and the late Timothy J. and Larry Hayes, sister of Donald and Marshall Monroe, also survived by three grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins. Friends were received at PUMPHREY’S COLONIAL FUNERAL HOME on Thursday, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Services were held at Grace United Methodist Church, 119 N. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. Maryland 20877 on Friday, November 22, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. Interment Forest Oak Cemetery, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Memorial contributions may be made to American Heart Association 4217 Park Place Court, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060. Please view and sign family guestbook at www.pumphreyfuneralhome.com.

Leggett launches safety campaign

n

Covenant Village Senior Health Fair

Ali Alibakhshi, DDS • Lenora Blathers, DDS • T. Haddad, DDS

Obituary Frances J. Hayes

County: Pedestrians at greater risk in parking lots

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Obituary William Edwin Dorsey (Eddy) 70,

of Monrovia, MD passed away after a long courage battle with a lung disease on November 13, 2013 at Georgetown University Hospital. He was a loving husband and best friend to his wife Nancy L Dorsey for 47 years.

Born February 5, 1943 in Damascus MD. to William B. Dorsey and Elizabeth W. Dorsey. Eddy grew up on the family farm in Boyds MD and graduated from Gaithersburg High School class of 1963. He was active in 4H tractor pulling and showing dairy cattle at Montgomery County Fair. He worked for Sire Power of Frederick for 5 years in 1968 he left the farm and when to work at Hawkins Floor Company where he worked for 40 years. After retirement he worked part time for King Floor of Damascus Md for 3 years.

In 1972 he built one of the first Hot Rod Tractors on the east coast called The Road Runner.

He enjoyed going to tractor pulls and being with his friends in the Heart of Maryland Tractor Club. His pride and joy was his 55 Chevy that he took to car shows or just out for a Sunday drive with his wife.

At Christmas time you could find Eddy out in the shop building something from rubber band cars to bull dozers and scooters for the boys to ride or beautiful shelves and doll cabinets and even a Chalet for his girl. He also enjoyed making bird houses to giving to family and friends . He was a kind and loving person who was willing to help out family and friends.

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He was a loving husband and father to his wife and to his two daughters Deborah A Rosensteel (Michael) and Robin L Bugos ( Robert). A beloved Pappy to his grandchildren Joshua A Rosensteel, Justin M Rosensteel, William Zachary Bugos and fiancee Jenni Jacobson, Shannon E Bugos and adopted granddaughter Sarah Sam. He was a devoted brother to Larry Dorsey, McKendree Dorsey, Mary Virginia Madden, Jean Purkey, Jo Ann Bice and sister-in-law Joann Dorsey. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Robert Dorsey, brother-in-law James Madden, sister-in-law Joann M Dorsey, and a great-nephew Bradley Bowman.

He also leaves behind two aunts - Ruth Waters of Frederick and Helen Gagliemo of Arlington, Va. also leaves behind one uncle - Roger Burdette and numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives, and friends. He leaves behind two special friends Leroy King and Butch Cline.

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We would like to thank all the Nurses and Staff in units C41 and C42 at Georgetown University Hospital for their loving care they showed Eddy. We would also like to thank Dr. Marc Margolis and Dr. Anne O’Donnell of Georgetown University Hospital for all their efforts in treating him for the lung infection he had for the past three years. Eddy fought a hard battle this year but he just could not win the battle this time. We would also like to thank The Cancer Treatment Centers in Frederick and Mt Airy and especially Dr. Kanan Hudhud for giving Eddy his infusions treatments for the last nine months.

Eddy’s wishes were to be cremated and a memorial service was be held on. Wednesday November 20, at Urbana Fire Hall, 3602 Urbana Pike Frederick, MD 21704. lnurnment followed at Mt Olivet Cemetery, 515 S. Market St Frederick, MD 21701 In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Medstar Georgetown University Hospital % The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, 3800 Reservoir Rd, Washington, D.C. 20007, in the name of William E. Dorsey, or to a charity of one’s choosing.

Molesworth-William’s Funeral Home, Damascus, MD is overseeing the arrangements.

Online Condolences may be shared with the family at molesworthwilliams.com

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

With national competition, nonprofit promotes wider use of wood stoves n

Alliance for Green Heat in Takoma Park touts high-efficiency option BY

SARAH SCULLY STAFF WRITER

Fourteen wood stoves burned hot during the first Wood Stove Decathlon held recently on the National Mall, but virtually no smoke rose from their chimneys.

A technology hundreds of years old, wood stoves are making a resurgence as a cheap and renewable source of heat. Modeled after the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon, in the wood stove version, held Nov. 15-19, 14 finalists from around the world showed off the most sophisticated technologies in modern stoves and competed in emissions, efficiency, affordability, market appeal and innovation. Woodstock Soapstone of New Hampshire won first place in the competition. The Alliance for Green Heat of Takoma Park, which hosted the decathlon, has been working to promote wood stoves as a renewable option within reach for low- and middle-income families.

“We’re trying to keep [wood stoves] a good option. We don’t want it to be left behind by solar and geothermal and other renewables that are really very good options, but only really good options for rich people,” said John Ackerly, founder of the Alliance for Green Heat.

Ackerly founded the nonprofit organization four years ago to promote wood stoves as a sustainable and economical heat source. The alliance aims to educate leaders, policymakers and the public on the potential of high-efficiency wood burning.

Maryland has strong rebates and incentives for residents to install solar panels, for example.

Ackerly would like to see similar treatment for wood stoves.

An efficient stove hardly emits any smoke because smoke is just small particles of unburned wood, Ackerly explained.

“It’s about extracting the heat from the wood and the smoke before the smoke goes up the chimney,” he said.

Most stoves at the decathlon burned the wood and then the smoke in two separate chambers. The keys to burning wood cleanly are getting the right amount of oxygen in the stove to feed the fire, and making sure the wood is very dry, Ackerly said.

Clean-burning but more affordable wood stoves cost about $1,000. Stoves in the competition cost $2,000-$6,000. And Ackerly estimated that it might cost a family $400-$600 to buy wood to heat their home for the winter, depending on the size and insulation of the house.

But, Ackerly said, in Montgomery County it’s easy to get wood for free like he does. Tree trimmers always have excess wood that they’d rather give away than take to the landfill, he said. And it’s sustainable, too. Trees are rarely cut down for firewood, at least in this part of the country, Ackerly said.

For the decathlon, not a single tree was cut down, he said. The wood was donated by a man in Montgomery County who collects wood from tree trimmers and cuts it to sell.

As oil and propane get more expensive, wood stoves are becoming a more popular option, Ackerly said. From 2000-2010, homes using wood stoves increased by 34 percent in Maryland, similar to the national trend, according to census data.

Dorothy Graham (left) of Rockville visits with Paula Warner of Gaithersburg during “Party Arty,” the 28th annual Montgomery County Executive’s Ball to benefit the arts and humanities Sunday at the Montgomery County Conference Center in North Bethesda.

PHOTO FROM JOHN ACKERLY WOODSTOVES

The first-place wood stove by Woodstock Soapstone comes with moose antler decorations.

Just .1 percent of Montgomery County residents used wood stoves in 2010, but the stoves tend to be more common in rural and lower-income areas.

Wood stoves have been the fastest-growing heat source since 2000, according to census data.

Entrants in the decathlon included new and long-established companies’ prototypes, stoves currently on the market, and a group of University of Maryland students. The students’ stove could also charge your cell phone or power a lamp during an electricity outage.

“They were thinking totally outside the box,” Ackerly said, “They had the cleanest stove in the whole competition and

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these kids had never heard of a wood-burning stove a year ago.”

Many stoves used computerized technologies to monitor temperature and oxygen levels and tell users when to reload firewood. And while most stoves were brought in by forklift, one stove arrived via taxi — it can picked up and carried around.

The first place winner, Woodstock Soapstone, received $25,000, followed by Travis of Washington and Wittus of New York, which each won $5,000 as runners-up. Travis donated their winnings back to the Alliance for Green Heat.

Ackerly hopes to host the decathlon every two years. sscully@gazette.net

TOWN OF POOLESVILLE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CASE NO. 003-13 The Poolesville Board of Zoning Appeals will hold a Public Hearing on December 5, 2013 at 7:00 PM at the Poolesville Town Hall, 19721 Beall Street, Poolesville, Maryland on Case No. 003-13 filed by Dollar General, 19718 Fisher Avenue, Poolesville, Maryland, requesting a variance in the number of required parking spaces from 77 spaces to 38 spaces pursuant to the Poolesville Zoning Code, Section 8.F and Section 8.D.2. This property is located in the Poolesville General Commercial Zone. Copies of this application are available at Town Hall.

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The Gazette OUROPINIONS

Forum

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

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Joint discussions

Gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur earned some political buzz last week when she announced that if she becomes governor in next November’s elections, she’ll try to legalize marijuana in Maryland. She proposes that the state regulate it and tax it, much like the state regulates and taxes alcohol.

She estimated a pot tax would boost state coffers by some $157.5 million, an oddly exact figure.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Jamie Raskin said he’ll introduce legislation in the 2014 session — 11 months before the election — to do the same thing. Colorado and Washington state have done it. Maryland, which affirmed same-sex marriage by referendum, would seem to be a good candidate to sign on.

Neither Mizeur nor Raskin provide many details of what happens when someone performs an act legalized by the state, but still criminalized by the federal government. Though the Obama administration may have little appetite for a cannabis prosecution, who knows how long that will last.

Even so, both Mizeur and Raskin deserve credit for bringing the issue forward and starting a dialogue of where the state should be heading. Even right-leaning, law-and-order Marylanders can question the value of keeping the status quo. Prohibition of alcohol didn’t work; there’s little evidence that pot prohibition is working either. By the same token, even right-leaning, libertarian-minded voters should ponder how legalization will affect vulnerable populations, particularly young people.

Of the two proposals, one can safely expect Raskin’s legislation won’t go very far. As liberal as the state is, it’s made paltry advances on medical marijuana. To think the General Assembly and Gov. Martin O’Malley will overturn prohibition is a pipe dream.

Mizeur at least has a gubernatorial campaign to present her proposal. She can bypass the General Assembly, where members will be worried about re-election, and directly address Democrats who will pick the party’s next nominee. With the economy and health care likely to be pressing issues, it’s unlikely that marijuana policy will take center stage, but the discussion gives the candidates and the public a chance to ponder and shape future policy.

One world, thankful

Jan. 1 is the traditional time when we declare how we can improve our ways. But Thanksgiving, as a feast of plenty, is a better time to take stock.

On Twitter, some people jokingly tag their minor complaints with “#FirstWorldProblems” — Starbucks is a mile away, there’s no WiFi on a camping trip, the toilet seat is cold. “I now have 4 phones,” someone posted on Monday.

For many people around the world, though, the bottom level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is frequently out of reach — clean water, sufficient food, reliable shelter.

Water.org, a website devoted to information about water and its availability, says 780 million people lack access to clean water — more than 2½ times the population of the United States.

“An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day,” the site says.

And more people have a mobile phone than a toilet, the site tells us. First World Problems, indeed.

In one of the wealthiest counties in Earth’s richest nation, we shouldn’t forget that our potholes on the road to daily happiness are relatively insignificant.

The death toll from Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines had climbed past 5,200.

People in the U.S. and abroad are struggling with natural and human-induced disasters and warfare. Thousands of American service members have died since this country went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and in other operations around the globe.

We summarize these grim and distressing figures only to remind ourselves to keep our collective perspective on what matters as we count our blessings this holiday season.

For too many, Thanksgiving is a starting pistol for a season of determined power shopping. We saw this sentiment captured in an Associated Press photo of a man standing in line at an Illinois appliance store. The man was resting his head dreamily, eyes closed, on the prize in his embrace — a new video game system.

It’s easy to get caught up in the shopping frenzy while looking for a blockbuster gift. But please keep the plight of all walks of humanity in mind as we approach this holiday season. We have it pretty good, and for that, each day, we should be grateful.

The Gazette Karen Acton, President/Publisher

LETTERS TOT HE EDITOR

There’s no place like home for health care Over the past few years, the United States health care system has gone through a groundbreaking shift to create a more efficient, cost-effective and health-focused system of care for all Americans. Yet it’s failing to help an integral part of the system that can assist in reducing costs and provide vital care that our parents and grandparents will benefit from as they age.

While most people associate hospitals and physicians with health care, each year millions of Americans receive health services in their homes that can include skilled nursing, physical therapy, social work and nursing aide care to assist with their daily activities of living.

Studies have shown that home care is the most cost-effective setting for patients in need of continued health care after their hospital discharge. Home care can dramatically reduce burdensome costs for patients suffering from illnesses such as heart failure, joint replacements and strokes as well as prevent hospital readmissions.

Avalere Health, a Washington consulting group, reported that chronically ill patients who received home care services experienced fewer hospital readmissions than patients who received other post-acute services. Furthermore, these fewer readmissions resulted

in an estimated $670 million in Medicare cost savings over a three-year period.

Despite the essential nature of home care in the changing world of health care, not-forprofit organizations, like Adventist Home Care Services, have borne the brunt of federal budget cuts for the past several years. Even though Medicare payments to home care are only a small portion of Medicare’s total expenditures, the home care industry has taken on a significant and disproportionate amount of the Medicare reductions over the past several years.

These cuts put 3.5 million Medicare beneficiaries receiving home-care services at risk of losing their access to this care because there will be fewer providers who can afford to continue to care for these patients.

Home care agencies like Adventist Home Care Services, which has provided services to the Washington Metropolitan region for more than 40 years, would still provide care to patients, but be paid less than the cost of care for most of them.

Without home care, some of these patients may end up back in the hospital or in other health-care facilities such as nursing homes.

Ultimately, any immediate savings may end up costing our health-care system more down

the road as home-care patients are forced to seek medical care elsewhere.

Our parents and grandparents are the ones who will suffer from these decisions in Washington. According to the latest census, seniors make up the largest population in the United States. As the 77 million baby-boomers continue to age, our health care system must find efficient and cost-effective ways to meet their needs.

While the Affordable Care Act will improve services for many Americans, home-care leaders expect our political leaders to find ways to better utilize home-care services and ensure their long-term viability. If we can accomplish this, I believe we can create a win-win situation for patients and our health care system.

As health care shifts to a system that is designed to incentivize day-to-day wellness and reduce hospital readmissions, the home-care industry is primed to be the leader in caring for patients in the most cost-effective setting and comfortable setting: home.

Keith Ballenger The writer is vice president of Adventist Home Care Services in Silver Spring and a board member with the Maryland National Capital Homecare Association.

Pool’s rules defy logic

Over the past year, my young son has become an avid swimmer. In fact it has become his primary sporting pursuit. When our local pool closed for the winter, we began looking for a nearby facility where he could swim after school. We contacted Montgomery County’s Shriver Aquatic Center in Rockville where he had many lessons in the past. They informed us that children were not allowed to use the open lanes at the lap pool until after 7:30 p.m. on weekdays. After school, the lap pool is for the exclusive use of adults until 7:30 pm.

This created an obvious dilemma for us because it made it impossible for our son to swim and get home at a reasonable hour to go to sleep on school days. Only after 7:30 would Shriver allow both children and adults to use the lap pool. This seemed counter to what I have encountered at various other facilities. Children are usually accommodated earlier, particularly on school nights.

Calls to the manager at Shriver were not returned. A call to Robin Riley, Division Chief of Recreation, went unanswered for over a week.

Her eventual response was a message saying they do not allow kids

during the week because there is no demand. She then went on to add that changing the rules to allow kids earlier at the pool might result in all the lanes being taken up by kids who want to swim. This response confuses the issue of whether there is too much demand or not enough. Two subsequent calls to Ms. Riley back in October were never returned.

Messages sent to the Recreation Department through social media resulted in dismissive responses that I was wasting my time and there would never be a change in policy. We were told the Montgomery County programs and facilities were world class and that there was no room for improvement. I was also specifically warned not to go to the media with this issue.

It became clear that the primary reason for not changing the policy was likely the (minimal) effort involved. Though this slight adjustment in policy would not cost Montgomery County any money, those in charge of the aquatic center have made it clear they are not interested in any modifications — no matter what the reason.

We are simply asking that kids be allowed some access to

the open lanes during the week at a reasonable hour. The adults who wish to use the lanes would still be able to use them. Having an adult hour is fine as well. It just doesn’t seem fair to ban kids who really want to swim from these public pools Monday through Friday.

Finding no understanding or compassion at our county facility or with the county representatives, we were forced to seek out the Rockville City Pool. At the Rockville pool, the lap lanes are open to all irrespective of age.

This raised the question of how the Rockville City Pool was able to work out their schedule to be so inclusive while the self-proclaimed world class Montgomery County facilities could only manage if they barred certain residents.

Public policy should always lead and not follow. Rules that have been around “too long to change” are never fully addressing the needs of the community.

When we tell kids they don’t matter, we need to be ready for them to say the same when we are older and no longer the decision makers.

So Gus Bauman, former head of Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission and land-use expert, has suddenly woken up to the fact that neither the commission nor the County Council have required the developers of downtown Silver Spring to set aside any green space for the thousands of new residents? Where were you, Gus, when this was going on? And does anyone think a dog park replacing one of the few facilities for the mentally ill (Adrienne House), as the current Commission is considering, is the “green space” Silver Spring needs?

The planners and politicians who have let Silver Spring develop with no set-aside for parks or the schools that these new residents are going to need are many dollars short and many years late. Who is now going to fix this disaster?

Jennifer Mitchell, Kensington

Edith Holleman, Silver Spring

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THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

DEATH

Continued from Page A-1 p.m. Friday in Silver Spring when they stopped a car he was in. Delgado tried to flee during the stop, according to a statement police released detailing his arrest.

Alvarado made his mark at Gaithersburg High School as a scholar athlete, earning a full scholarship to the College of William & Mary in 2006, ac-

cording to his former high school football coach Kreg Kephart.

“The news of this hit me like I was punched in the gut. Michael was one of the finest leaders we have ever had on this team,” Kephart said, recalling one speech Alvarado made before a game against Damascus High School. Kephart said Alvarado asked to give the pregame talk and pulled out a full-page speech he read to his team.

“It was as good or better than anything I could have done,” Kephart said.

Page A-9

Alvarado, who was co-captain of his high school team, was named to the county’s 2005 All-Gazette football team and the Washington Post’s 2005 All Met team.

At William & Mary, Alvarado played nickelback on the 2009 squad that made it to the national semifinals of the Football Championship Series, according to the college’s athletic department spokesman Pete Clawson. He played for the school from 2006 to 2009.

“He had a good personality and

from my perspective was always pretty easy to deal with,” Clawson said.

Kevin Parrish, a Gaithersburg High math teacher and former basketball coach, remembered Alvarado as a player who had unlimited potential.

“He was one of the most athletic kids we had. If he had wanted to play basketball in college he could have done that too,” Parrish said. “He was so full of life ... this is just really sad.”

Alvarado’s homicide sent four nearby schools into lockdown while

M-83

sjbsmith@gazette.net

MIDCOUNTY HIGHWAY OPTIONS

Continued from Page A-1 would affect almost 50 acres of parkland, more than any other alternative.

“Suitable replacement land would be provided to replace all parkland impacted,” the study states.

At the meeting in Silver Spring on Thursday evening, the county’s planning staff recommended a new alternative that would combine a rapid transit bus system with Alternatives 2 and 5. They also suggested eliminating Alternative 4 Modified from further consideration and creating a parkland mitigation plan for each alternative.

According to planning board documents, staff also suggested eliminating Alternative 4 Modified back in 1992. The board members rejected the staff recommendation.

Eleven options were initially presented for the countyfunded project, but that number has been narrowed to six: Alternatives 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9. Alternative 9 has been presented with three different end routes that would each connect to Ridge Road at its future intersection with Snowden Farm Parkway.

The county study recommended Alternative 9, which follows the master plan for the area.

More than 200 county residents, from Chevy Chase to Clarksburg, told the Planning Board via email to reject the concept of extending Midcounty Highway. A Change.org petition supporting Alternative 9A had 648 supporters as of Thursday.

investigators scoured the streets with dog teams and helicopters in search of two people who witnesses said they saw leaving the crime scene on foot Thursday afternoon.

Capt. Jim Daly, a county police spokesman, said police get many calls to that area because it’s densely populated.

