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VIENNA, VIA STRATHMORE

Annual salute serves up a taste of Austrian culture. B-5

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

25 cents

Olde Towne developer: Funding may stall complex Developer will look for other ﬁnancing avenues n

BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER

PHOTOS BY DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Sheri Sankey of Montgomery Village, here with her dog Oreo, keeps a $50 bill from Geneva Presbyterian Church in Potomac on her refrigerator as a daily reminder that she can do something to help others.

Jubilee with generosity

‘I want you to use this money to the glory of God,’ says pastor of Geneva Presbyterian Church in Potomac BY

PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITER

It was like a collection basket in reverse. Instead of collecting money to help the church’s outreach programs, Anne Beneﬁeld, pastor of Geneva Presbyterian Church in Potomac, put money and a challenge in the hands of her parishioners. At the end of her Sept. 8 sermon, each adult parishioner was handed $50 in honor of the

Anne Beneﬁeld, pastor of Geneva Presbyterian Church in Potomac, with her notebook of stories from parishioners describing how they each used $50 for “the Lord’s work.”

Retired racehorses ﬁnd a second chance through CANTER n

BY SAMANTHA SCHMIEDER SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

THE YEAR IN REVIEW The Gazette recaps the top news stories in Montgomery County of 2013.

A-9

Toys for Tots hosts giveaway after landing thousands of surplus gifts SYLVIA CARIGNAN STAFF WRITER

A home at the ﬁnish line

NEWS

We’re gonna need a bigger sleigh BY

See JUBILEE, Page A-14

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

See COMPLEX, Page A-14

church’s 50th anniversary. Each child received $5. In all she gave out $6,600. The money came with a charge: use it within 90 days to help the community and report back. “I want you to use this money to the glory of God. I want you to make our next 50 years about mission. And I want you to use this money in a way that you have a personal attachment,”

Deidra Darsa of Rockville with her retired racehorse, Vinnie, at a stable in Glenwood.

RST Development ofﬁcials say its proposed apartment complex project in Olde Towne Gaithersburg might not be built after the City Council voted Monday not to support the developer’s request for ﬁnancing through the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development. The Crossing at Olde Towne, located at the Y site at 200 Olde Towne Ave., is a multifamily unit development that is proposed to have a housing mix of 105 low/moderate income units and 94 marketrate units. Principal developer Scott Copeland said he submitted an application to the Maryland Depart-

It was Christmas Eve one year ago when Groovy Music entered his last race. The 6-year-old bay gelding pulled a ligament in a race that sidelined his racing career. But, with the help of a nonproﬁt organization Groovy Music and many thoroughbreds like him are getting a second chance.

SPORTS

TOP TEN STORIES OF 2013 Montgomery County was full of memorable sports moments in 2013. Find out which was No. 1.

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CANTER — the Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses — works with trainers at Laurel Park and racetracks across the country to help their horses ﬁnd new suitable homes when they ﬁnish their racing careers. CANTER MidAtlantic caters to racehorse owners and buyers on the East Coast with their horses housed at different farms located in Maryland, Delaware and North Carolina. Finding a suitable home for these retired racehorses isn’t an easy job, according to Wendy Komlo, Groovy Music’s owner. Komlo owns Tan-

See HOME, Page A-14

Automotive Business Calendar Celebrations Classiﬁed Entertainment Opinion Sports Please

RECYCLE

Parents and kids of all ages flooded the Toys for Tots warehouse in Gaithersburg at a free-for-all event Monday after the organization collected almost three times as many toys this year as last year. Paul Gunther, who manages Toys for Tots’ Montgomery County efforts, said the organization received 36,000 items last year, but got an overwhelming response this year: almost 100,000 toys. The Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots’ 2-yearold Montgomery County program has been donating toys, collected at its Gaithersburg warehouse, to nonprofits around the county, such as A Wider Circle and Interfaith Works. But after their needs were fulfilled, thousands of toys were left over this year. Bill Grein, spokesman for the nationwide Toys for Tots program, said it’s “not normal” to have a surplus of toys.

See TOYS, Page A-8

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Shanee Neal of Gaithersburg picks out puzzles for her six children at the Toys for Tots giveaway in Gaithersburg.

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

PEOPLE& PLACES More online at www.gazette.net

GALLERY

Whitman’s Kevin Baker (top) controls Churchill’s Zach Raizon in a 170-pound match on Thursday. Go to clicked.Gazette.net.

PHOTOS BY BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Parishioners David Marshall (left) and Kwanho Roh, both of Gaithersburg, load a Christmas tree that was sold at St.

Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Gaithersburg on Dec. 15.

Mark Maeder of Germantown holds a Christmas tree for Amanda Quigley, Mallory Quigley and their mother, Laura Quigley, to inspect.

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MONDAY, DEC. 30 Winter Break at the Medical

FRIDAY

Laura Quigley (left) gets help looking for a Christmas tree from her daughter Amanda Quigley and parish volunteer Andy Au, all of Gaithersburg.

Olney prep students visit the White House Olney Adventist Preparatory School’s second-, third-, and fourth-graders recently took a memorable ﬁeld trip to the White House. “This was very special as we were one of the ﬁrst groups to come through since the government shutdown,” said Principal Jami Walker. “It was also special because we were able to go at Christmastime, to see all the beau-

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tiful decorations.” After going through a security check, the students, teachers and chaperones were greeted at the visitor entrance by Bo, the black Portuguese water spaniel, and his sister Sunny — the Obama family dogs. Walker said that students enjoyed seeing the decorated trees, portraits, and life-sized replicas of the Portuguese water dogs made out of black satin ribbon. Other highlights included the ofﬁcial White House Christmas Tree and a gingerbread replica of the White House, complete with miniature Sunny and Bo. parkpass.org.

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WeekendWeather

Mr. Jon and Friends Music Celebration, 11 a.m.,

Damascus Library, 9701 Main St., Damascus. Free. 240-

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Grove Nature Center, 7777 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. $6. Register at www.

Masterpieces of Classical Ballet, 7-9 p.m., Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center, 7995 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. Free; $15 donation appreciated. 301-593-6262.

Annual New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance for D.C. Blues Society, 7 p.m.-

12:30 a.m., American Legion Post 268, 11225 Fern St., Wheaton. $35 for members, $40 for nonmembers. 301322-4808.

ALTERATIONS

SUNDAY

Get complete, current weather information at

NBCWashington.com

Mobile Download the Gazette.Net mobile app using the QR Code reader, or go to www.gazette.net/mobile for custom options.

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

TUESDAY, DEC. 31 Otus the Owl Rockin’ New Year, 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Meadowside Nature Center, 5100 Meadowside Lane, Rockville. $5. 301-258-4030. Labyrinth Walk, 6-9 p.m., Cedar Lane Unitarian Church, 9601 Cedar Lane, Bethesda. Donations accepted. 240-476-2219.

SATURDAY

CORRECTION In a Dec. 18 article, Capital Health Connection lead navigator Susan Mathews was the source for estimates of the percentage of people choosing to wait out a grace period before deciding to buy insurance and for the percentage who qualiﬁed for Medicaid but hesitated to sign up. The information was incorrectly attributed to a Montgomery County health department spokeswoman. Designs by

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Members of the Clarksburg Keys received 745 toys from the community for their KEYS for Tots toy drive this month. The baseball team made up of boys ages 9 through 11 asked for help from local neighborhoods, schools and businesses to collect toys for the Toys for Tots foundation. Their initial goal was to receive 100 toys. Toys for Tots came out on Dec. 14 to Bennigans in Clarksburg to pick up the donations.

LIZ CRENSHAW

Liz digs in on this popular product.

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Clarksburg team drive collects 745 toys

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

Reptiles Alive!, 2 p.m., Wheaton

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

Why does natural peanut butter have to be refrigerated while regular Skip or Jif do not?

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.

THURSDAY, DEC. 26

A&E Enrich your holidays with a visit to “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.”

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SPORTS Holiday basketball tourneys begin this week. Check online for coverage.

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One Gaithersburg church’s tradition of helping people decorate for Christmas while raising money for charitable causes celebrated three decades of spreading goodwill this year. Each year, volunteers at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church sell hundreds of Christmas trees and other decorations to parishioners, friends and other community members. Jack Hart started the Christmas tree sale 30 years ago after seeing a similar sale at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Rockville. Hart teamed up with Mike Stapleton and Ron Atwater, two friends from St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, to figure out how to purchase and sell Christmas trees at their own church. “The project just grew,” Hart said. “It turned out to be a great project, as far as people within the church enjoying it.” The three men’s wives started a gift shop and enlisted their children and other volunteers to help sell trees. Stapleton and Atwater have died, but the tradition of selling trees continues. Hart said his son and daughter helped when they were young, and this year, his grandson went with him to volunteer. The Christmas tree sale raises money for the church and the charities it supports. Hart said one of the greatest pleasures for him is helping people find a great tree they can afford, even if that means marking down the price on the tree somebody’s kids really want. “It makes you feel great, and you can help people [by] doing something like that,” he said. “We’re a church, so that’s one of the purposes of doing the trees, besides a fundraiser.” Dan Millavec, one of the cochairs for the tree sale, said more than 300 volunteers typically sell 900 to 1,000 trees every year. “We’re 100 percent volunteer, 100 percent not-for-profit,” he said. The Christmas tree sale raises $30,000 to $40,000 per year, and has raised more than $800,000 over its 30-year history. In addition to trees, St. Rose of Lima sells wreaths, garlands, jewelry, toys, decorations and food. Hart said the volunteers, especially the children, love helping people pick out their Christmas trees. “It’s just been a real great pleasure — lots of laughs, lots of fun, lots of helping people,” Hart said.

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

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LOCAL

Little Bennett Regional Park is set to grow

A mini-McMansion for the masses? n

192-square-foot structure blends small living with large societal view BY JENN DAVIS STAFF WRITER

When her daughter was discharged from the Navy at the end of 2010 and returned home after serving two-and-a-half years, Darline Bell-Zuccarelli discovered that the young veteran could not afford her own place to live, and she was determined to do something about it. So, Bell-Zuccarelli built a small home for her daughter — in her own backyard. “My daughter was a little depressed because she was having a hard time ﬁnding a job in the ﬁrst place, and then when she found the job, and then taxes and everything, she realized she could not afford to live on her own,” she said. From June 2012 to June 2013, Bell-Zuccarelli and her husband spentnightsandweekendsworking on the 192-square-foot house situated behind the couple’s home on Woodland Road in Gaithersburg. Complete with a living room, kitchenette, sleeping loft, bathroom, vaulted ceiling, skylight and porch, the home is small but functional, Bell-Zuccarelli said. It also has electricity, air conditioning and heat, and it is set up for plumbing. An accountant by day, BellZuccarelli said she had limited experience in construction, and relied mostly on the Internet and her local Home Depot to learn how to build the structure. “Home Depot University is what I call it,” she said. “I just spent half my time there.” Bell-Zuccarelli estimated that the entire project, from lumber to furniture, cost $15,000. She and her husband paid for the project by working on a “pay as you go”

plan, meaning that they completed tasks as money became available to them from paychecks. She has electrical and building permits for a shed of up to 216 square feet under city code. The house also passed foundation, framing and electrical inspections, Bell-Zuccarelli said. No one has been able to live in the house yet because there is no running water, Bell-Zuccarelli said. Once she can afford the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission charge to connect the house’s plumbing pipes to those located on the street, which is expected to cost around $10,000, Bell-Zuccarelli can apply for an occupancy permit to have her daughter, Adrienne Baker, officially live in the structure. Aside from giving her own daughter a place to live, Bell-Zuccarelli believes the little house could serve as a prototype to bring in people off the streets. Her idea is for Montgomery County to buy a parcel, and build small, inexpensive houses on the property to serve the homeless population. “Build 10 of these and people won’t have to go on vouchers, people won’t have to go on welfare,” she said. “People will have somewhere to live other than the streets.” With the goal of ending homelessness, the Montgomery County Council approved an appropriation Dec. 3 that gives $649,325 to the county’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs to provide permanent housing for 15 homeless people classified as medically vulnerable. Bell-Zuccarelli said she thought the county’s plan was costly and narrow-reaching. On Dec. 17, officials from the county’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs came out to tour the home. The department’s director, Richard Y. Nelson Jr., said if the county were to consider Bell-Zuc-

Planning Board approves 14-acre park addition BY

SYLVIA CARIGNAN STAFF WRITER

PHOTOS BY GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

The 192-square-foot house (foreground) that Darline Bell-Zuccarelli designed and helped build in the backyard of her home (background) in Gaithersburg. The small house, which features a living room, kitchenette and loft sleeping area, is home to Bell-Zuccarelli’s daughter, Adrienne Baker. carelli’s suggestion, an investigation would have to be conducted to see if homeless people would want to live in the homes and if the houses could be equipped to help those people back on their feet. “One big question is whether or not people would prefer to live in a small house like that,” he said. “I’m not sure if there is a market for that. Also, the homeless need services in the home, like counseling and therapy.” Baker, 25, said she enjoys spending time in the tiny house. “The house is great and my mom worked really, really hard on it,” she said. “If she had the water hooked up, I would be more than happy to live in it.” Now working in Silver Spring with Chimes, an organization that helps people with disabilities learn life skills, Baker said she thinks the tiny house represents more than just a house for herself. “She’s saying it’s for me, but I think she really hopes it will serve as her mission for helping homeless and low-income families.” Ultimately, Bell-Zuccarelli said she wants to help those in

The kitchenette and loft sleeping area in the small house. her community and increase their quality of life. “I don’t want anyone else to go through what my daughter’s going through,” she said. “She works every single day and she can’t afford to live on her own. This tiny house works for her.”

Little Bennett Regional Park, the county’s largest park, is getting a small addition. The Montgomery County Planning Board voted Thursday to support nearly $1.6 million to acquire more land for the Clarksburg park. The transaction is 14 acres of undeveloped land, to become part of the park, and 4 acres for right-of-way for extension of Snowden Farm Parkway. The forested, unimproved property is located near the intersection of Clarksburg Road and Snowden Farm Parkway. Montgomery County Land Acquisition Specialist William E. Gries said negotiations for the land began earlier this year. The owner is the Chuntung Changchien Revocable Trust, set up by three husband-and-wife couples who have held the land since 1980. The addition “is expected to be conservation-oriented parkland in the near term,” Gries said. Funding for the transaction comes from state’s Program Open Space grants, which are dedicated for the acquisition of recreational land or open space. Snowden Farm Parkway will bisect the property once its construction is completed, Gries said. A Potomac Edison power line also runs through it, reducing the amount of land that can be used for recreational purposes. The 2007 master plan for Little Bennett includes future construction of a day use area, with a parking lot and picnic area. “In the long term, there may be development of active-use facilities on the portion of the property adjacent to Clarksburg Road, across from Little Bennett Elementary School,” Gries said. Gries said the county “may entertain some suggestions” for a few acres of the residential-zoned property to become a housing development after Snowden Farm Parkway is built through it. Little Bennett Regional Park is about 3,700 acres in size and has trails, streams, picnic areas and the county’s only campground. The park is also home to historical structures such as the Hyattstown Mill and the Kingsley School House. The county executive’s ofﬁce will review the terms of the contract to acquire the property. scarignan@gazette.net

jedavis@gazette.net

Developer breaks ground for construction on Germantown mid-rise apartments Complex to be completed in fall 2015

tion will be completed by fall 2015. The development is touted as a “transit-oriented community” because of the MARC station on the other side of Germantown Road, but a spokesperson for Wood Partners said there will be no shuttle to the station. The county’s new “Meet the MARC” service, Ride On Route 94, would not serve the development. Out of the 304 units, 38 will be moderately priced dwelling units to be leased at 65 percent, or less, of the area’s median income. The rest of the units will be leased at market rate, the release said. One-bedroom apartments will be $1,475 per month, and have an average size of 775 square feet. The multifam-

SYLVIA CARIGNAN STAFF WRITER

A developer has broken ground on a $60 million mid-rise apartment complex near Germantown Road that is expected to be ready for tenants by fall 2015. Alta Liberty Mill, a 304-unit residential community, is being built by multifamily developer Wood Partners. The community on Waters Road includes 11,900 square feet of ground-ﬂoor commercial space. According to a press release, construc-

ily complex, to be built on 8.5 acres on Waters Road, will consist of three LEEDcertified five-story buildings, according to the company. Community amenities will include a 6,500 square-foot clubhouse, business center, fitness center, conference room and media center. Residents will also have access to a 2,500 square-foot swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, fire pits with seating and barbecue grills, cabana with outdoor fireplace, a game lawn and a car-wash station, according to a news release from the company. Leasing is expected to start next fall. scarignan@gazette.net

WOOD PARTNERS

A developer has broken ground on a Germantown apartment complex, Alta Liberty Mill.

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THE GAZETTE

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

AROUND THE COUNTY Live nativity presents story of the season Each year since 1954, Olney’s Oakdale Emory United Methodist Church has presented a free, 20-minute Biblical narrative of the Christmas story, with music and live actors and animals. This year’s presentation took place Friday through Sunday. The preparations begin in early December when a group coordinated by the United Methodist Men assembles the rustic wooden stable and installs the lighting and sound equipment in the church’s parking lot along Georgia Avenue. Individuals, families and small groups portray the roles of the Mary and Joseph, prophets, wisemen, and a host of angels and shepherds. Over the years, hundreds of church members and their families, friends and neighbors have participated together in this intergenerational activity. A few days before the performances began, the stable is filled with straw and the animals, typically a donkey, sheep and goat, are brought in from several farms in Howard County. — TERRI HOGAN

Olney chamber accepting donations for police satellite station

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Parishioners sing after presenting a living nativity Friday evening at Oakdale Emory United Methodist Church in Olney.

Bongino criticizes Republicans in online post Candidate says efforts have hurt attempts to lure moderate Democrats n

RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER

Mainstream Republicans have “openly declared war” on the grassroots movement within their party, leading to a split within the party not seen in decades, congressional candidate Dan Bongino said. Bongino, who’s seeking the Republican nomination in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, lashed out at party leaders for several actions in recent weeks that Bongino said show a lack of concern for members of the party such as him. “I am serving you with divorce papers,” Bongino wrote in a Dec. 12 post on his Facebook page. He took unnamed party members to task for allegedly compromising the party’s principles. “As for the GOP, we used to stand for something: a lean, effective government, vibrant and robust individual liberty, and a passionate

defense of the value of hard work and a commensurate respect for your wages by consistently fighting for your right to keep more of them,” Bongino wrote. The post came on the same day that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) lashed out at conservative groups who had been critical of the bipartisan budget deal negotiated by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) “Frankly, I just think they’ve lost all credibility,” Boehner told reporters, accusing the groups of “using” Republican lawmakers, according to The Washington Post. Bongino said on Dec. 18 that the post was not specifically in response to Boehner’s statement, but was inspired by a series of actions by leading Republicans including the recent firing of Paul Teller, executive director of the Republican Study Group, a group of conservative lawmakers. Teller was a friend to many libertarians, Bongino said. “America’s best days are ahead and you and your fellow insiders and cronyists and ‘Party before country’ loyalists, on both sides of

the aisle, can bathe in your titles and power now but understand that I, and many others, have dedicated our lives to draining the dirty water from the bathtub,” Bongino wrote. He said Thursday that the post was written more out of frustration than anger, but criticized what he called the “crony insider” wing of the party he said was made up of elected officials who are more interested in making side deals than supporting the libertarian and grass-roots wing of the party. While he declined to name specific politicians or officials he would place in that category, Bongino also talked about a fight between the “Rove wing” of the party and the grass roots often associated with the tea party and other groups. In a September opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove criticized what he called an “illconceived” effort by some conservative lawmakers to shut down the federal government in an attempt to defund the Affordable Care Act. Intraparty squabbling is not new and not unique to the Republican Party, Bongino said.

He compared the current situation to the split within the party in the 1970s between supporters of President Gerald Ford and future President Ronald Reagan, in which much of the party establishment supported Ford while grass-roots conservatives fell in behind Reagan. Meanwhile, the Republican outsiders have learned how to bypass the party’s traditional fundraising apparatus by using email lists, social media and lists of supporters they’ve accumulated themselves, he said. He said Maryland has a lot of moderate Democrats who are frustrated with the state, and the Republican establishment’s actions are hurting efforts to attract them because people don’t see a lot of difference between the two parties. “For those who say this ﬁght is hurting the Republican ‘brand’ I reply; it is those on both sides of the aisle who have betrayed their principles in the name of Party, that have destroyed their ‘brands,’” Bongino wrote in his Facebook post. rmarshall@gazette.net

Sandy Spring village proceeds with planning approval Next step is community workshop planned for February n

TERRI HOGAN STAFF WRITER

The Sandy Spring Rural Village plan is expected to be completed in May and head to the county’s top planners for approval this summer. The Scope of Work document, including the timeline, outreach and boundaries for the Sandy Spring Rural Village Plan, sailed through the Montgomery County Planning Board on Dec. 12 with no comments or concerns, allowing the process to move forward. “It looks very nice to me,” Planning Board Chairwoman Francoise M. Carrier said. “It looks like it’s a well-deﬁned area to be doing a minor master plan and following up on the last plan for the larger area. … I’m glad to see it going forward.”

