THE GAZETTE
Page A-4
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 g
AROUND THE COUNTY
Branson named newest council member Hill staffer will finish Ervin’s term in District 5 n
BY
RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER
Silver Spring resident Cherri Branson will serve out the remainder of former Councilwoman Valerie Ervin’s term on the Montgomery County Council after being unanimously chosen by the other councilmembers Tuesday. The position opened up when Ervin resigned Jan. 3 to take a job as the chief executive of the Working Families Coalition, a New York-based nonprofit advocacy organization. Branson currently serves as chief oversight counsel for the Committee on Homeland Security working for the committee’s ranking member, Rept. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss).
In a statement Tuesday, she said she was honored to be nominated, and pledged to work hard to represent the voters of District 5, which includes Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Burtonsville. Branson said she was familiar with many of the issues facing the district, but Branson would work to quickly get up to speed on other issues. Branson will retain members of Ervin’s staff, who can help in her transition. In an interview earlier this month, she said she thinks her experience as a congressional aide will help her get started quickly on the council. It has also taught her the im-
portance of compromise in getting things accomplished, she said. Branson had previously served on the county’s Charter Review Commission and the Commission on Redistricting. Branson was nominated by Councilwoman Nancy Navarro (DDist. 4) of Silver Spring, who said she thinks Branson would make an excellent addition to the council. Council Vice President George Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park moved that the nomination by acclimation, a suggestion the other council members supported. Branson was one of 18 candidates who applied for the open seat, 14 of whom were interviewed by the council. Councilman Hans Riemer (DAt large) of Takoma Park complemented the people who applied. “It was really a testament to a great tradition of citizen engagement here in Montgomery County,”
Riemer said. Branson will serve out the remainder of Ervin’s term, which ends Dec. 1. Candidates for the appointment were asked to agree not to run for reelection in November. The race for the new term has drawn plenty of speculation among Montgomery political observers. Silver Spring Democrat Jeffrey Thames was the only candidate to file as of Tuesday, according to the state Board of Elections. Evan Glass, chairman of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board has expressed his intention to run, while Del. Tom Hucker (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring and Board of Education member Christopher S. Barclay are among those who have said they’re considering running for the seat. rmarshall@gazette.net
‘It’s a ... ’: Ultrasound company delivers the news Baby Joy 3D/4D brings special moment into the home n
BY
ALINE BARROS STAFF WRITER
Baby Joy 3-D/4-D Mobile Ultrasound promises expecting mothers and fathers a personal and intimate experience — finding out their in utero baby’s sex — away from a doctor’s office. Baby Joy 3D/4D Ultrasound, a Silver Spring business, was an idea that grew from a mother of two who believes seeing a baby in the womb is a special bonding moment. “I see pregnant women every day. ... Some of them want to show the pictures to their husbands that couldn’t make it to the doctor’s office ... or they want to show the pictures to the grandparents who were watching the kids at home,” Betelhem Seleshi said. And that’s when Seleshi thought: Why not bring the experience to people’s homes? On Sunday, Seleshi went to a baby shower party in Silver Spring at which the baby’s sex would be revealed. The expecting mother, Deisy Izquierdo, did not know Seleshi was coming. When Seleshi walked in the house, Izquierdo was so surprised, she couldn’t hold back her excitement, cheering when Seleshi entered the living room. Izquierdo has two daughters — Lucia, 6, and Hannah, 4 — with her husband, Josue Izquierdo. The Izquierdo family now was hoping for a baby boy. The ultrasound machine is hooked up to a television. The mother then lies on a couch, while Seleshi puts ultrasound gel on the mother’s pregnant belly. More than 30 people witnessed Seleshi’s ultrasound. Some exclaimed, “How beautiful” and “Look at the hands” and “The baby is waving.” Seleshi finally typed in the ultrasound machine: It’s a boy! The whole experience can take 15 to 30 minutes. “This is incredible. ... We have been hoping for a boy,” Deizy Izquierdo said. The tears flowed in a room filled with grandparents, uncles, cousins and close friends. “This is better than watching the Super Bowl,” Josue Izquierdo said. When families react, Seleshi is moved, too. “For me, I get so satisfied
[and] I get emotional,” she said. On a busy weekend, Seleshi visits up to four clients at their homes. Seleshi said she thinks her company is the only one of its kind in the Washington area. It performs ultrasounds at the client’s convenience. It might be a baby shower, a sexrevealing party, or just an intimate moment between the parents and close family members. Seleshi has portable equipment — approximately the size of a laptop — that can be connected to a big-screen TV. She also carries a projector. The mobile ultrasound packages vary from $150 to $250. That gives clients 10 to 30 minutes of 2-D, 3-D or 4-D session, color printed pictures, and a DVD with the entire session. According to the Baby Joy 3D/4D website, ultrasound in an elective, noninvasive procedure offers a “peek” inside the womb. Conventional 2-D ultrasound returns a black-and-white image of the fetus. The 3-D ultrasound uses advanced technology to capture a detailed image. A 4-D ultrasound includes a video image of the fetus. Seleshi said gender verification can be done in any package, but only if the parents want to know. She can do the ultrasound and not say what the gender is. Seleshi, a Silver Spring resident, is certified through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography and specialized in obstetrics/prenatal ultrasound. She holds a bachelor’s in sonography from Georgetown University. For nine years, she has performed thousands of ultrasound services in women with highrisk pregnancies, she said. Seleshi said a mom-to-be does not need to get a doctor’s permission for the ultrasound, but she requires that a client be under doctor’s care. Seleshi said she needed about $36,000 to start her business. It took about 10 months to get the venture fully running. Her first client was seen Nov. 23. Since then, she has been booked every weekend, she said. She still works Monday through Friday at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring. “I have a good amount of clients every weekend. ... People that I scan say to me, ‘I wish I had known about this business before,’” Seleshi said. abarros@gazette.net
InBrief County seeks election judges for primary The Montgomery County Board of Elections seeks registered voters to work as election judges at polling places for the June 24 primary election. The county typically employes about 3,500 judges for each election. The judges must be registered voters in Maryland; be able to speak, read and write the English language; and, while acting as a judge, not hold, or be a candidate for, public or party office. Also, election judges may not be a campaign manager for a candidate or treasurer for any campaign financial entity. Also, bilingual election judges, especially those fluent in Spanish, and election judge alternates are needed around the county. The application process requires both an online quiz and hands-on training. The application deadline is 21 business days before the election. The judges will be paid at rates that vary by position, as listed at 777vote.org. For example, roamers — “tech savvy” individuals who are assigned to a route of six to 10 nearby polling precincts and who deal with equipment and other issues, according to the website — are paid the most, $300, including training. But that job entails working up to 20 hours on the election day, starting at 5 a.m. Greeters, on the other hand, are paid $60 per seven-hour shift.
County and Rockville plan race forum The Montgomery County and city of Rockville Human Rights commissions will hold a public forum on race, community and ethnic relations in the county. “Do you think a Trayvon Martin-type incident could occur in Montgomery County?” will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe St., Rockville. Moderated by Sheryl Brissett Chapman, executive director for the National Center for Children and Families, a group of relations experts and other participants will have the opportunity to share viewpoints on race and community relations. The death of Trayvon Martin, which took place two years ago in Sanford, Fla., will be a point of reference throughout the discussion, as participants discuss what their actions would be in a similar situation. For more information, call James Stowe, director of the Office of Human Rights, at 240777-8490.
Jewish group offers employment classes The Jewish Council for the Aging will offer Career Gateway classes starting Feb. 10 at 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville. The classes are for job-seekers older than 50. The program comprises 30 hours of group instruction over five non-consecutive days in two weeks, take-home materials, a post-course job club and one-on-one mentoring. The cost is $75. For more information, email Ellen Greenberg at egreenberg@AccessJCA.org or call 301255-4215.
POLICE BLOTTER
Deisy Izquierdo, 21 weeks pregnant, has an ultrasound at her baby shower Sunday in Silver Spring. Izquierdo, holding her husband’s hand, reacts to the images.
Complete report at www.gazette.net 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.
Aggravated Assault • On Jan. 10 at 3:45 p.m. in the 19700 block of Germantown Road, Germantown. The subject is known to the victim. Residential Burglary • 18900 block of Port Haven Place, Germantown, between 11 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Jan. 10. Forced entry, took property. • 19100 block of Warrior Brook Drive, Germantown, between 6:30 and 7 p.m. Jan. 10. Forced entry, took property. • 13300 block of Country Ridge Drive, Germantown, at 11 a.m. Jan. 13. Attempted forced entry, took nothing. • 18200 block of Smoke House Court, Germantown, between 6:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Jan. 14. No forced entry, took property.
PHOTOS BY TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Josue Izquierdo reacts to the news during his wife’s baby shower Sunday in Silver Spring.
Vehicle Larceny • Two incidents near Brundidge Terrace and Drumcastle Court, Germantown, on Jan. 13 or 14. Unlocked vehicles, took a laptop, an iPod, a backpack, DVDs and clothing. • Three incidents in the parking lot of Golds Gym, 19719 Frederick Road, Germantown. Forced entry, took purses and a cellphone.