ELECTION 2014 Montgomery County voters skipped the polls. A-5
NEWS: Musician Lizzie Sider will visit multiple schools in the county. A-4
The Gazette GERMANTOWN | CLARKSBURG DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Open doors
New mosque to open in Germantown
BY
VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER
Ethiopian native Sadik Osman, who lives in Germantown, said he used to drive for nearly an hour to attend an Ethiopian mosque in Washington, D.C. Now he only needs to drive eight minutes to attend the new Islamic Society of Germantown mosque, which celebrated its near completion with a ribbon-cutting on Saturday. “This means a lot to us,” said Osman, who would also drive as far as Virginia during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims focus on prayer and fast during daylight hours. “I’d sometimes go to northern Virginia to find that Ramadan flavor,” he said. “Now I can break the fast with the [local] community.” Hundreds of Muslim families attended the celebration, along with members of the county’s interfaith community and county officials, including County Executive Isiah Leggett. Located on Blunt Road near the Fox Chapel shopping center, the mosque, also known as a masjid, will open to the public, probably after Thanksgiving, to allow for some additional minor work, such as the installation of carpet. The building features prayer rooms on the first and second floors and daycare rooms for young children on the second floor. In the basement is a commercial kitchen that will serve hot meals and also a café, where visitors can buy coffee, Middle Eastern spices, groceries and halal meats. “It’s a great day, something everybody has been waiting for,” said Ammar Najjar of Germantown, who serves as the masjid’s imam or spiritual leader. More than 10 years in the making, the new masjid will be a more
See MOSQUE, Page A-6
“It’s a place of worship, a place of God ... but it’s also a community center.” Mimi Hassanein
TOURS n Tours of the Islamic Society of Germantown mosque begin Dec. 1. For more information, call 240-2777758 or 301-379-7898 or visit isgtown.org.
Fundraiser features owls, hawks, kestrels BY
VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER
Those fascinated by hawks, owls and other birds of prey will have a chance to see them up close and personal at the Owl Moon Raptor Center Festival this Sunday at the Black Hill Regional Park Nature Center in Boyds. The free event from noon to 4 p.m., rain or shine, is a fundraiser for the Owl Moon center headed by Suzanne Shoemaker, who has been rehabilitating injured and sick raptors at her house in Boyds as a volunteer since 2002. A Massachusetts native, Shoemaker became interested in raptors while earning her master’s degree in wildlife biology at Oregon State University. She was studying coyotes in the field in northern California when she encountered birds of prey. “They’re just so well adapted to
INDEX Automotive Calendar Classified Entertainment Opinion Sports
B-101 A-2 B-7 A-11 A-9 B-1
25 cents
Judge won’t allow Hoggle out to search for children Prosecutors want Clarksburg woman to go with police; defense says she doesn’t want to go n
BY
The Clarksburg woman accused of abducting her two children — who remain missing after two months — will remain at a state mental facility for evaluation. A judge on Thursday denied a request from prosecutors that she be released into police custody, so she might lead police officers to her children, Montgomery County District Court Judge Eugene
See HOGGLE, Page A-8
School officials to review lapses in communication Principals: Parents should have been told sooner of allegations in Germantown, Damascus n
BY
LINDSAY A. POWERS AND DANIEL LEADERMAN STAFF WRITERS
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Abu Jafar of Montgomery Village calls Muslims to prayer during the festivities as the Islamic Society of Germantown celebrates the near completion of their new masjid with the community on Saturday in Germantown.
what they do,” she said. Shoemaker recently formed a nonprofit, which enables her to raise additional money through contributions and grants. “This is our first fundraiser. We hope it’s the first of many,” she said. When Shoemaker first started her work, she treated about 25 birds a year, but now she and her volunteers are working with four times that many. “We’re getting bigger and bigger,” Shoemaker said. “We’re accepting more than 100 birds a year from all over Maryland, and occasionally Pennsylvania and Virginia.” Shoemaker said she hopes to raise $2,000 to match a grant of equal value, which will be used to build additional outside cages, also called mews, for the birds. “We only have two, and we need at least six,” said Shoemaker, who also wants to build a large outdoor flight cage so that recovering birds can
See FUNDRAISER, Page A-8
Montgomery County’s school system plans to review communication procedures with principals after two principals apologized that they should have told parents earlier about incidents at their schools. Incidents at Roberto Clemente Middle School in Germantown and another at John T. Baker Middle in Damascus involved people working at the schools who were accused of inappropriately touching a student. Clemente’s Principal Khadija Barkley sent a letter
See COMMUNICATION, Page A-8
Local organization gives two veterans partners for life n
FROM SUZANNE SHOEMAKER
Suzanne Shoemaker, who owns the Owl Moon Raptor Center in Boyds, works with an injured snowy owl.
n When: noon to 4 p.m. Sunday n Where: Black Hill Regional Park Nature Center, 20930 Lake Ridge Drive, Boyds n Tickets: Free; donations welcome, tax deductible
AN OOKY GOOD TIME
Kensington Arts Theatre to put on ‘Addams Family’ musical.
SAMANTHA SCHMIEDER STAFF WRITER
After Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s graduation from Hero Dogs at the Damascus American Legion Post 171, Angelee Andoe brought him outside for some fresh air. When she cracked her knuckles — a nervous tick — Franklin pushed his nose up against her hands and pawed at her legs until she pet him.
n For information: owlmoon.org
ENTERTAINMENT
Hero Dogs celebrates latest grads with ceremony in Damascus BY
OWL MOON RAPTOR CENTER FESTIVAL
A-11
See DOGS, Page A-8
Volume 27, No. 45, Two sections, 28 Pages Copyright © 2014 The Gazette
Please
RECYCLE
November 20, 2014 1932800
DANIEL LEADERMAN STAFF WRITER
Raptors rule at Boyds festival n
SPORTS: Longtime Poolesville volleyball coach resigns after years of success. B-1