Planner coordinator Kristin O’Connor said the project could not proceed without the Planning Board’s blessing of four components — established boundaries, a deﬁned purpose of the study, an established outreach process and a timeline. “They basically gave us approval to move forward within [these] perimeters,” she said. “We are excited, because this is a really good project.” At this step in the process, O’Connor said there are often questions or concerns raised. “This was different — the Planning Board recognized that this was coming from the community at the grassroots level,” she said. The 1998 Sandy Spring/Ashton Master Plan recognized that the details of the village center concept were beyond its scope, and recommended more detailed study and analysis to develop the concept. This past spring, the County Council approved a minor master

plan amendment, which will implement recommendations of the 1998 Plan for the development of a village center concept in Sandy Spring. The master plan proposes creation of a village center concept “that will help ensure that the village center serves its role as a focal point of community life.” It recommended that the concept focus on three elements: design and construction of a new ﬁre station that would serve as a community focal point; the realignment of Brooke Road to improve both pedestrian and vehicular circulation in the village center; and the creation of a village green. Since the master plan was approved, the new ﬁre station was built off of Brooke Road, just north of Olney-Sandy Spring Road. The other two elements remain incomplete, and will be addressed in this plan, according to O’Connor. O’Connor said preserving the history of the area is of ultimate im-

InBrief

portance as the plan is developed. The boundaries established are the Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department Station 4 to the north, Md. 108 to the south, Brooke Road to the west, and the Sandy Spring Museum to the east. The process kicked off in October with a community meeting to discuss ideas, issues and challenges. The information gathered contributed to the plan’s scope of work. O’Connor met with the owners of businesses along the north side of Md. 108 earlier this month, an area she describes as “ground zero” for the project. She said she plans to meet with other property owners in the near future, and a four-day workshop, open to the public, is scheduled to take place in early February. The timeline calls for the staff draft to be completed in May, and presented to the Planning Board in June. thogan@gazette.net

For those looking to make end-of-the-year tax-deductible contributions, the Olney Chamber of Commerce continues to accept donations for the Olney Satellite Police Station. Jon Hulsizer, the chamber’s executive director, said that while a $10,000 state grant secured by District 14 legislators helped with some larger maintenance issues this year, the operating expenses for the facility, in front of Giant Food at 17821 Georgia Ave., are ongoing. Since the station opened in 1997, funding has been the responsibility of the chamber. The county is responsible only for electricity, telephone and Internet access; community donations cover all other expenses. The satellite station functions as a place for officers to conduct day-to-day operations, such as shift roll call, filing reports, using the telephone, fax machines and restroom without having to leave the Olney area to return to the Fourth District station in Wheaton. Hulsizer said the facility’s presence not only deters crime, it also serves as a place for residents and business owners to get information, report crimes, and interact with police officers. Checks, made payable to the Community Foundation of Montgomery County, memo: Olney Police Satellite Station, should be sent to the Olney Chamber of Commerce, Box 550, Olney, MD 20830. For more information, contact the Olney Chamber of Commerce at 301-774-7117 or www.olneymd.org.

Corporate Volunteer Council names new executive director The Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County in Rockville has promoted Sarah Burnett from administrator to executive director. Burnett, of Chevy Chase, took the new post in October after 2½ years as the part-time administrator-coordinator with the organization. The council educates businesses on how to partner with and support nonproﬁts.

Gaithersburg-Germantown chamber names Edgerley new chairman The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce has named David Edgerley its board chairman for 2014. Edgerley is senior vice president for Sonabank and has been a chamber board member for three years.

POLICE BLOTTER

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

Armed robbery • On Dec. 7 at 5 p.m. at Beer and Wine, 13220 Wisteria Drive, Germantown. Subjects threatened victims and took property. • On Dec. 7 at 6:07 p.m. at Choice Market, 18700 Walkers Choice Road, Montgomery Village. Subjects threatened victim with weapon and took property. Bank robbery • On Dec. 10 at 8:45 a.m. at TD Bank, 19501 Frederick Road, Germantown. Strong-arm robbery • On Dec. 5 at 7:20 p.m. in the 3200 block of Hewitt Avenue, Silver Spring. Subject forcefully took property from victim and ﬂed. Aggravated assault • On Dec. 5 at 2:57 p.m. at Mangos Grill, 11218 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. • On Dec. 6 at 2:30 a.m. in the 18700 block of Winding Creek Place, Germantown. Subjects are known to victim. • On Dec. 7 in the 12500 block of Great Park Circle, Germantown. Subject is known to victim. • On Dec. 7 at 2:15 a.m. in parking lot of Cancun Cantina, 119 E. Diamond Ave., Gaithersburg. Subjct threatened victims with weapon. Commercial burglary • On Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. in the 11100 block of Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring. No forced entry into construction site, took property. • Between 1 p.m. Dec. 4 and 9:30 a.m. Dec. 6 at Hunt Club Apartments, 404 Christopher Ave., Gaithersburg. Forced entry into two tool sheds, took property. • Between 5:10 p.m. Dec. 7 and 7:10 a.m. Dec. 9 at Midas Mufﬂers, 204 N. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. Forced entry, took property. • On Dec. 9 at 5:31 a.m. at Airpark Auto Service, 8025 Snouffer School Road, Gaithersburg. • Three incidents at 10:50 p.m. Dec. 10 in Gaithersburg. Forced entry, took property. Affected locations include Corner Bakery, 1 Grand Corner Ave.; Lindt Chocolate Shoppe, 3 Grand Corner Ave.; and Taco Bar 2, 10003 Fields Road.

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

Page A-5

Colleges help centralize veteran services New county initiative seeks to consolidate support, expand access n

LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER

Montgomery County is looking to its public colleges to link to military veteran services, on and off their campuses. The schools already have veterans in mind: Montgomery College serves student veterans in its Combat to College Progam and the Universities at Shady Grove campus has made several changes to its veteran services this fall. A new initiative aims to centralize services available throughout the county under one umbrella and use schools as access points for veterans looking for mental-health counseling, help obtaining benefits or academic advice. County Executive Isiah Leggett rolled out the initiative in November — about a year after meeting with the heads of the college campuses, as well as U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin and Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr., to talk about the issue, said Michael Subin, executive director of the Montgomery County Criminal Justice Coordination Commission and the initiative’s coordinator. Leggett initiated the meeting because “he saw gaps in the services and wanted them closed,” Subin said. Another important aspect, he said, is not duplicating efforts in the county. Montgomery College, the Universities at Shady Grove and Johns Hopkins University’s Montgomery County campus all play roles in the initiative. The Silver Spring Vet Center and the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County are the first among a growing group of county organizations sharing and providing services on campus, Subin said. Colleges were a logical place because many veterans take advantage of the GI Bill benefits that cover education costs and campuses are where veterans experience the transition from military to civilian life, Subin said. “By working with the schools, we’ve been able to identify what is out there and find the means to share that effort,” he said. For Jason Franklin — who served five years in the Marine Corps in California — the return to civilian life at Montgomery College campus was difficult. “I personally felt very isolated as a student returning back,” he said, describing a transition from “military discipline” to independence and free thinking. Now, Franklin and his wife, Joanna Starling, are coordinators of the school’s Combat to College Program, which connects veterans to services. “A lot of it is raising awareness of what’s already available to them,” Starling said. A new veterans benefits officer recently started on the college’s campus following the formation of a partnership between the college and the state Department of Veterans Affairs, Starling said. The officer helps students take advantage of benefits such as forms of compensation for service connected to injuries or illnesses. Starling and Franklin estimated that they interact with about 40 percent of the more than 800 students who are veterans or service members. Wayne Miller, chief of the Silver Spring Vet Center, said college campuses became an obvious location to find veterans using the GI Bill. Miller said the vet center — which provides services including individual, family, substance abuse and other forms of counseling — currently has representatives visit Montgomery College and the Universities at Shady Grove campus about once a month to help both students and other veterans in the community. The representatives gather veterans’ information and sometimes work with them on the campus or set up an appointment. The new county initiative, Miller said, doesn’t change much for the center, but he thinks it improves veterans’ access to services. “With us having more places

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Jason Franklin (third from left) waves to a veteran on the Rockville campus of Montgomery College as he walks with (from left) Vince Lopez of Gaithersburg, Joanna Starling and Brian Forristal of Greenbelt. to go with our presence, it makes them more aware and it makes the families more aware,” he said. The Universities at Shady Grove campus in Rockville has worked this fall to consolidate and expand services for veterans. With about 75 percent of its students coming from Montgomery College, one main goal is to provide continuity for veterans transferring to the Shady Grove institution, said Robyn Dinicola-Wagle, chief student affairs ofﬁcer. The campus opened a new veteran services office at the beginning of the fall semester to centralize support services and let veterans gather and meet each other, Dinicola-Wagle said. Veterans have had access to general services on the campus in the past, but the campus is increasing services geared speciﬁcally toward them, such as career workshops, a peer mentorship program and internship opportunities. The majority of the recent changes at Shady Grove do not directly stem from the county executive’s initiative, Dinicola-

Wagle said, but the campus’ services are now better linked to county services. The initiative also has reached the Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County campus. Leslie Ford Weber — interim executive director at the Rockville campus — said that in the past, the school directed student veterans to general services available for all students at its Baltimore campus. The campus now aims to help direct students toward closer services in the county, such as the Silver Spring Vet Center and the Mental Health Association. Sgt. Walter A. Ramirez — president of the Shady Grove campus’ veterans organization and a Marine veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — said student veterans have helped spread the word about available services. New efforts at Shady Grove make it easier to know what’s available, so the “stress and effort” of word of mouth is lifted off their shoulders, he said. lpowers@gazette.net

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

The Leo family — Ralph (center), Diane (right) and their children, Chance, 13, (left) and Faith, 8 — pose with their holiday lights display Friday at their home in Germantown.

Germantown home shines for Christmas Neighbors join in holiday spirit

SYLVIA CARIGNAN STAFF WRITER

Reindeer, snowmen, Christmas bells, wreaths, snowﬂakes, a few Santas and thousands of blinking, bright strings of lights adorn the front yard of the Leo home in Germantown. Diane Leo lives on Emerald Way with her husband and two children. She and her husband set up their annual display on Veterans Day weekend in November, and turn on their twinkling, ﬂashing lights and inflatable decorations every night in December. “We love to decorate,” she said. “People used our Christmas light displays for their

Christmas cards.” Leo, who is a stay-at-home mom, said her family has set up Christmas lights all 13 years they’ve lived in their Germantown home. She and her husband also put up outdoor lights before that, when they lived in Florida. “We had palm trees to decorate down there,” Leo said. She has put together an annual Christmas display for 25 years, she calculated. Neighbors in the Leos’ Germantown community share her passion for decorating. Across the street, a family has decked out their trees with bright lights. Two doors down from the Leos, another family has reindeer, snowmen and penguins in the front yard. Leo said their over-thetop display has gotten positive

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feedback over the years. They receive cards and notes in their mailbox, and visitors come up to the door to say hello. “We get a lot of ‘Thank you,’ a lot of ‘The house is beautiful,’ a lot of ‘I’ve been coming for years,’” Leo said. Diane and her husband Ralph said there’s no secret to making a lights display that keeps neighbors and friends coming back every year — except making sure the lights are on. Ralph Leo said it takes three 10-hour days to put up their entire display. At the front door, the Christmas lights play “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Jingle Bells,” while small boxes lit up like ribbon-wrapped presents open and close. “We love Christmas,” Leo said.

THE GAZETTE

Page A-6

Santa’s tradition continues in Olney

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

One dead in crash with liquor truck in Derwood n

One passenger hospitalized

BY ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH STAFF WRITER

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Accompanied by the blare of sirens and ﬂashing lights, Santa rides through the streets of Olney Mill on Friday night atop an antique ﬁre truck provided by the Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department. Santa made his annual trip through Olney and surrounding communities over the past week, continuing a tradition that dates back to the 1970s. Escorted by the Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department, Santa cruised through town perched upon “Santa’s Wagon,” a 1954 Mack engine.

When the tradition began, the ﬁre department escorted Santa through the streets of Olney on Christmas Eve. As the community has grown, the trek now takes six nights for Santa to visit everyone, including three new communities that were added this year — Olney Estates, The Orchards of Sandy Spring and Olney Springs. — TERRI HOGAN

A man whose car was hit by a Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control truck in Derwood died from his injuries Friday. The crash took place on Crabbs Branch Way at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 17. According to Montgomery County Police, Valery A. Portnoi, 74, of N Street in northwest Washington, D.C., died from his injuries at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. A passenger in the car, Atalia Portnoi, 72, was in critical condition, according to police. Police identiﬁed the driver of the truck as Benito Gonzalez, 65, of the 1500 block of December Drive in Silver Spring. Allan Lule, 28, of the 5400 block of Madison Way in Hyattsville, was a passenger in the truck. Police said they were uninjured. Portnoi’s family members

MONTGOMERY COUNTY MEDIA

Police say a county Department of Liquor Control truck and a station wagon collided, killing a 74-year-old man and seriously injuring a 72-year-old woman who were traveling in the station wagon. could not be reached by phone. Portnoi had worked recently as a doctor in New York before retiring in 2012. “Oh, my goodness,” said Shonelle Williams, who had worked with him at Beth Israel Medical Center, when she learned of the news. Portnoi was a “very private doctor” whose specialty had been geriatric medicine, she said. “He was the face of Beth Israel in caring for elderly patients,” she said, adding that Portnoi had been the chief of the medical center’s geriatrics division. In a release identifying Portnoi as the person who

died, police said he was driving a gold 1997 Ford Taurus in the right lane of Crabbs Branch Way in Derwood. The crash occurred after the car turned left in front of a 2008 blue Freightliner truck registered to the Montgomery County Board of Liquor Control, which also was northbound, according to the release. Photos posted to Montgomery County Media, a county-run news service, showed the station wagon crumpled, with its tires flattened and two of its doors cut away. Attempts to reach Gonzalez and Lule were unsuccessful.

Unions still holding Question B controversy over 2014 candidates’ heads n

Crossing picket line at protest in May could cost endorsement

KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER

Candidates who crossed the union picket line at the Montgomery County Democratic Party’s fundraiser in May could have a hard time winning support from local unions in the 2014 election. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35 and Montgomery County’s general employee union picketed the Spring Ball in response to the party’s support of a November 2012 referendum — known as Question B — that rolled back some bargaining rights for county police. “They are going to have to have an awful lot of other posi-

tive qualities to overshadow that,” said Gino Renne, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers/Municipal and County Government Employees Organization Local 1994. “That was a huge, huge sin as far as the labor movement is concerned.” Question B asked voters if they afﬁrmed a County Council law that took away the police union’s right to bargain the effects of management decisions. The county’s police union, together with other public and private unions, asked voters to vote “against” Question B. But the county’s Democratic Central Committee supported a vote “for” Question B. Renne said his union, as well as the FOP and the Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association Inc., IAFF Local 1664, have held pre-endorsement in-

terviews with many candidates to get to know them. As part of the interviews, the unions are asking who crossed the picket line, he said. Which candidates crossed the line? “It’s a mixed bag,” Renne said. Prominent candidates like Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown of Mitchellville and Del. Heather Mizeur (Dist. 20) of Takoma Park chose not to cross the line. Because of the protest, party Chairman Gabriel Albornoz said in May that attendance at the fundraiser fell short of expectations. Yet many candidates running in 2014 did attend the ball, and Renne said many were newcomers to the political scene. Others, such as incumbent state Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr., attended the fundraiser to return the party’s support on key issues.

“To me the Democratic Central Committee stood for the passage of the marriage equality referendum, for the Dream Act referendum, which were things that were very important to me, that I advocated for,” said Madaleno (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington. “The party stood for me and my family and for our equal treatment under the law.” Madaleno said he has not had an interview with MCGEO, IAFF or the FOP. Renne said it is possible for a candidate to overcome crossing the union’s picket line and nab an endorsement, likely to be made in the spring. However, he said a union endorsement is “highly unlikely” for central committee members who recommended voters uphold the appeal. Marc Korman (D) is a central committee member running for the House of Delegates in District 16.

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Korman said in an email he met with MCGEO, IAFF and FOP representatives in October for what he was told was a “get to know you” meeting. “I had the chance to discuss with representatives of all three unions a variety of issues facing the county and state and was given a chance to tell them about my campaign and me,” Korman said. All endorsements matter to candidates, Madaleno said, adding he was recently endorsed by the Montgomery County teachers’ union. Renne said when unions endorse candidates, unions members work on behalf of those candidates. “In close or crowded races where there are multiple candidates, the labor endorsed candidate clearly has an edge,” Renne said. But not all county unions will consider a candidate’s attendance at the ball during endorsements. Doug Prouty, president of the Montgomery County Education Association, said teach-

ers did not stand with the other unions in protest of the central committee fundraiser, and will not be using that event as a yardstick for evaluating candidates. “We didn’t think it was a valuable use of our members’ time,” Prouty said of the protest. “We didn’t think going public with a grievance in that way was a decision we could agree with.” Each election the teachers’ union produces the Apple Ballot, a list of endorsements known to have great sway with voters. Prouty said the teachers’ union has already endorsed incumbents in the state legislature. The teachers’ union will conduct candidate interviews for remaining legislative seats in January, according to its website. MCEA’s review of candidates for county executive, County Council and Board of Education will take place in the spring. It will then make endorsements for the remaining council seats in April or early May, he said.

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

Page A-7

Waterman goes from apolitical voter to Republican Party chief KATE S. ALEXANDER

STAFF WRITER

If, eight years ago, someone told Diana Waterman she would one day head Maryland’s Republican Party, she would have told them they were absolutely crazy. Yet Waterman, 52, of Centreville in Queen Anne’s County, was elected in April as state party chairwoman, filling the remainder of former chairman Alex X. Mooney’s term. “Who is this person? Where did they come from?” Waterman said, reﬂecting on her progression. “The things I talk about now, the things I know about now are completely different.” How Waterman, raised in Virginia, went from an apolitical voter to head of the party boils down to being dependable and eager to help. “I tend to jump in with both feet,” she said. “If someone asks you to do a job and you do it well and are dependable, they keep asking you to do more jobs.” Waterman joined her county’s new Republican women’s club in 2005 to be involved in her community.

DIANA WATERMAN n Position: Chairwoman, Maryland Republican Party. Waterman also serves as chief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer for her family’s business, Coldwell Banker Waterman Realty n Residence: 500-acre farm in Queen Anne’s County n Family: Husband, Barry, and children Kevin, 26, and Caty, 24 n Education: Bachelor’s degree in mathematical physics from Sweet Briar College in Virginia

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

“I tend to jump in with both feet,” says Diana Waterman, chairwoman of the Maryland Republican Party.

n Best political advice: If you don’t try, you deﬁnitely fail. If you continue to try, sometimes you succeed, sometimes you start over again, but as long as you keep ﬁghting, there is a chance. If you don’t ask, the answer is always going to be no. If you ask, sometimes the answer is yes.

tee?’” Waterman recalled. That year, 19 candidates battled for seven open seats on the Republican Central Committee. Waterman said she came in seventh, nabbing the final spot. In 2010, she was re-elected. Since her election to the central committee, Waterman became involved in more and more Republican activities, from being elected first vice president of the Maryland Federation of Republican Women in 2009 to becoming first vice chair of the state party. She also worked locally for the presidential campaigns of Mitt Romney and John McCain.

Encouraged to run for the Queen Anne’s County Republican Central Committee in 2006, Waterman obliged, joining a heated race for the county party leadership. “My first question was, ‘What’s the central commit-

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ends in 2014. Waterman inherited a divided state party when she took over in April. “We are very, very individualistic,” she said of Republicans. “It’s not that we don’t play well as a group, but we see and stand up for what we believe and we believe it is our responsibility to take care of ourselves. That does not always funnel well into

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a group mentality....” Her message to members: Agree to disagree on the few issues that divide, and recognize that they agree more often then not. As one of only a handful of female state party chairs in the United States, she is also active in ﬁghting the notion that the Grand Old Party is anti-woman. Despite her rise in the state party, Waterman does not see herself among the Republicans running for public office any time soon. “I have no intentions of running,” she said. “But never is a very long time. So, I wouldn’t say I would never do it.” Waterman turned down two opportunities to apply for an open General Assembly seat this summer to honor her commitment as party chairwoman. Both openings were created when Sen. E.J. Pipkin (R-Dist. 36) resigned this summer to move to Texas and his Senate seat was ﬁlled by then-Del. Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Dist. 36) of Queenstown.

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THE GAZETTE

Page A-8

TOYS

Continued from Page A-1 “In 22 years, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of it,” he said. The Toys for Tots Montgomery County chapter works out of a donated warehouse at 8633 Grovemont Circle. The group must have all toys out of the warehouse by Jan. 1, Gunther said. To move them out quickly, Gunther decided to open the warehouse to the general public. Visitors who wanted to pick up toys had to show photo identification, proof of county residence and a birth certificate for each child. By 2:15 p.m. Monday, the warehouse was empty, with about 508 kids picking up about 2,500 toys. Grein said the organization would have preferred for the surplus toys to be donated to families in another county or a nonprofit struggling to meet demand for toys. Gunther and a small contingent of volunteer staff opened up the warehouse to the public Monday morning, allowing kids to take home as many toys as they could carry. Boxes and makeshift tables held Play-Doh sets, puzzles, books, dolls, toy trucks and crafting kits. Gunther had planned to close the doors at noon, but with a line still winding out the door, he decided to continue letting families in. Kids ran around the boxes, picking up toys and browsing books while volunteers helped parents pick out gifts. “It puts a smile on my face,” Gunther said. John Jordan came to volunteer at the warehouse with

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his son and grandson, who live in Montgomery County. As a volunteer, he was tasked with helping parents pick toys. Legos always are popular, he said, but parents wanted memory games for their children, too. “Something to challenge their minds a little,” he said. Two parents from Rockville waited nearby as their two kids picked out their favorite toys. Trains are on their Christmas list this year, they said. Germantown resident Gerri Wright had been volunteering for several days by the time the warehouse was opened to the public. The group filled and emptied the warehouse at least four times the past few days, collecting and distributing toys to nonprofit organizations. The shelf labeled “Barbies” was empty by the end of the morning. Puzzles, books and board games were less popular. Toys for Tots is seeking more drivers and a permanent warehouse for its Montgomery County operations, Gunther said. Its current location was donated as a temporary home, where the group only pays a gas bill. Next year, it hopes to get more volunteers involved. “There are a lot of families in need in the county,” he said. Grein and Gunther weren’t sure what might be behind the surplus of donations in the county. Law enforcement officials helped Toys for Tots collect donations along Route 200 in December. Grein said the organization will not have a tally of donations received nationally until after Jan. 1. scarignan@gazette.net

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Singer Dylan Howe and Joe Dobrzanski, on bass guitar, perform with the band DSG on Sunday during the Home For Christmas Concert at Damascus United Methodist Church.