A preliminary hearing for Delgado has been set for Dec. 20.

n Alternative 1: The no-build option. No improvements or construction will take place as part of this plan. Anticipated cost: $0. n Alternative 2: Improves 16 congested intersections on Md. 355, the existing Midcounty Highway, Snouffer School Road and Stedwick Road. Anticipated cost: $41 million. n Alternative 4: Widens the corridor that includes Brink, Wightman, Snouffer School and Muncaster Mill roads.

The corridor would become a four- to six-lane highway with a sidewalk and bike lanes.

Anticipated cost: $251 million. n Alternative 5: Md. 355 will become a six-lane highway.

Anticipated cost: $120 million.

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Residents listen attentitvely to a staff briefing at the Montgomery County Planning Board meeting on the midcounty corridor study Thursday at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission regional offices in Silver Spring.

Residents and elected officials have expressed a myriad of different opinions on the county’s Midcounty Highway study, with no clear majority for any single route.

More than a dozen members of the Transportation Alternatives of the Midcounty Highway Extended Coalition, led

by Coalition for Smarter Growth spokeswoman Kelly Blynn, carried signs at the county meeting Thursday with a red circle and slash across “M-83,” also known as the master plan route. Two members of the Greater Goshen Civic Association came to the

meeting with signs to support M-83.

Presley suggested that county buy the homes directly in the route of the master plan road. The county study states that no residences will be displaced by the Alternative 9A, but 125 properties are partially in the right-of-way needed for the new road.

Planning Board member Casey Anderson, who ended up on the losing side of the vote, said the board should not support an alignment until a transit alternative to the county’s suggested highways was studied.

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“I believe that we can better serve Clarksburg and the county’s transportation needs,” he said.

Carrier, who voted against the majority of the board, also expressed concern about the master plan route.

“The great tragedy of this [master plan] road is the likelihood that even if it gets built, it will be great for about six months,” she said. “And then it will fill up with cars — people will change their driving patterns.”

Presley, Vice Chairwoman Marye Wells-Harley and board

n Alternative 8: Like Alternative 9, this option includes a new highway between the existing Midcounty Highway and Watkins Mill Road. This

member Norman Dreyfuss voted to recommend the master plan route.

City of Gaithersburg officials weighed in on the county project in a July letter to the Maryland Department of the Environment and Army Corps of Engineers. In the letter, Gaithersburg Long-Range Planner Rob Robinson took issue with the study’s claims that the master plan route would improve congestion and decrease commute time.

“While the quality of life

alternative would build a new four-lane highway from Snowden Farm Parkway to Watkins Mill Road, but leaves a gap between Watkins Mill Road and Montgomery Village Avenue to provide space to the Whetstone Run stream.

Alternative 8 also has three divergent options for the north end of the highway.

Each would end at Ridge Road, but one would enter the Agricultural Reserve, one would run along Ridge Road, and one would create a new highway in accordance with the master plan. Anticipated cost: depending on the selected option, between $255 million and $274 million. n Alternative 9: Builds a new four-lane highway between the existing Midcounty Highway and Watkins Mill Road. At that point, the road’s three ending options are the same as those in Alternative 8. Anticipated cost: depending on the selected option, between $338 million and $357 million.

— SYLVIA CARIGNAN may improve for Clarksburg and Germantown — at what cost to Gaithersburg?” he wrote.

The city tentatively supports Alternative 2, but Robinson said that building this alternative alone would not significantly decrease congestion or improve mobility in the city.

The Planning Board’s recommendation will be sent to the County Council for consideration. A council hearing date has not yet been determined. scarignan@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Page A-10

TRUANCY

In extreme examples, parents could face prosecution

Continued from Page A-1 middle schools: Neelsville and Roberto Clemente in Germantown; and Francis Scott Key, A. Mario Loiederman and Argyle, all in Silver Spring.

It is expected to start in a sixth next spring. Plans for a seventh school are also in the works.

County prosecutors and a district court judge serve as program “judges” — adults talk with students about the root of their problem and how to fix it.

Students meet weekly at their school with a group of adults that includes the program judge, as well as school staff and a mentor.

Schools invite students; families decide whether a child participates.

Students who show improvement in grades and attendance “graduate” from the program. Those who don’t graduate try again in the next 10-week session.

After hearing about a program started by the University of Baltimore called Truancy Court, Montgomery State’s Attorney John McCarthy asked about implementing it in Montgomery County.

“I thought if we could take a bite out of truancy, we would reduce youth-related crime,” he said.

Authorities say they don’t have exact numbers on how the program has helped lower juvenile crime rates, but according to a 2009 report created for the U.S. Department of Justice, truants are as much as 12 times more likely to report having committed a serious assault, as much as 21 times more likely to report having committed a serious property crime, and as much as seven times more likely to report having been arrested.

Unlike in Baltimore, where many truancy court judges are actual judges, in Montgomery County, prosecutors fill many “judge” roles.

George Simms — the head of the Montgomery County state’s attorney’s office’s Juvenile Division — is the judge at Loiederman.

“Traditionally, prosecutors only did one type of thing — waited for a crime to be committed, and then prosecuted the person accused of committing it,” Simms said. “Our job is really public safety. If we can do things to help protect the community, I think that is part of our job.”

In each of the 10 weekly sessions, students meet with a mentor and in the “court,” where the judge and others provide encouragement and review progress. They go over attendance, grades, performance and behavior.

‘Outside people’ Steve Neff, director of pupil personnel services for the county school system, said the school system has seen in-

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

n

Review board hears cases that didn’t improve through intervention

BY

ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH STAFF WRITER

When the system tries and still can’t get kids to stop missing school, their parents could face criminal charges.

Prosecutors estimate that in the last year, they brought charges against 25 to 30 parents, including a recent case in which a mother was sentenced to a week in jail.

Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said charges are only filed in the “most egregious cases” of parents repeatedly refusing to follow the law.

Truancy Court — a voluntary program in which students discuss attendance problems with a panel of school creases in truancy.

Circumstances outside school are a factor, Neff said.

“I think part of it,” he said, “is having to do with some of the challenges that families are facing” — housing, transportation, food and finances.

Habitual truancy rates have fluctuated over recent years, according to county school system data, but there has been a general increase.

From 2008-09 to 2012-13, the school system’s habitual truancy rate rose from 0.72 percent to 1.08 percent. Habitual truants, however, are only a fraction of the students with absentee problems.

For truants, Neff said, having someone outside of the school express an interest can make a huge difference.

Sometimes, solving basic problems does the trick. A child can’t wake up on time: there’s an alarm clock for that. Other times, it’s trickier.

Steve Chaikin, an assistant state’s attorney and the judge at Clemente Middle in Germantown, said he had a case in which a girl “knew this was her last chance” after getting into a fight. He talked to the child with her father, the school social worker and other members of the school’s truancy court.

Seven weeks later, she has had nearly perfect attendance and is passing three classes, Chaikin said.

“My favorite point is when we’re no longer talking about attendance issues, but talking about academic issues — that’s when we know it’s working,” he said.

Created in 2005 The Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts at the University of Baltimore School of Law created the Truancy Court Program in 2005, accord-

officials — is one resource county authorities use to encourage students to stay in school.

Another is the Truancy Review Board, which asks parents to appear before representatives from the county’s Department of Health and Human Services, police department, the Housing Opportunities Commission, and other agencies.

According to a report by Montgomery County’s Office of Legislative Oversight on truancy in Montgomery Public Schools, “habitual truancy” is defined as students missing 18 days in a semester or 36 days of school in a school year.

The board makes the request after individual schools have contacted parents and made other efforts to get students in school, Montgomery County Assistant State’s Attorney Curt Zeager said.

Steve Neff, the director of pupil personnel services for Montgomery

County Public Schools, decides who to call before the board.

The board lets parents share their stories and receive help from local agencies, including medical services or transportation to making sure the students can go to school, Zeager said.

The process usually takes a year or two. After that, in rare circumstances in which problems persist, county prosecutors might charge parents criminally.

Aurea Cosme-Torres, whose current address is listed in Hyattsville, is the mother of a girl who attends school in Montgomery County.

Cosme-Torres recently spent a week in jail and must serve a year of supervised probation, after her daughter missed 48 percent of the 2012-13 school year at Piney Branch Elementary in Silver Spring, Zeager said.

In that case, court records show, the school contacted the mother at least 27 times to send her daughter to school and had her appear before a truancy

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Evelyn Joray (left), Montgomery County Public Schools pupil personnel worker, and Nilda Colgrove, Montgomery County schools parent community coordinator, discuss student issues after Truancy Court at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School in Silver Spring. ing to Barbara Babb, the center’s director.

In Maryland, she said, parents can be prosecuted criminally if their children do not attend school.

One Montgomery County mother recently spent a week in jail and must serve a year of supervised probation, after her daughter missed 48 percent of the 2012-13 school year at Piney Branch Elementary in Silver Spring, Assistant State’s Attorney Curt Zeager said.

The program expanded to Anne Arundel County in 2009 and to Montgomery and Baltimore counties in 2010.

Then, funding dried up.

The program no longer exists in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, according to Andrea Bento, a University of Baltimore School of Law student who helps administer Montgomery County’s program.

The Montgomery County Council allocated $52,000 for the program in fiscal 2013 and $78,000 in fiscal 2014 to continue and expand the program.

Truancy Court administrators say they target students in middle school because truancy rates often jump in sixth and ninth grades.

According to an Oct. 22 memorandum to the County Council’s education and public safety committees, data from Neelsville and Francis Scott Key showed an overall program graduation rate of 57 percent and a reduction in participants’ unexcused absences by about 60 percent in the fall of 2012.

The same memorandum said that about 63 percent of participants graduated from the program and reduced their unexcused absences by about 69 percent in the spring of 2013 when Neelsville, Francis Scott Key and Loiederman participated.

‘Another layer of support’ When the bell rings, Lizbeth Molina-Urias’ first thought is not always getting to class on time.

“I can get on time to class,”

gone to truancy program meetings each Friday.

“It’s awkward, but I go with it,” she said. “They, like, tell me my grades, how I’ve been. They tell me about compliments that my teachers say.”

Before the program, Lizbeth didn’t usually focus on her grades, but now she works to improve them.

Lizbeth said she writes about missing classwork in a journal she received through the program — one of a variety of prizes the students can get. Students receive small incentives if they show improvement, according to program administrators.

Argyle principal Robert Dodd said his school joined because he thought it would provide “another layer of support” for students and parents.

The 15 students in the program had five or more unexcused absences or had “excessive tardiness” last year, he said.

A recent report from the school shows that 10 of the 15 students have missed no more than two days of classes this year.

A seventh-grader who was absent 23.5 days last year has only been absent twice and has a first marking period GPA of 3.12, nearly a full point higher than the student’s GPA for the fourth marking period last year.

Tiffany Awkard, assistant principal at Clemente, said the seventh- and eighth-grade students in the school’s first-ever session this fall were absent about 15 to 25 times last school year.

Awkard said that for many Clemente students in the program, truancy stems from aca-

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she said. “It’s just that, I don’t feel like it.”

The 13-year-old Argyle Middle eighth-grader is working on improving her attendance, along with 14 other seventh- and eighth-graders.

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review board three times.

Cosme-Torres is appealing her case in December.

Bethan Haaga, who defended Cosme-Torres in District Court, declined to comment about the case, citing her client’s privacy. Phone calls to numbers listed to Cosme-Torres and her family members in court records were not answered.

“It’s very rare someone goes to jail.

That’s not our goal,” Zeager said.

A parent can spend up to 30 days in jail for not sending a child to school.

That was increased recently from 10 days, he said.

Zeager said that might seem extreme, but that’s only when parents won’t take responsibility.

“My point to defense attorneys who say this is outrageous is: We’ve been dealing with this for a year,” he said.

“It’s repeated irresponsibility.”

GD27023

demic issues. Some students don’t want to go to class because they’re not performing well.

Awkard said the school already had seen an improvement in students’ attendance and attitude.

At Neelsville, Principal Vicky Lake-Parcan said about a dozen out of 30 potential students from all three grades are participating.

Some Neelsville students have said they don’t attend school because they don’t feel well. Others have anxiety issues or are responsible for getting themselves up and ready for school, she said.

“If they’re not feeling successful or feeling like this isn’t where they want to be, it’s really easy for them to just stay in bed and not come to school,” she said.

Lake-Parcan said the program addresses absenteeism and truancy before a student goes to the county Truancy Review Board, a multi-agency group that can refer parents of truant children to the state’s attorney’s office.

‘Unlimited potential’ On Nov. 20, during the last day of their program session, Clemente students met with Chaikin and others for final thoughts on their progress.

Most participating students graduated from Clemente’s program on Nov. 20. Two will continue in the next program session starting in January.

The students who graduated reduced their number of unexcused absences by at least 65 percent.

“You all now have the tools to be successful, to be on time, to do well,” Chaikin told them.

“You all have one thing in common: unlimited potential.” sjbsmith@gazette.net lpowers@gazette.net

&

The Gazette’s Guide to

Arts & Entertainment

LET THE ‘GAMES’ BEGIN

All “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” had to do was show up. Page A-16

www.gazette.net

|

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

|

Page A-11

THEATER

And a partridge in a pear tree n

Award-winning playwright brings fresh take to holiday classic BY

CARA HEDGEPETH STAFF WRITER

In college, actor and director Michael Dove used to get nervous before going on stage. So nervous in fact, that he’d become physically ill.

“I would get really sick before every show, particularly a show that I had the lead in,” Dove said. “I would throw up every single night before the show.”

Plenty of actors get nervous before going on stage to face an audience full of strangers, but Dove’s stage was the Children’s Playshop at James Madison University and his audience was a room full of children. So why the nerves?

“When you do a show like, let’s say ‘Agnes Under the Big Top,’” a play Dove directed at Round House Theatre earlier this year, ”if someone doesn’t like the show, you’re never going to know that. They’re not going to get bored and start standing up and down in their chairs. I was always nervous about performing

See PARTRIDGE, Page A-15

PHOTO BY MIKE HORAN

Danny Pushkin and Diedra LaWan Starnes star in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” at Adventure Theatre-MTC.

Shall WE

BY

STAFF WRITER

DANCE? Romantic tension at the heart of classic Broadway musical

Paolo Montalban as The King and Eileen Ward as Anna in Olney Theatre Center’s production of “The King and I.”

Bethesda Stamp Art Director Ethel Kessler and Alexandria photographer George Brown worked together with the U.S. Postal Service to release the Hanukkah stamp.

2013 U.S. POSTAL SERVICE

Whirling around a dance floor in a skirt that weighs 40 pounds is only part of actress Eileen Ward’s job playing Anna in the Olney Theatre Center’s production of “The King and I.” “It has a hoop the size of a truck,” laughed Ward. “When I go backstage, people have to get out of the way, or I’ll be walking right over them.”

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway musical, complete with elaborate costumes and beautiful music, runs to Dec. 29 at the theater.

“They’re really pulling out all the stops — the show requires it!” said Mark Waldrop, who is directing “The King and I” for the first time.

A stage veteran, Waldrop has directed four other shows for Olney

See MUSICAL, Page A-15

THE KING AND I

Classic musical abounds with roles for children “The King and I,” running to Dec. 29 at the Olney Theatre Center, is a Broadway classic that uses a large cast of young children and teenagers.

Henry Niepoetter, 12, of College Park, and Ian Berlin, 13, of Chevy Chase, share the role of Anna’s son, Louis.

VIRGINIA TERHUNE

n When: To Dec. 29 (see website for showtimes)

“It’s the biggest role I’ve had so far — it’s my first big acting part,” said Niepoetter, who also has performed with the Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo.

Niepoetter credits “an amazing father” who

n Where: Olney Theatre Center, 2001 OlneySandy Spring Road, Olney n Tickets: $32.50-$65 n For information: 301-924-3400, olneytheatre.org

See CHILDREN, Page A-15

PHOTOS BY STAN BAROUH

Paolo Montalban as The King in Olney Theatre Center’s production of “The King and I.”

HANUKKAH FOREVER

n

Wrought-iron menorah used for new USPS Hanukkah stamp BY

WILL C. FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER

Most people wouldn’t really stop to think about spending 46 cents. For that matter, most folks probably aren’t too concerned about something that costs 46 cents.

Ethel Kessler, though, put a lot of time and effort into

something that only costs 46 cents, but will last forever.

Bethesda resident Kessler, who is the stamp art director for the United States Postal Service, worked with Alexandria, Va., photographer George Brown to create the new Hanukkah stamp just in time for the holiday season.

So far in her career, Kessler has designed more than 300 stamps for the USPS. This is her third Hanukkah stamp. With more than 25 years of experience designing for clients such as the Clinton/Gore White House, the Smithsonian and more, Kessler said she had no idea

See HANUKKAH, Page A-15

Page A-12

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

ERIN GIFFORD

Kurt Boehm as Lyle and David Landstrom as Joshua in the musical “Lyle the Crocodile” at Imagination Stage to Jan. 10.

Rockin’ reptile “Lyle the Crocodile” dances onto stage and into audiences’ imaginations to Jan. 10 at Imagination Stage in Bethesda.

When the Primm family discovers a crocodile living in the bathtub of their New York City apartment, its an adjustment to say the least. But it’s nothing compared to their nasty neighbor, Mr. Grumps, who has it out for the reptile. Can Lyle save the day and earn his place as a beloved friend and neighbor?

For tickets and show times, visit www.imaginationstage.org.

MARIAN MACKERER

“Bottle Tops,” oil on canvas by Marian MacKerer.

Pop ART

Contemporary still life painter Marian MacKerer will be the featured artist for December at the Montgomery Art Association Gallery at Westfield Wheaton Mall. An opening reception is scheduled from 1-5 p.m. Dec. 8. MacKerer has been working in oil for six years. She strives for capturing three-dimensional qualities on a flat canvas, emphasizing light and shadows to capture a realistic still life, and uses a bold palette, staging her compositions with everyday objects. Utilizing both large and small formats, MacKerer tells a story through her compositions to connect the viewer to familiar memories. For more information, visit www.montgomeryart.org.

The suite life

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER PIPER

The Nutcracker defends Clara-Marie against the Mouse King and his minions in The Puppet Co.’s presentation of “The Nutcracker.”

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“The Nutcracker” returns to the Puppet Co. Playhouse from Nov. 29 to Dec. 29 at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo. Show times vary. The company’s rendition of the classic tale was commissioned by the Arlington Symphony to perform with its live orchestra in 1988.

The following year it opened at the Puppet Co. Playhouse in what turned out to be an annual tradition for 25 years. For more information, including tickets and show times, visit www.thepuppetco.org.

DANISHA CROSBY

Kimberly Gilbert as Lisa, Naomi Jacobson as Rita and John Lescault as Ben in the Round House Theatre production of “The Lyons.”

‘Lyons’ den Nicky Silver’s “The Lyons” continues to Dec. 22 at the Round House Theatre in Bethesda. Directed by John Vreeke,

the area premiere follows indomitable matriarch Rita Lyons as she faces a major crossroads. Her husband is dying, her son is in a dubious relationship and her daughter is barely holding it together. Tempers flare, words are exchanged and secrets are revealed. Worst of all, Rita can’t figure out how to redesign her living room. For more information, including tickets and show times, visit www.roundhousetheatre.org.

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Page A-13

Sultan surprise: String artists to rule Mansion at Strathmore stage Canadian quartet brings musical fusion to Montgomery County n

BY

CARA HEDGEPETH STAFF WRITER

The Sultans of String (from left): Kevin Laliberté, Eddie Paton (who plays Nylon guitar on “Symphony!”), Drew Briston, Chendy Leon and Chris McKhool.

SULTANS OF STRING n When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 n Where: The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda n Tickets: $20 n For information: 301-5815100, strathmore.org, sultansofstring.com

were already playing the piano so [my mom] thought it would be good for [me] to play the violin,” McKhool said.

By high school, McKhool had started listening to Joni Mitchell and Neil Young and had even begun teaching himself folk songs on the guitar.

When he moved to Toronto, McKhool said he started listen-

ing to violinists like Hugh Marsh who were pushing the boundaries on the violin.

“Hugh Marsh ... he was the first violinist I heard playing alternative violin styles,” McKhool said. “It almost sounded more like a horn player, or a sax player than a violinist.”

The Sultans of String formed six years ago, though their unofficial introduction was practically a mistake.

“I met Kevin and Drew about 10 years ago but in a different context,” McKhool said.

“Kind of a jazz group context. I was leading a jazz quartet ... and I heard Kevin warming up on his guitar, playing Rumba and Flamenco.”

