Germantown 052015 by The Gazette

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DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

25 cents

School board to appoint interim superintendent The Gazette

Top choice for leadership position withdrew BY

LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER

DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Clemente Middle School eighth-graders Janaki Tettah (left) and Mikara Nelson (right) chase after a lacrosse ball thrown by Seneca Valley High School senior Tommy Santucci as part of Clemente’s “Maryland Then and Now” program on Thursday.

Students get a taste of state culture n

Clemente Middle event included traditional Maryland crab feast BY

PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITER

Eighth graders at Clemente Middle School in Germantown spent the day in Maryland on May 14, immersed in the history and culture of the state, that is. “Maryland Today and Now” was a culminating event of the eighth grade school year, a day of cross-curriculum activities

encouraging students to make connections between their academic subjects and everyday activities, assistant principal Rose Alvarez said. Highlights of the day included playing lacrosse on the school’s ﬁeld, a square dance, quilt making, a visit from former Maryland Governor Thomas Holiday Hicks who served from 1858 to 1862, and a traditional Maryland Crab Feast. Cristela Gerardo, 14, said her favorite part of the day was playing lacrosse, which, along with jousting, is a Maryland state sport.

“It was interesting learning the sport and it was actually really fun,” she said. Cristela also said she learned that there were a lot of African Americans passing through Maryland when migrating north and how slavery decreased [in Maryland] quickly during the Civil War. That is where Gov. Hicks came in with his history lesson. Hicks, who is really Mike Robinson of Rockville, is part of the Living History Program offered by Montgomery Parks.

The Montgomery County school board will vote to conditionally appoint an interim superintendent Wednesday, a few days after its top choice for a permanent leader withdrew his name. The appointment, if approved by state schools Superintendent Lillian M. Lowery, would run from July 1 through June of next year, according to a school board news release. Andrew Houlihan, chief academic ofﬁcer of the Houston Independent School District, informed school board President Patricia O’Neill on Sunday that he was no longer interested in becoming the district’s next superintendent. The school board said Thursday that Houlihan, 36, was its “preferred candidate” for superintendent. The board announced its plan to vote for an interim leader a day after it received a letter from Alan Goodwin, principal of Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, on behalf of 29 high school principals. Monday’s let-

ter requested that the board ask Interim Superintendent Larry A. Bowers to continue in the post for the next school year. O’Neill said Tuesday she could not comment on whether or not the board would appoint Bowers a second time. Bowers was appointed after Joshua P. Starr resigned from the superintendent position in February before his four-year contract would have expired this summer. Bowers previously said he planned to retire at the end of June. On Tuesday, Bowers had no comment, according to Dana Toﬁg, a school system spokesman. Goodwin said Tuesday that he thought, and the other principals agreed, it might be best for the board to slow down the process to identify the next superintendent. If Bowers continued, the board would have more time to continue its search, said Goodwin, who is head of high school principals in the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals. The letter pointed to challenges posed by recent funding shortfalls and Houlihan’s decision to withdraw.

See INTERIM, Page A-10

Teacher raises funds PTA gifts books to Fox Chapel students for leukemia research Fair ends with a present to each child n

PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITER

Traditionally school book fairs are fundraisers, for PTA programs or other needs, but the PTA at Fox Chapel Elementary School in Germantown decided to use the proﬁt from its last few book fairs to give each child in the school a book.

“... The PTA is going to try to use their funds to put at least one book into the hands of every single one of our 666+ students, many of whom come from financially disadvantaged families who might not otherwise be able to afford the purchase of books,” media specialist Rich Parker wrote in an email. That is exactly what the PTA did on Friday. That and a little more. Each book, which the students selected from titles

recommended by their teachers, had the child’s name in it, handwritten by members of the PTA. When PTA members Susan Francis, Alicia Madariaga and Helen Snay arrived at each class Friday afternoon, there were smiles and reaches from the preschoolers, general excitement from ﬁrst- and second-graders and even applause from third-graders. “It sounds like Christmas morning in here,” said third-

See CULTURE, Page A-10

grade teacher Muriel Alexander. “Getting books into [the students’] hands is amazing, especially with summer coming.” Each grade level teacher selected four or ﬁve books for their students to choose from, keeping in mind different interests and reading abilities, said Helen Snay, book fair coordinator at Fox Chapel. Then the students selected the one they wanted to own.

See BOOKS, Page A-10

County to observe Memorial Day schedule Montgomery County and its municipalities will observe the following holiday schedules for Memorial Day on Monday.

Montgomery County • County ofﬁces, libraries, schools: closed.

INDEX A&E Automotive Business Calendar Classiﬁed Obituaries Opinion Sports

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• County liquor stores: open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Recreation: All indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities will be open; administrative ofﬁces, senior centers and community recreation centers will be closed. • Montgomery Parks: All

Parks facilities will be open. Operating schedules are at MontgomeryParks.org. • Ride On buses, Metrobus, Metrorail: Sunday schedule. • TRiPS Commuter Stores in Silver Spring and Friendship Heights: closed. • Trash and recycling

pickup: no collection Monday; pickups one day later through week until Saturday. • Transfer station: closed. • Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters: free. • State ofﬁces and courts: closed. — GAZETTE STAFF

SPORTS B-4 B-11 A-11 A-2 B-8 A-12 A-13 B-1

LOOKING FORWARD Freshmen played a key role in leading Damascus baseball to region title game. B-1

Please

RECYCLE

Hopes to name research grant in honor of former pupil n

PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITER

During her 10 years as a teacher at Ronald McNair Elementary School in Germantown, Katie Kelly has known four students with leukemia. She said it makes her sad that children have to battle cancer while so young, but she also is working to help ﬁnd a cure. Kelly is raising money for the National Capital Area Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a Woman of the Year candidate, a 10-week fundraising campaign that includes 10 D.C. metropolitan area women competing to see who raises the most money. “I’m raising money on behalf of my students and in particular Josh Bluestein,” Kelly wrote in an email. “Joshua was a

PHOTO BY LAURA MOSQUERA

Ronald McNair Elementary School teacher Katie Kelly is shown with Emma Baker. Emma was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in May 2012, one of four students Kelly knows with leukemia. Kelly is raising funds to name a research grant for one of those students.

ﬁfth-grader at McNair when he was diagnosed and spent three [plus] years enduring grueling

See LEUKEMIA, Page A-10

THE GAZETTE

Page A-2

EVENTS

BestBet

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 301-670-7155.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 The Basics of Alzheimer’s: Memory Loss, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease,

7 p.m., Chevy Chase Village Hall, 5906 Connecticut Ave. Free. 800-272-3900 or lvajpeyi@alz.org.

Bloody Orators Toastmasters meeting, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., American Red Cross, Jerome H. Holland Laboratory, 15601 Crabbs Branch Way, Derwood. Improve your communication and leadership skills in a self-paced atmosphere of fun and fellowship. Free for ﬁrst-time visitors. contact-614319@toastmastersclubs.org.

Royal Assassinations in the Ancient Near East, 8 p.m., Jewish Community

Center of Greater Washington, 6125 Montrose Road, Rockville. A lecture on interesting and important royal assassinations in the ancient world, including those in ancient Israel and Judah. $5-$10. baf. jccgw@gmail.com. Child-loss support group, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Montgomery Hospice, 1355 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville. Free. Registration required: 301-921-4400. 9th Annual Rockville Ride of Silence, 7 p.m., Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Ave., Rockville. Rockville Bike Advisory Committee will host ride to honor those who have been injured or killed while riding on public roadways. This year’s ride will honor Jamie Roberts, a 24-year-old Rockville native and basketball coach who was killed on June 13, 2014, while cycling across the country to raise money for cancer charities. 10 miles; not for beginners. rockvillebikerides@gmail.com. Garden Party Luncheon, noon, $7 ages 55-59, donations age 60-plus. “A Class Act” with Anna Pappas, 1 p.m., free. Damascus Senior Center, 9701 Main St.

THURSDAY, MAY 21 American Red Cross Blood Drive, 1 to

6:30 p.m., Damascus United Methodist Church, 9700 New Church St., Damascus. Contact Sharon_R_Clem@mcpsmd.org or call 800-733-2767 for an appointment. Double-red-cell donations will be accepted. Walk-ins accommodated during available time slots. David.Hull@redcross. org or 240-676-9955.

Potomac Community Village birthday party, 7 to 9 p.m., Bolger Center’s Osgood

Building, room 111, 9600 Newbridge Drive, Potomac. U.S. Rep. John Delaney will speak. Free. 240-221-1370 or info@ PotomacCommunityVillage.org. Student exhibition reception, 5 to 7:30 p.m., Montgomery College’s Department Advertisement

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

of Visual and Performing Arts, Cafritz Foundation Arts Center, 930 King St., Silver Spring. 240-567-1461 or Wilfred.Brunner@montgomerycollege.edu. Norbeck Toastmasters meeting, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Solana Assisted Living Facility, second-ﬂoor lounge, 2611 Olney Sandy Spring Road, Olney. Develop public speaking and leadership skills in a fun, positive environment. contact-367@toastmastersclubs.org. Evening Grief Support Group, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Church of Christ at Olney, 17020 Georgia Ave. Six-week group led by Montgomery Hospice professional counselors. Registration required: 301-921-4400. Parent Loss Support Group, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Montgomery Hospice, 1355 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville. For adults who have experienced the death of one or both parents. Six-week group led by professional counselors. Registration required: 301-921-4400

MON

Memorial Day Young Life 5K Splatter Run, Black Hill

Regional Park, 20930 Lake Ridge Drive, Boyds. Register at 8 a.m.; race at 9 a.m. $35 for adults; $20 for children 12 and younger. Includes T-shirt. 240-285-7369 or chris.eckard12@gmail.com. “Saturn at Opposition,” viewing, 9 to 10:30 p.m., Observatory Park, 100 DeSellum Ave., Gaithersburg. Free. Suitable for ages 11 and older. Hosted by Gaithersburg Community Museum. Check facebook. com/GaithersburgCommunityMuseum for possible cancellation due to weather.

SUNDAY, MAY 24 Annual Juilliard Reunion Concert, 4 to 6 p.m., Church of the Little Flower, 5607 Massachusetts Ave., Bethesda. Opera, classics, chamber music and Broadway. Free. 301320-4538 or Terry_Eberhardt@hcpss.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 22

MONDAY, MAY 25

Blessing of the Animals, 4;30 to 5 p.m., Animal Exchange parking lot, 605 Hungerford Drive, Rockville. With Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish clerics, followed by individual blessings. 301-424-7387 or animalexchange@erols.com. Evening Canoe/Kayak Paddle, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg. A leisurely tour with a naturalist; brief paddling lesson for beginners. Canoes/kayaks, lifejackets, and paddles provided. $3 for Maryland residents, $5 for others. Registration required. 301-924-2127 or bethany. lillard@maryland.gov.

SATURDAY, MAY 23 Mum Plant Sale, 8 a.m. to noon, com-

muter parking lot, 17 Fulks Corner Road, Gaithersburg. Also in the parking lot next to Bank of America building, 11499 Columbia Pike, Silver Spring. Single mum plant in a pot is $1.50. Bring boxes for purchases. 301253-5947 or Potomac@mums.org. Shavuot fetival, 7 p.m., Am Kolel’s Sanctuary Retreat Center, 19520 Darnestown Road, Beallsville. Holiday dinner, followed by screening of “Growing Legacy,” about the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve. $54 for dinner, program, lodging, breakfast. Also, 11 a.m. May 24 — Ten Commandments reading and vegetarian potluck lunch, followed by outdoor festival at 2 p.m.; no charge. 301-349-2799 or www.sanctuaryretreatcenter.com.

American Red Cross Blood Drive, 8 a.m. to noon, Trinity United Methodist Church, 13700 Schaeffer Road, Germantown. Contact Sharon_R_Clem@mcpsmd. org or call 800-733-2767 for an appointment. Double-red-cell donations will be accepted. Walk-ins accommodated during available time slots. David.Hull@redcross. org or 240-676-9955. Hike for Health, 9 a.m., Seneca Creek State Park, 11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg. A brisk 2.5-mile hike on moderately challenging terrain, or take the extended hike of 6 miles. Bring appropriate shoes, water. Meet at Kingﬁsher Overlook. $3 per person for Maryland residents, $5 for others. 301-924-2127 or bethany.lillard@ maryland.gov.

TUESDAY, MAY 26 Breastfeeding Class, 7 to 9:30 p.m.,

Washington Adventist Hospital, 7600 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park. For mothers and fathers. $40; free if registering for childbirth and baby care course at the same time. 301-891-4852 or nmonfort@adventisthealthcare.com.

PHOTO GALLERY

Winston Churchill High School’s Reed Moshyedi (right) advances on goal against Dulaney High School’s Bennett Heitt during the class 4A state semiﬁnal at Northeast High School on Saturday in Pasadena. Go to clicked.Gazette.net. SPORTS It’s the final weekend of spring high school sports, with state championships scheduled to be awarded in baseball, lacrosse, softball, tennis and track and field. Check online for coverage.

Get complete, current weather information

at NBCWashington.com

GAZETTE CONTACTS The Gazette – 9030 Comprint Court

Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Main phone: 301-948-3120 Circulation: 301-670-7350 Nathan Oravec,managing editor, Germantown : noravec@gazette.net, 301-670-7155 Peggy McEwan, staff writer: pmcewan@gazette.net, 301-670-2041 The Gazette (ISSN 1077-5641) is published weekly for $29.99 a year by The Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Periodicals postage paid at Gaithersburg, Md. Postmaster: Send address changes. VOL. 28, NO. 18 • 2 SECTIONS, 28 PAGES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 Health Decisions Done Right: A Lecture on Joint Surgery, 10 a.m., Ingleside at

King Farm, 701 King Farm Blvd., Rockville. Presentation by Dr. Joseph Hanna of the Orthopaedic Center. hhenry@veandco. com.

CORRECTIONS The Gazette corrects errors promptly on Page A-2 and online. To comment on the accuracy or adequacy of coverage, contact editor Nathan Oravec at 301-670-7155 or email noravec@gazette.net.

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Another fun filled event from The Gazette!

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Tickets $8 In advance; $10 Day of the Event and at the door Purchase tickets at (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ladies-night-out-tickets-9881878966); or in person after May 8th at The Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Call 301-670-7100 / LNO@gazette.net Sponsors 1951680

BUSINESS: Senior Coins & Currency OWNER: John Rusinko, Pres. PHONE: 301.363.5771 or 702.845.1934 ADDRESS: 3362-C Urbana Pike, Ijamsville, MD Located on old Rt 355, across from the old Cracked Claw EMAIL: jr.rusinko@yahoo.com WEBSITE: www.seniorcoins.net HOURS: Monday-Friday 11 am-5 pm; Saturday 11 am-4 pm; or by appointment

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

Page A-3

PEOPLE

Clemente rock stars now movie stars, too

Clarksburg student wins DAR essay contest

More online at www.gazette.net

Aditya Kaliappan, a junior at Clarksburg High School, earned ﬁrst place honors in the Maryland State Society Daughters of the American Revolution Christopher Columbus Essay Contest. Aditya wrote “Joining Columbus on His Voyage to the New World.” He was awarded $500 for his essay at the Maryland State Conference awards luncheon March 21. His essay will be entered in the organization’s national competition.

Boyds teen named Student of Month Cadet Julian Waldon from Boyds was named Fishburne Military School’s Cadet of the Month for April 2015. Waldon, a ninth-grader, is the son of Ann Waldon of Boyds. Cadet of the Month is selected by a board of Cadet Ofﬁcers and approved by the Ofﬁces of the Commandant, JRTOC, Headmaster and Superintendent of the school. A Cadet of the Month is selected based upon his academic, military and community achievements throughout the previous month. Cadets earning this award enjoy one three-day weekend pass, one special dinner, ten Commandant Merits and the right to wear the Cadet of Month shoulder-cord. “This young man has shown tremendous growth and leadership potential over the course of the last month,” Col. Gary R. Morrison, the school’s superintendent, said in a press release. “His efforts should serve as an example to all of us that hard work and focus are the true keys to success. Congratulations to Mr. Waldon, his instructors and his family for a job extremely well done.” Fishburne Military School is the oldest and smallest of all military schools for boys in Virginia. It was established in 1879. Its college-prep curriculum is built upon the structure of an Army JROTC program.

Documentary shows the power of music in teens’ lives BY

‘BEST DAY OF MY LIFE: THE ROCK IN SCHOOL STORY’

PEGGY MCEWAN

n When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

STAFF WRITER

There will be a movie premiere in Germantown on May 26 starring Roberto Clemente Middle School’s own rock stars. “Best Day of My Life: The Rock in School Story,” a 48-minute documentary on the school’s Rock Band Class will have its ﬁrst public showing at Seneca Valley High School at 7 p.m. next Tuesday. Clemente is one of two middle schools in the county that offers a rock band class as part of its curriculum. It is also offered at Takoma Park Middle School. “I started the Rock Band class seven years ago because there are a lot of kids I knew the program would draw,” Randi Levy, one of Clemente’s instrumental music teachers said. “It was an opportunity to reach more students.” Levy said she also wanted to bring rock into the classroom because the business community already offered rock classes and camps, but you had to pay for them. “By offering it at school, kids can get it free,” she said. Sixty percent of Clemente students take music, Levy said. “It’s not all Rock Band,” she said. “We have a tremendous music program.” Because of the growing interest at Clemente and the desire to share Rock

n Where: Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive, Germantown n Tickets: Free and open to the public n More information: 301-601-0344

HOUSE DIGITAL CINEMA FILM

Clemente Middle School eighth graders Tyler Araujo, Joe Dwyer and Ali Rosenberg practice for the Battle for the Bands in a still from a documentary ﬁlm about the school’s Rock Band class. Band opportunities with other MCPS middle schools, Levy said she thought a promotional video about the program would generate interest and, hopefully, raise money to expand to other schools. She contacted House Studio DC about making the video. “The original idea, she wanted a 30 second promo piece,” Yudu Gray, House Studio CEO said. “Our director [Simon Kim] visited the school and said we had to make a video.” Gray said he and Kim were impressed with how attentive the students were and with the music they were making.

Besides learning to play music, students learn history in Rock Band class, Levy said. “We start in the ’50s with Chuck Berry and study him within the context of segregation,” Levy said. “Then we move to the ’60s with Bob Dylan and protest songs, Motown and the ﬁrst African-American record business. We go to punk and disco in the ’70s but we look at the context of the ’70s with Watergate and the Vietnam War.” Levy said studying the history of rock is studying living history and a bonus is getting middle school students to relate to the people in their families

“The people who experienced it are still living,” she said. “The parents and grandparents listened to this music and grew up on it.” Levy said she started an after school program ﬁve years ago called Rock in Schools with the help of the MCPS Educational Foundation. That program is now in three other middle schools: E. Brooke Lee in Silver Spring, Martin Luther King in Germantown and Newport Mill in Kensington. She would like to see that program expanded to other middle schools as well. The video may be the key she is looking for, at least according to Gray. “I can’t wait for the world to see it,” he said. “I told Randi I think it will change the minds of parents and educators to see the impact music has on all of us at that age. It makes the rest of [school work] worth it. It’s going to make people happier when they see the kids with their music, their instruments and friendships to take into life.” pmcewan@gazette.net

Principal makes good on Read-a-Thon promise

The following is a summary of incidents in the Germantown area to which Montgomery County police responded recently. The words “arrested” and “charged” do not imply guilt. This information was provided by the county.

Residential burglary • 22000 block of Canterﬁeld Way in Germantown, between 9:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on April 30. Forced entry, took property. • 20000 block of Cabana Drive in Germantown, between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on May 4. No forced entry, took property.

DEATHS Elza Helena Carvalho Elza Helena Carvalho, 66, of Rio de Janeiro died April 18, 2015. Carvalho, who had been a resident of Montgomery County since 1985 and lived in Gaithersburg since 1987, retired to her hometown of Rio de Janeiro in 2011. Burial was in Cemitério São Francisco Xavier in Rio de Janeiro.

POLICE BLOTTER

PHOTO BY DELYZA HOWARD

Damascus Elementary School principal Bill Collins sets up a tent on the roof of the school on Friday. Collins and his son Jack, 8, spent the night on the roof to celebrate students’ participation in the school’s Read-a-Thon. When the students read 100,000 minutes in two weeks Collins agreed to pitch a tent and spend a night on the roof of the school.

Vehicle larceny • Three thefts from vehicles occurred in the early morning hours of May 3. Affected streets included Circle Gate Drive and Birdseye Court. Incidents may be related. Forced entry, took property.

