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FLIGHT of IMAGINATION

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Round House play details girl’s approach to life’s challenges. B-5

The Gazette SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNT Y

DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

25 cents

The first year of

‘dreamers’ DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE

Josue Faguiluz, a student at Montgomery College, plans to go to the University of Maryland under the Maryland Dream Act.

200 immigrant students have registered at Montgomery College under the Maryland Dream Act n

I

ALINE BARROS

BY

STAFF WRITER

n the first year that undocumented immigrants could get in-county tuition rates at local colleges, 200 registered at Montgomery College under the Maryland Dream Act. That’s almost half the number that an analysis by the Maryland Department of Legislative Services had predicted at the college by 2013. An analysis attached to the bill that passed allowing the tuition change estimated that 366 full-time undocumented students would qualify for in-county tuition at Montgomery College. The Maryland Dream Act was approved by the legislature in 2011. It was petitioned to referendum, then affirmed in the Nov. 6, 2012, election, passing with more than 58 percent of statewide votes. College officials said that after the law passed, they were in a “mad dash” trying to get information together for the upcoming spring 2013 students, as they tried to reach every student who would be eligible under the new law. “Students came in and identified themselves and provided the forms that we needed to process,” said Melissa Gregory, chief of enrollment services and a financial aid officer at Montgomery College. The law exempts undocumented students who attended and graduated from Maryland high schools from paying outof-state or out out-of-county rates at colleges in Maryland. Gregory said the biggest challenge after the Dream Act passed was to identify the students eligible under the bill. “We don’t ask students to identify their status in that way, so we had to look for students that had missing information

See DREAMERS, Page A-12

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

With air temperatures in the low teens, Jose Velasquez of Wheaton bundles up Tuesday while waiting for a bus to arrive outside the Wheaton Metro station.

Mother Nature gives county the

COLD SHOULDER

Emergency shelters open; power outages and water main breaks pop up

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BY JENN DAVIS, TERRI HOGAN AND SYLVIA CARIGNAN STAFF WRITERS

A blast of windy, arctic air Tuesday spurred Montgomery County officials to keep emergency shelters open for the homeless and sparked a string of power outages and water main breaks. Temperatures throughout the region hovered in the low single digits early Tuesday, accord-

Rockville appeals court order to release part of Ewing report Employee bringing suit against the city wants to see investigation results n

BY

ELIZABETH WAIBEL STAFF WRITER

A judge has ordered the city of Rockville to produce portions of a confidential report of an investigation into employee complaints so it can be used as evidence in a lawsuit, but the

SPORTS

COMING UP SHORT

Richard Montgomery, Winston Churchill speedskaters fail to qualify for Olympics.

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city is not yet ready to reveal any of it. Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Sharon V. Burrell ordered the city to let plaintiff Donald Dorsey, who is suing the city, see portions of the summaries of interviews with five people included in the report, according to court records. Attorneys for the city have filed a notice of appeal. Dorsey, a Rockville public works employee, sued the city last year, saying he was dis-

criminated against because he is black. Dorsey’s lawsuit came a few months after the city said it would not release a report by Saul Ewing LLP, the firm Rockville hired to investigate employee complaints and review its personnel policies. The firm conducted more than 40 interviews as part of its investigation, but found no unlawful conduct, city officials said. The investigation followed a series of articles

See REPORT, Page A-12

NEWS

BUCKING THE NATIONAL TREND County volunteer fire services are healthy, growing and saving taxpayers millions

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Parents, students protest school decision to open in cold

ing to National Weather Service meteorologist Howard Silverman. Low temperatures early Wednesday would be about 5, but with winds lighter than Tuesday’s, he said. Highs Wednesday will be in the mid- to upper 20s; Tuesday’s high temperature hit only the low teens. Temperatures are forecast to moderate further during the week, with highs in the 50s expected this weekend. Montgomery County on Tuesday implemented a hypothermia plan, said Mary Anderson, a spokeswoman with the county’s health and human services

Montgomery County Public Schools opened on time Tuesday as the region faced record cold temperatures, sparking concern and complaints from some parents, students and others. Many took to social media, sending Twitter messages to Superintendent Joshua P. Starr and the school system about their disappointment that school openings were not delayed by the bitter temperatures. The temperature in Gaithersburg dipped to 1 degree Tuesday morning, according to Weatherbug observa-

See COLD, Page A-15

See PROTEST, Page A-15

BY

LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER

Forehand wants Maryland to raise its smoking age to 21 District 17 lawmakers preview 2014 session in Rockville

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BY

ELIZABETH WAIBEL STAFF WRITER

A Maryland lawmaker wants people to wait until they are older before they can legally buy or smoke a pack of cigarettes. State Sen. Jennie M. Fore-

Automotive Business Calendar Classified Entertainment Opinion School News Sports Please

hand (D-Dist. 17) of Rockville said she plans to introduce a bill this year to raise the legal smoking age to 21. Forehand spoke during a Monday Rockville Mayor and Council meeting. She and other representatives for District 17, which includes Gaithersburg and Rockville, were at the meeting to discuss the 2014 General Assembly session with city officials. Currently, the legal smoking age in Maryland is 18. Mi-

nors violating the law can be fined up to $25 for the first violation and up to $100 for a second or subsequent violation, according to the Maryland Attorney General website. Forehand said she has pushed for anti-smoking laws because of her father, who died of lung cancer brought on by secondhand smoke. She already has pre-filed a bill for this session that would pro-

See FOREHAND, Page A-12

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T H E G AZ ET T E

Page A-2

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

PEOPLE& PLACES More online at www.gazette.net

Rare snowy owl visits Rockville pet store A Montgomery County pet store recently had an unusual visitor: a snowy owl, far more commonly seen on the tundra north of the Arctic Circle in Canada than in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Ruth Hanessian owns Animal Exchange in Rockville, a pet store that specializes in birds and small mammals. A friend stopped by in late December with a snowy owl and a great horned owl, which were being transported from an unsafe area to a place where they could be safely released, she said. “They are gorgeous, they are breathtaking, they are wonderful,” Hanessian said of the snowy owls. “They’re one of the most lovely birds in the whole world. ... I was so excited, I could hardly stand by the time it was time to go.” Snowy owls typically live far to the north, in Canada or Alaska, but sometimes travel farther south. Occasionally, an unusually large number of birds travels much farther south, even into Maryland, in what is known as an irruption. Hanessian said scientists aren’t quite sure why the birds are this far south, although they may have had an especially successful breeding season or had competition for food in Canada. Whatever the cause, snowy owls have recently surprised people who spotted them in Baltimore, the Washington, D.C., region and Southern Maryland. “This happens to be the year

for irruption of snowy owls, and they’re finding them as far south, I understand, as North Carolina,” Hanessian said. David Brinker, a regional ecologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, said this many snowy owls probably have not been seen in the area in 40 to 50 years. “This year, we’re sort of up to our armpits in them,” he said, laughing. “That’s a relative term. In Maryland, most years you never see a snowy owl.” Brinker started a website called Project SNOWstorm with colleagues throughout the region to track the owls’ migration. He said scientists in the Arctic this year reported phenomenal reproductive success among snowy owls. When winter comes, adults stay up in the Arctic and juveniles that can’t compete with them for food start moving south. “They’re just flooding into the states here,” he said. “... This is a huge natural history event.” When the owls travel into more densely populated areas, however, they can run afoul of human inventions such as cars and airplanes, which is why licensed trappers sometimes catch and quickly relocate them to safer areas. Brinker said airports routinely hire someone to trap raptors and relocate them away from the airports. Because snowy owls are from the Arctic, Brinker said, they like open spaces, such as some areas around the Great Lakes and agricultural land.

EVENTS

GALLERY

Wootton High goaltender Jake Mitchell defends against Churchill during a hockey game on Friday at the Rockville Ice Arena. Go to clicked.Gazette.net. SPORTS Springbrook visits Sherwood in a 4A North boys basketball matchup Friday.

THURSDAY, JAN. 9 Smart Start: Entrepreneur 101,

1:30-5 p.m., Wheaton Business Innovation Center, Wheaton Building South, 11002 Viers Mill Road, Suite 700, Wheaton. $50. 301-403-0501. Hidden Books: Art of Kumi Korf, 7:30 p.m., Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park. 301-891-7266.

FRIDAY, JAN. 10 Orientation to Maryland Women’s Business Center and Small Business Resources, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Rockville

Economic Development, 95 Monroe St., Rockville. Free. 301-315-8096. ABC’s of Starting a Business, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Rockville Economic Development, 95 Monroe St., Rockville. $10. 301-315-8096.

SATURDAY, JAN. 11 Imagine Summer: Camp Sampler,

9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda. Free. 301961-6060. Montgomery County Watershed and Maryland EPA: What Can We Do As Individuals, 10:15-11:30 a.m., Fox

Hill, 8300 Burdette Road, Bethesda. Free. 301-968-4741. Teen Book Club, noon, Chevy Chase Library, 8005 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase. Free. 240-7739590.

The Be Secular Conversation Series: Common Ground Activism, 1-4

p.m., Johns Hopkins Montgomery County campus, 9601 Medical Center Drive, Rockville. $20. 443-370-7420. Hammers, Mallets and Brass Trio, 3-4 p.m., Marilyn J. Praisner Library, 14910 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville. Free. 240-773-9460. Why Don’t My Kids Listen to Me?, 3-4:30 p.m., Parent Encouragement Program, 10100 Connecticut Ave., Kensington. Free. 301-929-8824.

The Ben Allison Band Master Class,

4-6 p.m., CityDance Studio Education

SUN

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north to breed and hunt lemmings on the tundra. Even a brief visit from the birds was a treat for Hanessian. “It was such an opportunity to see this magnificent bird in a situation where it was being moved for its own safety, where it was being handled properly,” she said. Hanessian said that for her, the visit was “one for the books.” “How many pet stores have a snowy owl sitting out in front?” she said.

ConsumerWatch Why do some packages shipped through UPS end up being delivered by the U.S. Postal Service?

LIZ CRENSHAW

“Lore” Screening with Cinema Art Bethesda, 10 a.m.,

Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda. $15. 301-365-3679.

MORE INTERACTIVE CALENDAR ITEMS AT WWW.GAZETTE.NET Room, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Free, tickets required. 301581-5145. “Gideon’s Army” Screening, 7-9 p.m., River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Road, Bethesda. Free. 301-229-0400.

SUNDAY, JAN. 12 We Can Marry Now — Now What?,

2-4 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring, 10309 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring. Free. lgbtqchair@uucss.org.

Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C., 2:30-4:30 p.m., Bethesda-Chevy

Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda. Free. 301320-6979.

Liz’s response arrives right on time.

WeekendWeather

World Folk Music Association Showcase, 7 p.m., El Golfo Restaurant,

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 301-670-2070.

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

LAURA VILLARREAL

A snowy owl spreads its wings outside Animal Exchange, a pet store in Rockville. The rare migratory visitor from the Arctic, part of what’s called an irruption — a sudden increase in the population of a species — was on its way to be released in a safe area. Snowy owls sometimes sit on the ground, Hanessian said, and people mistake them for trash. “The people who are finding them think they are looking at a plastic bag, then they realize they are looking at a snowy owl,” she said. “... Anybody who’s driving needs to watch for plastic bags that may be snowy owls.” The owls’ sojourn in Maryland is likely temporary. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, snowy owls typically fly far to the

FRIDAY

8739 Flower Ave., Silver Spring. $20. 301-608-2121.

SATURDAY

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School, 1513 Dunster Road, Rockville. Free. 301-762-2143.

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Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Main phone: 301-948-3120 Circulation: 301-670-7350

Innovation Center, Wheaton Building South, 11002 Viers Mill Road, Suite 700, Wheaton. $50. 301-403-0501. Afternoon Grief Support Group, 1-2:30 p.m., Faith United Methodist Church, 6810 Montrose Road, Rockville. Free, registration required. 301921-4400.

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DEATHS James William Hale James William Hale, 90, of Germantown, died Dec. 29, 2013. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Jan. 3 at St. Frances Cabrini Church in Pennsylvania. Hilton Funeral Home in Barnesville handled the arrangements.

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For Store Hours And Locations www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dlc

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The Gazette – 9030 Comprint Court

How to Write a Winning Business Plan, 10-12:30 p.m., Wheaton Business

a.m., Glenbrook Cooperative Nursery School, 10010 Fernwood Road, Bethesda. Free. 301-365-3190.

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GAZETTE CONTACTS

TUESDAY, JAN. 14

Preschool Open House, 9:30-11

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NBCWashington.com

Parklawn Drive, Rockville. 301-3092444.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15

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Pain Connection DMV Chronic Pain Support Group, 1-2:30 p.m., 12320

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SUNDAY

MONDAY, JAN. 13

MONTGOMERY COUNTY LIQUOR / WINE SALE 1/08/14 Thru 1/24/14 Now Open Seneca Meadows

A&E For wine lovers, a pinot vacation is worth the trip.

Hugh Montgomery Rabbitt, passed away on December 22, 2013. A memorial service will be held on January 18, 2014, 11am at the Rockville Christian Church, 301 Adclare Road, Rockville, Maryland. 1913042


T HE G AZ ET T E

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

Page A-3

LOCAL

Council expected to issue order for Silver Spring land swap Move will allow county’s Progress Place Project to proceed with ‘micro-units’ for the homeless n

BY

ALINE BARROS STAFF WRITER

Montgomery County is expected to move forward with a land swap that will net 42 small apartments for the homeless in a new building in Silver Spring. The swap is part of the Progress Place Project, which will have the current property on Colonial Lane developed into a high-rise residential building. According to county offi-

that houses Shepherd’s Table — a nonprofit that provides the homeless and those in need with basic services including meals, social services, medical support and clothing — and Community Vision, which provides support, advocacy, education and training for the homeless in the county to empower them to achieve independence. The services are based out of a property on Colonial Lane in Silver Spring. The county has planned to move it to a location about a block away behind Fire Station 1 on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. The project was first planned to be a three-story building, but because the facil-

cials, the County Council will issue an executive order of declaration of surplus — allowing officials to dispose public property at a market value disposition — at a council session Tuesday. During a Silver Spring Advisory meeting on Dec. 9, Greg Ossont, deputy director of the county’s Department of General Services, said the county is moving forward with the project. “It is an exciting project. It creates a lot of opportunities for the Ripley district in between railroad tracks and Georgia Avenue ... just south of the transit center,” Ossont said. Progress Place is a facility owned by Montgomery County

“very small micro-units with their own bathroom and shower and small kitchenette,” according to Ossont. County officials said the lease term of these apartments will be similar to that of a regular apartment building, and they are single-occupant apartments. The current facility on Colonial Lane does not have any living quarters. The new facility will be planned, designed and constructed by the developer, which will relocate the current facility at no cost to the county. In return, the county would transfer three properties that make up the current site to the

ity could be built to five floors, the Montgomery County Council had asked county officials to find a way to add about 20 units each on the fourth and fifth floors, The request is projected to cost about $10.2 million, according to a Dec. 3 county document. “We’ve taken a lot of time and a few steps back to evaluate the need and evaluate the cost of housing, and had a lot of conversations with the County Council on this matter. We are happy to move forward,” Ossont said. The developer, Washington Property Co. of Bethesda, would replace the actual building with a new facility, which would add 42 personal living quarters,

developer. The three properties — 1014 Ripley St., 8206 Colonial Lane and 8210 Colonial Lane — are valued at about $11 million, according to a county memo. The base building estimate for the new three-story facility is about $13.5 million. “We are going to pay for that residential [part] and developers are going to pay for the new facility,” Ossont said. According to officials, property negotiations are underway, but they confirmed that Washington Property Co. plans to build a high-rise residential building. abarros@gazette.net

Bethesda woman’s company delivers organic baby food For each jar sold, Baby SLOP donates one to a local food bank n

BY

ADRIA KENNIER

SARAH SCULLY

n Age: 38

STAFF WRITER

n Position: Founder

Adria Kinnier of Bethesda has always fed her kids “grown-up food” — when they were babies she often would puree whatever she and her husband, Alex, were eating. They got used to vegetables, herbs and spices, and when at 18 months her son Carter ate all his brussels sprouts and ignored the pizza on his plate, she knew she was onto something. So she started Baby SLOP with this idea in mind, to help other parents fighting with their children to get them to eat vegetables at the dinner table. SLOP stands for seasonal, local, organic puree. “If there were more adult flavors available in baby food, that would just be nonexistent for other parents,” Kinnier said. She also was wary of store-bought baby food that was older than her child. The company launched in September, delivering products for children 6 to 12 months. Kinnier buys, cooks, packages and delivers the fresh baby food herself, working out of a commercial kitchen in Bethesda. She offers purees such as red lentils with purple kale, garlic and fire-free curry, and rutabaga with caramelized shallots, all organic. Beets are one vegetable she’s found surprisingly popular among babies. She suspects they like the beets’ vibrant colors. Many parents, she finds, are excited by the idea of feeding their young children fresh organic produce, but enthusiasm doesn’t necessarily translate into time and energy to make baby food at home. “I think a lot of parents like the convenience of getting the freshest local food to their babies,” Kinnier said. She delivers all over the Washington metropolitan area, mostly inside the Capital Beltway, and she’s found a lot of parents like having the SLOP

n Professional Affiliations: Think Local First D.C. business member n Education: B.S., biology, Lafayette College n Family: Husband Alex, daughter Claire, 6, and son Carter, 4 n Activities away from work: Crossfit, playing tennis, spending time outside with Claire and Carter, and trying new restaurants PHOTO FROM ADRIA KINNIER

“I think there’s something very human about eating what’s available when it’s available,” says Baby SLOP founder Adria Kinnier, with her daughter, Claire. delivered to their downtown office buildings. This winter could pose a challenge, when there are fewer seasonal vegetables available. She might order vegetables from small organic growers in California, where her family lived before moving to Bethesda in 2012. But Kinnier plans to use what local farms can grow and store and get creative with mixing in different spices and grains for variety. “I think there’s something very human about eating what’s available when it’s available,” she said.

She gets most of her produce from three organic farms on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and in Pennsylvania that visit the Bethesda farmers market. So far she has stuck to vegetables, as there are fewer local organic fruit growers in the area. Baby SLOP also delivers its puree in reusable BPA-free jars. It’s available in two types — purees for 6- to 8-monthold children and chewier blends for 8- to 12-month-olds. Twice-a-week deliveries include three 4-ounce jars of purees, six total, for $30; for the blends, customers receive six jars, 12 total, at $60 per week.

For every jar of baby food the company sells, it donates a jar to a local food bank to mitigate food insecurity and help more babies in the area access healthful food. Kinnier finds her customers “like slowing down the food process,” she said. “I think it gives them a sense of comfort” to know where the food is coming from. “It’s really great to see how the D.C. area is moving toward slower food,” Kinnier said. “I find it very exciting to see that wave of people appreciating the local farms who are working hard to grow things here.” sscully@gazette.net

n Last book read: “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants,” by Malcolm Gladwell n Best business advice received: From her husband, Alex: “He’s always advised me not to be afraid to fail and when you do fail, fail fast and keep going.”

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T H E G AZ ET T E

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Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

Teen collapses, dies while playing indoor soccer game 14-year-old boy was eighth-grader at St. Bartholomew School in Bethesda

n

BY KRISTA BRICK STAFF WRITER

A 14-year-old boy died Sunday after collapsing during a game of futsal at the Germantown Boys and Girls Club. Santiago Vesperoni was an eighth-grader at St. Bartholomew School in Bethesda, according to Principal Stephen C. Lamont. Julio Zarate, president of the Pachuca Club de Futbol USA, had been watching the game of futsal — a five-sided indoor soccer game played on a hard surface — between the teen’s team and the Olney Boys and Girls Club Galaxy U14 girls team. Zarate said he had been asked to attend the game by the teen’s team to determine if the boys team should play for his club.

Zarate said the teen collapsed on the gym floor during the 1 p.m. game. He said that he tried to help the teen and that another parent performed CPR, but the boy was unresponsive. Other parents inside the gym called 911, he said. Assistant Chief Scott Graham of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that a 14-year-old was transported from the club at 19910 Frederick Road to a local hospital in serious condition on Sunday. The boy’s cause of death was not known. The Montgomery County Police Major Crimes Division is investigating, which is standard procedure in a death, police spokeswoman Angela Cruz said Monday. “This is a time to go hug and kiss your kid,” Zarate said.”Make them feel they are loved. I cannot imagine the mom getting the call that her kid is in the emergency room.” Zarate said he plans to urge parents on his

Nine seek council seat in District 5 n

Deadline for applications is Wednesday BY

RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER

The list of applicants who have submitted their names to be appointed to Montgomery County’s vacant District 5 council seat has reached nine people two days before the deadline for applicants. Five people have sent in their applications to fill the seat formerly held by Valerie Ervin in the past week, providing the current members of the council plenty of choices when they make their decision. The deadline for applications is Wednesday and the council plans to make a decision by Jan. 31. Applicants Takoma Park City Councilman Timothy Male and Alan Bowser, Cherri Branson, Ronald Galvin Jr. and Andrew Kleine, all of Silver Spring, have joined Jeanette Dixon and Harold McDougall of Silver Spring, Arthur H. Jackson of Takoma Park and Daniel Wilhelm of Colesville in applying to replace Ervin. Ervin resigned her seat Jan. 3 to become executive director of the Working Families Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in New York City. Branson, who serves as chief counsel for the ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), said she believes her experience in more than 24 years as a congressional aide would help her get started quickly on the council. She’s seen the legislative process work well and not so well, and has come to understand the importance of being able to make compromises to get something accomplished, she said. The County Council appointed Branson to Montgomery’s Charter Review Commission and Commission on Redistricting. Branson said she sees the council opening as another chance to serve the county. Galvin is the executive director of IMPACT Silver Spring, an organization dedicated to bringing people together across various lines to form relationships. Galvin said he decided to pursue the appointment because he believes he has a strong perspective on issues of equity in the county, particularly for people who are struggling. Galvin has a master of divinity degree from Emory Uni-

soccer teams to make sure their children have up-to-date physical exams and that medical information is made available to coaches. Emily Janss, coach for the Olney girls team, agreed, saying that the club soccer organizations need to be better prepared for emergency medical situations. “This tragedy is definitely a wake up call for all of us,” she wrote in an email to The Gazette. “We as coaches need to make sure our parents inform us of allergies, medical history, ect so that we are equipped with knowledge on how to handle these emergency situations with our kids.” Perhaps baseline EKGs, which test heart activity, should be part of an athlete’s exam to be sure there are no hidden conditions, Zarate said. “You may not ever be able to prevent something like this but I never believe someone should die in vain,” he said. kbrick@gazette.net

Boot camp in Takoma Park

ONLINE EXTRA n Open Montgomery council seats draw contenders.

rmarshall@gazette.net

Rockville Science Center seeks volunteers The Rockville Science Center needs volunteers for several upcoming events, including a Lego League robotics competition Sunday and a Tech Challenge robotics competition Jan. 25. Judges also are needed for the Montgomery County Science Fair March 15. Students can receive student service learning hours for taking on a number of volunteer positions. For more information about the science center or volunteer opportunities, email info@rockvillesciencecenter.org or call 240-3868111.

Extra time for comments on police station art Those who haven’t yet gotten around to looking at the art proposals for Rockville’s new police station have some extra time. The city has extended the comment period for art planned to go on the facade of the downtown station. The public can view and comment on proposals from four finalist artists at rockvillemd. gov. Comments should be submitted by 5 p.m. Jan. 17. The mayor and council are expected to discuss which of the four artists gets the contract in February, according to a city news release.

County libraries offer new online services

www.gazette.net

versity in Atlanta, and said that although IMPACT Silver Spring is a non-religious and nonsectarian organization, his degree affected the way he views things. Divinity school gave him a “clarified eye” toward people who are struggling and an obligation to create systems to help them, he said. Having a theological world view has helped him see “how systems work for and against people,” Galvin said. Kleine works as the budget director for Baltimore city, and said that while Baltimore and Montgomery County are very different, he thinks his experience has given him some skills he could transfer to a seat on the council. Both jurisdictions have had to weather nearly unprecedented fiscal challenges in recent years, and also provide many of the same types of services, Kleine said. He said he would be able to ask the right questions and help find solutions in areas such as the efficiency of government operations and revenue structure. Kleine has also worked as a budget analyst for the U.S. Department of Transportation and a staff member for the House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He’s the former treasurer for Casa of Maryland, and has served on the Long Branch Advisory Committee and the Indian Spring Citizens Association. The council has indicated it is looking to appoint someone who will not run for a full term in 2014, and Branson, Galvin and Kleine all said they have no interest in serving beyond the length of the appointment. Bowser and Male could not be reached for comment Monday. Bowser, an attorney, served as chief of staff to former Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg, according to the resume he submitted to the council. He has also served on the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board and the Silver Spring Arts and Entertainment Committee, among other positions. Male has worked for a variety of environmental groups, including Defenders of Wildlife and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

InBrief

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Donna Butts of Takoma Park (second from right) and other women work out as Kimberly James of KJ Total Fitness leads a group during a demonstration of the Ladies Boot Camp program during the fitness exposition Saturday at the Takoma Park Recreation Center. Beginner, eight-week sessions are at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, with an advanced session at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays.