Musicians celebrate Christmas at home in Damascus n

Brass plays big in DSG concert at United Methodist

VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER

College students returning home for the holidays blew the roof off Damascus United Methodist Church on Sunday night with their second annual big-band Welcome Home for Christmas Concert. “It’s just fun, that’s the reason we do it,” said Dylan

Howe, lead singer with DSG, a 13-piece band that includes young graduates of the music programs at the church and at Damascus High School. Howe, who graduated in 2012, is studying marketing at the University of Maryland, College Park, but he also keeps his hand in music by singing with the university’s a cappella group, Generics. Other Damascus High grads plan to make music their careers, including band cofounder Ben Constanfinides, who is majoring in music education at the University of

North Carolina at Greensboro. He writes music, plays the guitar and also is principal trombone with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra. Constanfinides co-founded the band with Ryan Celli, a freelance film and TV production assistant and Damascus High grad, who plays tenor sax and was looking to play in a group. “There are so many good players in the area,” said Celli, who said the concert is a good way to showcase local talent. “It started with Ryan ... and we thought, let’s start a band,” said Constanfinides, who knew

Celli through the church’s music programs under former pastor Walter Edmonds. The two started with Constanfinides’ twin brother, Jon Constanfinides, on drums and a bass player, and added members from there, including Charlie Doherty, trombonist and the band director at Damascus High, who taught Constanfinides. “There’s such a collaborative spirit between the church and the high school [programs],” said Susan James of Damascus, whose son Thomas James plays the piano in the DSG band and also is in the concert choir and a jazz combo at the University of Maryland. “We could not be more blessed to have the program at the high school,” she said. The DSG band first performed at The Music Café in Damascus, which opened Sunday after the performance. On Sunday night, the band performed more than 20 songs, a mix of Christmas music, rock classics and original songs by Constanfinides. There also was a guest performances by Polly Baldridge, the church’s minister of music and worships arts, singing “Please Come Home for Christmas.” “It’s a great celebration and an opportunity to show that you can have a great time in church,” she said. Also performing was Terrence Brown from Hagerstown, a musician who operated the sound system. Jamaican born, Brown played the guitar and sang Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry.” “My Dad was a pastor, and when Ryan asked me to [do the sound] for the church, I didn’t hesitate,” Brown said. The band’s set list was diverse, with songs like “Blue Christmas,” featuring bluesysounding horns, and a Latinsounding “Noel,” written by Constanfinides, with Ryan on tenor sax. Their big-and brassy sound came to the fore with Chicago’s classic, “Make Me Smile,” and they also played Stevie Wonder’s hit “Superstition” and the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody.” Constanfinides on guitar and Ross Thompson on harmonica also took a turn playing off each other during the song “Fever,” raising enthusiastic applause from the crowd in the church’s Great Hall. Thompson is studying trumpet performance at the University of Maryland with the goal of playing professionally. His mother is a music teacher at Damascus Elementary School. “I appreciate how it makes me feel, and I like feeling I’m making other people happy when I play,” he said. The band also played Gary U.S. Bonds’ hit “Quarter to Three,” and wrapped up the show with Chuck Berry’s “Run Run Rudolph.” Other band members on Sunday included: Kenny Hunsley (guitar), Joe Dobrzanski (bass), Sean Kallungal (trumpet), Matt Fitzsimmons (trumpet), Nick English (baritone sax) and Shelby Carow (organ). “It is just a good holiday tradition that brings a lot of people out,” Celli said. “We hope to expand and have some future concerts to benefit local causes.” vterhune@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

Page A-9

A look back at the upcounty’s top stories in 2013 Bethesda proposed a bill that would limit the tax to only stores that make at least 2 percent of their gross sales from food. The proposal drew objections from the staff of County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), who expressed Leggett’s desire to give the tax at least two years to evaluate its effectiveness in limiting the number of bags found in the county’s rivers and streams. Berliner agreed to table the legislation after talking to Leggett; Berliner said Leggett told him that he was open to changing the scope of the tax if the data support it. — RYAN MARSHALL

The following are some of the prominent stories and topics The Gazette covered this year and where they stand now.

Vodka a big seller in county in 2013 Montgomery County imbibers sure do like their vodka. Of the 10 best-selling liquor brands in 2013, half specialize in vodka. The following is a list of top-selling alcohol brands in Montgomery County in 2013 as provided by the Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control. Top 10 liquor brands: 1. Smirnoff 2. Bacardi 3. Jack Daniel’s 4. Grey Goose 5. Absolut 6. Aristocrat 7. Captain Morgan’s 8. Johnnie Walker 9. Gilbey’s 10. Burnett’s Top 10 wine brands: 1. Barefoot 2. Sutter Home 3. Yellow Tail 4. Woodbridge 5. Beringer 6. Franzia 7. Concho y Toro 8. Carlo Rossi 9. Lindeman’s 10. Kendall Jackson Top 10 beer brands: 1. Corona 2. Heineken 3. Miller Lite 4. Bud Light 5. Modelo Especial 6. Coors Light 7. Budweiser 8. Milwaukee’s Best 9. Yuengling 10. Samuel Adams — SARAH SCULLY

Alcohol sales a boon to Damascus businesses The transition of long-dry Damascus to a town that serves beer and wine has gone well in 2013, according to alcohol license holders. In November 2012, residents voted to lift restrictions on the sale of alcohol in Damascus, which had been a dry town for 80 years. The vote enables restaurants to sell beer and wine, to be consumed only on site. So far the three businesses to receive a license are the Music Cafe, New York J&P Pizza and Ledo’s Pizza. The Music Café was the ﬁrst and began serving beer and wine on St. Patrick’s Day weekend in March. “There were people that came in that we’ve never seen before,” said Chris Anderson, co-owner with her husband, Randy Anderson. “Our sales have gone up and so have our carry-out orders,” she said. “We now have to card, but it hasn’t been a problem at all. It’s deﬁnitely been worth it.” New York J&P Pizza reported much the same. “It has absolutely raised our business; we got a lot of new customers,” said Sam Westbrooks, assistant manager. “They’re local people who maybe went to Germantown or Mount Airy before.” “It’s not the bulk of our sales, but it’s given us an extra push,” said Westbrooks, adding that the restaurant plans to expand its supplies of beer and wine in 2014. “We’re looking to get a wider selection.”

County adds park in Bethesda for deer kill 2012 FILE PHOTO

Randy Anderson is co-owner, with his wife, Chris, of the Music Cafe in Damascus, where sales of beer and wine, now allowed in town, have boosted business this year. Ledo’s Pizza reports similar results, while food remains the bulk of the restaurant’s sales. — VIRGINIA TERHUNE

Abortion clinic carries on despite weekly protests Anti-abortion rights activists continue to protest LeRoy Carhart’s abortion practice at a Germantown clinic as the physician embarks on his fourth year there. Protesters from the Maryland Coalition for Life and other groups hold weekly demonstrations at the Germantown Reproductive Services clinic. The protests reached a boiling point in February after the death of a New York teacher who had come to the clinic for an abortion. Carhart is one of the few physicians in the nation who provide late-term abortions. The Maryland Board of Physicians, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and state medical examiner investigated the incident, but determined that no action was necessary against the clinic. The clinic received a state license in February to perform surgical abortions. Protesters have repeatedly called for the clinic’s license to be revoked and for Carhart to leave. Carhart, who lives in Nebraska, said Dec. 11 he is still performing abortions at the clinic and plans to continue. — SYLVIA CARIGNAN

month for its electricity use and there have been no problems, according to Harold Belton, the city’s ﬁnance and administration director. “They pay on a monthly basis and they pay without hesitation,” he said. — JENN DAVIS

Gaithersburg continues search for HR director Gaithersburg is still on the hunt for a new human resources director, marking a nearly yearlong search since the position became vacant in February. Kim Yocklin, the city’s acting director of human resources, said the application period has ended for those interested in applying for the job and city staff are interviewing candidates. Margaret Daily held the post until February, when she said she was ﬁred for refusing to retire at the urging of City Manager Tony Tomasello. Daily said she has since moved on to a different career and is at peace with her parting from the city. “I have not changed my opinion about how it was handled,” she said. “But you know, it’s good to step back and reﬂect on the whole situation. I love the city and wish everyone there well. It was a blessing really for me. You just never know where life is going to take you.” — JENN DAVIS

Sprint billing running County getting ambulance smoothly after major hiccup reimbursements After failing to charge Sprint for nine years of electricity for having its cellphone towers perched on a flagpole on city property, Gaithersburg set up a new billing plan with the phone service provider and it has been running smoothly, officials say. The two towers had initially racked up more than $65,000 worth of electricity costs over nearly a decade since being installed atop a structured parking lot in Olde Towne Gaithersburg. The issue was brought to light at the beginning of this year, when city officials noticed the discrepancy. Gaithersburg had been paying the master bill for the garage, without billing Sprint separately. In March, The Gazette reported that Sprint had paid its $65,781 bill. Since then, Gaithersburg has been charging Sprint each

Montgomery County has been collecting ambulance reimbursements from insurance companies and the federal government since early this year, according to county spokesman Patrick Laceﬁeld. The county reinstituted its

ambulance fees in 2012, but had been unable to collect the money for more than three months because of issues resolving paperwork between the county and the federal government. The county received more than $3.4 million from the reimbursement program in fiscal 2013, according to a county staff memorandum. The fee is projected to bring in $17.6 million in revenues for fiscal 2014. Under an agreement forged by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), 15 percent of the money will go to the county’s volunteer fire companies after they had expressed concern that residents may be less likely to donate if the companies were already getting reimbursed for their services. The volunteer companies are projected to get $2.4 million in fiscal 2014, according to the county memo. — RYAN MARSHALL

Bag tax generates millions for county Now in its second year — one marked by a brief ﬂurry of controversy this fall about whether its scope should be scaled back — Montgomery County’s bag tax has generated millions in revenue for the county. The tax, which applies a 5-cent fee for each plastic bag used by virtually all retailers in the county, should generate close to $2 million in 2013, according to numbers provided by the county. The tax generated $1,755,208 from January through October, the last month for which ﬁgures are available. It has generated $4,261,724 since taking effect in January 2012. In November, Councilman Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of

Cabin John Regional Park in Bethesda is the newest park added to the county’s deer population management program, starting in January. This site was selected because deer populations there have reached levels at which deer-related incidents — such as motor vehicle collisions, damage to agricultural crops and private landscapes, and the potential of spreading diseases — need to be reduced, according to the county parks department website. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission has conducted deer density estimates in Cabin John Regional Park from 2011 through 2013. It is estimated that 100 to 125 individual deer live in this parkland area of 514 acres. That’s almost three times as high as the density recommended for the park. Cabin John Regional Park is among 27 county parks selected for managed hunts. “Montgomery County has proven to be a very conducive environment for deer population growth,” said Bill Hamilton, a wildlife ecologist with the county’s parks department. “An expansive patchwork of public and private green space provides excellent edge habitat, rich of food and cover.” Ryan Butler, senior natural resource specialist with the parks agency, said he thinks the county’s efforts are successful, at least in the parks it manages. He said the county is removing about 1,000 deer a year from its parks. The North Germantown Greenway had more than 250 deer per square mile at one time, and due to the county’s management efforts, that’s down to about 75 deer per square mile. The venison harvested by police sharpshooters is donated to the Capital Area Food bank. Last year, the parks department donated 16,000 pounds to those in need. Butler said the number of deer-vehicle collisions has remained fairly steady, despite increased trafﬁc and roadways, which he sees as another positive indicator.

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“We believe the efforts are successful, at least on a localized scale,” Butler said. “We see the number of deer harvested year after year decreasing, which is a strong indicator. As far as countywide, we only manage on parkland. There is a lot of private and federal land that is not being managed yet.” — TERRI HOGAN

Change in police bargaining rights subtle Voters limited the bargaining rights of Montgomery County police in 2012 when they upheld a county law revoking the police union’s right to bargain the effects of management decisions. But the full impact of that decision has yet to be felt and the police union is hoping a court will find the county acted illegally in campaigning for voter support. “It’s really more of a subtle long-term change,” police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. All public employee unions in Montgomery can negotiate wages, hours and working conditions. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35 was the only county union that also had the right to bargain the effects of management decisions. In a 9-0 vote in 2011, the County Council eliminated the union’s “effects bargaining” right. When the law passed, Manger said effects bargaining limited his ability to manage the department effectively. The union collected enough signatures to take the law to referendum in November 2012 and 59 percent of voters upheld the law. The union sued the county on Nov. 5, 2012, claiming the county acted illegally when it spent taxpayer money to advocate for “yes” votes on the referendum question. In May, a judge denied Montgomery County’s motion to end the lawsuit, scheduling a trial in early 2014. A union representative said the union is still in litigation and could not comment. In the past year, Manger said, the change has had the subtle impact he said it would. “As I told the council when going on, I didn’t have a whole pile of directives to jam through as soon as effects bargaining went away,” Manger said. Manger has made a few changes. Police will soon implement a “use of force” directive, which details when police can use force in the line of duty and what kind of force an officer can use and under what circumstances. The department also redistricted stations and reorganized, splitting its field bureau into two bureaus. However, the county and the union have a contract that runs past 2014, Manger said, so the parties have not been back to the bargaining table for major negotiations.

THE GAZETTE

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

BUSINESS Snowy trailer roofs can cause hazards n

Some states — but not Maryland — have snow-removal laws BY

Have a new business in Montgomery County? Let us know about it at www.gazette.net/newbusinessform

Takoma bike store pedaling new award

KEVIN JAMES SHAY

Takoma Bicycle of Takoma Park has been named one of America’s Best Bike Shops for 2013 by the National Bicycle Dealers Association. Nationwide, 170 bike shops were given this honor in the first year of a program called America’s Best Bike Shops, according to a news release from the association. There are about 4,000 bike shops in the U.S. The shops were asked to fill out a detailed application describing what sets them apart from the average store. Mystery shoppers then evaluated the businesses in more detail by visiting the stores, reviewing their websites and contacting the shops by phone to assess the performance from a consumer’s perspective. Owner Bruce Sawtelle opened the business in April 2010, but his family has been in the bike business all his life. His father started a bike store in Laurel that is still family operated, he said. He employs four people at the Takoma Park shop at 7030 Carroll Ave. “We had a phenomenal year,” he said of his store’s fourth summer. “More people are finding out about us.” For more information about the association, contact Karen Townsend at karen@nbda.com or its office at info@nbda.com.

STAFF WRITER

Snow can be a pretty sight in many places, but the roof or hood of a vehicle is not one of them — especially if the driver ahead of you is sending icy projectiles your way. While states such as Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey have laws requiring drivers to remove snow and ice from their vehicles’ hoods and roofs as well as windshields, Maryland only requires that vehicles be clear of snow from windshields and lights, said John B. Townsend, public and government affairs manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic. When snow freezes into ice and then thaws, it can be particularly dangerous to drivers behind a vehicle that has not been cleaned off, he said. That is especially so for the large tractor trailers that can hurl ice at frighteningly high speeds when traveling down a highway, Townsend said. “Snow and ice can add as much as two tons of extra weight to a semi-trailer rig,” Townsend said. Maryland does not attract as much snow as states to the north, but a problem for truckers is that getting to the top of their trailers to clear the snow can be dangerous in itself, especially in bad weather, said Louis Campion, president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association. “It poses a signiﬁcant challenge,” he said. Some companies, such as Wisconsinbased A Better Snow Rake, sell special rakes that can bend enough to scrape snow off the top of high trailers. They come apart for storage in relatively small areas. But even those rakes don’t really help when there is ice on top of trailers, Campion noted. Truck washes can loosen ice and snow, but the lines for those in an average truck stop where there can be more than 100 trucks would be enormously long, he said. A potential long-term solution that some in the trucking industry are reviewing is to redesign rooftops to impede the formation of ice or make it more difﬁcult for ice to fall off, Campion said. The Maryland State Highway Administration recommends that all drivers clear off their entire vehicles before setting out, said Charles Gischlar, a spokesman for the

BizBriefs

Chamber honors Soldierfit of Gaithersburg The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce presented Dave Posin, owner of Soldierfit of Gaithersburg, with its seventh annual Small Business of the Year Award during its annual dinner Dec. 5. Soldierfit offers a fully functional gym, adult and children group fitness programs, personal training, athlete training, martial arts and a pro shop with clothing and supplements. A veteran-owned company, it opened in 2010 with 30 members and two staffers. It now has almost 3,000 members and more than 25 employees, according to a chamber news release. Besides Gaithersburg, it has locations in Frederick, Owings Mills and Chantilly, Va. Soldierfit holds regular fundraisers for nonprofits and their members and community members. It created and sold pink Soldierfit shirts and gave all proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It has sponsored and donated to Pit Pride, Wounded Warrior and Autism Speaks, and works with Cornerstone to help employ those with disabilities. The award recognizes small businesses that demonstrate success, community involvement and excellent customer relations. More information is at soldierfit.com.

Snow-covered vehicles travel north on Interstate 270 outside Rockville. agency. “Since you have to clear off your windshield and lights, it doesn’t take that much longer to clear the entire vehicle,” he said. “Leaving a block of ice on top of your car is a recipe for disaster.” There have been instances in which people have died because of ﬂying ice. On Christmas Day 2005, Christine Lambert, 51, of Palmer Township, Pa., was killed when an 8-inch-thick piece of ice from a tractor trailer pierced through her ve-

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

hicle’s windshield. The next year, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a snow removal law in which drivers can be fined up to $1,000 if snow or ice from their vehicles causes injury. Washington, D.C., allows police officers to pull over drivers for traveling with accumulated snow or ice on their vehicles, but the offense does not carry a fine, Townsend said. kshay@gazette.net

Capital Digestive Care adds gastroenterologist Dr. Faisal Bhinder recently joined Capital Digestive Care as the group’s newest gastroenterologist. With experience in general gastroenterology and geriatric medicine, Bhinder is an advanced interventional therapeutic endoscopist. Bhinder’s experience will allow many of the group’s patients to stay within the same network — and keep their physician — throughout their treatment, according to Dr. Mark Birns, a Capital Digestive Care gastroenterologist and managing partner of the Birns, Gloger & Witten division. Bhinder will see patients at Capital Digestive Care’s Birns, Gloger & Witten ofﬁces in Rockville and Urbana. For more information on Birns, Gloger & Witten locations and physicians, visit www.capitaldigestivecare.com/BGW.

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

Page A-11

CELEBRATIONS

Smith, Conversano Patton, Grundy Steve and Lynn Patton of Damascus announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Maura Patton, to Daniel James Grundy, son of Rob and Patty Grundy of Olney. The bride-to-be is a 2005 graduate of Damascus High School. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2009 with a degree in psychology. She is currently employed by Choice Hotels International in Rockville. The prospective groom is a 2004 graduate of Sherwood High School in Olney. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2008 with a degree in economics and philosophy. He is currently employed by FINRA in Rockville. A May 2014 wedding is planned at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Rydzewski Joe and Nicole Rydzewski of Germantown will celebrate their ﬁrst anniversary on Dec. 28, 2013. The parents of the bride, formerly Nicole Marmo, are Victor and Gina Marmo of Gaithersburg. The groom’s parents are Lewis and Beth Rydzewski of Gaithersburg. Nicole graduated from Quince Orchard High School and works as a kindergarten teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. Joe graduated from Gaithersburg High School and works for MCPS as a middle school teacher. The wedding took place at St. John Neumann Catholic Church followed by a reception at North Bethesda Marriott Conference Center.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Smith Jr. of North Potomac announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Ann Smith, to Andrew Bryant Conversano Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew B. Conversano Sr. of Damascus. The bride-to-be is a 1998 graduate of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and a 2002 graduate of Bridgewater College. She is employed as an executive assistant and ofﬁce manager at Toone & Associates LLP in Gaithersburg. The prospective groom is a 2001 graduate of Watkins Mill High School, after which he served in the United States Marine Corps. He received an associate’s degree from Montgomery College in May of 2013 and is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in computer networking and security at the University of Maryland. He is employed as an information technology systems specialist by the Montgomery County Board of Education. A May 2014 wedding is planned, after which the couple will reside in Germantown.

RELIGION CALENDAR CHRISTMAS SERVICES Damascus United Methodist Church, 9700 New Church St., Damascus, will offer Living Christmas Tree Concerts at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Dec. 28. For more information, visit www. damascusumc.org. Emmanual Lutheran Church, 7730 Bradley Boulevard, Bethesda, offers the upcoming Christmas services: Christ Mass at 10 a.m. Dec. 25. For more information, visit www.elcbethesda.org. Trinity Lutheran Church, 11200 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda, will offer the upcoming Christmas services: Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion at 10:45 a.m. Dec. 25. For more information, visit www.trinityelca.org

ONGOING Damascus United Methodist Church, 9700 New Church St., Damascus, offers traditional Sunday morning worship services at 8:15 a.m., a youth contemporary worship service at 9:30 a.m. and a service of liturgy and the word at 11 a.m. with Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. for all ages during the school year. www.damascusumc.org. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 7730 Bradley Boulevard, Bethesda, offers services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. each Sunday, with Sunday School for all ages scheduled at 10

PLACING AN ANNOUNCEMENT

a.m. Child care is offered from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. A fellowship and coffee hour follows the 8:30 a.m. service. 301-365-5733, www.elcbethesda.org. Liberty Grove United Methodist Church, 15225 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, conducts Sunday morning worship services at 8:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday school, nursery through adult, is at 9:30 a.m. 301421-9166. For a schedule of events, visit www.libertygrovechurch.org. “MOPS,” a faith-based support group for mothers of children, birth through kindergarten, meets from 9-11:30 a.m. the ﬁrst and third Wednesdays of the month at the Frederick Church of the Brethren, 201 Fairview Drive, Frederick. Childcare is provided. This year’s theme, “A Beautiful Mess: Embracing Your Story,” focuses on remembering that beauty can come out of chaos and that your past, present and future can be used for good with God’s love. For more information call 301-662-1819. Email mops@fcob.net. Neelsville Presbyterian Church, 20701 Frederick Road, Germantown, has returned to its Fall worship schedule, with services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sundays. Sunday School for all ages at 9:40 a.m. www.Neelsville.org. Providence United Methodist Church, 3716 Kemptown Church Road, Monrovia, conducts a contemporary service at 8 a.m. followed by a traditional service at 9:30 a.m.