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THE GAZETTE

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Exhibit in Gaithersburg helps visualize gun violence Installation on view at St. Rose of Lima through June 6 n

SAMANTHA SCHMIEDER STAFF WRITER

Through June 6, those driving by St. Rose of Lima parish in Gaithersburg will get a visual depiction of the 155 people who died throughout the greater Washington, D.C., area in 2014 as a result of gun violence. The “Memorial for the Lost” is an installation that has been traveling throughout the D.C.area for the past year. Before being set up at St. Rose on Saturday, it had been located at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Derwood since May 2. Bill Derge is a member of St. Rose of Lima Parish and of their Pax Christi group. The display is presented by Heeding God’s Call Greater Washington and was ﬁrst started by the Heeding God’s Call Philadelphia chapter. “What it is is we put up a

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

A memorial to the victims of gun violence in the greater Washington area is on view outside Saint Rose of Lima in Gaithersburg. number of posts and we hang Tshirts on them with the names and the dates of the people who

died of gun violence in the D.C.area in 2014,” Derge said. Those attending services

and meetings at the church are able to see the set up as they walk by and it is visible to the

public, as well. “It’s close enough to the road, and it’s a pretty busy road, that people will be able to see it. It’s just to remind people, to give them a graphic idea, of how extensive it is in the D.C.-area,” Derge said, adding that the shirts are different colors to represent Virginia, Maryland and D.C. Derge believes that physically representing those who are lost to guns through this visual method will evoke more emotion than just showing someone statistics on a piece of paper. “If you see a number, it’s kind of abstract, but if you see the shirts and each one represents a person, it hits home a little more,” Derge said. Derge said that he hopes the installation will get people talking about gun violence. He meets with Pax Christi every month to discuss topics such as gun violence and prison reform, and the ways in which they can be changed for the better. “The idea that gun violence is such a pervasive thing in our

culture, we really want to change the culture,” Derge said. From 4 to 6 p.m. May 31, the conversation will continue with an event at St. Rose about the prevention of gun violence cosponsored by Action in Montgomery and the D.C. chapter of Heeding God’s Call. Bob Cooke, the co-chair of Pax Christi Metro D.C.-Baltimore, wrote in an email about the many people who will be present at the meeting and what will be discussed. In addition to the Rev. James Atwood and the Rev. Timothy Tutt, Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger, and Phil Andrews, the director of criminal prevention initiative with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Ofﬁce, will be present at the event. Cooke explained that each person will speak about different aspects of gun violence including personal experience losing someone, mental illness and America’s gun addiction. sschmieder@gazette.net

Suspected drug user dies after being shocked with a Taser Man pronounced dead two days later in hospital n

VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER

County detectives are investigating the death of a Burtonsville man who died at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring on May 12, two days after he was shocked with a Taser by police in the Briggs Chaney area of the county. Police have identified the man as Dajuan Graham, 40. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore has performed an autopsy, and the results are pending, according to a Police Department news release. The Medical Examiner’s office did not immediately respond to a call on Tuesday from The Gazette about the autopsy. A Taser is a weapon used to fire electrified barbs into the body for the purpose of immobilizing a person. The altercation began about

10:40 p.m. on May 10 when witnesses told a 3rd District officer, who was conducting a traffic stop at the Briggs Chaney shopping center, that a man was walking in the Castle Boulevard roadway. The witnesses told the officer that the man was acting erratically and that they believed he may have been under the influence of the drug PCP, according to the release. The officer and a second officer approached Graham, who was standing in the southbound lanes of Castle Boulevard with his hands inside his shorts pockets. The officers asked Graham to take his hands out of his pockets to show that he did not have a weapon, but he did not cooperate. “He refused to comply and continued to grunt, raise and lower his shoulders, and assumed a threatening stance,” according to the release. The officers warned Graham they would use a Taser if he did not show his hands and when

he again didn’t comply, one of the officers shocked him with a Taser in the right abdomen and the right upper thigh. While being treated at the hospital, Graham’s handcuffs were taken off at the request of the medical staff. Graham then assaulted the officer and hospital security staff, injuring the police officer. The officer left Graham in the care of medical staff and security personnel, according to the release. “At no time when officers were interacting with Graham was he unconscious; in fact at the hospital, Graham was making statements and utterances,” according to the release. The next day on May 11, at about 4 p.m., Graham was taken to the Cardiac Care unit perspiring heavily with an elevated heart rate. On May 12 about 9:45 p.m., he suffered “a medical event” and was pronounced dead, according to the release. vterhune@gazette.net

Police charge neighbor with murdering Rockville-area pair Man, 31, arrested in Alaska following stabbings in couple’s home n

DAN MORSE

THE WASHINGTON POST

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Police said Tuesday they don’t know when the 31-yearold neighbor charged in the fatal stabbing of a Rockville-area

couple on Mother’s Day will be extradited from Alaska. Scott Tomaszewski quickly left town after the crime for a planned vacation cruise to Alaska with his parents, law enforcement officials said Sunday. Tomaszewski, was arrested Saturday after the cruise ship pulled into Juneau for a scheduled stop, police said. “I fully believe he was going sightseeing,” said Capt. Darren Francke, commander of the Montgomery County police’s major crimes unit. “He’d been doing it all week.” Capt. Paul Starks, a spokesman for Montgomery County police, said he didn’t know when Tomaszewski will be brought back to Maryland to face the charges. Three county detectives took part in the arrest, as did officers from Alaska and the Coast Guard. They found blood-soaked cash in Tomaszewski’s wallet, according to arrest records. Detectives also searched his stateroom on the cruise ship, finding possible evidence linked to the crime, and interrogated Tomaszewski at the Juneau Police Department headquarters. There, he admitted to the slayings and said he’d broken into the home to steal from it, officials said. The arrest came one day after a heart-wrenching funeral for the victims, Richard “Dick” Vilardo, 65, a hotel developer, and Julianne “Jody” Vilardo, 67, a retired accountant. They left behind two children and two grandchildren and were remembered by a motto: Friends are family, and family is everything. “It is difficult to describe how incredible my parents were,”

their son, Andrew Vilardo, said, standing near two wooden caskets and speaking to more than 600 mourners at the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda on Friday morning. The family thanked law enforcement in a statement Sunday. “For the past week, we have known the where, the when and the how; now we know who,” the statement said. Investigators had spent days examining the Vilardos’ home, piecing together the attack. They said they think that early on Mother’s Day — May 10 — Tomaszewski cut through a window screen, lifted the window, attacked at least one of the Vilardos in the bedroom and continued the assault in the kitchen and rear patio. When the Vilardos did not show up for a Mother’s Day gathering, their daughter went to check on them. Jody Vilardo’s body was found inside the house. Dick Vilardo’s body was found outside. “The extreme violence that occurred in that home helped to drive our detectives to work around the clock until they got someone into custody,” Francke said. Little is known about Tomaszewski. He lives at the same home as his parents, according to court records and police ofﬁcials. Two people with knowledge of the case, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it, said his parents appeared to have no idea about what their son had allegedly done. Efforts to reach family members by phone were not successful Sunday.

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County Council adds about $17M to ﬁscal year 2016 budget Final vote scheduled for next week BY

KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER

The Montgomery County Council will add about $17 million in spending to the county’s budget for ﬁscal 2016. The council took a preliminary vote Thursday to incorporate $18.2 million of priorities on its wish list into the budget. The council is scheduled to take a ﬁnal vote on the budget on May 21. Council Administrator Steve Farber said roughly $15 million of the additional spending will be covered by putting less into reserves. The council also cut some of what County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) proposed for a net increase over his proposed budget of about $17 million. In a written statement Thursday, Leggett criticized the council’s decision to put less into reserves. “Unfortunately the Council opted to reduce county reserves by over $10 million to fund its reconciliation list,” he said. Leggett called the decision “imprudent” in light of challenges facing the county in the coming years including the decision Monday in a U.S. Supreme Court case, rising costs, and reduced state aid for education. The case before the Supreme

Court, known as the Wynne case, dealt with double taxation and the decision will cost the county millions in the coming years. Those challenges, he said, make it more likely that the county might have to increase property taxes over the next few years, implement unprecedented service reductions or both. The ﬁscal 2016 Montgomery budget increases spending by 1.7 percent from the current ﬁscal year’s budget, for a total budget of $5.07 billion. The proposed spending plan does not cut any tax rates, as recent past budgets have done. Instead, it keeps property tax rates at the charter limit, keeps energy tax rates at their current levels, levies an additional tax on electronic cigarettes and expands the tax on room rentals. Without cuts to the tax burden, Councilwoman Nancy Floreen said, she cannot support the budget. Floreen (D-At Large) of Garrett Park was the only council member to cast her straw vote against the budget. She said she is not against what the budget funds, but she can’t support spending more without providing relief to taxpayers, as well. Montgomery College was a key priority for the council this budget cycle. College representatives warned council members that the college faced steep tuition raises if Leggett’s proposed bud-

InBrief Opening of county’s summer programs modiﬁed Summer day programs run by Montgomery County Recreation will start one day later to correspond with the extended Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) year. MCPS recently made the decision to extend the school year by one day to make up for days lost due to inclement weather. Recreation programs scheduled to begin on June 15 will shift to June 16; programs scheduled to begin on June 16 will start on June 17. The Recreation Department works closely with MCPS to coordinate the opening of the department’s summer day programs to ensure families have optimal opportunities for their children to participate in safe, supervised programs during the summer months. Many programs are offered in public school buildings, which will not be available until June 17. Families currently registered in summer programs will receive a letter announcing the new start dates and a pro-rated refund for days missed due to the later start dates. For more information, call 240-777-6840.

Young Life to sponsor Memorial Day splatter run The upper Montgomery County branch of Young Life will host a 5K Splatter Run at 9:30 a.m. Monday at Black Hill Regional Park, 20930 Lake Ridge Drive, Boyds, to raise money for summer camp scholarships. Young Life is a non-denominational Christian group for middle and high school students. Proceeds from the event will go toward scholarships to attend a weeklong summer camp at Saranac Village in the Adirondack Mountains of New York run by Young Life. “We welcome all adults and kids, no matter what faith they are, and we like to get out in the community and have some fun,” Eckard said in the release. “It’s a run to reach out to the community and build more connections.” Registration for the race begins at 8 a.m. Cost is $35 for adults and $20 for children 12 and younger. Free T-shirts are given to all registered racers and can also be purchased for $15. For more information visit http://ylsplatter.com and westmocoyounglife.org.

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“I want to remind my colleagues at MCPS that this is just one year. We haven’t forgotten about you.” Councilman Craig L. Rice

get passed. To make up some of the county funding gap using only tuition revenue, the college would have needed to increase the current tuition by $14 per credit hour for county students, $28 for state students and $42 for out-of-state students, said Susan Madden, the college’s chief government relations officer. These increases would have let the college improve employee compensation and beneﬁts, as it planned. On Thursday, the council provided $7.9 million more to the college than what Leggett proposed, an effort to help the college pay its faculty and staff and avoid a large tuition increase. Tuition still will go up, though. Montgomery College is planning to increase tuition $3 for students living in the county, $6 for students living elsewhere in Maryland, and $9 for students living outside the state. For 2014-15, county students paid $115 per credit hour, in-state students paid $235 and out-of-state students paid $323,

according to the college’s website. Council President George L. Leventhal said Leggett presented a strong budget this year. “We have supported most of what he proposed,” Leventhal (D-At Large) of Takoma Park said. But after listening to the public, Leventhal said, the council “strengthened the budget by targeting limited additional resources to priorities in education, public safety, health and human services, libraries, parks, transportation and new initiatives like the Public Election Fund.” For ﬁscal 2016, the council agreed to place $1 million into the Public Election Fund, meeting Leggett halfway. The council had requested $2 million. Leggett argued that the budget couldn’t afford any money for the initiative. The election fund was created as part of the county’s new public campaign ﬁnance system that matches privately raised dollars with public funds.

For libraries, the council agreed to provide an additional $638,880 to restore hours at ﬁve branches — Potomac, Chevy Chase, Kensington Park, Little Falls and Twinbrook — that experienced cuts during the recession. It also will provide an additional $150,000 for materials. Housing — a priority Leggett said he could not fund as promised — also will get more money from the council. The council voted to provide $687,500 more for the Montgomery Housing Initiative. The lion’s share of that will address veteran homelessness. The budget provides about $253,095 for the Child Care Expansion and Quality Enhancement Initiative. That new program expands child care in the county. The council approved it earlier this year Notably absent from the three-page priority list was any additional funding for Montgomery County Public Schools. Councilman Craig L. Rice, chairman of the council’s Education Committee, said the council would have liked to have fully

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funded the school system’s request, it couldn’t. The council supported Leggett’s recommendation to fund the system at the state-required minimum. Leggett proposed $2.31 billion for the school system’s next operating budget, an amount that meets the minimum funding level required by the state’s maintenance of effort law. The law forces counties to provide at least as much funding per student as the previous year. The school board asked for $84.7 million above maintenance of effort, according to school system spokesman Dana Toﬁg. Following Leggett’s recommendation means another year of class-size increases, Councilman Marc B. Elrich said. The budget, Elrich (D-At Large) of Takoma Park said, is really a “hold-the-line budget.” “I want to remind my colleagues at MCPS that this is just one year,” Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown said. “We haven’t forgotten about you.” kalexander@gazette.net • LEAK DIAGNOSIS • WOOD ROT • TILE NEW & REPAIR • ROOFING NEW & REPAIR • BATH/KITCHEN/BASEMENT REMODELING • WINDOWS AND DOORS • CARPENTRY • DRYWALL & PAINTING • STRUCTURAL & TERMITE REPAIRS

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In battle over supplemental funding, Hogan stands pat at halfway Governor won’t address bill mandating future full funding; it will become law n

KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER

Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday that he will not give school systems all of their supplemental funding for the next ﬁscal year, leaving Montgomery County nearly $18 million short of what it hoped to get. Hogan (R) said he will provide only half of the funding for a formula, known as the Geographic Cost of Education Index, for counties where educations costs are higher. Instead, Hogan said he will put half of the money, about $68 million, into state pensions. “What we will not do is rob the pensions of Maryland citizens at the demand of special interest groups and politicians ...,” Hogan said at a news conference Thursday in Annapolis. Hogan was referring to a budget battle in which the legislature trimmed the amount of money that would have been directed to the pension fund. Montgomery County Councilman Craig L. Rice strongly criticized Hogan for not fully

“He’s decided to wage war on education institutions throughout the state and we’re going to have to act accordingly.” Councilman Craig L. Rice funding the geographic index. “He’s decided to wage war on education institutions throughout the state and we’re going to have to act accordingly,” Rice said. Hogan also said he will neither sign nor veto a bill that will mandate he fully fund the index starting with ﬁscal 2017. Unless Hogan vetoes the bill, it will go into law. Lawmakers “fenced off,” or earmarked, full funding for the index in the state budget it passed April 13. After battling with Hogan on the index, the General Assembly passed legislation this session that forced Hogan to choose between fully funding the index now or having to fund it in full each year in perpetuity. Hogan’s decision on the index funding has been anticipated for weeks. About half of the state’s school systems stood

to lose money if the governor did not go with full funding. Created under the Thornton Education Plan, the index provides additional money to school systems where the cost of education is higher. It has been fully funded by the state since 2010. For Montgomery County Public Schools, the formula has meant about an additional $35 million each year since 2010 from the state. For ﬁscal 2016, full funding meant $35.4 million for Montgomery, but Hogan is cutting that to $17.7 million. School board President Patricia O’Neill said in a statement Thursday that Hogan’s decision will require the school district to “make even deeper cuts.” “His decision leaves a $17 million hole in our budget that will require us to take very difﬁcult actions that will impact

every school in our district,” O’Neill said in a statement emailed by district spokesman Dana Toﬁg. “I want to know what the governor is thinking,” said state Sen. Nancy J. King, Montgomery County’s Senate delegation chairwoman. “I think the thing I have to do is get a chance to sit down with him and ﬁnd out his reasoning.” Hogan told reporters that the state is making record investment in education and has put more into school construction than the prior administration. Education, he said, is a top priority. But to local leaders and education advocates, Hogan’s words were empty rhetoric. “If education was a top priority for this governor, he would have fully funded GCEI,” said Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown. “We would not have had to play the game we had to play to achieve the right funding for school systems across the state.” County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) said Hogan’s move sends the message that he may not value education. The money, Leggett said, was desperately needed. “I’m very disappointed in the governor’s decision,” he said.

Rice and King fear that battle will escalate in the future. Rice chairs the council’s Education Committee, as well as the Education Committee for the Maryland Association of Counties. Sean Johnson, government relations director of the Maryland State Education Association, said Hogan’s administration will spend more dollars on education, but increasing enrollment and budget pressures means Maryland will provide less money per student than the year before. Johnson said he did not have exact figures on how much less per student the final budget and Hogan’s decision on the index provides. Johnson said Hogan’s proposed budget in January — which called for paying half of the index, among other cuts — provided about $85 to $90 less per student than former Gov. Martin J. O’Malley (D) put in the current budget. “We don’t go backwards on our kids. We haven’t gone backwards on our kids. Unfortunately, in the first term of Gov. Hogan, we are,” Johnson said. Shortchanging students is shortsighted, said King (D-Dist. 39) of Montgomery Village. “Kids don’t need to be in-

volved in politics,” she said. “They need to be involved in getting a good education.” Rice said Hogan cannot hide behind the state’s growing education spending or take credit for it, because it is a function of higher enrollment, not the governor’s actions. King sponsored the bill mandating full index funding. The bill was a cross-filed version of a bill introduced in the House by Del. Eric Luedtke (D-Dist. 14) of Burtonsville. The Senate version was amended by the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee to include the provision that makes full funding of GCEI mandatory should Hogan not fully fund it in fiscal 2016. Luedtke introduced the original bill in two prior sessions, but it did not pass. King said discussions early in the session with Hogan left her thinking that if her bill passed, Hogan would fully fund the index for the coming fiscal year to avoid the future mandate. Hogan has been harshly critical of how 81 percent of the state’s budget is mandated spending, leaving him little room to make changes. But by allowing King’s bill to go into law, even more of the budget will be mandated spending. Even though the index funding will be mandated, King said she fears there will be attempts to cut it later. “I can’t imagine that it’s going to be easy,” she said. Staff Writer Lindsay A. Powers contributed to this story. kalexander@gazette.net

Damascus High hosts physical fundraiser The Swarmin’ Hornets football team of Damascus High School will hold its 6th Annual Physical Day Fundraiser from 3 to 6 p.m. May 27, at the school, 25921 Ridge Road. The May 27 date has been set to accommodate players who participate in fall 2015 sports, as well as winter and spring 2016 sports. John T. Baker Middle School athletes, girls and boys, are invited to attend. The student athletes will be given a comprehensive sports medicine centered examination under the guidance of Dr. Ellen Smith. The cost of the physical is $30, cash or check, per athlete. Additional siblings will cost $20 per sibling. The Health Assessment forms completed at Physical Day will last for the entire 2015/2016 school year. For questions or scheduling, email Marci Jenkins at jenkinsmd@ comcast.net. Checks should be made payable to: Damascus Athletic Boosters. — GAZETTE STAFF

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that application has been made by: Benjamin Schiner William R. Botten on behalf of Dickeys BBQ, LLC, for a Beer, Wine & Liquor License, Class B, H/ R, On Sale Only, for the premises known as Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, which premises are located at: 18056 Mateny Road Germantown, Maryland 20874 A hearing on the application will be held in the Montgomery County Government Rockville Library, First Floor Meeting Room 21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850, on: Thursday: At:

June 4, 2015 10:30 a.m.