McKhool was immediately intrigued.

“The first time hearing it was pretty exciting,” he said. “It was my first time really hearing a Rumba rhythm kind of up close and personal. I had heard it on the radio.”

Soon, McKhool, Laliberté and Briston were playing together at a small venue in Toronto.

“Not that many people were listening to us, so we had a lot of freedom,” McKhool said. “We spent most of the time making music up on the spot; spontaneous composition. And some of these songs that we made up on the spot have become some of our greatest songs.”

The Sultans of String have recorded four albums, the latest a “roots classical crossover” featuring a hand-picked symphony orchestra. “[It’s] a 55-piece pick-up symphony orchestra,” McKhool said. “We cherry-picked our favorite players.”

According to McKhool, the Sultans of String, who have been hailed “Canada’s ambassadors of musical diversity,” are always interested in trying new sounds.

Living in Toronto it’s very easy to hear so many different styles and influences from around the world, McKhool said. “We really like to tell stories through our music about the people we meet

w No ing! w Sho F.

Scott Fitzgerald Theater

603 Edmonston Dr. Rockville, MD 20851

240-314-8690

www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre

The Nutcracker 2013 Presented by Rockville Civic Ballet December 7 & 14 at 2pm and 7:30pm December 8 & 15 at 2pm Tickets $17 to $13

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Depending on the gig, the Sultans of String can range from a duo to a 60-member ensemble.

“A lot of times, Kevin [Laliberté] and I will jump in the Civic and do a duo tour,” said band leader and violinist Chris McKhool. “Sometimes we’ll be out as a trio and then, for really big shows, we go out as a quartet.

Once in a while we’ll perform with a symphony orchestra and add 60 players to the mix.”

When the Sultans of String perform at the Mansion at Strathmore on Dec. 5, they’ll be a quartet — McKhool on vocals and violin, Laliberté on guitar, Drew Briston on bass and Chendy Leon on percussion. The Strathmore show is the second stop on the ensemble’s mini-tour promoting their fourth album, “Symphony!” released in September. Other stops include New York City, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

This is only the second visit to the Washington, D.C., area for the Toronto-based Sultans.

The band just started touring the U.S. a few years ago, and has recently gained recognition stateside after playing several Folk Alliance Conferences.

The Sultans of String have already developed a following in their native Canada for their style of musical fusion featuring a blend of Spanish Flamenco, Arabic folk, Cuban rhythms, Celtic sounds and French Gypsy Jazz.

The son of a pianist, McKhool grew up listening to classical music. His mother, who also taught piano out of the family’s home, wanted McKhool and his two older siblings to play a musical instrument.

“My older brother and sister

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KEVIN KELLY

and the places we travel to ...

[There’s] a lot of experimentation involved. We really enjoy doing a lot of listening.”

In addition to a childhood filled with classical music, McKhool said he was also raised on “Canadian values” including tolerance and acceptance. The upbringing has helped shaped his approach to music.

“I think it’s really about listening ... instead of trying to change a situation ...” he said.

“The best thing we can do as musicians is give a voice to all kinds of music and musicians we think are underrepresented or under-recorded.” chedgepeth@gazette.net

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Fillmore gives thanks: Venue opens doors for less fortunate for Thanksgiving Seasonal treats, music and more in store

n

BY

WILL C. FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER

It’s that time of year again.

It’s getting a little colder outside and the holiday season is upon us. Many will be spending time with their families around a table filled with turkey and stuffing this Thanksgiving.

Others, who are less fortunate, will be looking to stay warm and for a warm meal.

In Silver Spring, the Fillmore looks to do its part to help those

in need. The venue will open its doors at 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving to provide seasonal treats, music and care packages for those in the community in need.

General manager Stephanie Steele said this is the second year the venue has hosted this event.

“This year, we’ve changed up the format of the event based on feedback we received from our guests last year,” Steele said.

“This year, we’re going to be featuring a live jazz band, we’re going to be having a dessert service and warm, seasonal drinks like apple cider and hot cocoa.

We’re going to have several care package stations set up around

the venue.”

The stations, according to Steele, allow people to assemble their own care packages by choosing what products they need.

“That’s really the ‘giving’ part of giving thanks,” Steele said. “We’re very thankful to be a part of the Silver Spring community and we’re excited to be able to open our doors and invite in an audience that doesn’t always have access to a place like ours and to send them away with things that will keep them warm and will satisfy some of their needs for the days following.”

The Fillmore has enough volunteers to help during the day, and while the venue has received

Mythos

Mediterranean Grill Classic Greek Food including Chicken Souvlaki, Lamb Shank, Kabobs, Greek Gyro Salad, Stuffed Flounder & more.

Great selection of beer & wine available

DANCES Hollywood Ballroom,Nov. 27,

301-519-1093

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Carryout, dine in & catering

10% OFF Total Check

Dine in or Carryout. Min $20.00.

T-F. Expires 12/31/13

1906284

132722G

132819G

n When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday n Where: Fillmore Silver Spring, 8565 Colesville Road, Silver Spring n Admission: Free n For information: 301-960-9999; fillmoresilverspring.com

Monday through Friday leading up to Thanksgiving. Donations can also be dropped off while the venue is open for a show.

free International Waltz Routine lesson at 7:30 p.m., Social Ballroom at 8:15 p.m. ($16); Nov. 28,

Tea Dance from 12:30–3:30 p.m. ($6); Nov. 29, drop-in lessons from 7:30-9 p.m., West Coast Swing Dancing with Dance Jam Productions at 9 p.m. ($15); Dec. 1, Fox Trot lesson at 7 p.m., Social Ballroom Dance at 8 p.m. ($16); Dec. 4, Social Ballroom Dance from 8–11 p.m. ($10); Dec. 5, Tea Dance from 12:30–3:30 p.m. ($6), 2126 Industrial Highway, Silver Spring, 301-326-1181, www.hollywoodballroomdc.com

Glen Echo Park is at 7300 MacArthur Blvd.

Blues, Capital Blues: Thurs-

We deliver. Call or stop by today.

Dine in or Carryout. Min $20.00.

T-F. Expires 12/31/13

GIVING THANKS

Cash donations are also accepted, according to Steele.

Steele said more than a 100 people came by the venue last year and more are expected this year.

“It would be great if we could double that number … this year,” Steele said. “… We’re going to have a big screen and our projector running and showing the holiday parade and any other good thing that’ll be on for folks to watch. It’s truly an opportunity for these guests to come in and sit down and relax in a really welcoming atmosphere and make it something special for them.” wfranklin@gazette.net

IN THE ARTS

Closed Monday 8371 Snouffer School Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20879

LUNCH SPECIALS 11-3 • TUES-FRI Free Fries with Sandwich

a lot of support in the way of food and clothing donations from the community, Steele said they will continue to accept all donations.

What isn’t used or given away will be donated to Shepherd’s Table in Silver Spring.

“The community response has been overwhelming both years,” Steele said. “… We’ve been receiving tons of donations from local businesses and residents over the last few weeks.

Now that we’re getting closer and closer to the Thanksgiving holiday, we’re just receiving a wonderful response in donations every day leading up to it.”

The Fillmore will accept donations from noon until 6 p.m.

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days, 8:15 p.m. beginner lesson, 9-11:30 p.m. dancing to DJs, Glen Echo Park’s Spanish Ballroom Annex, $8, www.capitalblues.org.

Contra, Nov. 29, Nils Fredland calls to Elixir; Dec. 6, Adina Gordon calls to Maivish; Dec. 13, Warren Doyle with the fabulous Glen Echo Open Band; Dec. 20, Sargon de Jesus calls to Morrison Brothers; Dec. 27, Bob Isaacs with Perpetual e-Motion, 7:30 p.m. lesson, 8:30 p.m. dance, Glen Echo Park Spanish Ballroom, $10, www. fridaynightdance.org.

Contra & Square, Dec. 1, Contra Elixir with Nils Fredland calling; Dec. 8, Adina Gordon calls with Maivish; Dec. 15, Susan Taylor with Sligo Creek Stompers; Dec. 22, Janine Smith calls with Morrison Brothers Band; Dec. 29, Anna Rain with Perpetual e-

Motion, 7:30 p.m., Glen Echo Park Spanish Ballroom, $12 for general, $9 for members, $5 for students, www.fsgw.org.

English Country, Nov. 27, Caller: Bob Farrall; Dec. 4, Caller: Melissa Running; Dec. 11, Caller: Liz Donaldson; Dec. 18, Caller: Anna Rain, 8 p.m., Glen Echo Town Hall (upstairs), www.fsgw.org.

Now and Then Dance Studio, Saturday ballroom dances,

second and fourth Saturdays, beginner group lesson at 8 p.m., open dancing at 9 p.m., $10 cash at door (all men admitted at half price throughout October), 10111 Darnestown Road, Rockville. 301424-0007, www.nowandthendancestudios.com.

Scottish Country Dancing, 8-10 p.m. Mondays, steps and formations taught. No experience, partner necessary, T-39 Building on NIH campus, Wisconsin Avenue and South Drive, Bethesda, 240505-0339.

Swing, Dec. 14, Daryl Davis, lesson at 8 p.m., dancing at 9 p.m., Glen Echo Park, $15, www.flyingfeet.org.

Waltz, Dec. 1, Elixir; Dec. 15, Sugar Beat; Dec. 29, Terpsichore, 2:45-3:30 p.m. lesson, 3:30-6 p.m., dance, $10, www.waltztimedances.org.

See IN THE ARTS, Page A-16

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Page A-15

Mice follies

Angelina and friends put on a show to celebrate the season

n

BY

THEATER

ANGELINA BALLERINA:

VIRGINIA TERHUNE

THE VERY MERRY HOLIDAY MUSICAL

STAFF WRITER

Young mouseling Angelina Ballerina and her friends want to do something nice for their community Mouseland over the holidays, and one of them comes up with an idea: “Let’s put on a show!”

Each of them possessing unique talents, they start working on song and dance routines for everything from ballet and modern dance to tap, step and hip-hop.

But then the costumes don’t arrive, and they have to also work together to overcome other obstacles in order to save the show.

“It’s not about the gifts you receive but the gifts you give,” said Stephen Sunderlin about the show, “Angelina Ballerina: The Very Merry Holiday Musical.”

Sunderlin is co-founder and artistic director of the Vital Theatre Company in New York City, which presents the show in its Manhattan theater and also produces touring versions.

The BlackRock Center for the Arts in

n When: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday n Where: BlackRock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown n Tickets: $14 n For information: 301-5282260, blackrockcenter.org, katharineholabird.com

Germantown will host two performances on Saturday.

The holiday musical is based on the “Angelina Ballerina” book series by American writer Katharine Holabird and English illustrator Helen Craig, which debuted in 1983.

It tells the story of Angelina, a determined little mouse who dreams of becoming a prima ballerina.

“She lives to dance and perform,” said Sunderlin.

“It’s based on [Holabird’s] daughter, who would come down to breakfast

SUN PRODUCTIONS INC.

Amanda Leigh Lupacchino as Alice, Nicholas Kuhn as Az, Maria Malanga as Polly, Hillary Ekwall as Angelina, Baba Tavares as Marco and Danelle Rivera as Gracie in a scene from “Angelina Ballerina: The Very Merry Holiday Musical.” with a tutu on,” said Sunderlin.“She loved dressing up.”

Vital Theatre’s stage adaptation of the series “was such a big hit, we decided to create a holiday version of the story,” he said.

Book and lyrics for the holiday show are by Susan DiLallo, and the music is

by Ben Morss.

Now in its second year, the nondenominational show features a tree,

MUSICAL

CHILDREN

Continued from Page A-11 helps him learn his lines. He also gets to sing “I Whistle a Happy Tune” with Eileen Ward, who portrays Anna.

“Everybody loves Rodgers and Hammerstein,” he said. “[The King and I”] is a classic show. It’s timeless and entertaining.”

Berlin, who performed in “James and the Giant Peach” at Imagination Stage last year, said Louis is “a little kid who wants to

animals on stage,” laughed Sunderlin. “They come to the shows and they know the characters. They have personal relationships with them.”

But Sunderlin said the performances are also something that adults would enjoy.

“It’s like a mini-musical that happens to appeal to children,” he said. vterhune@gazette.net

PARTRIDGE

Continued from Page A-11 — “Cinderella,” “Annie,” “The Sound of Music” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” When he heard the theater was going to do “The King and I,” he jumped at the chance to participate.

“It’s been a real discovery,” said Waldrop, who skipped watching movie adaptations and dug right into the script. He said the story is rich with the romantic tension between Anna and the king and also with serious themes about the clash of cultures and slavery.

And it has beautiful music, he said, with songs like “Shall We Dance?,” “Hello, Young Lovers” and “Getting to Know You.” The musical, which debuted on Broadway in 1951, is based on a 1944 book by Margaret Landon called “Anna and the King of Siam.”

The book was a romanticized account of the life of Anna Harriet Leonowens Edwards, who grew up in an Army family in India.

She married and had two children, and after her husband died, she needed to find work to support them.

In 1862, she journeyed to Siam, which today is Thailand, to teach English and Western culture to the wives and children of King Mongkut (Paolo Montalban), who was trying to modernize his country.

“He has a very inquisitive mind, and he’s always trying to learn new things and move forward in his thinking,” Waldrop said.

In the musical, Anna arrives with her son, Louis (Ian Berlin and Henry Niepoetter in a shared role). Nervous about what lies ahead, she and Louis sing, “I Whistle a Happy Tune.”

Anna meets the king and is welcomed by the wives and the children, who include Crown Prince Chulalongkorn (played by Josiah Segui).

A strong-minded modern woman, Anna soon squares off with the equally strong-minded king over a promise he made that she would have her own house.

a dreidel and cookies, but it does not revolve around any specific tradition. It also taps into the popularity of the book series, which goes back 30 years.

“It’s such a well-loved brand — parents are bringing their kids,” said Sunderlin.

There are, however, no parents or adult characters in the show, which is geared for children 4 and older.

“Kids like to see themselves and

Continued from Page A-11

Eileen Ward as Anna and the cast of “The King and I.”

PHOTO STAN BAROUH

She continues to insist on the house, which annoys the king — but also intrigues him.

“What is it exactly that happens between Anna and the king? We wanted to explore that relationship more [than it has been in some other productions],” said Ward.

The king is puzzled by Anna’s customs and ways of thinking, but he is open to learning from her, as long as he can do so without losing face before his subjects.

“It’s been delightful to see how funny both characters are,” said Waldrop about their developing relationship.

But then events take over when the King of Burma presents the king with a slave girl named Tuptim (YoonJeong Seong), who is supposed to be the king’s next bride. But she is in love with Lun Tha (Eymard Cabling), the young scholar who brought her to the Bangkok court.

Also soon to arrive at the court are English dignitaries whom the king thinks are planning to take control of his country.

Believing they perceive him as a “barbarian,” he accepts Anna’s idea to entertain them with a Western style ball and a play written by Tuptim based on “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

The evening is a resounding success, and the king and Anna decide to dance.

“They discover that there’s a mutual attraction,” said Waldrop. “They’re very high, almost

euphoric.”

But such moments can suddenly shift to moments of loss and sorrow.

“Hammerstein seesaws between emotions without missing a beat,” said Waldrop. “He does it smoothly and logically, in a way that’s not confusing.”

When faced with a challenge to his authority, the king believes it is his duty to punish Tuptim by whipping her and making an example of her disobedience to his subjects.

“He’s pushed to a place where he feels he has to prove and fulfill his role as king,” Waldrop said.

But Anna objects, causing a rupture in their relationship, which by now has evolved into one of mutual respect and unspoken love for each other.

“It puts the relationship at a breaking point,” Waldrop said.

“It’s an incredibly dramatic moment.”

“There are a lot of laughs, but there is also conflict and heartbreak,” he said about the show.

Waldrop said “The King and I” is “a great introduction to classic Broadway musical theater.”

“I think it’s a great family show, and an old-school musical that really plays and really moves [people],” he said. “It really holds up. There are some deep themes, and it has a tremendous amount of heart.”

have fun.”

“He wants to spend time with his mom, he likes to be with his friends and he goes to school,” he said.

For Berlin, the best part of the musical is the Siamese dancing in the play about “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

“It’s spectacular, the masks, the whole ballet,” he said. “That is [for me] the ultimate scene in ‘The King and I.’” Josiah Segui, 15, who lives in Gaithersburg, plays the king’s son, Crown Prince Chulalongkorn.

A homeschooled student, Segui said he’s studied acting with Cathy Mays through the Montgomery Christian Institute, and that she has prepared him well for his first professional acting job.

He said he and the other actors worked with a dialogue coach to develop their Siamese accents.

“I also get to do a lot of singing in the scenes with the kids,” said Segui. “They’re hilarious, they steal the show. The audience will definitely melt.”

— VIRGINIA TERHUNE

HANUKKAH

Continued from Page A-11 stamps would be in her future when she first started.

“There’s no way anyone could have known that,” Kessler laughed. “It’s been a really exciting adventure, because you have to be cognizant of American history and have a passion for the creative side.”

Brown is relatively new to the stamp-creating world. The Hanukkah stamp is his third overall, along with the Vintage Seed Packets and Global Forever: Evergreen Wreath stamps, which were all released this year. For his part, Brown said he’s completely blown away

vterhune@gazette.net

thinking that his work will be seen and used by millions.

“I’ve never had anything where this many people will see anything that I’ve ever done,” Brown said. “… I was at the first day of issue ceremony yesterday up in New York … and a guy comes up to me and says ‘You realize, of course, that now whenever you pass on from this world, this is going to be mentioned.’

No, I hadn’t thought about that. But yeah, it’s going to be out there and it’s going to be some notoriety to me in that it’s going to be there essentially forever.”

The Hanukkah stamp features a photo of a wrought-iron, hand-forged menorah, created by Vermont blacksmith Steven Bronstein. By using an-

in front of children because you know immediately if it’s not working.”

Hopefully Dove can avoid the nerves — or at least getting sick — this season when he directs “The Twelve Days of Christmas” at Adventure Theatre MTC. The show runs to Dec. 30.

Based on the popular holiday tune, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was adapted and written by award-winning playwright Renee Calarco. After Adventure Theatre MTC producing artistic director Michael Bobbitt approached her with the idea, Calarco said she got to work on an outline about six months ago. This is not the first time Bobbitt has tackled offbeat source material.

The company commissioned playwright Kevin Ludwig in 2011 to adapt “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and in the spring, Adventure Theatre MTC produced “Three Little Birds,” adapted from Bob Marley’s song book.

“The interesting part of it was once you started looking to the lyrics of the song, there’s not a big story there,” Calarco said. “So the challenge for me was how do you take this song that doesn’t really have a story and make it into a story?”

Despite a cast of colorful characters including ladies and lords and swans, Calarco said she knew she would have to focus on a central character who would “go on a journey.”

“So I thought ... you know, the one constant character throughout the song is the partridge,” Calarco said. “You know, everybody keeps coming back to the partridge.”

“Renee Calarco is a genius,” said Deidra LaWan Starnes, who plays Shirley, the last in a long line of partridges responsible for pulling together the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” “Just the fact that she was able to come up with a play with a plot line from a song was amazing to me.”

“She’s following in the footsteps of her mother and her grandmother and her great-grandmother,” Calarco said of Shirley. “It’s kind of passing down this legacy from thousands of years to this one little partridge who’s turn it finally is to do it.”

The only problem is, Shirley’s not thrilled about the

cient techniques, Bronstein used 20 feet of iron to create the menorah.

“There’s a real process that goes on with all stamps and the stamp design,” Kessler said. “… The committee — when I say committee I mean the finished stamp advisory committee — has a procedure like, ‘OK, you’ve got the assignment, but bring us ideas about the direction you want to take. Let us approve that and then we’ll tell you to go ahead and with that direction.”

Kessler said everything doesn’t always work perfectly when it comes to getting a stamp approved. Kessler and Brown photographed several menorahs for the stamp. Some designs featured the use of two and even three menorahs in one shot.

PHOTO BY MIKE HORAN

Diedra LaWan Starnes as Shirley in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” at Adventure Theatre-MTC. task.

“She doesn’t like the song,” Starnes said. “She thinks it’s old and boring.”

Like Dove, Calarco, who has written only one other play for children’s theater, an adaptation of “If You Give a Cat a Cupcake” for Adventure Theatre MTC in 2011, noted that creating a play for young children brings with it a dose of brutal honesty.