Residents weigh in on proposed changes to school starting times Elementary parents, staff call for more attention to impacts on younger students

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SARAH SCULLY STAFF WRITER

On Monday night, Montgomery County Public Schools officials heard from parents, students and school staff in the third forum on proposed changes to school start and end times that would make high school start times later and extend elementary school days by 30 minutes. There is one more public forum on the topic scheduled for Feb. 10 at Montgomery Blair High School, at 51 University Blvd. in Silver Spring. The cafeteria at Seneca Valley High School in Germantown was full of community members eager to support or oppose the plans. Schools Superintendent Joshua P. Starr made the recommendations largely based on teens’ need for sleep and findings by a Montgomery County Public Schools working group on bell times that showed high school students could benefit from later start times. The recommendations are to push back high school bell times by 50 minutes, with the school day beginning at 8:15 a.m., instead of 7:25 a.m. Middle schools would start ten minutes earlier at 7:45 a.m., and elementary schools would start at the same times (8:50 a.m. or 9:15 a.m.), but run 30 minutes longer (ending at 3:35 p.m. or 4 p.m.). Most opponents expressed concerns over days being too long for elementary school students, and high school students’ days ending too late. Parents Erik and Claudia Phelps, whose son is in 10th grade, insisted, “the bottom line is teenagers need more sleep.” Evidence from the working group supports their belief that

most teenagers have a difficult time falling asleep before 11 p.m. The group’s report cited studies showing how lack of sleep negatively impacts learning, attentiveness, motivation, mood and physical and mental health. While studies suggest teens need 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep, most get an average of 7.6 hours each night nationwide. Several high school students at the forum said that later start times wouldn’t mean more sleep, but rather that students will just stay up later. Excessive homework and overpacked schedules seemed to be the real source of sleep deprivation. Maria Garcia, a high school English as a Second Language counselor, said she works with many students from immigrant families who work at night with their families. She thinks the time change could help them graduate. “It’s a miracle they’re in school, but they’re very tired,” she said. In a survey by the school system’s working group, 69 percent of high school students and parents said they would prefer that school start later. For elementary school, parents and staff said they didn’t think young children could manage an extra 30 minutes in their day. Some said children could get home as late as 5 p.m. on the bus if school lets out at 4 p.m., and by then it is dark in the winter. Lake Seneca Elementary School Counselor Jennifer Jones said later dismissal times would cut into teachers’ time at the end of the day to meet and collaborate. And staying at school later would make it difficult for the many teachers who go to second jobs in the evening. “They’re so worried about the teenagers’ sleep to the neglect of the elementary school students’ needs,” Jones said. sscully@gazette.net

Montgomery County Public Libraries has launched three new online services: Zinio for Libraries, 3M Cloud Library e-book lending system and Learn4Life. Zinio, the world’s largest digital newsstand, is designed for public library users, according to a news release. The service digitally recreates, page-by-page, full-color magazines with interactive elements such as audio and video, intuitive navigation and keyword article search. Registered patrons may view 100 magazine titles, check out as many as they want and keep the magazines in their personal reading list for as long as they choose, with no due dates or the need to wait for a magazine to be returned by another reader. The 3M Cloud Library e-book lending system offers titles from major publishers Hachette Book Group, Harper Collins, MacMillan, Penguin Group, Random House and Simon & Schuster. Patrons can check out and read books, and browse the digital bookshelf from any location. The e-books are compatible with desktop computers, plus some tablets, smartphones and 3M e-readers. The Learn4Life program provides free online courses and career training programs, including the following: • Courses that offer special credits or certificates, such as health care certificates. • Academic courses, such as college readiness math and science. • Career training courses, such as business fundamentals. • Preparation courses for tests such as SAT/ ACT and GRE. • Courses such as event planning. “New 21st century technologies are allowing us to offer residents more services in our branches and beyond our walls,” library Director Parker Hamiltion said. “It’s really cool and a smart way to deliver important resources.” More information about these services is available at any library branch and at montgomerycountymd.gov/library.

Public forums on county budget scheduled Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett will hold a forum on the county’s fiscal 2015 operating budget at 7 p.m. Monday at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda. The forum, one of several planned this month, gives “residents an opportunity to tell me what’s important to them as I prepare next year’s operating budget for submission to the County Council on March 17,” Leggett said in a news release. The other downcounty forums, all at 7 p.m.: • Jan. 16, Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring. • Jan, 27, Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Road, Silver Spring. • Jan. 29, Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Place. Sign language interpreter services will be provided upon request with notice as far in advance as possible, but no less than 72 hours before the forum. For these or other services, call 240-777-6507, TTY 240-777-6505 or email karen. falcon@montgomerycountymd.gov. The County Council is scheduled to approve the operating budget at the end of May.


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White Oak master plan updates may speed up development n

Planning board removes some limits in process BY

SARAH SCULLY STAFF WRITER

Planning officials want to remove certain limitations to future development in the White Oak area by amending the White Oak Science Gateway Master Plan. According to Nancy Sturgeon, the master planner supervisor for the area, changes to the plan will allow slightly more traffic and remove a staging policy that slows down development by

dividing projects into three stages of approvals and requirements. The Montgomery County Planning Board approved the changes on Dec. 19. Next, the County Council will review the amended plan before finalizing it in the coming months. The council has scheduled a public hearing for Feb. 4. The recommended plan makes White Oak a new policy area with urban congestion standards, which allow a higher volume of traffic. Previously, the area was part of a larger policy area considered suburban. Development projections for White

Oak were expected to outgrow suburban traffic standards. With the new classification, and removal of the staging policy, the Planning Department aims to prioritize development by removing pre-emptive limitations. “We’re trying to stimulate new development in White Oak,” Sturgeon said. “The concern was the staging plan was going to be a disincentive and was going to limit something that we actually wanted to see.” The staging policy slowed down development by breaking projects into three phases, allowing only certain steps in each phase, and requiring in-

frastructure and transportation capacity to keep up with development at a certain standard. The amended plan “doesn’t put a cap on the amount of development that can occur within any given time frame,” Sturgeon said. Staging policies can protect a community from growth outstripping capacity, Sturgeon said. However, all new projects still will go through the regulatory review process, which includes traffic and capacity studies, prior to approval. Future Bus Rapid Transit, an improved bus system planned throughout the county, also will help to provide

more transportation. Potential construction that has been discussed for the area includes a new campus for Washington Adventist Hospital and a new county Life Sciences Center. The urban classification doesn’t necessarily mean more traffic; Sturgeon emphasized that real future development is unknown. Recommended congestion limitations don’t meet those of the busiest areas in the county, but fall in line with areas like Wheaton, Kensington and Germantown Town Center. The County Council likely will make a final decision in February or March, according to council staff.

D.C. woman accused in tiki-torch attack Police searching for team behind on pregnant Takoma Park resident North Bethesda jewelry theft Police say Katherlan Johnson forced her way into apartment

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BY

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ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH

BY

STAFF WRITER

Police say a Washington, D.C., woman took a taxi to a Takoma Park home last week and used a broken tiki torch to attack two people, including a woman who was seven months pregnant. Takoma Park police announced Thursday that the Metropolitan Police Department had arrested Katherlan Johnson, 46, in Washington on a warrant from the Takoma Park department. Johnson was charged with first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and malicious destruction of property. According to Takoma Park police spokeswoman Cathy Plevy, Katherlan knew the man and woman she is accused of assaulting, but Plevy did not know the nature of their relationship. Johnson took a taxi to the Flower Avenue home, which is owned by a man she knew, and knocked on the door “very loudly,” Plevy said. A woman inside didn’t answer the door, so Johnson walked to the back of the home and forced her way in through a space she had created by pushing in an air conditioning unit. Johnson attacked the woman inside, using a broken tiki torch to hit the woman in the stomach, according to police. The man in the house also got involved in the argument, trying to defend the woman Johnson was attacking.

Two stolen rings worth more than $20,000

ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH STAFF WRITER

TAKOMA PARK POLICE

Police say Katherlan Johnson attacked a woman.

Plevy said Johnson stabbed the man with an “unknown sharp object,” then fled in a taxi. The man was taken to a hospital and required surgery, but was doing well and recovering. “He’s going to be fine,” Plevy said. No other information about his condition was available on Tuesday. Takoma Park police said Johnson will be charged in Montgomery County District Court after she is extradited from D.C. D.C. court records show she has a hearing scheduled for Thursday. Sharon Burka, who is listed as Johnson’s lawyer in D.C. court records online, did not return phone calls seeking more information.

Police are trying to identify a couple who walked into a North Bethesda jewelry store last month and swiped two rings worth more than $20,000. The theft took place at about 2:10 p.m. Dec. 16. Police say a man and woman walked into a Masica Diamonds store on Rockville Pike. The woman posed as a customer, distracting the store’s employee. The man stole two diamond rings from a display case. Police say the combined value of the rings is more than $20,000. They are asking anyone with information about the thefts to call 866-411-8477. sjbsmith@gazette.net

MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE

Montgomery County police say they are looking for two people who they believe stole two rings valued at more than $20,000 from a North Bethesda jewelry store.

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Education, training cited for increased alcohol compliance rates Fewer county businesses serving minors in fiscal ’14

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RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER

An increased effort to educate and provide resources to bars and restaurants likely is one reason fewer Montgomery County businesses seem to be selling alcohol to minors, according to county officials. Random checks in the first half of fiscal 2014 showed a compliance rate of 81 percent, up from 72 percent in fiscal 2013, according to the county.

While the county wants 100 percent compliance, 80 percent generally is considered about the norm, said Kathie Durbin, division chief for the county’s Department of Liquor Control. “It’s a step in the right direction,” Durbin said. When department officials saw the 72 percent figure, they knew they had to step up education for business owners, Durbin said. A big part of that was making sure businesses train and remind their staff to check customers’ identification. Durbin said most businesses that fail compliance checks just

don’t check IDs, rather than willfully selling to people they know are underage. She said she tended bar in college and her husband is a caterer, so she understands the challenges of training staff in an industry with high turnover. But the department encourages businesses to take the time to train their staff. “There’s a lot of businesses out there that seem to get it,” Durbin said. Training staff on what to look for is essential, said Debbie Lea, a manager at McGinty’s Public House in Silver Spring. She said her staff is trained

to card anyone who appears to be younger than 25 years old. “We constantly check IDs,” Lea said. They also keep a book provided by the Department of Liquor Control behind the bar that contains pictures of all 50 state driver’s licenses to provide an easy reference for staff to doublecheck an ID they’re unsure of. McGinty’s also brings in people at least once a year to train the staff on what to look for on IDs, and has door staff checking IDs as people enter on Friday and Saturday nights, Lea said. The department has done lots of education in recent years,

but has probably done more in the past year, said Emily DeTitta, manager of licensing and outreach for the department. It provides a three-hour training course for businesses that includes an introduction to the Department of Liquor Control, state and county regulations for alcohol sales, best practices and training on how to read IDs and identify fake ones. The department also does a “mystery shopper” program, in which people around the ages of 23 to 25 are sent into bars and restaurants to order a drink and see if their IDs are checked, DeTitta said.

Establishments are sent letters telling them the name of their mystery shopper, but not when they will come in. If the establishment finds the shopper, it can win incentives. In the first round of the program, 17 of 40 businesses identified the mystery shopper, DeTitta said. The department also has gotten grant funding for items such as black-light pens for bouncers and doormen, as well as the books with state IDs, such as the ones used at McGinty’s. “Anything we can do to reinforce or send a message,” DeTitta said.

Delegation backs $10.10 minimum wage More voters sue state over legislative map All but a few state delegates have signed letter of support n

BY

KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER

The majority of Montgomery County’s state delegation has backed a bill to raise the statewide minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016. All eight senators and all but a few of the county’s 24 delegates signed a letter supporting the bill, Sen. Jamin B. Raskin (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park said. The sign-on letter details

support for raising the wage to $10.10 by 2016 as well as indexing the future minimum wage to the rate of inflation to keep pace with the cost of living and raising the minimum wage for tipped workers from 50 to 70 percent of the minimum wage. “Maryland is a great place to live, but it’s expensive to live here,” Raskin said. “We have to lift up the people who are struggling to make ends meet at the bottom of the income ladder.” Maryland now follows the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. As Montgomery lines up behind raising wages to $10.10 per hour, Baltimore City Del. Keith E. Haynes (D-Dist. 44) has

pre-filed competing legislation in the House to raise the wage to $12.50 per hour. Haynes’ bill does not detail a provision to index the future wage or a provision to increase wages for tipped workers. While Raskin said it is great that lawmakers are floating other proposals, the tipped worker wage is key for him. He also said $10.10 is not an opening statement for bargaining the minimum wage. Locally, minimum wages are on the rise. Montgomery and Prince George’s counties both passed laws in late 2013 to raise their local wages to $11.50 per hour by 2017.

But labor and county officials have claimed efforts are underway in Annapolis to override those wage increases. Raskin said he will resist any such effort. “I’m confident that the Senate would not accept any attempt to override county minimum wage increases,” he said. As lawmakers prepare to return to Annapolis for the 2014 session, the Attorney General’s Office is drafting a letter of advice that would explain the legal issues surrounding the minimum wage, said spokesman Alan Brody. kalexander@gazette.net

Court action claims ‘ribbons’ of districts violate Constitution

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BY

KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER

Yet another challenge to Maryland’s latest congressional redistricting is pending in federal court. Led by Bethesda engineer Stephen M. Shapiro, three residents have sued Bobbie S. Mack, chairman of the Maryland State Board of Elections, claiming

the new map violates citizens’ federal right to representation by using small “ribbons” of the state to connect two very different areas into one district. “We contend that the essentially non-contiguous structure and discordant composition of the separate distinct pieces comprising the 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Congressional districts impermissibly abridge our rights, and those of similarly situated Marylanders, of representation as protected by Article 1 Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution; our right to vote for our Representatives to Congress, as protected by both the first and second clauses to the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; and our First Amendment rights of political association,” the complaint alleged. The redistricting drew portions of Carroll and Frederick counties into District 8, which is represented by U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D) of Kensington. Shapiro said the map has diminished representation for everyone in these districts and questioned the extent to which the state is unduly influencing the decision of who the representatives in Congress will be. “It is particularly unfair to folks in the smaller sections,” he said. “Voters in the large section are largely going to decide who the congressman will be.” The map was approved in 2011 and upheld by voters on the 2012 ballot.

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Judge orders sexual assault suspect held without bond Poindexter represents ‘a clear and present danger’ to the public, judge says

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DAN MORSE

THE WASHINGTON POST

A 39-year-old sexual assault suspect who police say preyed on young men at local beerpong tournaments was ordered held without bond Friday as a Montgomery County prosecutor indicated there may be dozens of victims in the case. Joey Poindexter represents “a clear and present danger” to the public, Circuit Judge Richard E. Jordan said from the bench, basing part of his ruling on a review of photographs and a video recording found on Poindexter’s mobile phone. The images showed Poindexter having sex with men who police say were impaired by alcohol, drugs or both. The judge said that at least some of the images showed men who appeared unconscious or unaware of what was happening. Jordan spoke in particular about a threeminute video with images of a young man. “He appeared — clearly to the court — to be not in control of himself, and not in a position to make a voluntary decision to engage in sexual conduct,” Jordan said. Police have been building

their case against Poindexter, a real estate appraiser, for months. They arrested him last fall on one count of seconddegree sex offense after a man came forward with a startling story: He said he had met Poindexter at a beer-pong tournament at a bar in College Park. In beer pong, contestants try to toss table tennis balls into cups partially filled with water or beer, and opponents must then drink the contents. The man told police that after leaving the bar, he ended up at Poindexter’s house, wasn’t really sure what happened, and woke up on a sofa. He believed that he had been sexually assaulted. Detectives later obtained Poindexter’s phone, which led them to believe that he had been taking images of men he had sexually assaulted. In October, a judge ordered Poindexter held in jail on $500,000 bond. But since then, police and prosecutors have not come forward with charges related to other victims. That prompted Poindexter’s attorney, Rebecca A. Nitkin, to file a motion asking that her client’s original $50,000 bond be reinstated, which set up Friday’s hearing. In court, Nitkin said that the sex may have been consensual. She noted that the original alleged victim asked Poindexter for a ride home after spending the night at his home. “He doesn’t have a fear of Mr. Poindexter or he wouldn’t have

given him his address,” Nitkin said. “So I don’t know where this gigantic fear in society is.” But prosecutor Patrick Mays said the investigation of Poindexter is ongoing and he is a threat. He brought a laptop computer to the judge’s bench to display the images from Poindexter’s phone. While the images could not be seen by others in court, at one point sound from a video was clearly audible and a man’s slurred voice could be heard several times saying “stop.” Mays said the expressions of other men in photographs are telling. “It is clear from the facial shots of all the individuals — and there are dozens of them that are portrayed in those photos — are unconscious, that they’re unwilling participants,” Mays said. Nitkin questioned why more victims hadn’t stepped forward, saying that suggested consensual sex. Jordan offered a possible explanation. He stressed that lifestyle had nothing to do with the seriousness or lack of seriousness of the charges other than it could play a role in victims talking about the case. “It is difficult for victims of sexual offenses to come forward,” he said. “It is particularly more difficult when it’s male-on-male.” In the end, the judge ordered that Poindexter’s $500,000 bond be revoked and that he be held on no-bond status.

After 36 years in Annapolis, state Sen. Jennie Forehand of Rockville says she will not seek re-election.

2010 FILE PHOTO

Forehand will not run again this year Longtime lawmaker will end career after nine terms in General Assembly n

BY

KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER

One of the Maryland General Assembly’s longest-serving members, Sen. Jennie M. Forehand of Rockville, said this year will be her last as a lawmaker. After 36 years as a lawmaker, Forehand (D-Dist. 17) will not run for re-election in 2014. “I really have gotten so many really good things done and I really felt like maybe it was time,” she said Friday morning. Forehand, 78, served in the House of Delegates from 1978 to 1994, according to state records.

She has represented District 17 in the Senate since 1995. While she initially planned to wait to announce that she would not seek re-election, Forehand said others entering the race for her seat prompted her to make her plans known. Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons and former Del. Cheryl Kagan are both running for Forehand’s seat. Kagan — who ran against Forehand in 2010 and lost — said in a statement that Forehand has set an example of service that all who aspire to public office should admire. “I salute Jennie for her remarkable career in public office and congratulate her on her many accomplishments,” Kagan said. “Jennie is a true trailblazer,

and we owe her our gratitude.” Simmons (D), who has served with Forehand in District 17, also lauded her service. “Even though we may have different perspectives on different issues, I have always had a lot of affection for her,” he said. Forehand said she will serve the remainder of her current term. “I figure I’ve got something really good for this year,” she said. Among the bills she has pre-filed for the session, which starts Wednesday, are a bill to prohibit smoking in a vehicle with a young child and a bill that would broaden the ages protected against felony human trafficking from just minors to age 21 and younger. kalexander@gazette.net

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Obituary Ana Cruz Mosquera of Buckingham Twp., PA, passed away on Wednesday, January 1, 2014, at her residence surrounded by her family. She was 93 years old. Ana was born in Popayan, Colombia. In nearby Cali, she worked as the “coffee lady” at a Quaker Oats factory, owned her own home, and raised eight children. She immigrated to the United States in 1979, living and working in Bethesda, MD, where she was employed as a playground aide at Ashburton Elementary School and universally known as “Grandma Ana.” Ana moved to Buckingham in 2011 to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Celia and Mark Sharp. She attended mass at local catholic churches and enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. Ana was the beloved wife of the late Alcides Arce, devoted mother of Celia Sharp and husband Mark, Amparo Giron de Gil and husband Cesar, Humberto Giron Mosquera and wife Janneth, Pedro Pablo Giron Mosquera and wife Gladys, Consuelo Gochez and husband Balmore, Carmina Freire, and the late Diego Arce Mosquera and Rocio Arce Mosquera. She was the dear sister of the late Leonardo Mosquera and Alejandrina Mosquera, and also survived by 19 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Internment of cremated remains will be held at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 13801 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, 20906 on Saturday, February 1, 2014 at 2pm. Cremation services were private under the direction of the Varcoe-Thomas Funeral Home, Doylestown, PA.. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts would be appreciated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, ATTN: St. Vincent DePaul Society, 235 E. State Street, Doylestown, PA, 18901. 1912368

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County’s top prosecutor seeks third term in ’14 McCarthy touts successes in cutting down gang and domestic violence n

BY ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH STAFF WRITER

John J. McCarthy’s Montgomery County roots run deep. He began working as a county prosecutor here 31 years ago, moved into his home in Rockville 21 years ago, and began serving as the county’s top prosecutor eight years ago. He is running next year to serve a third term as Montgomery County’s top prosecutor. The position pays $199,000, a county official said, but that figure will rise to about $203,000 in 2014. “I love the job,” said McCar-

thy, a Democrat who ruled out a run for state attorney general. Reflecting on his last two terms in office, McCarthy said, “I think we put into place exactly what we campaigned on, and told the community what we would do when I ran the first time.” One example, he said, is combatting gang violence. McCarthy said his office and other county agencies also have worked hard against domestic violence, with initiatives like the Family Justice Center, the county’s interagency organization for victims. “I think we have made a significant improvement in the number of homicides,” he said, recalling 2010, when the county did not have any domestic violence-related homicides. There were four domestic violence-related homicides in 2011, five in 2012 and one in 2013, according to state’s attor-

ney’s office spokesman Ramon Korionoff. “My objective would be to have zeroes come up in many categories again and again,” he said. McCarthy said his office has focused on youths and schools. “I think the foremost thing you can do fighting crime in any community is public education,” he said, citing work in county schools and with senior citizens. One example, he said, was programs such as Truancy Court, an anti-truancy program the state attorney’s office runs in six schools around the county. Fighting crime through public education — and keeping kids in school — is an area he wants to keep working on if elected to a third term, he said. “I think if we expand to serve a greater number of kids,” he said, “I think we will reduce crime and

McCarthy other related behaviors that put kids at risk, which would make for a safer community.” McCarthy said his office has tried to protect children from threats online through Internet safety training. Anonymous online crimes are harder to prosecute, so education is important,

he said. McCarthy wants to see judicial resources used more effectively on issues such as how officials decide whether someone who is arrested and charged with a crime needs to stay in jail before trial or how public safety and state officials deal with drug cases stemming from marijuana. “We’ve been dealing with [marijuana] as a health education issue for a decade in Montgomery County ... because that’s the reality how we’re dealing with it. Should it be decriminalized and be a fine civilly and then put into education? I think that’s a conversation we should be having,” he said. As of Tuesday, McCarthy was unopposed. McCarthy and the other candidates for courthouse offices, such as register of wills, sheriff and clerk of courts, have held one joint fundraiser so far,

he said. His campaign currently has about $80,000 cash on hand. He said he expects to hold another fundraiser in late January or February and raise about $100,000 by the general election next November, he said. The primary will be held in June 2014. When he isn’t working, McCarthy, 61, a father of four, works out and plays basketball at Montgomery County’s Public Safety Academy. His office is decked with trophies, photos and hats from various sports teams. And he carves out time to watch his son, Matt, play basketball. “You can have me 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, but four hours a week, you can’t have me,” he said with a laugh. sjbsmith@gazette.net

Docca running for third term on school board Former educator focused on success of black and Hispanic students

n

BY

LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER

Judith Docca said she will seek a third term on the Montgomery County school board this year with the school system’s African-American and Hispanic students in mind. “I’ve said before, I’m most concerned about the academic atmosphere for these students and I still am,” she said. Docca, 74, a resident of Montgomery Village, plans to run for re-election as the school board’s District 1 representative, offering her range of experience within the school system. Docca’s fellow school board

members, District 5 representative Michael A. Durso and District 3 representative Patricia O’Neill, also are running again for their respective seats. While Docca will run for a seat representing her district — which includes Poolesville, Barnsville and Laytonsville — voters countywide are eligible to cast ballots in the race. The primary election falls on June 24 and the general election on Nov. 4. Docca’s past school roles include serving as a teacher at Gaithersburg High School, assistant principal at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring and principal at Argyle Middle School in Silver Spring. Docca, who is African American, said the school system needs to address several issues that African-American and His-

panic students face, including high dropout rates. Too many students in both groups also are suspended compared to white and Asian students, she said, and the county is part of what she described as a local and national crisis. “It’s not just us,” she said. “It’s everybody in the state.” Docca said she thinks the county school system needs to incorporate more training for teachers and generally do more to reach these students. “We need to have our teachers a lot more aware how they come across to these students, how they encourage these students,” she said. Docca said she would like to see more African-American and Hispanic students participate in the school system’s alternative programs, some of which “di-

Docca rectly lead to college.” The school system’s alternative programs — which focus on areas such as medical technology, computer design and auto mechanics — are potential

pathways to college and should be expanded, Docca said. “I think we have to encourage more students to be there,” in part by ensuring that students are laying the foundation for the programs early in their academic careers, she said. Docca said the school system’s partnerships with area universities provide other good avenues to help students reach higher education opportunities. Another issue on Docca’s mind is the challenges associated with the school system’s capital improvements needs. In its recent work with the school system’s fiscal 2015-20 capital budget, the school board had to weigh needs around the county, Docca said. Some individuals who have come before the board are too focused on their individual schools, she said. “They can’t see the whole county — they really can’t,” she said. “I guess we have to convince them that our staff is not trying to pick on anybody.” District staff use many factors

to determine which schools will undergo projects when, she said. The school system faces “a very serious issue” when it comes to providing the space for its growing student body, she said, and more state money is needed for construction projects to increase capacity. “We’ve been saying all along ... the state has not funded us in the last eight to 10 years for the number of students we have,” Docca said. The school system needs to update its technology to help students who will require new computers to take part in the Common Core State Standardsbased curriculum and new state assessment tests, she said. Askedtoratethecurrentschool board’s performance, Docca said shewouldgiveitahighgrade. “To me, it’s like an A, because we really try to work together. We don’t get to the table and call each other out,” she said. lpowers@gazette.net

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National Cancer Institute Rockville’s Moore undecided on council run Two Gaithersburg leases boosted county’s officials plan to seek District 3 seat office market in 2013 n

BY

BY SONNY GOLDREICH SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

Three little letters — NCI — spelled most of the story for the local office market in 2013, as the new National Cancer Institute headquarters in Rockville swung Montgomery County into a positive year. Things started with a bang last January, when the NCI took delivery of the 575,000-squarefoot complex in the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center owned by Johns Hopkins University. The $200 million build-to-suit project developed by JBG of Chevy Chase was a major reason the Maryland suburbs lead the Greater Washington, D.C., region in office space absorption for the year. The two-building complex at 9613 Medical Center Drive in Rockville turned what would have been a dismal year for Maryland into a positive one. Otherwise, landlords and developers in Montgomery County and the entire D.C. region suffered from federal gridlock, consolidation and shrinkage, which prolonged a belated taste of the Great Recession that had bypassed the area during a binge in government growth. While the region showed negative116,722 square feet of absorption, Montgomery, Frederick and Price George’s counties combined for positive 419,174 square feet, according to the fourth-quarter office market report by broker Jones Lang LaSalle. That was all in Montgomery, where tenants took a net 581,644 square feet. Prince George’s reported negative 94,408 square feet and Frederick was negative 68,062 square feet. Montgomery also fared better than the region in total vacancies, with a 15.8 percent rate, compared with 16.2 percent for the greater D.C. market. The year ended on a preNew Year’s Eve federal hangover, with the biggest lease in the fourth quarter a renewal signed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which retained 347,922 square feet at the 2 White Flint building owned by Lerner Enterprises of Rockville. But the agency also subleased 186,313 square feet to the Food and Drug Administration at LCOR’s new 3 White Flint, which was delivered more than a year ago and was left more than half empty due to the NRC’s personnel miscalculations. This year could be a bit brighter, as the federal Bipartisan Budget Act signed during the fourth quarter brought some relief from sequestration and will allow agencies to resume spending. “Under the new budget deal, sequestration cuts will be reduced by $63 billion and agencies will have increased spending authority — a potential catalyst to regional office demand,” Jones Lang LaSalle reported in its fourth-quarter Office Insight. Kurt Stout, executive vice president for broker Colliers International’s Government Solutions unit, agreed, “sort of,” as he wrote in his Capitol Markets blog. He concluded: “The [budget

act] provides tremendous symbolic importance, limited budget relief and no long-term roadmap. So, it’s ‘sort of’ impactful on federal leasing because it indicates bipartisan momentum, which has created optimism. With optimism and a little bit of budgeting runway, agencies are more likely to plan strategically for their space needs and possibly enter into longer-term lease commitments.” That means some agencies are likely going to be able to move beyond short-term lease extensions and sign onto longer deals. That’s the case with the Department of Health and Human Services, which already has committed to a 15-year lease renewal for 935,000 square feet at the Parklawn Building in Rockville, which JBG expects to deliver this summer after a $270 million renovation. The NRC also will be looking to consolidate under a long-term lease that will replace the five-year renewal deal it signed with Lerner. But a grand budget bargain will be required to ensure longterm funding of federal tenants’ office space needs, Stout wrote. Otherwise, many agencies will continue to be stuck in what he called real estate “triage,” with short-term lease extensions making it impossible to strike larger deals that would allow them to redesign, consolidate and shrink the federal footprint. A Colliers analysis shows that more than 40 percent of leases expiring in the past year were extended three years or less. And the General Services Administration will have to scramble in the short term, as one-fourth of all of its leases are scheduled to expire in the next two years. That has left landlords stuck with shrinking property values as once-golden federal tenants are looking more like monthto-month residential squatters who make it impossible to slap on fresh paint and carpets to attract new renters. “The government’s inability to commit to long-term lease contracts has been troubling for lessors faced with loan maturities, and the short-term leases have substantially eroded the exit valuations of governmentleased properties,” Stout wrote.