Any person desiring to be heard on said application should appear at the time and place fixed for said hearing. BY: Kathie Durbin Board of License Commissioners Division Chief for Montgomery County, Maryland 157288G

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Energy tax rates to stay same in Montgomery County Council also passes new tax on e-cigarettes, expands room rental tax n

KATE S. ALEXANDER

STAFF WRITER

Fuel-energy tax rates will not continue to fall in Montgomery County. In a 5-4 vote on May 13, the County Council voted to keep the energy tax rates the same for fiscal 2016. Starting in fiscal 2013, the council has steadily reduced the tax rate each year — including for this fiscal year, which ends June 30. Montgomery County levies the fuel energy tax on “persons transmitting, distributing, manufacturing, producing or supplying electricity, gas, steam, coal, fuel oil, or liquefied petroleum gas,” according to county budget documents. The tax is based on how

much energy is supplied and is paid by the supplier, who generally passes it on to customers. In 2010, Montgomery hiked the energy tax rate for fiscal 2011 to generate about an extra $110 million in revenue and close budget gaps during the recession. County Executive Isiah Leggett had proposed doubling the energy tax rates, which would have raised an additional $133 million in revenue. The council instead chose a lower rate that would raise about 85 percent of what Leggett had proposed, or about $110 million. The increase was to “sunset,” or revert back to the previous rate, at the end of fiscal 2012. However, Leggett recommended not following through on the sunset. Instead, the council committed to gradually reduce the rate over several years. For fiscal year 2016, Leggett (D) again recommended keeping the tax as it is, and for the first

time since the rate was scheduled to sunset, a majority of the council has agreed with him. On May 13, the council considered cutting the tax yet again. A resolution was proposed by Councilwoman Nancy Floreen (D-At Large) of Garrett Park to cut the tax rate so it draws $11.5 million less in revenue. That equates to about 10 percent of the total increase the council passed for ﬁscal 2011. The issue split the council, with freshman Councilman Tom Hucker (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring providing the swing vote against cutting the tax. “I’m uncomfortable cutting the energy tax at a time when there’s both an increase in [elementary school] class sizes because of insufﬁcient funds and we will likely have to increase property taxes next year,” Hucker said after the meeting. Hucker also voted against cutting the tax during a joint committee meeting

last week. What held his vote up, he said, was that he was talking to his fellow council members about ways to address the tax this year without being locked into an ongoing commitment. “It really isn’t possible,” he said. Council President George L. Leventhal said on May 13 he would delay the vote to Thursday because not all council members had decided where they stood. He said, as he understood it, four members favored cutting the tax and four opposed it. Hucker did not speak during the sometimes heated May 13 discussion, but at one point conveyed to Leventhal he was prepared to vote and the vote was called. Councilman Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Bethesda attempted to pass a compromise 5 percent reduction in energy tax revenue, but that failed 5-4. With Hucker on board with

State approves Pepco deal with conditions Groups across the state express disappointment

KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER

Maryland utility regulators have given the OK for Exelon to acquire Pepco, as long as conditions are met, including better reliability. In a 3-2 decision Friday, the Public Service Commission agreed to the proposed deal, detailing 46 conditions the companies must meet. Exelon Corp. of Chicago, parent of Baltimore Gas and Electric, plans to acquire Pepco Holdings for $6.83 billion in cash. The sale would bring together Exelon’s three electric and gas utilities — BGE, ComEd and PECO — with Pepco Holdings’ three utilities, Atlantic City Electric, Delmarva Power and Pepco, cementing Exelon’s hold on the midAtlantic market. Maryland is one of several jurisdictions that must approve Exelon’s acquisition for it to go through. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Virginia and New Jersey also

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have approved it. Delaware and Washington, D.C., have not taken action yet. Among the conditions in Maryland are strict benchmarks for reducing the frequency and duration of power outages, with penalties for failure. Exelon also was ordered to provide each Pepco customer with a $100 rate credit — a total of $48.6 million in residential rate credits — and $31.5 million for energy efﬁciency initiatives, 20 percent of which must be dedicated to limited-income programs. The PSC also required Exelon to provide $14.4 million in Green Sustainability Funds for Prince George’s and Montgomery counties and provide for the building of 20 megawatts of renewable energy sources, 10 megawatts of which must be in Pepco’s Maryland service territory. The order detailed conditions for Delmarva Power, too. Commission Chairman W. Kevin Hughes and Commissioners Lawrence Brenner and Kelly Speakes-Backman formed the three-vote majority. In a joint statement, Pepco and Exelon expressed pleasure with the decision, but said the companies must study the order to understand the conditions imposed by the PSC.

Opponents criticized the approval. “I am deeply disappointed with the decision of the Maryland Public Service Commission to approve the PepcoExelon merger,” Montgomery County Councilman Roger Berliner said in a written statement. Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said in a written statement that the commission made a “grave error” approving the deal. “This approval, with no meaningful conditions added by the commissioners, threatens to negatively affect Marylanders for decades to come,” Tidwell wrote. “The PSC has totally failed in its responsibility to protect the ratepayers from exactly the sort of monopolistic harm that they have now ushered in.” Tyson Slocum, the director of the Public Citizen’s Energy Program, condemned the decision in a written statement. “The commission should have stopped this power grab. Instead, it facilitated it,” Slocum wrote. Public Citizen, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Berliner all were party to the case. Berliner is part of the Coalition for Utility Reform.

not cutting the tax, a majority of the council voted to follow Leggett’s lead and keep the tax rate the same for fiscal 2016. Overall, Leggett’s budget proposed increasing total spending by 1.4 percent, to about $5.06 billion. Among the elements that could change are reserves. Leggett’s budget recommended putting 8.6 percent of county revenues into reserves or about $402 million. Leggett’s budget calls for putting $32 million more in reserves than a council fiscal plan called for in fiscal 2016. Berliner argued the executive was putting too much into reserves and advocated for less, so the council could use the difference to fund its priorities and to reduce the energy tax. Councilwoman Nancy Navarro (D-Dist. 4) of Silver Spring said she exercised restraint in recommending funding for additional programs because of the

Maryland law required Exelon and Pepco to prove the deal was in the public interest. Commissioners Anne E. Hoskins and Harold D. Williams wrote in their dissenting opinion that the companies failed to provide sufﬁcient or adequate evidence that the deal will not harm Marylanders. “The Public Utilities Article and Commission precedent provide unequivocally that the Commission must deny a merger application that imposes harm — including even the risk of harm — on consumers,” the dissenting opinion stated. “The merger undermines competition for both ideas and utility services at a transformative time in the electricity industry.” Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Bethesda said many parties in the case, including Attorney General Brian E. Frosh, the Maryland Energy Administration, the Ofﬁce of People’s Counsel, the Montgomery County Council, environmental organizations, and the commission’s staff, argued that the deal was not in the public interest. “How the Commission could conclude differently is hard to fathom,” Berliner said. “One can only conclude that this is a classic case of ‘regulatory capture.’” Regulatory capture describes when regulators become unduly influenced by those they regulate and therefore un-

county’s ﬁnancial situation and uncertainties in its future. Navarro was among members who voted to keep the energy tax rates static. Several council members expressed an interest in talking about the energy tax policy outside of council budget deliberations. Hucker said it is hard to have nuanced policy discussion on the tax in the context of the budget, but the policy should be considered. While the council split on the energy tax, it unanimously supported taxing distributors of electronic cigarettes for 30 percent of the wholesale price of e-cigarettes and other so-called vaping products, and unanimously supported expanding its room rental and transient tax to those who rent single rooms or homes through venues such as Airbnb. kalexander@gazette.net

able to distinguish between the public’s interest and the interest of the utilities, he said. Berliner previously worked as a regulatory lawyer. “It happens often,” he said. “It’s so disappointing. This was a legacy moment for the O’Malley commission and they wilted.” The ﬁve sitting members of the Public Service Commission were appointed by former Gov. Martin J. O’Malley (D). As for the conditions in the deal, Berliner called those “crumbs.” “They threw some crumbs our way in order to gain the county’s support for a settlement,” he said. “I promise you we will take every crumb we can get, but that does not make it a satisfying meal.” Berliner said he would be surprised if there was no appeal considering how many opposed the deal from the start. In the course of the case, Montgomery County settled with the companies. County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) said he pushed for the deal and settled with the companies because some improvement is preferable to the Pepco that now serves Montgomery County. “I thought, looking at it long term, it was in the best interest of the county,” he said. kalexander@gazette.net

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County Council adds $8 million to Montgomery College budget Increase will allow employee compensation, beneﬁts improvements n

LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER

The Montgomery County Council plans to tack on nearly $8 million to Montgomery College’s ﬁscal 2016 operating budget, a boost that lets the school increase employee compensation and beneﬁts, as planned. The council’s Education Committee recommended in April that the full council place nearly $11 million in new county money for the college on the county’s reconciliation list. That

list includes items that Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett did not put in his recommended budget and that the council wants to fund if it can. The council took a preliminary vote on the county’s fiscal 2016 operating budget last Thursday. A ﬁnal vote is scheduled for Thursday. The $7.9 million extra from the council was added to Leggett’s recommended $3 million increase in county funding for the college’s current fund. The current fund pays for operations, student services, instruction and other things, according to a report from the college president. Susan Madden, the college’s chief government relations of-

ficer, said about $6.8 million of the added money will go toward increasing employee compensation and benefits for all faculty and staff. “The council and the county executive clearly recognized our faculty and staff’s deep commitment to our students to help them succeed and thereby fuel our local economy with ready workers,” Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard said in a statement. The remaining dollars will go toward various college initiatives, Madden said, though college officials are still hammering out exactly how to divvy up the roughly $1.1 million remaining of the $7.9 million from the council. The college had hoped to re-

ceive about $3 million from the county for the initiatives. The college planned to expand the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success program to six more high schools in Montgomery County Public Schools. With less funding than hoped for to spend on the initiatives, the program will expand to fewer schools, Madden said. The program involves collaboration from Montgomery College, the county school system and The Universities at Shady Grove. The college also hopes to use some of the money to pay for permanent staff at two community engagement centers, which are off-campus connection points between the college and

the public. The plan had been to make four temporary workers at the centers permanent, according to Marcus Rosano, a college spokesman. Some of the money will go toward efforts aimed at the college’s achievement gap. Madden said the council’s action helped the college keep tuition affordable with slight increases for the next school year. College officials had previously said significant increases were possible if the county didn’t provide more money to help the school pay for the compensation and benefit increases. Soon after the Education Committee recommended that the council try to add more money for the college, the insti-

tution’s Board of Trustees voted to follow the smaller per-credithour tuition increases the college initially proposed: $3 for students living in the county, $6 for students living elsewhere in Maryland, and $9 for students living outside the state. For 2014-15, county students paid $115 a credit hour, in-state students paid $235 and out-ofstate students paid $323, according to the college’s website. “Clearly, councilmembers heard our concerns and share our collective commitment to an affordable, high-quality, locally provided postsecondary education,” Pollard said in her statement. lpowers@gazette.net

Community members seek changes to Kensington school plan District acknowledges ‘challenges’ on the site

LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER

Under a Montgomery County Public Schools plan, a new Kensington middle school would be squeezed on a site with inadequate space that will make the school inferior, some opponents of the plan say. Adding underground parking to the plan, they say, could help ﬁx some of the bigger problems they see. A group of residents said they are concerned that the site plan, as it stands, would limit athletic and academic spaces and pose safety hazards for drivers and pedestrians. The result, they said, is a school that would fall below the district’s project guidelines and would be unequal to other county schools, particularly Westland Middle School. However, a school district official said the middle school will be similar to existing middle schools. He added that the dis-

LINDSAY A. POWERS/THE GAZETTE

Susan Hage (center) of Kensington talks with her children Teddy (left), 6, and Allie, 3, as they play on a slide at the Rock Creek Hills Local Park. Montgomery County Public Schools plans to build a middle school on the site. trict already considered — and decided against — a parking structure. The school will be the second in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster and will help address current overcrowding at Westland and expected enrollment growth. The district hopes to break ground this summer on the proj-

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ect estimated to cost around $48 million. The site includes about 12 acres that could be built on out of about 13.4 acres, according to James Song, the director of the school system’s Department of Facilities Management. The school system recently submitted revised site plans to the Montgomery County Planning Board to address recommended and required changes. Residents Richard Hatzfeld, Laura Dennis, John Sonnier and Susie Cooper are calling for the district to work with community members to help address problems they anticipate on the site

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where Rock Creek Hills Local Park now sits. If the district were to add underground parking, it would provide more space, reduce the need for retaining walls and be safer for pedestrians around the school, Hatzfeld said. Safety concerns tied to the garage could be addressed through measures such as a gate that closes in the evening, he said. The garage idea stems from Montgomery County Planning Board staff who developed recommendations as part of a mandatory referral process for the site. Staff said in a March report that structured parking would be “a feasible solution.” Hatzfeld, Dennis, Sonnier and Cooper have studied past and current plans and said they found numerous ﬂaws in the district’s design, ranging from athletic space to parking to a student walkway. Sonnier is a landscape designer. Under the current plan, Hatzfeld said, “they’re making this rush to get an expedient option out that isn’t going to be the best option.” The residents are concerned about pedestrian safety, including on a student pathway leading to the school, and the heights of retaining walls. They are also concerned the school will start off crowded and quickly grow. As of Tuesday, about 230 people had signed a Change.org peti-

tion calling for “a better solution” for the middle school from school board and Montgomery County Council officials. Rick Bond, an architect who lives on Kensington Parkway near the site, said there hasn’t been enough transparency in the process. He wondered why the district decided to stray from standards it developed at an early stage. The Rock Creek Hills site does not have enough space, Bond said, which has translated to “compromise piled on compromise piled on compromise” for athletic spaces, classroom sizes and traffic circulation. The four-story design for part of the building is inefficient for circulation and layout, Bond said. He also sees classroom spaces reduced. Song said the middle school plan is not unique. The district builds schools on various sites and faces different challenges on each, he said. The site’s difficulty was acknowledged by Craig Shuman Jr., director of the district’s division of construction, during a March 26 planning board hearing. The school system was trying to fit “10 pounds of sugar in a five-pound sack” on the site, he said. Song said underground parking would be expensive and hard to monitor for safety. Even with a garage, he said, the district still would need space for two traffic loops on the site, and it’s more efficient and less expensive to include parking on the loops. The district doesn’t have requirements for athletic spaces at middle school sites, he said. The Rock Creek Hills site will include a soccer field overlaid with two softball fields and four tennis courts. The classrooms are “very much typical” for county schools, Song said. The school’s classrooms, other instructional spaces, and core spaces such as cafeterias

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and gymnasiums are within acceptable ranges, he said. The district allows these areas to be 10 percent larger or smaller than district standards. “Overall, building-wise, I can say that [the middle school] has met the educational objectives,” he said. The building could hold about 1,000 students when it opens, with space set aside to expand by 200 students in the future. The 1,200 enrollment will match the district’s preferred maximum student population for middle schools, he said. Addressing other concerns, Song said the district will place crosswalks where they are safest and design retaining walls so they are difficult to climb. The district also has taken neighborhood roads into account, he said. The county planning board has recommended changes to the school’s design, including relocating the dropoff loop and reducing retaining walls. These are only recommendations, said Amy Lindsey, a county planning coordinator. The school system is only required to meet legal requirements tied to forest conservation to proceed with the project. The district’s revised plan includes “very, very minor design tweaks” to demonstrate that the school system has done its best to preserve forest and minimize impervious areas, Song said. One change aims to improve traffic circulation in the student dropoff loop and staff parking lot. An April 27 letter from Shuman to Lindsey offered a different description of the revised plan, which Shuman wrote “reflects several significant changes.” Lindsey said the goal was to provide the district with comments on its revised forest conservation plan this week. lpowers@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

Page A-9

MCPS, unions may revise contracts amid budget shortfalls District considering options with less state money coming in n

LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER

With budget shortfalls nearly certain, Montgomery County’s school board “in all likelihood” will try to revise contracts with three employee associations, said board President Patricia O’Neill. County school ofﬁcials had hoped that Gov. Larry Hogan would fully fund the Geographic Cost of Education Index, a supplemental funding system for counties where education costs are higher. Hogan announced Thursday, however, that he would fund the index at 50 percent, even though state legislators had set aside money for full funding. The governor’s decision means the Montgomery school system will get about $17.7 million from the state out of roughly $35 million it had expected

from GCEI. The school system will need to address what it sees as a $53 million gap between what the board requested and what the County Council likely will approve. The council took a preliminary vote on Thursday to approve the county’s fiscal 2016 operating budget, which includes $2.31 billion for the school district. That amount meets the minimum funding level required by the state’s maintenance of effort law, which prohibits a cut in per-student funding from one year to the next. The council’s final vote on the budget is set for Thursday. O’Neill said the union contract renegotiations would need to happen soon, because the board will take final action on a fiscal 2016 operating budget in June. On Thursday, she described union officials as “alarmed” and “unhappy.” “I’m not happy either that we’re in this position,” she said. Based on the current three-year

agreements, employees in the three associations are scheduled to receive a 2-percent salary increase in October, according to Dana Tofig, a school system spokesman. That’s in addition to step increases for eligible employees. The unions include the Montgomery County Education Association, the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals, and SEIU Local 500. In letters sent this month before the governor’s announcement, O’Neill notified union officials that the school board was ”exercising its contractual right to reopen negotiations regarding the salary provisions” of the agreements. “We would like to initiate these negotiations as soon as possible and look forward to constructive and collaborative efforts with you and your organization to resolve this difficult situation,” O’Neill wrote in a May 4 letter to Doug Prouty, president of the county teachers union. Prouty said that, in larger conver-

sations between district and union officials about the budget, one idea has been delaying salary increases. Such a move would mean that employees would see a salary bump next fiscal year, but later than previously planned. Union and district officials have been “scrubbing the budget” to look for potential savings, Prouty said. He said he doesn’t know where the contracts might stand at the end of the process. “Actually, I think the discussions have been quite good,” he said Tuesday. James Koutsos, president of the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals, also said officials were considering a variety of changes. “Although it’s probably not the situation any of us hoped to be in, we find ourselves there, so we have to continue to work together,” Koutsos said. His association’s members include principals, administrators, supervisors, coordinators and other staff. The 2-percent salary increase

planned for October in the contracts is something ofﬁcials will “inevitably” talk about, he said Thursday. SEIU Local 500 was joining its counterparts to work with school district officials, Christopher Honey, a union spokesman, said Friday. The union’s members include a range of district employees such as paraeducators, bus drivers, secretaries, security personnel and maintenance workers. “It’s going to be rough,” he said. “I’m afraid the students are going to wind up suffering for it.” O’Neill said the board will ask Interim Superintendent Larry A. Bowers to recommend possible budget cuts, beside those already made or considered. With about 90 percent of the operating budget tied to salaries and beneﬁts, O’Neill said, it’s hard to make more cuts that don’t affect district employees. lpowers@gazette.net

‘Where’s Waldo?’

PHOTOS BY DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Bill Kraegel, an outdoor education teacher at the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center, leads a group of ﬁfth-graders and parents from Olney Elementary School to the center in their annual trek Friday.

It’s Westward Ho! for ﬁfth-graders Students hike from school to environmental center in beloved tradition n

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Gaithersburg’s Kyle Craig, 14, portrays the “Where’s Waldo?” character at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on Saturday.

TERRI HOGAN STAFF WRITER

They may not have been hiking exactly westward, but fifth-graders at Olney Elementary School on Friday successfully completed their 6-mile trek to the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center in Rockville. Westward Ho is a tradition that dates back to at least the early 1980s, said fifth-grade teacher Jeanann Bowles, and one that all students look forward to. It’s been going on for so long that there are now students accompanied by parents who recall making the trek when they were fifth-graders at Olney Elementary. The activity simulates the westward movement in the 1800s that the students study in their social studies class. About a month ago, the students, broken up into “families” of four, began to prepare for their trek. They gathered supplies, built their covered wagons and planned their period costumes. The families “shopped” for ingredients at a general store that was set up in a classroom and students then prepared foods, including cornbread, biscuits, applesauce and oatmeal cookies. Bowles said Westward Ho is a whole-school effort: Principal Carla Glawe joined the students for dinner, the music teacher taught the students square dances, cafeteria workers allowed the students to use the kitchen, parents helped in multiple ways and the whole student body came outside Friday to wish the fifth-graders good luck and safe travels as they set out. The students traveled, along with their wagons, first to the grounds of Norbeck Country Club, where they stopped for lunch. From there, they continued through the woods, crossing multiple streams, until they reached the Smith Center on Muncaster Mill Road. Bill Kraegel, an outdoor education instructor at the Smith Center, led them. As they

Olney Elementary School fifth-graders listen to Kraegel at the start of their trek. walked, he told stories from the perspective of an 11-year-old girl’s journal from the 1850s, which the students could relate to. Once at the Smith Center, the students prepared stew over an open fire and ate it for dinner along with the other items they had cooked at school and brought with them. The evening ended with a square dance performance for the parents. Some years the trek goes more smoothly than others and Bowles said this year’s was just about perfect. Last year, rain caused the school to postpone the trip. Because of scheduling difficulties, the students were able to hike only to the country club and then returned to the school. When the Intercounty Connector was being planned, organizers were unsure if the tradition would continue, but it has had little impact, Bowles said. The students now travel under the highway, where they encounter the largest creek. There are also new policies in place, one of which requires the school to purchase the meat for the stew from Montgomery County Public Schools. “We used to take a field trip to Giant to buy all the food, but now more parents work, so we have the rest of the food delivered by Peapod, which is Giant Food’s delivery service, Bowles said. “Little things like that have changed, but much has remained the same.” Bowles said watching the students work together to lift their wagons over the stream crossings continues to amaze her.