“I find it really lovely and it’s a great thing for writers to write for children and especially to see how the play plays in front of children because kids do not have filters,” Calarco said. “If they’re not engaged in the play, you know it. If they’re bored, you know it immediately.”

Starnes said the cast has even taken turns yelling things out at each other during rehearsal to prepare them for what their young audience members might have to say in the midst of a performance.

Though Dove admits “in some ways [he] feels more pressure on this project than anything [he’s] done before,” the director said he’s also excited by the prospect of directing something outside of his typical repertoire.

“I started looking for menorahs that I thought would be interesting and a little different than what we had done before,” Kessler said. “I sort of went shopping. … I ended up with three different menorahs that I thought we could either shoot them individually, or as pairs, one sort of in focus in the front, one out of focus in the back, or shoot all three together. … One of the menorahs I saw was this hand-forged menorah by the guy in Vermont, which I thought was great. First of all, it ties together the idea of American craft, as well as the menorah being black and forged. You always have to think about stamp size — what’s this going to look like stamp size? Here’s a case where the cropping of the black menorah kind of

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS n When: To Dec. 30 (see website for specific show times) n Where: Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo n Tickets: $19 n For information: 301-6342270, adventuretheatremtc.org

“Directors are always talking about how we get a little stuck sometimes. We get pigeonholed and people think we can only do one thing,” Dove said. “And since most of the work I’ve done in the area has been for Forum Theatre, I think people only think of me as a pretty serious, drama, political theatertype director. But when I was an actor, by far the place I was most comfortable was comedy. It’s always fun to try and get back to that as a director because it’s a place I’m very comfortable in but don’t get to work in.” chedgepeth@gazette.net

creates a great holder, if you will, for the lit candles.”

According to Brown, the process is a collaborative one. He and Kessler worked hand-in-hand on the overall design of the stamp. When it came down to the right menorah, Brown really liked the wrought-iron look.

“Because it was forged, you had all the markings and stuff, the tool-work that was on it,” Brown said. “So, photographically it was much more interesting to light that one and bring out some of the textures of the forged markings.

It was nice and simple, straightforward with a bold design. That was the one everyone sort of liked.” wfranklin@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Page A-16

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

AT THE MOVIES

Director gives ‘Hunger Games’ franchise and heroine a solid score BY

MICHAEL PHILLIPS CHICAGO TRIBUNE

“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is a lot like its own celebrity heroine, Katniss Everdeen, who begins this second “Hunger Games” movie fulfilling a public relations tour as penance for her killer — literally, killer — popularity. She is adored by millions; the books are too. The three Suzanne Collins novels, to be spread across four films, are being adapted with both eyes on fidelity to the source material. All “Catching Fire” had to do was to show up, look good and not screw up to succeed.

Consider “Catching Fire” an example of successful franchise installment delivery, on time and in sturdy condition.

Some interesting shifts in tone and texture this time out.

The film looks nothing like the first, Gary Ross-directed “Hunger Games,” which I slightly prefer to the solid, well-paced No. 2. “Catching Fire” features director Francis Lawrence behind the camera, and already he has signed for the next two.

Ross favored hand-held shakycam stylistics in his depiction of futuristic totalitarian America,

Liam Hemsworth stars as Gale Hawthorne in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” a police-state mess known as Panem. Lawrence, by contrast, shoots “Catching Fire” with a steadier gaze and a sleeker touch, offering a little bit of everything and not too much of any one thing.

For newbies: The games of the title are battles to the death between cunning, resourcefully murderous representatives of Panem’s beaten-down districts. Through her wiles, her bow-and-arrow skills and her bangin’ fashion sense Katniss triumphed, mournfully, in the

first movie, surviving to the end and cleverly engineering a lifesaving maneuver for her friend and fellow district competitor, the baker’s son, Peeta.

“Catching Fire” opens in the script by Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn with Katniss and Peeta, pretending to be sweethearts for a rabid TV audience, embarking on their 12-day victory tour, culminating in a big show at the Capitol. President Snow connives to crush this fearsomely famous woman, whose ability to

PHOTO MURRAY CLOSE

foment revolution among the oppressed masses is nothing to dismiss. The movie is part treatise on the hardships of unwanted notoriety, part blood sport revisited, the games this time played by an all-star cadre of past winners.

Ways to die? Oh so many.

This time there’s creeping, human-made poisonous fog, which gives its victims a miserable case of acne, as if there weren’t already enough points of identification for teens. There are electrocutions, stabbings

and other classics. Shooting in Hawaii, which gives this sequel a distinct “Lost” look, director Lawrence traffic-manages with considerable effectiveness.

The simian attack, for example, which is plenty scary, recalls Lawrence’s work with the computer-generated beasties in his remake of “I Am Legend,” the one starring Will Smith.

Like that picture, “Catching Fire” has the bonus of a genuinely charismatic performer at its center. Jennifer Lawrence, now an Oscar winner thanks to “Silver Linings Playbook,” emotes like crazy throughout “Catching Fire,” but you never catch her acting. It feels real, and Lawrence sees to it that we rarely experience the dramatic set-ups in terms of cheap revenge or conventional movie blood lust.

Josh Hutcherson returns as Peeta; his romantic rival for Katniss’ preoccupied affections (she’s got a lot going on, after all) is once again played by Liam Hemsworth. Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks and Lenny Kravitz buzz around engagingly as Katniss’ entourage. You keep waiting for better zingers, which never arrive, but “The Hunger Games” isn’t about wit; it’s about blunt lessons in hypocrisy

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE n 3 stars n PG-13; 146 minutes n Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci n Directed by Francis Lawrence

and class warfare, about to be waged but good.

Newcomers to the franchise, all welcome, include Philip Seymour Hoffman, as the game designer with the ambiguous motives, and Jeffrey Wright and Amanda Plummer as a Muttand-Jeff pair of unlikely competitors, more about brains than brawn. The violence in “Catching Fire” can get pretty rough, but the reason these first two movies work relates to our ability to take the carnage seriously.

Lawrence’s Katniss doesn’t Bruce-Willis her way through the events of the rather thinly spread story. Each time she witnesses a killing, state-sanctioned or otherwise, it hurts. It means something. We’re not talking about highly dimensional or evocative mythmaking here; the films are more about hitting the marks and setting up the next part. But they work.

Postscript A: I find the rampant fashion merchandising tie-ins with “Catching Fire” pretty strange, given the outre, drag-queeny excess of costume designer Trish Summerville’s clothes. At times the results verge on “Priscilla: Queen of the Hunger Games.” But for many the costumes are part of the dystopian, blood-stained fun.

Postscript B: Stanley Tucci reprises, drolly, his role of the oily reality-TV host from the first picture. If his teeth get any whiter we’re going to need special glasses to watch the third one.

IN THE ARTS

Continued from Page A-14 MUSIC & DANCE Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, I & I Riddim, 7:30 p.m. Nov.

27; King Soul, 8 p.m. Nov. 29; The Rat Pack: Together Again, 8 p.m.

Nov. 30, call for prices, 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. 240-3304500, www.bethesdabluesjazz. com.

BlackRock Center for the Arts, Angelina Ballerina, 1 p.m.

and 3 p.m., Nov. 30; Metropolitan Klezmer, 5 p.m. Dec. 1; A Charlie Brown Christmas with The Eric Byrd Trio, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 7; call for tickets, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown.

301-528-2260, www.blackrockcenter.org.

Fillmore Silver Spring, K. Michelle w/ Sevyn Streeter, 8 p.m.

Nov. 27; Giving Thanks, 11 a.m.

Nov. 28; The Smokers Club Tour Featuring Joey Bada$$, 8 p.m. Nov. 29; MiMOSA, 8 p.m. Nov. 30, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, 301960-9999, FillmoreSilverSpring. com, www.livenation.com.

Institute of Musical Traditions — Takoma Park, April Verch, 7:30

p.m. Dec. 4, Takoma Park Community Center, call for prices, times, Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, 301-960-3655, www.imtfolk. org.

Institute of Musical Traditions — Rockville, Robin Bullock, Ken

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Kolodner & Elke Baker, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 9, Saint Mark Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville, call for prices, www.imtfolk.org.

Strathmore, Classic Albums Live: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, 8 p.m. Nov. 29; Michael McDonald — This Christmas: An Evening of Holiday & Hits, 8 p.m. Nov. 30; Boston Brass and the Brass All-Stars Big Band with the Strathmore Children’s Chorus, 4 p.m. Dec. 1; Afternoon/ Specialty Teas, 1 p.m. Dec. 2-4; AIR Mentor: Dr. James Ross with Piotr Pakhomkin, guitar & Nistha Raj, violin, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4; Teatro alla Scala Academy Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4; Sultans of String, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5; Crystal Gayle and Lee Greenwood, 8 p.m. Dec. 5; The Ultimate Doo-Wop Show, 8 p.m.

Dec. 6, call for venue, Locations: Mansion, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda; Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, 301-5815100, www.strathmore.org.

HOLY CROSS SENIOR LEADS THE ALL-GAZETTE GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL TEAM, B-3

SPORTS GAITHERSBURG | MONTGOMERY VILLAGE

www.gazette.net | Wednesday, November 27, 2013 | Page B-1

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Damascus High School, which is expected to be a state wrestling title favorite, is led by Mikey Macklin (top), one of the top returning wrestlers in the state this winter.

Back to the top: Damascus wrestling looks unbeatable, again Swarmin’ Hornets’ top core of juniors has team poised for high expectations

n

BY

NICK CAMMAROTA STAFF WRITER

Damascus High School’s wrestling program had one of the more successful seasons in its proud history last year. The Swarmin’ Hornets won a Montgomery County title, a 4A/3A West Region title and also captured regional and state dual meet championships. The only trophy they didn’t take home was at the Maryland state tournament at Cole Field House.

So what’s the first thing coach John Furgeson did at his team’s opening practice of the 2013-14 campaign?

He ripped all those records off the wall and threw them in the trash.

“This is a whole new year and we told them you’ve got to go out and get it,” Furgeson said. “The kids are in a good state of mind right now and they’re letting things go, letting the chips fall where they may. But it’s obviously a goal of ours to get the five championships that we’re after.”

Such has become the norm at Damascus, which speaks remarkable volumes to how Furgeson has continued the legacy left by former coach Dave Hopkins. From the youth program all the way through to the varsity team’s top competitors, wres-

See WRESTLING, Page B-2

Paint Branch, Northwest meet again in football Jaguars won first game in OT; this time it’s for berth in state title game

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BY

ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER

In October, a talented Northwest High School football team marched into Burtonsville on a rainy Friday evening and spoiled Paint Branch’s undefeated season with a 31-28 overtime victory.

If the Panthers (11-1) play like that again — committing turnovers and missing assignments — when they host the much-improved Jaguars (10-2) 7 p.m. Friday in the Class 4A state semifinals, they’ll be in for trouble, Paint Branch coach Michael Nesmith said.

“They were too good at that time and they’re even better now,” Nesmith said. “... If you make the mistakes that we made that game, it’ll cost you.”

While both teams come into the state semifinals riding hot

1858030

Col. Zadok Magruder High School graduate Alex Lee is playing professional soccer after recovering from getting hit by a car.

OVERCOMING ROADBLOCKS

Magruder graduate’s path to professional soccer has included many detours

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BY

TRAVIS MEWHIRTER

H

STAFF WRITER

eaders had never really been a cause of concern for Alex Lee. He had played soccer forever; they were a common, everyday part of the game. Yet 20 minutes into a 2010 spring game against Akron his sophomore year, the University of Maryland, College

Park right back couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety.

This would be the first time Lee headed a ball after surgeons opened up his skull and drained a potentially life-threatening, 10-centimeter blood clot in his brain.

Roughly six months earlier, on Oct. 10, 2009, he had been out in Washington, D.C. with some of his old teammates who were playing with the D.C. United at the time. He said his memory checks out around 9:28 p.m., but he was told that, around 9:30, he mindlessly crossed the street directly in front of a car, which hit him head on.

Just a few blocks from George Washington University hospital, it took just 11 minutes for Lee to be carted through its

Northwest (10-2) at Paint Branch (11-1) n When: 7 p.m. Friday n Where: Paint Branch High School, 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville

n

n Tickets: $5 n Stakes: The winner advances to the Class 4A state championship game to meet the winner of Saturday’s Meade (10-2) at Suitland (12-0) game.

See FOOTBALL, Page B-2

doors.

When he awoke in the hospital bed, his thoughts went to soccer, first wondering how his coach at Maryland, Sasho Cirovski, would react, and then to his legs.

“I kept feeling my legs,” he said. They weren’t paralyzed or, somewhat miraculously, even damaged much at all.

A little more than two years after the accident, those legs got him drafted in the first round of the supplemental Major League Soccer draft by FC Dallas. He lasted just a year with Dallas after a hernia sidelined him, but he has since signed a two-year contract with the Richmond Kickers.

See SOCCER, Page B-2

County girls’ soccer players picked for All-American game

IF YOU GO

streaks, it’s the Jaguars (10-2) that are the talk of Montgomery County football. Led by sophomore quarterback Mark Pierce, Northwest has won four straight games against high-quality op-

PHOTO FROM ALEX LEE

B-CC, Good Counsel stars among 44 named to an event in North Carolina

BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Eliza Doll (left) of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School looks to shoot the ball near the goal against Walt Whitman.

The 2013 high school girls’ soccer season has come to a close, but four-year starting Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School midfielder/forward Eliza Doll and four-year Our Lady of Good Counsel goalkeeper Me-

gan “Stu” Hinz will get one more chance to represent their respective programs on the pitch, and on a national level.

Colgate University recruit Doll and Hinz, a University of Michigan recruit, were among the top 44 players throughout the nation selected to compete in the First High School AllAmerican game scheduled for Dec. 7 in Cary, N.C. Good Counsel leading scorer, Imani Dorsey, who is committed to play soccer

See GIRLS, Page B-2

THE GAZETTE

Page B-2

FOOTBALL

Continued from Page B-1

BRIAN LEWIS/FOR THE GAZETTE

Northwest High School quarterback Mark Pierce drops back to pass against Quince Orchard on Friday.

GIRLS

Continued from Page B-1 on scholarship at Duke University in 2014-15, was also selected — Falcons coach Jim Bruno said she is the thirdranked high school player in the country — but is unable to attend.

“It means a lot [to be selected],” Hinz said. “When I heard about it I was really happy, I put a lot of work in this year. To be recognized like this and partake in something like this means a lot.

I’m really excited, this is definitely an experience I will be able to draw back on.”

The All-American game coincides with the biggest weekend in NCAA women’s soccer as the College Cup is

SOCCER

Continued from Page B-1 Though they may not be MLS, Lee, a 2008 graduate from Col. Zadok Magruder High School, is still “living a dream.”

Championship pedigree As a senior at Magruder, Lee led the Colonels to a 19-0 record and a 4A state championship.

He set the school record for goals in a season (21, in just 16 games), which subsequently resulted in his becoming the Colonels’ all-time leading scorer (52 goals) and an All-America nod.

In less than a year, as a Terp,

WRESTLING

Continued from Page B-1 tling is a passion at Damascus that’s seemingly unmatched anywhere else in the county, possibly the state.

“This is what you hope you would build up,” Furgeson said.

“The feeder program keeps bringing in kids who are willing and able to put forth effort and put a great team together.

They’ve been together for so many years, so they all know each other and like each other.”

ponents, including two victories over Quince Orchard (10-2). The Jaguars defeated the Cougars 2820 in the Class 4A West Region championship game on Friday to advance.

“Our kids realize that Northwest is a much improved team,” Nesmith said.

Pierce threw two touchdowns and two interceptions in the region final, completing 13-of-23 passes for 133 yards. He is averaging three touchdown passes during Northwest’s four-game winning streak.

Northwest senior Joshua Gills and Pierce shared quarterbacking responsibilities when it played Paint Branch in the regular season, with Gills taking most of the snaps under center. “[Pierce’s] confidence seems to have gone up several notches,” Nesmith said. “He no longer looks like a sophomore quarterback when he’s back there.”

Northwest receiver Matt Watson has developed into Pierce’s top target in the playoffs. The senior has five touchdowns in the postseason.

“He came out of nowhere.

also being played Dec. 6 and 8 in Cary.

The participants will attend the semifinal games on Dec. 6, an opportunity both Doll and Hinz said they are looking forward to as well. Hinz might get the chance to watch her future teammates, Michigan played its secondround game on Friday but the game ended too late to be included in this edition of The Gazette.

Doll and Hinz agreed playing against the nation’s top high school soccer players in an all-star format is sure to provide a high level of competition. Both have attended NCAA tournament games in the past, they said, but not in the past couple of years as they close in on their own freshman seasons of college ball, something that has only

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

FEARLESS FORECASTS The Gazette sports staff picks the winners. Here are this week’s selections:

Ken Sain

Nick Cammarota

Jennifer Beekman

Dan Feldman

Travis Mewhirter

Kent Zakour

Montgomery record All games

153-30 303-59

151-32 301-61

152-31 300-62

151-32 300-62

147-36 297-65

143-40 285-77

Northwest at P.Branch Meade at Suitland Surratts. at Fort Hill

Northwest Suitland Fort Hill

Northwest Suitland Fort Hill

Northwest Suitland Fort Hill

Paint Branch Suitland Surrattsville

Northwest Suitland Fort Hill

Northwest Suitland Fort Hill

Nobody knew who he was,” Pierce said. “Everybody’s asking me, ‘Who’s Matt Watson, who’s Matt Watson?’ Just get the ball in his hands and he’ll make a play.”

Paint Branch has won six straight games, most recently a 51-48 victory over Perry Hall (102) in the Class 4A North Region finals. The Panthers fell behind 26-6 before putting up 31 secondhalf points to escape with the win.

Senior quarterback Gaston Cooper threw for more than 300 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead Paint Branch’s comeback.

Nesmith said his team cannot afford another slow start against

recently become so tangible, Hinz said.

Someday, both said they hope to play in the College Cup. “[A few years ago] I went to a Final Four game,” Doll said. “I still look at those girls and think, ‘Wow, they’re incredible.’ But I remember a few years ago I was like, ‘This is a dream.’ I was so excited that one day I would be playing college soccer and it’s crazy it’ll be next year.”

The All-American participants were chosen by a selection committee that included high school coaches and National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America members and were selected based on high school achievements only, according to a news release. The players were divided into East and West

coast teams. Hinz and Doll, who have known each other for years through club soccer and the Olympic Development Program, agreed the opportunity to represent the East Coast and Washington Metropolitan area in particular is an additional honor and adds fun twist on the all-star game.

“I think [the All-American game] is a cool idea and I like the idea of playing against the West team because it’s totally different competition,” Doll said.

“I’m excited, I think it’s going to be really competitive. You always hear about California girls being such incredible soccer players, I’m excited to represent the East Coast.”

Players are scheduled to arrive Thursday and should have no more than

Lee played 13 games at forward in what eventually resulted in a national championship. NCAA title in hand, the entire back line turned pro, three going to the MLS, one to the United Soccer Leagues, and Cirovski needed some new defenders.

“At our level, you have to have players in the back who have an understanding of a forward’s mentality,” he said.

To his chagrin at the time, Lee was that archetypal, offensive-minded defender whom Cirovski sought.

“At first I was pretty disappointed,” he said. “But eventually, when I was playing back line, I was loving it.”

In time, Lee established

himself as a starter. But then came the car accident just 11 games into his sophomore season, and so began the long road of recovery.

“He was always a great healer with muscle injuries,” Cirovski said. “But you never know with the head. We all thought his career was over.”

Lee was back to school in less than a month, jogging in two months, and running full speed in four. That fall he returned as Cirovski’s full-time starter at center back and led the Terps to a school-record 15 shutouts in his junior season.

But at the end of his collegiate career it was back to rehab after a pulled quadriceps sidelined

him for the final eight games of his senior season as well as any professional combines he had a chance to participate.

Despite the missed time, Dallas drafted him with the 11th overall pick in the 2012 supplemental draft. Lee was going pro.

As crazy as it might sound, this year’s team could potentially be better than the group that won four out of five possible titles last season. And that’s a scary proposition for local coaches.

“Damascus is clearly the cream of the crop,” said BethesdaChevy Chase coach Nick Arnone.

“I’d be shocked if they don’t win the state title for the next few years. Just seeing the team that they have coming back and the youth they have coming in, it’s going to be tough for any team in the state to compete with them.”