HEALTH CALENDAR Sunday mornings, with children’s Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and adult Sunday school at 11 a.m. For more information, call 301253-1768. Visit www.kemptownumc.org. Trinity Lutheran Church, 11200 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda, conducts services every Sunday, with child care from 8 a.m. to noon and fellowship and a coffee hour following each service. 301-8817275. For a schedule of events, visit www. TrinityELCA.org.

Chancel choir auditions and rehearsals, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at Liberty Grove

Methodist Church, 15225 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville. Call 301-421-9166 or visit www.libertygrovechurch.org. “Healing for the Nations,” 7 p.m. every ﬁrst and third Saturday of the month at South Lake Elementary School, 18201 Contour Road, Gaithersburg. Sponsored by King of the Nations Christian Fellowship, the outreach church service is open to all who are looking for hope in this uncertain world. Prayer for healing available. Translation into Spanish and French. Call 301-251-3719. Visit www. kncf.org. Geneva Presbyterian Church, potluck lunches at 11:30 a.m. the second Sunday of each month at 11931 Seven Locks Road, Potomac. There is no fee to attend. All are welcome to bring a dish to share; those not bringing dishes are also welcome. Call 301424-4346.

FRIDAY, DEC. 27 Safe Sitter, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Suburban Hospital Lambert Building (second ﬂoor), 8710 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda. A comprehensive training course teaching 11- to 13-yearolds the essentials of babysitting. Course includes tactics in handling emergencies basic ﬁrst aid and child care skills. Registration required. If you are interested in becoming a Safe Sitter instructor, please call 301-896-2999 for more information. www.suburbanhospital.org.

MONDAY, DEC. 30 Tai Chi for Health at MedStar Montgomery, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Long-

wood Recreation Center, 19300 Georgia Ave., Brookeville. Learn the relaxing and health-building benefits of T’ai Chi, an ancient Chinese exercise form practiced by millions. This meditative exercise program will help improve balance and coordination, flexibility and range of motion, and it will increase strength by making your movement more efficient. Tai Chi is a graceful exercise that exerts no strenuous action. Students must be able to stand for 30 minutes at a time. Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing

and ﬂat shoes. www.montgomerygeneral.org.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8 A Suburban Lecture featuring Dr. Daniel Valiki, orthopedic joint surgeon,

is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase. Valiki will help guests understand knee and hip replacement treatment options, including knowing when it’s the right time and how to select the best treatment choice. Free. Registration requested. www.friendshipheightsmd.gov.

UPCOMING Mommy & Me Club, from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays, Jan. 8-29, at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, 18101 Prince Philip Drive, Olney. Program offers education and support for new mothers and their babies. Discuss with a Registered Nurse the practical changes that occur after a new baby arrives. Topics include breastfeeding/feeding issues, infant development, how to calm a fussy baby and get more sleep to name a few. $60. www.montgomerygeneral. org.

The Gazette prints engagement and wedding announcements, with color photographs, at no charge, as a community service. Copy should be limited to 150 words and submitted in paragraph form. Announcements are subject to editing for space. Please include contact information, including a daytime telephone number. Photos should be professional quality. If emailing photos, ﬁle size should be a minimum of 500 KB. Wedding announcements should be submitted no later than 12 months after the wedding. Send to: The Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, or email kgroff@gazette.net. Montgomery County celebrations are inserted into all Montgomery County editions.

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The Gazette

WISE CRACKS

Forum

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Page A-12

Gazette cartoonist Chris Curtis looks back at 2013’s top stories.

The Gazette Karen Acton, President/Publisher

9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 | Phone: 301-948-3120 | Fax: 301-670-7183 | Email: opinions@gazette.net More letters appear online at www.gazette.net/opinion

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Dennis Wilston, Corporate Advertising Director Doug Baum, Corporate Classiﬁeds Director Mona Bass, Inside Classiﬁeds Director

Jean Casey, Director of Marketing and Circulation Anna Joyce, Creative Director, Special Pubs/Internet Ellen Pankake, Director of Creative Services

POST COMMUNITY MEDIA Karen Acton, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Michael T. McIntyre, Controller Donna Johnson, Vice President of Human Resources Maxine Minar, President, Comprint Military Shane Butcher, Director of Technology/Internet

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

Stocking stuffers

Thanks to a news source who must remain anonymous in order to speak candidly, I have come into possession of the Christmas wish lists of several prominent Marylanders. Here’s what these folks want to ﬁnd under their Christmas trees on Christmas morning: • Gov. Martin O’Malley: A job starting January, 2015. Job must include free car and driver, free mansion and free overseas travel. • Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown: An Obamacare website that actually works. • Attorney General Doug Gansler: An Instagram of Anthony Brown twerking and smoking pot at a Miley Cyrus concert. • Heather Mizeur: A miracle. • The Washington Redskins: A MY MARYLAND new owner. BLAIR LEE • The Washington Wizards: A new team. • The Black Guerilla Family: Their own private jail where they can smuggle in contraband, operate a crime syndicate and have sex with the female guards. Oops, never mind, they already have that. • Western Maryland: Statehood. • P.G. County Executive Rushern Baker: The new FBI headquarters. • Comptroller Peter Franchot: Uncontested primary and general elections. • D.C. Mayor Vince Gray: A hung jury. • The Eastern Shore chicken industry: A scientiﬁc discovery that chicken manure erases face wrinkles and cures cancer. • Maryland’s casino industry: A minimum wager law. • Maryland taxpayers: Repeal of the rain tax. • Baltimore city: A Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. • Attorney General candidate Brian Frosh: Voter recognition that his opponent, Jon Cardin, is not U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin. • Terps football coach Randy Edsall: A Military Bowl victory.

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• Terps basketball coach Mark Turgeon: A point guard. • The Baltimore Ravens: A repeat. • The Baltimore Orioles: A weaker division. • Candidate Phil Andrews: The Washington Post endorsement. • Doug Duncan: Structural collapse of the Silver Spring Transit Center. • The tea party: A balanced budget. • The Mainstream Media: Balanced reporting. • Federal employees: A government shutdown with back pay. • Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake: 10,000 new families moving into Baltimore. • Congressman John Delaney: A home inside his congressional district. • Councilman Marc Elrich: A council leadership position. • The National Security Agency: (Does not exist) • Maryland motorists: $2 a gallon gas. • Senator Barbara Mikulski: Stilts • 2014 Maryland elections: Paper ballots. • Defeated Annapolis mayor Josh Cohen (D): A big job with the O’Malley administration. Never mind, he just got one. • The Chesapeake Bay: A ﬂush moratorium. • The Sierra Club: Global cooling. • Maryland gun dealers: Additional harsh gun control laws. • Maryland budget’s structural deﬁcit: The winning Mega Millions lottery ticket. • Montgomery County: Some common sense. • Senate President Mike Miller: Internet gambling. • Ron George, Charles Lollar and Larry Hogan: Running mates. • The Maryland General Assembly: Voter amnesia. • Loyal Gazette readers: A joyful Christmas and prosperous New Year. Blair Lee is chairman of the board of Lee Development Group in Silver Spring and a regular commentator for WBAL radio. His column appears Fridays in the Business Gazette. His past columns are available at www.gazette. net/blairlee. His email address is blairleeiv@gmail.com.

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LETTERS TOT HE EDITOR

Development, Ten Mile Creek can coexist I am a homeowner in Clarksburg since 2004, vice president of the newly formed Clarksburg Chamber of Commerce, board member of my community’s homeowners association and past president. I have become, along with thousands of Clarksburg’s residents, extremely disappointed with the continued “ideological tendencies” that continues to oppose critical and essential development plans in the face of well-documented scientiﬁc fact. Current state and local laws will ensure the environment will be protected. Protecting the overall environment and the Ten Mile Creek watershed can be accomplished without

reneging on the promises made to those of us who live in Clarksburg. The infrastructure and development is vital and a necessary component to the complete master-planned development of Clarksburg. It is entirely unfair and overwhelmingly disrespectful for “environmental groups” to spread their agenda and “self-serving facts” onto an entire community when they do not even live here. The current scientiﬁc data is completely clear to counter any of the antiquated arguments coming from these environmental groups. They are on a crusade to disrupt, delay and interfere with any development. Their blind opposition is contrary to all of the relevant scientiﬁc

data. Current scientiﬁc and environmental impact information clearly state the surrounding environment will be protected and even improved if homes are built in the Ten Mile Creek development. I speak for thousands of neighbors that would just like what we were promised (the approved master plan from 1994) when we purchased homes in Clarksburg. The continued lack of progress has caused devastating economic harm to our entire community. We are anxiously awaiting the implementation on the previously approved master plan from 1994.

Rob Shapiro, Clarksburg

The dangers of artificial turf on playing fields After spending hours sweeping pine needles from our Christmas tree last January, I swore to buy artificial this year — but that tree smell brought me back to the local tree farm. Call me nostalgic. There is another real vs. artificial debate going on in Montgomery County: real grass vs. artificial turf. The artificial, or synthetic, turf that Montgomery County is installing at high school athletic fields is made of plastic and pulverized tires. While eye pleasing to some, turf fields have serious safety and health concerns that are too often ignored or glossed-over. Carcinogens, heavy metals (including lead and zinc) — and toxic organics (such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) leach from the vulcanized rubber into the air our young players breathe. Rains wash the crumb rubber into our watersheds and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay, making each of the fields a pollution point-source. Because tire manufacturing processes are proprietary, the exact contents of the crumb rubber (made by pulverizing tires) are unknown, underscoring the need for transparency and reason for concern. And there is the risk of injury, infection and overheating. My son broke his ankle playing on synthetic turf. The ER doctor explained that this often hap-

pens on synthetic turf because turf gives less and tends to lock athletes’ feet into the woven plastic “grass.” “Turf toe” is so common that it is now part of our vernacular. The physician also stressed the need after each practice or game to shower and disinfect cuts and scrapes because MRSA — a resistant staph bacteria — can be contracted from blood, spit and sweat caught in the artificial turf. While this can happen from grass, it seldom does because natural soil consumes dangerous bacteria and other harmful organisms. Overheating is another synthetic turf health concern. On sunny days when temperatures are in the 80s, the surface temperature of a synthetic field can reach 145 degrees. So, why does Montgomery County spend millions of dollars on synthetic turf fields instead of upgrading its existing grass fields? It is not to save money. The fiction of turf is that it is maintenance-free but the manufacturers’ recommend weekly raking and regular decontamination, a cost seldom budgeted or expended. And the lack of artificial turf maintenance accelerates their decline. Under the best circumstances, synthetic fields have limited lives (one recent $1 million artificial turf field came with an eightyear warranty). When their useful life is over, the

WRITE TO US The Gazette welcomes letters on subjects of local interest. Please limit them to 200 words. All articles are subject to editing. Letters are printed as space permits and are limited to one per person per month. Send submissions to: The Gazette, attention Commentary Editor, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877; fax to 301-670-7183; or email to opinions@gazette.net.

pulverized tire material contains hazardous compounds making recycling and disposal expensive. Natural grass ﬁelds done well and maintained properly do not have to be replaced. Plus, installation work and patch work for grass ﬁelds can be done by Montgomery County companies. In fact, sod is grown in Montgomery County’s Ag Reserve. Sitting in our family room, admiring our Christmas tree and taking in that tree smell, I am pleased with my decision to go local and natural. Given the truth about artificial turf, I suspect Montgomery County citizens similarly would choose local natural grass instead of spending tax dollars on toxic alternatives.

Beth Daly, Dickerson The writer is an at-large candidate for the Montgomery County Council.

THE GAZETTE

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JUBILEE

Continued from Page A-1 Benefield said in her sermon. Time’s up, and parishioners recently reported their deeds, fulfilling the quest both locally and internationally. Church members have given money to county neighbors and humanitarian organizations and sent donations around the world, truly becoming “the answer to someone’s prayers,” as Benefield charged them in her sermon. Close by, some of the churchgoers donated cash to panhandlers and newspaper peddlers, Manna Food Center, Gaithersburg Help and The Lord’s Table at St. Martin’s Catholic Church in Gaithersburg. “Our second $50 went to ten $5 gift cards from Safeway,” Jane Campbell, who with her husband, got two $50 bills, wrote in an email to Benefield. We give these out to panhandlers, since we can be fairly sure it will go to food. Feeling less helpless in the face of panhandlers is an answered prayer.” Sheri Sankey, a math teacher at Watkins Mill High School in Montgomery Village, gave her $50 away more than once and still has it, she said. “I took $20 of it and added $20 of my own and gave it to the Fashion Club at school for their coat drive,” she said. “Then I took $15 and added

$15 and bought $30 of canned food for the Key Club canned food drive.” The last $15, she said, she uses for students who need snacks or bus fare. “We have a lot of kids on [free and reduced meals] and a fair amount of homeless kids,” she said. Being a math teacher, that should have used up all of Sankey’s money plus, so how does she still have it? “I taped the $50 bill on my refrigerator and it is still there,” she said. “It’s to remind me of my blessings and to pay it forward.” Robin Kough and two others pooled their money, planning to donate it to one cause, and hoping the $150 would have a bigger impact than $50. It took a while for them to decide what to do, Kough wrote in her email to Benefield, but they finally decided to donate to St. Paul’s by The Sea Episcopal Church in Ocean City. The church was the site of a tragedy Nov. 28 when a homeless man, John Raymond Sterner, lit himself on fire, went into the church and caught the structure on fire, she wrote. The pastor, the Rev. David Dingwall, and Sterner both died as a result of the blaze and a volunteer opening the church’s food pantry was badly burned. The food pantry, which fed close to 50 people three days each week, was destroyed. “I sent them a $150 do-

nation from the three of us ... along with our prayers. ... I have hope and faith that the support of the community will pull them through this tragic event,” Kough wrote. The money also helped some church members see others differently. One woman said she spoke with a man selling papers at a Metro station, wondering about his situation. She decided to give him her $50. Now, she said they say hello each morning as she begins her commute to work. Stephanie Balian, mother of triplet boys in first grade, said the money started a wonderful dialogue about people in need. “It’s really been a good conversation for our family,” Balian said. “The boys go back and forth about what to do.” Sankey’s daughter Sara, like her mother, got a double whammy from her donation. She gave it to Community Ministries of Rockville, an interfaith community services organization, for that group’s Christmas party for children, and she went to the party to help with the festivities. Benefield gave the donated money to everyone who was at the service that morning, even visitors, and also to regular members who were not there. “The purpose was to get everyone directly motivated in mission,” she said. “It isn’t just the person receiving the gift that benefits — it’s the one giving it, too.”

HOME

Continued from Page A-1 tarra Stables and breeds her own racehorses that she races at tracks in the mid-Atlantic. She also owns Komlo & Associates property and casualty insurance agency and a 12-acre farm in Derwood where she has two of her retired racehorses, two brood mares and one rescue pony to keep them company. CANTER helps owners like Komlo weed through prospective buyers and adoptive homes to make sure horses find their perfect fit for their second career. A retired racehorse doesn’t have to hang up his horseshoes. These horses can be used for pleasure riding, police work, as show horse, or for cattle work, according to Deidra Darsa, a volunteer who also deals with the public relations for CANTER Mid-Atlantic. “We call it owner responsibility to find out where those animals are going and it is a long hard process,” Komlo said. “I can sleep very well at night knowing where my horses are.” The CANTER program is 100 percent volunteer-run and launched in 1999. In its 14 years, the Mid-Atlantic group has placed 375 horses, according to Darsa. “All my life I’ve loved horses,” said Darsa, who owns a CANTER horse of her own. CANTER maintains a website that lists horses for the owners and facilitates a match with a

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z prospective buyer. There are many factors that come into play on how long a horse can race. In some cases they have the “slows” and just aren’t competitive on the track. Some horses get injuries that end their racing careers but not their ability to go onto second careers. Some horses race up until they are about 9 years old, Darsa said. Horses fresh off the track are priced under $1,000 and horses in retraining are priced above that, typically in the $3-5,000 range, Darsa said. Groovy Music is listed for $1,000. Oftentimes racehorse owners will donate retired horses to CANTER and when that happens all the money made from selling them is used by the organization to take care of other horses before they are adopted out. CANTER rehabilitates and retrain the horses that are donated to them because they are often weak and fragile after years of racing. The rehab typically costs $3,000, Darsa said. “They come off the track a little body sore,” she said. “We turn them out to relax and just be horses for three months.” After that they are retrained and when a buyer comes along CANTER makes sure they’re a good match in order to foster a successful relationship. “Through CANTER I get the chance to really see where I want my horse to go. CANTER does a heck of a job,” Komlo said. Former Montgomery County resident Allie Conrad founded

CANTER Mid-Atlantic because there she said there was no place to market these horses so that they could find a good home, she said. She wanted to help connect sellers with buyers. Although she now lives in North Carolina, Darsa and Conrad met some years back at stables in Damascus. “I ran out of friends to sell horses to so I had to find new friends,” Conrad said with a laugh about her move to North Carolina. Jennifer Martin of Falls Church, Va. starting as a volunteer with CANTER but later became the adoptive owner of Cally in 2007. She and her 12-year-old thoroughbred recently finished third in the beginner/novice category at the Maryland Horse Trials in Adamstown on Nov. 10. Cally lives on South Winds Farm in Damascus where Martin pays a $800 per month boarding fee. “I think the horse appreciates where she is. She lights up a little when I am there,” Martin said of the horse. Through donations and grants from the ASPCA, as well as a ton of time, effort and energy, Conrad said they work with horse specialists, like chiropractors and dentists, to bring the horses back to their full, healthy potential. The amount of donated horses they can take in each year entirely depends on funding for that year and the amount of volunteers on hand. Conrad said that she enjoys her work with CANTER simply because of the horses themselves, as well as having happy owners call her and say that their CANTER horses are the best things in their lives.

COMPLEX

Continued from Page A-1 ment of Housing and Community Development for financing through federal low-income housing tax credit programs. However, with the City Council’s lack of support for the funding, Copeland said he’s not sure if the project will happen. “I don’t see the project moving forward without the tax credits,” he said in a phone interview with The Gazette Thursday. “The most disappointing part is that we always talking about creating affordable housing, and here’s an opportunity to build really nice units.” While the initial idea was to build all market-rate apartments at the site, Copeland said that plan was created several years ago and the market conditions have changed since then. “It was a completely different marketplace,” he said. “Now the market is saturated with market-rate units.” With an overabundance of market-rate units, property values are driven down because of all the competition, according to Copeland. Gaithersburg staff say its questionable as to whether the city is saturated with marketrate residential offerings. “There are differing opinions of whether we’ve actually reached saturation,” said Economic Development Director Tom Lonergan. City Manager Tony Tomasello said this project raises two different issues: one regarding housing and the other concerning Olde Towne revitalization. “This particular project became a little bit of a touch point for the direction that Olde Towne is heading in,” he said. According to the resolution adopted by the City Council explaining why it does not support the financing, the project is located within the city’s Olde Towne Enterprise Zone. By ordinance, some properties in this zone have been exempted from affordable housing “due to the high concentration of affordable units in the Enterprise Zone.” Tomasello also cited the Frederick Avenue Corridor and Vicinity Development Capacity Study, which said that “the Corridor is in danger of rental saturation, particularly in the form of smaller rental units that take studio and 1-bedroom form.” While he is disappointed with the city’s decision, Copeland said his team will search for other financing options. “We are going to continue to work as hard as we can to anyone who will listen to get financed,” he said. “We feel very strongly that the only way this project will work is to include affordable housing. We would hope to have a partner in the city.” 133337G

jedavis@gazette.net

SHERWOOD GRADUATE SETS SWIMMING RECORDS AT SHIPPENSBURG, B-4.

SPORTS DAMASCUS | GAITHERSBURG | GERMANTOWN

www.gazette.net | Wednesday, December 25, 2013 | Page B-1

FILE PHOTO

2013 YEAR IN REVIEW

TOP TEN 10. Churchill on ice

9. Lucky number 13

FROM NORTHWEST FOOTBALL TO KATIE LEDECKY THE YEAR WAS FILLED WITH MEMORABLE STORIES

8. New Bethesda team reigns

7. Piercing Northwest

Past local players help Tigers to one of the best seasons ever FCS championship berth has made life hectic for Frazier, Oboh, but they say it’s all worth it

Around this time of year, the majority of college students have one thing on their mind: final exams. But for the better part of the month, Damascus High School graduate Connor Frazier and the Towson University football team had another type of final on their mind — a Division I-Football Championship Subdivision national final. On Dec. 14, they had to visit an Eastern Illinois team with one loss — a 43-39 setback to a Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision Northern Illinois team that finished one win shy of a Bowl Championship Series bowl berth — that came armed with a quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, who has been compared to the Dallas Cowboys’ Tony Romo. Suddenly, an economics exam didn’t seem so bad after all. “I’m just hoping they don’t have a hangover,” Towson coach Rob Ambrose said on Dec. 17. Could the hang-

See TOWSON, Page B-3

10. Churchill on ice If the Winston Churchill High School ice hockey team’s 2011 state championship run seemed dominant, check out this year’s campaign: The Bulldogs allowed a state-record one goal in four playoff games and scored 27 of their own en route to winning their second 2A Maryland Student Hockey League trophy in three years.

Towson’s resurgence: BY TRAVIS MEWHIRTER STAFF WRITER

BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

The ﬁnal days of 2013 might not signify the end of the school year, but the start of 2014 does represent the closing of another chapter in Montgomery County sports. It was a successful year for county individual athletes and teams alike. Here is a look at The Gazette’s top 10 storylines:

Former Damascus High School quarterback Connor Frazier is a key member of Towson University’s football team.

6. There’s a ﬁrst time for everything

5. Flanagan leaves on high note

Stars combine to form sport-speciﬁc training center n

9. Lucky number 13 Thirteen teams won Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association championships and that does not include the vast collection of athletes’ individual titles. The county’s private school programs also cleaned up in 2013, including the Bullis School’s sweep of boys’ and girls’ basketball league titles. Thomas S. Wootton recently wrapped up its second straight golf championship. This fall also featured Northwest football and Walt Whitman girls’ soccer’s first state championships since 2004, Walter Johnson girls’ cross country’s first state crown since 1999 and Damascus girls’ volleyball’s first-ever state final win. Sherwood softball won its second state championship in May while the Northwest boys won their first outdoor track title. Allcounty Region II won the state tennis championship for the 13th straight year with titles in three of five brackets. County teams swept the state swimming championships last February with wins from the Wootton girls and Walter Johnson boys in the 4A/3A meet and Poolesville’s boys and girls in the 3A/2A/1A championship. Clarksburg’s boys also won their first state indoor track team title. Our Lady of Good Counsel girls’ soccer won its third Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title in four years, Bullis football clinched

Damascus graduate hires former local players to work at Beltway Trainer BY

NICK CAMMAROTA STAFF WRITER

4. A Metros for the ages

3. Montrose bids farewell to legend

When John LaRocca was a senior at Damascus High School, he broke his ankle playing soccer. And while any snapped bone is a big deal, LaRocca had aspirations of playing college soccer, so it was even more of a setback. After the injury, LaRocca’s speed and agility lagged far behind where they once were. But instead of sulking, he did something about it. He tirelessly worked on agility ladders and cone drills and regained his quickness. The following fall, he played at McDaniel College

See TRAINING, Page B-3

New identity, new success for Rockville/Magruder 2. County wrestling Snyderless

1. Another race, another record

Despite losing Richard Montgomery players from co-op team, hockey team off to hot start n

NICK CAMMAROTA STAFF WRITER

The end of last season could not have gone worse for what was then called the Richard Montgomery High School co-op ice hockey team. At ﬁrst, it went remarkably well, with a trip to the 1A postseason and high hopes for success beyond that. Then, it all came crashing to a halt when the team was disqualiﬁed from the playoffs for having too many players from Richard Montgomery on the roster that also included players from Rockville and Col. Zadok

See TOP, Page B-3 GAZETTE FILE PHOTOS

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See IDENTITY, Page B-3

THE GAZETTE

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

Georgetown Prep sophomore creates defensive attention Pratapas’ hot start has attracted an inordinate amount attention n

TRAVIS MEWHIRTER STAFF WRITER

The book on how to defend Georgetown Prep boys’ basketball player Trystan Pratapas is already being written. It’s previously blank pages are filling with scouting reports and defensive schemes concocted in hopes of slowing the sophomore shooting guard. As of Dec. 18, Pratapas was only nine games into his tenure at Georgetown Prep, yet teams were already zeroing in on No. 4. Just 30 seconds into a Dec. 18 matchup with The Heights, Cavaliers coach Sunny Hemphill was barking out additional instructions to Leo Zhukov, who had been charged with guarding Pratapas in spells throughout the night. “Trail him on everything,” Hemphill emphasized. This would, theoretically, keep Pratapas from popping out for an open 3-pointer and force him to curl into the lane. But with the lane open, the sophomore went up for a floater and drew a foul. Two possessions later, Pratapas rolled around a pick on the baseline and hit another floater. Zhukov was then momentarily relieved of his duties. At least four others would take up his assignment. “He’s a catch and shooter,” Hemphill said. “He doesn’t bring the ball low, he keeps it nice and high. We really wanted to get inside of him, make him do something else other than shoot it. Inevitably, he gets open on some of their half court stuff and a guy like that, he shoots so well, he’ll get you at some point.” By game’s end, Hemphill’s Cavs limited Pratapas to 13 points on an overall rough shooting performance, and Prep lost its second in three games, 66-60. The days of hitting six 3-pointers on back-to-back nights, as he did against Gilman and Boy’s Latin to open the season, are far from over for the sophomore being recruited by Illinois, George Washington and many

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Georgetown Prep’s Trystan Pratapas dribbles during Friday’s practice. others, they’re just becoming harder to come by. “It’s been a huge change since the beginning of the season already,” said Pratapas, who is averaging 16.9 points per game but has eclipsed that just once in the past ﬁve contests. “I feel like every game it’s a lot harder for me to get open. It feels great, though, it’s what I want. I’ve had some games where I’ve been

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

double-teamed every time I touch it and I’ve had other games where they just don’t leave me alone the whole entire game.” This role, the man-to-man defenses cater to, is unfamiliar territory for Pratapas. He has always been talented, but he has also always been surrounded by talent. After growing up in Raleigh, N.C. for the ﬁrst 11 years of his life,

Trystan Pratapas of Georgetown Prep shoots during practice Friday.

Pratapas’ father, Chris, took a job in Toronto, home to the well-known Amateur Athletic Union program, CIA Bounce. The Bounce has produced alumni such as Anthony Bennett, the top overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, another projected top overall pick, Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Tristan Thompson (Texas), and Tyler Ennis (Syracuse), among a host of others.

This is where Pratapas says he first began to realize his talent, and the family soon trekked back down south into the basketball-centric Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region where he joined the D.C. Blue Devils and enrolled at John Carroll. After his freshman season, he considered the possibility of transferring, and was soon lured to Georgetown Prep. “I had done my homework,” coach Herb Krusen said. “I hadn’t seen him play or anything, but I talked to some people and got to coach him this summer. “After this summer, I knew he was a special shooter. And now our challenge as a team and for the rest of my coaches is to help get him open and get shots and score points and also to become an all-around player.” As both Pratapas and Krusen would point out, the overzealous efforts in shutting down the shooting guard has subsequently resulted in his teammates getting more open looks. Sophomore point guard Kevin McDonald led Prep on the scoring end with 21 in an 80-60 win over Chapelgate Christian, Travis Valmon did the same with 15 against The Heights and Brian Dempsey, Brandon Green and Anesu Nyawata all finished with higher totals than Pratapas in a 62-42 victory over Walt Whitman. “That’s the good part about this team,” Krusen said. “We have a deep team and we have a lot of quick athletes.” Krusen has countered the defensive concentration on Pratapas with a number of set plays designed specifically to get him open. Pratapas routinely runs through mazes of screens to pop up on a wing or the corner, where he will, at the very least, get a brief look at an open shot. That’s typically all he needs. “It’s all by trial and error right now,” he said. “I know, as a player, to overcome it I have to do different moves, give them head fakes, give them pump fakes, give them a jab step so I can get them off of me and open up my jump shot.” tmewhirter@gazette.net

Poolesville’s senior point guard sees a new ﬂoor perspective Senior has helped Falcons to strong start n

ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Poolesville High School’s Whitney Carmack practices with teammates on Thursday. feated through ﬁve games (as of Thursday). Carmack, a 5-foot-6 senior, said switching positions

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A lifelong point guard, Poolesville High School girls’ basketball player Whitney Carmack is used to running the offense and controlling the tempo of the game. But last winter, in her junior season, she took a break from playing her natural position and moved over to shooting guard. The switch worked in the short term; with Carmack at shooting guard, the Falcons finished 19-6 and advanced to the Class 2A West Region ﬁnals. It’s working in the long term, too; back playing point guard, she is averaging 20 points per game this winter and is a major reason why the red-hot Falcons are unde-

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last season helped her look at the point guard position from a new perspective. “It just changed my view

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point,” she said. She said it also helped her gain trust in her jump shot. “Being a shooting guard where I had to shoot, it got my confidence up and it made my shooting better,” she said. That is a big deal for Carmack, who said she used to be a hesitant shooter. “I’d get the ball and it’d be a wide open shot, and I wouldn’t take it. I’d pass it instead,” she recalled. She has filled up the scoreboard multiple times this season, scoring 22 points against Gaithersburg, 20 points against Watkins Mill and 25 points against Rockville. “I just think she’s taking the responsibility really well,” senior Rosie Barry said. Carmack scored 16 points in a Dec. 18 48-34 victory over Seneca Valley, handing the Screaming Eagles their first loss of the season. Through five games, she has converted

11 3-pointers and made 27 of 35 foul shots. “She’s just more conﬁdent this year. Sometimes, things click as a senior,” Poolesville coach Fred Swick said. Carmack has been effective taking care of the basketball and leading the offense, Swick said. “She’s letting the game come to her and not forcing things. She’s really playing well right now,” Swick said. Carmack played on Poolesville’s junior varsity team as a freshman and slowly moved up in the program, from varsity call-up, to role player, to full-time starter. She started playing big minutes as a sophomore and scored a team-high 11 points in the 2012 Class 2A West Region championship game — a 46-35 loss to Century. “It was very nerve-racking, to say the least,” she said. Since then, she has come

a long way. Just ask her older brother, Kirby Carmack. “Consistency wise she’s on fire right now, which is fun to watch,” said Kirby, a former Poolesville varsity basketball player now playing lacrosse at Georgia Tech. The Falcons are a young team, with sophomores accounting for half of the roster. As a senior, Carmack is taking on a leadership role. “We have the experience, we’re just trying to pass that on to the rest of the team,” she said. Despite the strong start, she said the young team still has room for improvement. She is optimistic that the Falcons can duplicate last year’s success. “I definitely see us going to [regional finals] again, and hopefully this time winning,” she said. egoldwein@gazette.net

T H E G AZ ET T E

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

TOP

Continued from Page B-1 its second Interstate Athletic Conference win in three years, the Academy of the Holy Cross defended last year’s WCAC volleyball championship and Holton-Arms tennis won its ninth Independent School League title in 10 years.

8. New Bethesda-area team reigns If individual talent was all it took to win girls’ soccer state championships, this fall’s title run might have been Whitman’s third straight instead of the first in nine years. The state’s most talented roster produced some incredible soccer but was also rewarded for its remarkable composure, something that wavered in the past. The Vikings’ region title also ended Bethesda-Chevy Chase’s streak of five consecutive state tournament appearances. But it was Winston Churchill’s 2-0 win over the Barons, their first postseason defeat to a county team in 11 years, in the second round of playoffs that sealed B-CC’s fate.

7. Piercing Northwest It’s not that Northwest football won

TRAINING

Continued from Page B-1 and went on to have a successful career upon graduating in 2013 with a degree in exercise science. It was during his freshman year at McDaniel, however, when he joined True Athlete Performance — a training center that focuses on speed and agility — that the spark for his new venture wasignited.There,hewastheonly soccer player on a coaching staff of football players and he noticed that not all of the drills translated well from sport to sport. Fast forward four years and LaRocca is the Chief Executive Ofﬁcer of Beltway Trainer,

TOWSON

Continued from Page B-1 over’s source have been the wild, nationally-televised, 49-39, upset victory over the Panthers in the Football Championship subdivision quarterfinals? No, he elaborated, “from [academic] finals.” Players had to alternate between studying the books that would be their lifeline for exams and the film that would be their lifeline for four hours over the past two Saturday. When you throw in practice, weight room sessions and other team obligations, there were few hours left in the day for some of life’s most mundane routines, such as eating and sleeping. “I think it’s been pretty tough, but we are a tough team and we are mentally tough and coach always says when we step in between the white lines, we can’t be thinking about school or family or, this week, even Christmas,” Frazier said. “We dial in and then

IDENTITY

Continued from Page B-1 Magruder. No co-op team in the Maryland Student Hockey League is allowed to have more than 13 players from one school on the roster, but it was discovered that Paul Lofgren’s team had 21 from Richard Montgomery. So, coming into the 2013-14 campaign, the newly-formed Rockville/Magruder co-op knew it’d be competing without the services of Richard Montgomery’s players, who branched out to form their own team under Lofgren. How good Rockville/ Magruder would be, under the direction of first-year coach Michael Gifford, who served as an assistant on the old team, was anyone’s guess. “It’s one of those things that has been kind of amazing because it does seem like you never know how they’re going to interact,” said Gifford, whose team also includes players from five area private schools. “But as soon as you throw out a puck and tell them they’re on the same team, everyone kind of gets along.” The instant bond has helped Rockville/Magruder to a 2-1-1 start and a second-place standing in the Montgomery 1A League prior to Friday night’s games. The club has five points

its second-ever state championship this fall that really made headlines, it’s how. For example, with a sophomore quarterback who hadn’t started a varsity football game before September. Mark Pierce thrived in a scheme predicated on screen passes and sheer athleticism — the ﬁrst-year starter could also throw the long ball whenever necessary. He and his supporting cast of playmakers that included receivers Josh Gills and Matt Watson, beat favorite Quince Orchard not once, but twice, before breaking down the previously seemingly impenetrable Suitland defense in the 4A state ﬁnal earlier this month.

6. There’s a first time for everything James H. Blake boys’ soccer team made its state final debut, winning a program-record 15 games along the way. The Wootton girls’ tennis team took sole possession of first place at the county championship in more than 30 years. Northwest softball won its first region title. Sherwood girls’ lacrosse team had a state tournament breakthrough. Damascus girls’ volleyball team won a state crown. Sherwood volleyball had its first regular season or playoff loss — at the hands of Damascus in five sets Oct. 17 — since 2009. Good Counsel

football was not dominant for the ﬁrst time in recent history.

5. Flanagan leaves on high note The Sherwood softball team has not lost a game since 2011, but following its second consecutive state championship last May, former 17th-year Warriors coach Pat Flanagan conﬁrmed her resignation after 37 years of coaching in Montgomery County. Right-handed hurler Meggie Dejter has kept the Warriors’ tradition of strong pitchers in tact and is scheduled to go for her third straight unbeaten season in 2014.

4. A Metros for the ages One Olympic gold medalist plus one likely future Olympian plus a plethora of other Olympic Trial qualifiers equals one absurdly exciting high school championship swim meet. Ten total meet records were broken at last winter’s Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships, which also featured the Wootton girls first win in a decade. Former Good Counsel star Jack Conger, who as a freshman at the University of Texas has already qualified for next spring’s NCAA championships in two individual events, took part in five

Page B-3 of them. Conger won all four events he contested in record-setting fashion and set a 30-year national high school record in the 500-yard freestyle. Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart junior Katie Ledecky also set a national high school record in the 500-yard freestyle and bested Missy Franklin’s independent high school record in the 200-yard freestyle.

3. Montrose bids farewell to legend After 14 years, 321 victories and the 2011 National High School Invitational title, Montrose Christian School boys’ basketball coach Stu Vetter announced his resignation over the summer. One of the winningest high school coaches in the region, if not the country, Vetter’s list of alumni includes Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Greivis Vasquez (Toronto Raptors) and Linas Kleiza (formerly Toronto Raptors).

2. County wrestling Snyderless Three-time WCAC 220-pound wrestling champion Kyle Snyder announced in April that he would not go for a fourth league championship this year and forego his senior year at Good

Counsel to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., with the hopes of competing in the 2016 summer Olympics. Snyder finished 179-0 in three years of high school grappling. With the restoration of wrestling to the Olympic games earlier this year, Snyder could have a long and bright Olympic future ahead of him.

1. Another race, another record Don’t worry, Katie Ledecky doesn’t drop nine seconds off her times as easily as it seems. Grueling daily training sessions come in between those big races she’s made American and world history in. The Stone Ridge junior followed up her 2012 Olympic gold medal with four wins at the 2013 FINA World Championships in Spain this summer, setting world records in the 800-meter freestyle and 1,500-meter freestyle and an American mark in the 400-meter freestyle. The highest female scorer at worlds then broke another American record in the 1,650-yard freestyle event at the 2013 AT&T Nationals earlier this month in addition to wins in the 500yard freestyle and a runner-up ﬁnish to Franklin in the 200. jbeekman@gazette.net

an organization he founded to provide sport-speciﬁc training to aspiring athletes, taught by current and former local professionals. “They were having soccer guys do up-downs from football,” said LaRocca, who also serves as an assistant soccer coach at Frederick Community College. “In my head, football players are doing the football training absolutely correct, but these soccer players aren’t getting endurance or other things they need.” The staff now has 10 members since the June 1 launch who teach soccer, basketball, football, track and ﬁeld and weight training. LaRocca’s goal is to bring industry professionals on

board so that clients can learn from those still in the business. The first such trainer was LaRocca’s longtime friend, Peabo Doue, a Clarksburg High and West Virginia University graduate who played professional soccer last season for Phoenix FC in the USL PRO. “I’ve always had thoughts of coaching,” Doue said. “I was coaching part-time at Damascus Soccer Club and it’s always something I’ve loved to do. I think this is a great opportunity for people to come and get better as an athlete.” After Doue was on board, the chips started to fall into place for LaRocca, who took a shot in the dark by Facebook messaging one of his favorite

basketball players at the University of Maryland, College Park, Chris McCray. “I said, ‘If you’re interested, whenever you can, we’d love to have you be a basketball specialist,’” LaRocca said. “He wrote back and said that he’d love that and we should get together to meet. That’s when we really got going.” McCray, who graduated from Fairmont Heights in 2002, played professionally for the National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee Bucks and currently plays for Hod Hasharon in Israel. He then suggested that LaRocca solicit the services of one of his former Maryland teammates, Travis Garrison. Garrison agreed and suddenly LaRocca had a wealth of experience among his

basketball trainers. “Giving back to the kids who were in your shoes, that’s what it’s all about,” said Garrison, who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks’ D-League team and graduated from DeMatha Catholic. “We have guys who experienced a lot, who played on the college level, played professionally, and it’s a great way to help kids in their journey through sports.” Drew Gloster (Our Lady of Good Counsel/Maryland) and Hassan Dixon (Northwest/Temple) are two of Beltway Trainer’s football specialists as LaRocca continues to build as diverse and experienced a staff as possible. One of the more impressive aspects of the organization isn’t

simply the commitment to sportspeciﬁc agility training, but the fact that every trainer played high school sports in the area. In addition, Beltway Trainer is a “convenience company,” meaning the trainers meet the clients at a location of their choosing, though LaRocca is hoping to establish a centralized facility sooner rather than later. “I think it’s great that all our trainers have been there and played the sports,” LaRocca said. “A lot of our clients aren’t where they need to be technically or skills-wise and some of them are coming to us after getting cut. We want to help them improve so that they can make the team.”

after practice we can worry about those things.” Frazier, a 2011 graduate from Damascus, played a minor yet critical role in the playoff win over the Panthers, which propelled the Tigers to a semifinal victory over Eastern Washington on Saturday. His 4-yard plunge for a touchdown midway through the second quarter against Eastern Illinois tied the game at 14-14, and Towson would never trail again. Four Terrance West touchdowns later — the stud running back placed third for the Walter Payton award, FCS’ version of the Heisman Trophy — and the Tigers had earned themselves a berth into the semifinals. “That’s just Terrance, man,” Frazier said. “He’s ridiculous. He’s a big part of this team and our offensive line is the best in the country, I think. They just open up holes and Terrance just does Terrance.” While West’s FCS playoff record 354-yard, five-touchdown performance justifiably stole the headlines, Frazier’s touchdown

was no less important, and it was no less improvised. His score, which began on the Panthers’ 4, wasn’t designed for the quarterback to bounce it outside. But the middle was clogged and the line was folding, and he and his fullbacks were on the same page from there. “I kind of just bounced it and luckily my fullbacks sealed the edge for me,” Frazier said. “That was a great feeling, going down 14-0 and then, you know, coming back — T-West scoring on that ﬁrst drive, tying it up and then ultimately going into the half up 21-14. That was just a huge momentum shift. It was awesome.” At the time, it seemed a paramount moment in Frazier’s future. What followed on Saturday made that 4-yard touchdown seem rather routine. Starter Peter Athens, a senior whom Frazier will more than likely replace next fall, went down with a shoulder injury at the end of the ﬁrst half and wouldn’t return. Frazier took over with the Tigers clinging to a 21-14 lead that would dissolve

into a 31-21 deﬁcit. Then, with 95 seconds remaining, Frazier and the offense took over at their own 29 needing a touchdown to punch their ticket to Frisco, Texas, site of the national championship game on Jan. 4. Down the ﬁeld they marched before the Gaithersburg native logged the most momentous touchdown of his career, a 1-yard plunge to win 35-31 and earn a date with two-time defending champion North Dakota

State. “I just take it day by day and try to do what the coaches ask of me,” Frazier said. “I haven’t really thought about next year at all. ... We want to make a run at this national title and we deﬁnitely can so I haven’t really thought about that at all. I’m just in this moment now.” For fellow Montgomeryraised teammate, James Oboh, a Sherwood graduate, this moment is the only moment left in the

waning days of a decorated football career. Throughout the years, the tight end has closed each phase of his football life with a championship — Pop-Warner in eighth grade, states in 12th grade — and this is will be his only shot at pulling off a rare perfect sweep. “Over the past two years, the only team that has beaten us is ourselves,” Oboh said.

and has scored 25 goals while allowing 16. Leading the way is a pair of Rockville students in senior captains Lucas Flavell and Steven Nagiel. “I wasn’t really expecting things to go like this,” said Flavell, who has scored three goals and assisted two more this season. “Based on what we have, I think we’ve definitely done a lot better than, personally, I thought we would.” Because Gifford’s squad lost so many players when Richard Montgomery branched out on its own, there were concerns over the defensive and goaltending depth. And while Rockville/ Magruder certainly is still a more offensive-minded team — it has scored six or more goals in all but one game — the defense has improved dramatically since the start of the season. “I thought we would have lost a lot more talent,” Nagiel said. “We did lose a couple of key players, but our goalie [Gregory Walzer] stepped up and everyone’s playing as hard as they can. We’re deﬁnitely a different team.” In forming that new identity — a chance not every team has from offseason to offseason — Rockville/Magruder has received massive contributions from Flavell’s younger brother, Justin. The talented defender has six goals and one assist to lead the team with seven points

while five other players have scored three or more times. “I knew we’d do well and we’d be playing in high scoring games,” Gifford said. “We’re not so much a high-flying team, but we’ve been playing a lot of puck control. We’re getting to a lot of loose pucks and not allowing the other team to play in our defensive zone.” Gifford said he has also been pleasantly surprised with how the roster, which includes 11 Rockville players, five private school skaters and four athletes from Magruder, has come together despite losing so much from last season’s 9-4 team. Gifford said the junior varsity team, however, does still include players from Richard Montgomery to maintain the bond between the schools. “It’s definitely been a learning experience, but it’s really been a lot of fun,” Gifford said. As the season progresses Nagiel believes the team can become stronger. His ultimate hope for his final high school season is not only to make the playoffs, but to stay there this time. “I think everyone has the same goal,” he said. “Making the playoffs is the first goal, but also going deep in the playoffs. Everyone wants to win and the biggest thing for our team is to just keep believing in ourselves.” ncammarota@gazette.net

ncammarota@gazette.net

tmewhirter@gazette.nettme

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Einstein brings in familiar face Recruiters notice BY ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER

Neal Owens had trouble staying away from football after stepping down as Richard Montgomery High School’s coach in 2012. He was so eager to remain connected to the sport that, in an unofﬁcial role while working at Albert Einstein, he would break down ﬁlm for the Titans football team. So when Einstein coach Jermaine Howell resigned in November, Owens could not resist the opportunity to get back in the game. Friday,theschoolannounced thatOwenswilltakeoverascoach of the football program. “When I resigned, I thought I was going to be done for a while,” Owens said. “... I’m really excited for the opportunity.” Owens, 42, grew up in Rockville and resides in Kensington, less than a mile away from the school. The father of four is in his second year with Einstein as a paraeducator and will maintain that position while coaching the team. “He really has a good vision for what he wants to do with the

program,” Einstein athletic director Patrick Belott said. “... He’s an Einstein guy.” Owens wants to continue the progress that the program has made over the past half-decade. Howell, his predecessor, resigned after a 4-5 season andfinished 1415 in his three-year tenure. “Our number one goal is to consistently be the top team in the Downcounty Consortium,” Owens said. The last time Einstein made the postseason was 1998, when Owens was an offensive line coach under the late Ed Ashwell. “I’ve seen winning can happen at Einstein,” Owens said. The school will benefit from having a coach that works at the school, Belott said. “Our kids, they really need a coach who is going to not just be with them during practice time and during game time, but who can reach out to them during the day. To be kind of a father-figure in some ways,” Belott said. Owens said he is looking forward to being around the student-athletes during and after the school day. “Being at the building is going to be such an advantage,” Owens said. Owens coached at Richard Montgomery for three seasons, raising the team’s record from 0-10 to 5-5 to 6-4. He stepped down from the position after the

2012 season, then telling The Gazette “It was made clear to me that [the] school wanted to go in a different direction. So, I just took the cue and resigned.” Varsity football coaches receive a $5,712 stipend and the four assistants receive a total of $4,942, according to the Montgomery County Education Association. Einstein has not made any ﬁnal decisions regarding the four assistant coaching positions, Belott said.