“You hear ‘one, two, three up’ and then everyone cheers,” she said. “It just all works out really well.” Many of the students say the stream crossings, while difficult, are their favorite part of the trek. “It is kind of hard to pick up the wagons and not slip on the slopes, but the parents helped us,” said Emily Siansky, 11. “It was also hard going downhill, although it may seem easy. The brake person has to make sure the wagon doesn’t go too fast and the side people have to make sure that it doesn’t tip over and nothing falls out.” Emily said the experience was fun for her, because she enjoys history. “I read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books,” she said. “Pioneers would think it was easy for us to travel now with cars and technology, but it would have been hard to travel like they did.” Hannah Lees, 11, also liked having to lift the wagon and said it was difficult to get the wagons up big hills. She also enjoyed the square dancing. Six miles proves challenging, but somehow they make it. “It’s definitely long,” Bowles said. “Besides the creeks, we have to maneuver through some pretty rough terrain.” Peyton Sokol, 10, said that at one point, she got tired and wasn’t sure if she’d be able to continue. “I just said, ‘OK, I can do this,’” she said. “My older sisters both did it, and I wanted to do it too. It was hard at times, but we all had fun.” thogan@gazette.net

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INTERIM

Continued from Page A-1 “We believe that Larry Bowers is, at this point in time, the best person to bring stability and expertise to deal with the challenges MCPS faces, as he has done this spring,” the letter said. During Bowers’ time as interim superintendent, Goodwin said, he has led the school system well through a tough budget season. He said he hoped that Bowers would agree to stay. “But at the same time, he’s put in his many, many years and he deserves to retire if he wants to retire,” he said. Bowers has worked for Montgomery County Public Schools for about 37 years. O’Neill said Houlihan sent her a letter about his withdrawal electronically on Sunday, soon after he visited the county. “It said that after reﬂecting on the superintendency here in Montgomery County, he decided that it was not a good ﬁt for him, his family and for the system,” she said. O’Neill said Houlihan’s intelligence, energy, ideas and varied experience in Houston

LEUKEMIA

Continued from Page A-1 treatments. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough and he passed away in August.” Kelly said that if her team reaches a goal of $50,000, a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society research grant will be named in Joshua’s honor. One way she is working toward that goal is to ask members of the McNair community to donate $20.14 in honor of Joshua. That amount represents the year of his death, Kelly said. The National Capital Area Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has held the Woman of the Year Challenge, along with a corresponding Man of the Year Challenge, for the last 24 years,

stood out to her. “I wouldn’t have supported his moving as far in the process as he did if I didn’t believe he had the ability to be our superintendent,” she said Monday. She said his withdrawal came as a surprise. Houlihan, along with O’Neill and school board Vice President Michael Durso, met Friday with Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), County Council President George L. Leventhal and Councilman Craig L. Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown, who is chairman of the council’s Education Committee. That meeting went “extraordinarily well,” O’Neill said. After the meeting, Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park said his impression of Houlihan was “very positive.” “He has real depth and he communicates a lot of knowledge and a lot of sensitivity,” he said. After announcing Houlihan as its top pick, the board had planned to continue vetting Houlihan. Four board members had planned to visit Houston. Houlihan recently met with a community panel of representatives from a range of county entities.

Houlihan was one of 25 candidates the board considered in its search for a new leader. The board interviewed seven of the candidates in person. On Friday, Durso said he thought Houlihan was “energetic” and “enthusiastic” and has held interesting positions in his career. Houlihan has served in multiple senior leadership roles in the Houston school system, including chief academic officer, starting last month, according to a school system press release. He has been the chief human resources officer, chief major projects officer, a school support officer and a principal, according to the district’s website. Houlihan had also expressed interest in leading the school district in Palm Beach County, Fla., according to a March 27 letter from Houlihan to the search firm Ray and Associates. The Palm Beach Post reported that Robert Avossa, who was selected for the Palm Beach position, was also a finalist for Montgomery County superintendent.

said Claudia Bahar, LLS campaign manager for the fundraiser. This year, 14 men are competing along with the 10 women. The campaign began April 2 and runs through June 13, when there will be a grand finale gala and the winners will be announced. Kelly already has held a number of fundraising events including happy hours and arrangements with area restaurants to donate a specific amount of a night’s profits to her efforts. “I’ve learned so much about myself,” Kelly said. “It’s caused me to step out of my comfort zone. There is no limit to what people will do [to help]. It’s thrilling and inspirational.” Recently, she said, she was sharing a Cinco de Mayo happy hour with friends and

one challenged her to turn it into a fundraiser. After a co-worker gave her $1, Kelly said she stood up and told others about the challenge, ultimately raising $100. As part of her fundraising plan, Kelly said she put together a team of family and friends — Team Faith, Hope, Believe — to help her generate ideas and get the word out. “So far, people have donated $30,000,” she said. She is excited to think she can raise at least $20,000 more to get that grant in honor of Joshua. And to make an impact on the future of other children diagnosed with the disease. “It’s really an incredible experience,” she said. “It’s totally changed my outlook on life.”

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

CULTURE

Continued from Page A-1 The governor was largely responsible for keeping Maryland in the Union during the Civil War, Robinson said. “The whole culture of slavery changed very quickly over the course of the war,” Robinson said. “Particularly because slaves fought for their own freedom.” Students learned that during the time of the Underground Railroad, quilts were often hung out to give messages to escaping slaves, said science teacher

Roseann Brady. She supervised students making their own quilt blocks with symbols representing themselves. One student, interested in astronomy, drew a planet on his quilt square. Others used music, TV and computer game symbols or ﬂowers and animals. “The intent is to sew them together [into a large quilt] as a gift to the school,” Brady said. Brendon Lewis tried eating a crab for the ﬁrst time during the Maryland day. “It was really good,” he said. “I’d like to do this a lot more, to learn different aspects of the world.”

History is his favorite subject so last week’s activity was good for him, Brendon said. He said he learned that Maryland was the lacrosse state, and he liked going outside to play. Zach Carson, 14, agreed with Brendon about the crabs and lacrosse being the best parts of the day and overall he said the activity was a good learning experience. “It’s fun because we got to learn about our history, where we come from and what makes Maryland, Maryland,” he said. pmcewan@gazette.net

lpowers@gazette.net

pmcewan@gazette.net

Another fun filled event from The Gazette!

PEGGY MCEWAN/THE GAZETTE

Third-graders Sydney Francis, Madison Madariaga and Nicholas Snay help give out books at Fox Chapel Elementary School in Germantown on Friday. The PTA gave a new book to each child in the school using funds from the school’s recent book fairs.

BOOKS

Continued from Page A-1 Third-grader Madison Madariaga, 8, helped her mother give out books in her class. She said she liked helping people. “I’ve heard my mom say we have a lot of kids who don’t have a lot of books, so we wanted to help them,” Madison said. Third-graders Sydney Fran-

cis and Nicholas Snay, both 9, also helped give out books in their third-grade classrooms. They both were excited about getting to select a “free” book. Nicholas said he chose “Ranger in Time” by Kate Messner, about a time-traveling golden retriever. Sydney selected “I Got Rhythm” by Connie Schoﬁeld-Morrison. “It’s about a girl who keeps the beat,” Sydney said. I like to

dance and on the book she is dancing.” When the excitement of a new book of one’s own dies down and the books are read, the students can trade with each other, sharing a circle of four or ﬁve books within each class, Alexander said. “When the PTA does this, it’s wonderful,” she said. pmcewan@gazette.net

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

Page A-11

BUSINESS

Residents seek 500-foot buffer from large gas stations Attorney for Costco in Wheaton says proposal has ‘no basis’ n

KEVIN JAMES SHAY STAFF WRITER

Representatives of Costco Wholesale Corp. and residents living near the Wheaton Costco gave differing views last week on a proposed Montgomery County zoning ordinance amendment. The amendment would increase the distance that large gas stations have to be from schools, parks and other facilities. It would expand the buffer zone between stations pumping at least 3.6 million gallons annually and the schools and other facilities to 500 feet. Also, it would include residences and “environmentally sensitive” areas, such as streams and wetlands, under that protection. Currently, the buffer zone is 300 feet from schools, parks, day care centers and outdoor civic or

Tech council honors industry leaders The Tech Council of Maryland in Rockville presented its 27th annual Industry Awards last week in North Bethesda to the following: • Chief Information Officer/ Chief Technology Officer of the Year: Herman Wong, senior director, information technology with Amarex Clinical Research of Germantown, a contract research organization. • Chief Executive Officer of the Year: Stephen Hoffman, CEO and chief scientific officer of Sanaria of Rockville, which develops malaria vaccines. • Chief Financial Officer of the Year: Robert Kramer of Emergent BioSolutions in Gaithersburg, which develops biodefense products, including anthrax vaccines. • Life Science Firm of the Year: Novavax of Gaithersburg, which develops flu and ebola

GAZETTE FILE PHOTO

A battle over proposed gas pumps at Costco at Westﬁeld Wheaton mall has led Montgomery County to consider new buffer requirements for future gas station plans. recreational facilities. The County Council approved that limit in 2012. There was “no evidence” justifying the 300-foot buffer in 2012 and none presented since then to justify an increased buffer, Patricia Harris, an attorney representing Costco, said during a May 12 public hearing before the Montgomery County Council. vaccines. • Technology Firm of the Year: WeddingWire of Chevy Chase, which provides online wedding resources. • Government Contracting Firm of the Year: Phacil of Arlington, Va., a federal information technology contractor. • Emerging Firm of the Year: ZeroFox of Baltimore, which provides cybersecurity services for social media. • STEM Educator of the Year: Virginia Brown, molecular genetics teacher at Churchill High School in Potomac. • Advocate of the Year: state Sen. Edward J. Kasemeyer (DDist. 12) of Columbia, chairman of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.

Home care franchise opens in Gaithersburg David Hoffman has opened a Gaithersburg franchise of FirstLight HomeCare, which

“Auto emissions have fallen significantly as a result of advances in clean-air technology. There simply is no basis to increase setbacks when auto emissions are dramatically decreasing,” Harris said. Costco has been working on gaining approval to build a 16-pump gas station outside its Westfield Wheaton mall store

for several years. In March, the Montgomery County Board of Appeals denied its latest request. Costco ﬁled an appeal April 30 in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Council President George L. Leventhal (D-At Large) of Takoma Park said the board of appeals usually asks the county to pay to defend its position when there is such an appeal, and the council decides whether to cover the costs. “I think it is extremely likely in this case that the county would cover those costs,” Leventhal said. He added that the matter is ongoing due to Costco’s “decision to prolong this matter,” which will likely cost the county money. Harris responded that Costco has a “due process right” to challenge the decision. Residents living near the Wheaton mall said they need greater protection from fumes from idling cars at such large gas stations.

BizBriefs

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

provides nonmedical in-home care for adults. The business provides companion care services for seniors, new mothers, those recovering from surgery and others. Services include meal preparation, light housekeeping, shopping, driving to medical appointments and personal care. Besides Gaithersburg, its coverage area is Rockville, Darnestown, Montgomery Village, Derwood and other parts of northern Montgomery County. “When we started caring for my wife’s godmother, it made me think about how I might be able to help other seniors and family members in a similar situation,” Hofmann, a former executive with a U.S. health-

care company in China, said in a news release. FirstLight HomeCare has more than 120 franchises around the country. More information is available at 301-798-7089 or gaithersburg.ﬁrstlighthomecare.com.

Four in county win state export grants Four Montgomery County businesses are among the 12 small and mid-sized Maryland companies that have won ExportMD grants to help promote their products and services globally. The ExportMD grant program is administered by the Department of Business and

Including homes in the buffer zone is “an important step” since that is where “vulnerable populations” spend the majority of their time, said Maria Jison, a physician and county resident, She said she has a young child with asthma. “Studies show that negative health effects are greater and more probable the closer you live to the source of pollution,” Jison said. The Costco station would be as near as 118 feet from a single-family home, 375 feet from the Kenmont Swim & Tennis Club and 874 feet from the Stephen Knolls School, according to county documents. The school teaches about 100 specialneeds and disabled children with chronic lung disease, asthma, cerebral palsy and other conditions. Costco’s stations will include newer technology with higher environmental standards than most existing gas stations, said David Sullivan, an environmental consultant for Costco. Representatives of some gas station associations said they

hoped the ordinance would not impact current stations. “We don’t have a lot of problem with this bill,” said Kirk McCauley, director of government affairs and member relations for the Washington, Maryland, Delaware Service Station and Automotive Repair Association. “But we do feel that it needs to be modiﬁed and amended to put a grandfather clause for ... existing stations.” Existing large gas stations would not have to satisfy the new setback requirements, if they are approved, according to a memo from county legislative attorney Jeffrey L. Zyontz. Councilman Marc Elrich (DAt Large) of Takoma Park is the lead sponsor of the proposal, which has six co-sponsors, according to Zyontz. The council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development is scheduled to review the proposal before the full council votes on it.

Economic Development. It’s designed to help businesses with the costs of marketing internationally, including trade show fees, brochures and travel expenses. The program provides matching grants that are capped at $5,000, plus up to 40 hours of marketing consulting from the Office of International Trade and Investment. After being awarded an ExportMD grant in 2012, Golfarb & Associates of Rockville reapplied this year and was accepted. The company is a diesel parts brokerage. “Exhibiting at international trade shows is a vital part of our ability to connect with our international customers and gain exposure to new markets,” Saul Goldfarb, company president, said in an agency news release. The other county recipients are Anna Bags of Gaithersburg, which designs and sells handbags; fashion clothier Miel Tala

of Silver Spring; and Temple Allen Industries of Rockville, which provides pneumatic tools used to make airplanes.

kshay@gazette.net

Intrexon posts bigger profit Intrexon of Germantown, which uses synthetic biology to develop drugs and other products, reported that its firstquarter profit grew to $25.8 million from $3.2 million in the first quarter of last year. Revenues rose to $33.8 million from $7.9 million.

Net loss grows at Synthetic Biologics Synthetic Biologics of Rockville reported that its ﬁrst-quarter net loss widened to $12.4 million from $3.8 million in the ﬁrst quarter of 2014. No revenues were reported for either quarter.

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

Supreme Court rules against state in double-taxation case Montgomery County to lose millions in income-tax revenue n

KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER

States cannot double-tax income earned out of state, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday — a decision that will cost Montgomery County millions. The court was considering whether states should provide taxpayers a full credit for taxes paid to other states on income earned in those states. The case was filed by Howard County residents Brian and Karen Wynne. The Wynnes filed the case after they tried to claim an income tax credit for income paid to other states on their 2006 tax filing. The credit was denied, in part. The state allowed a credit against their Maryland state income tax, but not against their county income tax. On Monday, the Supreme Court struck down the tax system in a splintered 5-4 decision. In the majority opinion, the court referred to the tax as a double-taxing “scheme” and held that it violates the negative or dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The negative clause “precludes states from discriminating between transactions on the basis

of some interstate element,” says a majority opinion by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. “Maryland’s income tax scheme discriminates against interstate commerce,” the opinion says. Alito was joined in the opinion by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor. Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan dissented. The decision will affect Montgomery County over many fiscal years, starting as soon as fiscal 2016, Council President George L. Leventhal said Monday. Montgomery’s budget will take a hit of between $8 million and $10 million in the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1. In fiscal years 2017 and 2018, the blow will be much bigger — as much as $55 million each of those two years, said Leventhal (D-At Large) of Takoma Park. The fallout will come when the state withholds additional tax payments to Montgomery County, said County Executive Isiah Leggett. Currently, the state does not grant credits against county income taxes for income earned out of state. “They will deduct based on our people that filed and the time frame they filed in terms of the income tax,” he said.

Starting in fiscal year 2019, the county expects to see income-tax revenue decrease about $25 million each year as a direct result of the decision, Leventhal said. “This requires us to be cautious,” he said. “We need to live within available resources.” While $10 million is a small percentage of next year’s $5.07 billion budget, Leggett (D) said, it’s significant. “It’s a devastating decision,” Leggett said. “I can’t overstate the significance to us in terms of our finances and plans going forward. It is not welcome news at all.” Even without the Wynne decision, Leggett has warned that the county likely would need to raise property taxes next year for the fiscal 2017 budget. “This just adds to it,” he said. “It’s not an insignificant problem.” In the majority opinion, the justices said Maryland taxes the income that residents earn both in and out of state, as well as income that nonresidents earn from sources within Maryland. “But unlike most other States, Maryland does not offer its residents a full credit against the income taxes that they pay to other States,” the justices said. “The effect of this scheme is that some of the income earned by Maryland residents outside the State is taxed twice.” The Supreme Court previously has

ruled that states cannot subject corporate income to tax systems like Maryland’s double-tax “and we see no reason why income earned by individuals should be treated less favorably,” Alito wrote. Justices in the minority disputed the use of a doctrine known as the negative or dormant Commerce Clause. In his dissenting opinion — which Thomas partly joined — Scalia wrote that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a negative or dormant Commerce Clause. It only has the Commerce Clause, which empowers Congress to regulate the commerce with foreign nations, among states and with Native American tribes. “The Clause says nothing about prohibiting state laws that burden commerce,” Scalia said. The so-called negative Commerce Clause is doctrine, and not part of the Constitution, he argued. Scalia also wrote that Maryland’s tax has disadvantages, but it also lets the state collect equal revenue from taxpayers with equal incomes, to avoid the burden of verifying tax payments to other states, and it ensures that every resident pays at least some income tax. “Nothing in the Constitution precludes Maryland from deciding that the beneﬁts of its tax scheme are worth the costs,” he said. Thomas wrote a separate dissenting

opinion, which Scalia partly joined. Thomas also disagreed on the use of the so-called negative Commerce Clause, arguing that it has no base in the Constitution, makes little sense and has proved it doesn’t work when applied and cannot serve as a basis for striking down a state statute. Thomas wrote that the majority opinion would have surprised “those who penned and ratiﬁed the Constitution.” In a third dissenting opinion, Ginsburg wrote that the decision veers from a principle the Supreme Court has repeatedly acknowledged: that “a Nation or State may ‘tax all the income of its residents, even income earned outside the taxing jurisdiction.’” Ginsburg was joined by Scalia and Kagan in her minority opinion. “As I see it, nothing in the Constitution or in prior decisions of this Court dictates that one of two States, the domiciliary State or the source State, must recede simply because both have lawful tax regimes reaching the same income,” Ginsburg argued. She continued: “A taxpayer living in one State and working in another gains protection and beneﬁts from both — and so can be called upon to share in the costs of both States’ governments.” kalexander@gazette.net

Leggett proposes private economic development corporation County department and local nonproﬁt would fold into new corporation

KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER

Montgomery County Execu-

tive Isiah Leggett wants county economic development handled in the private sector. It’s an idea he said he has explored since serving on the County Council in the 1990s. Leggett (D) is asking the council to consider legislation to privatize economic develop-

Obituary Elza Helena Carvalho, 66, started her eternal life with her LORD Jesus Christ on Saturday, April 18, 2015. Cancer took her too soon, as she was enjoying her retirement years as a newly married bride living in her birth town of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before retirement, Elza had been a resident of Montgomery County since 1985, and in Gaithersburg since 1987. She loved her church family of First Baptist Church of Gaithersburg, and she was active as a deacon, an Alto in the Choir and as a Music Teacher to preschoolers. Elza loved to travel. After the attack of 9/11, Elza contributed to the protection of her country of citizenship by traveling to many US cities assisting in the hiring of agents for the newly created TSA. Elza’s family, who miss her carefree personality and her candidness, includes her husband, Alfredo Pinna, her sister, Alzira, her brothers Marco and Anthony, her uncle, aunts, nephews, nieces and many, many cousins, in-laws and friends. 1931166

ment by folding both the county’s Department of Economic Development and the nonproﬁt Montgomery Business Development Corporation into a new entity. A new nonprofit corporation would be created with the responsibility of attracting and retaining businesses, marketing the county for economic development and fostering entrepreneurship. It would be directed by an 11-member board chosen from the private sector, appointed by the county executive and conﬁrmed by the council. Under Leggett’s proposal, the county would fund the new

entity. “We are in a very competitive region,” Leggett said. “The model that we’ve had in the past has served us very well, but I don’t think that it is a model that is ﬂexible enough, that is in tune with the everyday kind of impacts that businesses make each and every day.” While Leggett said the idea of privatizing economic development was not well received in the ’90s, things are different now. Competition in the region and the need for ﬂexibility to respond to markets and involve stakeholders in decisions is a

better ﬁt for a private entity, he said. “Given my history with this, going back some time ago, and given what I see in the competitive market in the region, I just thought it was time to do so,” he said. Leggett’s bill is scheduled to be introduced Thursday . Council President George L. Leventhal said he will introduce it at Leggett’s request. It currently has no co-sponsors, but several council members spoke in favor of the proposal at a press conference last week, so there could be co-sponsors added from the dais, Leventhal

(D-At Large) of Takoma Park said. “We are hearing a frequent refrain from the private sector that the Department [of Economic Development], as it is constituted, is not sufﬁciently creative or nimble,” Leventhal said. “I think once Mr. [Steve] Silverman moved on, it seemed like a good time to try a different structure.” Silverman served as director of economic development for the county since 2009 but left the county in January to pursue a career in the private sector. kalexander@gazette.net

Montgomery County Public Libraries back on track Online access now managed from ‘the cloud’ n

VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER

As of Tuesday, Montgomery County Public Libraries had restored online public access to most of its services following another bout of computer hardware failures last week. Library administrators believe they have permanently solved the recurring problem by transferring data in the Integrated Library System, the software that manages materials and customer accounts, from the county’s servers to a site operated by a vendor on the Inter-

net, a process called migrating to the cloud. “It offers built-in redundancies, greater stability and fewer interruptions in service,” said Carol Legarreta, the library system’s public services administrator for human resources and community engagement, on Tuesday. Last week, the county signed an amended contract with SirsiDynix based in Utah, which currently provides the county with the Integrated Library software to manage patrons’ accounts using county hardware. The amended contract with SirsiDynix to manage the data on the Internet will cost $2 million over seven years, Legarreta said.

Because of the loss of online services last week, the library system will not ﬁne patrons for late materials that were due May 13 through May 15, she said. Online access for most services went down for two weeks in late December and early January due to failures with the county’s aging computer hardware, Legarreta said. In January, administrators began looking for a permanent solution and decided to shift the data to the Internet, she said. When online services again went down last week, ofﬁcials were able to sign an amended contract with SirsiDynix at about the same time, so that when services resumed, they would be managed from the Internet, she said.