The Swarmin’ Hornets are

led by a juniors in Owen Brooks, Ari Capacardo, Johnny Fischer, Mikey Macklin, Cory Obendorfer and Michael Wilkerson. Macklin won a 4A/3A state title at 106 pounds last season, while Wilkerson took home a region title and Brooks lost in the region final.

They’ll also likely be able to absorb the blow of losing four key seniors from last year’s team (Caleb Baisden, Andrew Nickell, Michael Scafate and George Vinson) with relative ease, which says something about the talented underclassmen stepping in.

“Those guys are setting the

The Northwest-Paint Branch winner will face either Suitland (12-0) or Meade (10-2) in the state championship game scheduled for Dec. 6 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Paint Branch has not won a state championship since 1975.

Northwest, established in 1998, won its first and only state title (3A) in 2004 when it defeated Lackey 14-9.

“If we beat QO we can beat anybody,” Pierce said. “We’re hot right now. We need to keep going, we need to keep going.”

Travis Mewhirter contributed. egoldwein@gazette.net

two days to practice with their teams, but Doll and Hinz agreed the magnitude of the event will still bring out the best in these highly competitive athletes. Doll also said she is familiar with many of the girls on the East team through club soccer. One of them, Carissima Cutrona (Williamsville, N.Y.), will be her teammate next year at Colgate.

There are only so many ways high school girls’ soccer players can be recognized, Bruno said, and being one of 44 players selected from the entire country to play in an All-American game is quite remarkable.

“It’s really a prestigious honor,” Bruno said. “It’s a great thing for them.” jbeekman@gazette.net

His quad recovered, Lee was back into what he says was close to the best shape of his life.

Then, with the Dallas coaches telling him he was scheduled to make his first start, Lee began to feel pain. In October, after two to three months of rehabbing the enigmatic injury, a doctor concluded Lee had a hernia. He

would need season-ending surgery.

As Lee went through yet another rehab, management changed hands in Dallas, and his option wasn’t picked up.

“I knew it was coming,” Lee said. “He hadn’t seen me play.

He didn’t know anything about me.”

But he was sure other pro clubs would come calling.

Only one, Tampa, did, but the tryout was fruitless.

“I was real close to retiring,” he said.

His agent informed him of a last-ditch tryout for a USL club, the Richmond Kickers. It took just one weekend for coach Leigh Cowlishaw to extend Lee a

contract.

“To be honest, right away we knew he was going to be the right fit for us,” he said. “The boy has an engine, always wanting to join the attack, which was exactly what we wanted.”

Lee appeared in 20 games, was fifth on the team in minutes (1,664), and stood out enough that its big brother affiliate, the D.C. United, invited him and two others on a trip to Indonesia next week.

“I think he has all the attributes to play in the MLS,” Cowlishaw said. “I think it’s just if someone is willing to take a chance on him.”

tone already in the room,” he said of his juniors. “No nonsense, no complaining. For the most part, these guys wrestle year round and are doing everything they can to be successful.

With that in mind, they’re just kids and they just want to have fun. It’s really special and cool to see them do that.”

Of course, perspectives can vary when it comes to the county’s opponents sizing up the Hornets. Everything from great respect to a deep desire to beat them. But Northwest coach Joe Vukovich, whose teams are tra-

ditionally very strong, said it’s important to have a squad like Damascus set the standard for excellence in the area.

“We can really benefit by having a state championshipcaliber team like them in our region because everyone’s got to rise to that level,” he said. “It’s all about who’s going to step up to their level and challenge them.”

Whether any team will be able to do so remains to be seen, but Furgeson did his grapplers no favors by setting an extremely difficult schedule that includes a trip to Glenelg, a visit

from DeMatha Catholic and a tournaments that feature Oakdale and River Hill. He wants to make sure no venue, including the eight mats and bright lights of the state tournament, is too big for his group.

“We’re not going to creep up on anybody,” Furgeson said.

“We’re not one of the younger teams anymore. There’s pretty much a bull’s-eye on our chest.

But the kids are going about it with a great energy and they’re having fun too.”

Another chance

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1906003

Northwest.

“We have to play a great game in order to beat these guys,” Nesmith said.

The Panthers are coming off a 3-7 season, one which Nesmith called an “aberration.”

“We had a talented team last year a team that we felt could have been a playoff team had it not been for a lack of chemistry,” Nesmith said.

This season there is more of a team effort, Cooper said.

“We’re bonded together.

Last year we didn’t really have too much of a team bond, but this year we’re even more close,” Cooper said.

tmewhirter@gazette.net

ncammarota@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Page B-3

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

Player of the Year

Rhamat Alhassan Senior Holy Cross Middle

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Winston Churchill High School’s Hunter Sutton (right) is one of the top returning wrestlers in the state.

Bound for Florida next year, the Player of the Year hit for 296 kills in leading the Tartans to a WCAC title

Wrestling preview: Should be a competitive season

BRIAN LEWIS/THE GAZETTE

Academy of the Holy Cross senior Rhamat Alhassan is The Gazette’s Player of the Year in girls’ volleyball for 2013 after leading the Tartans to their conference championship.

Good Counsel, Churchill, Sherwood should lead a wide-open field in race for second place

n

BY

First Team

NICK CAMMAROTA STAFF WRITER

Heading into Montgomery County’s 2013-14 wrestling season, there’s Damascus High School and then there’s everybody else.

That’s becoming as much a fact of life as it is a testament to the program that Swarmin’ Hornets coach John Furgeson, entering his sixth season, and his staff have built.

But, as always, anything can happen in a county where so many teams feature strong wrestling talent and — particularly in the race to see who might be able to top might Damascus — it’s anyone’s guess as to which squads will stand out by year’s end.

“We’re looking forward to the challenges,” said Furgeson, who returns a crop of six talented juniors to a team that won four of five possible trophies last postseason. “The guys are working hard, having fun and trying to get back to where we ended last year.”

A number of teams could have a shot at knocking off the Swarmin’ Hornets, with Winston Churchill, Sherwood and Walt Whitman near the top of that list.

For the Bulldogs, the season is loaded with promise provided their wrestlers can stay healthy.

Tim Lowe’s team is expected to return one of the better wrestlers in the state, let alone the county, in Hunter Sutton. Had Sutton not gotten hurt midway through last season, he might be in position to win a fourth state championship this year. As it is, he’ll have a great shot at winning three as he joins Adama Keita as two premiere middleweight returners.

Sherwood also should be a team to look out for. Coach Pete Siarkas returns a senior-laden squad that’s very balanced in the lower and middle weights. Senior Chris Minor, who last year earned his 100th victory, joins Andrew Frumkin, Cal Wilson, Matt Roberts and senior transfer Robby Happy as the nucleus of a very strong team.

“This is going to be one of

GEORGE P. SMITH/FOR THE GAZETTE

Sherwood High School’s Chris Minor (bottom) is one of the top returning wrestlers in the state. my better teams that I’ve had in the last four years,” Siarkas said.

“I’m just anxious to get the season started and to see where we are.”

For Whitman, the depth stretches beyond returning 4A/3A West Region champions in Mitch Fenton and Jack Calder.

While those two undoubtedly are expected to turn in memorable campaigns, coach Derek Manon has plenty to be excited about.

At Northwest and BethesdaChevy Chase, both teams lost a lot of talent to graduation but are likely to reload quickly. Nick Davis is the Jaguars’ only returning state tournament qualifier while state champion Luis Beteta’s younger brother Mauro Beteta and Dell Ngonga are also expected to be leaders.

“This year’s going to be interesting,” Northwest coach Joe Vukovich said. “In any given year you have some teams that surprise you, and some perennial powerhouses. This year, you’ll have a big group of teams that fall under Damascus and attempts to chase them.”

For the Barons, the graduation of state champion Charlie Banaszak, as well as Sean Cohen and Jesse McNeill, hurts but Jack Banaszak, Brendan Cowie and Justin Elwell return to lead last year’s regional duals runner-up.

“I think this might be one of the more athletic groups we’ve ever had to start with,” said B-CC coach Nick Arnone.

Thomas S. Wootton, Col. Zadok Magruder, Paint Branch and Walter Johnson all could

factor into the mix as well depending on how things play out.

Montgomery Blair (Steven Banvard), Springbrook (Rob Whittles) and Quince Orchard (Rob Wolf) all have new coaches this season but could still turn in strong performances. Especially the Cougars, who are led

by Connor Tilton and Kyle Bollinger.

In the private school ranks, even though the three-time AllGazette Player of the Year Kyle Snyder is no longer wrestling in the county, that doesn’t mean Our Lady of Good Counsel won’t be good again.

Snyder left Good Counsel in the summer and moved to Colorado to pursue his dream of wrestling in the Olympics, but coach Skylar Saar returns six members of last year’s All-Gazette team to a group that won a state title. Jemal Averette, Kevin Budock, Paul Hutton, Matt Kelly, Nick Miller and Adam Whitesell all are back. Throw Donovan McAfee and Kyle’s younger brother, Kevin Snyder, into the mix and it’s easy to see why Saar is optimistic.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how the kids respond [to winning a state title],” Saar said.

“They’ve done great in practice so far. No problems there as far as their effort. But the schedule’s going to be very tough.”

Meanwhile, Georgetown Prep should again be strong as the Hoyas return First-Team AllGazette wrestlers Colin Kowalski and Michael Sprague. ncammarota@gazette.net

Montgomery College reveals its Raptor School hopes new mascot will help promote its teams n

BY

KENT ZAKOUR STAFF WRITER

Therewereneonpurplelights, smoke and loud music. And on Nov. 19, Montgomery College introduced its new mascot, the Raptor, in front of students, faculty, staff and community members inside the school’s main gymnasium in Rockville.

“This was a long time coming for two years,” College-wide Director of Athletics Derek Carter said. “Everybody’s known — the teams were playing under the name — we were changing to a

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Montgomery College’s new mascot, the Raptor, was introduced Nov. 19.

Raptor, but the mascot was a mystery. It’s another chapter for us.”

The revealing was just part of Montgomery College’s rebranding of its athletic department. In the spring of 2012, the Division III junior college combined all of its sports — from the Rockville (formally Knights), Germantown (Gryphons) and Takoma Park

(Falcons)campuses—intoa“One College, One Team” concept. This was in part of a larger mission by the college to become one institution rather than three distinct campuses. Additionally, the NationalJuniorCollegeAthleticAssociation made a rule change stating that a student-athlete attending a multi-campus school could play for another campus, with the condition that no other campuses had the same sport.

A contest was held to determine the new colors (purple, black, silver and white) and the bird of prey mascot.

“Like they said, a raptor is an aggressive thing and that’s what you want your teams to represent,” sophomore student and Gaithersburg resident Jeff Murray said.

Sarah Kenneweg

Carly Marella

Lizzi Walsh

Kaitlyn Hillard

Annika Schwartz

Megan Conger

Senior Poolesville Libero

Senior Damascus Setter

Senior Magruder Outside Hitter

Senior Churchill Outside Hitter

Senior Damascus Outside Hitter

Sophomore Good Counsel Outside Hitter

The backbone a Falcons team that reached the state title game; finished with 284 digs

Surrounded by hitters, the versatile setter finished with 554 of the team’s 620 assists

One of the most powerful hitters, the Lafayette recruit finished with 216 kills

The Bulldogs’ go-to hitter, Hillard led them to their first top playoff seed in 27 years

The top hitter on a team full of them, Schwartz led Hornets to their first ever state title

Established herself as the team’s best hitter, averages nearly 13 kills per match

Coach of the Year Becky Ronquillo Damascus Swept La Plata to win the 3A state title, the first in Damascus’ history

Second Team

Honorable Mention

Carlise Cardoza, senior, H. Cross; Allyson Convers, junior, Pooles.; Sarah Chang, junior, Churchill; Brigid Morris, senior, W. Johnson; Madison Wyatt, senior, Damascus; Rosie Barry, senior, Poolesville; Makayla Roy, senior, Sherwood

Emily Agate, Pooles., middle; Jenna Brown, Northwest, libero; Alex Gerber, Clarksburg, libero; Ellie Goodwin, Holy Cross, outside hitter; Caroline Leng, Pooles., middle; Lauren Martin, Wootton, outside hitter; Megan McTigue, Holy Cross, middle; Emily Meyer, Wootton, libero; Alex Nelligan, Damascus, outside hitter; Ariella Rodriguez, Sherwood, setter; Elaina Schaefer, Whitman, setter; Kerra-Lei Tirado, Sherwood, middle; Kira Hahn-Ventrell, B-CC, outside hitter; Jessica Wang, Wootton, outside hitter

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Georgetown Prep swimmers primed for big season Little Hoyas have the talent to return to the top of Metros

n

n Montgomery Blair: Michael Thomas, Brian Tsau n Churchill: Harrison Gu, Kevin Gu

Two swimmers tied Conger for the most individual points scored at last year’s Metros and both of them are Prep juniors: Grant Goddard and Carsten Vissering. Classmates Brandon Goldstein and Adrian Lin weren’t too far down the list. The four knocked off Prep’s pool record in the 400-yard freestyle, formerly held by rival Loyola Blakefield, in the Little Hoyas season opener to set the tone for 2013. If four swimmers could alone win championships, though, Prep might never have fallen. It was the Hoyas’s lack of depth that has hurt it in recent years but that appears to be back, making this year’s squad quite a formidable opponent.

“Last year we were close and we didn’t lose any points and we gained a few so we’ll see if that [makes the difference],” Prep coach Matt Mon-

n Clarksburg: Jacob Halem, Matthew Chuang n Albert Einstein: Rory Lewis, Jr., Duncan Johnson n Gaithersburg: Patrick Hedquist n Georgetown Prep: Carsten Vissering, Adrian Lin n Kennedy: Nick Wesley, Connor Ruppert n Magruder: Vedo Evantanto, Hunter Reed n Northwest: Robert Allsopp, Peter Bajorek n Poolesville: Xavier Laracuente, Alex Lin n Our Lady of Good Counsel: Brady Welch n Quince Orchard: Alvin Wang, Andrew Mann n Richard Montgomery: Gregory Song, Juan Barrera n Seneca Valley: Austin Von Heeringen, Reilly O’Connor n Walter Johnson: Jean-Marc Nugent, Jacob Zucker n Walt Whitman: John Janezich, Mike Sullivan n Wootton: Andrew Gibson, Emmanuel Katsigiannakis FILE PHOTO

Georgetown Prep’s Carsten Vissering is one of the top returning swimmers in the entire state. gelli said. “Last year I thought we’d be close but yes, this was the year I thought by the [Class of 2015’s] junior year we’d really be ready to take on anybody.”

The Thomas S. Wootton girls completed their ascent to the top of area swimming last winter and though the Patriots did lose some scoring, they have plenty swimmers to fill in those holes. It’s hard to see Wootton falling off the top so soon, but if anyone is going to knock the Patriots down, it will be rival Winston Churchill. The Bulldogs didn’t lose any scoring and boast the county’s strongest diving contingent — those points don’t count at the seasonending state championship, though.

Richard Montgomery’s boys could surface as the best team out of the public ranks this winter. The Rockets and Montgomery Blair, which finished second at last year’s state championship but lost some top scoring, should vie for the top two spots.

Contenders Poolesville’s boys won their second straight 3A/2A/1A state title last winter and with the meet’s top two

Other teams to watch Independent School League foes Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart and Holton-Arms likely don’t have the numbers to truly compete for a Metros title but that doesn’t mean these two teams aren’t two of the most exciting to watch or capable of causing a stir at various championships.

Propelled by current junior

Caroline McTaggart, Holton won its first-ever Washington Metropolitan Prep Schools Swimming and Diving Championship last winter. And it’s pretty hard to forget the national record-setting performances Stone Ridge junior, 2012 Olympic gold medalist and multiple world record holder Katie Ledecky put forth in leading the Gators to a fourth-place finish at Metros, its best in recent history.

Sherwood’s girls’ lost some major scoring but sophomore Morgan Hill will help the Warriors stay afloat.

It’s been a while since Albert Einstein drew much attention but the Titans now boast several race contenders.

Good Counsel should not be discounted, but lost tremendous talent on both sides and with new coaches this winter, could be going through a bit of a transitional period. Not to take away from some returning stars who will certainly shine on the championship stage.

“I’m really interested to see how it plays out in the county,” Walter Johnson coach Jamie Grimes said.

“I think it’s going to be very interesting.”

n Montgomery Blair: Amy Zhou n Winston Churchill: Hannah Lindsey, Elaina Gu n Clarksburg: Carly Alvarado, Rachel Ziegler n Albert Einstein: Gail Anderson, Kate Fulton n Gaithersburg: Sophie Robinson, Jacqueline Landry n Holton-Arms: Caroline McTaggart, Isabelle Jubin n Kennedy: Emma Bearman n Col. Zadok Magruder: Katie Sweeney, Ellie Matusek n Northwest: Zoe Kaplan, Jaycee Yeagher n Our Lady of Good Counsel: Makenzie Miller n Poolesville: Dorit Song n Richard Montgomery: Sophie El-Masry, Audrey Richter n Seneca Valley: Birgitt O’Connor, Bryn Blanchard n Sherwood: Morgan Hill, Molly Anderson n Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart: Katie Ledecky, Laura Garcia n Walter Johnson: Natsumi Horikawa, Sophia Kuvan n Walt Whitman: Lisa Deng, Sarah Kannon n Thomas S. Wootton: Kristina Li, Jessica Chen

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scorers back — Xavier Laracuente and Alex Lin — along with a slew of other returning scorers, they are on pace to go for a third.

Long overshadowed by the boys’ side, Walter Johnson’s girls are the strongest they’ve been in a while. They might be just short of Wootton and Churchill’s level but might be able to push both. Richard Montgomery’s girls are inching their way back to the top and with a solid group of younger swimmers, the Rockets should push for top five at Metros and perhaps higher at states.

Wootton’s boys lost a big-time scorer with the graduation of breaststroker Austin Dickey but the Patriots should not be counted out, nor should Churchill’s boys.

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BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

For the seven years during which the Georgetown Prep swimming and diving team reigned as Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Swimming and Diving champions from 2004-10, it was hard to imagine a time when the Little Hoyas would be vulnerable. But even the best programs are not immune to the cyclical nature of high school sports, and in 2011, Washington Catholic Athletic Conference power Gonzaga began its three-year reign; Georgetown Prep hit a low of fourth place.

This year, the Eagles will be feeling the brunt of harsh graduation losses and Prep, which finished second by just 20.5 points a year ago, has been gradually building itself back up around a core of extremely talented current juniors. With star power and more depth this winter, the Little Hoyas will look to regain the coveted spot atop the Metros rankings and for the first time in several years, they have the means to be the favorite.

That being said, the winter is shaping up to be perhaps the most unpredictable high school swim season recently, especially among Montgomery County Public Schools programs. A lot of teams lost depth from last year, and the graduation of Our Lady of Good Counsel’s Jack Conger, who seemed to break a record every time he entered the pool, has opened a lot of doors.

SWIMMERS/DIVERS TO WATCH

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BUSINESS

Kentlands recognized for geothermal system New unit is estimated to reduce annual electric costs by 40 percent n

BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER

The Kentlands Clubhouse in Gaithersburg received state recognition Thursday for its newly installed geothermal heating and cooling system.

Doug Hinrichs, a solar energy planner at the Maryland Energy Administration, visited the community center Thursday to see the system and applaud the Kentlands Citizens Assembly and two local companies that specialize in geothermal systems on completion of the project.

Construction of the system, which began this past summer and ended in September, cost about $250,000. However, the project won a $120,000 grant from the state energy administration’s Game Changer Program, which promotes innovative clean energy projects.

A geothermal heat pump was put in, using two standing column wells that were drilled 900 feet into the ground, said Mike Heavener, president of GeoSolar Energy. Systems with

standing column wells are most commonly used in areas that have near-surface bedrock, like the Kentlands.

With this setup, water is drawn from the bottom of the deep rock well, passed through a heat pump, and returned to the top of the well. While the water is traveling downward it exchanges heat with the surrounding bedrock.

“It’s the exact model system that we want in Maryland,” Hinrichs said, referring to the “standing column wells” design, which typically requires 30 percent less drilling and therefore delivers a more efficient heat transfer. “We want to replicate the success of this project.”

The grant program requires energy monitoring by the installing contractor and a final report after one year of system operation.