Congress pays tribute to Northwest’s football state championship team On Dec. 6, the Northwest HighSchoolfootballteamcapped off an outstanding season with a victory in the Maryland Class 4A state championship game. Now, it’s on the record. On Thursday, Rep. John Delaney (D-Dist. 6) of Potomac submitted a statement to the Congressional Record honoring coach Mike Neubeiser and the Jaguars for giving Montgomery County its ﬁrst state football title since 2008. Northwest (12-2) started the season 6-2 and won its ﬁnal six games, defeating Suitland 33-16 in the championship at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. “This improbable turn-

G’burg lineman at annual Crab Bowl

FILE PHOTO

Neal Owens is Albert Einstein High School’s new football coach. He previously coached at Richard Montgomery.

around proves that even when faced with adversity, coach Neubeiser and his staff can inspire these young adults to accomplish great things,” Delaney’s statement said. “Thanks to his leadership, Northwest student-athletes have excelled both on the field and in the classroom. I wish the Northwest Jaguars the best of luck next season as they defend their title.” The Congressional Record is an official record of the U.S. Congress’ proceedings and debates. A certificate and copy of the record will be sent to Neubeiser and the team. “I’m very grateful that Congressman Delaney took the time to mention our team and our accomplishments this year. It’s a great honor,” Neubeiser said. egoldwein@gazette.net

Sherwood grad shines at Shippensburg Sargent has broken three women’s swimming records in just over one season

BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

Former Sherwood High School swimmer Rikki Sargent might define racing differently than some of her peers. When the Shippensburg (Pa.) University sophomore gets up onto the starting blocks, her initial thought is not necessarily to destroy the athletes next to her, she said. It’s more of an internal, personal drive thing. “I don’t know, I think sometimesmaybemycoachwouldlike me to have more of that [beat the person next to you] attitude, but I told him, I just don’t,” Sargent said. “Some people go out there and they’re like, ‘I’m going to win this race and I have to beat the people next to me. I more do it for myself. I am a competitor and I want to do well but I don’t look at the person next to me and think, ‘I want to beat them.’ I want to do something I’ve trained to do.” It makes sense; Sargent is incredibly driven, not just in the wa-

ter but as a psychology student in Shippensburg’s honors program. Her way of thinking has proven to work just fine. As the butterflier turned breaststroker and now individual medley swimmer awaited the start of the 200-yard individual medley on the first day of the Patriot Invitational, hosted by George Mason University on Nov. 21, Sargent’s mind reflected on the hours of work she had put in to improve her backstroke and become more proficient in the event. The taxing dry land workouts improved her strength and conditioning and she did whatever it took to notch as many points as she could for her beloved Raiders teammates. The result was a six-second drop from her previous personal best time and a new Shippensburg program all-time record. Sargent had never previously broken the 2 minute, 12 second barrier. She finished in 2:06.69, besting the school’s record by nearly two seconds. It was Sargent’s third overall Raiders record; she initially broke the 100and 200-yard breastroke marks as a freshman, but continues to lower her school-record times. The most recent drop in the lat-

ter came in a first-place finish at Ithaca College’s Bomber Invitational Dec. 8. “Rikki has done some tremendous things, especially early this year,” 15th-year Shippensburg coach Tim Verge said. “I’m not surprised, she works harder than anyone. That 200 IM at George Mason is one that really turned my head. It was just really a tremendous swim. That’s another thing to put in the repertoire, so to speak. She can just really do a lot of great things and we’re lucky to have her.” Sargent arrived at Shippensburg a year ago with about as good a foundation as a college coach could ask for having shared a coach with University of Texas freshman Jack Conger, among other nationally-ranked swimmers. Training alongside athletes of that caliber, Sargent said, helped her feel like she was ready for just about anything. While Sargent certainly held her own in one of the nation’s strongest areas for high school swimming — she scored 27 points with top 10 finishes in both 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard breaststroke at the 2012 Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Champi-

onships — it was also easy to get lost in a sea of more recognizable names. “When I was looking at colleges, I wanted to be somewhere where I could make a difference,” Sargent said. “I ﬁnaled at Metros, but I was never up there like, ‘Rikki got this many points for her team.’ I wanted to be able to do that in college. But I also wanted to be able to push myself and really compete.” The times Sargent is posting these days are marks she’d initially set as college goals. She’s since altered that list of aspirations to include bigger achievements like qualifying for NCAAs and has her sights set on Shipppensburg’s 400-yard individual medley record, both feats Verge said she is completely capable of meeting. Those are the types of things that motivate Sargent in the water, not the person next to her. “I think racing is just kind of going out there and I’m going to leave it all in the water,” Sargent said. “I’m just going to put everything I have into this swim. It’s two minutes, leave it all in the water.” jbeekman@gazette.net

Taylor gave up week of basketball to prepare for Maryland Crab Bowl

BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

Gaithersburg High School senior defensive lineman Avery Taylor thought he had played his final high school football game in the Trojans’ Class 4A West Region semifinal loss to Northwest on Nov. 15. He traded in his football pads for basketball shorts and began his work on the court for what promises to be Gaithersburg’s best season in recent years — the Trojans have scored 80 points or more in each of its games in a 5-0 start (as of Monday). Then Taylor, who said he has long had his sights set on playing Division I college basketball, got the call, that there was one more chance for him to suit up and represent Gaithersburg on the football field. Saturday’s appearance in the sixth annual Maryland Crab Bowl held at McDaniel College in WestminstergaveTayloronemoremajor opportunity to showcase his talent in front of college recruiters. “I just love football, I just love the game and couldn’t live without it,” Taylor said. “I feel like [the Crab Bowl had] a lot of college coaches and have me more exposed to them, they could see what I can do against real good players, see what I can do to fix my mistakes.” Making the transition back to football was easy, Taylor said; he uses a lot of his speed and strength on the hardwood. But convincing Trojans coach Tom Sheahin to allow him to miss a week of practice and games was another story. It didn’t take too much convincing, Taylor said. “It was harder to get my coach to sway around but his nephew played quarterback in the Crab Bowl so it was pretty easy,” Taylor said. “He understood that it was a good opportunity for me.” Saturday’s senior all-star game pitted some of Maryland’s best student-athletes as chosen by coaches in a draft format, against one another in a game in which Washington, D.C. area teams competed against players from Baltimore and Baltimore City. The Washington team, for which Taylor played defensive tackle, won 30-21, avenging just its second loss in the game’s six-year history, and claiming its fourth victory. It’s hard to stand out in a group of all stars but Taylor did just that. Midway through the second

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Former Richard Montgomery football coach Neal Owens hired by Titans n

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Gaithersburg High School senior defensive lineman Avery Taylor during Saturday’s Crab Bowl.

quarter, just after Washington had regained the lead, 21-14, Taylor came up with a key sack on Westminster quarterback Duke Etchison for an eight-yard loss, stifling what was shaping up to be a dangerous Baltimore series. “You always think you can do better, but I’m happy with my performance [Saturday],” Taylor said. “Not everyone gets the chance to get a sack in an all-star game.” Taylor and the Washington defense came up big in the second half as well, keeping Baltimore’s offense fairly quiet in a game that typically features high scoring numbers. “On the defensive side, everyone was really aggressive and made plays,” Bishop McNamara’s Jordan Crockett said, also commending Taylor’s play in particular. For all the strength Taylor has in his 6-foot-1, 230-pound frame, he is also quite quick-footed. He is aggressive in breaking through to opposing backfields but is also quite adept at disrupting the pass game. He led a defense that only surrendered an average of two touchdowns per game and Gaithersburg made its first postseason appearance this fall since 2010. Saturday was a major step forward, holding his own against many future Division I athletes in a college type game, Taylor said. The atmosphere, he added, is one he could get used to. “I want to go somewhere down south, a good football area, I want a lot of fan base and stuff like that,” Taylor said. “I look forward to having a lot of good people around me. [Saturday] was a huge stone. ... I feel real confident that I held my own in a game like that.” jbeekman@gazette.net

MOVIE REVIEW

RON RETURNS

‘Anchorman’ sequel expands on the humor, running time and crassness of the ﬁrst ﬁlm.

The Gazette’s Guide to

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Arts & Entertainment

www.gazette.net

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

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Ballroom dancers and dancers from Austria’s Ballet St. Pölten will perform at the annual Salute to Vienna concert on Sunday at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda. BARRY RODEN

Treasured tradition

Music from Vienna returns to Strathmore on Sunday BY

VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER

IMAGINATION STAGE FAVORITE RETURNS n

AQUARIUM n When: To Jan. 26, see website for speciﬁc show dates and times

As a boy growing up in Michigan, Brian Cheney learned to play several different instruments before he discovered singing in the high school chorus. Fascinated with the idea of using his own voice as an instrument, Cheney is today a tenor who performs in operas, operettas and concerts all over the country. This year he will be singing two arias from Viennese operettas during the annual Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert at the Music Center at Strathmore on Sunday afternoon. “It’s a real tribute to the Viennese operetta art form — the music is just glorious,”

See TRADITION, Page B-8

n Where: Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda n Tickets: $10-$12, with a $5 lap seat for children under 12 months

Ring in the New Year!

n For information: 301-2801660, imaginationstage.org

Food, drink, music and fun all in store for end-of-the-year frivolity n

WILL C. FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER

“A

CARA HEDGEPETH STAFF WRITER

quarium,” the interactive live performance, has returned to Imagination Stage for a fourth time. The show, which is a part of “My First Imagination Stage,” a program aimed at children aged 1 to 5, is playing now through Jan. 26. Originally developed with Lyngo Theatre Company based in the U.K., “Aquarium” ﬁrst debuted at Imagi-

nation Stage in 2011 and was remounted later that same year before returning again in 2012. Actor Phillip Reid reprises his role of Jack, a man living on an island after being shipwrecked. He shares the part with actor Adi Stein. A Washington, D.C., native, Reid graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2009 with a degree in theater. He auditioned for Imagination Stage in 2010 and has done about seven shows with them since.

See AQUARIUM, Page B-8

“Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! …” Every year, the countdown starts like clockwork. Ten seconds until midnight, people around the world prepare to ring in the new year — whether it be with champagne and kisses or sitting at home watching the big ball drop in Times Square. Just after screaming “one!” is when the magic happens. It’s a new year. Thoughts of a better 365 days are mufﬂed by refrains of “Auld Lang Syne” and noisemakers. Just in case folks in the area decide they’d like to celebrate outside of their homes this year, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the last moments of 2013. In Montgomery County, music and dancing

See NEW YEAR, Page B-8

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Shall we? PHOTO HODGES USRY

Singer-songwriter Corey Smith will bring his Movin’ On Up tour to the Fillmore Silver Spring on Thursday, Dec. 26.

Movin’ on up

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

STAN BAROUH

Extended by popular demand, audiences can continue to get to know Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I,” now running to Jan. 12 at the Olney Theatre Center. The Tony Award-winning musical, known for its immortal contributions to the show tune songbook such as “Shall We Dance?” and “Hello, Young Lovers,” follows the relationship between the King of Siam and the British school teacher he hires to modernize his country. For more information, visit www.olneytheatre.org.

Ghost of a chance

‘Reindeer’ games The ﬁlm “White Reindeer” will screen at 9:20 p.m. Thursday at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring. The solitary presentation

“A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas,” starring Paul

PAUL MORELLA

Paul Morella plays 45 characters in his one-man show “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas” at the Olney Theatre Center through Dec. 29. The script is based almost entirely on Dickens’ classic 1843 novella.

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Morella in a one-man revisiting of Charles Dickens’ classic, closes its run this weekend at the Olney Theatre Center. Adapted from Dickens’ original novella and reading tour, Morella’s solo version transports audiences back to Victorian England and into the heart of the redemptive tale. For more information, visit www.olneytheatre.org.

Country music singer Corey Smith will stop by the Fillmore Silver Spring on his Movin’ On Up Tour at 8 p.m Thursday. Hailed as one of country music’s hottest new artists by both Country Weekly and Music Row Magazine, Smith has sold more than 1 million tickets and performed more than 1,000 shows with openers such as Zac Brown Band and Florida Georgia Line. The Georgia native released his latest album, “Ain’t Going Out Tonight,” in October. Country duo and brothers The Railers will open for Smith. Tickets are $20. For more information call 301-960-9999 or visit www.ﬁllmoresilverspring.com.

Suzanne (Anna Margaret Hollyman) looks at Christmas trees in “White Reindeer.”

IFC

will also feature special guests director Zach Clark and cinematographer Daryl Pittman. Christmas time is looking swell for pretty, unassuming realestate-agent Suzanne Barrington (Anna Margaret Hollyman): she just sold a house to a nice swinger couple; her weatherman husband Jeff scored a sweet new job; and her favorite holiday is quickly approaching. After a sudden tragedy takes Jeff away, Suzanne is left lost and lonely. Even worse, a friend of his confesses a secret: there’s another woman. Her name’s Fantasia and she works at the “girl club.” In their grief, the two women form an awkward but meaningful friendship. Pushing away the ghosts of Christmas present, Suzanne falls into Fantasia’s world of dance parties, shoplifting and substances. But maybe that’s not what Suzanne’s looking for either. For more information, visit www.aﬁ.com/silver.

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

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See you in the ‘Summertime’ at the National Theatre n

‘Porgy and Bess’ adaptation begins four-day run at the National Theatre BY

CARA HEDGEPETH STAFF WRITER

In 1936, as “Porgy and Bess” prepared to end its first tour at Washington, D.C.’s National Theatre, the original Porgy, actor Todd Duncan, and Anne Brown, the original Bess, led their cast in a strike. They refused to perform until theater management lifted its segregation policy. “Porgy and Bess” eventually became the ﬁrst show to play for an integrated audience at the National Theatre. Starting Christmas Day, “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” an adaptation of the original production, returns to the National Theatre for a four-day run as a part of its national tour. “It’s a really exciting stop because of the signiﬁcance of the theater in relation to our production,” said actress Cicily Daniels. “ … Being in the theater where such an important moment happened is very exciting and historic … That’ll be really special.” The National Theatre stop will also be special for Daniels for another reason. The D.C. run is a homecoming for the Wootton High School graduate.

“I’m so excited,” Daniels said. “People have started to contact me already to let me know when they’re coming … I’m very proud to be in such a wonderful production and have family and friends from my whole lifetime — from all the schools I went — to [come] … I’m so proud they’ll be able to come see this production at the National Theatre.” In addition to acting in Wootton’s mainstage productions, Daniels also sang in the school’s choir and the choir at her church growing up. Dancing since she was 3 years old, Daniels said she really fell in love with theater when she started doing musicals. “I also love straight theater but I think there’s something really special about musicals and allowing song to be part of your interpretive expression of your character,” she said. After high school, Daniels earned a degree in theater from Yale University and moved to New York City where she’s appeared in several shows on Broadway including Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” She’s also made appearances in television shows such as “Ugly Betty” and “Boardwalk Empire.” Daniels was chosen to join the touring cast of “Porgy and Bess” as one of the women of Catfish Row, the fictional community in South Carolina where the show takes place. “Porgy and Bess” first premiered as

an opera in 1935. It is based on DuBose Heyward’s novel “Porgy” and play by the same name. Though adapted several times before, this latest incarnation was first presented by the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass. It was adapted specifically for Broadway and directed by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus, with book adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks, and music adapted by Diedre Murray. Paulus is directing the touring production, as well. The musical, which features wellknown songs such as “Summertime” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” tells the story of Bess, a woman trying to escape her painful past and the only man who can help her do so: the brave Porgy. While in the operatic version of the show the men and women of Catfish Row typically included a chorus of upwards of 30 people, the musical adaptation features just five women and seven men. “When you’re dealing with [fewer people,] you have a big job,” Daniels said. “The community of Catfish Row is a very tight-knit community in part because they’re representing the world of South Carolina at a time when it was segregated. The only interaction [between blacks and whites] you see on stage is with the Caucasian police officers and detectives. Because of the segregation, they’ve kind of had to form their own community.”

THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS n When: Dec. 25-29, see website for speciﬁc dates and times n Where: The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C. n Tickets: $48-$93 n For information: 202-628-6161, thenationaldc.com

Due to the show’s historical context, Daniels said she feels a responsibility to bring as much authenticity to her role as possible. To help her and the other actors do so, a dialect coach was brought in to help them master a South Carolina accent. But Daniels said some of the role’s genuineness comes from connection she feels with her character while on stage. “You have an emotional kind of reaction on stage as an actor in the moment,” she said. “The way the African-American community would have interacted with Caucasians … was very scary at the time because of how the laws were.” Beyond its historical signiﬁcance, Daniels said she’s honored to be a part of the “Porgy and Bess” production because of its importance in American culture.

CICILY DANIELS

Wootton High School graduate and actor Cicily Daniels is a member of “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” national tour. The show has a four-day run at the National Theater starting on Christmas Day.

“It’s such an iconic American experience,” Daniels said. “ … There are so many standards from the American musical repertoire that are also from this show, like ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So,’ and the list goes on … It’s such a wonderful opportunity to be able to sing music of this caliber.” chedgepeth@gazette.net

IN THE ARTS DANCES Hollywood Ballroom, Dec. 25, Christmas Night Dance, 7-11 p.m. ($16); Dec. 26, Jan. 2, Tea Dance from 12:30-3:30 p.m. ($6), Dec. 27, drop in-lessons from 7:30-9 p.m., West Coast Swing Dancing with Dance Jam Productions at 9 p.m. ($15); Dec. 28, Latin Night with Mr. Mambo, workshops from 8-10 p.m., dance from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. ($18 for workshop and dance, $15 for dance only); Dec. 29, free Cha Cha lesson at 7 p.m., Social Ballroom Dance at 8 p.m. ($16); Dec. 31, New Year’s Dinner and Dance, 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. (midnight champagne toast, entertainment, $100 to Dec. 30; $125 on Dec. 31), 2126 Industrial Highway, Silver Spring, 301-326-1181, www.hollywoodballroomdc.com Glen Echo Park is at 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Contra, 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. 29,

Anna Rain with Perpetual eMotion, 7:30 p.m., Glen Echo Park Spanish Ballroom, $12 for general, $9 for members, $5 for students, www.fsgw.org. English Country, Jan. 1, Caller: Michael Barraclough, 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 halfprice throughout October), 10111 Darnestown Road, Rockville. 301424-0007, www.nowandthendancestudios.com. Waltz, Dec. 29, Terpsichore, 2:453:30 p.m. lesson, 3:30-6 p.m., dance, $10, www.waltztimedances.org.

Back to Bethesda/Psychedelly, 8 p.m. Dec. 29; New Year’s Eve Party w/Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, call for prices, 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. 240-330-4500, www. bethesdabluesjazz.com. BlackRock Center for the Arts, The 9 Songwriters Series, 8 p.m. Jan. 18, call for tickets, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. 301-528-2260, www.blackrockcenter.org.

Institute of Musical Traditions — Takoma Park, Genticorum, 7:30

p.m. Jan. 8, Takoma Park Community Center, call for prices, times, Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, 301-960-3655, www.imtfolk.org.

Strathmore, Afternoon/Specialty Teas, 1 p.m. Dec. 28; Salute to Vienna, 3 p.m. Dec. 29, call for venue, Locations: Mansion, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda; Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, 301-581-5100, www.strathmore. org.

ON STAGE Adventure Theatre, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” to Dec. 30, call for prices, times, Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, 301-634-2270, www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org. Arts Barn, Comedy & Magic

Society, 8 p.m. Dec. 27, $15 for non-residents, $12 for City of Gaithersburg residents, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. www. gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbar Imagination Stage, “Lyle the Crocodile,” to Jan. 10, call for prices, times, Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, www. imaginationstage.org Olney Theatre Center, “The King and I,” to Jan. 12; “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas,” to Dec. 29, call for prices, times, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring

Road, Olney, 301-924-3400, www. olneytheatre.org. The Puppet Co., “The Nutcracker,” to Dec. 29; Tiny Tots @ 10, select Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, call for shows and show times, Puppet Co. Playhouse, Glen Echo Park’s North Arcade Building, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., $5, 301-6345380, www.thepuppetco.org. Round House Theatre, Bethesda, “Seminar,” Feb. 5 to March 4, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. 240-644-1100, www. roundhousetheatre.org.