The following online services had become available as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to a post on the library system’s website: My Account, online catalog, online databases, telephone renewal, placing holds, paying ﬁnes and fees, Overdrive, Freegal, Zinio and OneClick Digital. Still to be restored as of Tuesday were online library card account renewal, Marina Interlibrary Loan, 3M Cloud Library and email notiﬁcation. For updates, go to the library website at montgomerycountymd.gov/library. vterhune@gazette.net

For more information on our programs for the 2015-16 school year, Contact Leah Bradley 301-949-3551 or lbradley@AccessJCA.org or visit us online at www.AccessJCA.org/interages

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The Gazette

New taxes rarely inspire celebration from the public, but a new one in Montgomery County makes sense. The County Council has indicated its intention to impose a tax of 30 percent on the wholesale price of electronic cigarettes. Final approval is expected this week. We support the idea because of health and equity. Perhaps electronic cigarettes are meant to be a safer, filtered-down version of their tobacco brethren. Still, they currently contain nicotine — satisfying a smoker’s craving — but don’t have the tar and carbon monoxide that come from smoking conventional cigarettes. Even if they’re considered less dangerous, though, they aren’t safe. The federal Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. surgeon general say there is great uncertainty about the safety and risks of e-cigarettes. The FDA is pushing for measures to regulate sales and marCOUNTY keting. We do know, COUNCIL though, that eMAKING THE cigarettes often RIGHT CHOICE contain nicotine, IN REGULATING which is highly E-CIGARETTES addictive and can damage heart cells, affect the immune system, alter brain growth and carry other health risks. In addition, studies have found potentially unsafe chemicals in e-cigarette liquid and high levels of formaldehyde, a carcinogen, in e-cigarette vapor. Because of these health concerns, we believe it’s appropriate to tax and regulate e-cigarettes in the same way as tobacco products . At a recent public hearing on the tax proposal, lobbyist Bruce Bereano, representing the Maryland Association of Tobacco & Candy Distributors, asserted that Montgomery County has overstepped its authority. He said the county treats e-cigarettes like tobacco cigarettes by grouping them together in an indoor-smoking ban. Only the state can tax tobacco, so Montgomery’s proposed tax on e-cigarettes is illegal, he alleged. That’s a parsing of words, semantic jiu-jitsu, to protect his clients’ interests. A county attorney responded that e-cigarettes are not subject to the state’s tobacco tax; the distinction already has been made clear. Besides, secondhand vapor could be hazardous, too. Research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that e-cigarette aerosol, commonly called vapor, can contain chemicals, that the nicotine solution can be poisonous through the skin or eyes, and that potentially harmful chemicals have been found in some e-cigarettes — which, as we mentioned, are not regulated. Some might see the council as seizing an opportunity to benefit financially by imposing another sin tax. We hope the tax effort would be tied to public health — in the same way the state’s increases on tobacco products have been directed to health care initiatives. The only danger is that diminishing revenue would mean a smaller pot of money for programs, but that’s an enviable problem. We have heard opponents’ economic arguments that an extra tax on e-cigarettes will drive buyers to other states to avoid that tax. With them, they take their purchases of gas, groceries and other items. Perhaps e-cigarette users will reprogram their lives and shopping habits in much the same way cigarette smokers drive to bordering states for their next carton. But we can’t justify the reasoning that revenue outweighs public health. The pleas from those who say e-cigarettes have helped them kick the cigarette habit carry more weight, but we come back to the idea that e-cigarettes carry harmful health risks. The surgeon general does not recommend e-cigarettes as a cessation technique in the same way it supports nicotine patches, gum or lozenges. Electronic cigarettes are not just a fallback for smoking addicts. They’re also an entry point for the next generation of curious young adults, who are targeted with candylike e-cigarette flavors. The County Council’s efforts to restrict and tax electronic cigarettes are justified.

The Gazette Vanessa Harrington, Senior Editor Nathan Oravec, Managing Editor Glen C. Cullen, Senior Editor, Copy/Design Jessica Loder, Managing Editor, Internet

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LETTERS TOT HE EDITOR

OUROPINION

A smart tax

Forum

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Corridor Cities Transitway could be boon for region As we move forward from a legislative session marked by progress on statewide economic development initiatives and recommendations from the Augustine Commission, it is time for us to take stock of economic growth closer to home. How do we spur economic development and bring jobs to Montgomery County and the state of Maryland? How do we relieve crushing trafﬁc congestion? How do we increase access to affordable transit and create jobs? We strongly believe that the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) is the answer to these questions. In terms of affordability, congestion relief and fostering economic development along the Interstate 270 corridor, the CCT should be the top transit option for Maryland. The line would run from the Shady Grove Metro station in Gaithersburg northwest to Clarksburg, across Montgomery County. We can expect many positive impacts from the CCT, but the expansion of the Great Seneca Science Corridor (GSSC) would ensure Maryland is a leader in biotechnology advancements for decades to come. Over the next 20 years, the GSSC will beneﬁt the state of Maryland by generating 100,000 new annual full- and part-time science-related jobs, $13 billion in annual goods and services for businesses, and $322 million in annual state tax revenues. However, as stated in the GSSC Master Plan, a prerequisite for complete development is the full funding of the CCT. Upon completion of the CCT, this transit-oriented applied bioscience research community would stretch across 900 acres, contain 17.5 million square feet of mixed use commercial space, and 9,000 dwelling units. The I-270 corridor in the area around the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center is already the third largest biotech cluster in the country.

2013 FILE PHOTO

Denny Finnerin (center), a consultant with RK&K, and Richard Arkin (left) of Gaithersburg discuss plans for a segment of the planned Corridor Cities Transitway running near the Crown Farm area of Gaithersburg. The direct economic impacts of the GSSC and the CCT are signiﬁcant, and completion of these projects would be a crowning achievement for Maryland. Beyond future positive economic impacts, the CCT would provide faster, more direct transportation between residential and major employment areas along I-270. This project would also increase capacity of heavily congested roadways while reducing negative environmental effects. CCT planning is on schedule, and design work is 15 percent complete

for the CCT’s ﬁrst section between the Shady Grove Metrorail station and Metropolitan Grove. Pending funding for construction, work on the CCT could begin as early as spring 2018, with a projected opening in 2021. Support for the CCT is strong. Johns Hopkins, Adventist Hospital and multiple chambers of commerce join us in urging for the development of this critical transit project. The CCT would help ensure Maryland’s regional competitiveness for decades to come. Together,

we can create jobs, strengthen economic development, and ensure Maryland is a leader in biotechnology by building this very efﬁcient and cost-effective transit system. Shane Robinson, Montgomery Village Nancy J. King, Montgomery Village Marilyn Balcombe, Germantown

Robinson is a state delegate and King is a state senator; they represent Montgomery County’s District 39. Balcombe is the president and CEO of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce.

Wealthier residents shouldn’t get favorable treatment I am one of the neighbors who is a party to the dispute over the maintenance and control of a shared driveway (“Driveway makes bad neighbors in Chevy Chase,” April 22). It is important for readers to understand that the property that my neighbors bought in 2008 is adjacent to a very narrow shared driveway. At the time they purchased the property, the driveway had a grassy median strip running down the center of it — the same grassy strip that has been the subject of this ongoing controversy. The plans for my neighbors’ new house meant that my neighbors would have a new driving pattern — one that would require them to drive across the grassy strip. It is also important for readers to understand that back in 2008, when the proposal for my neighbors’ new house — much larger than the original house — was still in the planning stage, I objected to those plans, and

made it clear that I would not consent to any changes to the existing shared driveway. My neighbors could have made changes to their plans prior to any construction occurring to address my concerns, but they did not. But just why did this happen? I think The Gazette has missed the more important story behind the dispute between two neighbors, a dispute which I do believe is most unfortunate. The underlying story is that there are builders and developers intent on making a profit by tearing down older homes that have been occupied primarily by residents who are less affluent than some of the newcomers and building much larger homes for those more affluent new homeowners. While no one really wants to talk about it, it really is a kind of class warfare in a relatively affluent suburban community. The builders make their

proﬁt and then leave, with no care about the effect on neighbors to their construction projects, or on neighborhoods, or the environment. Larger houses mean a loss of tree canopy and of green space, less privacy between neighbors and festering issues with respect to storm water management. Underlying these facts is also the reality that while the town of Chevy Chase has a very well-intentioned building code, stormwater ordinance and tree protection ordinance designed to mitigate against these forces, there are loopholes in the town code, which lessen the protections that should be available to neighbors to large construction projects. It would seem that the builders and developers have had these loopholes written into the town code, to protect their interests. We know that the wealthiest individuals in our town pay a larger share

Basis for ridership projection a mystery The letter from Mr. Bennett, president of Purple Line Now (“Purple Line opponents haven’t proposed real alternatives,” May 6), does no credit to him for writing it or to The Gazette for printing it. Instead of arguing the merits of the evidence, he personally attacks a critic with legitimate questions. The mysterious ridership estimates Mr. Bennett fails to defend present a particularly troubling concern about the beneﬁts of the project. The Purple Line record raises many more questions than it answers. For example, the ridership estimates reveal nothing about how the numbers were derived or what assumptions were made in deriving them. This failure was explained as “proprietary information” without further elaboration. While the Federal Transit Administration and

Mr. Bennett may be satisfied with numbers that are neither supported nor capable of replication, there is in truth no evidence that the federal government knew any more than the general public about how the consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff derived those numbers on behalf of the Maryland Transit Administration. To attack Mr. Riker because he now lives in the Chevy Chase area is not only rude, but is an implicit admission that the evidence would not help Mr. Bennett succeed in selling the Purple Line. Based on the evidence available, the costs of the Purple Line far outweigh the speculative and uncertain benefits claimed by the proponents of the project.

Dennis Wilston, Corporate Advertising Director Mona Bass, Inside Classiﬁeds Director Anna Joyce, Creative Director, Special Pubs/Internet Ellen Pankake, Director of Creative Services

Put the ‘Smart’ back in ‘Smart Growth’

nounced, I had no idea who Fred Cecere was. I ﬁnd it ironic he is concerned about “the town government’s lack of transparency.” Barbara Rose, Chevy Chase

Dale Barnhard, Silver Spring

Lewis Leibowitz, Chevy Chase

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

Will C. Franklin, A&E Editor Ken Sain, Sports Editor Dan Gross, Photo Editor Kent Zakour, Web Editor

Deborah A. Vollmer, town of Chevy Chase

In regard to the prediction of the 27,000 new jobs the Purple Line would add to the region (“Purple Line’s anticipated impact grows,” April 22), I can’t help but wonder what crystal ball the “experts” gazed at in this conclusion. A far more logical solution would be to build affordable housing where the jobs are located. A more cost effective and better return of the current estimated cost of building the Purple Line at $2.45 billion would be to apply those funds to building more affordable housing in areas that support jobs. The original concept of “Smart Growth” was to “Live, Work and Play.” We need to put the “Smart” back into “Smart Growth.” Building and maintaining an exceedingly expensive light rail at the cost of destroying neighborhoods and natural habitat would not be needed if the housing options were more readily available.

Ironic ‘transparency’ As a resident of the town of Chevy Chase, I appreciated Tiffany Arnold’s article on the recent town-council elections (“Big issues ﬂare in small election,” May 13). When the election results were initially an-

of the revenues received by the town than individuals who are less wealthy, because the bulk of the revenue comes from the payment of Maryland state income taxes. I think there is a real question, with respect to inequality of treatment, when it comes to enforcement of the town code and with respect to issuing permits for construction in our town. Are the less wealthy residents getting as much consideration from the town as their wealthier counterparts, when it comes to decisions relating to variances and building permits? I don’t believe so. Income inequality leads to unequal treatment in our town — just as is the case in the society at large. This underlying picture is the real story that the media should be focusing on.

Leah Arnold, Information Technology Manager David Varndell, Digital Media Manager Cathy Kim, Director of Marketing and Community Outreach

POST COMMUNITY MEDIA Michael T. McIntyre, Controller Donna Johnson, Vice President of Human Resources Maxine Minar, President, Comprint Military

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SPORTS

GAMES GAZETTE.NET IS STAFFING

Sherwood senior leads All-Gazette boys volleyball team as Player of the Year. B-3

Posted online by 8 a.m. the following day. LACROSSE: State championship, Churchill vs. Howard, 8 tonight at Stevenson University. Louis Dubick (left), state’s all-time leading scorer, plays in his ﬁnal game. SOFTBALL: State championship game, TBA. BASEBALL: State championship game, TBA. TENNIS: State championships, Saturday at UMD.

GERMANTOWN | CLARKSBURG

TRACK: State championship, Saturday at Morgan State.

www.gazette.net | Wednesday, May 20, 2015 | Page B-1

Passing summer away

Elite no longer need prep sports Editor’s note: Ned Sparks, who has been executive director of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association since 1981, is retiring effective Aug. 1. This is the last of three columns looking at his tenure and the big issues facing high school sports today. It was 1975 when Ned Sparks began his head coaching tenure in high school sports. Still in his 20s, Sparks was promoted from an assistant role and tasked with leading Howard High School’s football team. The Lions were the defending Class B state champions and had an active winning streak of 36 games when he took KEN SAIN the helm. No pressure SPORTS EDITOR there. “Maybe I was too young to even think too much about it,” Sparks said. Howard, with Sparks in charge, won 11 straight, sending the Lions back to the state title game and extending its state record for consecutive football victories to 47 games. They lost that title game to Paint Branch, ending their streak. Urbana would break that record in 2001, winning 50 consecutive games. “Some things in life ... losing that game really hurt,” Sparks said. “It’s a good experience for a young person to go through, I wouldn’t recommend it, but it stayed with me awhile. That was a bitter, bitter loss.” Back then, high school sports were basically the only option for elite athletes. All the best athletes played prep sports if they wanted to get noticed by colleges and earn a scholarship. One change since Sparks became executive director of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association in 1981 is that elite athletes no longer need high school sports. In fact, in some cases, they are penalized for playing for their schools. “Those few kids that are at the top of the food chain, well, maybe we’re not for them,” Sparks said. If you’re a tennis player and want to earn a scholarship, you better be competing on the junior circuit because that’s where the college coaches are. They want to know your rank, not how many state titles you’ve won. College basketball coaches rarely come to high school games anymore, unless it’s to seal the deal in recruiting. Most evaluation takes place during Amateur Athletic Union games. The top boys soccer players actually have to choose: Do they play for their Academy team against the best competition, or for their high school team with their friends? Academy rules won’t allow them to play for both. Even in football, where college coaches still pay attention, most of the recruiting today starts off-campus. If you’re not going to college camps, then it will be very hard to get noticed. In sport after sport, for the elite athletes, how you perform outside of high school now matters more than what you do for your high school team. Sparks, who announced he is retiring effective Aug. 1, says that despite that, high school sports still have a value in educating young people. “Unfortunately, [recruiting of elite athletes] gets all the attention,” Sparks said. “Those are just for a few kids. We have 113,000 student athletes who participate in our state this year. How many of those kids are going on to college? How many will make it to the pros? A tiny fraction. “We still got the vast majority of all those kids who are ... going pro in something else. They’re going to be the people who sell insurance, the people who teach school, are [information technology] people, and professionals who become doctors, and lawyers. “Hopefully, we’re nurturing and developing that group of people who become the citizens of tomorrow.” ksain@gazette.net Listen to my interview with Ned Sparks at Gazette.net.

Players can solidify their spot on the depth chart during 7-on-7 play

PRINCE J. GRIMES STAFF WRITER

go-ahead hit, but instead of getting down on himself or his team, he continued to ﬁght through the season,

The spring high school sports season ends this weekend, which means football season is not far behind. Monday is Memorial Day to many, but to some, it’s also the final day before teams can begin competing in passing leagues. Not many starting jobs are decided during 7-on-7 games, but players can definitely start to make a case for themselves. Coaches use this time to teach but also to evaluate receivers, defensive backs, linebackers and quarterbacks. The final depth chart for the opening week of the fall begins to take shape during this time. “[Players] can certainly win or lose jobs,” Blair coach Andrew Fields said of the summer tournaments. “That doesn’t mean they won’t win it or lose it again at some point. Everybody’s got a depth chart going into August, and that thing ebbs and flows over the course of the summer time.” All but four Montgomery teams, and a couple from Prince George’s, will kick off the summer on May 30 in Blair’s passing league. “Our league kind of represents the beginning of football season,” Fields said. Sophomore Desmond Colby is penciled in to return as the starting quarterback for Blair in his junior season. “We’re excited. He’s a young guy, very mature, has got good size on him. Hopefully this passing league will speed things along for him and everyone else as well.” Gaithersburg coach Kreg Kephart said there’s some value in 7-on-7 although limited because the big guys up front aren’t involved. During this time, offensive and defensive linemen usually go to camps and do individual workouts. “It has some value. It’s not a cure all. The five most important people in the game aren’t in the game,” he said.

See DAMASCUS, Page B-2

See SUMMER, Page B-2

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Damascus High School’s Ethan Wentzlaff dives back to ﬁrst base before getting picked off by Urbana’s Ryan Washabaugh during the ﬁrst inning on Friday.

Freshmen helped guide Damascus to region ﬁnals n

Swarmin’ Hornets fell short of region title but have a lot to look forward to BY

PRINCE J. GRIMES STAFF WRITER

An inspiring postseason run to the 3A West Region finals by the Damascus High School baseball team came to an end on Friday, but only after the Swarmin’ Hornets matched their regular season win total in playoffs wins. The three-game playoff win streak might have surprised anyone judging Damascus based off of its final record, but it didn’t shock anyone on the team. The Hornets went through the regular season with a vision of themselves as a competitive team with potential but had just a 3-13 record to show for it. Adding to the frustration of losing was the way Damascus was losing. So many games were lost in the final innings, on fielding errors and heroic efforts from the opposing team. “It was definitely frustrating,” freshman Ethan Wentzlaff said. He’s one of four freshman that played along with two sophomores and three juniors. “But I had confidence in my team. I knew what we were capable of.” The low point of the season, according to Wentzlaff, was when the Hornets lost by walk-off in extra innings to Northwest on April 16. Wentzlaff gave up the

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Damascus High School’s Elliot Brown is tagged at home by Urbana’s Robbie Mackintosh during the ﬁrst inning on Friday.

Clarksburg, Northwest win region track titles Track stars make lasting impressions in last local meet of the season

ADAM GUTEKUNST STAFF WRITER

As Walt Whitman High School senior Clare Severe approached the final few yards leading up to the finish line in Thursday afternoon’s 4A West Region 1,600-meter final, the red-faced Vikings standout shot a quick look at the time on the Quince Orchard scoreboard off to the left. Her time of 5 minutes, 2.29 seconds was certainly good enough to claim gold, as she easily held off Churchill’s Lucy Srour, who finished second with a time of 5:07.82. But the time still wasn’t close to the gold standard Severe had set for

herself two years ago, when she ran an astounding 4:57 and change. But for having not run the 1,600 meters this season until last Thursday’s county championship meet, the Vikings senior’s first-place finish in another loaded field was enough to bring a smile to her face. “Just to know that I can compete in it is definitely a good feeling and I was surprised,” Severe said. “… It’s taken me some time to figure out exactly how to run it again. If anything I think it helps because I had sort of a mental block against it before and now I can go in with a fresh mind.” While county fans have certainly heard Severe’s name a number of times over her four years at Whitman, a fresh face continued his dominant shortdistance run in the boys 100 meters, as

See TRACK, Page B-2

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Clarksburg High School’s Naja McAdam competes in the high jump at Thursday’s 4A West Region track and ﬁeld meet at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg.

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

DAMASCUS

Continued from Page B-1 he said. Wentzlaff was one of the most consistent players for Damascus, pitching and playing in the outfield. He hit leadoff in the batting order, hit at a high average and stole a lot of bases. Even as the losses piled up on the mound despite efforts that normally would warrant a win, Wentzlaff came back each time ready to put his best foot forward. Damascus coach Greg Blake called Wentzlaff one of his most composed players, a trait the freshman said he probably acquired through experience. “Just from playing so many sports,” Wentzlaff said. “I’ve been in different situations. Even just being on the mound, pitching.” Wentzlaff is a baseball player at heart. He’s played ever since he can remember, even before his family moved to Maryland from California when he was 6 years old. But Wentzlaff also plays football. He was on the Damascus junior varsity team last season and expects an increased role as a sophomore, including some time on varsity. The confidence Wentzlaff had in his team to bounce back came to fruition as the postseason began on May 8 with a win over Watkins Mill. On May 11, the Hornets won a grudge match, 15-10, against a Rockville team that had beat them in the regular season. Two days later, Damascus exacted more revenge by defeating Seneca Valley. Wentzlaff got his first postseason start on the mound at Seneca and utilized his five pitches to

TRACK TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Blair High School’s Desmond Colby returns next fall to quarterback the Blazers. He’s one of the players scheduled to participate in 7-on-7 passing league games, which begin next week.