STAFF WRITER

Rockville Councilman Tom Moore says he expects to decide within the next week or so whether he will seek a seat on the County Council. Moore told The Gazette Thursday that he would like to represent District 3, which covers Gaithersburg, Rockville and some surrounding areas, but he has not yet decided. “It’s a great opportunity to serve, I’m just not sure yet,” he

n

STAFF WRITER

Police are looking for a bank robber who struck a Bethesda bank the day after Christmas — five days after another bank was robbed in Potomac. The Bethesda robbery took place just after 4:30 p.m. at the M&T Bank at 7920 Norfolk Ave. in downtown Bethesda. A man entered the bank and gave a teller a note demanding cash. The robber told the teller he was armed, but did

Transwestern announced that it has been awarded the exclusive leasing services for Metro Executive Park in Rockville, a two-building office complex owned by an affiliate of Equus Capital Partners of Philadelphia. The buildings, at 15800 and 15850 Crabbs Branch Way, total 130,000 square feet. The complex consists of two three-story buildings with 21,000-squarefoot typical floors. Amenities include Ride-On bus service to the nearby Shady Grove Metro station, an on-site bank and a breakfast/luncheon cafe. The buildings also offer ample tenant and visitor parking and easy access from Md. 355, Interstates 270 and 370, and the Intercounty Connector.

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Krasnow, who was recently named deputy director of the Montgomery County Planning Department, decided not to seek the District 3 seat. “I would never run against Rose,” Moore said, calling Krasnow a mentor and good friend. “When she decided not to run, it really left the door Moore wide open. “It’s been a long time since someone from Rockville has represented District 3.” If Moore enters the race,

he would not be the only citylevel official seeking to represent District 3. Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney A. Katz (D) told The Gazette on Thursday that he plans to run for the seat. He said he expects to make a formal announcement in a couple of weeks. Gaithersburg Councilman Ryan Spiegel (D) also said he plans to run for the District 3 seat. As of Tuesday afternoon, no one had filed to run with the Board of Elections. Current County Councilman Philip M. Andrews (D) of Gaithersburg last year filed to run for county executive this year. He has represented District 3 since 1998.

Same bank robber may have hit in Bethesda, Potomac

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said. Moore was re-elected to his second term on the Rockville council in November. His campaign website did not identify him as a member of any political party. Patch initially reported in December that Moore was considering running for County Council. Moore said the county and city election schedules mean that any sitting city leader who wanted to run for county office would have to start campaigning soon after the city election. The deadline for county candidates to file is Feb. 25. Moore said he began seriously considering a run after former Rockville Mayor Rose

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not display a weapon, according to Montgomery County Police Officer Janelle Smith. Afterobtaininganundisclosed amountofcash,therobberfled. Police said the robber might be the same one behind a Dec. 21 robbery at another M&T Bank branch, on River Road in Potomac. Just before 3 p.m. that day, a man entered the bank, demanded cash and also implied he had a gun, but did not show a weapon. Police have described the Bethesda robber as 35 to 40 years old and 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall. Surveillance photos from the banks showed a robber wearing the same baseball cap

both times, according to police. Officials at the Potomac branch declined to speak to The Gazette. A woman at the Bethesda branch said the robbery there left the tellers shaken, but unharmed. Since the robbery, the branch has hired a security guard, she said. In the earlier robbery, police described the man as being 25 to 30 years old, 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 130 to 150 pounds. These last two bank robberies of 2013 capped a busy year for robbers in the county. Last year, there were four times as many bank robberies as in 2012, when there were six, said

Angela Cruz, a county police spokeswoman. Ten of the 24 robberies took place from late October through the end of the year. Police ask anyone with information about the robberies to call 866-411-8477, and can do so anonymously. Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information. Philip Hosmer, a spokesman for M&T Bank, said a reward of up to $5,000 was possible from the bank for information leading to an arrest or indictment, because the bank is a member of the Maryland Association for Bank Security. sjbsmith@gazette.net


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FOREHAND

Continued from Page A-1 hibit smoking in a vehicle with a young child, The Gazette reported last week. “Of course, people made fun of me when I first started doing this, but we’ve seen the results now, and I think that’s real good,” Forehand said.

At the Monday meeting, Del. Kumar P. Barve, a Gaithersburg Democrat and House majority leader, said he is hopeful that the state will send more money to Montgomery County for school construction. He also said he thinks consensus is forming in the General Assembly to raise the minimum wage statewide. Montgomery and Prince George’s counties both

REPORT

Continued from Page A-1 that appeared in the Sentinel beginning in September 2011. In court documents, Dorsey’s lawyers argued that the Ewing report

DREAMERS

Continued from Page A-1 about their status or information they had not provided, then do a very wide sweep to as many people as possible to say, ‘Hey, the Maryland Dream Act may affect you, and if it does, this is what you want to do,’” Gregory said. The measure helped students like Josue Aguiluz, who moved to Maryland from Honduras nine years ago, at age 13, with his parents and three brothers. The move meant significant changes, from learning a new language to adapting to a different culture. Aguiluz is an undocumented student — a person who either overstayed a visa or entered the country without authorization — who is now able to pay in-state tuition because of the Maryland Dream Act. “First, it doesn’t really hit you that much. You are young. School is free, and you don’t really need a job. ... But when you go to Montgomery College, it shifts completely. You don’t really have assistance financially. You really see the big gap,” Aguiluz said. Aguiluz tried to extend his student visa, so he would not become undocumented, but he said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rejected his request. That happened “even though I was taking AP courses when I was a freshmen in high school,” he said. “It just does not make any sense to me.” But Aguiluz never stopped

should be part of the evidence in Dorsey’s case. “One element of a hostile environment case is pervasiveness,” they wrote. Dorsey also has filed an affidavit with the court, saying he met with Ewing lawyers who told him his statements would be held in confidence unless the

following his mother’s advice: “If you are a good person, good things are going to happen to you.” He plans to transfer to the University of Maryland and get into the Robert H. Smith School of Business. He also works at Panera Bread bakery and is saving money to pay for school. Aguiluz is projected to get an associate degree in accounting from Montgomery College in the Spring 2014 semester. Jonathan Jayes-Green had more than 1,000 community service hours by 2010, at the end of his high school career at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring. He worked as an intern for Councilwoman Nancy Navarro (D-Dist. 4). He won a Public Service Award from Congressman Christopher Van Hollen Jr. and a Wheaton and Kensington Chamber of Commerce community service student of the year award. JayesGreen was part of the Montgomery College honors program and won the 2011 immigrant youth achievement award by the American Immigration Council. Jayes-Green, also an undocumented student, is majoring in sociology and social justice at Goucher College, a private Baltimore college. His first choice was to attend University of Maryland, but he could not afford state institutions. The Maryland Dream Act had not passed by the time he was ready for college. It was cheaper for Jayes-Green to pay for a private institution and live on campus than to go to the

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passed measures late last year to raise the minimum wage in those jurisdictions. Del. James W. Gilchrist (D) of Rockville said that last year, legislators introduced some bills to strengthen city stormwater fee regulations and some to weaken them, but all of them failed. Lawmakers also introduced legislation for and against speed camera programs, he said.

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Both stormwater fees and speed camera programs likely will come up again this session, Gilchrist said. A speed camera ticketing a stopped car in Baltimore fueled criticism of speed camera programs, Gilchrist said, but Rockville having a good program can help increase support for speed camera programs. “As much as municipalities and the city of Rockville can

court subpoenaed information, according to court documents. The city has resisted releasing any portion of the report, saying in court filings that it contains confidential personnel records, it is not relevant to Dorsey’s case and it is protected under attorney-client

prove that it’s working, that will be very important to the discussion,” he said. Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons (D) of Rockville said he wants to see the state link its databases of regulated firearms and criminal convictions so Maryland can enforce its law that requires people to give up their guns after violent crimes convictions. Simmons also said he wants

privilege. Another discrimination lawsuit, filed by former city employee Courtney L. Morgan, is making its way through U.S. District Court. A lawsuit alleging harassment and negligence, brought by former city employee Charles Baker in Montgomery County Circuit Court, has

ing a GED. The student also must provide a signed affidavit vowing to file an application to become a permanent Maryland resident within 30 days after applying for instate tuition under the Dream Act. Males need proof of registration with the U.S. Selective Service System. Students must have cop-

“First, it doesn’t really hit you that much. You are young. School is free, and you don’t really need a job. ... But when you go to Montgomery College, it shifts completely. You don’t really have assistance financially. You really see the big gap.” Josue Aguiluz state school near his house. “I graduated top of my high school class. ... Within my high school years, I had over 1,000 hours of community services. ... I went from being the immigrant student to now realizing that there was a full community out there really investing in seeing me succeed,” he said. Jayes-Green’s parents wanted him to have better education and better opportunities, so they moved to Maryland from Panama in 2005, when he was 13 years old. His family had tourist visas. They tried to adjust their status, but Jayes-Green said the family received wrong information about the U.S. immigration process from a lawyer, and eventually become undocumented. Opponents have argued that the Maryland Dream Act violates existing federal law. “When they graduate, they are not allowed to work. ... It is

not a good investment for the state to take,” said Del. Neil C. Parrott (R-Dist. 2B) of Hagerstown, chairman of MDPetitions.com, which formed to put the Dream Act on the ballot. Parrott said he understands the situation and believes it is “not fair to everyone all around.” He said the measure encourages more illegal activity. The best solution is for parents to “come here legally. ... It really is pretty simple,” Parrott said. Students taking classes under the Dream Act hope that by the time they graduate there will be a immigration reform that will allow them to work. But a study by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County released in 2012 concluded that the Maryland Dream Act would benefit state and local governments with $6.2 million in economic activity from increased earnings if about 435 students per year take advantage of the

ewaibel@gazette.net

been dismissed. A jury trial for Dorsey’s case is scheduled for May. He is seeking $600,000 in damages, plus lost pay and benefits and attorney’s fees, according to his complaint. ewaibel@gazette.net

Maryland Dream Act requirements To qualify under the Maryland Dream Act, students need to have attended a Maryland high school for at least three years, starting with the 2005-2006 year; graduated from a Maryland high school, or received a GED no earlier than the 2007-2008 school year; and registered at a Maryland community college within four years of high school graduation or receiv-

to promote apprenticeships in Maryland that would provide job training for high school students who do not plan to go to college. He said the U.S. as a whole lags behind Europe and Canada in the number of apprenticeships for young people. The General Assembly is set to convene Wednesday.

ies of the Maryland state income tax returns filed by the student, the student’s parent or legal guardian. The tax return must be from each of the three years the student was in high school, each year the student attended community college, and each year the student was in the workforce and not attending college. — ALINE BARROS Act. The report estimated that Dream Act students will make up about 0.6 percent of the total number of students at the state’s public higher-education facilities. The fiscal policy note attached to the bill also stated that for each additional student who qualifies under the bill, local community colleges will receive additional state aid. The estimated state expenditure in the 2014 fiscal year is $2,100 per full-time student multiplied by 366 students, which means the overall state expenditure would increase by $768,600 in 2014 and $3.5 million by fiscal 2016. The fiscal costs of the program for additional schooling — measured as per-student funding that subsidizes high school and higher education — will be about $3.6 million for county governments, $3.6 million for the state and $200,000 for the federal government, according to the report. But such costs will be more than offset by increased tax dollars, as well as a drop in spending on incarceration and other social programs that is expected to accompany a more educated population, according to the study. The state and county governments stand to share an estimated $6.2 million in tuition from undocumented students who will be attending school at the reduced cost, while the federal government would get

about $18.4 million in increased tax revenues and lower government spending on incarceration, a result of a more educated population, according to the report. At Montgomery College, for a student taking 12 credits in a semester, the lowest total cost for tuition and fees would be $1,780.80. At out-of-county rates, a student taking 12 credits would pay $4,689.60 for tuition and fees. Tuition for in-state students at the University of Maryland, College Park, costs about $9,000 each year, while students who do not qualify as state residents pay more than $27,000. Opponents argued that the Dream Act would affect community college revenues and reduce the number of slots available in public institutions. But the University of Maryland report stated otherwise, suggesting that additional undocumented immigrant students admitted to Maryland public community colleges — which have open enrollment — will have no impact on the probability that other students will or will not be admitted. It also stated that the Dream Act will not hurt the number of citizens admitted as freshmen to a four-year public university. For Jayes-Green, who is projected to graduate from Goucher College in 2014, this is just the beginning of his journey. “It is hard to pick one dream because I dream a lot. I think at the end of the day, I want people to remember me as someone that made an impact in the community,” he said. Aguiluz’s future plans includes learning more about bookkeeping and auditing. “As far as accounting goes, I want to do investing and planning people’s retirements,” he said. “I feel like every place that I’ve gone to work, I see old people and a lot of Hispanic mothers. ... And, perhaps, if they could have invested the money, that could be your retirement or some college money for your kids.” abarros@gazette.net

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BUSINESS Top 2013 news:

Local economy affected by sequestration, shutdown n

Government-dependent companies suffer; private sector surges BY

STAFF WRITER

Private sector picks up While the federal segment

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

Pet store opens in Silver Spring

KEVIN JAMES SHAY

With the federal government playing a substantial role in Montgomery County’s economy, the biggest business stories of 2013 focused on sequestration and a shutdown. The 16-day government shutdown in October put many of Montgomery and Frederick counties’ roughly 51,000 federal workers out of work. That came after earlier sequestration budget cuts had furloughed many employees. The Bethesda-based National Institutes of Health cut 5 percent, or $1.55 billion, of its fiscal 2013 budget, awarding about 640 fewer research grants. Other government agencies and private contractors were affected. Bethesda defense giant Lockheed Martin furloughed about 2,400 employees companywide during the shutdown, with executives directing them to use vacation time. The shutdown cost the company about $40 million, but sequestration cuts were not as bad as originally expected, with the impact about $400 million, CFO Bruce Tanner said. Rockville information technology business Terrapin Systems laid off about 170 employees after losing a contract with the National Cancer Institute. Some contractors were not heavily affected. Fisher BioServices, which has about 330 employees in Maryland, including 260 at its Rockville lab, had enough work through its private segment that the lag in government business did not require the company to lay off employees, said Dennis Barger, vice president and general manager of the company. “We were fortunate,” he said.

BizBriefs

The Silver Spring Transit Center and Metrorail station, where a Purple Line station is slated to be built. stalled, the private sector in Montgomery and Frederick counties picked up steam, adding about 11,000 jobs in the past year, according to federal labor figures. That was the most jobs created in the two counties since 2000. Among those adding workers was Wegmans, which opened its first grocery store in Montgomery with about 550 employees. Future jobs are expected to come from Gaithersburg biotech MedImmune, whose parent company announced it will establish a global research and development center at MedImmune’s headquarters. Marketing and specialty care commercial functions will be centered in Gaithersburg, with about 300 jobs moving there from Wilmington, Del., by 2015. Construction on the $2.2 billion Purple Line, a 16-mile rail line that would connect Bethesda and New Carrollton, could start in 2015, as officials expect to start acquiring right-of-way property this year. Six private-sector teams have submitted statements of qualifications that they hope will lead to work on the long-proposed project. Officials hope to choose a partner and recommend the final agreement to the state Board of Public Works within a year. Officials also hope the $120 million Silver Spring Transit Center, which has been plagued by con-

struction delays and cost overruns, will be completed this year. The first phase of Pike & Rose — one of the region’s largest mixeduse development projects, replacing Mid-Pike Plaza in North Bethesda — is expected to be completed this year. The first phase includes some 170,000 square feet of retail, 80,000 square feet of commercial office and 493 residential units. The apartment units should open by May, with an iPic movie theater, 32,000-square-foot Sport & Health fitness club, a park, offices and restaurants such as Del Frisco’s Grille, Roti and ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen to follow by next fall, said Evan Goldman, vice president for development of Rockville-based Federal Realty Investment Trust.

Rain tax, health insurance marketplace opens Last year also saw a proposal to expand the annual storm water management fee — which some dub a “rain tax” — to more property owners. The Montgomery County Council passed a storm water program that extends the fee to most businesses, while officials said most homeowners will see a reduction in what they currently pay. The fee — fueled by a state law passed in response to an order by the U.S. Environmental Protection

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Agency to clean up the Chesapeake Bay — will be phased in over the next three years. The fee could be quite hefty for some such as auto dealers and shopping center owners that have large parking lots. In October, Maryland’s new health care exchange system, a key part of the federal Affordable Care Act, opened and individuals started shopping for health insurance. The small business program was delayed until April. Maryland is one of 16 states, along with Washington, D.C., operating their own exchanges. Last year was a big one for numerous business leaders, including Rachel K. King, CEO of Gaithersburg biotech GlycoMimetics. King was named board chair of the Biotechnology Industry Association, or BIO, the industry’s leading national trade group. The Tech Council of Maryland also honored King with its 2013 Executive of the Year award, and GlycoMimetics filed to go public. The housing market continued to recover in 2013 from its doldrums during the Great Recession. Montgomery and Frederick saw sales of existing homes post gains in most months from a year earlier, including a 26 percent rise in Montgomery and 15 percent increase in Frederick in October. Prices also rose accordingly. kshay@gazette.net

The Big Bad Woof pet store, which has stores in Takoma Park and Hyattsville, plans to open its third and largest store in Silver Spring. The company is using Kiva Zip to raise $5,000 in loans online for architectural drawings and is under lease negotiations for the former Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op space. The store specializes in sustainable and holistic pet products. With the larger space they plan to offer new services such as dog washing and nutrition classes. It will also feature non-pet-related local products.

Event planning company opens in Olney Cooks Customs of Olney is a new full-service event design and planning company. Owned and operated by Paul W. Cook III of Olney, it provides custom services, from decor to napkins, according to the company, which opened in June. Its website is cookscustoms.com and it can be contacted at info@cookscustoms.com and 703-340-5077.

New home decor studio opens in Kensington A new design studio and craft workshop has opened in Kensington. Meaghan McNamara of McNamara Design and Regan Billingsley of Regan Billingsley Interiors recently opened their doors at 4216B Howard Ave. “We picked Kensington, especially West Howard Avenue, because we both grew up in the area and we love how it is industrial, so I can have a spray booth to paint my furniture and we are surrounded by other artists from metal to glass to woodworkers ... so we have many other industries at our disposal all on one street,” McNamara wrote in an email to The Gazette. “And we are also very excited about the development plans of future Kensington, i.e. new sidewalks and street lights on West Howard Ave.” The store offers interior design services, furniture rehabilitation, faux painting, local artwork, home accessories and jewelry. The studio also plans to offer design and crafting classes this spring. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.


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SCHOOL LIFE Stedwick students create nature center to showcase studies n

Students, family, friends visit exhibits, learn about animal habitats BY

PEGGY MCEWAN STAFF WRITER

Stedwick Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Mary Darling believes it is not enough for her students to learn things, they also need to share what they know. “It helps people know it better when they have to share,” she said. Her class created the Stedwick Nature Center from Dec. 17 to 19 and invited fellow students, family and friends to visit their exhibits and learn about animal habitats, ecology and the difference humans make in the animal world — things the students have been working on. “They have talents to share and knowledge to share,” Darling said about her students. “I want to empower them.” All around the second-floor gathering room at the Montgomery Village school, students set up displays on tables and charts on walls. They also had plenty of stuffed animals to use as props; many were puppets Darling has

collected over the years. Student Trung Ngu stood before a display of fossils, picking up each one and telling a group of younger students what they were called, where they were from and some good reasons for learning about fossils. “If we didn’t have fossils, we couldn’t know how dinosaurs moved or looked or even if they existed,” he said. Students Michael Botchway and Gabriel Hernandez talked about endangered animals. “Polar bears, tigers, pandas and other animals I never heard of before,” Gabriel said. “Their environments are being destroyed.” Gabriel, who said he would someday like to run a zoo, said many animals have been lost because people have used them for food and clothing. Darling gets her students working early in the school year, tying the nature center project to lessons from the science and social studies curriculum. “We study how animals and people adapt to their natural environment, how they fulfill the three basic needs: food, clothing and shelter,” she said. “We start at the beginning of the year with basic research skills.” She brings in lessons from language arts, requiring the students to keep

PEGGY MCEWAN/THE GAZETTE

Fourth-graders Sabrina Griffith (left) and Kailyn Pavlicek display animal puppets at the Stedwick Nature Center, a museum created by fourth-graders at Stedwick Elementary School in Montgomery Village, to showcase science and social studies concepts the students learned during the first four months of the school year. notes and write up their research, she said. One fun exercise is to talk about animal similes. “Like ‘hungry as a bear,’” she said.

Several students wrote and produced a play, “Turbo and Rachel Ruby,” based on the story of the tortoise and the hare, the same as the original, just with a different animal cast.

“Writing plays and reading plays is part of the fourth-grade curriculum,” Darling said. It is also fun to watch, according to Abigail Davidson, a fourth-grader from another class. “That was very good,” she said. Sabrina Griffith created an animal coloring book while working on her reading and writing. Copies of her book were given to first-graders who visited the nature center and who contributed artwork to decorate the walls. Brian Stottlemeyer, dressed as Running Wolf, explained the connection American Indians had with animals to a group of second-grade visitors. “They [use] all of any animal they kill,” Brian said. “They thought it would be rude not to use everything if they kill an animal.” Emma Hall, a fourth-grader from Sarah Beyrent’s class, said she liked the nature center and learned a lot from her visit. “I learned many different things about animals and Native Americans and extinct and endangered animals, especially the polar bear, and global warming,” she said. pmcewan@gazette.net

EDUCATION NOTEBOOK Academy of the Holy Cross seniors get on board with the Bard Four seniors from the Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington participated in the fall Folger Fellowship Program at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.

Katherine Axelsson, Madeline Hollingsworth, Catherine Lamoreaux and Madeline Pence

were part of a 16-student class that met twice weekly from September to December. Participants explored Shakespeare’s plays and used the library’s resources. The program investigated a range of approaches and theories to the study of Shakespeare. It included academic seminars, practical theater education, reading and writing assignments, and theater performances. Students had the opportunity to meet scholars, directors, actors, designers and stage combat choreographers. Participation included reading plays and related material each week, writing a series of papers and a final researched essay, an independent project exploring Shakespeare, and presenting a final acting project at the end of the semester. “It was a different approach to learning Shakespeare,” Hollingsworth said in a news release. “We examined the works from a variety of perspectives to develop our own conclusions.” She said she enjoyed the entire experience, but was most pleased to meet Barbara Mowat, director of research at the library and the editor, with Paul Werstine, of the Folger Shakespeare Library editions of Shakespeare’s works. Hollingsworth said she hopes to become a writer and was encouraged by her conversation with Mowat. The students said they were grateful for their strong writing foundation from their school’s English department. Axelsson said they were able to help

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(From left) Catherine Lamoreaux, Madeline Pence, Katherine Axelsson and Madeline Hollingsworth, seniors at the Academy of Holy Cross in Kensington, participated in a fellowship program at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., during the fall semester. other students with their papers during the peer review. “We were very well prepared because we’re so familiar with the writing process,” Axelsson said in the release. The students also said the experience helped them manage their time during a busy senior first semester.

Scholarships available for graduating seniors Ivy Vine Charities, the charitable foundation for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Theta Omega Omega Chapter, is accepting applications for its 2014 academic scholarship program. The scholarship program was established to recognize outstanding achievements of graduating high school seniors in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The foundation will award scholarships to the highestrated student in each of the following categories: • Graduating high school senior planning to attend and enrolled in a four-year college or university: $1,500. • Graduating high school

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senior planning to attend and enrolled in a historically black college or university: $1,500. • Montgomery County graduating high school senior planning to attend Montgomery College: $1,000. • Montgomery County graduating high school senior planning to attend a four-year college or university: $1,000. • Book awards, usually two, given to help buy textbooks: 500. The scholarships will be presented at the Ivy Vine Charities afternoon tea March 23. Winners are required to attend. Applications and more information are at ivyvinecharities.org/scholarship.html. Application and supporting documents must be mailed to Ivy Vine Charities, attn.: Deirdre Reynolds Jones, 43 Randolph Road, PMB 102, Silver Spring, MD 20904. The deadline is Feb. 8.

rolling for the 2014-15 school year. Each open house starts with a presentation, followed by a tour of the facilities. St. Raphael School, enrolling students in kindergarten through grade 8, specializes in tailored academics through integrated technology, including a one-to-one iPad program for middle-schoolers, differentiated learning and small-group instruction. Its open house will be from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. The open house at the nursery school is from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. The school offers programs for 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds and pre-kindergartners, plus extended-day offerings. Child care is available during the open houses. For more information or a separate appointment, call 301-762-2143 or visit www.straphaelschoolmd. org.

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nual open house from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the school, 12501 Dalewood Drive, Silver Spring. Students interested in enrolling in Edison will have the opportunity to learn about the school’s programs, meet teachers and current students, see live demonstrations and complete applications. Edison serves students in grades 10, 11 and 12 who are in good standing at a Montgomery County public high school. Students may apply for enrollment in one of Edison’s 18 career and technology education programs. They include an automotive cluster of four courses; principles of architecture and computer-aided design technology, also four classes; a six-course construction cluster; and the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism, which covers cosmetology, medical careers, restaurant management, and manicures and pedicures. Applications are available at montgomeryschoolsmd.org/ schools/edison. Completed applications may either be mailed to the school or submitted to the Thomas Edison counselor liaison at the students’ home schools.

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Madison. • Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring: Summer J. White, Grinnell College. • Springbrook High School in Silver Spring: Jonathan M. Brown and Tariro A. Kandemiri, Sewanee; Anthony A. Ramos, Bucknell University. • Watkins Mill High School in Montgomery Village: Manish Dhungana, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Krishna Mudwari, Grinnell College. • Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Jackson I. Pierce Felker, Bucknell University.

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Foundation. The Posse program identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential that may have been overlooked by conventional college selection processes, according to a news release from the foundation. Forty-four colleges and universities each offer full-tuition scholarships to students throughout the country and create multicultural teams — called Posses — on each campus. These student teams receive professional guidance before and throughout college and provide support to one another. On campus, these students serve in leadership roles. Posse programs are in nine different regions: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans and New York. Nearly 1,600 students are nominated nationwide for the scholarships. This year’s Montgomery recipients come from 11 high schools and will attend six different colleges: • Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School: Jherron V. Sutton, Grinnell College. • James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring: Bethany R. Hamson, Sewanee; Victor M. Phimphachanh, Grinnell College. • Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring: Minu Tshyeto K. Bidzimou, Grinnell College. • Gaithersburg High School: Mohamed F. Keita, University of Rochester; Kent Martine P. Mok, University of WisconsinMadison. • Northwood High School in Silver Spring: James D. Caruso, Grinnell College; Jeffrey E. Miranda, Lafayette College. • Poolesville High School: Alejandra Torres Diaz, University of Wisconsin-Madison. • Seneca Valley High School in Germantown: Gustave A. Nguenjio Njapon, Lafayette College; Karen O. Somasundaram, Bucknell University; Jessica Wu, University of Wisconsin-

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T H E G AZ ET T E

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

Page A-15

County’s volunteer firefighters a growing force Bucking national trend, hundreds joining services

n

BY ST. JOHN BARNED-SMITH STAFF WRITER

As many volunteer fire departments across the country struggle with declining membership and more calls for service, Montgomery County officials say the area’s volunteer fire services are healthy, growing and saving taxpayers millions. Eric Bernard, president of the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association, said the county has received three federal grants in recent years totaling nearly $1 million. That has helped hire a volunteer firefighter recruiter, and advertise and promote volunteer firefighting opportunities through social media. Those efforts have paid off, according to association officials: The county’s volunteer fire departments recruited more than 260 new volunteers in 2013. “There are lots of potential volunteer firefighters — they need to know they are needed and welcome,” county Councilman Philip M. Andrews (D-Dist. 3) of Gaithersburg told The Gazette. Montgomery County has nearly 1,200 career firefighters and more than 900 volunteer firefighters or rescue personnel,

PROTEST

Continued from Page A-1 tions. Some nearby school systems opted to delay or close their schools. Fairfax County (Va.) Public Schools decided to close and Prince George’s County Public Schools opened two hours late. Public schools in Washington remained open. Dana Tofig, spokesman for the Montgomery County school system, said only a few schools were facing issues Tuesday morning. Jackson Road Elementary School in Silver Spring closed after a power outage, Tofig said.

COLD

Continued from Page A-1 department. The plan directs county homeless shelters to stay open all day instead of just overnight. It is issued any time daytime high temperatures are expected to be below 32 degrees. Two emergency shelters in Rockville, funded by the county, are open around the clock to give refuge to the homeless: Home Builders Care Assessment Center for men operated by the Coalition for the Homeless, at 600B E. Gude Drive, and Rainbow Place for women, at 215 W. Montgomery Ave. During the overnight hours Monday into Tuesday, 322 of the shelters’ combined 395 beds were occupied, Anderson said.

there has been occasional friction between the two groups in the past, but Sherburne said the current relationship between the groups is “pretty good.” He added that the county’s attitude toward the volunteer system has helped keep volunteer enthusiasm high. “When people feel needed, they will continue to participate,” he said. “If they feel passed aside or not needed, that can be a very negative thing.” Fire officials say the system provides the county with numerous benefits, such as training for aspiring career firefighters. It offers a stream of seasoned career firefighters who frequently return to volunteer departments in leadership or trainer positions

after they retire. In many cases, aspiring firefighters begin volunteering at their local station or with a specific department, Bernard said. There are 19 volunteer fire departments in the county, he said. Career firefighters, who are paid with county dollars, staff many of those fire departments alongside volunteers. The exception is the Bethesda-Chevy Chase squad, which pays some career firefighters out of its own budget, he said. Like career firefighters, volunteer firefighters must make a commitment to become certified firefighters or rescue personnel. Volunteers attend an 11-week orientation class, as well

as hundreds of hours of class and training to reach “minimum staffing level,” Bernard said. Many career firefighters who work in other counties but live in Montgomery County volunteer here, he said. The county’s force bucks national trends, which have seen a steady decline in the number of volunteerfirefighters,Bernardsaid. According to the National Volunteer Fire Council, twothirds of the nation’s fire departments are volunteer. As emergency calls have tripled since 1988, the number of volunteer firefighters has declined by 13 percent since 1984, or more than 100,000 volunteers. Bernard attributed the decline to the increased demands on volunteer firefighters, including more rigorous training standards. Unlike some jurisdictions, where volunteers respond to fires from their jobs or homes, volunteers in Montgomery County serve their whole shift based at their firehouse, he said. Alan Hinde, chief of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Volunteer Services Division, said the county’s proximity to Washington and its dense population mean standards for area volunteers are high, as is demand, with one Rockville firehouse getting more than 10,000 calls a year. “We’re going to be called a lot; we need to be good at what we do,” Hinde said.

online, describing cold conditions waiting for the bus, walking to school and sometimes in school buildings. One woman who identified herself as a county teacher wrote online Tuesday that “unfortunately I work in an area where students often come to school under dressed.” Some students directed sarcastic and angry — and sometimes expletive-filled — messages to both Starr and the school system. “Why is my bus not here yet / my tears are frozen / thanks @ MCPS,” one student wrote. At one bus stop in a Gaithersburg neighborhood, opinions about the school system’s deci-

sion were mixed. Standing bundled up in his garage, John Davis said he was “a little disappointed” that schools were open. Davis said his daughter had come home Monday night saying there could be a two-hour delay. “I didn’t even really agree with that,” he said. His 10-year-old daughter, Lauren, stood with him to wait for the bus to Fields Road Elementary School, having just returned from helping other children cross the street and get on their buses. Lauren said she had to tell some kids to put on their jackets. “It’s super cold outside; I

wish there was no school,” she said. Other parents, however, said they supported the choice to keep schools open. “I think it’s fine, they should go — especially ‘cause I have a high schooler and they have exams next week,” said Bonnie Sneeringer of Gaithersburg. Sneeringer — a former resident of Chicago familiar with cold weather — said she prepared her children by making sure they were bundled up. “Cold is not a reason to get out of school,” she said. Michael Doran, principal at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, said the building was doing mostly fine despite

the temperatures. Doran said one classroom was cold enough to move students to a warmer spot in the building. “Those kids are meeting in the media center today,” he said. Students have been out of school a lot recently, Doran said, and too many interruptions can potentially push back exam schedules and extend the school year. Though some students were “annoyed,” attendance did not seem to be affected, he said. “I’ve been walking around the classrooms and they seem pretty full,” Doran said. “They might complain, but they’re here.”

shelters and services. Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville treated one patient for symptoms of cold exposure, according to a hospital spokesman. Suburban Hospital officials in Bethesda said there had been no reported cases of hypothermia as of 2 p.m. Tuesday. The Maryland Public Service Commission, PJM Interconnection and Pepco asked Marylanders to conserve electricity Tuesday. According to PJM, which operates the regional power grid, demand for electricity was expected to increase because of the cold weather. To save energy, consumers are asked to set their thermostats lower than usual, postpone using major electric appliances until after 9 p.m., and turn off any lights, space heaters and ap-

pliances not being used. Pepco outage maps showed 208 customers in Montgomery County were without power as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. Frigid temperatures are causing an increase in water main breaks in the area. As of 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission was working on 38 water main breaks in Montgomery County, spokeswoman Lyn Riggins said. “Our crews are fixing them as quickly as possible and moving on to the next break,” she said. The most notable incident was at Viers Mill Road and University Boulevard in Wheaton. “There was some traffic tie-up there, but that has since dispelled,” said WSSC spokeswoman Kira Lewis. According to a WSSC news

release, one-third of its water pipes are more than 50 years old. When colder water starts moving through the old and brittle pipes, a spike in breaks and leaks is likely. Lewis said that as part of winter preparations, workers who usually work on water main replacement projects are pulled to work on main breaks. “The guys work under tremendous weather conditions year-round,” she said. “They have special gear and take breaks to warm up. They are always mindful that what they do is so important.” WSSC customers can report a water main break by calling 301206-4002 or emailing emergency-

callcenter@wsscwater.com. Metro spokesman Philip Stewart said trains were running at normal speed Tuesday. A broken rail near the Brookland station on the Red Line in Washington, D.C., caused the only weather-related delay, but trains were running on schedule through that area by 6 a.m. He said there had been no reports of broken heaters on trains, but they may lose heat as they move down the line because of frequently opening and closing doors. At the Bethesda Metro station, icicles hanging over an escalator were removed. “The escalator is now back in service,” Stewart said.

such as paramedics. According to Bernard, almost 700 more recruits are in the process of becoming volunteer firefighters or rescue personnel. State and tax dollars pay for training, Bernard said, adding that to reach “minimum staffing” levels of training — 350 hours of training — usually takes about a year. A 2011 report by his association estimated that volunteer firefighters, EMTs and paramedics saved the county $25 million every year in salaries, benefits and equipment. Volunteer fire and rescue squads own many of their stations, and purchase and maintain some of their equipment, Bernard said. County dollars subsidize some costs, he said. One station — the BethesdaChevy Chase Rescue Squad — operates completely free of county tax dollars, he said. The county’s current fire and rescue system emerged from a structure that included many volunteer fire departments. Over time, many departments added paid firefighters and rescue workers as they became unable to handle the high call volume. In 1989, many of those employees became county employees, Bernard said. About 10 years ago, all of the individual fire departments came under the authority of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.

According to Scott Graham, assistant chief with the service, volunteers work alongside career firefighters and rescue personnel, and provide needed night and weekend coverage. “When a firetruck goes out of a fire station, chances are it could be staffed with both volunteer and career personnel,” he said. “It’s a different system,” Graham said, laughing. “But it’s one that, when it shakes out at the end of the day, works better than most [departments that are] all paid or all volunteer that I know of. It’s incredibly efficient, incredibly successful.” Graham, who started as a volunteer in Ocean City, said the county’s volunteer and career firefighters have worked together for decades. More recently, the county struck a collective bargaining agreement with its volunteers, an arrangement that provides educational benefits like those other county employees receive, as well as uniforms, recognition for service and other benefits. Fire officials say the agreement is one of the only ones of its kind in the country. Ned Sherburne juggles working as a federal employee in Washington with serving as chief of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase squad. He has been a volunteer firefighter since 1978. Volunteer firefighters and career firefighters acknowledge

Capt. James E. Daly Elementary School in Germantown also lost electricity but remains open, with Pepco saying power will be restored soon, he said. A pipe burst at White Oak Middle School in Silver Spring, causing some classrooms to be closed, Tofig said, adding he wasn’t sure how many. Most school buses started in the early morning weather, he said. For those that didn’t start, replacement buses were used. “We had a few schools that have some weather-related issues,” Tofig said. “That happens in the winter when it’s cold.” Some members of the school system community, however, expressed their unhappiness That’s more than usual, with only 292 beds reportedly filled Saturday night. Home Builders Care Assessment Center alone has capacity for 135 men, but 160 sought shelter there Monday night, according to Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director Susanne Sinclair-Smith. Twenty-five men were taken to East County Community Recreation Center in Silver Spring for shelter overnight, Sinclair-Smith said. Homeless people also are encouraged to visit county facilities such as libraries and recreation centers to escape the cold. Anderson said county officials urge anyone in need of help for themselves or others to call the crisis center at 240-7774000. Information is available on

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The Gazette OUROPINIONS

Forum

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

|

Page A-16

Cut the tolls and increase mobility

In the 12 months ending in June 2013, motorists made 17.2 million trips on the Intercounty Connector, which costs $8 for a peak-time round-trip between Gaithersburg and Laurel. Advocates — notably Councilman Philip M. Andrews and the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce — think drivers in the region would benefit if the state cut the tolls in half. With lower tolls, the thinking goes, more people will be diverted from other highways, most likely Interstate 270, the Capital Beltway and Interstate 95, which are among the most congested in the reTHE STATE gion. In a letter to The Gazette a SHOULD CUT year ago, Andrews confidently THE COST OF predicted that cutting the tolls in DRIVING ON half would double the traffic on THE ICC the road. The Maryland Transportation Authority, which operates the ICC, has a study that contradicts Andrews’ boldness. CDM Smith of Cambridge, Mass., estimates that a 50 percent reduction in the tolls would increase traffic volume, by 2015, by 21 percent. Toll revenue by 2015 would decline by 33 percent, from $65.1 million to $43.7 million. A difference of $21.4 million is nothing to take lightly. By the same token, that 21 percent increase in traffic volume shouldn’t be taken lightly either. As Marilyn Balcombe, president and CEO of the chamber, told The Gazette’s Kevin James Shay: “The road was not built to raise revenue. The road was built to alleviate traffic and help mobility. If we can increase the number of people using the ICC, the better mobility we can have.” Exactly. Balcombe and Andrews present serious arguments that deserve consideration. We think the state’s numbers downplay how motorists will change their patterns once they hear the ICC charges less for its 18-mile connection. We think there’s an easy way to prove them right or wrong: Cut the tolls and see what happens. Large electronic signs already proclaim the current rates, so an education campaign would be minimal. If the number of motorists don’t increase to offset the loss in revenue, the state can reset the tolls. Absent a precipitous decline in tolls, the state should be thinking about mobility.

Election board misfires

Someone at the Maryland State Board of Elections, in a fit of grogginess, must have thought he or she was in Virginia. That’s where the governor and the lieutenant governor run and are elected separetely. There’s no other fathomable explanation for the Maryland board’s recent ruling that the yin of a gubernatorial ticket can’t raise money during the legislative session, but the yang can. That’s how the board sees it in the case of Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, a Democratic candidate for governor, and his running mate, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, who is trying to be elected lieutenant governor. In Maryland, the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller and members of the General Assembly are prohibited from raising campaign cash during the legislature’s annual 90-day regular session. Annapolis and the state government universe are awash in campaign money and unadulterated ingratiating year-round. But, presumably, the ban keeps the capital a little less unwholesome for the busiest quarter — like throwing a pile of dirty laundry in a closet when relatives come to visit. Consider what the election board has decided: Brown must abide by the exclusion; Ulman, a local official, can ignore it. But money raised for Ulman obviously benefits both. Or has the election board figured out a way to permanently segregate money raised individually for a joint ticket? The governor-lieutenant governor candidate ticket of Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and Del. Jolene Ivey, who both must sit out three months of fundraising before the June primary, are put at a severe disadvantage. Before we wring our hands in angst, though, we suspect Gansler will find a way to get his message out with the multiple millions in his campaign account. Instead, we’ll proceed with our idea for a ground-leveling solution. Forget fundraising dark periods. We’d rather see designated fundraising seasons — something akin to when it’s legal to hunt deer or other wildlife. We see good potential and a strong calendar fit in the wild turkey spring season, which runs from April 18 to May 23. Why not let candidates for state offices run at large — literally — for those five weeks. Lobbyists and special interest groups — wearing blaze orange, of course — could load up their cash-infusing weapons and see if they can bag the big one. Call it “buck season.” Crazy? Two can play that game, election board.

The Gazette Karen Acton, President/Publisher

LETTERS TOT HE EDITOR

Term limits needed in Gaithersburg

The Gaithersburg city election in 2013 is a good example of the need for consecutive term limits for incumbents. Less than 6 percent of all registered voters chose to go to the polls on Nov. 5, as this election was dubbed the No Selection Election. Voters want a voice when they go to the election polls, but when there are no choices in the election, the voters’ voices [are] not heard. The last challenger to win an elected incumbent’s seat was Ann Somerset in 1999. Due to a vigorous campaign of knocking on every voter’s door, Ann won her place on

the City Council. This was a very daunting task since she was competing with the visibility and name recognition of the incumbents. Since the city of Gaithersburg’s population continues to grow rapidly, this type of campaign has become impractical and archaic. In the Gaithersburg City Election 2013, there were no challengers, no candidate debates, no candidate mailings, no candidate newspaper ads and negligible voter interest. In order to revive Gaithersburg politics and encourage citizens to become candidates

Legislature should seal nonviolent records The decriminalization and even the legalization of marijuana are important cogs in the wheel of comprehensive criminal justice reform in Maryland. Along with enforcing our newly passed gun-safety laws, fighting for safe and sick leave, expanding access to protective orders in cases of dating violence and sexual assault, full funding for the criminal injuries compensation board, and effective prisoner re-entry; the marijuana issue offers our state officials the chance to make a significant difference in how we handle our criminal justice inequities. Notwithstanding the eventual legalization of marijuana, the Maryland State Legislature should move quickly to implement new laws that seal or shield criminal records of individuals who have been convicted of marijuana possession where violence was not a factor. According to a recent ACLU report, Maryland currently has the fourth-highest arrest rate for marijuana possession in the country. In Maryland, police arrest one out of every 250 people for marijuana possession, and

marijuana-related arrests make up roughly 50 percent of all drug arrests in our state. Even more alarming is the fact that African-Americans make up only 30 percent Maryland’s population, but make up 58 percent of arrests for marijuana possession despite having equal marijuana usage rates as their white counterparts. Sealing or shielding these conviction records is a critical step toward mitigating the long-term debilitating disparities of our criminal justice system. Without such a law, thousands of Marylanders who have been convicted of non-violent marijuana possession will continue to be cut off from the societal on ramps (e.g. grants, loans, jobs, school admission) to the highway of upward mobility. If lawmakers in Maryland are serious about comprehensive reform, they’ll pass a shield and seal law in the upcoming legislative session.

Will Smith, Silver Spring The writer is a Democratic candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 20.

for public office, a consecutive term limit should be considered by the Gaithersburg mayor and City Council. An elected incumbent would be allowed to run for office once for continuous service of eight years. However, after eight years of continuous service, the incumbent would then be required to take a sabbatical for at least one election cycle of two years. This would encourage interested citizens to step forward as candidates and run for the open seat. After at least two years, the incumbent could run for Gaithersburg public office

Paul and JoAnn Schimke, Gaithersburg

Development, Ten Mile Creek can’t coexist Please excuse me, Mr. Shapiro, but you make shameful, outlandish and inaccurate statements [“Development, Ten Mile Creek can coexist,” letters, Dec. 24]. The first thing I noticed in your letter is your egregious conflict of interest. You have an elected position in the Clarksburg Chamber of Commerce. Protection of the environment is not an “ideological tendency.” An ideology is a large-scale way of looking at the world, but that way the world looks is actually an illusion. Environmental conservation is no illusion, nor is water quality. What specifically is the “well-documented scientific fact” that you repeatedly and disgracefully refer to? The argument behind preserving the Ten Mile Creek Watershed is backed by scientific fact, whereas development is encouraged by financial interests. Simply Google the words “environment, development, pollution and water quality” all together, and you will encounter dozens of peer-reviewed, scientific publications that are consistent with my argument about the delicacy of a watershed to development. What specific state and current laws will protect the Ten

Mile Creek Watershed? It amuses me that you consider the preservation of the environment to be self-serving. If anything, your push for development is self-serving. Do you have a financial stake in the development if it were to proceed? I am positive that these environmental groups are at least partially composed of members of the Clarksburg community. The environmentalists’ arguments are not antiquated as you say. They are in fact supported by the Environmental Protection Agency and current understanding in the environmental sciences. The construction of homes only destroys the environment and negatively contributes to climate change. What is your plan to mitigate a substantial release of greenhouse gases? How does development protect or improve the environment? Virtually all indicators of environmental health and quality near a site of development decline when development occurs. I doubt that your community has suffered “devastating economic harm” as a result of the construction delay. The median annual household income of Clarksburg exceeds $125,000.

Jeffrey Blazar, Gaithersburg

Bag tax revenue should be returned Clearly something is amiss and awry if the county bag tax has generated over $1.7 million in revenue for Montgomery County [“Bag tax generates millions for county,” Dec. 22]. In corresponding with county officials prior to implementation of the tax, I was told

repeatedly that income, revenue, whatever you wish to call it, was not the focus of the tax and that the county’s goal was to raise nothing from it! Right. Want to sell me a bridge next, Montgomery County? In light of this monetary windfall, I pro-

pose distributing the revenue to all Montgomery County residents. Certainly the $1.7 million rightfully belongs to them, if the intent was to raise nothing. I won’t look for my check in the mail anytime soon.

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

Douglas Tallman, Editor Krista Brick, Managing Editor/News Glen C. Cullen, Senior Editor Copy/Design Meredith Hooker, Managing Editor/Internet Robert Rand, Managing Editor/Presentation

again. One has only to look at the Gaithersburg city election in 2007 when seven candidates ran for three open seats on the City Council to know that citizens do want to serve. When there are open seats, citizens are far more willing to put their time, efforts and finances into becoming candidates. Making Gaithersburg’s political environment more active and dynamic will ensure that Gaithersburg will continue to evolve as a vibrant city.

Andrew Schotz, Assistant Managing Editor Nathan Oravec, A&E Editor Ken Sain, Sports Editor Dan Gross, Photo Editor Jessica Loder, Web Editor

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

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

Fran VanBrocklin, Olney

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


T H E G AZ ET T E

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

Funny money

Money is the mother’s milk of politics: having it doesn’t guarantee victory, but not having it almost always guarantees defeat. Campaign money also has become a battleground in this year’s governor’s race. In November, Democratic candidate Doug Gansler invited his chief rival, Anthony Brown, to reject so-called “dark money” spending during the primary election. Banning such “outside spending” by PACs, unions and anyone except the candidate’s own campaigns was a self-serving Gansler ploy masquerading as good government. Third-party MY MARYLAND spending on BLAIR LEE ads and voter turnout benefits Brown, because most third-party groups (unions, PACs, incumbents, etc.) are in his camp. Conversely, limiting campaign spending to the candidate’s war chests benefits Gansler, who’s raised more than Brown. So Brown declined Gansler’s invitation. But the most interesting aspect of Gansler’s good government trap was his proposed penalty: any candidate who violates the pledge must make a campaign donation to a charity. Turns out that it’s illegal in Maryland for a candidate to direct a contribution to a charity or nonprofit. Why? Because that’s how elected officials, particularly in P.G. County, “laundered” unsavory campaign donations. Instead of taking money from developers or other special interests that might look bad on the candidate’s financial report, candidates directed the money to charities in their districts and then took credit for it. That’s why it’s now illegal. The latest money battle involves another fundraising ban, a 1997 law prohibiting fundraising during the General Assembly’s 90-day session (mid-January to mid-April). The ban applies to the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller and all 188 members of the legislature.