MUSIC & DANCE Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, Jamison & Double O Soul, 8

p.m. Dec. 27; Freddy Cole’s Christmas Show, 8 p.m. Dec. 28; Christmas Jazz Brunch w/Freddy Cole, 11 a.m. Dec. 29; The Nighthawks:

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THE GAZETTE

Page B-8

‘Anchorman’ sequel expands the crassness BY

MICHAEL PHILLIPS

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Maybe if I liked the first “Anchorman” a little less, I’d like “Anchorman 2” a little more. Still, I laughed. Louder and crasser than the 2004 original, though God knows the first one had its share of jokes ending with phrases like “massive erection” or “smelly pirate hooker,” director and co-writer Adam McKay’s sequel nonetheless offers a fair number of idiotic rewards. Some wander in from far-left field: Ron Burgundy bottle-feeding a shark, for example. Other bits come wrapped, smartly, inside the rich, mahogany-scented complexities and contradictions of the world’s most narcissistic news reader.

AT THE MOVIES In “Anchorman 2,” Will Ferrell seems to be playing around with variations on the unctuous, clueless, preening Burgundy persona. Though the character’s more of an abrasive boor this time — nearly everyone on screen is — you appreciate the effort to experiment, if that’s the word for a big-budget comedy saddled with high ﬁnancial expectations and the world’s most omnivorous marketing campaign. Ferrell’s deadpan (and unprintable) response to Greg Kinnear’s line, “Ron, do you even know what ‘psychology’ is?” is a thing of unexpected beauty. In an entirely different key, Burgundy’s hostile, thundering incompetence after losing his sight suggests both King Lear and Gloucester. Or it would if Shakespeare had written a tragedy about an anchorman whose hubris costs him his ability to read a teleprompter. Loose and blithely inventive, “Anchorman” the ﬁrst had a lot going for it, beginning with medium-low expectations and an ensemble of almost supernatural comic breadth and ability. Everyone was on the verge of stardom, it seemed. Now, a lot of them are stars for real. Steve Carell’s back as the brickthick weathercaster, here very wisely matched up with a new character of similar IQ, emotional intelligence and

PHOTO BY GEMMA LAMANA

(From left) Will Ferrell is Ron Burgundy and Christina Applegate is Veronica Corningstone in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”

ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES n 2 1/2 stars n PG-13; 119 minutes n Cast: Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, David Koechner, Paul Rudd, Kristin Wiig, Christina Applegate, Meagan Good, Judah Nelson n Directed by Adam McKay

straight-faced invention. She’s played by Kristen Wiig, first seen staring, uncomprehendingly, at a push-button phone in the bustling offices of GNN, a newfangled 24-hour news network in Manhattan. The time is 1980 or thereabouts. A lot of the jokes riffing on “Ghostbusters” and the like push “Anchorman 2” further into the ’80s, but this isn’t The History Channel. For the record, in the sequel’s epic followup to the anchorman melee of the first film, The History Channel is well represented by a famous actor, one of many recruited for this sequence. That scene works, though it does come late in a nearly two-hour picture, 20 or so minutes longer than the first. The old gang’s back, including sports analyst Champ Kind (David Koechner) and investigative horndog Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd). Meagan Good plays Burgundy’s GNN overseer and new love interest, and here we come to an interesting question of tone-deafness. When does a comedy cross the line separating the de-

piction of boorish/sexist/racist/homophobic/whatever behavior and the tacit endorsement thereof? In “Anchorman 2” there’s a weirdly unfunny sequence when Good’s character takes Burgundy home for dinner and Burgundy can’t stop with the jive talk, and the longer it goes on — and the more McKay clunks it up with reaction shots — the less it clicks. The script sets up a challenge for itself: What if Burgundy is thrown into a ﬁt of pique almost immediately? Right off, Burgundy is ﬁred while his now-wife and co-anchor, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), ascends to national news. Burgundy takes the development poorly, leaving the family, moving back to San Diego to work, unsuccessfully, at Sea World. The movie’s about two things: how Burgundy sparks a trash-TV revolution in televised news, and how he makes his family — including a preteen son (Judah Nelson) — whole again. Now and then, “Anchorman 2” takes a stab at satiric commentary about the current state of cable news. Burgundy scores a success in his graveyard 2 a.m. shift when he transforms, essentially, into Sean Hannity, signing off his reports with: “Don’t just have a great night. … Have an American night.” The movie goes only so far in this direction, but McKay and Ferrell have always believed in a rangy sort of comedy, high, medium and low, all smooshed together. “Anchorman 2” isn’t much, compared with the more compact and nimble “Anchorman 1.” All the same, I’ll take it over such tidy soul-suckers as “We’re the Millers” or “Identity Thief.”

AQUARIUM

Continued from Page B-5 “I fell in love with [Imagination Stage’s] mission and what they’re all about,” Reid said. “Aquarium” is interactive and requires the participation of the audience. Instead of a traditional stage setup, young audiences sit around the actors on a blue tarp. Throughout the course of the show, audiences are encouraged to use their imaginations to garden, build a sun in the sky and even take a nap, all leading up to the big finale; the reveal of an aquarium “They are right there in front of you,” Reid said. “When I first did [the show] it was definitely a little bit of a shock.” If Reid learned one thing from his previous appearance in “Aquarium,” and his work in children’s theater in general, it’s to expect the unexpected. “Whatever I think is going to happen probably won’t happen, and whatever I think won’t happen probably will happen,” Reid said. But it’s the interactive elements and unpredictable nature of the show that director Nick Vargas said help make “Aquarium” so visually appealing. “There’s a barrel of plastic lemons and each kid can help the actors hang it on the archway of the circle,” Vargas said. “It creates the sun to make the earth grow … it’s a really beautiful image of the sun.” Unlike Reid, this is Vargas’ first time working on “Aquarium.” “I haven’t been involved in productions in the past,” Vargas said. “That’s why it’s kind of exciting.” Part of the excitement is to working to reinvent the show, especially when it comes to the role of Jack.

NEW YEAR

Continued from Page B-5 await New Year’s Eve revelers. The party starts off at 10 p.m. at the Fillmore Silver Spring. Reggae and fusion bands Slightly Stoopid and Passaﬁre are set to perform in the standing-room-only event. A ticket, which costs $49.50, will get you in for a killer concert, as well as New Year’s Eve party favors. The show is suitable for all ages, but for those 21 and older, a complimentary champagne toast will help you ring in 2014. For more information, visit ﬁllmoresilverspring.com or call 301-960-9999. Over in the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, dancers can quite literally swing in the new year. The New Year’s Eve Swing Dance starts at 8 p.m. and goes on until 12:30 a.m. Tickets are $25 and the evening is suitable for the whole family. Swing bands Lady Luck and the Suicide Kings will perform throughout the night. Light refreshments will be served, but guests are encouraged to eat dinner beforehand. Of course, party favors will also be distrib-

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

TRADITION

Continued from Page B-5 said Cheney, who released his debut solo album, “Brian Cheney Tenor” in October. Returning to Strathmore for its 15th visit, Salute to Vienna this year features members of the Ballet St. Pölten from Austria, ballroom dancers in colorful costumes and an orchestra conducted by Christian Schulz from Vienna, who will also present Strauss waltzes and polkas. “Every number is a toe tapper,” said Cheney, adding that audiences can’t help but get swept up in the rhythms of the famous music that emerged from Vienna in the 1800s. Presented by Attila Glatz Concert Productions of Toronto, the Salute to Vienna shows are inspired by the annual Vienna Philharmonic concert on New Year’s Day. Glatz ﬁrst heard the concert over the radio growing up in Hungary when it was still under Soviet control. Today the concert is broadcast around the world on radio, and now also on television. “They have a very long heritage,” said Cheney, about the tradition which started in 1939. After emigrating to Canada, Glatz started his Salute to Vienna productions in 1995 and today presents them in 22 cities in Canada and the United States. Every year there are different conductors and different casts with new soloists, ballet dancers and ballroom dancers, said Cheney. “Last year I sang in Calgary and Edmonton and it was standing room only,” he said. This year will be Cheney’s ﬁrst visit to Strathmore. He will be singing “Grüss mir mein Wien” (“Meet me in Vienna”) from the operetta “Countess Maritza” by Emmerich Kálmán, which premiered in Vienna in 1924. “It’s like an ode to the city of Vienna,” he said. He will also be singing “Dein ist mein ganzes Herz” (“You Are My Heart’s Delight”) from the romantic operetta “Land of Smiles” by Franz Lehár, which premiered in Vienna in 1923. “It’s all music that has you swaying back and forth in your seat,” said

SALUTE TO VIENNA n When: 3 p.m. Sunday n Where: Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda n Tickets: $49-$95 n For information: 301-581-5100, strathmore.org, salutetovienna.com, briancheneytenor.com

LESLIE HASSLER

Tenor Brian Cheney will perform two arias from the Viennese operettas “Countess Maritza” and “Land of Smiles” at the annual Salute to Vienna concert on Sunday at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda. He will also be performing duets with Bavarian-born soprano Monika Rebholz.

Cheney. “Even if you don’t know the music, you’ve probably heard [pieces] of it.” In addition, Cheney will perform two duets with Bavarian-born soprano Monika Rebholz. One is “Mein lieber Schatz” (“My little treasure”) from “Countess Maritza.” The other is “Lippen schweigen” (“Lips are silent”) from Lehár’s operetta, “The Merry Widow,” which opened in Vienna in 1905. Also on the program are overtures, ballets, polkas and Strauss waltzes, including Johann Strauss Jr.’s “Wiener Bonbons” (“Vienna Sweets”). “It’s a wonderful way to bring in the New Year,” said Cheney. vterhune@gazette.net

LAURA DICURCIO/ IMAGINATION STAGE

Actor Phillip Reid and director Nick Vargas in a rehearsal for the Imagination Stage production of “Aquarium.” “Part of the fun is working with different actors to adapt it,” Vargas said. “The show is really interesting because it has clowning aspects to it. Each of the actors who plays Jack can bring their own thing to it.” Technically, there’s just one other character in “Aquarium,” a female named Calypso, played by Maggie Erwin. But Reid said the children in the audience serve as almost a third role. “[I] play off of them,” Reid said. “Students and kids enjoy it more when you pay off their reactions.” But the reactions of an audience who range in age from 1 to 5 are never predictable; which can make staging a production a bit of a challenge. Luckily, though the show is supposed to run 35 minutes, Vargas is not too concerned about the timing of scenes or actors hitting their marks at precisely the right moment. “We don’t have a set time limit,” Vargas said. “We kind of tailor it to the uted. For more information, visit americanswing.org or dc.gottaswing.com. If a little jazz is something you’re craving, look no further than the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club. The New Year’s Eve Party with Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes is an all-inclusive evening ﬁlled with good music, good food and good spirits. For $150, patrons will receive, along with the night of music, a four-course dinner with dessert, two complimentary glasses of wine, beer or mixed drinks, a champagne toast at midnight and several party favors. As for attire, black tie is optional. For more information, visit bethesdabluesjazz.com or call 240-330-4500. In Prince George’s County, if you can’t ﬁnd something to do, you’re not looking hard enough! The folks at the Gaylord National Resort are putting on a show. The Big Night DC New Year’s Eve Extravaganza will take place starting at 9 p.m. There are 15 themed areas — including Mardi Gras, Vegas casino and hip-hop, as well as open bars, food, dancing and music. The Redskin cheerleaders will also be in attendance. Tickets vary in price from

speciﬁc audience.” “There will be times when I get lost in the kids’ faces because they’re in such wonderment that I have to be like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m doing a show,’” Reid added. “There’s a lot of improv that goes along with the show. Every show is pretty different.” Despite the ﬂexibility, Vargas and his cast do have a strategy for when things start to get away from them. “We think about what are some key phrases we can use or tactful ways of getting them back to their seats,” Vargas said. Though “Aquarium” is returning to Imagination Stage, Vargas stressed that even audiences who have seen it before can expect something new. “We’re really excited for it to come back,” he said. “We’re hoping audiences are really excited to come see this new version.” chedgepeth@gazette.net

BARRY RODEN

Ballroom dancers and dancers from Austria’s Ballet St. Pölten will perform at the annual Salute to Vienna concert on Sunday at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda.

PRESS JUNKIE PR

Popular reggae band Passaﬁre will ring in the new year with Slightly Stoopid at the Fillmore Silver Spring. $129.99 to $299.99, but the prices will go up the closer it gets to New Year’s Eve. For more information, visit bignightdc. com. One of many “ofﬁcial” New Year’s Eve balls will take place at La Fontaine Bleue in Lanham. The party kicks off at 8 p.m., featuring music by The X-Factor Band and a guest DJ. The event is being hosted by Courtney Hicks with Majic 102.3 Radio. Tickets are $50 plus tax per person, which includes a buffet dinner and champagne at midnight. There is

also an open bar. For more information, call 301-731-4333. The Cocktail & Cufflinks New Year’s Eve Ball is set to start at 8 p.m. at the Hampton Conference Center in Capitol Heights. Presented by All African Promotion, the night promises elegance, glitz, glamour and style. Light refreshments, hor d’oeuvres and more are followed by a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets for the event vary from $30 to $60. For more information, call 240-424-8800.

Those venturing to Fairfax County will be able to listen to some great music leading into 2014. The folks at Jammin Java in Vienna are bringing Rocknoceros back for the seventh-annual New Year’s celebration. The award-winning group, popular with the youngsters in the area, will put on two shows at the venue — at 2 p.m. and again at 11 p.m. — so the whole family can enjoy the ﬁnal day of the year. Tickets for either show are $10 and the lobby bar will remain open after the show. For more information, visit jamminjava.com or call 703-255-1566. The Seldom Scene — a popular jam band out of Bethesda — will be performing with The Stray Birds and Donna Ulisse at the Birchmere in Alexandria. Tickets for the show, which starts at 8 p.m., are $39.50. For more information, visit birchmere.com or call 703-549-7500. Whether you choose to celebrate with friends or stay at home, here’s hoping 2014 brings us all health and happiness. wfranklin@gazette.net

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

THE GAZETTE

Page B-9

Page B-10

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

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GE R M: EU 3lvl TH

3Br 3.5Ba big deck fnsd w/bsmt fncd yrd nr I/270 bus,schl,shop. $1645. 240-246-6686

N. BETH: In home Apt Lg 1Br w/priv entr Fpl, Patio, woodland view NS/NP $1300 uti inc. avl Jan 1st Call: 301-530-4883 N.POTOMAC ROCKVILLE: 1 BR

Apt. $1250 incl util, CATV, Free Parking Avail now. NS/NP CALL: 301-424-9205

Lrg 4BR, 2.5BA TH. Wood Flrs, W/D, Eat in Kit, Nr Shops, 355, 270. HOC Ok. 240-383-1000

POTOMAC: 1Br, + Den, 1Ba, W/D, modernized LR & kit, priv entr, $1590 inc util, Call: 240-793-2565

MONT

ROCKVILLE: 2BR,

GERM:

VILLAGE:

3Br, 2.5Ba TH, fin bsmt, nr bus/shops, NP/NS $1700 HOC Call: 240-643-0932

Several furnished, individual offices in a Class A building available for sublease with shared reception, conference room, and administrative support in Gaithersburg next to 270. Call 301-972-4430.

CHEVY

LAKESIDE APTS GAITHERSBURG

GAITH/AMBERFLD

OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE

3BR, 2BA, 2-1/2BA. Fin Bsmt, New Deck, Shops/Trans. $1850 + utils. 301-814-0340

2BA. Cls to Metro. 24 Hr Security. $1850/mo incls all utils. 301-3250550. Avail Now!

CHASE:

2Br, 1Ba, LR & kit modernized, W/D, parking, $1700 inc util, short term lease avl, Call: 240-793-2565

BETHESDA/GROV ESNER: 3BD 1.5BA

GAITH:

Female Only. Short-term 1 BR in TH. Free cable & internet. $510. (util Inc.) 301-367-7283

GAITH:M BRs $435+ 440+475+555+ Maid Ns/Np, nr 270/370/Bus shops, quiet, conv.Sec Dep 301-983-3210

Condo in Parkside. GAITH/MV: MBR in $1900 util incl. Avail TH 3rd floor, prvt BA Jan 1st. 301-233-5721 Nr shpng, on bus line. $650 utils incl + Sec Dep. 240-893-6951 3 GAITHER: Bedroom + den, 2 Bathroom, renovated, G E R M A N T O W N Sec 8 welcome, Util 2 BR in TH, $485 & incl 410-800-5005 $525 both incl utils. N/S, N/P. Avail immed GAITH:FIRESIDE CALL: 240-361-3391 CONDOS 3Br, 2full ba, balc. $1775/mo util incl. HOC Welc. Avail GE RMA NT OWN : Jan 1st. 301-535-3017 LG Furn BR in uppr lvl $500 util & laundry inGERM: 2Br, 2Ba new cluded. Sec. Dep Req. crpt/paint, h/d flr, W/D, Call: 301-605-5199 fitness center, near shops & restaurants GERMANTOWN: $1295 + SD Mike Male/Female Rm with Remax Pro. Please pvt ba & INT $600 util Call: 301-674-2371 inc+1mo Sec Dep Aval Immed. 301-916-6163

GAITHERSBURG:

1Br, 1Ba, Shr Kit, cable/int, N/S N/P, $550/month includes utils 240-643-4122

GAITHERSBURG:

Bsmt Br, $500 , Upstairs room $500 util inc for both, nr bus Call: 240-848-4483

GAITHERSBURG:

Male, master BR w BA $399. Nr Metro/Shops NP/NS. Avail Now. Call 301-219-1066

kSmall Pets Welcome

Contact Ashby

Rice (301) 670-2667

kBalcony Patio

(301) 460-1647 3004 Bel Pre Rd., Apt. 204, Silver Spring, MD 20906

GE RMA NT OWN :

rm for rent in condo, nr bus/shops, utils, cable, incld $500 301-9724535 Available 01/01

GERM: Male only 2

BRs $400 each + utils in TH NS/ND. Near bus & shops. Sec Dep Req. 240-476-6224

GERM: TH 1 room

w/pvt BA $400/mo w/utils & int. Nr Walmart & 270/355 CALL: 240-744-2421

kFamily Room kFull Size W/D in every unit kSwimming Pool

G560382

4bd / 3ba EOG $2400 month many upgrds, avail immed. Call 410781-7339

kNewly Updated Units kSpacious Floor Plans

or pricing and ad deadlines.

www.ambercommons.com

ROCKVILLE: SFH,

STRATHMORE HOUSE APARTMENTS

and reach over 206,000 homes!

Call today: 301-355-7111

SPRING:

301-762-5224

Office Hours: M-F 9:00am - 6:00pm, Saturday 11:00am - 3:00pm

Saturday Saturday from f ro m 10:00 10:00 am am - 4:00 4:00 pm pm

+ subject to credit approval

SILVER

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

G E R M : TH LG 1 room w/pvt BA $650/mo w/utils & int. Nr Walmart & 270/355 CALL: 240-744-2421 OLNEY: 1BD in TH. Priv BA. Shared Kit. NP, NS. $450 util incl. Female. 240-528-1434 OR 240-406-6991 OL N E Y : Furnished

Bsmt Apt for 1 tenant, priv ent, full Kitch & Ba, $1200 util incld except WIFI & Cable, N/P N/S 301-503-6167

POOLESVILLE:

Horse farm. Lg BD, private entrance, BA, Kitch, shared laundry. $700. 301-407-2226

SIL SPG: 3BR base-

ment apt w/priv BA & kitchen. Separate Entrance. $1,200 util incl. 301-758-5079

SILVER SPRING: 1

furnished BD in basement in SFH. Priv ent. $495 incl util. MALE ONLY. 240-676-0621

SILVER

***OLD GUITARS APPLIANCE WANTED!** Gibson, REPAIR - We fix It no

Martin, Fender, Grestch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg, and Gibson Mandolins/Banjos. 1920’s thru 1980’s. TOP CASH PAID! 1800-401-0440.

***OLD ROLEX & PATEK PHILIPPE WATCHES WANTED!** Daytona, Sub Mariner, etc. TOP CASH PAID! 1800-401-0440

SPRING:

Room for Rent $415 shared kitchen, bathroom and utilities W/D MY COMPUTER 301-404-2681 WORKS Computer S.SPRING: Down- problems? Viruses, spyware, email, printer town, furn/unfur shrd issues, bad internet apt, priv Ba, nr metro connections - FIX IT $775 utils incl + SD NOW! Professional, NS/NP 240-604-5815 U.S.-based technicians. $25 off service. WHEATON: 1Br in SFH Call for immediate $650 incl util D/W,W/D help 1-866-998-0037 Smoker Ok, CATV Nr Bus, Avail Now. Call 301-503-1753 WHEATON:1 Room w/pvt BA $700/mo incl. DIRECTV - Over 140 utils, Cable & WIFI. channels only $29.99 Near Metro & Bus a month. Call Now! Call 240-286-7142 Triple savings! $636.00 in Savings, On WHEATON: Free upgrade to Genie Georgia Ave. 1 MBR & 2013 NFL Sunday w/prvt ba. $650 util ticket free!! Start Savincl Nr Metro & Shops. ing today! 1-800-279Npets 240-441-1638 3018

matter who you bought it from! 800934-5107

PROFORM 860 TREADMILL: $250

obo. Wrks great. 1st owner. 2.5HP, 20"X60" cushioned deck. iFit support, fld away. 10 preset wrkout. EB-240-5064990.