SUMMER

Continued from Page B-1 Kephart mentioned timing between the quarterback and receivers as one of the key impacts of passing league. Junior Petey Gaskins took over at quarterback for the Trojans towards the end of the season and will look to progress, but Gaithersburg is not a pass-heavy team. The Trojans will be playing in the Seneca Valley league which also begins the week of Memorial Day. “For a team that’s going to throw the ball 50, 60 times a game, it probably has a lot of value to them.” In Prince George’s County, Wise coach DaLawn Parrish also returns his quarterback from last season, Jabari Laws. The Pumas, similar to Gaithersburg, were known for running the football, but passing league offers a different dynamic. Parrish, who played quarterback in high school, said he always wants to pass more, but his personnel has to convince him they’re capable of handling it.

“I want to throw the ball all the time,” he said. “But if you’re not built toward that, I don’t think you force people to do something that they’re not used to doing.” Most coaches agreed that the main objective of passing tournaments is to make sure players are doing things the right way and progressing toward being ready for the season, not necessarily winning. Essentially, these games are like a shell of a practice. This time of year, teams are only allowed to practice once for each 7-on-7 game they’re scheduled to play. Passing leagues afford players more opportunity to work on coverage techniques, route schemes and anything else involving a pass catcher and a defender. It’s also a good time for players to get familiar with plays and schemes, especially for teams with a new coach. Jason Lomax is the new coach at Springbrook, and he’s known to air the ball out. With a graduating senior at quarterback, this is where the competi-

pgrimes@gazette.net

Churchill’s Jabari Butler, who moved to Maryland in January from the Las Vegas area, picked up another win, edging out Northwest’s Jalen Walker (10.95) with a time of 10.89. “I’ve pretty much just been working really hard in the offseason,” Butler said. “I knew my times would eventually drop. I actually ran a 10.85 my sophomore year so I’m trying to break that personal record this year.” That sophomore season when Butler set his personal best, he ran for Bishop Gorman — a Nevada high school synonymous with athletic excellence. But according to the Bulldogs senior, the competition on the east coast is as challenging. “It’s real competitive out here too — a lot of fast guys out here on the east coast,” Butler said. “But I’ve just kind of been working hard and progressively getting better.” One of the meet’s most dominant performers was Quince Orchard senior Dorian Jones, who despite a strained ligament in his knee, was able to edge out teammate Bright Ofosu (15.42) with a time of 15.36 in the 100-meter

hurdles. Jones’ greatest competition all season, Northwest’s Shyheim Wright, ﬁnished in third place (15.43) as he too dealt with a lingering lower-body injury. “I just had to stay healthy and stretch a lot and warm up a lot more than usual,” Jones said. “… I’ve been hurdling, but I’ve been doing pretty [badly].” The knee issue didn’t seem to bother the Cougars senior in the field events, where he captured gold in the long jump (21-00.00) and triple jump (4410.25). Other impressive performers from Thursday’s regional meet included Clarksburg’s Alexus Pyles, who was her usual dominant self in the hurdles, easily taking the 100-meter hurdles (14.24) and the 300-meter hurdles (44.34). Later in the afternoon, Severe captured another gold medal, taking the 800-meter with a time of 2:16.17. Magruder sophomore Stephanie Davis continued her reign in the short-distance events, winning the 100 meters (12.05) and 200 meters (24.72), while also propelling the Colonels to wins in the 400-meter relay (49.50) and the 800-meter relay (1:44.81) on Wednesday — an event the Magruder boys also qualiﬁed for states in with a time

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pgrimes@gazette.net of 1:32.30. On the boys side, Quince Orchard’s Justin Sorra again edged out Northwest’s Jalen Walker (50.51) in the 400 meters for the second straight week with a time of 50.28. Walker got his gold later in the day though, scratching out a win in the 200 meters (22.21) over Butler (22.32). The team competition was largely par for the course, as the Northwest boys (158) held off Quince Orchard (118) and the Clarksburg girls (164) powered their way past Northwest (94) for the regional crowns. The day’s individual events fittingly ended with perhaps the county’s most recognizable athlete, Northwest’s Diego Zarate, cruising to a first place finish in the 800 meters (1:52.70) — a finish that completed a quadruplet of gold medal finishes that also included wins in the 1,600 meters (4:11.48), the 3,200-meter relay (8:04.11) and 1,600-meter relay (3:25.08). “It’s pretty crazy,” Zarate said. “We wanted to just leave our mark on history here. I believe our whole team did that today. Everyone put it out there … We did great today. I’m so proud of them.” agutekunst@gazette.net

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tion to start begins. “From the kind of offense I run, passing league’s kind of important in terms of getting all your base passing concepts in, then getting the timing of the routes down,” Lomax said. “I’ve tried to simplify it as much as I can so they can have as much success year-one as possible. A lot of people assume ﬁrst-year coaches coming in, it’s a rebuilding process. I looked all my seniors in the face and said we’re not rebuilding, we’re reloading, because you guys deserve to have the same kind of effort that I would put in any other year.” Teams will be participating in passing leagues until July, in and out of the state, gaining experience and showcasing their abilities for scouts. Players want to get noticed on the trail, but they want to also make sure the guy sitting behind them on the depth chart doesn’t take their place.

Continued from Page B-1

deliver a 6-3 complete-game win to clinch the 3A West Section II final. None of the three runs scored against him were earned. He said once the final out was recorded in center field, the celebration began. “For a freshman to do that — in a hostile environment like Seneca — is unheard of,” Blake said. In the playoffs, Damascus received a complete team effort. Players started making plays in the field and bats came alive at the right time. Blake said the shining moment, when things clicked, might have been when freshman Connor Manion made the team’s first diving catch of the season in the first inning of the Watkins Mill game. “You could just tell, everyone’s like, ‘Wow, we can make a play now’,” Blake said. “Every team’s going to make mistakes, it’s just a matter of how you rebound from them. They believe in themselves now.” Two days after defeating Seneca, Damascus suffered a 12-2 home loss at the hands of Urbana in the region final. Although the team was happy with how far it had come, the Hornets didn’t want to go out that way, Wentzlaff said. “We were definitely feeling it. More fans came out to that game than any game all year, and we came out and scored two runs,” he said. But thinking about the future, with young players such as himself, Manion, sophomores Eric Lansinger and Jason Moyer, and juniors Aaron Mettus and George Lowe to name a few, Wentzlaff said he’s encouraged. “We’re definitely looking forward to the next couple of years.”

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THE GAZETTE

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

Page B-3

Sherwood wins county crown n

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Warriors win ﬁnal three sets in boys volleyball BY

FIRST TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

PRINCE J. GRIMES STAFF WRITER

For the first time all season, the undefeated Sherwood boys volleyball team dropped an opening set, losing 25-23 to Bethesda-Chevy Chase in the Montgomery County boys volleyball championship at Magruder High School on Thursday. Instead of folding however, Sherwood used the adversity as a chance to show its resolve. The Warriors jumped out to big leads in each of the following two sets and finished the Barons in four sets, 3-1, to finish the season undefeated and win the boys volleyball title for the first time since 2010. “I’m speechless right now,” said Sherwood (15-0) coach Benjamin Sanger, who took over the team the year after its last championship. Sanger said he didn’t have to motivate his experienced bunch following the first set. “They do a great job of motivating themselves. We’re just reinforcers. “I’m just so proud of what these guys accomplished all year. Not just to win the championship, but to go undefeated and to face adversity. This is the first time we ever lost the first set, and to come back out of a position we’re not very familiar with, it’s just incredible to see them overcome that. We just have a very relentless team. Serving, six guys can serve the ball tough. We have six guys that can attack the ball. And I think that’s what kind of separates us from a lot of these teams. They have a couple of weak spots. This team doesn’t have any weak spots.” At the start of Thursday’s game, B-CC looked like the team that eliminated undefeated Wheaton from the playoffs in the county semifinals on Tuesday. The height of middle hitter Tom Gilson and good assists to outside hitter CJ Lee helped the Barons pull away and win a back-and-forth first set, 25-23. Each team benefitted from an excessive amount of unearned points though, possibly due to nerves. Sherwood did a better job of tightening its attack the final three sets, winning 25-17, 25-21, 25-21. “I think nerves was part

Ryan Gallagher

Sherwood Senior Outside hitter

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Sherwood High School’s Ali Waseem spikes the ball back to Bethesda-Chevy Chase during Thursday’s boys volleyball county championship game at Magruder High School. of it,” B-CC (13-2) coach Sue McPherson said. The Blue Division champions didn’t pass as well down the stretch the way they had been doing all season. “I think they got a little too intense games 2, 3, and 4, instead of going out and playing and having fun. “We had some things that weren’t quite clicking the way they have the rest of the season. We weren’t able to use Tom in the middle as much because they were shutting him down. I’m just so proud of the guys. They’ve come a long way. Eight years ago, we didn’t even have a boys team.” Setter Keegen Black recorded double-digit assists for the Warriors, consistently finding outside hitters Ryan Gallagher and Ali Waseem who figured out how to get the ball past the size of B-CC’s front line. The trio, along with strong serving, allowed Sherwood to string together big points streaks in the second and third sets. With Andy Miller serving in the second, Sherwood went on an 8-2 run that included five straight points and an ace by Miller. Sherwood began the third set by scoring the first seven points, including three straight by Black. Gallagher and Waseem each recorded double-digit kills. “It’s really exciting. It’s been four years, so we worked really hard for it,” Gallagher said of winning the title. “They had a very big block, so we just had to work around them. Actually, hit off their block. Try and use them.”

Clarksburg wins coed title It looked like a mismatch from the start. The Clarksburg High School co-ed volleyball team had three players on the floor that seemingly could look over the net without jumping. Its opponent in the Montgomery County championship on Thursday at Magruder High School, Churchill, didn’t have one player the size of Clarksburg’s third tallest. That made all the difference when the two undefeated teams clashed. Clarksburg walked away an unscathed 15-0, defeating Churchill 3-0 to win its first county title. “We worked really hard,” Clarksburg coach K.C. Landefield said. “It took us years to get to this point, but this is a special group and this is a group that, if we were ever going to do it, this was the group.” Clarksburg was led by senior Austin Duffy, a 6-foot, 6-inch basketball player who started playing volleyball last season. Landefield recruited Duffy, and although it took time, the team’s leading point scorer put it all together. “I was pretty raw,” Duffy said. “So I didn’t know what to do really. I practiced a lot, and I focused on finding out how to block people more, so I could read their shoulders and tell when they were going to block. Coach fixed my approach on my hits.” Duffy recorded 15 kills in the final two sets alone. Senior football player, 6-2 Craig Jessup, also added another powerful scoring option. pgrimes@gazette.net

SportsBriefs Bullis junior quarterback commits One of the most anticipated commitments in recent memory, Bullis School quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. committed to University of Maryland, College Park. Haskins, a four-star recruit on Rivals.com, was one of the top quarterback prospects in the country with offers from Ohio State, Rutgers, Louisiana State, and Penn State among dozens more. “Blessed to have this opportunity,” Haskins tweeted on May 15. He also Haskins held a news conference at Bullis to make his announcement. “I’m verbally committed to University of Maryland. #GoTerps The movement is real,” Haskins tweeted.

— PRINCE J. GRIMES

Paint Branch runners sign LOI Six Paint Branch High School track and ﬁeld athletes announced their college commitments on Monday. They include: Oliver Lloyd (Clemson), Adassa Phillips (Delaware), Taiwo Adekoya (UMES), Lorenzo Neil (UMBC), Ryun Anderson (Maryland) and Mary Sam (Stevenson). The school held a signing day ceremony for the students at the Burtonsville school’s gymnasium.

— ERIC GOLDWEIN

No national Golden Gloves champions The last of Washington D.C. area boxers remaining in the Golden Gloves national tournament was eliminated on May 14, including Burtonsville’s Tavon Body. He outlasted any other area fighter but was eventually ousted in the quarterfinals by a Detroit boxer. Waldorf’s Jordan White also lost in the quarterfinals. This marks the first time in six years that a boxer from this region failed to win a national championship according to boxingalongthebeltway.blogspot. com.

— PRINCE J. GRIMES

Sandy Spring wins PVAC The Sandy Spring Friends School baseball team capped an undefeated (12-0) conference season by winning the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference on May 14. Sandy Spring, which posted a 14-3 overall

record, defeated Jewish Day 4-0 in the championship game. It was the ﬁrst title win for Sandy Spring after reaching the PVAC championship in each of the previous two seasons.

— PRINCE J. GRIMES

Former Sherwood swimmer earns honors Rikki Sargent, a 2012 Sherwood High School graduate who recently completed her junior season on the Shippensburg University women’s swim team, was named Thursday to the 2015 Capital One Academic All-District 2 Women’s At-Large Team for Division II athletics, according to a news release sent to The Gazette. The teams are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America and recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances academically and in the classroom, per the news release. Sargent, a psychology major and disability studies minor, is a member of the university’s honors program and entered the spring semester with a 3.97 grade-point average. In the pool this season, she qualified for the championship ‘A’ finals in all four of her individual events at the 2015 Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference championship meet and earned her first career AllPSAC finish with a third-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke, sixth in both the 100 breaststroke and 400 individual medley and seven in the 200 individual medley. In three years she has set seven school records and earned 11 PSAC individual place-winning performances and 10 PSAC relay place-winning performances.

— JENNIFER BEEKMAN

Spirit move into second place Francisca Ordega’s goal in the second minute of stoppage time lifted the Washington Spirit women’s professional soccer team over visiting Sky Blue FC, 1-0, Saturday night at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds. The three points earned in the victory bumped Washington (3-2-1) up to second place — of nine teams — in the National Women’s Soccer League standings. The goal, which came off an assist from Crystal Dunn in a play that began with a winning defensive tackle by Tori Huster, was Ordega’s second of the season. Dunn’s four goals lead Washington and are tied for ﬁrst in the league. Washington is next scheduled to face the Western New York Flash Saturday at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.

— JENNIFER BEEKMAN

Four-year player was dominant from the left side. Could put the ball away even if the set wasn’t perfect. Go-to player for the county champions. Led the Warriors to an undefeated 15-0 record and led a deep team in kills. Well-rounded game was consistent from match-to-match.

Keegen Black

Noel Camello

Jeffrey Chang

Captain of the county champs. Led team in assists as the offense runs through him.

One of the team’s leaders, and one of the best defenders in the county.

Offensive and defensive force. Impacts all aspects of the game.

Tom Gilson

Bobin Jijo

CJ Lee

Strong blocker and middle hitter. Regularly recorded over ﬁve kills per set.

Dominant. Top hitter, defender, blocker, and server for Coyotes.

Mixes good power with effective offspeed hits. Effective jump serve.

Sherwood Senior Setter

Wheaton Junior Libero

R. Montgomery Junior Opposite hitter

COACH OF THE YEAR

Alex Theoharis

B.-Chevy Chase Senior Middle hitter

Wheaton

Continued building Wheaton into a county force with an 11-0 undefeated regular season. Knights lost to Bethesda-Chevy Chase in the county semiﬁnals and might have reached the title game if not for libero Noel Camello getting injured in the third set of a 1-1 match.

Clarksburg Senior Outside hitter

B.-Chevy Chase Senior Outside hitter

Second Team and Honorable Mentions are online at Gazette.net

Poolesville senior wins tennis title Whitman, Wootton win doubles championships

BY JOHN

HARRIS III

SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

The majority of ﬁnal round and third-place matches at Thursday’s Region II tennis championships never reached a third set. Two out of the three title winners, Poolesville High School senior and Yale University bound standout Dennis Wang and Walt Whitman’s boys doubles tandem of Jack Welch and Andrew Leung won in decisive fashion. However, the last

match to conclude was a battle of two Thomas S. Wootton mixed doubles teams. The duo of Kelly Chen and Jake Gordon outlasted Patriots teammates Ruchi Nanda and I-Shiun Kuo; 6-4, 2-6, 7-5. All champions as well as the runner-ups in all three categories earned a berth into next Friday’s state tournament at the University of Maryland. College Park. Play begins at 9:30 a.m. The tournament concludes Saturday in College Park. For Chen and Gordon, Thursday’s victory over their schoolmates served as a bit of retribution. Earlier in the week during a practice session, Nanda

and Kuo handily defeated the eventual champs. “They beat us badly in practice,” Gordon said. “I think a lot of it was based off of communication. There were a lot of times on Monday that it would be my shot and I wouldn’t go for it. Or it would go out. But today, we talked a lot and that allowed us to hit our shots. Wang defeated Bethesda Chevy-Chase sophomore Conor Smyth 6-1, and 3-0 in the singles ﬁnal, with Smyth retiring in the second set due to an injury he suffered in his semiﬁnal win against eventual third-place finisher William Karpinski of Churchill.

Arts & Entertainment www.gazette.net | Wednesday, May 20, 2015 | Page B-4

‘The Price’ is right

Preparing to dive into deep writing

Arthur Miller classic comes to Montgomery County

SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

Writer uses personal experience aboard submarines to write books

A timeless and relevant piece about family, money and choices, Arthur Miller’s “The Price” debuted May 13 at Olney Theatre Center. “There’s no question that the economic issues do resonate very strongly,” director Michael Bloom said. “It’s just a brilliant character study of these two brothers and how they came to make the choices they did in their lives.” The play was scheduled to premiere in honor of the 100th anniversary of Miller’s birth. Miller is well known for his proliﬁc playwriting, which includes popular works such as “Death of a Salesman,” “A View from the Bridge” and “The Crucible.” “I loved the density of [the play] and the family, the relationships are so interwoven,” said actress Valerie Leonard, who plays Victor’s wife Esther in the show. “It’s just so wonderfully dense and thick and full.” Miller’s 1968 work focuses on the price of family, the price of furniture and the price of our choices. The play is centered around two brothers, Victor and Walter, who meet in a New York apartment to sell the remainder of their deceased father’s belongings. “It really requires actors to dig down deep emotionally to get at just what it means to deal with issues of personal responsibilities and how social context and socioeconomic complex affects your choices,” Bloom said. “And I think nowadays everybody can relate to that.”

Rick Campbell is proud of beating the odds. When the retired U.S. Navy officer considered writing a book, with zero writing classes, training or experience, he “figured a snowball had a better chance in hell than me picking up a pen and beating out hundreds of thousands of writers with years of experience.” Until his 20th class reunion, Campbell felt unable to commit Campbell to investing “the thousands of hours it would take to learn how to write and then write the book, when it would most likely be a wasted effort.” The “futuristic sci-fi story rolling around in my head” for some 20 years was destined to remain there. His perspective changed when a speaker asked the assembled alumni “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” “I felt like he was talking directly to me, and I decided right then that I’d write my book,” he recalled. “It took a few years to get around to it, but I finally buckled down and wrote it.” That book, which turned out to be a “paranormal military science fiction novel,” has not yet made it to publication. The author refers to it as “Book 0.” After sending the manuscript to more than 40 agents, Campbell realized the futility of

ANIKA J. REED

STAN BAROUH

Sean Harberle (left) as Walter Franz and Charlie Kevin as Victor Franz star in Olney Theatre Center’s production of Arthur Miller’s “The Price.”

‘THE PRICE’ n When: Through June 21 n Where: Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD 20832 n Tickets: $35-55 n More information: 301-9243400, olneytheatre.org

Victor and Walter took very different paths in life after their father lost his fortune due to the Great Depression. Victor chooses to become a police ofﬁcer, while Walter struggles through school and becomes a

surgeon. “Because it’s about class and about the difficulties of the father’s experience during the Great Depression, I think it resonates tremendously at this time,” Bloom said. “My parents were children of the depression, [and] just on a personal level it resonates with me as well. It’s a play that speaks to everybody [who’s] made certain choices in their lives and you wonder why you’ve made those choices.” When the brothers meet to sell their father’s belongings, they have conflicting views about what should be done, which results in contention between the two. Leonard described her

character, Esther, as a listener who has to reflect on what’s occurring between her spouse and his brother. “As far as I’m concerned, she’s a very difficult role, because ... the two brothers have to hash it out,” Leonard said. “I have to listen and come to my conclusions.” However, Leonard realized she saw some aspects of her own personality in her character, including Esther’s listening skills and hopeful nature. “One of the things I love about acting is that each character you play you find something new in yourself,” Leonard

See PRICE, Page B-5

BOOKS BY ELLYN WEXLER writing what you love when no one else loves it. Thus thwarted, he opted to switch gears and write what he knows. The result, “The Trident Deception” (2014), is a “submarine warfare novel at its core. It’s also an intriguing espionage tale,” he said. Booklist called it “the best submarine novel since Tom Clancy’s classic — ‘The Hunt for Red October.’” A sequel, “Empire Rising,” was released in February. To augment his writing skills, Campbell read espionage and military thrillers, even though science ﬁction and fantasy are his favorite genres. He credits the “major espionage writers” — Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn and Brad Thor as well as writer Andrew Britton — as heavy inﬂuences on his style. An agent he worked with gave him a reading list of espionage books, although he had written

See BOOKS, Page B-5

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

IN THE ARTS For a free listing, please submit complete information to wfranklin@gazette.net at least 10 days in advance of desired publication date. High-resolution color images (500KB minimum) in jpg format should be submitted when available. MUSIC Arts Barn, Amadou Kouyate Kora and Percussion, June 6, 311 Kent Square Road, 301-258-6394. AMP by Strathmore, Alice Gerrard, May 20; Alice Gerrard, May 21; Amigos Band, May 28; Mark Nadler, May 29; Cravin’ Dogs, May 30; Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, June 3; Jarrod Lawson, June 4; Raul Midon, June 5; call for times, 11810 Grand Park Ave., North Bethesda, ampbystrathmore.com, 301-581-5100. Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, Michal Urbaniak, May 21;

Muscle Shoals and Stax/Volt, May 22; Joe Clair and Friends, May 23; Clones of Funk, May 24; Ginetta’s Vendetta Jazz Quartet, May 27; Linwood Taylor, May 28; Grainger and the New Pockets, May 29; The Hit Men, May 31; call for prices, times, 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. 240-330-4500, bethesdabluesjazz. com. BlackRock Center for the Arts, Suzanne Vega, May 30; Red Baraat, June 27; 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. 301-528-2260, blackrockcenter.org. Hershey’s At The Grove, Chuggalug, May 22; Poverty Ridge, May 23; Little Bit of Blues, May 29; Crime Stoppers, May 30; call for times, 17030 Oakmont Ave., Gaithersburg. 301-948-9893; hersheysatthegrove.com. Fillmore Silver Spring, Ultimate 80s Prom with The New Romance, May 23; Kingpen Slim hosted by Uncle Yank, May 29; 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. ﬁllmoresilverspring.com. Strathmore, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra, May 20; PVYO

Spring Gala 2015, May 22; BSO: Strauss’ Four Last Songs, May 23; Arts & The Mind: Bird Whale Bug, May 28; BSO: A Tribute to John Williams, May 28; National Philharmonic: Faure’s Requiem, May 30; Feria de Seville, May 31; 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, 301-581-5100, strathmore.org.