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It’s a curious law unless you understand its origins. If lobbyists and special interests want to legally bribe state lawmakers with campaign contributions, why ban such corruption only during the 90-day session while allowing it the rest of the year? Answer: Because the 90-day session ban wasn’t demanded by the lawmakers, it was demanded by the State House lobbyists! That’s right, in 1997 the lobbyists went to the presiding officers begging for relief from legislators who were preying on them during the session. For instance, if a lobbyist’s bill was up for an afternoon committee vote, the committee chairman or key members would sometimes hold a sudden “fundraising breakfast” to which the lobbyist, with check in hand, was invited. Some legislators didn’t even bother with the breakfast subterfuge — just give me the check. The lobbyists were getting eaten alive. That’s why it’s now illegal. The 90-day session ban wasn’t problematic until this election because, except for ending same-day session extortion, it didn’t have much effect. State lawmakers still had plenty of time to shake down the special interests before and after the session. But moving Maryland’s primary election (the most important election in one-party Maryland) from September to June 24 made the ban a political battlefield. Once the session adjourns in mid-April, only a two-month primary campaign remains. So, money for media ad buys, direct mail and election day mobilization must be on hand early. Gubernatorial tickets that can’t fundraise during the session are at a huge disadvantage. For instance, neither Doug Gansler (attorney general) nor his running mate Jolene Ivey (delegate) can fundraise during the session. Likewise, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown is banned. But how about his running mate, Ken Ulman? If Ulman was running for re-election as Howard County executive he wouldn’t be covered by the ban, but shouldn’t he be covered now that he’s Brown’s ticket mate? No, says the state elections administrator, Linda Lamone. Even though state law unifies the candidates into a single ticket (when you vote for governor you automatically

vote for his/her running mate) and even though whatever Ulman raises independently during the session can and will be transferred into the Brown/Ulman joint account, the state elections board views them as separate entities for fundraising purposes so long as Ulman and Brown “don’t coordinate their fundraising during the 90 day session.” Huh? Didn’t the legislature just outlaw campaign contributions by LLCs, partnerships and other “separate entities” under single control because donors were using them to circumvent campaign contribution limits? Yet, the “separate entities” fiction is OK to circumvent the 90day session ban? Here’s the tip-off: Brown “has said all along he would follow the letter of the law as defined by the Board of Elections,” said Brown’s spokesman. Translation: We are confident that the board appointed by Brown’s biggest backer, Gov. O’Malley, will give us a favorable ruling whether it makes sense or not. The five-member Elections Board (three Dems, two Republicans) is appointed “with the advice and consent” of the State Senate (i.e. Mike Miller). The elections administrator, who runs the elections office, was appointed for a six-year term by the governor up until 2002, when a Republican, Bob Ehrlich, won. To keep Ehrlich from replacing Linda Lamone, a Miller loyalist, the Dems stripped Ehrlich of his appointment power and made Lamone de facto administrator for life (she’s in the 17th year of her six-year term). So, just as the Brown camp expected, the elections board helped Brown and hurt Gansler, whose camp is now suing. But all this inside baseball gets eclipsed in two weeks when the candidates must disclose how much money they’ve actually raised to date and how much they have on hand. That’s when we’ll know who’s for real and who’s not.

Blair Lee is chairman of the board of Lee Development Group in Silver Spring and a regular commentator for WBAL radio. His column appears Fridays in the Business Gazette. His past columns are available at www.gazette.net/blairlee. His email address is blairleeiv@gmail. com.

Page A-17

LETTERS TOT HE EDITOR

Another view of the Affordable Care Act Your Jan. 1 edition carried a letter by Hrant Jamgochian lauding the introduction to Maryland of the so-called Affordable Care Act [“Affordable Health Care means more will be covered”]. I wonder if many Marylanders would agree with Mr. Jamgochian’s assessment. Mr. Jamgochian’s letter starts by claiming that, “100,000 Marylanders will have access to high-quality health care because of the Affordable Health Care Act.” But then, later in the letter, he says that 77,000 Marylanders have successfully created accounts. Of course, that doesn’t mean they are insured. Let’s assume, though, that [as of] Jan. 1 they are actually insured. What then of the 76,000 Marylanders who received cancellation notices as of Nov. 12, something Mr. Jamgochian neglects to mention. On net, then, at most, 1,000 more Marylanders will be insured after Jan. 1, not the 100,000 that Jamgochian wants you to believe is the case. A paltry increase for an unbelievable painful experience for many Marylanders. Jamgochian neglects to mention other serious issues in his rosy assessment of the ACA. One is the cost of the new plans. Many if not all the plans cost more: the premium is higher and the deductible is much higher than for many of the canceled plans. A case in point is Bowie State University. What cost $54 per semester per student is now $900 per semester. The consequence: Bowie State stopped offering health insurance. Of course, those students are just the kind of people needed for the ACA to work, and that leads to another issue. If the newly insured comprise primarily those who are more elderly or more ill than expected, the insurance premiums will have to be raised yet further for the insurance companies to survive. So what is now barely affordable will become completely unaffordable. Yet another issue Jamgochian neglects to mention is the way small businesses [are affected] after Jan 1. If they are on the hook for a lot more money, they will probably drop their plans as well, leaving their employees in limbo. Jamgochian seems to believe, like many, there is a free lunch, but there isn’t.

WRITE TO US The Gazette welcomes letters on subjects of local interest. Please limit them to 200 words. All articles are subject to editing. No anonymous letters are printed. Letters are printed as space permits and are limited to one per person per month. Include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Send submissions to: The Gazette, attention Commentary Editor, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877; fax to 301-670-7183; or email to opinions@gazette.net. It is costly to insure the uninsured, especially the uninsurable with pre-existing conditions. More modest changes could have been made to our medical insurance system, as for example, by transparently increasing taxes to subsidize those who are currently uninsurable. Instead, we have a surreptitious tax increase in the form of very large cost increases in medical insurance premiums (and deductibles) to subsidize the uninsurable. That is not the most efficient to subsidize the uninsurable, especially when it destroy our current system. Granted, our medical insurance system was not utopian, but it worked for many people. But, no, the whole system had to be destroyed just for those uninsurables. So it seems that [as of] Jan. 1, more people [are] uninsured than if the Affordable Care Act had never been passed, and those insured through it [are] paying a lot more. The medical insurance system we once had has now been broken, and no amount of claims to the contrary can refute that. What is replacing it appears a lot more costly. What the future holds for our medical insurance system is anyone’s guess, especially with the president changing the rules as he goes along.

Jack Rutner, Silver Spring


Page A-18

T H E G AZ ET T E

Advertorial

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

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CLARKSBURG’S XAVIER SEWELL DOESN’T HAVE A POSITION ON THE COURT, BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER, B-4

SPORTS ROCKVILLE | BETHESDA | BETHESDA | OLNEY | SILVER SPRING www.gazette.net | Wednesday, January 8, 2014 | Page B-1

HOW THEY RANK BOYS The 10 best boys’ basketball teams in Montgomery County as ranked by The Gazette’s sports staff:

Rank 1.

School

Northwest wrestler chasing 100 wins

Winston Churchill High School senior speedskater Shaner LeBauer participated in Olympic qualifying last week. FILE PHOTO

Record Pts

Montrose Christian 6-4 59

2.

Bullis

10-3 55

3.

Gaithersburg

9-0 46

4.

St. Andrew’s

7-1 44

5.

Springbrook

7-1 36

6.

Montgomery Blair 7-2 29

6.

Clarksburg

6-3 20

8.

Poolesville

7-2 19

9.

Rockville

7-2 12

10.

R. Montgomery

7-3 9

Senior 120-pounder has already won county, region championships n

BY

STAFF WRITER

Others receiving votes:

The Heights, 1.

BEST BET

Richard Montgomery at Walt Whitman, 7 p.m. Wednesday. Two

of the surprise teams in Montgomery County this season face off in a clash of 4A South Region leaders.

TOP SCORERS

Name, school A. Trier, Montrose Christian J. Friedman, Sandy Spring I. Kallon, Wheaton M. Adkison, St. Andrew’s K. Williams, Kennedy N. Segura, The Heights J. Bradshaw, Einstein I. Grigsby, The Heights D. Ojinnaka, Blake A. Tarke, Gaithersburg

PPG 27.9 25.7 21.4 20.7 20.2 19.8 19.6 18.9 18.2 17.8

GIRLS The 10 best girls’ basketball teams in Montgomery County as ranked by The Gazette’s sports staff:

Rank 1.

School

Record Pts

Damascus

9-2 60

2.

Paint Branch

8-1 53

3.

John F. Kennedy

6-1 47

4.

Good Counsel

6-4 43

4.

Poolesville

8-0 35

6.

Walt Whitman

7-2 32

7.

Montgomery Blair 7-1 22

8.

Seneca Valley

7-2 14

9.

Holy Child

8-3 13

10.

Holy Cross

5-8 6

Short track to success SPEEDSKATERS FALL SHORT, BUT ON PATH TO OLYMPICS Winston Churchill senior, Richard Montgomery sophomore have sights set on Junior Worlds n

BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

Winston Churchill High School senior Shaner LeBauer’s main goal at this point in his short track speedskating career has been the same since he just missed a spot on the 2013 Junior World team last January: Making the 2014 team. There was no better way to prepare for that than a stop at the U.S. Olympic Short Track Speedskating Trials held Thursday through Sunday in Salt Lake City, Utah.

LeBauer, 17, who represents the Potomac Speedskating Club based out of the Wheaton and Cabin John ice rinks, qualified for the elite competition by achieving certain designated cut times. The original field of 25 was cut to 16 athletes in timed trials on the first day. Though LeBauer missed that cut, he said he appreciated the opportunity to compete among the country’s best and that the experience was a valuable one as he moves forward in his career. This month’s competition was LeBauer’s first major competition since taking a little over a month off in September and early October to tend to a back injury — the core, back and legs are vital muscle groups in short track speedskating. “This was definitely a step in the right direction for me but really my

BY

ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER

John F. Kennedy High School’s Daysha Adams has run into a few obstacles since 2009, when she was a freshman starter on a competitive varsity basketball team. A broken ankle, a season-ending concussion and a thyroid condition kept her off the court and away from the classroom for the better part of the last three seasons. But the fifth-year senior is finally healthy this winter, leading the Cavaliers to a 6-0 start (as of Sunday) and playing the best basketball of her life. “It feels great. It’s like, I’m kind of speechless about it,” Adams said. Adams, a shooting guard, is averaging a teamhigh 13.7 points per game after missing most of the last two seasons with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease affecting the thyroid.

BEST BET

the Hornets would help the Trojans forget about their slow start.

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See WRESTLER, Page B-2

Girls’ basketball: Following several ailments, Adams returns to court to lead Cavaliers

Gaithersburg at Damascus, 7 p.m. Friday. A road win against

PPG 19.2 18.6 18.4 18.0 17.8 17.6 17.5 16.3 15.8 15.4

See SPEEDSKATING, Page B-2

Northwest High School wrestler Nick Davis is already a Montgomery County and Class 4A/3A West Region champion, but before graduating there’s a couple other things he wants to accomplish: 100 wins and a state title. “I’m looking forward to getting my name all around the wall,” said Davis, referring to the plaques and banners in the Northwest wrestling room. It’s not an unrealistic goal for the senior, who has 82 career wins as of Monday. The third-year varsity wrestler (120 pounds) has made significant improvements each season. As a freshman on junior varsity — his first year wrestling — he won most of his matches and finished second place at the county tournament. “He stepped on the mat and he was a natural,” Northwest coach Joe Vukovich said. “... He’s been growing ever since and he’s still learning.” The next season on varsity he went 30-16, placing third at counties, fourth at regions and making a trip to the state tournament. And that, he said, only left him wanting more. The summer before his junior season he stepped up his training and the hard work led to a 38-6 season, county and region championships, and a third place finish in the state tournament. This season Davis is 14-2, with losses against Damascus’ David Creegan and St. Mary’s Ryken’s Steven Simpson. Since joining the team, Davis has consistently made himself a better wrestler by training, attending camps and competing in the offseason, Vukovich said. “You don’t coach competitors like that very often. He’s a competitor, he knows how to compete. You can see it in his eyes,” Vukovich said. The summer after his sophomore year is when he fully bought into the sport, finding tournaments against top competition in Pennsylvania, Vu

n

3; Walter Johnson 1; Magruder 1.

TOP SCORERS

sights are set on the Junior World Championships,” LeBauer said. “My ultimate goal is to make the Junior World team, I really saw this, my time here, training for Olympic Trials as [great preparation] for that.” LeBauer, the 2013 U.S. Men’s Junior 15-16 National Champion, was one of two Montgomery County teens to compete in Salt Lake City this month. Richard Montgomery sophomore April Shin (Virginiabased Dominion Speedskating), who won the American Cup I in New York in the fall, was on pace to finish in the top five during the timed trials on the first day but was slowed by a poorlytimed bout with the flu, according to Potomac Speedskating Club’s Alison Mittelstadt.

Kennedy senior overcomes health challenges

Others receiving votes: Blake,

Name, school K. Prange, Damascus S. Addison, Wootton J. Karim-Duvall, Churchill B. Beckwith, Quince Orchard W. Carmack, Poolesville D. Harris, Paint Branch K. Meredith, Northwest J. Craig, Seneca Valley D. Lerner, Jewish Day K. Porter, Bullis

ERIC GOLDWEIN

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Daysha Adams of John F. Kennedy shoots against Paint Branch on Monday.

See SENIOR, Page B-2

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Northwest High School varsity wrestler Nick Davis (left) practices with teammate Chris Swift on Thursday.


T HE G AZ ET T E

Page B-2

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

Wheaton forward enjoys reunion with basketball ‘family’ After being suspended for 10 games last year, Kallon is a new player

n

BY

TRAVIS MEWHIRTER STAFF WRITER

Wheaton High School boys’ basketball player Ibrahim Kallon had just struck again with a dunk. And Lerenzo Foote clamped his hands to both sides of his face, howling in delight, his jaw hanging so far open it might as well have been dragging on the Laurel High School gym floor. “That’s two!” Foote said, wagging his index and middle fingers to the sparse crowd at the Laurel holiday tournament on Dec. 27. “That’s two bodies!” Montgomery County faithful may not be too familiar with Foote — he was a key member of Eleanor Roosevelt’s 2013 state championship team that played above the rim quite frequently. He had seen plenty of dunks before. Kallon’s pair of dunks at Laurel over the winter break turned him into an awestruck fan. The first, a baseline slam over a Northwestern defender that earned Kallon an and-one on the second possession of the game, seemed a lock to be not just the best over the next 32 minutes, but of the day entirely — all six games worth. And then came the second, a ruthless right-hander over a pair of Wildcats.

SENIOR

Continued from Page B-1 Last season, which should have been her senior year, she didn’t play a single minute. She didn’t even go into class; she was homeschooled as a result of the health problems. It was difficult being away from her teammates and classmates, she said. “That’s when I did most of my thinking; what’s going to happen next, where am I going to end up?” Adams said. The thyroid condition was not diagnosed immediately and at one point, Adams said, she was going to doctors about once a week to figure out what was wrong. When it was diagnosed, she realized she needed to address the problem by adjusting her diet and exercise routine. She cut out fast food and soda. She started running on the track. She put in extra work on the court. “It’s funny because people

SPEEDSKATING

Continued from Page B-1

been impressed by the “night and day” turnaround he’s seen from his 6-foot-3 student-athlete. “I wasn’t sure what he would do, how he would react to me, to a new coaching staff,” Basso-Luca said. “And to be honest, it’s night and day this year. We’ve had no problems whatsoever.” With the 10-game suspension of sorts last year, Kallon’s recruitment process has gotten off to a late start. Basso-Luca expects that, once word gets out on Kallon, scouts from all levels will be inquiring, because Kallon is no one-trick pony. His demoralizing dunks are captivating, yes, but he brings far more to the table. “Sometimes in practice he does things where I just take a step back and say, ‘Did that just happen?’” BassoLuca said. “And the important thing is his skill level is increasing as well.” With Northwestern sitting in a zone, Basso-Luca had Kallon cut through the middle, a hair below the free throw line, to catch an entry pass. This would give him a number of options: a pass to the baseline cutters, a pull-up jumper, a drive to the hoop, or a kick-out pass. All of those inherently relied upon his ability to hit the jumper, which would force the defense to step up and guard him and would then open up everything else. And he did — over and over again. His consistency with the jump shot set up Mikey Patterson layups on the baseline cuts or a pass out to the guards. Kallon humbly attributes his marked improvement to Hashim’s de-

that know Daysha, they didn’t realize what she was going through because she kept such a positive spirit,” said teammate and longtime friend Makeda Wright. The hard work is paying off for Kennedy’s leading scorer. “She turned into a completely different player,” said Kennedy coach Kevin Thompson. Three-point shooting has been the key to Adams’ earlyseason success. She has made 21 through six games, going 5-of-8 against Winston Churchill and 6-of-9 against Springbrook. “You leave her open, there’s a good chance it’s going down,” Thompson said. Thompson described this year’s team as a “very motivated group,” with Adams leading the effort. “She was at the forefront of that. She didn’t miss a day of offseason training, she was doing stuff on her own,” Thompson said. Adams’ increased scoring isn’t the only byproduct of her

improved health. In the first quarter, she registered a 3.6 grade-point average and made honor roll for the first time. “When I was in school at first, I didn’t really enjoy it. But now it’s like, I really pay attention in class. I just pay more attention to things now,” Adams said. She said her comeback would not have been possible without support from her teammates. “They pushed me, they wouldn’t just let me give up,” Adams said. “Without them, I don’t know what I would have done.” The Cavaliers are trying to take a step forward after losing to Walter Johnson in the playoffs the last two seasons, with Adams sitting out. In December, Kennedy defeated its playoff nemesis, 47-28, and Adams scored nine points. “She’s like my sister,” Wright said. “I’m so glad she’s back to the family.”

they should be major contenders in 2018 — LeBauer and Hong agreed that short track skaters typically start peaking in their 20s or later. Though LeBauer has grand aspirations to represent the United States at the Olympics one day, he is also academically ambitious and said he hopes to attend an Ivy League school in 2014-15. Balancing his grades and training was taxing this year but he said once his college decision has been made, he expects to be able to refocus some energy on the ice. “It’s all a work in progress right now, I’m still young, there’s time,” LeBauer said. “There are some skaters approaching

30 who are still getting better. ... Right now I’m just worried about Junior Worlds and getting into college.” The top four finishers at the Junior National championships scheduled for later this winter qualify for the World team. LeBauer finished sixth a year ago but has taken major strides this season. “I thought [Olympic trials] was a pretty good opportunity,” LeBauer said. “I feel ready for Juniors. After this year I have one more year as a junior... My longterm goal is to try and make it to the Olympics.”

Wheaton High School’s Ibrahim Kallon is having a career year after being suspended for 10 games last season. FILE PHOTO

cision to sit him out. “It was huge, honestly,” he said. “I felt like that year was going to be my most important year, get my name out, so not being able to help my team — it really hurt. Every game I had to watch it just hurt worse and worse and I know I just wanted to be on that court.” His presence has been felt. Of

jbeekman@gazette.net

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TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

WRESTLER

Continued from Page B-1 kovich said. “He said to me, ‘I want to go where the good kids are,’” Vukovich said. Vukovich and senior teammate Chris Swift had high praise for Davis’ work ethic. “I can say that he’s the only kid on the team that puts in that work,” Swift said. Davis said he’ll take every opportunity he can to gain an edge; he sometimes goes on four-mile runs after practice.

“That’s the mentality that most people have after practices. ‘I already had practice, I’m already tired.’ I’ll be getting the extra training while they’re doing nothing,” Davis said. Vukovich said defeat is one of Davis’ biggest motivators, describing his first loss of last season as a turning point. “He’s not one of those kids that beats himself up, but he shakes it off and watches the video and says ‘I got to learn from it,’” Vukovich said. Davis is using last year’s third-place finish in the state tournament as motivation.

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Notice is hereby given that the Mayor and Council of Rockville, Maryland, will conduct a public hearing on Monday, January 27, 2014, at 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as it may be heard, in the Council Chamber, Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland, in connection with Text Amendment Application TXT2014-00237, Siena Corporation, Applicant. The application proposes to amend Article 16, Section 25.16.03 of Chapter 25, “Zoning,” of the Rockville City Code to add a separate parking standard for self-storage warehouse.

G560649

tmewhirter@gazette.net

Northwest High School varsity wrestler Nick Davis (left) practices with teammate Chris Swift on Thursday.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

More detailed information on the above application can be found on file in the City Clerk’s Office at Rockville City Hall. Persons wishing to testify at the hearing are asked to call (240) 314-8280, before 4:00 p.m. on the day of the hearing to place their names on the speakers’ list. Mayor and Council of Rockville By: Douglass A. Barber, City Clerk/Treasurer

Wheaton’s five losses, the largest margin was eight, and the Knights have already scored more points in a game (84 on Damascus) than any in Hashim’s recent memory. Kallon’s never been happier, saying, “I’m with family again.”

egoldwein@gazette.net

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LeBauer’s Potomac Speedskating teammate, 16-year-old Thomas Hong of Laurel, not only made the top 16 and the NBC Sports broadcast, but his 11th-place finish included a second-place finish in the B final (eighth overall) of the men’s 500-meter event. LeBauer said training alongside his good friend keeps him motivated. The top two finishers in each event at trials advanced to represent Team USA in Sochi and though the three Maryland teenagers aren’t on this year’s roster,

Frank Williams, Laurel’s leading scorer who was on clock duty, actually broke the clock for a brief second after the dunk made him leap to his feet and he kicked the wires out. “It’s a thrill, honestly,” said Kallon, a three-year varsity starter for Wheaton after transferring in from High Point his sophomore year. “Everybody watches the NBA, college — [dunks] are what get people excited. It gets your team hyped.” Though Wheaton has struggled, starting off the season dropping five of its first six, Kallon has been inarguably the year’s breakout player. Through eight games, during which the Knights are 3-5, Kallon was averaging 21.5 points per game, second in the county behind John F. Kennedy’s Keif Williams. All from a guy who sat out 10 of the final 12 games last year — in which Wheaton went 3-9 — because he took the sport he has since dominated for granted. “It was my decision working with [his mother],” said former Wheaton coach Sharief Hashim, who oversaw Kallon for the forward’s first two years as well as the suspension. “He just needed to focus more on being a better student and a more determined man about his future. He just had a little too much freedom on his hands and he didn’t see basketball as a privilege. He was just being a teenager. It was good for his growth.” True to Hashim’s words, first-year coach Marco Basso-Luca, who headed the junior varsity team last season, has

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“It was pretty devastating to me but afterwards, I just like picked up my game and came back hard and got better,” Davis said. He’s off to good start this winter, but said he needs to get in better wrestling shape if he is going to defeat the state’s top wrestlers, like Simpson. “Pretty much I’m going into practices working on my endurance and trying to build up skills to rise to the level where I can eventually beat him,” Davis said. egoldwein@gazette.net


T H E G AZ ET T E

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

Page B-3

County teams play well at IAC-MAC challenge Bullis, St. Andrew’s win games in inaugural event

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BY TRAVIS MEWHIRTER STAFF WRITER

A peculiar sight brought a smile to Bruce Kelley’s face on Saturday afternoon at St. Stephen’s/ St. Agnes. His Bullis School basketball players were cheering for the very schools that, in just a few days time, would be doing everything in their power to unseat them from their Interstate Athletic Conference throne. Aaron Briggs, Russell Sangster, Jamaal Greenwood and the rest of the Bulldogs were able to put aside their disdain for their IAC rivals during the inaugural IAC-Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference challenge, an all-day event hosted by the IAC’s St. Stephen’s/ St. Agnes pitting five teams from each conference against one another.

BOYS BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK BY TRAVIS MEWHIRTER “Ithinkeverybodywhoparticipated in it enjoyed it,” said Kelley, whoseBulldogstoppedpreviously undefeated Potomac (Va.), 61-41. “It was important for our conference to get a win. Our guys were cheeringfortheotherteamsinour conference. It was a good event, a wonderful event.” By day’s end, the IAC claimed the bragging rights, winning three games to two on victories from Bullis, St. Albans, and the host Saints, while the MAC’s pair came from St. Andrew’s and St. James. “That’s great to play against the local team from another conference,” said St. Andrew’s coach Kevin Jones, whose Lions topped Landon 76-71 in overtime. “It was a great idea and I know all the coaches thought it was a great

FILE PHOTO

Holton-Arm’s Emma Raynor swims the backstroke leg of the 200-yard medley relay during the 2013 ISL Swimming & Diving Championships.

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Russell Sangster (right) of Bullis School brings the ball down the courst against Josh Holmes of North Point during the DMV Tip-Off Classic Dec. 21. event and it went very well.” The idea came as a high school spin-off from the ACC-Big Ten challenge, an annual event held toward the beginning of the college basketball season. The IAC had been involved in a similar conference-on-conference event before with a league in Philadelphia. Three IAC teams would travel to Philly while three from Philadelphia would make the trek down to the Washington, D.C. region, but the distance between the conferences made the contests “just a long road game, really,” Kelley said. “It never took off,” he said. “There was nothing really special about playing a team who gets back on the bus and goes to Philly.” The IAC and the MAC, however, share recruiting grounds. No team would be packing up for a three-or-so-hour ride to Philadelphia. So, on Saturday, inconference rivalries became magnanimous. Bullis rooted for St. Albans. St. Andrew’s rooted for St. James. Basketball, for at least one day, turned backwards.

“All the games, no matter what the score was, were competitive,” Jones said. “The kids were playing for pride for their schools and pride for their conferences.” The games were played under IAC rules — 35 second shot clock, three refs as opposed to two — and all IAC teams were technically the “home” team. The scheduling was somewhat random, Jones said, but coaches have floated out the idea that next year’s should pit the No. 1 finishing team in the IAC against the No. 1 MAC, No. 2 IAC against the No. 2 MAC and so on. Defending MAC champion Maret opted out of the contest, which meant one team from the IAC had to drop out to even up the playing field. Herb Krusen had tentative plans for his Georgetown Prep team to travel to Richmond or Philadelphia on Saturday so he voluntarily backed out. “I thought it was a great idea,” he said. “If Maret didn’t drop out we would have stayed. Hopefully we’re in it next year.” tmewhirter@gazette.net

4A West race very competitive Damascus upsets Paint Branch; Holy Child gets quick start n

BY ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER

Thomas S. Wootton, Col. Zadok Magruder and Gaithersburg are on top of the 4A West Division standings as of Monday, with no clear favorite. Wootton (4-4, 2-0) has been playing well, winning four of its past five including a 64-59 victory over Magruder. Sheri Addison is averaging a team-high 18.8 points to lead the Patriots in scoring and getting to the foul line nearly 10 times per game. Cece and Ellie Kobylski, twin sisters, average 24 points combined for Wootton. Magruder (5-2, 1-1) is off to

GIRLS BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK BY ERIC GOLDWEIN a strong start after an 11-12 season, winning five of its first seven games. The Colonels have a balanced attack; Janel Brown (12.7), Hannah Barr (12.1), Hope Randolph (10.3) and Adjowa Pinkrah (8.7) lead the team in scoring. Gaithersburg, meanwhile, has struggled early. The Trojans (4-3, 1-1) have quality wins against Walter Johnson and Winston Churchill but have lost to Poolesville, Seneca Valley and most recently Magruder, 60-38. The Trojans went 18-7 last season and before that appeared in three straight state championship games, winning twice.

Swarmin’ Hornets sting Panthers Damascus handed Paint Branch its first loss of the season Saturday, winning 67-58 in a matchup between the two top Montgomery County teams. Free throws were the key; the Swarmin’ Hornets scored almost 40 percent of their points from the charity stripe and converted 16of-18 attempts in the final period

BRIAN LEWIS/FOR THE GAZETTE

Damascus High School’s Kelli Prange drives toward the basket in Saturday’s girls’ basketball game against Paint Branch. to move to 8-2. “Foul shooting really helped us [close it out in the fourth] and also to the girls’ credit, after too many turnovers in the third, I don’t think we made more than one in the fourth,” Damascus coach Steve Pisarski said after the game. “They really protected the ball. Other than a few spots, I think the girls did a really nice job [Saturday].” Seniors Kelli Prange (19.8) and Lauren Green (15.1) are the leading scorers for Damascus. Prange, who scored 22 points against Paint Branch, has scored in double-figures every game this season.

Fast start for Holy Child Connelly School of the Holy Child is off to a hot start, capping off 2013 by winning the Bulldog Holiday Tournament championship. The Tigers (8-3 as of Sunday) are led by 5-foot-3 senior Talley Britt. The point guard is averaging 9.6 points per game, 2.5 assists and 2.4 steals and scored 21 points against

Churchill to win the tournament Most Valuable Player. “Talley has really stepped up as a senior leader,” Holy Child coach Jamie Ready said after the tournament. “She’s our only senior captain, and she’s really embraced her teammates this year tremendously and has done an excellent job being a leader not only on the floor but off [of it].”

Blake beating expectations It took James H. Blake eight games and a third of the season to surpass last year’s win total. After a 5-15 season, Blake is 6-2 as of Sunday, vying with Kennedy and Paint Branch for a top spot in the Montgomery 4A East. Senior point guard Asha Henley (15.2) and junior guard Citiana Negatu (14.0) lead Blake, which defeated Springbrook 42-36 on Saturday. egoldwein@gazette.net Jennifer Beekman and John Harris III contributed.

Holton-Arms trains in Florida Panthers bonded during training visit to Florida International University n

BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

This week’s record cold weather could catch the Holton-Arms School swimming and diving team a little more off guard than usual. The Panthers just returned from a week-long team training trip in sunny Miami, Fla.

SWIMMING NOTEBOOK BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN While this was Holton’s first trip to Florida International University, the Panthers have been taking team trips every other year for about 12 years, coach Graham Westerberg said. Holton trained four hours each day, two hours in the morning and two more in the afternoon. Though the Panthers would have trained at their own pool to stay in shape over the break, Westerberg said there is something special about traveling as a team and training in a new environment. “[These trips] benefit the team by bonding and certainly training hard,” Westerberg wrote in an email. “We would train hard anyway over

the break, but with the ability to train outside and practice twice a day, it sets us up for what I hope to be a great end of the season.” Holton has won eight Independent School League titles in 10 years but was usurped a year ago by a Katie Ledecky-led Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart team. The Panthers’ own leading scorer, Caroline McTaggart, had to miss the meet after receiving an invitation to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. This year’s championship, scheduled for Jan. 24, should be something special.

RM looks to continue momentum Saturday’s Division I competition between Richard Montgomery and Montgomery Blair was pinned in preseason by most Montgomery County Public Schools coaches as the marquee matchup on the boys’ side. The Rockets have lived up to their end and remain the only undefeated boys’ team in the county’s upper echelon — that includes this week’s win over two-time defending Class 4A/3A state champion Walter Johnson. But the defending state runner-up, Blair, has yet to notch a win this winter. Richard Montgomery coach Aryn Wheeler said the Rockets still

have to be careful not to overlook the still dangerous Blazers. Blair is propelled by a core of talented high scorers, including Michael Thomas and Brian Tsau, but Richard Montgomery’s deeper lineup is more beneficial in a dualmeet atmosphere, giving the Rockets an edge on paper. This time last year it was a close loss to Walter Johnson that gave Richard Montgomery the belief it could compete among the county’s best. Saturday’s win could be a springboard into a historical postseason. “Defeating WJ this past weekend, the boys were excited about that and it gives them more confidence going into the end of the season,” Wheeler said. “[Walter Johnson] isn’t as strong as they were last year but just the fact of knowing they did beat the state champions, it gives them momentum.” Saturday’s Winston Churchill/Walter Johnson meet features the two remaining undefeated girls’ teams. Though Churchill is seeded to win that one, the Wildcats have come out from behind their male counterparts’ shadow for the first time in recent years. jbeekman@gazette.net


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Clarksburg’s Sewell plays all five positions Boys’ basketball: Versatility helps senior lead Coyotes in scoring n

BY

TRAVIS MEWHIRTER STAFF WRITER

Three weeks ago, likely the smallest center in Montgomery County sealed the game for Clarksburg High School in the Coyotes’ 59-51 victory against Richard Montgomery. Xavier Sewell’s offensive rebound and put-back — captured, he reminded a reporter, in video — helped extend the lead, and his two late blocks in the lane all but determined the outcome. Two days later, Xavier Sewell played point guard. Sewell, the position-less, 6-foot-2 leading scorer for the Coyotes (14 points per game as of Friday), rotates through all five slots on the court, banging around in the post against Richard Montgomery then running with the Gaithersburg guards all the while being shifted between either wing throughout. “He’s a utility guy,” coach G.J. Kissal said. “He’s everything we need him to be. He’s

got a variety of skills who can fill any role we need in any game. He’s kind of a jack of all trades. His best quality is that he can do whatever we need him to do. His ability to have multiple qualities is his best quality.” In a 64-61 overtime loss to James H. Blake on Dec. 12, in which he scored a season-high 24 points, the flavor of the night was his 3-point shooting. He made four, which is what Kissal estimated to be right around his grand total from all of last year. “In some games we need him to score. In other games we’ll have him guard the best perimeter player or best post player,” Kissal said. “And in others he’ll have four or five big assists. It’s whatever we need, and he can do it.” Sewell has embraced this “utility man” role, enamored by the fact that there is no task on the floor he cannot do, no limit to what Kissal can ask of him. “I like to do whatever it takes for me to get the win,” he said. Last year, that meant voluntarily relinquishing a starting role he had right-

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Xavier Bradley (right) of Northwest High School looks to get past Xavier Sewell of Clarksburg during a 2013 summer league game. fully earned so another player could retain the mental satisfaction of being “a starter.” Over summer, it meant improving the tangibles his game lacked, namely a 3-point shot

and ball-handling, to shoulder some of point guard D.J. Singleton’s load. “Oh, man, a lot,” Singleton said when asked how much easier life has been with the

expansion of Sewell’s game. “Last year, his role was to get rebounds and garbage buckets, but his jump shot has improved a lot and his ball handling is a lot better. Coach has given him more of a green light this year.” And a direct result of this green light? Open looks for Singleton, and more of them. The point guard, who doubles as a consistent threat from the outside, estimated that 80 percent of the uncontested 3-pointers or jump shots he has put up this year are a product of Sewell’s newly discovered ability to draw the defense’s attention. Last season, averaging what Sewell recalled as “about four points a game,” he wasn’t too much of a concern, so the opposition could focus more on Josh Hardy and Singleton. The added distraction of Sewell has created opportunities abound for his teammates both frontcourt and back. “He is certainly the most improved player from last year to this year,” Kissal said. “And his confidence has improved tremendously. He really put in the work.” In 30 optional pre-season

workouts, Sewell attended 27, pounding through ball-handling drills and putting up a minimum of 300 shots per day. “It pays off for him,” Kissal said. “Part of it is genetics and part of it is hard work too. Last year he always had a sense of passing the ball and vision of the court but his ability to shoot has really opened up the court for him.” The softened touch on the perimeter has been the “major identifiable piece” of improvement, as Kissal says, but less noticeable has been his ball handling. Sewell wasn’t necessarily a bad ball-handler last year, but “he wasn’t super efficient,” the coach said. “He would try to do too much with it instead of using his athletic ability to make one quick move to get by him. “Being 6-2 and nearly 200 pounds and very athletic, there aren’t too many kids at our level that can stop him.” After all, there aren’t too many centers who can match up with a 6-2 guard, and there aren’t too many guards who can match up with a 6-2 center. tmewhirter@gazette.net

Richard Montgomery’s boys earn some respect Rockets on pace for first winning season in four years n

BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Richard Montgomery High School’s P.J. Glasser (left) looks to get past Montgomery Blair’s Danny Canary on Monday. winter and has dropped very few in general the last three years. “This generation of RM basketball doesn’t know anything but winning,” second-year coach DavidBreslawsaid.“They’vedone nothing but be successful all their games. They can’t conceive of us having a losing team. The majority of their time at RM has been mostly winning so they don’t necessarily see this as us putting RM back on the map, it’s just business as usual. It’s nice to have that.” The rigors of varsity basketball are an entirely different ballgame

— Breslaw said the Rockets have quickly learned to up the intensity in practice — but four of Richard Montgomery’s top six scorers are part of a junior class that has been successful together both for the Rockets’ junior varsity and Rockville Stars AAU team and they’ve immediately meshed well with a relatively small but talented senior class. Richard Montgomery was largely a one-man show last winter. Justin Senou led the Rockets in points per game (19.9), assists (4.5) and steals (2.5) and finished

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Richard Montgomery High School’s Renzo Farfan (center) looks to pass through Montgomery Blair’s double-team defense on Monday. second with 6.5 rebounds per game. This year they have a new look both literally and figuratively. “Last year our best chance was using our athleticism and pressingtheentiregame,”Breslaw said. “We don’t press as much this year. We had one reliable scorer, it’s a completely different team, we’re not pressing all game, we’re slowing the game down.” Rather than run the floor the Rockets are propelled by their ability to share responsibilities. Junior guard Renzo Farfan, who said playing quarterback in the

fall helped him feel more comfortable with his more prominent role on the basketball court this winter, is technically the go-to scorer with his team-high 13.5 points. But there are six players with six or more points per game, including senior Noah White (11.7), who shot 7-for-7 from behind the 3-point line and scored the gamewinner in Friday’s 62-59 win over Bethesda-Chevy Chase. “We track how many passes we make per possession and how many other teams make and on average most teams pass the ball

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The Richard Montgomery High School boys’ basketball team didn’t expect its opponents to have much respect for them early this winter. After all, the Rockets returned only one starter from a team that couldn’t post a winning record behind the efforts of the county’s leading scorer a year ago. Richard Montgomery hasn’t eclipsed the .500 mark since 200910, but seven teams have learned their lesson to start 2013-14. Richard Montgomery’s (7-2) fast start before the holiday break is just three wins away from last year’s overall total and while it seems like this level of success might be a new concept to anyone that’s been in the program in recent years, many of the current Rockets don’t actually know anything other than winning. Though Richard Montgomery’s varsity team hit a rough patch the past few years — the Rockets had only one losing season from 2005 to 2010 — the junior varsity team hasbeenamongthecounty’sbest. Richard Montgomery’s junior varsity team lost only one game last

around four passes per possession,” Breslaw said. “The main thing is keeping other teams from scoring. Our goal is to maintain control of the ball. We like to average five or six passes per possession. If we do that, we’re controlling the ball two thirds of the game.” Leading the Rockets in the back court is senior PJ Glasser who 6-foot-5 junior center David Bottenberg said has a knack for finding his teammates in open spaces and is a fantastic facilitator. The Rockets’ ability to move the ball around the floor also opens up space for Bottenberg and Nick Jackson (6-5) inside. Both also have high field goal percentages, Breslaw said. Though the early success has not come as a surprise to those within the program, Glasser, Farfan and White agreed that Richard Montgomery cannot get complacent with early season success as it heads into the heart of its season and Montgomery 4A South Division play. “This is a big time to see where we are as a team, it’s important for us to keep improving on things we need to improve on and build for playoffs,” Glasser said. “We want to win every game but it’s all about playoffs and being the best team we can be.”


MOVIE REVIEW

&

The Gazette’s Guide to

Arts & Entertainment

‘SECRET’S’ OUT

Ben Stiller’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” meanders. Page B-8 www.gazette.net

Beyond

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Wednesday, January 8, 2014 | Page B-5

‘Stars’ BY CARA HEDGEPETH STAFF WRITER

THE

Ben Allison will perform at The Mansion at Strathmore on Friday and Saturday.

J

GREG AIELLO

SILVER SPRING STAGE

THE BARD, SQUEEZED

‘Complete Works’ told by three actors with the audience’s help

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BY WILL C. FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER

(From left) Andrew Greenleaf, Jennifer Osborn and Steven Snapp will bring Shakespeare to life in an interesting way starting Friday when they perform “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” at Silver Spring Stage. PAM BURKS

As Romeo once said to Horatio before addressing Julius Caesar, “The play’s the thing …” Actually, the characters in William Shakespeare’s plays never did that, but thanks to playwrights Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, theatergoers can enjoy every play and sonnet written by the Bard – in just a couple of hours. “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” which features three actors giving the audience a condensed version of the plays, will run weekends at Silver

Composer, recording artist looks to film for inspiration

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Spring Stage from Jan. 10 to Feb. 1. As one might imagine, and because a cast of three portrays all of the roles Shakespeare has to offer, the rules of traditional theater — not breaking the fourth wall, improvising lines, not breaking character, etc. — do not apply here. Director William T. Flemming said it wasn’t difficult to direct a show such as “Complete Works,” but it does involve bringing a different set of preconceptions to

See BARD, Page B-8

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) n When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Jan. 10 to Feb. 1; 2 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 19 and Jan. 26 n Where: Silver Spring Stage, 10145 Colesville Road, Silver Spring n Tickets: $18-$20 n For information: 301-593-6036; ssstage.org

azz composer, bassist and recording artist Ben Allison and the Ben Allison Band will make their Strathmore debut at The Mansion on Friday night. The group, featuring Brandon Seabrook, Steve Cardenas and Allison Miller, will also hold a master class Saturday afternoon. Allison released his latest full-length album, “The Stars Look Very Different Today,” on Dec. 3. The record’s title is a nod to the David Bowie song by the same name and the 1969 sci-fi film, “2001: A Space Odyssey.” It’s the musician’s first self-produced and selfmixed album. “There are a lot of film references on the record,” Allison said. “As I’m sitting down to write music, I’m just calling on things that I like …” A New Haven, Conn., native, Allison grew up in what he called, “the golden age of television.” “I was watching shows produced in the 1960s and 1970s,” Allison said. “Many great composers were writing music for television. That’s part of what I BEN ALLISON heard growing BAND up.” “The Stars n The concert on Jan. Look Very Differ10 is sold out. ent Today” fean When: 7:30 p.m. tures songs with Friday, Jan. 10 titles such as “Dr. Zaius,” an ode n Where: The Mansion to “Planet of the at Strathmore, 10701 Apes,” one of AlRockville Pike, North lison’s favorite Bethesda sci-fi movies, and n For information: “Dave,” another 301-581-5200, reference to “2001: strathmore.org Space Odyssey.” Allison, who MASTER CLASS has written music for radio, film and n When: 4-6 p.m. television himself, Saturday, Jan. 11 said he draws sevn Where: Education eral parallels beRoom 402, Strathmore tween those scores Music Hall, 5301 and jazz music. Tuckerman Lane, “I think one North Bethesda of the things that n Tickets: Free, but attracts me to reservations required. music for film is, Visit www.strathmore. like jazz, it’s nonorg/eventstickets/ verbal,” Allison calendar/view. said. “There are asp?id=10198 to no lyrics … I like reserve your spot. the feeling of music being abstract n For information: … I like creating 301-581-5200, music with that in strathmore.org mind and I like listening to music in that way. It’s purposefully vague and that just leaves the music really open to letting the mind wander. I want audiences to hear what they hear … That’s probably why film music is such a big influence on me.” Though technically a jazz musician, Allison draws musical influences from a range of genres including electronic dance music, folk and soul. His musical tastes have been diverse since he was a young boy. “The first album I ever bought was the

See ALLISON, Page B-8


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Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

McKay at the Mansion

Modern

Singer-songwriter Nellie McKay will perform at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Thursday at the Mansion at Strathmore in North Bethesda. McKay, who made her Broadway debut in 2006 starring as Polly Peachum in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s limited-run of “The Threepenny Opera,” returns to Strathmore on the heels of her turn in another New York hit, “Old Hats,” a collaboration with master clowns Bill Irwin and David Shiner. Tickets are $37. For more information, visit www.strathmore.org.

MYTHS

Jon Mort’s “Local Legends,” a collection of large-scale graphite works depicting mythological gods, goddesses and heroes as portrayed by members of the Sandy Spring community, is currently on view to Feb. 23 at the Sandy Spring Museum. An opening reception is scheduled for 5:30-8 p.m. Saturday. Pieces range in subject from ancient interpretations of the planets to well-known classical epics such as Homer’s “Odyssey.” For more information, visit www.sandyspringmuseum.org.

“Local Legends,” a collection of original works by artist Jon Mort, is now on view to Feb. 23 at the Sandy Spring Museum. An opening reception is scheduled for 5:30-8 p.m. Saturday at the museum. Pictured: “Heliosphere.” JON MORT

Graceful beauty

RICK GONZALEZ

Nellie McKay will perform Thursday at the Music Center at Strathmore.

New Year, ‘New Works’ Opening Thursday at Gallery B in Bethesda, “New Works on Paper” will feature the talents of local artists Cathy Kwart, Catherine Levinson, Bonny Lundy and Virginia Mahoney. An opening reception is scheduled for 6-9

p.m. Friday at the gallery, coinciding with the Bethesda Art Walk. The show is on view to Feb. 1. Gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, including applications for artists and art curators interested in showing their work at Gallery B, visit www.bethesda.org.

The Montgomery Art Association will showcase the works of featured artist Natalie Falk throughout January at the MAA Gallery in the Westfield Wheaton Mall. An opening reception is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Sunday at the gallery. Falk’s talents span the freedom of oil paints to the fine detail of colored pencil, while a lifelong love of horses is evident in her equine portraiture. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.montgomeryart.org.

“First Chair, Violin,” color pencil, by Natalie Falk.

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CATHERINE LEVINSON

FROM NATALIE FALK

“Roses, Green and Gold,” color pencil, by Natalie Falk.

The work of Bethesda’s Catherine Levinson will be on view to Feb. 1 at Gallery B. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday at the gallery.


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A leap of imagination

Young girl teams up with Lord Krishna in premiere of one-woman show

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BY

VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER

Lots of children have imaginary friends. Meena’s is the Hindu deity, Lord Krishna. In the young girl’s imagination, the two join forces to battle the Worry Machine, a foe of Krishna’s that is destroying the world while also representing the problems that Meena is facing in her real life. Her father has died, and her impoverished mother, who works several jobs, is chronically ill. “She can’t afford the medicine she needs,” said Anu Yadav, social activist, playwright and solo performer for “Meena’s Dream.” Like her mother, Meena worries about how “to pay the rent, the electric bill, food for her daughter and medicine for herself.” “These are impossible choices,” said Yadav, 36, who as 9-year-old Meena, taps into her young and hopeful imagination as a way to deal with poverty and her mother’s illness. Presented by the Forum Theatre, the 80-minute play runs Jan. 8-18 at the Round House Theatre in Silver Spring. “Meena’s Dream” evolved from the thesis Yadav wrote to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in performance from the University of Maryland, College Park, in May 2013. A UMD undergrad, artist and performer for 10 years, she joined the Forum Theatre last summer as an ensemble player. In her one-woman play, Yadav plays multiple roles,including Krishna and a pharmacist who does not give her mother the medicine she needs. “It’s an interesting challenge [to write and perform in the same play],” she said. “The performer needs the script to be set, but as the author, you’re always wanting to change things and keep thinking about the story.” Accompanying Yadav are three musicians who perform a live blend of South Indian classicalmusicandAmericanjazz.They are Anjna Swaminathan (violin) and Rajna Swaminathan (drum), both graduates of the University of Maryland, College Park, and pianist Sam McCormally.

Drawn from life The coming-of-age play, which takes place in the Midwest, is based on Yadav’s own experiences as an IndianAmerican girl. Yadav’s father died when she was 12, and her mother was left to support her and her brother, she said. She was also perceived as different by her classmates. “I was raised a Hindu in Iowa, which is not exactly a

PHOTOS FROM C. STANLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Musicians Anjna Swaminathan and Rajna Swaminathan collaborated with Sam McCormall to create a blend of South Indian Carnatic music and jazz for the premiere of “Meena’s Dream,” written and performed by Anu Yadav for Forum Theatre. Hindu state,” Yadav said. “One of my school friends was concerned that I was going to go to hell. I just would try to get beyond our differences, because otherwise you wouldn’t have any friends.” Krishna challenges young Meena to move beyond thinking like a victim and think more about taking action in the world, said director Patrick Crowley. “It’s about using her imagination for something better. ... It’s about not defeating yourself before you start,” he said.

Political questions In 2006, Yadav also enlisted Crowley to direct her onewoman play, “’Capers,” about a battle between people living in public housing community in Southeast Washington, D.C., and the government officials who want to tear it down. It was a play about “class lines and wealth and poverty,” Yadav said. In both plays, Yadav poses underlying political questions about why poverty exists in a country of such affluence. “In our economic systems and social networks, we’re supposed to helping each other out,” she said. People don’t have to accept conditions because “it’s just the way it is,” Yadav said. By dealing with social issues through theater, music and performance, she hopes that audiences will think more about the situations around them. “The medium ... allows people to be opened up and moved,” she said. At the Forum Theatre, which is dedicated to presenting plays that are accessible and affordable for everyone, visitors may reserve a seat in advance for $20 or pay what they think is a fair price at the door. Discussions are also scheduled following some performances. “If there are people from different backgrounds all in the

MEENA’S DREAM n When: Jan. 8-18 (call for show times); Discussions after Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday evening performances n Where: Round House Theatre, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring n Tickets: $10 in advance for previews, Jan. 8-9; $20 in advance with guaranteed seat; Pay what you want at the door n For information: 1-800838-3006, 240-644-1390, Forum-theatre.com

same room ... [there’s a] possibility for change,” Yadav said. Yadav also hopes that individuals in the audience will realize that “they’re not alone and that many other people are dealing with [problems].” “I’m honored if it prompts someone in the audience to share their own story,” she said. vterhune@gazette.net

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Forum Theatre premieres “Meena’s Dream,” written by actress Anu Yadav, who plays several characters during the solo performance. The play, about a young girl who uses her imagination to deal with loss and poverty, is running Jan. 8-18 at the Round House Theatre in Silver Spring.


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AT THE MOVIES

‘Secret Life’ is sort of lifeless BY

MICHAEL PHILLIPS

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

So. Turns out the only thing the prototypical American milquetoast Walter Mitty needed to get happy was a little stubble and a lavish travel budget. In director Ben Stiller’s earnest-but-screwy go at “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Stiller himself takes the role of the daydreaming, “yes, dear” fellow introduced in a wee-buthardy 1939 James Thurber short story. Thurber sold it to The New Yorker and eventually his grey little man with prodigious dreams of heroism was given the Hollywood treatment in a postwar Danny Kaye vehicle. Stiller has no interest in delivering the comic mania of Kaye. Rather, his Mitty is the center of an easygoing self-actualization travelogue in which the title character, here conceived as a photo archivist for a dying Life magazine, lurches from Greenland to Afghanistan, searching

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY n 2 stars n PG; 125 minutes n Cast: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn, Adam Scott, Shirley MacLaine, Patton Oswalt Directed by Ben Stiller

for an elusive photojournalist played by Sean Penn. (For the record, Life actually died several years ago.) In screenwriter Steven Conrad’s story a crucial missing image, captured by the photographer but misplaced under Mitty’s usually eagle-eyed watch, is desperately needed for Life’s final cover. Recovering it may be the key to Mitty hanging onto his old-school, defiantly pre-digital job. The irony of a story hinging on a tiny scrap of film forced to compete with a sea of computer-generated imagery is pretty odd. The movie feels

uncertain as to its own tones and intentions. Fantasy blowouts, such as Stiller battling a slimy corporate takeover artist played by Adam Scott), offer a chuckle or two. Then we’re back to the other movie, the one Stiller clearly had more interest in making. Mitty is in love with a coworker played by Kristen Wiig. The scenes between Stiller and Wiig have real charm, and Stiller’s enough of a director to know when to simply let a leisurely patch of dialogue unfold in a single shot (in this firstconversation case, on a Manhattan sidewalk). Elsewhere, though, “Walter Mitty” operates on a scale that feels way, way off. Once Mitty leaves the confines of his shrinking life and crosses time zones in pursuit of the photographer, the seams of the picture threaten to split. Is a 21st century film about a Walter Mitty type really best served by gorgeous, eye-popping location shooting on a near-$100 million budget?

WILSON WEBB

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) and legendary photographer Sean O’Connell (Sean Pean) enjoy the view. Shirley MacLaine has a pleasant scene or two as Mitty’s mom; Patton Oswalt works shrewd wonders as the voice

(and then the face) of an eHarmony dating representative trying to get Mitty to goose up his profile. The film has a persistent

and careful sheen. It looks good. It is, in fact, preoccupied with looking good. If this sounds like faint praise, I’m afraid it is.

Lead could find stardom ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ BY

MICHAEL PHILLIPS CHICAGO TRIBUNE

(From left) Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake and Adam Driver in “Inside Llewyn Davis.” folkie lover — he cuts a quickand-dirty Sputnik-era novelty record, “Please Mr. Kennedy,” one of the film year’s musical and cinematic highlights. His partners in the studio are Jean’s husband, played by Justin Timberlake, and a self-styled

cowboy played by Adam Driver. Here, behind the microphone, as in the film’s other performance and club scenes, Llewyn morphs into his better self. “Inside Llewyn Davis” draws its sardonic comic mileage on presenting these and other heavenly musical sequences in contrast to all the aggravation, self-induced or otherwise, accumulating around Llewyn, across a busy, blurry week in his life. As a fond imagining of a distinct locale at a specific cultural time, the film is remarkable. As

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PHOTOS BY ALISON ROSA

Oscar Isaac in Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Inside Llewyn Davis.” much as they’re besotted by the Village circa ’61, the Coens are Midwesterners (they grew up in suburban Minneapolis), and in the Midwest road trip section of the movie, you know from whence they came. Pinning his hopes on an audition at Chi-

cago’s Gate of Horn nightclub, Llewyn has grabbed a ride out of Manhattan with a heroinaddicted jazzbo, played by John Goodman, and his sidekick (Garrett Hedlund). They stop at a Paul Harvey Oasis restaurant hanging over some nowhere section of interstate highway, in the middle of the night. Every detail in production designer Jess Gonchor’s work is inspired — a little sad, a little eerie, completely attuned to a story that, at heart, is a lament for the man Llewyn will never become. This being the Coens, the movie happens also to be funny about it. The real star of the film is the cat belonging to Llewyn’s Columbia University academic pals, the Gorfeins, played with wide-eyed optimism by Ethan Phillips and Robin Bartlett. Llewyn, who locks himself out of the Gorfeins’ apartment along with their cat, travels with the feline downtown by subway. The point-of-view shots of the cat watching the signage whiz by are things of casual genius. The cat runs away, eventually, and as much as it’s about a particular personality type, and as much as it owes to Dave Von Ronk’s Village memoir “The Mayor of MacDougal Street,” “Inside

w No ing! w Sho F.

Scott Fitzgerald Theater

603 Edmonston Dr. Rockville, MD 20851

240-314-8690

www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre 1912446

Rockville Little Theatre Presents

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestly

The family is celebrating when a mysterious inspector comes to call. It becomes clear that they are implicated in a young women’s death. Join us for an exciting whodunnit that will keep you guessing to the very end.

Jan. 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. 135210G

$18 to $16

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“Inside Llewyn Davis” takes place in winter 1961, just before Bob Dylan makes the scene. The scene is the Greenwich Village folk music universe, a few finite blocks of an island that, in the hands of cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, looks and feels like a beautiful, long-ago smudge in motion. Crashing here and there, on couches uptown and downtown, Llewyn has a guitar, a voice and some talent. Thanks to Oscar Isaac’s extraordinarily subtle and shrewd performance, the surly protagonist of Joel and Ethan Coen also comes equipped with the kind of sardonic charisma that compensates for a lot, including his own defeatism. Llewyn doesn’t want to “sell out,” though to pay for an abortion — Carey Mulligan plays the seething Jean, his sometime

Llewyn Davis” is about how one man keeps losing one cat. Death is all over the story. Llewyn’s merchant marine father is near the end. The climactic scene with his decrepit old man finds Llewyn managing to redeem himself in song, at least momentarily. Llewyn’s former musical partner has recently committed suicide, leaving Llewyn to wonder if he has the stuff to be a solo act. F. Murray Abraham plays a fictional version of Bud Grossman, in the Chicago Gate of Horn scene, one of the film’s best. This is Llewyn’s chance, and when the verdict comes, it’s the only one that makes sense for this film, this performer, this world. Folk standards such “500 Miles,” “The Death of Queen Anne” and “Dink’s Song” infuse the movie, and as in the Coens’ “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” T Bone Burnett has done firstrate work supervising the musical landscape. The film, I think, falls just a tick or two below the Coens’ best work, which for me lies inside “A Serious Man” and “Fargo.” The script starts and finishes with an implicit question, one acknowledged by the Coens in the production notes. What would cause anyone to beat up a folk singer? This is how the movie begins, in an alley, behind a club. Something in the film’s ending frustrates; it’s meant as a melancholy fadeout, but the real ending, I think, lies a little earlier, with Llewyn in the car, at night, wondering if he should take the Ohio turnoff in order to check up on a unread chapter in his sorry life. Anyway. Some quibbles. But it’s well worth seeing. Isaac isn’t playing Bud Grossman’s idea of a star, yet he may well become one thanks to “Inside Llewyn Davis.”

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS n 3.5 stars n R; 105 minutes n Cast: Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake, Adam Driver, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman n Directed by the Coen brothers


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Wine lovers, plan your Pinot perusing vacation early The answer to where a discerning wine lover should go on their next vacation has become extremely easy to answer. Plan a trip to Oregon, specifically during the last week of July, for the annual International Pinot Noir Celebration. Held in the pic-

GRAPELINES BY LOUIS MARMON turesque Willamette Valley on the campus of Linfield College in McMinnsville, Ore., IPNC is among the finest wine and food experiences anywhere in the world. In fact, before you read any further, go to their website (www.ipnc.com) and register for next year’s event before they sell out. Then come back to this article for some more specifics and look for next month’s which will feature recommendations of special places to visit and extraordinary folks to meet. You can figure out your flights and accommodations later. Oregon undisputedly pro-

duces some the world’s finest wines, especially their distinctive Pinot Noirs, but also some tasty whites including Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. However Pinot Noir remains supreme. It all began with David Lett who planted the area’s first Pinot Noir at the Eyrie Vineyards in 1966 and there are now over 12 million acres and 400 some wineries focusing on the varietal. Along with the astonishing growth in production has been the amazingly rapid rise in quality which is attributed, in large part, to the very collaborative spirit among Oregon’s winemakers. Another pioneer, Josh Bergstrom, noted that “Oregon really started out with a bunch of well-educated hippies sitting around in meadows passing bottles, critiquing each other. …That spirit is still very much alive today.” There currently isn’t a lot of counterculture to be seen and yet you would be hard pressed to find a more friendly, enjoyable and intriguing group of people than those making Pinot Noir in Oregon. McMinnsville and the surrounding Willa-

mette Valley have the look and feel of Sonoma about 30 years ago. Even the influx of several hundred IPNC attendees did not appear to disturb the quaint comfort of the town nor the lowkey attitude of the locals. Now in its 28th year, IPNC is truly a celebration of all things Pinot Noir. The main focus upon Oregon wines but there are ample opportunities to explore other Pinot iterations including those from Burgundy, California and New Zealand. The highlights include small group winery visits and guided vineyard tours led by featured winemakers who discuss topics such as Oregon AVA terroirs, planting strategies and techniques to achieve balance and accurate expression of the local environment. Sounds a bit geeky, but standing in the middle of a vineyard with Oregon winemaking pioneer Ken Wright while he points out the different geologic attributes and history of the Willamette Valley is both thought-provoking and entertaining. There is also a “Univer-

sity of Pinot” that offers a range of seminars led by such notables as Terry Thiese, Eric Asimov and Allen Meadows that focus on the intriguing ability of Pinot Noir to transcend into a “harmony of beauty, distinctiveness, personality and soul.” But the heart of IPNC is the opportunity to taste literally hundreds of Pinot Noirs while speaking to the people responsible for crafting the wines. This includes wine-centered lunches catered by splendid local chefs and afternoon alfresco tastings that encourage attendees to discuss and compare wines from recent vintages produced around the world. These are followed by the exceptional “Grand Dinner” on Friday night and the legendary IPNC “Salmon Bake” dinner on Saturday which features wild salmon roasted on alder stakes. At each meal IPNC provides ample wines and even more are poured by many of the attendees who have brought their own bottles to share. IPNC is certainly a remarkable Pinot experience.

ALLISON

Continued from Page B-5 ‘Rite of Springs,’” Allison said. “The second record was Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumors.’” Allison’s varied taste has remained intact over the years as the musician has built a career which includes appearances on more than 50 albums by assorted artists. The latest incarnation of Allison’s own band began one and a half years ago. Seabrook, Cardenas and Miller are all band leaders for their own ensembles, something Allison credits for the Ben Allison Band’s success. “Because they are all seeing things through the eyes of a band leader, they have great perspective,” Allison said. “They think compositionally … which really gives the band a unique sound; a sound that’s more than the sum of its parts … I feel very fortunate to have such high-level individuals in my group.” As is the nature of the jazz world, Allison and his band mates play with several different ensembles. And even when they’re playing as the Ben Allison Band, improvisation plays a major role in their performances. “We’ve been playing together long enough that I can often start a tune and everyone will know what I’m doing,” Allison said. “It’s not always well-planned in advance.” In addition to recording and performing, Allison is deeply involved in music advocacy, working toward artist empowerment and musician’s rights. “It began early in my career when I was the co-founder and artistic director of the Jazz Composition Collective,” Allison said. The Jazz Composition Collective was a nonprofit, musician-run organization based out of New York City and dedicated to creating an environment where musicians could freely create and develop new music. “There was very much of a very community-oriented feel to that group,” Allison said. When the collective dissolved in 2005, Allison said it left “a hole.” “I was used to the idea of expressing some of my political beliefs through an arts organization,” he said. “Fostering art, build-

BARD

Continued from Page B-5 the table. “The actors that I’m working with in this production … are very, very good realistic performers,” Flemming said. “They’re being thrown into an area that they weren’t as comfortable with.” Flemming said his actors — Andy Greenleaf, Jennifer Osborn and Steve Snapp — each brought a little something different to the play. Snapp, according to Flemming, has a really good feel for the over-the-top presentation of the show, whereas Greenleaf and Osborn are modern play “mavens.” The show has a certain amount of improvisation from the actors, but Flemming was quick to point out that with the improvisation being rehearsed so much, it’s very much like part of the script now. “[The audience] is going to see very little improvisation,” Flemming said. “… I did not want to just duplicate the original production of the creators of this show. So I had the actors play with the script, play with the action on stage and the result was very, very different than what you would see if you were to watch the film of ‘Complete Works,’ or something like that.” While the audience gets to

DANCES

IN THE ARTS

Hollywood Ballroom, Jan. 10, drop-in lessons from 7:30-9 p.m., West Coast Swing Dancing with Dance Jam Productions at 9 p.m. ($15); Jan. 11, Latin Night with Mr. Mambo, workshops from 8-10 p.m., dance from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. ($18 for workshop and dance; $15 for dance only); Jan. 12, free Waltz lesson at 7 p.m., Social Ballroom Dance at 8 p.m. ($16); Jan. 15, Ballroom Bash from 8:30–10:30 p.m. ($16); Jan. 16, Tea Dance from 12:303:30 p.m. ($6), 2126 Industrial Highway, Silver Spring, 301326-1181, www.hollywoodballroomdc.com Glen Echo Park is at 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Blues, Capital Blues: Thurs-

days, 8:15 p.m. beginner lesson, 9-11:30 p.m. dancing to DJs, Glen Echo Park’s Spanish Ballroom Annex, $8, www.capitalblues.org. Contra, Jan. 10, Perry Shafran and the Glen Echo Open Band, 7:30 p.m. lesson, 8:30 p.m. dance, Glen Echo Park Spanish Ballroom, $10, www.fridaynightdance.org. Contra & Square, Jan. 12, Paul Rosen calls with Ricochet; Jan. 19, Perry Shafran with Sibling Ribaldry; Jan. 26, Valerie Helbert with STEAM, 7:30 p.m., Glen Echo Park Spanish Ballroom, $12 for general, $9 for members, $5 for students, www. fsgw.org. English Country, Jan. 8, Caller: Joseph Pimentel; Jan. 15, Caller: Tom Spilsbury; Jan. 22, Caller: Susan Taylor; Jan. 29, Caller: Stephanie Smith, 8 p.m., Glen Echo Town Hall (upstairs), www.fsgw.org.

Now and Then Dance Studio, Saturday ballroom dances,

second and fourth Saturdays, beginner group lesson at 8 p.m., open dancing at 9 p.m., $10 cash at door (all men admitted at half-price throughout October), 10111 Darnestown Road, Rockville. 301-424-0007, www. nowandthendancestudios.com. Scottish Country Dancing, 8-10 p.m. Mondays, steps and formations taught. No experience, partner necessary, T-39 Building on NIH campus, Wisconsin Avenue and South Drive, Bethesda, 240-505-0339. Swing, Jan. 18, Naomi & Her Handsome Devils, lesson at 8 p.m., dancing at 9 p.m., Glen Echo Park, $15, www.flyingfeet. org. Waltz, Jan. 19, Hickman, Glickman & Devine, 2:45-3:30 p.m. lesson, 3:30-6 p.m., dance, $10, www.waltztimedances.org.

MUSIC & DANCE Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, Billy Thompson, 7:30

JIMMY KATZ

The Ben Allison Band, featuring Allison, Brandon Seabrook, Steve Cardenas and Allison Miller, will perform at The Mansion at Strathmore on Friday and Saturday. ing community, building audiences for new music — those sorts of things.” Allison has found a new outlet with a position as a member of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

enjoy the fruits of Flemming and the actor’s labor, they too will be participating in the telling of the play. “At one point in the show, the entire audience will be dragged into a production of ‘Hamlet,’” Flemming laughed. “The audience, especially those in the front few rows, may find themselves in the middle of the action whether they thought it would happen or not!” Flemming said those who are fans of the Bard have nothing to fear. (If, when reading the first paragraph of this story, the reader cringes, then it’s probably a safe bet you’re a Shakespeare buff.) Whereas the play boils all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays into a modicum of time, true fans will enjoy it. “I’m one of those people,” Flemming said. “I love Shakespeare with a flaming passion. The more you know about Shakespeare, the funnier some of this stuff is. When you see the divergence from Shakespeare, when they do the comedies and present them in a different way, if you know Shakespeare then it’s funnier than anything. If you know nothing about Shakespeare, the show is just very zany and enjoyable. “But if you know Shakespeare, it’s more. There’s another level there.” wfranklin@gazette.net

“I get the chance to put a voice to the concerns of artists,” Allison said. “[It’s something] that I enjoy doing and appreciate the chance to do.” chedgepeth@gazette.net

p.m. Jan. 8; Andrew Neu, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9; Dance Night with Essence, 8 p.m. Jan. 10; Phillip Doc Martin, 8 p.m. Jan. 11; Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12; Perry Conticchio Quartet, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15; Tizer featuring Karen Briggs, 8 p.m. Jan. 16; Motown & More: Tribute to Legends of Motown & Soul, 8 p.m. Jan. 17; Popa Chubby, 8 p.m. Jan. 18; The Soul Serenaders, 8 p.m. Jan. 19; Gotta Swing Dance Night with Bad Influence, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22; Sammy Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion, 8 p.m. Jan. 24; Antone “Chooky” Caldwell, 8 p.m. Jan. 25; Ron Kearns Quintet with Special Guest Michael Thomas, 7 p.m. Jan. 26; Peter Fields and Rob Holmes - A Tribute to Charlie Byrd & Stan Getz, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29; Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam, 8 p.m. Jan. 30; Spectrum, 8 p.m. Jan. 31, call for prices, 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. 240-330-4500, www. bethesdabluesjazz.com. BlackRock Center for the Arts, The 9 Songwriters Series,

8 p.m. Jan. 18; Charlotte Blake Alston, 1 p.m. Jan. 25; Hot Club of San Francisco and Cinema Vivant, 8 p.m. Jan. 25; call for tickets, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown. 301-5282260, www.blackrockcenter.org. Institute of Musical Traditions — Takoma Park, Gentico-

rum, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 8; Takoma Park Community Center, call for prices, times, Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, 301-9603655, www.imtfolk.org.

Institute of Musical Traditions — Rockville, Claire Lynch Band,

PAM BURKS

(From left) Jennifer Osborn, Steven Snapp and Andrew Greenleaf play out Shakespeare’s works — sort of — when they perform “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” at Silver Spring Stage.

7:30 p.m. Feb. 3; Nuala Kennedy, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17; Carrie Newcomer, 7:30 p.m. March 8, Saint Mark Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville, call for prices, www. imtfolk.org. Strathmore, Nellie McKay, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 9; The Ben Allison Band, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10; BSO: Off the Cuff — Dvorak’s New World Symphony, 8:15 p.m. Jan. 10; The Ben Allison Band Masterclass, 4 p.m. Jan. 11; Historic Home Tour, 11 a.m. Jan. 13; AIR: Christie Dashiell, jazz vocalist, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15, 29; Duo Sonidos, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16; BSO: Beethoven and

Mozart, 8 p.m. Jan. 16; Wired In: Web and Social Media, 10 a.m. Jan. 18; Children’s Talk and Tour, 10:15 a.m. Jan. 18; Art Talk, 1 p.m. Jan. 18; National Philharmonic: Three Great Classics, 8 p.m. Jan. 18; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday Tribute and Celebration, 3 p.m. Jan. 20; The 9 Songwriter Series Benefits: Ted Garber and Family, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20; Artist in Residence Education Workshop with Christie Dashiell: A Jazz Journey, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22; BSO: Marvin Hamlisch — One Singular Sensation, 8 p.m. Jan. 23; Jazz Vocal Intensive: Scat Singing 201, 10 a.m. Jan. 25; Denis Matsuev, piano, 7 p.m. Jan. 25; Natascia Diaz, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 25; Rob Patterson, Maria Lambros & Audrey Andrist, 3 p.m. Jan. 26; Pixies, 8 p.m. Jan. 26; So You Think You Can’t Sing: Harmony Edition, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27; Bill Cosby, 8 p.m. Jan. 30-31; AIR Alumni: John Kocur, jazz saxophone, 11 a.m. Jan. 31, call for venue, Locations: Mansion, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda; Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, 301-5815100, www.strathmore.org.

ON STAGE Adventure Theatre, “Miss Nelson is Missing,” Jan. 17 to March 9, call for prices, times, Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, 301-634-2270, www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org. Arts Barn, “Blame it On Beckett,” 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 10-26, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg, 301-2586394, www.gaithersburgmd.gov/ artsbarn. Imagination Stage, “Lyle the Crocodile,” to Jan. 10, call for prices, times, Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, www.imaginationstage.org Olney Theatre Center, “The King and I,” to Jan. 12; call for prices, times, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, 301-9243400, www.olneytheatre.org. The Puppet Co., “Tales of Beatrix Potter,” Jan. 17 to Feb. 9; 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, www.thepuppetco.org. Round House Theatre, Bethesda, “Seminar,” Feb. 5 to March 4, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda. 240-644-1100, www.roundhousetheatre.org. Round House Theatre, Silver Spring, “Meena’s Dream,” Jan. 8-14, call for show times, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, $15 for general admission, $10 for subscribers, patrons 30 and younger and seniors, 244-6441100, www.roundhousetheatre. org. Silver Spring Stage, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” Jan. 10 to Feb. 1, Woodmoor Shopping Center, 10145 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, see website for show times, www.ssstage.org. The Writer’s Center, Travis Nichols and Frank Tavares, 2-4 p.m. Jan. 12, 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, 301-654-8664, www. writer.org.

VISUAL ART Adah Rose Gallery, “Residue,” Sharon Butler, Michael Callaghan, Steven Charles, J.D. Hastings and Toni Tiller, to Feb. 9, 3766 Howard Ave., Kensington, 301-922-0162, www. adahrosegallery.com

The Dennis and Phillip Ratner Museum, TBA, hours are 10 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m. Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10001 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda. 301-897-1518. Gallery B, “New Works on Paper,” Jan. 8 to Feb. 1, opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 10, gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E. www.bethesda.org. Glenview Mansion, The Pate Painters, watercolor, oil, acrylic, gouache, pastel, pencil, to Jan. 24, Rockville Civic Center Park, 503 Edmonston Drive, Rockville. www.rockvillemd.gov. Marin-Price Galleries, March Avery, to Jan. 28, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, 7022 Wisconsin Ave., 301-718-0622. VisArts, Michael Sellmeyer: “Paintings, Drawings, Prints, That Mostly Go Together,” to Jan. 12, Common Ground Gallery; Lauren Boilini: “Rabid Habits,” to Jan. 12, Gibbs Street Gallery,155 Gibbs St., Rockville, 301-315-8200, www. visartsatrockville.org. Washington Printmakers Gallery, “South African Voices:

A New Generation of Printmakers,” to Jan. 26, reception from 1-4 p.m. Jan. 11, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, second floor, 8230 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, www. washingtonprintmakers.com.


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T H E G AZ ET T E

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Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

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GAITH/AMBERFLD

Lux 3lvl EU/TH, Gar 2MBR, 2.5BA, LR DR, FR, FP,EIK, Deck $1800. 301-792-9538

GAITH/MV: 3 bed, 2

1/2 ba TWH freshly painted $1550 central heat/AC , all appliances, wood floors assigned parking fenced patio HOC ok call Nick 301-412-4522

Great Prices

BETHESDA: frnshd bsmnt 1 bdrom apt w/ kitchn. Nr metro. $980. Stricklett@ymail.com CHEVY

CHASE:

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

GAITHER:

3 Bedroom + den, 2 Bathroom, renovated, Sec 8 welcome, Util incl 410-800-5005

GAITH:FIRESIDE CONDOS 3Br, 2full

ba, balc. $1775/mo util incl. HOC Welc. Avail Jan 1st. 301-535-3017

GERM: 2Br, 2Ba new

crpt/paint, h/d flr, W/D, fitness center, near shops & restaurants $1250 + SD Mike Remax Pro. Please Call: 301-674-2371 or 240-426-6964

301-948-0087 N. BETH: In home Apt Lg 1Br w/priv entr Fpl, Patio, woodland view NS/NP $1300 uti inc. avl Jan 1st Call: 301-530-4883 POTOMAC: 1Br, +

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

GAITHERSBURG:

Rice (301) 670-2667

GAITHERSBURG:

POOLESVILLE:

Lrg room w/priv BA & Horse farm. Lg BD, Entr. Close to shops, private entrance, BA, bus & metro. $1,000 Kitch, shared laundry. incl utils & int. N/P, $700. 301-407-2226 N/S. Se habla espanol. Email David ROCKVILLE/OLNEY Lrg Single Fam Home davidvaliente01@ Small (narrow) effc, hotmail.com own bath & kit all GAITHERSBURG: utils, cbl & int incl Male, master BR w BA $745 NS/NP $399. Nr Metro/Shops Available Now! NP/NS. Avail Now. 301-924-1818 Call 301-219-1066

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

kSpacious Floor Plans kSmall Pets Welcome

GERM: 1 large room, SILVER

shared bath $500 util incl near transit, NS/NP call 301-7177696

GE RMA NT OWN :

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

GERM: Bsmt w/pvt

Entr, Ba, Br, nr schls, bus, util incl N/S N/P Avl Jan 1st Please Call 301-461-2636

kBalcony Patio

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

On Georgia Ave. 1 MBR w/prvt ba. $650 util incl Nr Metro & Shops. Npets 240-441-1638

Call 301.670.2641

SPRING:

1Br bsmt apt, SFH, LR, kit, Ba, priv entr, NS/NP, nr metro & ICC $950 inc util/ cable 301-774-6763

SILVER SPRING: 1

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

SILVER

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

SPRING:

HUNT AUCTION

Sunday, Jan. 12th,10:00 AM At Hunts Place

19521 Woodfield Rd (Rte 124) Gaithersburg, MD 20879 Huge Estate- ’01 Lincoln- Civil War Books Visa-MC 301-948-3937 #5205 Look on Auctionzip.com

room w/pvt BA $650/mo w/utils & int. Nr Walmart & 270/355 CALL: 240-744-2421

MONT VILL: M B

S.SPRING: Down-

G E R M : TH LG 1

kFull Size W/D in every unit kSwimming Pool

To Advertise

WHEATON:

Room avail now $465 shared kitchen, bath- WANTED TO PURroom & util cable TV CHASE Antiques & AUCTION W/D 301-404-2681 Fine Art, 1 item Or En- Roofing Company Liquidation, Online SILVER SPRING: tire Estate Or Collec- Auction Only, Bid Dec. tion, Gold, Silver, Room for rent, prvt BA Coins, Jewelry, Toys, 27th thru Jan. 14, & Den. $700/mo incl Oriental Glass, China, Items located in Mary- APPLIANCE utils. Non smoker. Call Lamps, Books, Tex- land & Florida. MotREPAIR - We fix It no Arthur 301-587-6922 tiles, Paintings, Prints ley’s Auction & Realty matter who you bought it from! 800S S : 2 br in bsmt almost anything old Group 804-232-3300, 934-5107 $500/mo each rm, Evergreen Auctions www.motleys.com, Veirs Mill/Randolph, 973-818-1100. Email VAAL #16. W/D, int, utils incl. 1mo evergreenauction@hot sec dep 240-620-7982 mail.com

GERM: Male 1Br in TH Share bath & kitchen $450 ut inc Nr MARC/Buses, Ref’s Req. 240-370-2301

kFamily Room

SIL SPG: 2 MBr, 1 ($700) and 1 ($650) both priv Ba, all util inc, NS/NP, nr shops & metro 240-551-4591

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

Suite, priv Ba, high ceiling, nr bus, female, $630 + util NS/NP 240-401-3522

town, furn/unfur shrd apt, priv Ba, nr metro $775 utils incl + SD NS/NP 240-604-5815

GAITHERSBURG:

OLNEY: 1BD in TH. Priv BA. Shared Kit. NP, NS. $450 util incl. Female. 240-528-1434 OR 240-406-6991

WHEATON: BR in APT w/pvt BA. $650/ mo incl. utils, Cable/ WiFi. Nr Metro & Bus. Call 240-286-7142

Lrg Rm in SFH, Pool, full privlgs,Vegetarian, NS. $600 + 1/4 elec Call: 301-482-1425

kNewly Updated Units

G560374

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

SFH, 5Br, 3Ba, MBr suite, no bsmt, 3800 sq ft $4k/mo owner shares util, 301-983-4783

Contact Ashby

or pricing and ad deadlines.

www.ambercommons.com

POTOMAC:

STRATHMORE HOUSE APARTMENTS

and reach over 206,000 homes!

Call today: 301-355-7111

SPRING:

301-762-5224

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

Saturday Saturday from f ro m 10:00 10:00 aam m - 44:00 :00 ppm m

+ subject to credit approval

SILVER

14431 Traville Garden Circle Rockville, Maryland 20850

GAITHERSBURG

GERMANTOWN

1-888-812-9616

•New Appliances, Kitchens & Baths* •Large Kitchens & Walk-In Closets* •1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments •Free Free Electric Included •Pet Friendly •Short-Term Leases •Free Parking •Minutes to I-270 & Metro Bus & Rail •Housing Choice Vouchers Welcome •Se aceptan vales de eleccio'n de *Select Apartments vivienda

ROCKVILLE

GAITHERSBURG

MOVING

ROCKVILLE: Jan

11-12, 9a-2p, 552 Azalea Drive, Rockville: Furn, China, Kit Ware, Vases & more!

SALE.

5806 Chestnut Hill Rd, College Park, 1/11/14, 8AM-2PM. Toys, kitchen items, books, furniture, camping, hats & gloves, hardware, DVDs, VHS, and 8-track, mower, sewing machine, antiques.

DIRECTV - Over 140

channels only $29.99 a month. Call Now! Triple savings! $636.00 in Savings, Free upgrade to Genie & 2014 NFL Sunday ticket free!! Start Saving today! 1-800-2793018

MY COMPUTER WORKS Computer

problems? Viruses, spyware, email, printer issues, bad internet connections - FIX IT NOW! Professional, U.S.-based technicians. $25 off service. Call for immediate help 1-866-998-0037

FOR SALE: Armoire/Media Center Excellent condition Cherry stained solid wood armoire/media center 81" across the top 64" tall 31" deepLarge opening (TV) 45" x 30" (TV included) Adjustable shelves 2 pull out draw-ers fabric back Slide in doors Cash only $600.00 Pls Call 301-509-4183

FIREWOOD FOR SALE

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

HAVANESE PUPPIES Home raised, AKC, best health guarantee noahslittleark.com Call: 262-993-0460

It’s

FREE!

Buy It, Sell It, Find It GazetteBuyandSell.com


Page B-12

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

MAKE UP TO

$2,000.00+ Per Week! New Credit Card Ready Drink-Snack Vending Machines. Minimum $4K to $40K+ Investment Required. Locations Available. BBB Accredited Business. (800) 962-9189

FOR MATH TUTOR -MIT LOOKING Student avail for HS LIVE IN HOUSEmath tutoring / SAT KEEPER. 5 days a

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

cover Shoppers Needed \\ $300/DAY Typing Companies Advertising Online. We provide the training & the jobs to perform. Genuine Opportunity. PT/FT. Experience Unnecessary. www.HiringLocalHelp. com

prep. $40/hr. Call Thomas 301-294-9384

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

NANNY/HOUSEKE EPER required to

care for 2 children & house. Refs req. Pls Call 301-640-0018.

LIVE-IN CARE GIV- POTOMAC HSKPR ER Needed for group 1-9 pm. Legal. Drive, home for Seniors in Potomac,MD. Will Train. 240-506-7719

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

NOTICE Pursuant to Section 5-206 of the Corporations and Associations Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, notice is hereby given of an additional meeting of Vistas at Washingtonian Woods Condominium Association to be held on January 15, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. in the community clubhouse located at 511 Midsummer Drive, Gaithersburg, MD. This meeting is being held because of the absence of a quorum at the originally scheduled meeting. The members present in person or by porxy shall constitute a quorum and may take anya ction which could have been taken at the original meeting if a suffucient number of members had been present. (1-8-14)

ing alternative to unplanned pregnancy. You choose the family for your child. Receive pictures/info of waiting/approved couples. Living expense assistance. 1-866236-7638

AIRLINES ARE HIR- GUARANTEED ING - Train for hands INCOME FOR on Aviation Career. YOUR RETIREFAA approved proMENT. Avoid market gram. Finanical aid if qualified - Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 877818-0783.

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

It’s

FREE!

DOUBLE PLAY BASEBALL WINTER 2014 TRAINING Registration is MEDICAL OFFICE now open for Winter TRAINING PROGRAM! Train to CASH FOR Training www.double become a Medical Ofplay.net UNEXPIRED DIAfice Assistant. No ExBETIC TEST perience Needed! CaSTRIPS! Free Ship-

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G560648

NOTICE WSSC will hold two public hearings on the FY’15 Preliminary Proposed Capital and Operating Budget. The hearings will be held on the following dates: Wednesday, February 5, 2014 - 7:30 p.m. Montgomery County Stella B. Werner Building 7th Floor Council Hearing Room 100 Maryland Avenue Rockville, MD 20850

Thursday, February 6, 2014 - 7:30 p.m. Prince George’s County RMS Building Room 308 1400 McCormick Drive Largo, MD 20774

ONE CALL, DOES IT ALL! FAST AND RELIABLE PLUMBING REPAIRS & INSTALLATIONS. Call 1800-796-9218

Please contact the Commission as soon as possible at 301-206-8200 if your attendance at a meeting will reONE CALL, DOES quire an accommodation under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. IT ALL! FAST AND The FY’15 Preliminary Budget document will be available upon request and posted on our website RELIABLE ELECTRICAL REPAIRS (www.wsscwater.com) by January 15, 2014. Persons desiring to speak at either of the hearings should contact & INSTALLAthe WSSC’s Budget Group at (301) 206-8110 to be placed on the list of speakers in advance of the hearings. TIONS. Call 1-800Persons who wish to submit a written statement for inclusion in the record of the hearings should send the 908-8502 statement to Ms. Letitia Carolina-Powell, Acting Budget Group Leader, WSSC, 14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, MD 20707 or email budgetgroup@wsscwater.com. The public hearing record will remain open until February 18, 2014.

February 12, 2014 - 7:30 p.m. Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Richard G. Hocevar Building Auditorium - Level "L" 14501 Sweitzer Lane Laurel, MD 20707

(1-8, 1-9-14)

Find It

ping, Friendly Service, BEST prices and 24hr payment! Call today 877-588-8500 or visit www.TestStripSearch. com Espanol 888-4404001

MEDICAL ALERT FOR SENIORS -

24/7 monitoring. FREE Equipment. FREE Shippng. Nationwide Service. $29.95/Month CALL Medical Guardian Today 866-992-7236

GazetteBuyandSell.com

Children’s Center of Damascus

Lic. #: 31453

301-253-6864

20872

Elena’s Family Daycare

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

20876

My Little Lamb Childcare

Lic #: 51328

301-990-9695

20877

Kids Garden Day Care

Lic.#: 139378

240-601-9134

20886

Reflections Daycare

Lic.#: 160613

240-506-5343

20886

Susanna’s Day Care

Lic #: 105189

301-933-7342

20902

Little Angels Licensed Child Care

Lic #: 160952

301-622-1517

20904

DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 3, 2014

NOTE: If either public hearing is rescheduled due to inclement weather conditions, a public hearing will be AIRLINE CAREERS held as follows: begin here - Get FAA

approved Aviation Maintenance training. Housing and Financial Aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 800-4818974.

Sell It,

Daycare Directory

G GP2362 P2362

Treasure Hunt

Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing? Finishing? Structural Repairs? Humidity and Mold Control FREE GET FREE OF ESTIMATES! Call 1CREDIT CARD 888-698-8150 DEBT NOW! Cut payments by up to DISH TV RETAILhalf. Stop creditors ER . Starting at from calling 877-858$19.99/month (for 12 1386 mos.) & High Speed Internet starting at $14.95/month (where available) SAVE! Ask About SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 1-877-992-1237

Buy It,

MOMS

MONDAY M O N D AY M MORNING ORNING M MOMS O M S®

You can care for one or more children while staying in your own home. Call MONDAY MORNING MOMS

GP2377

for info. 301-528-4616

OFFERS OFFERS

Reliable, Insured & Monitored Care in a home setting for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers in Montgomery County

GP2376

ALL THINGS BASEMENTY!

reer Training & Job Placement Assistance at CTI! HS Diploma/GED & Computer needed. 1-877649-2671

Good English. Laundry. Min 2yrs Exp. Call 301.887.3212.

Treasure Hunt

G535092

ADOPTION- A Lov-

wk. 202-841-8818 or 202-631-0908

3 301-528-4616 01-528-4616

Careers 301-670-2500 Administrative

BILLING CLERK FT w/benefits. Must be detail oriented & computer literate. Possess prof degree, acctg pref (1 yr min exp). resumehomecare@gmail.com

APPOINTMENT SETTERS Earn $750 to $1000 a week.

Come generate appointments for a Top Inc 500 remodeling Co. Ê Daytime & Evening Hours Available Ê Gaithersburg location

Call John at 301-987-9828

class@gazette.net AUTO Estimator

Rare opportunity at the areas first Cadillac dealership for an experienced Collision Center estimator. Duties include all aspects of cust. service during the repair process including estimating, repair order generation, repair follow through and any necessary ins. supplement coordination. Prior body shop and/or ins. company experience necessary. Join a family owned business since 1934. Benefits include health, dental, vacation and 401k. Please send a confidential resume with verifiable references and salary requirements to dquackenbush@ecapitol.com

Search Jobs

Find Career Resources

Barbers & Stylists Wanted in busy Silver Spring Shop. Need to have Maryland license, Booth Rent Only. Call 301-490-4449

CLEANING

Earn $300-$500/wk. M-F, No nights or wknds. Must have own car & valid. Drivers lic. Se Habla Espanol.

Merry Maids

Gaithersburg 301-869-6243

CONSTRUCTION

Effective immediately, M.T. Laney Co, Inc will be accepting applications for the following positions: µ Sweeper Truck Driver µ Road Mechanic Top wages and a great working environment. EOE. Please email resume to info@mtlaney.com fax 410-795-9546

Call today to advertise 301.670.2500


Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

Page B-13

Careers 301-670-2500

class@gazette.net Real Estate

Foster Parents

Treatment Foster Parents Needed Work from home!

Call 301-355-7205

Work with the BEST!

Be trained individually by one of the area’s top offices & one of the area’s best salesman with over 34 years. New & experienced salespeople welcomed.

Must R.S.V.P.

Call Bill Hennessy

301-388-2626 301-388-2626

GC3043

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

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

Food Service

FOOD SERVICE ∂ Chef or Experienced Cook - Some weekends, experience with & knowledge of production systems essential, food safety certified & computer preferred. ∂ Line Server/Food Prep Helper - Part time ∂ Utility/Dishwasher - Part time Reliable transportation is essential. Apply in person, M-F @ 2pm, Sandy Spring Friends School, 16923 Norwood Rd. Sandy Spring, MD 20860, 301-7747455 ext. 128, michael.ackerson@ssfs.org EOE

Front Desk Friendly, energetic individual with Exp. at Front Desk and Medical Records for Large Cardiology Practice in Mont. Co. FT/Benefits offered Send resume to 240-449-1193 (f) or heartworkresumes@aol.com

Healthcare

Full-Time Nurses Skilled Nursing Facility seeking experienced Registered Nurses for FT 3-11 shifts. Apply in person and take the PreEmployment Exam at 1235 Potomac Valley Road Rockville MD 20850 EOE.

Silver Spring

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

HEALTHCARE

WE’RE HIRING WEEKEND CNAS, GNAS, AND HHAS!

Provide non-medical care and companionship for seniors in their homes. Personal care, light housework, transportation, meal preparation. Must be 21+. Must have car and one year professional, volunteer, or personal experience www.homeinsteads.com/197 Home Instead Senior Care To us it’s personal 301/588-9023 Call between 10am-4pm Mon-Fri

Legal Secretary For general practice in Gaitherburg. Send resume to sdavidelling@aol.com OR call 301-921-4455; 301-367-1274

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

DRIVERS HOME WEEKLY & BIWEEKLY - Earn

$900-$1200/WK Class A CDL & 6 Mos. Exp. Req. No Canada, HAZMAT or NYC! 877-705-9261

to advertise call 301.670.7100 or email class@gazette.net

Opticians, Fashion Eye Glass Fitters & Med Techs 2 yrs college min/retail exp, will train. Must own car, F/T including Sat. Salary $12-$26/hr & ben. Apply in person

STORE MANAGER

Busy wholesale supply business needs professional to manage: Staffing, inventory, counter sales, delivery system and more. Great attitude, computer & customer relation skills are a must.Prior wholesale or retail experience is a bonus. Email resume to: careers@gaithersburgair.com or call 301.926.3253

Veterinary Technicians

Needed for Poolesville site. 3 yrs. of exp as a vet techin the Laboratory Animal Field working with multiple species preferred, will consider candidates with comparable exp and length of service in companion animal practice. For details and to apply go to: www.sobran-inc.com Job id #175344

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

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

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

for location call Doctors On Sight, 301-540-1200 or 703-506-0000

DESIGN CENTER

10426 Fawcett Street Kensington, MD 20895

Skilled Trade

Rough-in Plumber Must be dependable & profecient w/RI, GW & fixtures. Drug Test req’d, Co trk & Lg tools provided for right plumber. Fax: 240-745-0476 or email: flowritemary@copper.net $12-18/hr dep on exp.

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

GC3177

to advertise call 301.670.7100 or email class@gazette.net

SALES/CUST SERVICE REP For a Rockville Insurance Agency. FT. Experience and a P&C license a plus. Will train. Salary plus commission. Email resume to insurance0709@yahoo.com

Part-Time

Work From Home

National Children’s Center Making calls. Please call Weekdays between 9-4 No selling! Sal + bonus + benes. Call 301-333-1900

Local companies, Local candidates Get Connected

Gazette.Net

Recruiting is now Simple!

Get Connected!

Local Companies Local Candidates


Page B-14

T H E G AZ ET T E

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r


Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

Automotive

Page B-15

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

YEAR NEW N E W YEAR BIG BIG SAVINGS! SAVINGS!

DONATE YOUR CAR - Give hope to

CA H

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

6,800

07 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS #364333A, $$ 5 Speed Manual, 1

9,800

Owner, 44k Miles

11,800

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

14,800

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

17,800

07 Honda CR-V EX-L $$

12,800

#472069A, 1-Owner, 4WD, 5 Speed Auto, Sport Utility

12 Nissan Sentra $$

14,800

#472173A, CVT Trans, 1-Owner, 11.6k Miles

13 Toyota Camry LE $$

#R1739,6 Speed Auto, 12.7k miles, 4 Door, 1 Owner

17,900

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

10,800

INSTANT CASH OFFER

(301) 288-6009

Any Make, Model or Year. We Pay MORE! Running or Not. Sell Your Car or Truck TODAY. Free Towing! Instant Offer: 1-888-545-8647

Your donation helps local families with food, clothing, shelter. Tax deductible. DONATE YOUR MVA licensed. CAR TO VETERLutheranMissionSociet ANS TODAY! Your y.org 410-636-0123 or vehical donation will toll-free 1-877-737help US Troops and 8567. support our Veterans! 100% tax deductible Fast Free pickup! CALL 1-800-7090542.

12,800

4-DR, Silver Metallic

11 Toyota Camry LE $$

15,800

#P8866, 6 Speed Auto, 1-Owner, 34.9K Miles

08 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 3.0L #457003B, 7 Speed Auto,, Mars Red

19,800

$$

$8,800 2011 Mazda Mazda3 Touring. . $14,800 $14,800 2001 Lexus RX300............... $8,800 #470267A, 4 SpeedAuto, 4WD, Sport Utility, Black Onyx #472137A, 5 SpeedAuto, 19k Miles, 1-Owner, Graphite Mica

$9,800 2013 Scion TC................... $19,800 $19,800 2002 Toyota Highlander LTD. ... $9,800 #462007B, 4 SpeedAuto, Vintage Gold Ivory #351079A, 1-Owner, Release Series 8.0,Absolutely Red 2007 Toyota Camry LE......... $10,800 $10,800 2012 GMC Terrain SLE-1...... $19,800 $19,800 #472097A, 5 SpeedAuto, 4-Door, Turquoise Metallic #460033A, 2WD, 6 SpeedAuto, 1-Owner, 45k Miles 2011 Toyota Camry LE......... $13,800 $13,800 2009 Nissan Murano SL....... $20,800 $20,800 #P8867, 6 SpeedAuto, 1-Owner, Gray Metallic #P8851A, CVT Trans, 4WD, Sport Utility

Looking for a new ride? Log on to Gazette.Net/Autos to search for your next vehicle!

2011 Honda Civic LX........... $13,800 $13,800 2014 Toyota Camry LE.......... $21,800 $21,800 #472123A, CVT Trans, 36K Miles, 1-Owner #378075A, 6 SpeedAuto, 1-Owner, 307 Miles, Clearwater Blue Metallic

355 3 5 5 TOYOTA TOYOTA PRE-OWNED P R E - OW N E D G558463

CASH FOR CARS!

DONATE AUTOS, TRUCKS, RV’S. LUTHERAN MISSION SOCIETY.

breast cancer families. Tax Deductible. Free Next-Day Towing. $1000 Grocery/Restaurant Coupons. Call 7 days/week United Breast Cancer Foundation 800-728-0801

12 Ford Focus SEL #351136A, $ 6 Speed Auto, $

2003 Honda Accord EX.......... $8,800 $8,800 2012 Toyota Corolla LE......... $13,800 $13,800 #472138B, 5 SpeedAuto, Black Pearl #N0289, 4 SpeedAuto, 1-Owner, Black Sand Pearl

DARCARS

$$$$$ PAID! Running or Not, All Makes! Free Towing! We’re Local! 7 Days/Week. Call 1-800-959-8518

ANY CAR ANY CONDITION

08MercuryGrandMarquisLS #472145A, 4 Speed $ $ Auto, Silver Metallic

G558459

09HyundaiVeracruzLTD #364523A, 6 Speed $ $ Auto, 1-Owner, Sport

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED! Top

See what it’s like to love car buying

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

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

Selling Your Car just got easier! Log on to

Gazette.Net/Autos to place your auto ad!

As low as $29.95!


Page B-16

Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r


Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

Page B-17

2014 NEW COROLLA LE

36 $

NEW2 AVAILABLE: 2014#470225, COROLLA LE 470255

2 AVAILABLE: #470335, 470170

COLD DAYS... HOT DEALS!

139/mo.**

4 DR., 4 CYL., AUTO

NEW 2014 VENZA 4X2 2 AVAILABLE: #474507, 474501

24,590

$

15,890

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

NEW 2014 SCION XD 2 AVAILABLE: #453005, 453001

$

4 CYL., AUTO

AFTER $1,000 REBATE

$

169/mo.**

4 CYL., 4 DR., AUTO

NEW 2013 RAV4 LE 4X2 BASE 2 AVAILABLE: #364556, 364503

NEW 2014 CAMRY LE 2 AVAILABLE: #472090, 472191

36 Month Lease $

169/mo.**

4 DR., 4 CYL., AUTO

NEW 2014 CAMRY LE

2 AVAILABLE: #377728, 377729

16,890

2 AVAILABLE: #472091, 472122

0% FOR

4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL.,

AFTER $1,000 REBATE

4 CYL., AUTOMATIC

AFTER $500 REBATE

NEW 2013 PRIUS C II

$

20,790

60

DARCARS

MONTHS+

On 10 Toyota Models

See what it’s like to love car buying

$

18,790

AUTO, 4 CYL., 4 DR

AFTER TOYOTA $1,750 REBATE

G557425

1-888-831-9671

15625 Frederick Rd (Rte 355) • Rockville, MD n OPEN SUNDAY n VISIT US ON THE WEB AT www.355Toyota.com

G558464

$

PRICES AND PAYMENTS INCLUDE ANY APPLICABLE MANUFACTURE’S REBATES AND EXCLUDE MILITARY ($500) AND COLLEGE GRAD ($500) REBATES, TAX, TAGS, DEALER PROCESSING CHARGE ($200) AND FREIGHT: CARS $795 OR $810, TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY AND SIENNAS $810, $845 AND $995. *0.9% APR & 0% APR FINANCING UP TO 60 MONTHS TO QUALIFIED BUYERS THRU TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. TOTAL FINANCED CANNOT EXCEED MSRP PLUS OPTIONS, TAX, AND LICENSE FEES. 0% APR 60 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $16.67 FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED. 0.9% APR 60 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $17.05 FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED. APR OFFERS ARE NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER CASH BACK OR LEASE OFFER. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIFY.**LEASE PAYMENTS BASED ON 36 MONTHS, 12,000 MILES PER YEAR WITH $995 DOWN PLUS $650 ACQUISITION FEE, NO SECURITY DEPOSIT REQUIRED. SEE DEALER FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. OFFERS EXPIRES 01/31/2014.


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Wednesday, January 8, 2014 r

06 Scion XB Wagon

$7,988

03 Hyundai Elantra GLS $2,975

00 Toyota Tundra SR5 4WD $5,950

#KP18922, AUTO, PW, CC, “HANDYMAN”

#KP68989, ACCESS CAB, “HANDYMAN” $4,881 OFF KBB

07 Chrysler Twn & Cnty $10,597

#KP57824, AT, PW, $310 OFF KBB

#AP03372R, 65K!, $960 OFF KBB

UNDER $10,995

95 Toyota Camry LE.........................$2,295

#KP79784, PW/PLC, AUTO, A/C, “HANDYMAN”

03 Jeep GR Cherokee Laredo 4WD...$3,988 #KP26952A, MNRF, PSEAT, POPTS, “HANDYMAN”

03 Honda CRV EX 4WD....................$4,850 #WP06993A, 5SPD, “GAS SAVER”, MNRF, PW, CC, “HANDYMAN”

04 Pontiac Vibe................................$4,988

#KP47950, AT, P/OPTIONS, MD INSP”D QUALITY CAR!!

G558461

11 Buick Regal CXL

00 Isuzu Rodeo LS 3.2 4WD...........$5,988

$19,998

#KP11537, TURBO “GERMAN ENGINEERED!”, NAV/MNRF

MORE VEHICLES

12 Chevy Impala LT...........................$14,945

08 Chrysler Twn & Cntry LTD.......$18,588

#KP66966,MNRF, P/OPTS, SHOWROOM CONDITION!

#KP34550, MNRF, LTHR, DVD, SHARP!

#KP24038A, SIDE STEPS, BD LNR, PW, “HANDYMAN”

#KA07165, PRINSTINE, 50K!! MNRF, LTHR, P/OPTS

#KN82963, 15 PASS WGN, PW, RAC, PARK SENSE

#KP21097, PW/PLC, PMR, AT, PSEAT

10 Mazda CX-9..............................$17,970 #KP18460, PAMPERED! PW/PLC/PMR, CC, CD

12 Dodge Charger..........................$18,388

#HA01140, LTHR, MNRF, PSEAT, FAC WARRANTY

#KP17054, CLEAN!! LTHR, PW, AT, MD INSP”D

05 Ford F-150 SUPER CAB ST 4x4. . .$8,800

08 Subaru Outback WGN................$9,988 06 Jeep Liberty LTD.......................$10,588 #KP44562, SUPER NICE! NAV, MNRF, LTHR

07 Hyundai Vera Cruz LTD............$15,988

#KR96798, SHOWROOM CONDITION! PSEAT, PW, CC, CD

10 Ford Econoline..........................$18,975

11 Hyundai Sonata........................$19,490 11 Dodge Charger R/T AWD!........$24,935 #KP10973, BEAUTY! MNRF, NAV, P/OPTS


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