MAKE UP TO

$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

NOW HIRING!!! $28/HOUR. Under-

ALL THINGS BASEMENTY!

cover Shoppers Need- Basement Systems ed \\ $300/DAY Typing Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Companies AdvertisWaterproofing? Finishing Online. We proing? Structural Revide the training & the pairs? Humidity and jobs to perform. GenMold Control FREE uine Opportunity. ESTIMATES! Call 1PT/FT. Experience 888-698-8150 Unnecessary. www.HiringLocalHelp. ONE CALL, DOES com

IT ALL! FAST AND RELIABLE PLUMBING REPAIRS & INSTALLATIONS. Call 1-

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM M 800-796-9218 M M DISH TV RETAILM Popular College Counselor M ER . Starting at M FIREWOOD $19.99/month (for 12 & School Admin., M mos.) & High Speed M FOR SALE Travel, Sports, Museums Await 1st Baby. M Internet starting at M 100% Oak Expenses Paid (where M $14.95/month $150 half cord M available) SAVE! Ask 1-800-513-0931 M $225 per cord M About SAME DAY InMAnnie & DavidM M stallation! CALL Now! GP2341 Mixed Firewood M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M 1-877-992-1237 $100 half cord ONE CALL, DOES $150 per cord IT ALL! FAST AND

MADOPTION:M

Call Adrian 301-309-0062 240-506-4326

RELIABLE ELECTRICAL REPAIRS & INSTALLATIONS. Call 1-800908-8502

FIREWOOD FOR SALE

$250/cord $150 per 1/2 cord µ Includes Delivery µ Stacking Extra Charge Ask for Jose 301-417-0753 301-370-7008

AIRLINE CAREERS

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.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

Page B-11

GUARANTEED INCOME FOR YOUR RETIREMENT. Avoid market

G535091

LIVE IN HSKPR:

Min 2yrs Experience. Potomac. Legal. Drive. Cook. 301-887-3212

NANNY GET FREE OF NEEDED CREDIT CARD In Potomac 5 days DEBT NOW! Cut

LIVE-IN HSKPR

Salary: $400/per week English/Spanish, drive Call: 240-485-8525

payments by up to half. Stop creditors from calling 877-8581386

GAITHERSBURG CAMPUS MORNING STAR ACADEMY 101 Lakeforest Blvd, Suite 402 Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Call: 301-977-7393 www.mstarna.com

SILVER SPRING CAMPUS

CARE XPERT ACADEMY 13321 New Hampshire Ave, Suite 205 MORNING & EVENING CLASSES Silver Spring, MD 20904 Call: 301-384-6011 www.cxana.com

GC3173

For additional information, please contact Kimberly Knox, Community Outreach Manager at 301-206-8100 or at kknox@wsscwater.com

Daycare Directory

MEDICAL OFFICE TRAINING PROGRAM! Train to

become a Medical OfCASH FOR fice Assistant. No ExUNEXPIRED DIA- MEDICAL ALERT perience Needed! CaBETIC TEST FOR SENIORS reer Training & Job STRIPS! Free Ship- 24/7 monitoring. Placement Assistance ping, Friendly Service, FREE Equipment. at CTI! HS BEST prices and 24hr FREE Shippng. NaDiploma/GED & Compayment! Call today tionwide Service. puter needed. 1-877877-588-8500 or visit $29.95/Month CALL 649-2671 www.TestStripSearch. Medical Guardian Tocom Espanol 888-440- day 866-992-7236 4001

G GP2340 P2340

On Wednesday, January 15 at 5:15pm, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission will hold a memorial ceremony at the headquarter building located at 14501 Sweizter Lane, Laurel, MD 20707. The memorial will honor the employees who have died on the job. The following names will be added to the memorial plaque: Paul Butler, Jerome E. Couplin, Leonard Dimes, Roy E. Walter and James D. Wray.

risk & get guaranteed income in retirement! CALL for FREE copy of our SAFE MONEY GUIDE. Plus Annuity. Quotes from A-Rated compaines! 800-6695471

NURSING ASSISTANT

TRAINING IN JUST 4 WEEKS Now Enrolling for January 6th & February 3rd Classes

Veenu’s Family Day Care

Lic.#:52608

301-977-2305

20855

Children’s Center of Damascus

Lic. #:31453

301-253-6864

20872

Elena’s Family Daycare

Lic. #:15-133761 301-972-1955

20876

Debbie’s Daycare My Little Lamb Childcare

Lic. #:15-127060 301-540-6818 Lic #: 51328 301-990-9695

20876 20877

Kids Garden Day Care

Lic.#:139378

240-601-9134

20886

Affordable Quality Child Care Susanna’s Day Care

Lic. #:156840 Lic #: 105189

301-330-6095 301-933-7342

20886 20902

DEADLINE: DECEMBER 30, 2013

It’s FREE! OUR EXP NANNY IS AVAILBLE: Over

Buy It, Sell It, Find It

25 yrs exp. Trustworthy, own trans, Exc. refer. 301-693-2086

GazetteBuyandSell.com

Careers 301-670-2500 FT, landscape company, cust. service, phn coverage, office admin, sales support, database mng. Support routing, scheduling, and billing. Full Benefits. Req’d: HS Diploma, Proficient with EXCEL/MS Office Preferred: Community College, Spanish, Familiar with CLIPxe or any similar database. Fax resumes to: 301-229-5111 or email jobs@hugheslandscaping.com

Administrative Assistant Dental office is looking for Admin Asssitant. Part time, 20 hours a week. Must be English proficient. Call 301-916-8570

Pharmacy/ Phlebotomy Tech Trainees Needed Now Pharmacies/ hospitals now hiring. No experience? Job Training & Placement Assistance Available 1-877-240-4524 CTO SCHEV

Recruiting is now Simple! Get Connected

Editorial Staff Supervisor/Reporter Comprint Military Publications has an immediate opening for a full-time, Editorial Staff Supervisor/Reporter in its Joint Base MyerHenderson Hall Virginia office. News writing background, InDesign knowledge, & digital camera familiarity, and experience supervising an editorial team a must. Familiarity with military a plus.

HEALTHCARE

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

Dental/Medical Offices now hiring. No experience? Job Training & Placement Assistance Available 1-877-234-7706 CTO SCHEV

HVAC SERVICE TECHS

Reputable company 44 yrs. servicing Mont./Fred. County. Excellent customer relations required. Year-round work, health coverage, 401K, paid leave. Exp preferred. Call 301-926-3253 or send resume to Careers@gaithersburgair.com

Follow your heart and your mind.

Discover a rewarding career as a State Farm® agent. Help others in your community while building a business that will last. Imagine what you can build if you put your mind to it. BECOME A STATE FARM AGENT.

Ethar Darwish Agency Recruiter (301)620-6170 ethar.darwish.ngwn@statefarm.com

We offer a competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, pension, 401(k) and tuition reimbursement. E-mail resume, writing samples and requirements to: jrives@dcmilitary.com

salary

Position Location: Pentagram Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall 204 Lee Avenue Building 59, Room 116 Fort Myer VA 22211-1199 EOE

FT position to assist a care giver at a small home child day care center in Kensington, Md. Must love children!! Pay is $13/hr, 8am-5pm. Will pay for CPR, first aid, SIDS training and a security check. Paid vacation and off all major holidays and MC School closings. See my website for details: Ondercare.com Contact Adrienne at: (301) 530-7980 Foster Parents

Treatment Foster Parents Needed Work from home!

û Free training begins soon û Generous monthly tax-free stipend û 24/7 support

Call 301-355-7205

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

301-388-2626 301-388-2626

bill.hennessy@longfoster.com • Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. EOE

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Seeking full performance Registered Dietitian to provide clinical nutritional care services to adolescent clients in Residential Treatment Center located in Rockville, Maryland, a State Agency under DHMH with full benefits. Duties to include performing nutritional assessments & education in accordance with individual treatment plans developed by health care professionals by health care facility standards and policies. Involves supervision of personnel engaged in food production and meal service. Full and/or Part-time; Salary negotiable based on experience. Must possess current license and registration from State of Maryland. Mail Resumes to: John L. Gildner RICA, Office of Human Resources, 15000 Broschart Road, Rockville, MD 20850; fax to: (301) 251-6815 or e-mail: demetra.swarr@maryland.gov Fair Practice Employer

Is Interior Decorating your Passion? Do you find yourself rearranging your friend’s furniture and accesories?

Is your home overflowing with Decorating Magazines? STATE FARM, BLOOMINGTON, IL, AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

PO97046.1

If you answered YES to even one of these questions, then you own it to yourself to find out how North American’s largest home decorating companyDecorating Den Interiors, can change YOUR world.

GC3226

Maintenance

DAY CARE ASST

Real Estate

Dental/ Medical Assistant Trainees Needed Now

GC3043

Office Personnel Admin

class@gazette.net

Groundskeeper

Clarksburg Village-Full Time-Candidate cares about the details & beautification of the community. Physically walks the property on a daily basis & removes litter, debris & pet droppings from the grounds. Distributes resident communications; assists w/ make-ready responsibilities, attends resident events w/ team & must be available to support team for snow removal process.40 hrs/Excellent Benefits/401k/EOE

Join us for a decorating business information session on Saturday, January 11th- 10am-Noon

DESIGN CENTER

10426 Fawcett Street Kensington, MD 20895

RSVP to jimkirlin@decoratingden.com or call 301-933-7900

GC3175

Apply: 12200 Elm Forest Ct, Clarksburg, MD 301.515.4790

Skilled Trades

Maintenance Technician Germantown, MD

Experience Required. Fax resume to 301-540-3447 or email kqueencovevillage@yahoo.com For more info call 301-540-1162

FRONT OFFICE ASSISTANT

Must be friendly, have good computer skills, excellent phone skills, be a team player, flexible and willing to do a variety of tasks. Your job is to support our present patients and encourage new ones to join us. We will train. Salary, benefits and incentives. Email resume and salary requirements to: jobs@hearme. biz

Retail

Merchandising Specialist ActionLink

To install and troubleshoot television, computer, digital camera, appliance, and other consumer electronics displays on retail sales floors.

Visit our website at www.actionlink.com/careers to complete an application! EOE/Drug-Free Workplace

Veterinary Assistant (PT) Relaxed working atmosphere. Experience not necessary, we will train you. If you have an aptitude to work with dogs & cats, email your resume to BonifantVeterinaryClinic @gmail.com or call us at 301-384-4101.

Page B-12

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

Automotive Call 301-670-7100 or email class@gazette.net

DARCARS VOLVO OF ROCKVILLE 2003 Volvo S60

#325103A, 2.4L, 76K miles, Automatic

7,480

2007 Jeep Wrangler

#325118A, 4WD, Manual, 111k Miles

14,480

15,980

#429003A,60.5kMiles, 1-Owner

2008 Ford Mustang GT

#326024A, Premium, M/T Car Coupe, 46K miles, 5 Speed

2013 VW Passat SE

11,480

14,480

2009 Ford EscapeHybrid

16,980

2010 Volvo XC60 3.2L

98 Toyota Camry LE #472117A, $$ 4 Speed Auto,

13,980

#438356A, 96K Miles, 4WD

2010 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ

#426021A, 6 Speed Auto, 37,6K Miles, Taupe Gray Metallic

2008 Land Rover LR2

2012 Nissan Versa S

#E0263, 32K Miles, 4 Speed Auto, 4 Door Coupe

WE’RE DECKING THE HALLS WITH GREAT DEAL SALES EVENT!

4-Door, Green Pearl

2009 Nissan Xterra X

#N110008, 62k Miles, 4WD, Sport Utility

15,480

Owner, 44k Miles

2008 Cadillac STS

18,480

26,980

#P8750, AWD, Electric Silver, Metallic, Certified

1995 Volvo 850

$5,980

#426026A, 62k Miles, 4 Speed Auto, Dark Green, 1-Owner......................

2012 Toyota Yaris

$11,480

2012 Hyundai Sonata LTD 2013 Honda Civic E-XL

#326082A, Navigation, 3K Mile, Crystal Black Pearl...............................

2006 Volvo V70

2012 Toyota Highlander

2012 Volkswagen Jetta

$12,480

$12,980

#E0278, 32K Mile, 6 Speed Auto, Gray Metallic.....................................

2008 Volvo S80

#P8842, 68k Miles, 3.2L, Blue Metallic....................................................

2009 Volvo XC90

$17,980

#P8834, 103k Miles, 1 Owner, Shadow Blue Metallic..............................

DARCARS

$34,980

VOLVO

DARCARS

1.888.824.9165 YOUR GOOD CREDIT RESTORED HERE

G558444

www.darcarsvolvo.com

G558446

14,800

13 Toyota Camry LE #R1739, $ 6 Speed Auto, 12.7k $

miles, 4 Door, 1 Owner

18,800

PRE-OWNED 3355 5 5 TTOYOTA OYOTA P R E - OW N E D

15401 Frederick Rd, Rockville, MD

DARCARS

12 Nissan Altima S #470192A, CVT Trans, $ $ 2.5. Low Miles

2011 Honda Civic LX........... $13,800 $13,800 2008 Toyota Tacoma............ $22,800 $22,800 #472123A, CVT Trans, 36K Miles, 1-Owner #465002A, 5 SpeedAuto, 49k Miles, 1-Owner

#327208A, 6 Speed Auto, Caspian Blue, Certified.................................

See what it’s like to love car buying.

10,800

2011 Toyota Camry LE......... $13,800 $13,800 2009 Nissan Murano SL....... $20,800 $20,800 #P8867, 6 SpeedAuto, 1-Owner, Gray Metallic #P8851A, CVT Trans, 4WD, Sport Utility

$31,980

#P8825, 6 Speed Auto, Ice White, 4WD, 1-Owner, Certified...................

2012 Volvo XC60

18,800

08MercuryGrandMarquisLS $$

#472145A, 4 Speed Auto, Silver Metallic

2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS. . .. $13,800 $13,800 2011 Toyota Avalon............. $19,800 $19,800 #472077A, PZEV, 1-Owner, 44k Miles, Silver Metallic #478001A, 6 SpeedAuto, 4-Door, Silver Metallic, 1-Owner

$26,980

2011 Volvo XC60 T6

Hatchback Coupe

8,800

$12,500 2012 GMC Terrain SLE-1...... $19,800 $19,800 2012 Toyota Corolla LE........ $12,500 #470236A, 5 SpeedAuto, Nautical Blue, 1-Owner #460033A, 2WD, 6 SpeedAuto, 1-Owner, 45k Miles

$23,980

#429002B, 11,421K Miles........................................................................

2009 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ 4x4

16,800

12,800

Desert Sand Mica

$11,800 2009 Toyota Venza.............. $16,800 $16,800 2010 Scion XB................... $11,800 #P8786, 5 Speedf Manual, Series 7, 1-Owner #378091A, 6 SpeedAuto, 1-Owner, Blue Green

$20,480

#327217C, 63K Miles..............................................................................

11,800

04 Toyota Corolla LE #R1737A, $$ 4 Speed Auto, 4DR,

2001 Lexus RX300............... $8,800 $8,800 2011 Honda Accord LX-P....... $16,800 $16,800 #470267A, 4 SpeedAuto, 4WD, Sport Utility, Black Onyx #472112A, 5 SpeedAuto, 39K miles, 1-Owner, Metallic Metal

$19,980

#N0276, 6 Speed Auto, 22.5K Miles, 1-Owner, Gray Metallic.................

#E0277, 42K Mile, 4 Speed Auto, Polar White........................................

#E0211a, 72k Miles, 2.5L, Black, Turbo w/ Park Assist...........................

13 Hyundai Velostar #467009A, $ 6 Speed Auto,1 Owner, $

47,980

9,800

10 Toyota Prius II $$

#P8874, CVT Trans, 1-Owner, 25k Miles

2013 Lincoln Navigator

#N0279, 17k Miles, 6 Speed Automatic, 1-Owner

Vintage Gold

11 Ford Focus SE #364474A, Auto, 1- $ $ Owner, 23.9 Miles

17,480

9,800

09HyundaiVeracruzLTD $$

#364523A, 6 Speed Auto, 1-Owner, Sport

CERTIFIED #N0271, 8k Miles, Sunroof, 6-Speed Auto

7,800

07 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS 02 Toyota Highlander #462007V, #364333A, $$ $$ 4 Speed Auto, 4WD, 5 Speed Manual, 1

#N0270, 58K Miles, Navigation 6 Speed Auto

6,800

04 Honda Element EX #362045B, 4 Speed $ $ Auto, 1-Owner, 4WD

1-888-831-9671 1-888-831-9671 15625 Frederick Rd (Rte 355) • Rockville, MD | OPEN SUNDAY

V VISIT ISIT U US S O ON N T THE HE W WEB EB A AT T w www.355.com ww.355.com

Selling Your Car just got easier! Log on to

Gazette.Net/Autos to place your auto ad!

As low as 29.95! $

See what it’s like to love car buying

Wednesday, December 25, 2013 z

Page B-13

DARCARS NISSAN

CASH FOR CARS!

Any Make, Model or Year. We Pay MORE! DONATE AUTOS, 2006 CHEVY UPL- CARS/TRUCKS Running or Not. Sell TRUCKS, RV’S. ANDER: 84K miles, WANTED! Top Your Car or Truck TO- LUTHERAN MISvery good cond., MD $$$$$ PAID! Running SION SOCIETY. DAY. Free Towing! Inspected, DVD/MP3, or Not, All Makes! Your donation helps Instant Offer: $4499 301-674-5011 Free Towing! We’re local families with 1-888-545-8647 Local! 7 Days/Week. food, clothing, shelter. Call 1-800-959-8518 DONATE AUTOS, Tax deductible. TRUCKS, RV’S. MVA licensed. LUTHERAN MISLutheranMissionSociet SION SOCIETY. y.org 410-636-0123 or Your donation helps toll-free 1-877-737local families with 8567. food, clothing, shelter. Tax deductible. MVA licensed. LutheranMissionSociet y.org 410-636-0123 or DONATE YOUR CAR - Give hope to toll-free 1-877-737breast cancer families. ANY CAR ANY CONDITION 8567. Tax Deductible. Free DONATE YOUR WE PAY TOP DOLLAR-FAST FREE PICKUP! Next-Day Towing. CAR TO VETER$1000 SELL YOUR CAR TODAY! CALL NOW FOR AN ANS TODAY! Your Grocery/Restaurant vehical donation will Coupons. Call 7 help US Troops and days/week United support our Veterans! Breast Cancer Foun100% tax deductible dation 800-728-0801 Fast Free pickup! G558420 CALL 1-800-7090542.

DARCARS

See what it’s like to love car buying.

CA H

Sale Price: Nissan Rebate: NMAC Bonus Cash:

13,995

$14,995 -$500 -$500

SV Hatchback #11614 2 At This Price: VINS:370976, 370059

2013 NISSAN SENTRA S MSRP: $17,560

INSTANT CASH OFFER

Sale Price: NMAC Bonus Cash:

(301) 288-6009

2014 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S MSRP: $23,640

30 Days

2007 VW Jetta #P8751A, Wolfsburg Edition, Leather, Sunroof, Manual

7,977

16,995

14,495

2012 Nissan Versa SV

10,977

2008 Nissan Altima 2.5S Coupe #346486A, Auto Transmission, Alloy Wheels, Sunroof

10,977

With Bluetooth, Rear View Monitor #13114 2 At This Price: VINS: 154860, 155602

2013MSRP: NISSAN ROGUE S$22,990 AWD $

W/ Bluetooth, #22213 2 At This Price: VINS: 142237, 141453

2014 NISSAN PATHFINDER S AWD MSRP: $31,495

$19,495 -$500 -$500

18,495

2008 Nissan Sentra #470005A, Automatic, 1-Owner

$26,995 -$1,000 -$1,000

24,995

$ G558447

10,977

#E0269, CVT Trans, Silver, 1-Owner

Sale Price: Nissan Rebate: NMAC Bonus Cash:

9,977

2009 Nissan Versa #341206A, 1.8L SL, 1-Owner, CVT Trans

$14,995 -$500

Sale Price: $19,495 Nissan Rebate: -$1,000 NMAC Bonus Cash: -$1,000 Nissan Holiday Bonus Cash: -$500

24/7 at Gazette.net

#12013 2 At This Price: VINS: 794572, 797330

Place Your Vehicle for Sale online

7,977

2003 Toyota Corolla CE #341252A, Automatic, Impulse Red, 4-Door

2014 NISSAN VERSA$17,115 NOTE MSRP:

FOR CAR !

2003 Nissan Altima S

#446030A, Auto, 4 Door, 1-Owner

10,977

2011 Kia Forte SX #447501A, Black Leather, Low Miles, 5-Door, 1-0wner

#25014 2 At This Price: VINS: 607679, 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 01/02/2014. NMAC. Prices valid only on listed VINS. See dealer for details. Offer expires 10/22/2012.

13,977

2012 Nissan Sentra #342035A, Navigation, Sunroof, 1-Owner

13,977

2013 Nissan Cargo Van #E0283, Auto, Low Miles, 1-Owner

19,577

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

2014 NEW COROLLA LE

36 $

NEW2 AVAILABLE: 2014#470170, COROLLA LE 470229

2 AVAILABLE: #470255, 470006

129/mo.**

4 DR., 4 CYL., AUTO

15,690

4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL., INCL.

NEW 2014 SCION XD 2 AVAILABLE: #453005, 453010

NEW 2014 VENZA 4X2 2 AVAILABLE: #474500, 474501

CHRISTMAS SALE!

24,590

4 CYL., AUTO

AFTER $500 REBATE

169/mo.**

4 CYL., 4 DR., AUTO

NEW 2013 RAV4 LE 4X2 BASE 2 AVAILABLE: #364589, 364591

NEW 2014 CAMRY LE 2 AVAILABLE: #472075, 472063

36 Month Lease $

149/mo.**

4 DR., 4 CYL., AUTO

NEW 2014 CAMRY LE

2 AVAILABLE: #377728, 377730

16,990

AFTER $750 REBATE

2 AVAILABLE: #472122, 472190

0% FOR 4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL.,

4 CYL., AUTOMATIC

AFTER $500 REBATE

NEW 2013 PRIUS C II

20,790

DARCARS

MONTHS+

On 10 Toyota Models

See what it’s like to love car buying

18,990

AUTO, 4 CYL., 4 DR

AFTER TOYOTA $1,750 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

G558445

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 12-31-13.

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