In April 2013, the Kentlands Citizen Assembly Board of Trustees voted to replace the clubhouse’s conventional heating and cooling system with a sustainable alternative after one of the old system’s three units died.

“We wanted to take the lead on doing this from a green point of view,” said Tim Clarke, president of the Kentlands Citizen Assembly. “It is energy efficient,

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TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Neil Harris (left), Kentlands Citizens Assembly chairman, talks Thursday with Michael Heavener, president of GeoSolar Energy, about the geothermal system used to heat and cool the Kentlands clubhouse. The pair are in a utility room on the lowest level, where well water is piped in and out. and it is a more progressive way of doing this kind of heating and air conditioning.”

Harvey W. Hottel, Inc., a Gaithersburg-based plumbing contractor, and GeoSolar Energy submitted the grant application and installed the new system.

GeoSolar Energy also is rooted in Gaithersburg and is the distributor of Bosch, the equipment used for the job.

“These jobs are fun,” said Richard Hottel, chief executive officer of Harvey W. Hottel, Inc. “It’s not something that some engineer drew up and we just

estimated the cost and put it in.

It’s something we’ve created for this site.”

Clarke said it is estimated that the new unit will give the clubhouse about a 40 percent electric utility reduction annually.

In the two months the system has been running, the clubhouse already has seen between a 20 and 25 percent decrease in its yearly electric bill, according to Clarke.

“It’s already paying for itself,” he said. jedavis@gazette.net

Local businesses give to Typhoon Haiyan victims n

Donations and special fundraisers helping ease $14 billion toll

BY

KEVIN JAMES SHAY STAFF WRITER

Montgomery County businesses are contributing tens of thousands of dollars to relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines in early November, causing thousands

of deaths and billions of dollars in damages.

Bethesda hotelier Marriott International contributed $50,000 to a Red Cross fund, and charitable efforts are underway at its hotels throughout the Asia Pacific region. Marriott hotels in Cebu City and Manila are operational, though employees were affected, J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr., executive chairman, said on his blog.

“Among the many, many victims are families of Marriott International who lost their

BizBriefs

homes and are searching for relatives,” Marriott said.

Some businesses are organizing special fundraisers. For instance, Rockville-based Federal Realty Investment Trust, which operates Rockville Town Center, is donating $1 to the Red Cross typhoon relief efforts for each ice skating ticket purchased on Saturday and Sunday.

The storm took an estimated $14 billion toll on the Philippine economy, according to Kinetic Analysis, a Silver Spring risk-

assessment firm. The storm caused relatively minor damage around Manila, helping to keep damage estimates lower.

The American Red Cross has raised some $11 million for the global response to Typhoon Haiyan. Besides food, blankets and mosquito nets, the funds will provide cash grants for businesses.

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Bethesda’s Activity Rocket, an online search engine allowing parents to find classes, sports and other activities for their children in a one-stop shopping approach, launched an upgraded platform in October.

Its new website, designed by iStrategyLabs in Washington, D.C., enables parents to complete one application for each child and save it to use again.

Parents can also place their selections in a shopping cart and, after making tentative selections, have Activity Rocket see if times and dates work together. They can then lock in their selections and pay for them, all at one place.

Searches can be made by activity type, price, location or day.

“For a parent of three children who all want to do different activities there is one registration form that lives on the website and they can book all their classes,” Linda Friedlander said. Friedlander and Ilene Miller started Activity Rocket in 2011 with 80 Montgomery County businesses and about 300 parents, they said.

Since then they have expanded to other communities in the D.C. region and now have almost 500 businesses listed on the site, over 3,000 members and 7,000 monthly visits, Miller said.

The website is free for parents. Members pay the list price of the class as if registering directly with the business.

Businesses, which could list for no charge during the

first stage of the launch, are now asked to become subscribers with a number of information packages available.

Activity Rocket is currently offering $20 gift cards to parents who sign up for activities as a token of appreciation for test-driving the new website and one-stop shopping cart.

The website is www.activityrocket.com.

Rockville chamber elects new leaders The Rockville Chamber of Commerce recently elected officers and board members for 2013-14.

Larry Finkelberg of Amerihome Lending is chairman; John Britton of the Close Up Foundation is vice chairman; Doug White of Glass Jacobson is treasurer; Nancy Regelin of Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker is corporate secretary; and Michael Gottlieb of the Gottlieb Law Firm is immediate past president.

Building a new bear Build-A-Bear Workshop moved to a new location in Bethesda’s Montgomery mall last month with ways to make stuffed animals come alive.

The store’s technology provides a more interactive experience for customers, according to a news release.

Customers can personalize the bear-making process and have a different experience each time they visit.

More information is at buildabear.com and a virtual tour of the store is at bit.ly/ QAoJqJ.

THE GAZETTE

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

SCHOOL LIFE After-school nature clubs introduce students to science and play Students learn to ‘Unplug and Play’ n

BY

PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITER

They ran around like a pack of hyenas, trying to steal prey from a lion, but their laughter gave them away every time.

Finally the lion suggested they take a break and decide how to work together to fool him.

Students at Glen Haven Elementary School in Silver Spring played Scavenger Scheme, Thursday, the last day of a six-week after-school program to encourage students to connect with their environment and learn to play together outdoors instead of inside in front of a computer screen.

The program, “Unplug and Play,” funded by a grant from the Montgomery County Council, is for thirdthrough fifth-grade students and run by the Audubon Naturalist Society at

four Title I elementary schools: Glen Haven in Silver Spring, Rolling Terrace in Takoma Park, Captain James E. Daly in Germantown, and Gaithersburg. Each group has 15 to 20 students.

The goal of the program is to give students a combination of science education and outdoor physical activity, said Karen Vernon, director of youth eduction for the society.

“We’re working to widen the community of people who treasure the natural world, especially young people who are our next generation of environmental stewards,” said James Robey, the Audubon Society’s environmental education program manager and the lion in Scavenger Scheme. “The students are helping the environment by learning about it and they are making healthy lifestyle choices by being physically active.”

Students in the program meet for one hour each week and start with a healthy after-school snack provided by Montgomery County Public Schools.

Robey said he starts each class with a lesson about animals, trees, plants or birds before taking the students outside for a game to reinforce what they learned. Sometimes he brings in a live guest, such as Boris the Tortoise, a Russian tortoise, or Eddy Spaghetti, a corn snake. He puts out a display of animal pelts and skulls for the children to examine.

“It’s nice for the kids to have this hands-on experience,” said Jessica Lynch, Glen Haven second-grade teacher and program coordinator.

Fifth-grader Kimberly Garcia said she expected to be bored by the program when it first started.

“By the second [week] I knew I was supposed to be here,” she said. “It’s hard for me to choose what’s my favorite [part], I think it’s when we went outside and started playing and meeting everyone.”

Each of the schools’ programs is finishing the first six-week session, but will meet again for winter and spring programs.

PEGGY MCEWAN/THE GAZETTE

Third-grader Ezekiel Ruiz (left) and fifth-grader Christian Ferrell examine Boris the Tortoise during the “Unplug and Play” program at Glen Haven Elementary School in Silver Spring.

EDUCATION NOTEBOOK Students connect with nature ‘Beyond the Walls’ It was like traveling over the river and through the woods as students from the Franklin Schools in Rockville on Thursday hiked outside their fenced play areas into the surrounding community for a nature lesson, dubbed “Beyond the Walls.”

The children, 3 to 5 years old, each carried a small basket, following Amy Beam, the Montessori school’s outdoor education specialist, in search of nature’s treasures.

“It’s like when you went trick-or-treating for Halloween,” Beam told the students.

“If you find something special, put it in your basket and we will bring everything back and spread it on the picnic tables for the birds and squirrels, the daddy longlegs, any creature. It will be for their Thanksgiving.”

Most of the students filled their baskets with brown pine needles at the first stop on the hourlong hike, which took them down a hill near a storm pond, along a woods path and into the open space behind neighboring townhouses.

Suddenly Beam and her young followers stopped. Beam listened and pointed into the trees at a hawk, one the group had heard earlier.

“Look at that,” she said. “It’s as big as a chicken.”

The students go on these explorations two or three times a month, sometimes with Beam, who works with all the Franklin classes, and sometimes led by their classroom teachers.

They knew, as they got to the open space, where to stop and wait. They also knew, on the teacher’s signal, to run as fast as they liked to the distant tree line.

“Listen,” Beam said. “As soon as they start running, they start laughing.”

She was right: The runners ran and laughed until they got

Kunkin, who was captain, Jake Gearon, Michael Josell and Sam Zabronsky; and sophomore Ravi Serota.

They are coached by Eduardo Polon, a Spanish teacher

and global languages department head.

The team provides camaraderie while celebrating academic achievement, Polon said in a statement.

“Best of all, it’s fun,” he wrote.

Montgomery Blair teams to debate at competition PEGGY MCEWAN/THE GAZETTE

Students from the Franklin Schools in Rockville play on a pine needle-strewn hill during their nature walk Thursday. The Montessori school offers a “Beyond the Walls” program to encourage outdoor play. to their destination.

“They are very comfortable in nature,” said Terri Shaffer, the group’s teacher. “It helps them concentrate and when they come in they are much more peaceful.”

Beam said she started the program after growing alarmed that more and more children were not going outdoors. She attended programs at both the Vermont Wilderness School and the Wilderness Awareness School in Washington state.

“I was searching for a program I could adapt here,” she said. “It’s about connecting with nature and the community and inside themselves.”

Gaithersburg High to host financial aid seminar Gaithersburg High School

will present a seminar on college financial aid at 7 p.m.

Tuesday in the school’s Performing Arts Center, 314 S. Frederick Ave. Guest speaker Chad Spencer, associate dean of admission and financial aid at Davidson College in North Carolina, will discuss financial

aid for students applying to colleges and vocational schools.

Topics will include the following: What is financial aid?

What is financial need and how is it determined? What are the categories, types and sources of aid? How does the application process work?

Spencer also will discuss merit-based aid and loan options, and share tips for negotiating the process.

All students and parents are welcome. For more information, contact Geri Sliffman at 301-284-4616 or Geri_L_Sliffman@mcpsmd.org.

Sandy Spring students dip into Quiz Bowl After two years of in-house practice, the Sandy Spring Friends School’s Quiz Bowl Travel Team competed in a championship tournament Oct. 27 hosted by James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, winning fourth place.

The competition included 48 teams from public and private high schools.

Team members included senior Ben Yumkas; juniors Emil

Two teams from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring are among the 64 teams in the Bickel & Brewer/New York University International Public Policy Forum.

The international debate competition gives high school students the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on public policy issues and compete for a $10,000 grand prize and trip to New York City in April to participate in the competition finals.

“All of the advancing schools are worthy of special recognition, because they have distinguished themselves in one of the most competitive debate competitions in the world,” William A. Brewer III, chairman of the Bickel & Brewer Foundation and a founder of the NYU forum, said in a news release.

“As the elimination rounds get underway, these outstanding students will have the opportunity to put their research, writing and advocacy skills to the test against competitors around the globe.”

This year, 266 teams, representing schools in 37 states and 28 countries, submitted qualifying round essays affirming or negating the topic: “Resolved: As a last resort, unilateral military force is justified to minimize nuclear weapons proliferation.”

The essays were reviewed

by a committee, which determined the round of 64 based on the quality of each 2,800-word essay. The top 64 teams represent schools from 26 states and 14 countries. Advancing teams participate in a singleelimination, written debate tournament via email with judges reviewing the essays in the order they are presented until eight schools remain.

The “Elite 8” will participate in a live debate during the finals.

“Blair is only one of three high schools in the world to have two teams in the round of 64,” debate team coach Stefanie Weldon wrote in an email to The Gazette. “Blair A is a repeat team that also made the round of 64 last year.”

Members of the Montgomery Blair A team are Aanchal Johri, Callie Deng and Alan

Du. Rishabh Mahajani, Kevin Zhang and Agam Mittal make up

Montgomery Blair B team.

Mayorga Coffee establishes scholarship Martin Mayorga, an alumnus of Montgomery College and co-founder of Mayorga Coffee in Rockville, has established the Mayorga Latino Leadership Scholarship at Montgomery College with a gift of $25,000 over five years to the Montgomery College Foundation.

The donation will support need-based scholarships for Latino students who are business majors at Montgomery College.

It will cover annual tuition for one student per year for at least five years. More than 3,400 Latino students attend Montgomery College.

“Martin Mayorga’s generosity to the Montgomery College Foundation is inspiring,” college President DeRionne Pollard said in a statement.

“I know first-hand the struggles associated with struggling to pay for a quality education,” Mayorga said in

the statement. “My wife and I started this company 16 years ago to support all members of our supply chain, and our community is a critical member of that supply chain. I’m very proud to be able to be a part of developing future business leaders in our local community.”

Mayorga Coffee imports and roasts coffee, and has with retail locations at regional airports, plus National Harbor in Oxon Hill and the Westfield Wheaton mall.

Scholarships available for study abroad Sixty-five full scholarships are available for U.S. students to study abroad for the 2014-15 academic year with the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad program.

Sponsored by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the program brings almost 900 high school students from about 40 countries with significant Muslim populations to the U.S. to study each year.

As program scholars, U.S. American high schoolers serve as “youth ambassadors” in their overseas host countries. Students live with host families and study in countries that may include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Oman, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia and Turkey. The meritbased scholarship covers domestic and international travel; tuition and related academic preparation; accommodations with a host family; educational and cultural activities in the host country; orientations; applicable visa fees; three basic meals per day; and medical coverage.

Eligibility criteria are detailed in the application available at www.yes-abroad.org.

The application deadline is Jan. 9.

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GAITHERHOUSE APARTMENTS

501B S. Frederick Ave #3 Gaithersburg, MD 20877

• Garden-Style Apartment Homes • On-Site Laundry Facilites • Kitchen w/ Breakfast Bar • Private Balcony/ Patio • Free Parking • Small Pets Welcome • Swimming Pool

301-948-1908

GAITHERSBURG

Cider Mill

DON’T WAIT APPLY TODAY!

Senior Living 62+

• Emergency Response System • 24 Hour Maintenance • Transportation Via Community Van • Pet Friendly • Full Size Washer & Dryer

www.PinnacleAMS.com/GardensOfTraville

Se Habla Espanol

X

The New Taste

of Churchill

18201 Lost Knife Circle Montgomery Village, MD 20886

We look forward to serving you!

Apply online and get approved today+

1 Month FREE Rent

• Huge Floor Plans • Large Walkin Closets • Private Balcony/Patio • Fully Equipped Kitchen w/Breakfast Bar

21000 Father Hurley Boulevard Germantown, MD 20874

• Minutes away from I-270, Metro, and MARC Train

301-528-4400

+ subject to credit approval

301-762-5224

Office Hours: M-F 9:00am - 6:00pm, Saturday 11:00am - 3:00pm

STREAMSIDE S T R E A M S I D E APARTMENTS A PA R T M E N T S

The Trusted Name in Senior Living

Visit us at www.homeproperties.com

14431 Traville Garden Circle Rockville, Maryland 20850

GAITHERSBURG

GERMANTOWN

1-888-812-9616

•New Appliances, Kitchens & Baths* •Large Kitchens & Walk-In Closets* •1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments •Free Free Electric Included •Pet Friendly •Short-Term Leases •Free Parking •Minutes to I-270 & Metro Bus & Rail •Housing Choice Vouchers Welcome •Se aceptan vales de eleccio'n de *Select Apartments vivienda

ROCKVILLE

GAITHERSBURG

301-948-8898

340 N. Summit Ave. • Gaithersburg, MD

www.churchillseniorliving.com

SILVER SPRING

GAITHERSBURG

It’s BRAND NEW at Amber Commons 7 McCausland Place, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 “If you are looking for the distinctive, the uncommon, the out of the ordinary then welcome home to Amber Commons where we have the perfect blend of tradition: brick, mature landscaping, and gracious space combined with the best of brand new: GE clean steel appliances, energy efficiency and more!”

Advertise Your apartment community here!

STRATHMORE HOUSE APARTMENTS kNewly Updated Units kSpacious Floor Plans kSmall Pets Welcome

and reach over 206,000 homes!

Contact Ashby

Rice (301) 670-2667

Call today: 301-355-7111

kBalcony Patio

(301) 460-1647

or pricing and ad deadlines.

www.ambercommons.com

3004 Bel Pre Rd., Apt. 204, Silver Spring, MD 20906

kFamily Room kFull Size W/D in every unit kSwimming Pool G560388

DISCOVER DELAWARE’S RESORT LIVING WITHOUT RESORT PRICING!

Low Taxes! Gated Community,amazing amenities, equestrian facility, Olympic Pool.

New Homes mid $40’s. Brochures available 1-866-629-0770 or www.coolbranch.com

KENSINGTON: SFH

Homewood Pkwy $2475/mo 3br, 2ba Granite, SS, full basement, lg yard pets OK 912-655-0342 lv msg Available now

LEISURE WORLD:

1600+ sq foot patio home 2BR + Den with large 2 car garage and attic, New carpet/ paint, remodeled kitchen.

Buyer brokers welcome. $365,000 Call: 301-977-0635

LAND/CABIN PACKAGE! 13+ ACRES

$57,900. Breathtaking 50 mile rolling mountain views. Near river & town. Add cabin package for $40,000 & place it on your parcel, your way! Perc ok, ready to use or build.

Low down financing.

Call now 800-8881262

to advertise call 301.670.7100 or email class@gazette.net

DAMASCUS: 3BR $1500/ 2BR $1250 +util NS/NP, W/D New Carpet, Paint, Deck & Patio, 301-250-8385 Lux 3lvl EU/TH, Gar 2MBR, 2.5BA, LR DR, FR, FP,EIK, Deck $1800. 301-792-9538

GAITHERSBURG:

End unit TH condo 2BR, 2BA, open flr plan, updated, convenient location $1650 + utils 301-908-0883

GERMANTOWN:

TH, 3Br, 2.5Ba, h/w flrs, updated kit, Ba & paint $1600 + util Pls Call: 301-956-4775

GER MA NT OWN:

ALL UTILITIES Incld. FREE Wifi/Cable/Fitness Ctr. Perfect for Relocation & Special Projects. Rates start at $1375/mo. Must see today. Call 240343-5150.

BURTONSVILLE: 3 Lvl TH, 3Br, 2.5Ba, fin bsmt, $1775/mo + sec dep, HOC Ok. Cls to trans. 240-405-2334 or 301-668-9427

3BR, 1.5 TH. W/D, fenced yard, patio, fully carpeted. $1400.

Melvin Tucker 240997-9836

TH, 4BR, 3.5BA w/fin bsmt. $2200/month HOC OK. Call 301916-9045

1 Bedrooms ALL Inclusive

GRAND OPENING LAND SALE! Beau- GAITH/AMBERFLD tifully wooded lot near golf course. Only $59,000. Adjacent lot sold for $339,900!

Close to ski resort & spectacular mountain lake. ALL NEW INVENTORY - Must see! Excellent financing. Call now 877888-7581x177

GE RMA NT OWN :

GAITH: EU TH, 4BR 2.5 BA fenced yard, wood deck, garage.

Convenient location. $2,250. 301-675-8507 G A I T H : HOC

KENSINGTON:

SFH 4 BR/3 BA Updated,Light-Filled, Quiet St. near Park. $2550 301-538 -4638

MONT

VILLAGE:

3Br, 2.5Ba TH, fin bsmt, nr bus/shops, NP/NS $1750 HOC Call: 240-643-0932

MONT

VILLAGE:

3Br, 2.5Ba TH, fin bsmt, nr bus/shops, NP/NS $1800 HOC Call: 240-643-0932

POTOMAC: lrg 3 br, GAITHERSBURG: 2.5 ba, SFH, finished TH for rent 3 beds, basement, living rm, 3.5 baths, hardwood dining rm, den w/fp, floors, full basement, deck, carport, com- wash and dryer in unit, pletely remodeled, parking. Showing by clse to 270, $2800/ appt. 301.980.7105 mnth, One wk free.

240-372-8050 LAKESIDE APTS ROCKVILLE:

GAITHERSBURG

Half Month Free 3Br, 1Ba, new kitchen Large 1 or 2 BR Apts & bathroom, A/C Short/long term leases $1690 Please call Utilities Included 301-335-2289

ROCKVILLE,

SFH 5Br, 2Ba, walk/out bsmt, nr Ride On #48 & schools, $2500 + util 240-472-0607

SILVER

SPRING:

2Br, 2Ba, English Tudor, rent through Sept 2014, near beltway & metro/bus, $2100/month Please Call: 301-493-5301

SILVER

SPRING:

TH 3BD 2.5 BATH PARKING CALL 301526-7385 OR 240354-4722

Ok SS: 3br/2ba rambler.

Renov 4br+den 2fb cac/wd/dw,fin rec rm, 2hb, new paint & car- OLNEY/DERWD: pet, Nr PublicTransp Landscaper/Mechanic’ hrwd flrs,, fncd yrd s home w/ garage, $2200 +utils, wlk to $2150 240-535-2366 barn, & field storage Metro. Move now and free November rent.

GAITH/MV: Freshly 202-262-6652 202-210-5530 painted EU TWH 3 End unit.

OLNEY: bed, 2 1/2 bath , central heat/AC , all appli- 3BD, 2.5BA. New car- S S : 4 bed/ 2 full ances, wood floors assigned parking fenced pet, paint & fixtures. bath, Hardwood floor, patio call Nick 301- FP. Gorgeous, must Fireplace, short term 412-4522 see! NS/NP. $1800. lease $1950 call 301-343-9711 3014425444 GERMAN: HOC Welcome 3 lvl TH, 3br, POOLESVILLE: TH SS: 4BR,2.5BA,SFH 2.5ba nr 270/shops 3BR 1.5BA, W/D fncd Fin Bsmnt, two car $1699/mo avail now bkyd, Pets Ok. $1450 garage, deck, hot tub, + utils, avail immed FP $2500 near metro Call: 301-906-0870 Call: 301-407-0763 & shops 301-330-1177

Great Prices

301-830-0046 N.POTOMAC ROCKVILLE: 1 BR

ADELPHI:

1 Br + den 14th floor . $1245 uti inc + SD & Move In Fees, Front Desk.

Ref req. 240-418-5693

GAITH: 1 RM w/priv

ASPEN HILL: Long

GAITH: 2 Rooms in TH: both shr Ba $600 each plus shared utliities Please call: 240-305-6331

meade 2BR 2BA W/D, balc, pool, cath ceiling & sky light. Nr Metro NS/NP $1600/mo incl water. 301-938-5263

GAITH: 2bd,2ba renovated,patio, near costco,bus,mall,I270 $1300/mo + utils CALL(301)678-9182 GAITHER:

3 Bedroom + den, 2 Bathroom, renovated, Sec 8 welcome, Pls Call: 410-800-5005

Apt. $1250 incl util, CATV, Free Parking Avail now.

NS/NP CALL: 301-424-9205 GAITHERBURG Lg 2Br/2Ba +Den in Villa SIL SPG/BEL PRE: Ridge, new Kit nr Remodled, new paint, metro $1750 utilc incl Call: 240-994-9993 carpet, appls. Big 4br 2fb wlkout garden apt.

Pool, Tennis, Play- GERM :2Br/2FBa,Grt ground, parking & utils View,frnt Shoppers.Np incl. HOC Ok, close to Balcony,Cathedral Ceil bus. Move in now. w/d, Pool/tennis $1445 $2300 or HOC Vouch- + utils. 240-350-8644 er Amt. 240-793-7802 SS/GLENMONT :

SANDY

SPRING:

Adjacent to Sandy Spring Museum, 2story house for lease.

3 BR, LR, DR, kitchen, 2.5 bath.

Possible uses include residence, antique shop, landscape contracting, daycare or animal boarding.

Call 301774-0022.

Separate artist studio for rent at museum. 580 sf.

LRG 5 BD/2.5 BA EU TWH WLK TO SHOPS & METRO, W/D HOC OK 240-383-1000

ba avail chic apt b/w Rio & Kentlands, close to 270 $875 all inclusive 2403881476

GAITHERS: 1BR in

SFH unfurn. $650 utils incl. Male NS/NP, 1 mile frm I-270. Avail Immed 240-372-1168

GAITHERSBURG:

Lrg Br ($475) & Smll Br ($350) both + util shared bathroom/kit NS/NP 240-271-6776

GAITHERSBURG:

Lrg bsmt room w/priv BA & Entr. Close to shops, bus & metro. $700 incl utils & int.

N/P, N/S. Se habla espanol. Email David davidvaliente01@ hotmail.com

GAITHERSBURG:

Lrg Rm in SFH, Pool, full privlgs, Vegetarian, NS. $600 + 1/4 elec Call: 301-482-1425

GAITHERSBURG:

TH Bsmt Apt pvt entr $750/mo util incl.Near Shops/Metro 240-3887552 or 240-370-0272

ASPEN HILL: 2br Apt w/LR, Kit & Ba. in pvt Home $1,100 incl utils & basic cable NS call 301-942-4345

GAITH: Large Furn

DAMASCUS: Bsmt

GAITH: Male. 2 BR

2br, 1ba, pvt entr, cable, int, util inc. $700+ sec dep. Np/Ns 301-253-1370

BR SUITE in SFH. Prvt BA. NP/NS. $950 + SD incl utils & cable Call 301-922-7030 in TH. $450 & $500.

NP, NS, near Bus, shops. Call 240-4189237 or 240-912-5284

GAITH:M BRs $435+ 440+475+555+ Maid Ns/Np, nr 270/370/Bus shops, quiet, conv.Sec Dep 301-983-3210 GAITH/MUDDY BRANCH: EU TH

M/F only updated Mbr w/ba $660 + util Avail 12/08 NS 3016747928

G E R M A N : 1 BR in

uppr lvl of Sfh $600 uti/Inet inc. ns/np nr Walmart 301-7062722 301-978-1542

GERM:

lrg Br in bsmt, shrd Ba, nr bus, all util + TV/Cable inc, female, $630 NS/NP Call: 240-401-3522

MV: 1 room shared ba, $500 utils incl free int/cable, near Bus & Shops.NP/NS 301768-72 82 OLNEY: 1 Rm in bsmt in SFH share kitchen $500 utils included, NS/NP Avail Now. 301-257-5712

OLNEY:

GREAT DEAL!! 1 Br, shr Ba, beautiful EU TH, female only $675/per month w/util, int, cable TV, NP/NS Call 301-774-4654

SILVER

SPRING:

SEEKING ROOMMATE to share large 4 Br SFH in Silver Spring with senior citizen Please Call:

240-778-8389

SS: NEW 1BR Apt 1st

floor private ENT, KIT, BA, PARKING. $1200 quiet and Sunny! call 301-879-2868

DEEP CREEK LAKE water front, across frm WISP Resort,3br/3ba Th,deck,dock,fp,Jacz wd, cbl. 301-916-3077

To Advertise Realtors & Agents

Call 301.670.2641

Rentals & For Sale

by Owner

Call 301.670.7100

or email Rooms avail in SFH, nr Metro/Shops, rent class@gazette.net incl utilties 202-7041768 or 301-942-2161

Page B-10

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Friday 11/29. Beautiful Iranian pieces, furn, glass -wares, grand piano. 301-806-8016

APPLIANCE REPAIR - We fix It no matter who you bought it from! 800934-5107

NOW HIRING!!! $28/HOUR. Under-

cover Shoppers Needed \\ $300/DAY Typing Companies Advertising Online. We provide the training & the jobs to perform. Genuine Opportunity.

PT/FT. Experience Unnecessary. www.HiringLocalHelp. com

FIREWOOD FOR SALE 100% Oak $150 half cord $225 per cord Call Adrian 301-309-0062 240-506-4326

$225/cord $150 per 1/2 cord

ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREE: 7 ½ feet high,

pre lit, 3 sections, realistic, very full, comes with storage bag $200 call 3017742639

µ Includes Delivery µ Stacking Extra Charge Ask for Jose 301-417-0753 301-370-7008

Handmade Arts & Craft Sale

Raffle – Grand Prize $300

$2,000.00+ Per Week!

New Credit Card Ready Drink-Snack Vending Machines.

Minimum $4K to $40K+ Investment Required. Locations Available. BBB Accredited Business.

(800) 962-9189

SAVE 67% - PLUS 4 FREE Burgers - Many Gourmet Favorites ONLY $49.99. ORDER Today 1-800870-8335. Use code 49377CFX or www.OmahaSteaks. com/holiday34

FIREWOOD FOR SALE

Holiday Bazaar!

MAKE UP TO

MY COMPUTER WORKS Computer

problems? Viruses, spyware, email, printer issues, bad internet connections - FIX IT NOW! Professional, U.S.-based technicians. $25 off service.

Call for immediate help 1-866-998-0037

(11-27-13)

Rockville Senior Center Sat, Dec 7, 2013, 9am-2pm

THE-DOOR OMAHA STEAKS! -

ALL THINGS BASEMENTY!

Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs!

Waterproofing? Finishing? Structural Repairs? Humidity and Mold Control FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1888-698-8150

ELISABETH’S HOUSE Assisted Living GRAND OPENING!!

begin here - Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance training.

Housing and Financial Aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 800-4818974.

In accordance with Title V, Subtitle II of the Maryland Corporation and Association Code, Notice is hereby given that a subsequent annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, December 5, 2013, 7:30 pm at the Mill Creek Towne ES, 17700 Park Mill Dr. Rockville, MD. Those present will constitute a quorum and the majority of those AIRLINES ARE present will have the authority to decide on HIRING- Train for hands on Aviation any and all proposed action.

HAVANESE PUPPIES Home raised, AKC, best health guarantee noahslittleark.com Call: 262-993-0460

Lamps, Books, Textiles, Paintings, Prints almost anything old WRAP UP YOUR Evergreen Auctions HOLIDAY SHOP973-818-1100. Email PING WITH 100% evergreenauction@hot GUARANTEED, mail.com DELIVERED-TO-

LEISURE WORLD PRIVATE SALE:

AIRLINE CAREERS

Gift Shop Bargains & Plant Sale X-Large Thrift Shop-Household items for sale Book Sale-Hard cover Paperbacks Food & Baked Goods Available All Proceeds Support Rockville Senior Ctr 1150 Carnation Dr, Rockville, MD Call 240-314-5019 for directions GP2358

Sponsored by Rockville Seniors Inc.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM M M M M M M M Art Classes to Zoo Trips, M Everything in between, M M M M 1st Baby will be our M M Queen/King.

M M M M Expenses Paid.

M M M M M1-800-966-3065M M M MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

MADOPTION:M

800-796-9218

day 866-992-7236

ELENA’S FAMILY Daycare: Lic# 15-133761 Call 301-972-1955 zip code 20876

CAREGIVER: Spe-

cializing in senior care.

Good references. Offering house cleaning, cooking and help with errands. Call Gloria 240-535-2755

to advertise call 301.670.7100 or email class@gazette.net

CUT YOUR STUDENT LOAN

payments in HALF or more. Even if Late or in Default. Get Relief FAST. Much LOWER payments. CAll Student Hotline 877-2950517.

Daycare Directory

GET FREE OF CREDIT CARD DEBT NOW! Cut

payments by up to half. Stop creditors from calling 877-8581386

GUARANTEED INCOME FOR YOUR RETIREMENT. Avoid market

OM Family Day Care

Lic. #:151954

240-515-1758

20853

Children’s Center of Damascus

Lic. #:31453

301-253-6864

20872

Nancy’s Daycare

Lic. #:25883

301-972-6694

20874

Elena’s Family Daycare

Lic. #:15-133761 301-972-1955

20876

KolaKids Family Child Care

Lic. #:161350

240-683-8648

20877

Blue Angel Family Home Daycare

Lic. #:161004

301-250-6755

20886

Kids Garden Day Care

Lic.#:139378

240-601-9134

20886

Little Angels Licensed Child Care

Lic. #:160952

301-622-1517

20904

DEADLINE: DECEMBER 2, 2013

MOMS

MONDAY M O N D AY M MORNING ORNING M MOMS O M S®

You can care for one or more children while staying in your own home.

Sell It, Find It Buy It,

GazetteBuyandSell.com

908-8502

Must have references.

Call: 202-422-3393

Dec. 4th-11th, M-F, 9a-5p

It’s FREE!

ONE CALL, DOES IT ALL! FAST AND RELIABLE ELECTRICAL REPAIRS & INSTALLATIONS. Call 1-800-

housekeeper, cook or Nanny. 240-271-7481

301-432-6211 * 240-520-7162

Maintenance Career.

FAA approved proCASH FOR gram. Financial aid if UNEXPIRED DIAqualified- Housing BETIC TEST available. CALL Aviation Institute of Mainte- STRIPS! Free Shipping, Friendly Service, nance (877)818-0783.

BEST prices and 24hr payment! Call today 877-588-8500 or visit www.TestStripSearch. com Espanol 888-440MEDICAL OFFICE 4001 TRAINING PROGRAM! Train to become a Medical Office Assistant. No Ex- MEDICAL ALERT perience Needed! CaFOR SENIORS reer Training & Job 24/7 monitoring.

Placement Assistance FREE Equipment. at CTI! HS FREE Shippng. NaDiploma/GED & Comtionwide Service. puter needed. 1-877$29.95/Month CALL 649-2671 Medical Guardian To-

risk & get guaranteed income in retirement!

CALL for FREE copy of our SAFE MONEY GUIDE. Plus Annuity.

Quotes from A-Rated compaines! 800-6695471

ONE CALL, DOES IT ALL! FAST AND RELIABLE PLUMBING REPAIRS & INSTALLATIONS. Call 1-

LOOKING FOR

LOOKING FOR HSKPR/ NANNY: LIVE-IN POSI- Tue thru Sat, Live-in TION: as a care aid. Must Spk English &

Call MONDAY MORNING MOMS

GP2356

for info. 301-528-4616

OFFERS OFFERS

Reliable, Insured & Monitored Care in a home setting for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers in Montgomery County

GP2355

$175 a Cord Split & Delivered 240-315-1871

GP2375

Retired Installer selling Martin, Fender, Power Stretcher, Iron, Grestch, Epiphone, Electric Tacker, KickGuild, Mosrite, er, Roller & more 301Rickenbacker, Prairie 236-5995 State, D’Angelico, Stromberg, and Gibson Mandolins/Banjos. DIRECTV - Over 140 channels only $29.99 1920’s thru 1980’s. a month. Call Now! TOP CASH PAID! 1Triple savings!

800-401-0440. $636.00 in Savings, Free upgrade to Genie ***OLD ROLEX & & 2013 NFL Sunday PATEK PHILIPPE ticket free!! Start SavWATCHES ing today! 1-800-279WANTED!** Dayto3018 na, Sub Mariner, etc.

REDUCE YOUR TOP CASH PAID! 1CABLE BILL! * Get 800-401-0440 a 4-Room All-Digital Satellite system WANTED TO PUR- installed for FREE and CHASE Antiques & programming starting Fine Art, 1 item Or En- at $19.99/mo. FREE tire Estate Or Collec- HD/DVR upgrade tion, Gold, Silver, for new callers, SO Coins, Jewelry, Toys, CALL NOW. 1-800Oriental Glass, China, 699-7159

MONTGOMERY MANOR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION

G GP2335 P2335

PREMIUM ALL SEASONED HARDWOODS Mostly Oak

CARPET INSTALLATION TOOLS:

GP2336

***OLD GUITARS WANTED!** Gibson,

3 301-528-4616 01-528-4616

Careers 301-670-2500 Administrative

RECEPTIONIST

Law firm seeks bilingual receptionist (Spanish/English) with strong communication skills to answer phones, and greet clients; salary is negotiable.

Requirements: Bilingual (Spanish/English); experience w/ Microsoft Word.

Fax resume: 301-681-7780

class@gazette.net

Billing Supervisor

Candidate must have strong analytical skills, be a dependable team player.

Must work well unsupervised, be dependable and have excellent work ethics. Will supervise 5 billers and will report directly to the Practice Administrator. Send resume and three references to ada.biesma@gmail.com .

Must pass background check. For details go to fairfaxtimes.com/careers

Construction

CAREGIVER Needed for Bethany Living in Gaithersburg, MD. Experience with senior care. 5 days a week.

Call 301-651-3225 or email bethanylivingoh@gmail.com Construction

Maryland State Inspectors $1,000.00 SIGN ON BONUS

A progressive family owned and operated, high volume, state-of-the-art dealership is seeking Maryland State Inspectors. If you’re an experienced technician and possess the desire to make a great atmosphere even better, you could be the perfect fit.

Responsibilities: • Routine inspections • System diagnostics • Full automotive troubleshooting and testing • Building upon your knowledge of industry-standard tools and equipment Requirements: • Previous experience as an automotive technician (ASE certification preferred) • Solid mechanical skills • Excellent Customer service skills • Valid driver’s license, clean driving record

Please send resumes to jobs@shockleyhonda.com

GC3170

BRICKLAYERS

$22.00/hr. Min. 5 yrs commercial exp. Job in Ashburn, VA. Bilingual a plus. Drug-free workplace EOE, E-Verify

301-662-7584

Construction

INSTALLERS NEEDED

For Bank equipment. Clean driving record to drive large truck a must. DOT physical and random drug testing - NO DRUGS or heavy alcohol use.

Background check for clearance - NO CRIMINAL RECORD or bankruptcy.

Reliable and honest, strong work ethic and skilled construction exp. To apply please go to www.gazette.net/careers

MASON TENDERS

Min. 1 yr exp. in commercial masonry. Job in Ashburn, VA. Bilingual a plus. $12 to $14/hr. based on exp. Drug-free workplace.

EOE & E-Verify 301-662-7584 Education

FT Experienced PreSchool Teacher

Wanted for Accredited Gaithersburg Daycare.

CDA and/or MSDE Credential holder a plus Please call (301)216-1444 on Tuesdays and Thursdays after 11:00am ask for Jane

Facilities Maintenance Technician North Bethesda

Must Have Minimum Five Years Experience with Condominium Maintenance, Facility Maintenance, Plumbing, Electrical, Painting, Drywall. Tools Required. On Call Required. Good Customer Communication Skills.

Great Salary & Health Care/Benefits Package.

Fax Resume to 301 984 1943

Search Jobs

Find Career Resources

Dental/ Medical Assistant Trainees Needed Now Dental/Medical Offices now hiring.

No experience?

Job Training & Placement Assistance Available 1-877-234-7706 CTO SCHEV

Pharmacy/ Phlebotomy Tech Trainees Needed Now Pharmacies/ hospitals now hiring.

No experience?

Job Training & Placement Assistance Available 1-877-240-4524 CTO SCHEV

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Page B-11

Careers 301-670-2500 Foster Parents

Legal

Treatment Foster Parents Needed Work from home!

Clerk/Paralegal

Gaithersburg Law Firm seeks individual for a Clerk/Paralegal position.

Legal experience preferred. Fax Resume to 240 406 1445 or send via email: jjohnson@randclegal.com

û Free training begins soon û Generous monthly tax-free stipend û 24/7 support

Call 301-355-7205

Full-Time Nurses

FRONT DESK

Skilled Nursing Facility seeking experienced Registered Nurses for FT 3-11 shifts. Apply in person and take the PreEmployment Exam at 1235 Potomac Valley Road Rockville MD 20850 EOE.

Busy Rockville Doctor’s office.

Must be a team player, dedicated, & career oriented.

Serious applicants only. Willing to train.

Excellent salary & benefits. Fax resume: 301424-8337

Silver Spring

Work with the BEST!

Be trained individually by one of the area’s top offices & one of the area’s best salesman with over 34 years. New & experienced salespeople welcomed.

Must R.S.V.P.

Call Bill Hennessy

GC3041

WE’RE HIRING WEEKEND CNAS, GNAS, AND HHAS!

Provide non-medical care and companionship for seniors in their homes. Personal care, light housework, transportation, meal preparation.

Must be 21+. Must have car and one year professional, volunteer, or personal experience www.homeinsteads.com/197 Home Instead Senior Care To us it’s personal 301/588-9023 Call between 10am-4pm Mon-Fri

Healthcare

Healthcare

Real Estate

class@gazette.net

3 301-388-2626 01-388-2626

bill.hennessy@longfoster.com • Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. EOE

IT

Sr Member Tech Staff (Bethesda)

Analyze biz reqmts & sys solutions.

Design, program, test, document using PeopleSoft, ORCL db, SQL, PL/SQL, ERPs, UNIX.. Tech support. Min. Req.: Master’s degree/foreign equiv in CSci., MIS, CIS, Tech. Mgmt., Info. Tech. or Engg field and at least 6 months of work exper. Full Time, Mon -Fri. Resumes to VB, Dir App Dev, Host Int’l, Inc., 6905 Rockledge Dr, Bethesda MD 20817. AA/EOE M/F/D/V. No Calls.

Manager

Sidwell Friends, a coeducational Quaker day school, seeks a Manager for its Tenleytown campus coffee shop/retail store. A complete commercial coffee shop serving a variety of drinks and fresh baked goods adjoins a retail store offering clothing, school supplies and snacks. For job details go to www.gazette.net/careers. Apply at HR@sidwell.edu

Recruiting is now Simple!

Get Connected!

Local Companies Local Candidates

Skilled Trades

Equipment Operator I

Maryland Environmental Service is hiring an Equipment Operator I for the Montgomery County Material Recovery Facility located in Derwood.

Qualifications include a high school diploma or GED, plus one year of experience operating loaders and forklifts. MES offers excellent benefits including health, dental, paid time off, 401(k), and tuition reimbursement. Send applications Attn: 400692 to: MES, 259 Najoles Road, Millersville, MD 21108, or email: resumes@menv.com, or fax: 410-729-8235.

SKILLED TRADE

HVAC SERVICE TECH

IMMEDIATE Position Avialable for NATE and/or Journeyman HVAC service technicians. MUST have 2 yrs exp. Great hourly pay, commission, weekly bonus & insurance. Drug free, customer oriented, and motivated. Only qualified applicants apply.

301-670-1944 - Gaithersburg

Sales

Sales - Outside

James A. Wheat and Sons has immediate opportunities for Salesman/Estimator who is extremely knowledgeable in the HVAC & Plumbing industry. Commission, Bonus & Allowances. Target areas are Montg Co. & DC. Experience required. Resumes can be sent to ddimonte@wheatandsons.com or call 301-670-1444

Advertising Sales Representative

Comprint Military Publications publishes 9 newspapers each week and the only website dedicated to the military in the DC region is looking for energetic, organized, computer savvy sales representative to sell advertising into military newspapers and online. Job requires previous infield and telephone sales experience. Must be customer service oriented and consultative seller.

Candidates must be able to create ads for customers and work well under weekly deadlines and pressures of meeting sales goals. Prefer candidates with experience. Territory open in Northern VA. Headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD. If interested and qualified, please send resume and cover letter with salary requirements to jrives@gazette.net.

We offer a competitive compensation, commission and incentives, comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, pension, 401(k) and tuition reimbursement. EOE.

Investment Officer (Master’s degree or equiv in Econ, Int’l Bus or equiv & 6 mos exp or other suitable qualifications) - Bethesda, MD. Job entails working with and requires experience including: Financial quantitative and qualitative analysis; modeling and analyzing economic and statistical data; Excel; Structuring debt and equity investments; Investment structuring, including legal issues and documentation; Researching & preparing financial and economic analyses of international economic trends in emerging markets and developing countries; Analyzing credit data to determine degree of risk in extending credit or making investments in emerging markets & Conducting portfolio review assessments with risk rating. Microvest Capital Management, LLC. Fax resumes to 240-3801028, Attn: Ref Code AS-14228.

ACCOUNTANT Rockville CPA firm seeks CPA with 8 years recent public accounting exp to work part-time. E-mail resume to monteloeb@mloebandassoc.com

Page B-12

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Automotive

Page B-13

Call 301-670-7100 or email class@gazette.net

OURISMAN VW BLACK FRIDAY Specials Where you always get your way.

“Omelet King” Will Be Serving Breakfast Starting At 6AM

OPENING AT 6 AM FOR DOOR BUSTER SAVINGS $6,000 SAVINGS ON SELECT CARS IN THE SHOWROOM

Purchase Prizes

1. iPad Air 2. $500 VISA Gift Card 3. Laptop Computer

- Your Pick -

Pre-Owned Specials Starting at $2,995

Great Selection of Vehicles Under $10,000

New VW Lease Specials VW Jetta S.......$159 VW Passat S.....$189 VW Tiguan S.....$259

Ourisman VW of Laurel 3371 Fort Meade Road, Laurel

1.855.881.9197 • www.ourismanvw.com

Online Chat Available...24 Hour Website • Hours Mon-Fri 9 am-9 pm • Sat 9 am-8 pm All prices exclude tax, tags, title, freight and $200 processing fee. Cannot be combined with any previous advertised or internet special. Pictures are for illustrative purposes only. See dealer for details. *Limit one prize per customer, while supplies last, Retail customers only, Cannot be combined with any pre-negotiated internet price, advertisement or special offer. Available for in-stock units. Must take delivery 11/29/2013.

G529127

Selling that convertible...be sure to share a picture!

Log on to

Gazette.Net/Autos to upload photos of your car for sale

It Is Here! The Gazette’s New Auto Site At Gazette.Net/Autos With 2 great ways to shop for your next car, you won’t believe how easy it is to buy a car locally through The Gazette. Check the weekly newspaper for unique specials from various dealers and then visit our new auto website 24/7 at Gazette.Net/Autos to search entire inventories of trusted local dealers updated daily.

Dealers, for more information call 301-670-2548 or email us at sfrangione@gazette.net

Page B-14

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

DARCARS VOLVO OF ROCKVILLE

THANKSGIVING BLACK FRIDAY SALES EVENT

07 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS #364333A, $ 5 Speed Manual, 1 $ Owner, 44k Miles

10,985

05 Ford F-150 STX $$

#367214A, 4 Speed Auto, 4WD, Bright Red

11,800

12 Honda Civic LX $$

#351138A, 5 Speed Auto, 33.7 Miles, 4-Door

14,800

10 Toyota Prius III $$

#P8805, 4 Door, CVT Transmission, 45k miles

17,500

09 Scion XD $$

#353054A, 4 Speed Auto, 4-Door, Barcelona Red

11,500

09 Volkswagen CC #R1702A, $ 6 Speed Auto, $ Sport Model

13,800

13 Toyota Corolla LE #470075A, $ 4 Speed Auto, $

5.1k Miles, 1 Owner

16,200

12 Toyota Camry LE $$

#R1722, 6 Speed Auto, 11.9k Miles, Red Metallic

17,800

2012 Nissan Versa S

11 Nissan Sentra 2 $$

#460034A, CVT Trans, 38.5k Miles, 4-Door

11,800

#E0263, 32K Miles, 4 Speed Auto, 4 Door Coupe

13,800

16,985

#325025A, 6 Speed Auto, Black, Mid Size Wagon, 53K Miles

13,980

17,980

$

2013 Infinity G37

26,480

$

#E0216,BackupCamera, 23KMiles,BlackObsidian, SedanTouring

$

15,980

2013 Volvo C30

#332293A, Premier Plus, 2k Miles

25,980

$

2010 Volvo XC60 3.2L

$11,480

2012 Mazda Mazda 3 Speed 3

2009 Nissan Xterra X

2013 Honda Civic XLE

$16,980

$17,980

$18,480

2009 Volvo XC90

$19,480

2011 Volvo XC60 T6

$19,980

2012 Volvo XC60

2008 Cadillac STS

2013 Volkswagen Passat SE

#N0271, 6 Speed Auto, 7.9K Miles, Black..............................................

2012 Hyundai Sonata LTD

#N0276, 6 Speed Auto, 22.5K Miles, 1-Owner, Gray Metallic.................

DARCARS

$20,980 $20,980

#326082A, Navigation, 3K Mile...............................................................

2013 Volvo C30

#N0270, RWD W/1SB, 6 Speed Auto, Black Raven................................

355 3 5 5 TOYOTA TOYOTA PRE-OWNED P R E - OW N E D

27,980

$

#327223B, Touring, Navigation, M/T, 24K Miles, 1-Owner......................

#P8842, 68k Miles...................................................................................

2011 Toyota Camry LE......... $14,800 $14,800 2013 Toyota Camry LE.......... $19,800 $19,800 #P8785, 6 SpeedAuto, 36.2k Miles, Blue Ribbon Metallic #R1747, 6 Speed Auto, 11.9k Miles, 4 Door

26,980

$

#P8750, AWD, Electric Silver, Metallic, Certified

#E0277, 42K Mile.....................................................................................

2008 Volvo S80

2007 Honda CR-V EX-L........ $14,800 $14,800 2008 Toyota Sequoia SR5..... $19,800 $19,800 #472069A, 5 SpeedAuto, Beige Metallic, 1 Owner #378078A, 6 SpeedAuto, 4WD, Sport, Timberland Mica Graphite

#332293A, 5 Speed Auto, 2.6K Miles, Ice White, 1-Owner.....................

$25,980 $27,980

#429002A, 4WD, Sport Utility, 44K Miles, Gray Metallic Certified...........

$31,980

#P8825, 6 Speed Auto, Ice White, 4WD, 1-Owner, Certified...................

$36,480

#327208A, 6 Speed Auto, Caspian Blue, Certified.................................

VOLVO

15401 Frederick Rd, Rockville, MD

www.darcarsvolvo.com

G529134

G529132

#426021A, 6 Speed Auto, 37,6K Miles, Taupe Gray Metallic

2010 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ

2008 Volvo V70 3.2L

#N110008, 5-Speed Auto, Supra Black, 4WD Sport Utility.....................

2011 Toyota Camry LE......... $13,800 $13,800 2010 Toyota Venza............. $18,800 $18,800 #P8771, 6 SpeedAuto, 42.2k Miles, Magnetic Gray Metallic #374551A, 6 SpeedAuto, Barcelona Red Metallic, 1 Owner

V ISIT U HE W VISIT US S O ON N T THE WEB EB A AT T w www.355.com ww.355.com

17,480

2012 Toyota Yaris

$12,800 2010 Toyota Prius III........... $17,500 $17,500 2012 Toyota Corolla LE........ $12,800 #372338B, 4 SpeedAuto, 21.2k Miles, Black Sand Pearl #P88805, CVT Trans, Classic Silver Metallic, 1 Owner

15625 Frederick Rd (Rte 355) • Rockville, MD | OPEN SUNDAY

$

#325074A, Navigation, Back-Up Camera, 4WD, 1-Owner, Smokey Mica

$13,500 2012 Mazda 3i.................. $17,800 $17,800 2006 BMW X5 3.0i............. $13,500 #360298B, 4WD,Auto, Silver Metallic #351089A, 6 SpeedAuto, 10.9k Miles, Grand Touring

1-888-831-9671 1-888-831-9671

#326024A, Premium, M/T Car Coupe, 46K miles, 5 Speed

$

2008 Honda Pilot SE

$

12,480

#325096B, CVT Transmission, Super Black, 52K Miles

CERTIFIED

19,800

See what it’s like to love car buying

#329040A, Ent.Center, 4WD Sport Utility, Formal Black, 88K Miles

$

2008 Lexus RX 400H

2007 Toyota Sienna LE........ $11,800 $11,800 2012 Scion XB.................. $14,800 $14,800 #364373A, 5 SpeedAuto, 2WD,Artic Frost Pearl #450015A, 4 SpeedAuto, 15.4k Miles, Super White

DARCARS

13,480

#E0259, 5 Speed Auto, 38K Miles, Polished Slate

12,480

$

2008 Nissan Altima 2.5S

CERTIFIED

13 Toyota Camry LE #R1738, $ 6 Speed Auto, 14.2k $

miles, 4 Door, 1 Owner

#N110003, 5 Speed Auto, Blue Metallic, Sunroof, 73K Miles

2008 Ford Mustang GT

10 Toyota Rav-4 $$

#P8822, 4 Speed Auto, 39k miles, 4WD Sport Utility

11,980

$

2012 Mazda Mazda 6

11 Ford Focus SE $$

#364474A, Auto, 4 Door, 1 Owner

2008 Volvo S60 2.5T

1.888.824.9165

DARCARS

See what it’s like to love car buying.

YOUR GOOD CREDIT RESTORED HERE

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

2011 GMC SIERRA: 2500HD Denali, AWD, Duramax Diesel, auto, lifted, 28.8k miles, blck, leather, navi, exc cond, warranty, $19100, arth@ netscape.com

Page B-15

CASH FOR CARS! DONATE AUTOS, Any Make, Model or TRUCKS, RV’S. Year. We Pay MORE! LUTHERAN MISRunning or Not. Sell SION SOCIETY.

Your donation helps local families with food, clothing, shelter.

Tax deductible.

MVA licensed.

LutheranMissionSociet y.org 410-636-0123 or toll-free 1-877-7378567.

Your Car or Truck TODAY. Free Towing!

Instant Offer: 1-888-545-8647

CA H

WANTED:

FOR CAR !

Full Size Station Wagon 1965 to 1979.

Small/medium engine.

Call: 240-475-3210

ANY CAR ANY CONDITION

DARCARS NISSAN

99 VOLKSWAGON B E E T L E : 5 spd,

blck, runs good, 109k miles, MD Inspec. $3,700 240-701-3589

2002 MAZDA MILLENIA: 97k miles tan

Thanksgiving Holiday Savings!

TOYOTA AVALON XLS 2000 172K mi loaded, exc cond, $5595/BO Mookim 301-972-1435

2013 NISSAN SENTRA SV MSRP: $18,530

leather interior sunroof automatic $4000 Obo call 240-372-2878

Sale Price: Holiday Bonus Cash: NMAC Bonus Cash:

14,495

$

WE PAY TOP DOLLAR-FAST FREE PICKUP! SELL YOUR CAR TODAY! CALL NOW FOR AN

INSTANT CASH OFFER

(301) 288-6009

MSRP: Sale Price: Nissan Rebate: Holiday Bonus Cash: NMAC Bonus Cash:

$

2013 NISSAN MURANO S AWD MSRP: $31,750 Sale Price: Nissan Rebate: Holiday Bonus Cash: Nissan Bonus Rebate: NMAC Bonus Cash:

2007 Ford Mustang Coupe #341230A, Auto Transmission, Low Miles

12,977

$

21,995

2013 NISSAN MAXIMA SV MSRP: $42,290 Sale Price: Nissan Rebate: NMAC Bonus Cash: Dealership Bonus: NMAC Bonus Cash:

2014 NISSAN PATHFINDER S 4X4 MSRP: $31,495

95

24,995

G529133

$

16,995

2004 Toyota Highlander Limited #472031B, 4WD, Leather Seating, Sunroof, 7 Passenger, Low Mileage

12,977

$

2012 Nissan Versa SL

12,977

$

#346423A, Auto Transmission, Alloy Wheels, Bluetooth, Power Features

With Bluetooth #23213 2 At This Price: VINS: 321399, 320887

With Leather, Premium PKG, Nav, Moonroof #16213 2 At This Price: VINS: 823984, 824883

Sale Price: Nissan Rebate: NMAC Bonus Cash:

-$1,000 -$750 -$500

$26,995 -$2,500 -$1,000 -$1,000 -$500

$

24/7 at Gazette.net

30 Days

$

#P8767,PWR, Mirrors, Lock, Remote Keyless Entry

11,977

$

#P8751A, Wolfsburg Edition, Leather, Sunroof, Manual

$23,320 BLACK $19,245 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2013!

Place Your Vehicle for Sale online

39

8,977

$

2014 NISSAN ALTIMA WITH2.5 ANY SVEHICLE PURCHASED ON

With Bluetooth #13114 2 At This Price: VINS: 164781, 166742

$

#346249A, Auto, 2WD

FREE 37”2010 Nissan Versa Hatchback FLAT SCREEN TV* 11,977

#12113 2 At This Price: VINS:907470, 907382

2011 VW Jetta

2005 Chevrolet Colorado

See what it’s like to love car buying.

$15,495 -$500 -$500

Search Gazette.Net/Autos for economical choices

G529105

DARCARS

$

2008 Nissan Altima 2.5S Coupe #346486A, Auto Transmission, Alloy Wheels, Sunroof

$34,995 -$4,000 -$1,500 -$2,000 -$500

13,977

$

2003 Ford Thunderbird #N0275, Hard Top Convertible, Low Miles

13,977

$

26,995

2011 BMW 328i

2009 Mini Cooper Clubman S

$26,745 -$750 -$1,000

#P8746, 1-Owner, Pano Roof, Automatic

#25014 2 At This Price: VINS: 609748, 602755

DARCARS NISSAN of of ROCKVILLE ROCKVILLE 15911 Drive • • Rockville, Rockville, MD MD (at (at Rt. Rt. 355 355 across across from fromKing KingFarm) Farm) 15911 Indianola Indianola Drive www.DARCARSNISSAN.com 888.824.9166 •• www.DARCARSNISSAN.com

Prices include all rebates and incentives. NMAC Bonus Cash requires financing through NMAC with approved credit. Prices Pricestax, include rebates incentives.

NMAC Bonusand Cash requires financing through NMAC with approved credit.with exclude tags, all freight (carsand $780, trucks $725-$995), $200 processing charge. *Lease payments are calculated Prices exclude tax,$200 tags,processing freight (cars $810,and trucks $200 processing charge. valid only onthrough listed tax, tags, freight, charge first$845-$995), payment dueand at signing, and are valid withPrices tier one approval VINS. See dealer for details.

Offer expires 12/02/2013. * Free TV offer is valid only on Friday, November 29th.

NMAC. Prices valid only on listed VINS. See dealer for details. Offer expires 10/22/2012.

16,977

$

#E0215, 24K Miles, Navigation Sys, Sunroof

23,977

$

www.DARCARSnissan.com DARCARS NISSAN of ROCKVILLE 15911 Indianola Drive • Rockville, MD (at Rt. 355 across from King Farm)

888.805.8235 • www.DARCARSNISSAN.com

BAD CREDIT - NO CREDIT - CALL TODAY!

in print and online

NEW 2013 PRIUS PLUG-IN

36 $

NEW2 AVAILABLE: 2014#470170, COROLLA LE 470189

2 AVAILABLE: #377690, 377719

199/mo.**

4 DR., 4 CYL., AUTO

NEW 2013 HIGHLANDER 4X2 2 AVAILABLE: #363371, 363401

$

GREAT GREAT THANKSGIVING THANKSGIVING

15,790

4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL., INCL.

NEW 2014 SCION XD 2 AVAILABLE: #453005, 453007

SALE SALE OF OF 2013 2013 (BLACK FRIDAY SALE STARTS TODAY!)

23,990

$

$

4 CYL., AUTO

AFTER TOYOTA $2,000 REBATES

169/mo.**

4 CYL., 4 DR., AUTO

NEW 2013 RAV4 LE 4X2 BASE 2 AVAILABLE: #364556, 364533

NEW 2014 CAMRY LE 2 AVAILABLE: #472051, 472071

36 Month Lease $

4 DR., 4 CYL., AUTO

NEW 2013 PRIUS C II

2 AVAILABLE: #377729, 377730

16,990

0% FOR

$

4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL.,

AFTER $1,250 REBATES

60

DARCARS

20,690

4 CYL., AUTOMATIC

AFTER $1,000 REBATES

EXTENDED HOURS ON BLACK FRIDAY

NEW 2014 CAMRY LE 3 AVAILABLE: #472090, 472091, 472086

MONTHS+

On 10 Toyota Models

See what it’s like to love car buying

$

19,390

AUTO, 4 CYL., 4 DR

AFTER TOYOTA $1,000 REBATE

G557425

1-888-831-9671

15625 Frederick Rd (Rte 355) • Rockville, MD n OPEN SUNDAY n VISIT US ON THE WEB AT www.355Toyota.com

G529131

149/mo.**

$

PRICES AND PAYMENTS INCLUDE ANY APPLICABLE MANUFACTURE’S REBATES AND EXCLUDE MILITARY ($500) AND COLLEGE GRAD ($500) REBATES, TAX, TAGS, DEALER PROCESSING CHARGE ($200) AND FREIGHT: CARS $795 OR $810, TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY AND SIENNAS $810, $845 AND $995. *0.9% APR & 0% APR FINANCING UP TO 60 MONTHS TO QUALIFIED BUYERS THRU TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. TOTAL FINANCED CANNOT EXCEED MSRP PLUS OPTIONS, TAX, AND LICENSE FEES. 0% APR 60 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $16.67 FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED. 0.9% APR 60 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $17.05 FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED. APR OFFERS ARE NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER CASH BACK OR LEASE OFFER. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIFY.**LEASE PAYMENTS BASED ON 36 MONTHS, 12,000 MILES PER YEAR WITH $995 DOWN PLUS $650 ACQUISITION FEE, NO SECURITY DEPOSIT REQUIRED. SEE DEALER FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. OFFERS EXPIRES 12-02-13.

Page B-16

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 z

Advertorial

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