ON STAGE Adventure Theatre-MTC, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” through May 25, call for prices, times, Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, 301-634-2270, adventuretheatremtc.org. F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville. 240-314-8681 Imagination Stage, “Sinbad: The Untold Tale,” through May 29, call for prices, times, Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, imaginationstage.org. Olney Theatre Center, “Carousel,” through May 24, call for prices, times, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, 301-9243400, olneytheatre.org. The Puppet Co., “Cinderella,” through June 21; 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, 301-634-5380, thepuppetco.org. Rockville Musical Theatre, “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” July 10 through July 26, Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road, 301-258-6394, r-m-t.org. Round House Theatre, “NSFW,” May 27 through June 21, call for show times, 4545 EastWest Highway, Bethesda. Tickets range in price from $10 to $45 and seating is reserved. 240-6441100, roundhousetheatre.org. Lumina Studio Theatre, Silver Spring Black Box Theatre, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, 301-588-8277, luminastudio.org; theatreconsortiumss@gmail.com. Silver Spring Stage, “On The Razzle,” May 29 through June

20, Woodmoor Shopping Center, 10145 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, see Web site for show times, ssstage.org. Randolph Road Theater, 4010 Randolph Road, Silver Spring, belcantanti.com, Cafe Muse, Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 South Park Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-656-2797.

VISUAL ART Adah Rose Gallery, “Motionless, I Stay and Go: I am a Pause,” through May 24, 3766 Howard Ave., Kensington, 301-922-0162, adahrosegallery.com Glenview Mansion, Rockville Art League, Juried Members’ Show varied media, through May 29; Rockville Civic Center Park, 503 Edmonston Drive, Rockville. rockvillemd.gov. Marin-Price Galleries, Joseph Sheppard, through May 22; 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, 7022 Wisconsin Ave., 301-7180622, marin-price.com. Montgomery Art Association, Janet Fox, through May 31; Westﬁeld Wheaton Mall, 11160 Viers Mill Road, Wheaton, montgomeryart.org. VisArts, Stephanie Garmey, through May 24; Jowita Wyszomirska and David Brown, through May 24; Gibbs Street Gallery, 155 Gibbs St., Rockville, 301-315-8200, visartsatrockville.org. Kentlands Mansion Art Gallery, 320 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg, 301-258-6425. Gallery B, “The Merry Month,” through May 23; 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E, Bethesda, bethesda. org. Washington Artworks, Project Youth ArtReach’s Anniversary Exhibition, through June 1; 12276 Wilkins Ave., Rockville, washingtonartworks.com, 301-654-1998.

ET CETERA The Writer’s Center, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, 301-6548664, writer.org.

PRICE

Continued from Page B-4 said. “I think the greatness of this play is that people will come out rooting for different people in the play,” Bloom said. “That is an indication of how wellrounded these characters are. I think you relate to all of them … that’s what makes it a superior piece of writing.” “It’s a really good group that’s been assembled to do this,” cast member Conrad Feininger said. “It’s not all the time you get a balanced group like this with a beautiful play.” It’s Feininger’s third time performing in a production of “The Price,” which he said makes it easier to prepare for. “When it’s the third time, a lot of the work’s already done,” Feininger said. “In terms of preparation, it’s a matter of reading the script and then getting into the room with the director. The trick to doing it multiple times has been keeping an open mind to new ideas.”

BOOKS

Continued from Page B-4 a military thriller. “As a result,” he said, “my books are a blend of military thriller plot written in an espionage style.” For the most part, Campbell bases his books on his first career. “I was a submarine officer for 28 years, and I write military thrillers that have strong submarine plot elements. There are a few actual experiences in the book, but 99 percent is fiction, using my background to get the authentic details correct.” Campbell said it takes him about 1,000 hours to write a book, including about an hour per page for the first draft, several hundred hours of research before starting and interspersed during writing, plus multiple revisions on his end and two by his editor. He writes in an upstairs office in his Germantown home, “where I can close the door and work in silence. Sounds really distract me when I’m writing, and I need complete silence or it breaks my concentration.” As a child, Campbell had no intention of being a writer. “Early on,” he said, I wanted to be a doctor, policeman and football player — simultaneously. I figured I could be a

STAN BAROUH

Conrad Feininger stars as Gregory Solomon in Olney Theatre Center’s production of Arthur Miller’s “The Price.” Both Bloom and Leonard hope the audience walks away discussing what they just witnessed in the play. “I want them to talk about whether or not they felt that the paths that the two brothers took

were justiﬁed,” Bloom said. “I hope they walk away talking forever and ever and ever about what happened,” Leonard said. “I just want them to talk, whether it’s about their own families or not.”

doctor during the day, a policeman at night and a football player on the weekends.” Although he was a good student, graduating second in his high school class in Cocoa, Fla., math and science were his strengths. He read fantasy and science fiction “voraciously” but remembers hating English and the liberal arts. The military was always a career option, Campbell said, because his father was retired from the Air Force. “When it came time to go to college, my parents had no money set aside and weren’t making a lot of money — mom was a waitress and dad worked at a regional K-Mart-style department store — so I knew I had to get a scholarship.” He applied and was awarded three ROTC scholarships and was accepted into the Air Force and Naval academies. He “chose the Navy, much to my dad’s chagrin. They had better academics and a great wrestling team, and I was a wrestler in high school.” When Campbell discovered he was prone to seasickness, he “went submarines. I figured I would be miserable as a pilot and also on the surface. But submarines are very stable when they’re submerged — like sitting in an office except

when they’re changing depth, so I applied for submarines and got accepted.” His tours of duty included four nuclearpowered submarines, the Pentagon and the Undersea Weapons Program office. On his final submarine, he said, he was one of two men whose permission was required to launch its 24 nuclear warheadtipped missiles. St. Martin’s Press, Campbell’s publisher, added a deal for two more books, which are due out in 2016 and 2017. Book three, “Cold Betrayal,” the author said, is almost done, due to his editor at the end of May. “It’s primarily a submarine thriller, which kicks off when the newest American and Russian submarines collide and sink under the Arctic ice cap, setting off a fateful chain of events,” he said. Campbell is optimistic about his second career. “We’ll see what the future holds when I come up for another contract next year. So far, my books have ‘met or exceeded expectations,’ so it’s likely additional contracts will follow, and I figure I’ll be writing military thrillers for the foreseeable future,” he said. “Book 0 will have to wait a few more years.” Hopefully, the odds will be in his favor once more.

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

Points of light BlackRock Center for the Arts is pleased to present the exhibition “Light: Essence of Color” featuring oil paintings and pastel drawings by the seven member artists of the Maryland Colorists: Melissa Gryder, Sharon Littig, Abigail McBride, Nancy McCarra, Michele del Pilar, Andree Tullier and Sarah Wardell. The exhibit includes landscape, still-life, portraits and figurative subjects and will be on view in the Terrace Gallery through May 30. Light, that which reveals the world around us, is the source that links this group of artists together. Their primary focus is to capture a fleeting light effect observed in the everyday scenes. “Light: Essence of Color” is the first exhibition by the Maryland Colorists, a collective formed in 2013 by seven women with classic academic, studio and plein air training

in color, draftsmanship, portraiture and ﬁgurative work. Each of the artists maintains a professional studio practice which includes portrait commissions, exhibiting their work in both ﬁne art galleries and museums, and entering juried exhibitions and plein air painting competitions. Many of the artists live in the Annapolis area. All of the artists have been selected for membership and board positions in professional artist organizations, which include the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Society, Portrait Society of America, Maryland Society of Portrait Painters, Pastel Society of America, Maryland Pastel Society and Maryland Federation of Art. For more information, visit blackrockcenter.org.

Mix and match

Janet Fox is this month’s featured artist for the Montgomery Art Association. Her work will be on display through May 31. Fox paints with encaustic (heated pigmented bees wax), mixed media and acrylic, often layering in fibrous and colorful papers, fabric, ink and found materials. She carves, scrapes, fills and buffs, building contrasts and textures. Her work is often inspired by vivid sleeptime images or ideas; she also creates from nature and garden themes. Her art blog, including stories about her work, are on her website. Originally from the Midwest, Janet earned a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health from Purdue University, worked more than 20 years in the recycling, sustainability and energy-efficiency

F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre

603 Edmonston Dr. Rockville, MD 20851

240-314-8690

www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre

The Washington Balalaika Society

SPRING CONCERT

Sunday, May 31 at 2 p.m. Tickets: $25 ADULT; $20 SENIOR; $15 STUDENT; and children under 12 free.

1951923

Tickets available by calling 301-840-8400 or online at rockvillemd.gov/theatre

1931263

MONTGOMERY ART ASSOCIATION

“Holding It All Together,” a piece by artist Janet Fox, is on display through May 31 at the MAA Gallery.

realms, and managed environmental-themed art exhibits. She is an MAA board member, a member of International Encaustic Artists, as well as a freelance writer, editor, content and project support professional. Admission to the gallery is free. For more information, visit montgomeryart.org or call 301842-7046.

BLACKROCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

An artist demonstrates plein air painting at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown.

The wonderful things he does

Time is running out to go see the Wizard in the hopes you can go home again. Adventure Theatre MTC’s reimagined journey through Oz, a world premiere play by Jacqueline Lawton, is set to run through May 25. “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” is based on the classic American children’s book by L. Frank Baum starring Helen Hayes-nominated Paige Hernandez as Dorothy. Dorothy and Toto know so many adventures are happening everywhere other than Kansas. One day, a cyclone swoops in and takes them to the wonderful and magical Land of Oz. With her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy

BRUCE DOUGLAS

Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion all take the stage at Adventure Theatre MTC for “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” sets off on the adventure of a lifetime down the yellow brick road. Tickets to “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” are $19-19.50 and can be purchased by calling 301-634-2270 or online at adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

RON NEWMYER

A Southern Soul Tribute: The Music of Muscle Shoals and Stax/Volt is set to take place at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club on Friday.

Soul of the South

A spectacular collection of 35 soulful performers from the DMV, pay tribute to music legends Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, The Staples Singers, Carla Thomas and more, will take the stage at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club on Friday. A Southern Soul Tribute: The Music of Muscle Shoals & Stax/Volt will include such performers as The Hardway Connection, Little Margie, Tommy Lepson & Soul Crackers, Jon Carroll, Julia Nixon, Patty Reese, Eddie Jones, Daryl Davis, Bob Berberich, Patti Hatchett, the legendary Nighthawks rhythm section Pete Ragusa and Jan Zukowski and more. The 1960s produced a

wealth of great music but perhaps none more important than that produced in a few modest studios in the southern United States. There, an unlikely and diverse collection of musicians, singers, producers and arrangers created some of the grittiest & catchiest hit records ever recorded. The music was inescapably influenced by their surroundings, yet in the homelike atmosphere of the studios, nothing mattered except making the great music that would find its way onto radios and hi-fi’s across the U.S. and the world. Tickets for the show are $30. For more information, visit bethesdabluesjazz.com or call 240-330-4500.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

THE GAZETTE

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

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OC: 140 St. 3bd, 2fba F A I R M O U N T LEAP INTO ground floor steps to HEIGHTSAll in SPRING with the use

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OC: 2br/2ba 2 pools, MONT VILLAGE: 107th St. Quay 4 wks EU TH, renovated Lrg Unfurnished Apartments Unfurnished Apartments GAITHERSBURGleft 06/20-06/27 08/08Vacation Property 3Br, 2.5Ba, nice & Montgomery County Prince George’s County RM shared ba &ktich 15,08/15-22 & 08/22for Sale kid friendly, new appl, $450 utils incl near 29 (301)252-0200 fin bsmt, Fncd yrd, N . P O T O M A C metro & Shops. Avail Farm and prkng, nr bus & met- ROCKVILLE: 1 BR OCEAN CITY, Garden Equipment now! 240-386-9587 NEED ro, NS, $1,650/mo + Apt. $1150 incl utils & MARYLAND. Best OCEAN CITY G E N E R A T O R - INTERIOR/EXTERI util & SD. (sep. SD for CATV, Free Parking 1br in selection of affordable GAITH/MV: 1Br OR STAIRLIFTS! small dogs) Credit Avail 06/01. NS/NP GREENBELT: North 129th Street 2br Apt $600/mo rentals. Generac 6500 Watt 1Ba Bsmt Apt in SFH. Raymond Maule & check. Available June 301-424-9205 share utils. Nr Bus, Full/ partial weeks. 2BR, 1BA, AC, large Generator, Purchased Renovated, $750/mo Son offers STRAIGHT 1st. 301-330-4828 Schls & Lake Frst Call for FREE bro- Porch, Ocean Block, in 2012 after the dereutils incl + SD Pls call: or Curved ACORN Sleeps Family of 6. linkenn@verizon.net. SILVER SPRING: Mall. 301-640-0988 chure. Open daily. cho, used less than 2 240-848-5697 Stairlifts; Call Angel & 2Br Bsmt w/pvt ent/Ba Holiday Resort Serv$857/week or 240-779-5275 hours since.$750 Call MONT. VILLAGE: full kit $930 utils incl, Kathy TODAY 888ices. 1-800-638-2102. 301-946-8593 TH, 3Br, 2FBa, 2 HBa, NS/NP Nr Metro/Bus 353-8878; Also availaGERMANTOWN- 1 Online reservations: 301-774-7621 bsmnt,HOC OK nr bus Call 240-370-5191 ble Exterior Porchlifts; Rm shrd BA cable/utils www.holidayoc.com & shop $1800 301-787Avoid Unsightly Long incl.1-2 yr lease. $500 7583 Ramps; Save Commercial Commercial Moving/ Moving/ Sec Dep Req!Great loPets $200.00. Property Property Estate Sales Estate Sales cation! 240-418-4876 ROCKVILLE: SFH 3Br, 1.5Ba, NS/NP, nr HAVANESE PUPPIES GE RMA NT OWN : metro, w/d, $1750/mo Domestic Home raised, AKC, Rm w/priv bath in TH Help Wanted RETAIL OPPORTUNITY + util Call: Indra 301best health guarantee nr bus & shops 325-2467 or Kanu Space for small gift shop or café in 5/21, 5/22, 5/23 & 5/24, 10-5, noahslittleark.com $550/mo util incl NP/ 301-670-6844 DAMASCUS- Exp. Call: 262-993-0460 NS 240-715-5147 Silver Spring. 503 Dennis cultural arts facility. @ 200 sf plus Caretaker for autistic SILVER SPRING: teen $14/hr 25 flex Avenue, HUGE Landscape seating area if desired. Sandy GERM: Bsmt Apt., 3Br, 1.5Ba, SFH, walkhours per week. HS w/prvt entr. 1br, 1ba, Eqpt, Tools, Hoop Houses, out bsmt, rec room, grad. (301)368-3335 Spring-Olney area. 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Deposit Re- May 23rd 10am-4pm, Merchandise yrs work exp Duty Online training at CTI 301-219-1066 quired! 301-861-9981 For Sale will accept offers, gets you job ready! HS incld: laundry, ironing, Ethan Allen furn, & meal preparations, Diploma/GED & GAITHERSBURG: SS / ASPEN HILL: more, hh items, etc BOWIE- Green leather Computer/Internet deep cleaning & some 1BR w/priv BA in 2BR Fully Furn Bsmt w/ 3105 Fayette Road sectional, chair & otto- needed. child care live in 410Condo. Shrd kit. $675 priv bath, kitch & entr man, wingback chair, 1-877-649-2671 570-5239 Eng spkg + utils. Near metro. W/D $950 close to bus DR set, a lot HH items! www.AskCTI.com req! & metro 301-922-9508 NS/NP. 240-396-7576 OBO!! 301-526-5868

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Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g Career Training

Page B-9 Career Training

Full Time Help Wanted

NURSING ASSISTANT

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Now Enrolling for May 22nd & June 1st 2015 Classes:

Now Offering Medication Technician Classes In Just 4 Days, Call for Details! GAITHERSBURG CAMPUS MORNING STAR ACADEMY 101 Lakeforest Blvd, Suite 402 Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Call: 301-977-7393 www.mstarna.com

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GC3248

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

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Clerical

Full Time Help Wanted

Perform specialized clerical work at the advanced level assisting the judge in courtroom procedures and dockets. Prepare/generate paperwork for the judge s and/or defendant’s signatures. Responsible for assisting the judge in the maintenance, operation, and organization of the courtroom. Work is performed with considerable independence and is evaluated for efficiency, effectiveness, timeliness and compliance with procedures. Resolve a variety of unprecedented or unusual problems. Ability to work overtime, as needed without prior notice. Maybe called in during emergencies, e.g. inclement weather conditions and staff shortages. For full details and instructions on how to apply, visit the court’s website http://www.courts.state.md.us/jobs/ EOE.

Recruiting is now Simple!

CLEANING

Earn $400+ per week. MondayFriday OR Tuesday-Saturday. No nights. Must have own car & valid. Drivers lic. Se Habla Espanol.

Merry Maids

Get Connected

Gazette.Net GC3545

Gaithersburg 301-869-6243 Silver Spring 301-587-5594

Commercial HVACR Technician

Busy surgeons office in Gaithersburg area seeks hard working, detail oriented person to make appointments for multiple offices and route all incoming calls. Medical background preferred. Must be bilingual (English/Spanish). Benefits available. Fax resume to 301-258-0491

For Congregate Housing Service building in the Aspen Hill area of Silver Spring. Must be CPR certified. FT position as well as PRN. Please submit resume to: dtucker@homecresthouse.org

Healthcare

Search Jobs

Property Management

Shuttle Bus Driver

Senior Community in Germantown looking for a part time energetic team player duties include driving bus to grocery stores, doctor’s appointments, daily trips, and outings. Must have valid driver’s license. Great salary! EOE Fax resume to 301-528-7276 Licensed Daycare

Licensed Daycare

Daycare Directory

Children’s Center Of Damascus Starburst Child Care Learn And Play Daycare Fogle Daycare Pre-school Cheerful Tots Daycare Kimberly Villella Childcare Miriam’s Loving Care

Lic#: 31453 Lic#: 159882 Lic#: 250177 Lic#: 25979 Lic#: 250403 Lic #: 27579 Lic# 155622

301-253-6864 301-674-4173 240-408-6532 301-972-2903 301-875-2972 301-774-1163 240-246-0789

DEADLINE: JUNE 1st, 2015

20872 20855 20876 20874 20878 20832 20877

GP2199A GP2199A

Licensed Daycare

Find Career Resources

to advertise call 301.670.7100 or email class@gazette.net

Send resume to diane@harveyhottel.com

Licensed Medication Technician

M-F - Wheaton Plaza - Bilingual English/Spanish a must. Email resume to: medical.linda@yahoo.com

Full time for pest control company in Montgomery Co. Experienced Preferred. Must be reliable with clean driving & criminal record. Send resume pest.tech.needed@gmail.com

Immediate openings for Residential SVC Techs and Installers

DMR Associates, Inc. a HVAC Manufacturers Representative in Gaithersburg, MD serving the Washington area since 1969, is looking to add a Commercial HVACR technician. The qualified candidate will have at least 5 years of experience with installation, start up and/or troubleshooting of Commercial HVAC Equipment (rooftop units, chillers, AHU’s, etc.) Candidate must possess a solid work history and clean driving record. Excellent salary, benefits, company vehicle, phone, & gas card. To be considered please send resume and salary requirements to hr@dmr-hvac.com

MEDICAL ASSISTANT

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer EOE/AA/F/M/VET/ DISABILITY

HVAC

CALL CENTER RECEPTIONIST

Get Connected

Hilton Rockville 1750 Rockville Pike Rockville MD 20852

A local furniture restoration company is now accepting applications for multiple positions in furniture restoration. Experience req. & must have drivers lic. 301-424-5011

Healthcare

Local companies, Local candidates

Line Cook Dishwasher Banquet Cook Buffet Runner Servers/ Room Service Banquet Server/House Person Guest Room Attendant F&B Supervisor

Multiple Positions

The Hampton Inn & Suites Gaithersburg is currently hiring for the housekeeping department. Please apply with in - 960 N Frederick Ave

Wanted CDL Drivers For local work No overnight Call 301-865-8844 for additional info Monday - Friday from 9am -4pm.

∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂

Pest Control / Termite Tech

Plumbers 3yrs exp. & Helpers 1yr exp. No Exceptions. Valid Clean DL required. Signing Bonuses for qualified Journeyman Plumbers. Top pay annual bonuses, paid holidays, vacations, sick days, life. Health and dental offered. Opportunities for advancement. Call 301-990-2891

Housekeeper

Full Time Help Wanted

All interested applicants, please come to the hotel to apply on line.

District Court for Montgomery County Rockville, Maryland

CDL DRIVERS

Full Time Help Wanted

NOW HIRING!!!

Courtroom Clerk

COMMERCIAL SERVICE PLUMBERS & HELPERS

GC3510

Full Time Help Wanted

Psychologist FT position under Behavior Support Services through the Arc of Southern Maryland. REQUIREMENTS: -Ph. D or BCBA-D or a related field with emphasis in Behavior Analysis with a minimum of two years’ exp with Behavior Management required. For details and to apply go to: www.gazette.net/careers

Sales Representative

Resp: prospecting businesses to sell shredding services. Must be: driven & self-motivated, have a min 1 + yrs exp. in business to business sales. Industry exp. in copy sales, office products, payroll & shredding a plus. Base + comm. on new account sales. Fax resume to: 205-743-0128 or email: ShreddingCompanyDC@gmail.com Any questions pls call : 301-325-5561.

Page B-10 Full Time Help Wanted

Full Time Help Wanted

Outstanding opportunity to help military couples build their families. Join a prominent government contractor serving military families in Bethesda, Maryland. Experience or strong interest in women’s health required/work includes both admin and clinical duties. Candidates must be able to pass government required security clearance and exhibit proof of U.S citizenship. Weekend rotation req. Excellent benefits & competitive salary package! New grads welcome to apply. .

Email resume & salary reqs: Darshana.naik.ctr@mail.mil or fax to 301/400-1800.

Wholesale HVAC Customer Service/ Warehouse/Driver

Prior experience in the HVAC trade or previous experience in warehouse work is highly desired. Clean driving record and pre-employment screening required. For details go to gazette.net. Email resume to bryan.richardson@remichel.com

Healthcare

NOW HIRING CNA’S

Full Time Help Wanted

Work with the BEST!

Full Time Help Wanted

r lve g Si prin S

Registered Nurse (R.N.)

Full Time Help Wanted

Es Rea ta l te

Full Time Help Wanted

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

Call Bill Hennessy Be trained individually by Realtor Emeritus one of the area’s top offices & one of the area’s best salesman with over 40 years experience. 3 301-388-2626 01-388-2626 New & experienced salespeople welcomed. Bill.Hennessy@LNF.com EOE

Full Time Help Wanted

Recruiting is now Simple! Get Connected

GC3514 GC3647 LNF_HENNESSEY

Part Time Help Wanted

Janitorial

Private school in Rockville seeks PT janitorial worker. Must have prior experience. Please e-mail rodriguezf@mjbha.org or call Building Services at 301-962-9400 x5101

Career Training Need to re-start your career?

Call Rafiq at: 301-922-0615 6000 Granby Road Derwood, MD 20855

Career building

• search for jobs locally, regionally, nationally • upload your resume • get latest career information • connect with local resources

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

Page B-11

Domestic Sports Utility Vehicles

YOU ALWAYS GET YOUR WAY AT OURISMAN EVERYDAY

2002 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED: 176,900 miles. Fully loaded. Runs great! $3,400 obo. 240-7517263

Cars Wanted

RAIN OR SHINE! Since 1989

DONATE AUTOS, TRUCKS, RV’S. LUTHERAN MISSION SOCIETY. Your donation helps local families with food, clothing, shelter, counseling. Tax deductible. MVA License #W1044. 410-636-0123 or www.LutheranMissionSociety.org

www.CapitalAutoAuction.com WE HAVE VEHICLES FOR EVERY BUDGET AND NEED!

AUCTIONS EVERY SATURDAY

Temple Hills, MD

5001 Beech Road Live/Drive Auction Time Saturdays 9:00a.m.

1905 Brentwood Road Live/Drive Auction Time Saturdays 10:00a.m.

Call 301-640-5987

or email dc@capitalautoauction.com

Domestic Cars

2003 CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE: 42K miles. 50th anniv. 6 speed. Fully loaded. Excel condition. $21k 301-221-1535

Washington, DC

OPEN TO PUBLIC • ALL DEALERS WELCOME G560929

BUY BELOW KBB VALUE

CA H

FOR CAR !

MEMORIAL DAY 48” LED HDTV SALES EVENT with car purchase

INSTANT CASH OFFER

G560928

(301)288-6009

*While supplies last

OURISMAN VW

2015 GOLF 2D HB LAUNCH EDITION

#3025420, Bluetooth, I Yr. Car Care Maintenance, Auto, Keyless Entry

MSRP 18,815 $

16,599

2015 JETTA S

2015 PASSAT LIMITED EDITION

#7271256, Front/Side Airbags, Aluminum Wheels, Keyless Entry, Auto, Stability Control

#9088106, Automatic, Keyless Entry, Leather Seats, Backup Camera, Front/Side Airbags, ABS Brakes

MSRP 19,245 $

BUY FOR

16,995

MSRP $25,135 BUY FOR

21,999

OR $229/MO for 72 MONTHS

OR $319/MO for 72 MONTHS

2015 JETTA SEDAN TDI S

2015 BEETLE 1.8L

2015 GOLF GTI 2D HB S

#7262051, Bluetooth, 1 Yr. car Care Maintenance, Loaner Car For Life

#1647049, Bluetooth, Keyless Entry, Auto, Touch Screen Radio, iPad Adapter, I Yr. Car Care Maintenance

#5501562, Manual, ABS Brakes, Audio Streaming, Keyless Entry

BUY FOR

OR $219/MO for 72 MONTHS

MSRP $23,880

BUY FOR

18,998

MSRP 21,105

MSRP $23,315

BUY FOR

17,837

BUY FOR

20,599

OR $299/MO for 72 MONTHS

OR $245/MO for 72 MONTHS

OR $289/MO for 72 MONTHS

2015 GOLF SPORTWAGEN S

2015 TIGUAN S 2WD

2014 CC SPORT LAST 2014 AVAILABLE!

#5500964, Automactic. I Yr. Car Care Maintenance, Bluetooth, Keyless Entry, Backup Camera

#13096839, Automatic, ABS Brakes, Power Locks, Keyless Entry, Backup Camera

#9539247, Navigation, Backup Camera Front/Side Airbags, 2.0 Turbo, Bluetooth

ANY CAR ANY CONDITION

WE PAY TOP DOLLAR-FAST FREE PICKUP! SELL YOUR CAR TODAY! CALL NOW FOR AN

*Expires 5/25/15

MSRP 23,995 $

BUY FOR

20,995

OR $299/MO for 72 MONTHS

MSRP $27,120

BUY FOR

24,999

OR $372/MO for 72 MONTHS

MSRP $35,060

BUY FOR

26,999

OR $431/MO for 72 MONTHS

OURISMAN VW WORLD AUTO CERTIFIED PRE OWNED 24 Available...Rates Starting at 1.64% up to 72 months

2007 Rabbit...............................#V033452A, Black, 117,967 Miles..............$5,991

2013 Passat SE.......................#V080993A, White, 29,626 Miles...............$17,391

2008 Dodge Caliber...............#V293674A, Silver, 130,404 Miles................$5,999

2012 CC.....................................#V820490A, Black, 47,400 Miles...............$17,491

2006 Touareg...........................#V001597A, Black, 78,489 Miles.................$8,991

2013 Jetta TDI..........................V320148A, Black, 31,444 Miles.................$17,492

2011 Toyota Prius...................V283821B, Red, 112,390 Miles.................$11,593

2013 GTI Conv..........................V297056A, White, 31,734 Miles.................$17,993

2011 Nissan Sentra...............#V298174B, Silver, 83,127 Miles................$11,791

2014 Jeep Patriot...................VP0134, Black, 9,454 Miles........................$18,692

2011 Toyota Camry SE..........V0125A, Black, 61,476 Miles.....................$11,995

2013 Beetle..............................#V591026A, Black, 35,857 Miles...............$18,791

2014 Nissan Versa.................V309714A, Gray, 7,485 Miles.....................$13,772

2013 Passat TDI SE................V033935A, Gray,28,762 Miles...................$19,955

2013 Passat..............................#VPR0138, Maroon, 44,978 Miles..............$14,991

2004 Honda S2000 Roadster..V255772A, Gray, 36,661 Miles...................$19,792

2014 Chrysler 200 LX............#VPR0139, Grey, 33,534 Miles...................$14,991

2013 Jetta Sportswagen TDI..V055283A, Black, 30,101 Miles.................$20,992

2013 Nissan Altima...............V303606A, Silver, 49,926 Miles..................$15,871

2012 Chevrolet Equinox AWD...#V099935A, Blue, 38,419 Miles.................$21,991

2013 VW Beetle.......................V801398, Yellow, 16,020 Miles...................$16,293

2014 Routan SEL.....................VP0130, Blue, 18,268 Miles.......................$25,993

2011 Jetta TDI..........................#V005099A, Black, 71,951 Miles...............$16,991

2013 CC VR6 4Motion............VP0131, Black, 33,105 Miles.....................$25,993

All prices & payments exclude tax, tags, title, freight and $300 processing fee. Cannot be combined with any previous advertised or internet special. Pictures are for illustrative purposes only. Special APR financing cannot be combined with sale prices. Ends 05/31/15.

Search Gazette.Net/Autos

Ourisman VW of Laurel 3371 Fort Meade Road, Laurel

1.855.881.9197 • www.ourismanvw.com

Online Chat Available...24 Hour Website • Hours Mon-Fri 9 am-9 pm • Sat 9 am-8 pm

G560902

Looking for a new convertible?

Page B-12

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

Page B-13

DARCARS NISSAN

DARCARS VOLVO OF ROCKVILLE 2002 Honda Civic EX

2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT

2011 GMC Terrain SLE-1

2001 Nissan Quest GXE

6,995

#P9279A, Automatic, Clean Inside and Out

13,995

#P9232A, 6 spd Manual 3.8 V6 Convertible, Only 35K Miles, Fun Car!!!

2010 Camry Hybrid

2007 XC90

5,977

#442076A, Automatic, Gently Driven $ and Priced to Move!

14,995

#P9276A, Auto, Locally Owned and Well Maintained,

2010 Nissan Rogue SL

14,995

#G0063,ONLY 54K mi, 2.4L 4cyl,Auto

15,995

2010 Volvo XC60 3.0 Turbo AWD 2013 KIA Optima SX Turbo

#P9371, 1-OWNER, Heated Front Seats, Bluetooth, Alloys

13,977

$16,995

2008 Nissan Xterra S 4WD

19,950

#526571C, 1-Owner, Leather, HEATED SEATS, Panoramic roof, Alloys, Beautifully Kept!

2012 Honda CRV EX-L AWD

19,995

2012 Volvo S60 T6 R Design

14,977

23,950

#P9308, CERTIFIED, Turbo, AWD, Leather, Sunroof

24,980

2012 Nissan Leaf SL NAV Hatchback

#P9327, ONLY 12K MILES!! Certified, Auto, Looks New!

15,977

23,980

2011 Volvo XC90 AWD Platinum

2010 Chevy Equinox LTZ $

14,777

#P9311, CERTIFIED!!, Only 26K Miles,Nav,Rear Camera, Leather, $ Sunroof, Premium Sound

#532188C, Nav, Leather, Sunroof, Loaded #P9369, 1-Owner, Leather, Sunroof, Alloys , Only 32K Miles!

2012 Hyundai Veloster #E0647A,Nav, Panoramic Roof, Leather, Loaded, Fun to drive

2011 Volvo S80 3.2L

#541214A, 1-OWNER, Only 74K Miles, Well kept!! #G0061, Only 62K mi!!,Leather, Panoramic moonroof, Alloys

12,977

2013 Hyundai Sonata SE

#541149A, Auto, Sunroof, Alloys 525586B, ONLY 77k Miles!! 6 cyl, clean inside & out!

2014 Chevrolet Sonic LS

#442078A, Only 5K Miles!!!, Automatic, Why Buy New?

#P9384,CERTIFIED!! Only 23K Miles,Nav, Rear Camera, Leather, Sunroof, Premium Sound,

15,977

2011 Hyundai Sonata Limited

16,977

#548040A, 1-Owner, Loaded, Sunroof, Leather, Clean!!

29,980

2011 Volvo C30 Turbo Coupe.............................. $11,995 2012 Acura TSX Wagon............................................... $21,950 #526588B, Black, Fun to drive, Well maintained inside & out!

# 527003A, 1-Owner, Only 27K Miles! Leather, Sunroof, Bluetooth, Alloys

2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee.................................... $11,995 2010 Volvo XC60 3.2L...........................$18,950 #P9310A, 1-Owner, Super Low Miles 61K, V8, SNRF, Alloys, Gray

2010 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

#P9277, 1-Owner, Leather, Moonroof, Bluetooth

#541161A, Hard-to-Find, 1-Owner, Loaded, Leather, Sunroof

2011 Mini Cooper S........................................................... $14,995 2012 Volvo S60 T5 Turbo......................$19,980 #P9243B, 1-Owner, Turbo, Auto, Leather, Well Maintained

16,777

2011 Mazda CX-7 #547519A, 1-Owner, Beautiful Inside & Out, Well Maintained

15,977

#P9315, CERTIFIED!! Only 30K Miles, Leather, Sunroof, Homelink

2010 Volvo XC60 3.2L..................................................... $17,950 2012 Volvo XC90 Premier Plus...........$25,980 #P9263, 1-Owner, Only 52K Miles! Panormic Moonroof, Well prices and clean!

DARCARS

#429033A, 1-OWNER, CERTIFIED Leather, 3RD Row seat, Moonroof, Well Maintained

VOLVO

G560934

2011 Kia Sorento SX

#587010B, Auto, Navigation, Panoramic Roof, AWD

15401 Frederick Rd, Rockville, MD

www.darcarsvolvo.com

YOUR GOOD CREDIT RESTORED HERE

G560898

DARCARS

2008 Nissan 350 Z Touring #548505A, Low Miles!!, V6, Auto, Leather, Alloys

16,977

www.DARCARSnissan.com

1.888.824.9165 See what it’s like to love car buying.

17,977

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!

Page B-14

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 g

DARCARS NISSAN TWO LOCATIONS

Rockville

College Park

15911 Indianola Drive Rockville, MD 20855 888-797-1831 2015 NISSAN

2015 NISSAN

Versa S Sedan

MSRP: $14,685 Nissan Rebate $400 Sale Price: $11,395

$ 4

automatic transmission MODEL #11115

AT THIS PRICE

ALTIMA 2.5 S

39 MO LEASE DOWN 12K MILES/YR

16,995

AT THIS PRICE

MODEL #13115 4 at this price

159/MO

36 MO LEASE DOWN 12K MILES/YR

2015 NISSAN

LEAF S

MSRP: $32,000 Sale Price: $27, 995 NMAC Bonus Cash: $3,500

$ with charger package MODEL #17015

AT THIS PRICE

MODEL #11615

13,995 OR

169/MO

36 MO LEASE DOWN 12K MILES/YR

149

AT THIS PRICE

MODEL #12115

NV200

/MO 36 MO LEASE DOWN 12K MILES/YR

AVAILABLE ON BRAND NEW: 2015 ALTIMAS, 2015 SENTRAS, 2015 ARMADAS, 2015 TITANS, 2015 LEAFS! 2015 NISSAN

MSRP: $32,455 Sale Price: $27,995 Nissan Rebate: $1,500 NMAC Bonus Cash: $500

PATHFINDER 4X4 S

$ 4

AT THIS PRICE

MODEL #25015

AT THIS PRICE

269/MO

36 MO LEASE DOWN 12K MILES/YR

17,495 279

MODEL #67115

/MO 36 MO LEASE DOWN 12K MILES/YR

2015 NISSAN

MURANO S AWD MSRP: $33,045 Sale Price: $28,495

25,995

MSRP: $22,045 Sale Price: $18,245 Nissan Customer Cash: $750

0% APR X 72 MONTHS

229/MO

36 MO LEASE DOWN 12K MILES/YR

14,495

2015 NISSAN

24,495 OR

169/MO

MSRP: $19,305 Sale Price: $15,745 Nissan Rebate $1,000 NMAC Bonus Cash: $250

SENTRA SV

MSRP: $23,935 Sale Price: $19,495 Nissan Customer Cash: -$1,000 Altima Bonus Cash: -$500 NMAC Bonus Cash: -$1000

2015 NISSAN

MSRP: $17,600 Sale Price: $14,895 Nissan Customer Cash: $400 NMAC Bonus Cash: $500

VERSA NOTE SV

10,995

9330 Baltimore Ave College Park, MD 20740 888-693-8037

AT THIS PRICE

28,495

MODEL #23015

339

/MO 36 MO LEASE DOWN 12K MILES/YR

SEE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LOVE CAR BUYING

DARCARS NISSAN OF ROCKVILLE

DARCARS NISSAN OF COLLEGE PARK

www.DARCARSnissan.com

www.DARCARSnissanofcollegepark.com

Prices include all rebates and incentives. DARCARS Nissan DOES NOT Include college grad or military rebates in price! NMAC Bonus Cash require financing through NMAC with approved credit. Prices exclude tax, tags, freight (Cars $810, SUVs and Trucks $860-$1000) and $300 processing charge, Lease payments are calculated with tax, tags, freight, $300 processing charge and first payment due at signing, and are valid with tier one approval through NMAC. Prices and payments valid only at listed VINS. See dealer for details. Offer expires 05/25/2015. G560932

NEW 2015 HIGHLANDER LE 1 AVAILABLE: #563287

28,390

4 CYL., AUTO, 4 DR

NEW22015 RAV4 4X2 LE AVAILABLE: #564399, 564398

20,890

4 CYL., AUTOMATIC

2015 PRIUS C II

355 TOYOTA

2 AVAILABLE: #577511, 577476

MEMORIAL DAY 149/MO** $

SPECIALS

DARCARS

See what it’s like to love car buying

NEW 2015 CAMRY LE

3 AVAILABLE: #572183, 572187, 572081

159/

MO**

18,990

NEW 2015 TACOMA 4X2 XTRACAB 2 AVAILABLE: #567184, 567181

$0 DOWN

AUTO, 4 CYL., 4 DR

18,890

3 DR. H/BK, MANUAL TRANS

AFTER TOYOTA $1,000 REBATE

NEW 2015 COROLLA L 2 AVAILABLE: #570717, 570731

14,590

4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL. INCL.

AFTER $750 REBATE

MONTHS+ % 0 FOR 60 On 10 Toyota Models

1-888-831-9671

$0 DOWN

149/MO**

2015 COROLLA LE

15625 Frederick Rd (Rte 355) • Rockville, MD OPEN SUNDAY VISIT US ON THE WEB AT www.355Toyota.com PRICES AND PAYMENTS INCLUDE ANY APPLICABLE MANUFACTURE’S REBATES AND EXCLUDE MILITARY ($500) AND COLLEGE GRAD ($500) REBATES, TAX, TAGS, DEALER PROCESSING CHARGE ($300) AND FREIGHT: CARS $795 OR $810, TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY AND SIENNAS $810, $845 AND $995. *0.0% 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 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 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. LEASES FOR COROLLA AND CAMRY ARE 24 MONTHS WITH $0 DOWN PLUS TAX, TAGS, FREIGHT, PROCESSING AND $650 ACQUISITION FEE. SEE DEALER FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. EXPIRES 5/26/2015.

4 CYL., 4 DR., AUTO

2 AVAILABLE: #570375, 570343

$0 DOWN G560907

13,590

MANUAL, 4 CYL

2014 SCION XB 2 AVAILABLE: #455033, 455044

NEW 2015 YARIS #577009

4 CYL., AUTO

AFTER TOYOTA $750 REBATE

NEW 2015 CAMRY LE

4 CYL., AUTO, 4 DR

AFTER TOYOTA $750 REBATE

AFTER $750 REBATE

2 AVAILABLE: #572152, 572074

$0 DOWN

139/MO**

4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL