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A mother’s Heartbreak | SoulCycle vs. Zengo vs. PureRyde
Heroin and prescription narcotics are killing young adults all over Montgomery County, leaving devastated families behind.
BethesdaMagazine.com
Renee Benzel’s 28-year-old son, Alex, died of a heroin overdose in January.
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November/December 2015 | Volume 12 Issue 6
contents
Olney mother Jimena Ryan lost her son Casey, 25, earlier this year. Ryan and her friend Renee Benzel (pictured on the cover) are now part of a healing group for mothers that meets in Bethesda.
136 | ‘please god, make it stop’ Heroin and prescription narcotics are killing young adults all over Montgomery County, leaving devastated families behind By Cindy rich
cover photo by michael ventura
photo by michael ventura
cover story
14 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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F INE PRO PE RTIE S I N T E R N A T I O N A L
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features 152 | coming up roses
Rose’s Luxury owner Aaron Silverman didn’t figure out that he wanted to be a chef until he was in his 20s. Now the Wootton High School graduate runs one of the hottest restaurants in the country. By Nevin martelL
164 | green giants The five winners of the Bethesda Magazine Green Awards By aaron kraut
172 | Fare Game
Barwood Taxi owner Lee Barnes is at war with Uber. Can he keep the company his father founded more than 50 years ago alive? By eugene l. meyer
184 | bring in the experts
Moms and dads in Bethesda are used to succeeding. So what happens when they feel like they’re failing at parenting? By Katherine reynolds lewis
196 | bethesda interview
NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith of Bethesda talks about getting a concussion, the Redskins’ team name, and whether Ray Rice should be given another chance By andrew metcalf
Anna Parisi-Trone and Robert Trone, co-owner of Total Wine & More, give generously to organizations they know well and believe in by kathleen wheaton
210 | guide to giving More than 60 ways to make a difference in our community
p. 152
Rose’s Luxury chef-owner Aaron Silverman is one of the restaurant world’s rising stars.
photo by liz lynch
204 | philanthropists of the year
16 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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P. 406 P. 372
departments home
255
24 | Contributors
256 | house appropriations
30 | From Our Readers
35
good life
art. festivals. day trips. hidden gems.
42 | Best Bets
Where to go, what to see
258 | a fresh start
people. politics. books. columns.
58 | Figuratively Speaking Automated speed cameras by the numbers
68 | Neighborhood NOTES News you may have missed
74 | Book Report New books by local authors, literary events and more
78 | my life How a 9-year-old and his friends looted their Bethesda neighborhood in 1951
82 | Hometown For more than 160 years, the Pumphreys have helped local families arrange funerals
AD SECTions Test of time profiles 87
336 | Table Talk
After a devastating fire and countless battles with their insurance company, Eric and Kristin Burka rebuilt their Chevy Chase home
What’s happening on the local food scene
340 | Cooking Class How to prepare a simple holiday roast
278 | home sales by the numbers
banter
By Steve Roberts
Checking out a handful of newcomers in Silver Spring
How three local moms bypassed the baby catalogs and used their own instincts to create original nurseries
46 | ARTS Calendar
293
health
294 | Be Well Dermatologist Matthew Katz grew up watching his dad come home from work happy. Years later, they were sharing an office.
296 | no looking back Doctors are still learning about Bryce Goldblatt’s rare genetic syndrome. But his parents and brother know at least one thing for sure: He’s a happy little boy who never gives up.
310 | pedal pushers Indoor cycling is the new workout craze. How do you know which studio is right for you?
314 | wellness Calendar
kitchen and bath showcase 286
senior services profiles 317
dine
332 | dine review
Home accessories with holiday flair
270 | forget pink and blue
12 can’t-miss arts events
53
331
342 | Dining Guide
373 etc. 374 | Shop Talk Locally-made gifts. Plus, a guide to area shops.
384 | Weddings Ballroom elegance
388 | Get Away Your cheat sheet for a weekend getaway
390 | Driving Range Celebrate Christmas the old-fashioned way in Middleburg, Virginia
406 | PETS Traveling vets can bring quality care to pets’ homes
407 | Flashback In the days after Pearl Harbor, residents of Montgomery County rallied to support the war effort—and each other
408 | Family Portrait Snapshot of local lives
salons and spas profiles 359
private school section 396
illustration by goodloe byron
22 | To Our Readers
18 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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What’s online @ bethesdamagazine.com enter our
GIVEAWAYS Our daily news briefing features stories about the community, restaurants, Montgomery County politics and more. Get the Bethesda Beat daily newsletter in your inbox by signing up at www.BethesdaMagazine.com.
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❱❱online Extras
NOVEMBER 1
Enter for a chance to win 10 tickets to a show at AMP by Strathmore
DECEMBER 1
Check out photos of the wedding of Montgomery County natives Charlotte Ruppert and Michael McGehee, who got married in Southern Maryland and arrived to their reception by boat. An online exclusive, the wedding description and photos will go up on www.BethesdaMagazine.com on October 30.
❱❱archives
Explore past issues and stories using our searchable archives.
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20 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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Justin S. Liberti
Spencer C. Smith
Amy P. Raskin
Kayode O. Aje
Robert Eubank
Michael Gildenhorn
The only constant is change. That, and our investment strategy. Our investment professionals know the best way to react to change is to avoid over-reacting. That’s how our commitment to thematic investing and secular trends helps keep us balanced and focused during volatile times. After all, it isn’t change that’s good or bad — it’s the response to change that matters. To learn more, contact Stacy Murchison at 240.497.5008 or visit ChevyChaseTrust.com
INV E ST M E N T MA N AGEMEN T
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F I N A N C I A L & E STATE PLAN N I N G
F I D UCI ARY & TRUST
FAM I LY W E ALTH S ERVIC ES
10/8/15 3:36 PM
to our readers
a deadly high
my aunt in these moms,” Rich says. For a long time, heroin addiction was seen as an “inner-city problem.” But that has changed in recent years as the increased legal use of powerful prescription painkillers has led to a dramatic rise in heroin-related overdose deaths in affluent suburbs, including Montgomery County. A police officer told Rich that he went to the doctor for a hernia, and when he said he didn’t need a prescription for painkillers, the doctor said, “Wow, finally a patient that doesn’t want Oxy.” The local statistics are startling: There were 33 heroin fatalities in the county in 2014 compared with 11 in 2011. Statewide, there are now more deaths from heroin overdoses than from automobile accidents. One of the mothers in Rich’s story is a circuit court judge, another is a medical director for a biopharmaceu-
Every year in the November/December issue we run a photo on this page of our amazing staff. This year that seemed particularly fitting because, at 408 pages, this is the biggest issue that Bethesda Magazine has published. (The previous record was 384 pages in September/October 2015.) Producing an issue of this size, with more than 200 editorial pages and more than 300 different ads, is a Herculean task. On top of that, we publish an average of eight stories a day online in Bethesda Beat, and many of our staff members play key roles in our sibling publication, Arlington Magazine. I am fortunate and grateful to work with so many talented and dedicated professionals.
tical company, and another is the chief marketing officer for an accounting firm. We wanted to tell a story that readers could look at and think, that could be me. “This can happen to anyone, but I think a lot of people still see it as someone else’s problem,” says Rich. The women spent many hours sharing their stories with Rich. “It struck me that they were willing to talk about this when they are in excruciating pain,” she says. “They can’t bring their kids back, but they hope they can help someone else.” Rich’s story begins on page 136.
Steve Hull Editor-in-Chief & Publisher
photo by michael ventura
When the Bethesda Magazine editorial team started talking about doing a story on the local toll of the heroin epidemic, Senior Editor Cindy Rich said she wanted to write it. She’d seen the way drugs can devastate a family: Her cousin, Andy, who attended Walter Johnson High School, battled an addiction to prescription painkillers, heroin and other drugs for nearly a decade, and died at 24 in 1990. She was close to Andy, and has vivid memories of him showing up high at their grandparents’ house in Chevy Chase. “Our family tried everything,” she says. “Everybody wanted to save him, and nobody could.” After interviews with drug users, relatives of addicts, experts, police officers and county officials, Rich decided to tell the story through the eyes of three local mothers who had lost a son or daughter to an overdose in the last year. “I could see
Front (left to right): Meghan Murphy, Jill Trone, Penny Skarupa, Maire McArdle, Cindy Rich, Susan Hull, Jennifer Farkas, Emma Gray Pitt, Ashlyn Mason, Cara Hedgepeth, Julie Rasicot; Back (left to right): Andrew Metcalf, Sandra Burley, Kathleen Neary, Mary Clare Glover, Aaron Kraut, Paula Duggan, Laura Kottlowski, Arlis Dellapa, Onecia Ribeiro, LuAnne Spurrell. Not pictured: Laura Goode.
22 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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contributors
Andrew METCALF Lives in: Silver Spring Hometown: Lincoln, Rhode Island In this issue: Interviewed DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association. What he does: Metcalf writes and edits for Bethesda Beat, the magazine’s daily online news briefing. “I really enjoyed getting a break from the daily news environment to do an extended interview with Smith,” says Metcalf. “I was surprised by how much of a regular guy he seemed for someone in such a stressful and powerful position.” Favorite football team: New England Patriots
Lives in: Manor Park, D.C. Hometown: Clinton, New York In This Issue: Profiled Aaron Silverman, chef-owner of Rose’s Luxury. What he does: Works full-time as a freelance writer covering food, travel and parenting—sometimes all at once. He has been published in The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, Saveur, The New York Times and many other outlets. Additionally, he is the author of seven books, including the travelogue-memoir Freak Show Without a Tent: Swimming with Piranhas, Getting Stoned in Fiji and Other Family Vacations (Possibilities Publishing, 2014).
Favorite thing to do in the winter: Take weekend ski trips to Colorado or New England, particularly Jay Peak in Northern Vermont. “I’ve been skiing since I was 7 years old,” says Metcalf, who especially likes skiing off groomed trails and through the trees. “It’s a little more challenging, there aren’t a lot of people there, and it feels like you’re more in nature.” Holiday plans: Metcalf, who got engaged this spring and is getting married in June, will be spending the holidays in Alexandria, Virginia, with his fiancee’s family for the first time.
Favorite holiday tradition: “Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve enjoyed slipping unexpected characters into a nativity scene,” he says. “Now I have a couple hundred nontraditional figurines—from E.T. and Obi-Wan Kenobi to gnomes and dragons—which complement the usual suspects. The whole setup takes up an entire table.” Favorite local restaurants: Food Wine & Co. in downtown Bethesda for date night and Cava Grill on Bethesda Row for a quick bite.
GOODLOE BYRON Lives in: Frederick Hometown: Frederick In this issue: Drew the illustration for the Pets column. How he got into illustrating: Byron, who has written six novels, started out illustrating his own book covers. In 2012, he began painting murals—he’s painted six around Frederick, including one of flamingos on the side of the Frederick News-Post building. “I really like animals,” he says. “Animals make a lot more sense to me than people.” How he does his illustrations: He uses watercolor paints or draws digitally on a Wacom tablet. “What’s great about using the little Wacom pen is that if I make a mistake, I can erase it or start over. I can change the color of something just by pressing a button,” he says. “But with watercolors, it’s really an adventure. You can start out drawing an ostrich and end up drawing Abraham Lincoln.” Family: Byron and his girlfriend, Emily Gude, a painter and photographer, live with his dog, Pugloe, a shih tzu-pug mix. “The dog comes somewhere between a baby and a boss,” he says.
martell photo courtesy; metcalf photo by emma pitt; goodloe and pugloe self portrait
NEVIN MARTELL
24 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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A Decade of Service and Success.
It’s Monumental.
Monument Bank employees on the terrace of our corporate headquarters in Montgomery County.
The year 2015 marks our 10th Anniversary — a momentous milestone for Monument Bank. Founded in September 2005 with 14 dedicated employees determined to make a difference, we have now grown to become the bank of choice for local businesses. With our unwavering commitment to excellence, we look forward to serving our customers and communities for many years to come.
301.841.9600 Bethesda | Rockville | Silver Spring
monumentbank.com
Member FDIC NMLS ID #409012
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editorial Editor-in- Chief
Steve Hull
Design Director
Maire McArdle
managing Editor
Mary Clare Glover senior Editor
Cindy Rich
Associate Editor
Kathleen Seiler Neary Food Editor
Carole Sugarman Deputy Art Director
Laura F. Goode designer
Emma Gray Pitt Bethesda beat Managing Editor
Julie Rasicot
Bethesda beat Writers
Aaron Kraut, Andrew Metcalf
The hospital you trust for primary care is expanding its specialty and urgent care services. You already know Friendship offers comprehensive, quality care for your companion. Now we’re adding to our family of services and to our building with new specialties, state-of-theart facilities and technology, and more board-certified specialists. From orthopedic surgery to acupuncture, your companion will have access to the best and most
Web producer
Laura Kottlowski Contributing Editors
Eugene L. Meyer, Cindy Murphy-Tofig, Louis Peck
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Copy Editors
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26 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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28 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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from our readers
Readers’ Pick, Best Podiatrist
“Please move. We the taxpayers are tired of providing companies like yours with tens of millions of dollars of corporate welfare only to have to face your threats again several years later. Time to move on. #nomoreMarriottreservations” —posted by Guest “Your mindset is very myopic. The jobs that leave Maryland when they relocate to D.C. or Virginia hurt the area more than the tax breaks Montgomery County gives them to operate there. Look at the big picture.” —posted by Guest
Dr. Paul Ross
Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
Bethesda Medical Building 8218 Wisconsin Avenue Suite P-14 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 301.656.6055
www.paulrossdpm.com
“Show us the numbers. The last time Marriott blackmailed us, they had 3,500 employees in the headquarters here and Virginia was offering them $6 million to move. After spending months of staff time chasing them, Maryland gave them the largest package they’ve ever given to a corporation: $75 million in grants and tax breaks contingent on them building and expanding their headquarters. Did they? No, instead they have reduced the number of employees to less than 2,500 and the current CEO has outsourced jobs to India. Local taxpayers also paid $35 million to build a conference center adjacent to their hotel which they benefit from considerably. They built their business and thrived here for 60 years and have become a $14 billion company. The new guy has no loyalty whatsoever. Let ’em go and let’s spend the money they want to suck from us on innovative companies who want to be here for the benefits we offer. The more money we sink into this
greedy company, the less we have for others. Enough of the threats and holding us hostage for the next five years. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past or we will miss other more productive and mutually beneficial opportunities.” —posted by WB Questioning AP Courses “Throughout this article (“Getting In,” September/October 2015), administrators and counselors are quoted as saying, in effect, ‘How many APs do the kids really need?’—as if these courses are some kind of toxic medicine that you want to limit, and have been imposed on the school from the outside. There’s not even a pretense that AP courses represent an enriched curriculum that is age-appropriate for able students, an expansion of the basic curriculum that will develop writing ability and be preparation for college (not really a substitute for college courses). If APs are so onerous, with no inherent reward, why offer them at all? I bet our best teachers could come up with advanced courses of their own that they would be excited to teach, and that are focused on enrichment and critical thinking.” —posted on BethesdaMagazine.com by Felice Li Correction The September/October 2015 Bethesda Interview with Arne Sorenson should have said that the company’s current lease expires in 2022. Bethesda Magazine welcomes letters to the editor. Please email your letter to letters@bethesda magazine.com and include your daytime phone number. Bethesda Magazine reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity.
photo by liz lynch
Should They Stay or Should They Go? Writer Maura Mahoney’s interview with Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson (September/October 2015) led to a discussion on BethesdaMagazine.com about the possibility of Marriott leaving Bethesda. Here are edited excerpts of some of the comments.
30 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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art. festivals. culture. day trips. hidden gems.
good life
photo by michael ventura
learn to dance East Coast swing, also known as the Lindy Hop or the jitterbug, may have originated in Harlem in the 1920s, but you can learn it—and dozens of other dance styles—in Chevy Chase, D.C. Founded more than 40 years ago, the Chevy Chase Ballroom draws between 100 and 200 students a week. They come for classes in everything from the Viennese waltz and the mambo to the polka and a Latin American dance called the bachata. “I think it’s the most fun thing you can do with your clothes on in public,” says East Coast swing instructor Debra Sternberg.
Co-owner Garry Gekhman says beginners typically start by taking private lessons, then sharpen their skills in a group class. One Friday night a month, the ballroom hosts informal social dance parties that enable participants to practice moves in a range of styles with instructors and other students. Chevy Chase Ballroom & DanceSport Center, 5207 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.; 202-363-8344; www.chevychaseballroom.com. –Eric Sumner BethesdaMagazine.com | november/december 2015 35
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good life
See all that sparkles
Photo by Eric Schulzinger
In 1996, Gaithersburg’s Winter Lights Festival opened with 27 light displays that included elves, bears and candy canes in Seneca Creek State Park. This year, the 3½ mile drive through the park will take you past more than 365 illuminated displays and 65 animated vignettes, including classic holiday characters such as snowmen and toy soldiers, a colorful peacock that gradually spreads its feathers, a swan glimmering on the surface of Clopper Lake, and squirrels that appear to be scampering over lit archways. To incorporate the park’s natural beauty, many trees will be wrapped in lights. Gaithersburg resident Chris Neal has taken her three kids many times. “They always look to see what is new each year,” Neal says. “We open the sunroof and they like to stand in the car and look up as we go under the lit archways.” For dates and prices, see page 49 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov. —Christine Koubek
36 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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good life
Weight training is one way to stay fit, swimming is another. Then there’s jumping up and down on a trampoline. Sky Zone Trampoline Park, an international chain, opened its first branch in Montgomery County in May. The main jumping area of the gym includes 135 trampolines that are stitched together to create one large surface for flips and tumbles. A popular spot for birthday parties, the trampoline gym hosts regular dodgeball games and
includes an area with basketball hoops set at different heights as well as a pit filled with thousands of foam cubes next to trampolines—ideal for safely trying tricks. Rockville resident Victoria Jones visited the gym in July with her three children, ages 7, 8 and 9. She says the kids loved playing dodgeball. “They liked going against the adults,” she says, “and they have a softer ball than a typical dodgeball so nobody gets hurt.”
The gym also offers dedicated time for toddlers to jump twice a week and a fitness class that events manager Danielle Kean says appeals to all ages. “I’ve seen people in their 70s and 80s jumping,” Kean says. “It’s a lot easier than running on a track.” Sky Zone Trampoline Park, 15813 Gaither Drive, Gaithersburg; 240-428-1242; www.skyzone.com. —Eric Sumner
photo by eric gibson
jump for joy
38 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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There’s a new music venue in Bethesda that pays homage to ’60s rock ’n’ roll. Opened in April, Villain & Saint hosts many of the Washington, D.C., area’s popular house bands and aspiring artists, with styles ranging from blues to jazz, and reggae to classic rock. The long pub-style space has pressed tin ceilings and a stage flanked by lava lamps on one wall and oval-framed portraits of iconic musicians past on the other—think Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin and Bob Marley. A hallway lined with black lights beyond the bar leads to an open-air patio and another bar. Though the layout is publike, the food is not. Among the options: zucchini pancakes with smoked salmon and pork ribs. The bar area, pictured here, is a great place to share a meal, sip cocktails named after song lyrics (such as “Bye-Bye Miss American Pie” and “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”) and, for some, to relive your youth. While walking down the hallway to the patio, one patron quipped, “This black light reminds me of my college dorm, circa 1969.” Villain & Saint, 7141 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda; 240-800-4700; www.villainandsaint.com —Christine Koubek
Photo by michael ventura
hear some live music
40 november/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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good life
best bets
Our picks for the best things to see and do in November and December By Stephanie Siegel Burke
Through Nov. 8
Someone’s in the Kitchen
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday; Mansion at Strathmore, free, www.artistsinthekitchen.net
Nov. 13
Stormy Weather Chanteuse Storm Large’s repertoire includes rock, show tunes and lounge and cabaret music. She is most widely known for performing with the group Pink Martini and her 2006 appearances on the TV show Rock Star: Supernova. Backed by her band, Le Bonheur, Large’s genre-spanning shows are peppered with witty banter and the occasional good-natured profanity. 8 p.m., AMP by Strathmore, $30-$45, www.ampbystrathmore.com
Nov. 13-14
Tall Tales The inaugural Capitol Area Storytelling Festival brings together accomplished storytellers from around the country. The weekend kicks off Friday night with a storytelling variety show and continues Saturday with a morning program for children and families. Saturday afternoon events are suitable for all ages, while evening events are meant for mature audiences. Featured tellers include ABC News correspondent John Donvan and professional storyteller, performer and writer Anne Thomas. Have your own story to tell? On Saturday, there’s a story swap and a slam storytelling competition with cash prizes. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 13; 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Nov. 14; Washington ArtWorks, $20-$65, www.washingtonartworks.com
Nov. 20-Dec. 31
Nov. 27
Adventure Theatre brings Lemony Snicket’s slightly off-kilter holiday story The Lump of Coal to the stage in this world-premiere adaptation. Loved for its wry humor and droll illustrations, the children’s book tells the tale of a walking, talking lump of coal who wants to become an artist instead of the traditional stocking stuffer for naughty children.
With hits like “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams” and “Don’t Stop,” Rumours was Fleetwood Mac’s most successful album. And 38 years later, it’s still one of the top-selling albums of all time. The Classic Albums Live team brings together a talented group of musicians to perform the 1977 classic in its entirety.
Adventure Theatre, $19.50, www. adventuretheatre-mtc.org
8 p.m., The Music Center at Strathmore, $29-$49, www.strathmore.org
Naughty or Nice?
Go Your Own Way
Large Photo by Laura domela; The Lump of coal courtesy of Adventure theatre; Classic albums Live photo courtesy
Women Chefs: Artists in the Kitchen pairs visual artists with women chefs to create original works of art. Strathmore’s curatorial team matched artists with chefs who would be likely to complement each other’s visual aesthetic, then the pairs met to get to know each other and discuss an artistic approach. The resulting work ranges from representational portraits to abstract visions.
42 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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Delicious autumn. Make this season’s party the best ever. From intimate holiday dinners to exquisite galas, our chefs have created delectable menus inspired by fall’s cooler days. Together, we’ll create a celebration you’ll absolutely love.
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good life
Dec. 12
All that Jazz Wynton Marsalis has become a living legend of jazz. An acclaimed trumpeter, he is a composer, bandleader and an outspoken advocate for the musical art form. Also the artistic director of jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, Marsalis brings the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to town for a concert of jazz, classical pieces and holiday favorites. 8 p.m., The Music Center at Strathmore, $58-$108, www.strathmore.org
Dec. 28
Panda Party
You know that experience when you put two different jelly beans into your mouth at the same time to make a delicious new flavor? The White Panda does that with pop music. Known for clever remixes and mashups, the duo of Procrast (Tom Evans) and DJ Griffi (Dan Griffith) combine songs by artists and groups as diverse as Steve Winwood, Naughty by Nature, Justin Timberlake, David Bowie, Queen and Bruno Mars. They even mixed Rihanna’s “Diamonds” with the theme from Game of Thrones. The results are surprising and delightful, as familiar pop hits turn into epic party anthems. 9 p.m., The Fillmore, $26.50, www.fillmoresilverspring.com
Dec. 29
Rock With The Roots Jimmy Fallon’s house band on The Tonight Show, The Roots was formed in 1987 as a duo made up of Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and Questlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson). Since then, the band has added six members to form its current lineup, released more than 10 albums, collaborated with such artists as John Legend and Elvis Costello, and been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, winning three. Known for a jazzy, soulful brand of hip-hop, The Roots has won over new audiences with performances that feature fun takes on pop songs using unconventional instruments such as children’s toys and office equipment. 8 p.m., The Fillmore, $76, www.fillmoresilverspring.com
Dec. 2-27
Pucker Up A play within a play, Stage Kiss tells the story of two actors with a romantic history who are brought together again when they’re cast as the leads in a 1930s melodrama. Is it really love, or just acting like they’re in love, that causes the pair’s passion to reignite? The comedy by playwright Sarah Ruhl pokes fun at theatrical actors while also pondering the nature of love and desire. Helen Hayes Award-winning actress Dawn Ursula stars in this regional premiere. Round House Theatre, $36-$51, www.roundhouse theatre.org
Marsalis photo Courtesy; The Roots photo courtesy of the Fillmore silver Spring; The White panda Photo courtesy; Ursula photo courtesy of Round House Theatre
best bets
44 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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ADVERTISEMENT
There’s More than one way to Crack a Nut Whether you’re looking for puppets or a proper pas de deux, here are three local productions of the holiday classic The Nutcracker To a Hip- Hop Beat The Hip Hop Nutcracker uses hip-hop choreography, an onstage disc jockey and digital scenery. Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m., The Music Center at Strathmore, $29-$46, www.strathmore.org With a Russian Accent The Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker offers a traditional take with touches of Russian culture, such as nesting dolls and a Moscow skyline. Dec. 21-22, 8 p.m., The Music Center at Strathmore, $28-$88, www.strathmore.org
All photos courtesy
With Puppets In The Nutcracker, on the main stage, marionettes and costume characters bring the story to life with music from Tchaikovsky’s ballet for audiences age 5 and up. Meanwhile, a Tiny Tots performance, called Nutcracker Fantasy, features music and scenes based on the story but geared for children ages 2 to 4. Nov. 27-Dec. 30, the Puppet Co. at Glen Echo, $6-$12, www.thepuppet co.org
MONICA GARCIA HARMS Principal
Family Law Attorney
MARYLAND DIVORCES
PICKING UP SPEED
Where your marriage ends is more important than where it begins, in most circumstances. Your residency at the time of divorce will not only dictate your rights with regard to your children and property, but also how quickly you may be able to get divorced. Until recently, couples wishing to get divorced in Maryland needed to be separated for one year prior to being eligible for divorce, unless they had another ground available to them, such as adultery. Effective October 1, 2015, however, there is no longer a mandatory separation period in certain cases. Now, the Maryland courts may grant an absolute divorce by “mutual consent” if: 1. The parties do not have any minor children in common; and 2. They have executed a written settlement agreement signed by both parties resolving all property and support issues; and 3. Both parties appear before the court at the absolute divorce hearing. This change in law establishes a speedier divorce process for those without minor children who have resolved all of their differences. For many Marylanders, this may mean a more simplified and smoother transition to life after divorce.
301-340-2020 • www.steinsperling.com Monica Garcia Harms co-chairs the Family Law department at Stein Sperling. Her thorough knowledge and understanding of her clients’ circumstances and needs distinguish her approach to the practice of family law. Monica represents clients in complex matters including divorce, contested custody, support and property allocation. BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 45
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good life
arts & entertainment
calendar Compiled by Cindy Murphy-Tofig
from Vivaldi to Philip Glass. 3 p.m. $20$99. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-581-5100, www.bsomusic.org. Nov. 8 SHENANDOAH RUN. The folk group performs vintage tunes, six-part harmonies and original compositions. 4 p.m. $30. The Mansion at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301581-5100, www.strathmore.org. Nov. 10 STYX. The rock band’s concert is a benefit for Montgomery County-based Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children. 8 p.m. $100-$250. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-5815100, www.strathmore.org.
MUSIC Nov. 1 MAURIZIO POLLINI. The pianist’s program is scheduled to include works by Schumann and Chopin. 2 p.m. $35-$85. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-581-5100, www.strathmore.org. Nov. 1 VLADIMIR FELTSMAN. The Russian American pianist, who was banned for several years from performing in his homeland, will perform works by Schumann and Mussorgsky. 7:30 p.m. $41; $36 seniors; $31 younger than 40. Kreeger Auditorium, Gildenhorn/Speisman Center for the Arts, Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, Rockville. 301-881-0100, www.jccgw.org. Nov. 6 OFF THE CUFF: A SEASON OF VIVALDI. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra leads a talk on Vivaldi and how notes on a page
translate into a thunderstorm or a bird’s song, then plays excerpts from Vivaldi’s work. 8:15 p.m. $20-$99. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-5815100, www.bsomusic.org. Nov. 7 ART SONG. Mezzo-soprano Kate Jackman and pianist Alex Peh perform as part of an evening that includes wine pairings. 7:30 p.m. $25; $12 for ages 18 and younger. Kentlands Mansion, Gaithersburg. 301-2586394, www.gaithersburgmd.gov. Nov. 7 PAUL ANKA. The longtime heartthrob’s hits include “(You’re) Having My Baby” and “Put Your Head on My Shoulder.” 8 p.m. $48-$125. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-581-5100, www.strathmore.org. Nov. 8. TIME TRAVEL. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra travels 400 years, spanning works
Nov. 13 TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE BYRD. Drummervibraphonist Chuck Redd, who was part of the Charlie Byrd Trio, pays tribute to Byrd, who brought bossa nova to North America. 8 p.m. $25-$55. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-581-5100, www.strathmore.org. Nov. 14 BOLÉRO. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s performance of the Ravel work will be preceded by works by Debussy and Falla. 8 p.m. $20-$99. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-5815100, www.bsomusic.org. Nov. 15 CHUCHO VALDÉS: IRAKERE 40. The Grammy-winning guitarist-composer celebrates his group’s music with a new crop of musicians four decades after the band’s heyday. 7 p.m. $28-$58. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-581-5100, www.strathmore.org.
Photo by francis vernhet
Grammy-winning guitarist-composer Chucho Valdés plays at Strathmore on Nov. 15.
Nov. 12 UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BRASS QUINTET. The concert will pay tribute to veterans and celebrate America. 8:15 p.m. Free; tickets required. Kreeger Auditorium, Gildenhorn/Speisman Center for the Arts, Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, Rockville. 301-881-0100, www.jccgw.org.
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Nov. 19 HILARY HAHN PLAYS DVOŘÁK. The celebrated violinist joins the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for an evening that includes Dvořák’s playful Violin Concerto and Sibelius’ Four Legends. 8 p.m. $20-$99. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-581-5100, www.bsomusic.org.
Heather Harvey’s exhibit at VisArts incorporates items the artist found on daily walks. It runs through Nov. 15.
Nov. 21 MAGICAL MUSICAL TOUR. The Heart of Maryland women’s chorus performs its annual concert. 1 p.m. $15. F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville Civic Center Park, Rockville. 240-314-8690, www.homchorus.org. Nov. 21 CHIA-WEI LIN. Classical guitarist Lin, a student at Cologne Conservatory in Germany, is making his first appearance as part of the John E. Marlow Guitar Series and only his second concert in the United States. 8 p.m. $28. Westmoreland Congregational Church, 1 Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda. 301-654-6403, www.marlowguitar.org. Nov. 22 BRITISH INVASION. Spend a night rocking with the Rockville Concert Band. 7 p.m. Free; $5 suggested donation. F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville Civic Center Park, Rockville. 240-314-8690, http://rocknet.org/Leisure/Band/.
Photo courtesy of visarts at rockville
Photo by francis vernhet
Nov. 22 TONY DESARE. Want some Sinatra tunes, or maybe some Paul McCartney or Prince? Singer-songwriter-pianist DeSare’s got you covered with his jazzy postmodern style. 8 p.m.; doors open 90 minutes before performance. $30-$40. AMP by Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-5815100, www.ampbystrathmore.com. Nov. 28 and 29 TCHAIKOVSKY’S SERENADE. Violinist Chee-Yun performs Mozart’s Violin Concerto, which is bookended by the National Philharmonic’s performances of Rakastava by Sibelius and Serenade for Strings by Tchaikovsky. 8 p.m. Nov. 28 and 3 p.m. Nov. 29. $29-$89. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. Children ages 7-17 can attend for free with a paying adult. 301-5815100, www.strathmore.org. Dec. 2 HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD. The Strathmore Children’s Chorus and other choral ensembles share traditional music from Germany, Africa, Sweden, England and Puerto Rico. 7:30 p.m. $18-$25. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301581-5100, www.strathmore.org.
Dec. 6 TRIO SOLISTI & RICHARD O’NEILL. The trio is joined by violist O’Neill for a program of Beethoven and Brahms. 7:30 p.m. $41; $36 seniors; $31 younger than 40. Kreeger Auditorium, Gildenhorn/Speisman Center for the Arts, Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, Rockville. 301-8810100, www.jccgw.org. Dec. 8 and 12 GAITHERSBURG CHORUS WINTER CONCERT. The concert’s theme is “Home for the Holidays” and will feature both holiday favorites and contemporary works. 7:30 p.m. Free. Rosborough Cultural Arts Center (Dec. 8) and Gaithersburg High School (Dec. 12). 301-258-6350, www.gaithersburgmd.gov. Dec. 9 SETH KIBEL & FRIENDS: HANUKKAH HODGEPODGE. Jazz, swing and klezmer—with some Hanukkah favorites thrown in—are all part of Kibel’s repertoire. 7:30 p.m. $25. The Mansion at Strathmore, North Bethesda. 301-5815100, www.strathmore.org. Dec. 19 and 20 HANDEL’S MESSIAH. The National Philharmonic’s annual presentation of the holiday classic embodies the joy and spirit of the holiday season. 8 p.m. Dec. 19 and 3 p.m. Dec. 20. $29-$89. The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda. Children ages 7-17 can attend for free with a paying adult. 301-581-5100, www.strathmore.org.
Dec. 20 WELCOME WINTER! The Rockville Concert Band gets you in the mood for a fun, wintry season. 3 p.m. Free; $5 donation requested. F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville Civic Center Park, Rockville. 240-314-8690, www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre. Dec. 20 HOLIDAY CONCERT. The Rockville Chorus presents an evening of holiday favorites. 7:30 p.m. Free; $5 donation requested. F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville Civic Center Park, Rockville. 240-314-8690, www.rockvillemd.gov/theatre.
ART Through Nov. 15 FEYNMAN’S SISTER AND OTHER SPACE WEATHER HAZARDS. Artist Heather Harvey’s exhibition uses items found on daily walks to examine philosophical and material issues. Gallery hours are noon-4 p.m. Wednesdays, noon-8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, noon-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Free. VisArts at Rockville, Rockville. 301-315-8200, www.visarts atrockville.org. Nov. 1-25 ART 4 ALL: THINK JAZZ; THE BEAUTY OF NATURE. In Art 4 All, Cynthia Farrell Johnson will show works in mixed media; Sue Hsu’s exhibition, the Beauty of Nature, will feature her work in Chinese ink and rice paper. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
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good life Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Free. Glenview Mansion Art Gallery at Rockville Civic Center Park, Rockville. An opening reception will be 1:30-3:30 p.m. Nov. 1. 240314-8682, www.rockvillemd.gov. Nov. 10-Dec. 5 SACRED SPACE: LANDSCAPES WITH BUDDHA FOR PROTECTION. Pat Silbert’s paintings celebrate the beauty of nature. Gallery hours are noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Free. Waverly Street Gallery, Bethesda. An opening reception will be 6-9 p.m. Nov. 13; an artist talk will be 3-5 p.m. Nov. 14. 301-951-9441, www.waverlystreetgallery.com. Nov. 12 and Dec. 11 BETHESDA ART WALK. Various galleries in downtown Bethesda open their doors on the second Friday of every month. 6-9 p.m. Free. 301-215-6660, www.bethesda.org. Dec. 6-31 ROCKVILLE ART LEAGUE. Members of the league participate in a juried show. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Free. Glenview Mansion Art Gallery at Rockville Civic Center
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Park, Rockville. An opening reception will be 1:30-3:30 p.m. Dec. 6. 240-314-8682, www.rockvillemd.gov.
DANCE Dec. 5, 6, 12 and 13 THE NUTCRACKER. The Rockville Civic Ballet stages its annual performance of the holiday classic. 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 5 and 12, 2 p.m. Dec. 6 and 13. $17; $13 seniors and children 12 and younger. F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville Civic Center Park, Rockville. 240-314-8690, www.rockvillemd.gov/ theatre. For information on three other local productions of The Nutcracker, turn to page 45.
THEATER Through Nov. 13 THE NIGHT ALIVE. In this new work by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, Tommy is crashing in his uncle’s rundown house when he defends a destitute woman against a violent attack, then tends to her. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays,
S E N I O R
L I V I N G
here W a rich life
doesn’t cost a fortune.
2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. $41$61. Round House Theatre, Bethesda. 240644-1100, www.roundhousetheatre.org. Through Nov. 15 FOOTLOOSE. In this lively musical drama, a Chicago teen moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned. Presented by the Rockville Musical Theatre. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. $22; $20 seniors and students. F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville. 240-314-8690, www.r-m-t.org. Through Nov. 21 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s emotional work dramatizes Christ’s final days. 8:15 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. $25; $20 seniors and students; $17 Kensington residents and children. Kensington Arts Theatre at Kensington Town Hall, Kensington. 240-6210528, www.katonline.org. Nov. 6-22 PAINTING CHURCHES. The comedy explores the relationship between an elderly WASP couple and their artist daughter. Recommended for ages 15 and older. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. $20.
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The Arts Barn, Gaithersburg. 301-258-6394, www.gaithersburgmd.gov. Nov. 11-15 MARISOL. Marisol Perez is told by her guardian angel that she can no longer protect her. Instead, the angel is joining a revolution against a god who is dying and taking the rest of the universe with him. The heavenly war spills into New York, and Marisol begins a journey into the war zone. Presented by Montgomery College’s Theatre Department. 8 p.m. Nov. 11-14; 2 p.m. Nov. 15. $10; $8 seniors; $5 students. The Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, Montgomery College, Rockville. 240-5675301, www.montgomerycollege.edu/pac. Nov. 19 TIME TRAVEL WITH EMILY DICKINSON. The one-woman play focuses on Dickinson’s relationship with a colonel from the First South Carolina Regiment. Recommended for ages 14 and older. 1 p.m. $20; $12 age 18 and younger. The Arts Barn, Gaithersburg. 301-258-6394, www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
photo courtesy of the comedy and magic society
Through Nov. 20 ALADDIN (AND HIS WONDERFUL LAMP ). The famous tale is full of genies, princesses and wizards. Suitable for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. 10 and 11:30 a.m. Fridays, 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. $12. The Puppet Co. Playhouse, Glen Echo. 301-634-5380, www.thepuppetco.org. Nov. 24-Jan. 10 A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD. The two friends, with very different personalities, wake up from hibernation and have a year of fun adventures. The musical is based on the books by Arnold Lobel. Recommended for ages 4 and older. 1:30 and 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Also 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Nov. 27, 11 a.m. Dec. 24, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Dec. 28-30 and 11 a.m. Dec. 31. $12-$35. Imagination Stage, Bethesda. 301280-1660, www.imaginationstage.org.
stage adaptation of the beloved TV special. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. $20; $12 ages 14 and younger. The Arts Barn, Gaithersburg. 301-258-6394, www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
SEASONAL
Mark Phillips and Brian Curry perform as part of the Comedy and Magic Society on Nov. 27 at the Arts Barn.
Nov. 11 VETERANS DAY OBSERVANCE. City officials and members of veteran groups pay tribute to those who have served in the military. The event includes a chance to donate powdered drink mixes, lip balm, socks and other items to be sent to troops. 11 a.m. Free. City Hall Concert Pavilion, Gaithersburg. 301-258-6300, www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
Nov. 20 WINE UNDER THE LIGHTS. Taste wine from local vineyards and take an open-air trolley ride through the Winter Lights Festival. 6-10 p.m. $16 for City of Gaithersburg residents; $18 for nonresidents. The nontasting package is $10 for City of Gaithersburg residents; $12 for nonresidents; free for ages 4 and younger. Seneca Creek State Park, Gaithersburg. Register through the City of Gaithersburg’s RecXpress website or at the activity center in Bohrer Park. 301-2586350, www.gaithersburgmd.gov. Nov. 21 MONTGOMERY COUNTY THANKSGIVING PARADE. More than 100 entries—including marching bands, floats and Santa Claus—are expected for the annual official beginning of the holiday season. 10 a.m. Free. Starts outside the Silver Spring Civic Building, Silver Spring. www.silverspring downtown.com.
Nov. 27 COMEDY AND MAGIC SOCIETY. The society performs a night of sleight of hand, illusions and comedy. Suitable for ages 10 and older. 8 p.m. $18; $12 ages 14 and younger. The Arts Barn, Gaithersburg. 301258-6394, www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
Nov. 22 S’MORE LIGHTS. Toast marshmallows for s’mores and ride a wagon or open-air trolley through the Winter Lights Festival. 5:30-9 p.m. $8 for City of Gaithersburg residents; $10 for nonresidents; $10 at the gate. Seneca Creek State Park, Gaithersburg. Register through the City of Gaithersburg’s RecXpress website or at the activity center in Bohrer Park. 301-258-6350, www.gaithersburgmd.gov.
Dec. 4-20 A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS. Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang explore the meaning of Christmas in a
Nov. 27-Jan. 3 GARDEN OF LIGHTS. Brookside Gardens’ lights exhibit returns after a year off. As you walk through the gardens you’ll see new
flower forms—fabricated by park staff—plus old favorites such as the kaleidoscope caterpillar. Includes admittance to the train exhibit in the conservatory. 5:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 5:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The last car is admitted 30 minutes before closing. Closed Dec. 24 and 25; closing at 9 p.m. Dec. 31. $25 per car Monday through Thursday; $30 per car Friday through Sunday. Brookside Gardens, Wheaton. 301-962-1453, www.montgomery parks.org/brookside. Nov. 27-Dec. 31 WINTER LIGHTS FESTIVAL. Drive your car through 3½ miles of more than 365 vignettes and more than 60 animated light displays during the annual festival. Closed Dec. 25. $12 Sundays-Thursdays; $15 Fridays and Saturdays. Fees are higher for limousines, passenger vans, minibuses and buses. Seneca Creek State Park, Gaithersburg. 301258-6350, www.gaithersburgmd.gov. Dec. 5 WINTER WONDERLAND. The annual wintry event will include live entertainment, ice sculpting and a visit from Santa Claus. 1-4 p.m. Free. Veterans Park, Bethesda. 301-2156660, www.bethesda.org. Dec. 5 and 6 BREAKFAST WITH SANTA. Enjoy a breakfast buffet, holiday music and some time with St. Nick. 9 a.m. $20; $15 for ages 12 and younger. Kentlands Mansion, Gaithersburg. 301-258-6425, www.gaithersburg md.gov. n To submit calendar items, or to see a complete listing, go to BethesdaMagazine.com.
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Special Advertising Section
culture watch Take a Spin around the County
Fall 2015 Event Calendar
Heritage Montgomery ‘Tis the season to cruise Montgomery County’s Heritage Area! Whether planning a family outing to one of our many museums, parks, or historic sites – looking for unique museum gift shops to do your holiday shopping – or finding fun activities for your out-oftown guests, let HeritageMontgomery.org be your guide to buying local, learning local, and playing local! HERITAGEMONTGOMERY.ORG OR 301-515-0753
F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville There’s something for everyone at the Fitzgerald… Musical: Footloose, Oct. 30-Nov. 15 Ballet: The Nutcracker, Dec. 5-13 Play: Lend Me a Tenor, Jan. 15-24 Opera: Robin Hood, Feb. 26-Mar. 4 Plus FREE concerts each month! Rockville Concert Band presents British Invasion, Nov. 22 at 7pm, and Welcome Winter, Dec. 20 at 3pm Rockville Chorus’ Holiday Concert, Dec. 20 at 7:30pm Glenview Mansion’s Holiday Open House, every Sunday in Dec. from 1-4pm All tickets under $25! Buy online or call. ROCKVILLEMD.GOV/THEATRE OR 240-314-8690
GREAT PERFORMANCES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Winter Soundscapes
THE REGION’S TOP YOUTH ORCHESTRA
National Philharmonic
Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras of Strathmore Sun., Dec. 6 at 4pm The region’s top youth orchestra performs stunning concert works at the Music Center at Strathmore. Features MCYO’s unique Chamber Ensemble, Symphony, and Philharmonic. Tickets from $15. Call or visit strathmore.org for tickets. MCYO.ORG OR 301-581-5100
Tchaikovsky’s Serenade Sat., Nov. 28 at 8pm, Sun., Nov. 29 at 3pm Chee-Yun, violin; Piotr Gajewski, conductor Sibelius: Rakastava Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4 Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings Handel’s Messiah Sat., Dec. 19 at 8pm, Sun., Dec. 20 at 3pm Danielle Talamantes, soprano; National Philharmonic Chorale; Stan Engebretson, conductor NATIONALPHILHARMONIC.ORG OR 301-581-5100
A Christmas Festival: Latin Songs & Beltway Brass Coral Cantigas Sat., Dec. 5 at 7pm Bethesda United Methodist Church 8300 Old Georgetown Road Bask in the contagious rhythms of the Caribbean parranda and the Mexican posada that are part of the Epiphany celebrations; enjoy American classics with The Beltway Brass Quintet. CANTIGAS.ORG
@CultureSpotMC
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Find all these events and more at CultureSpotMC.com
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The Studio at The Writer’s Center
Bethesda’s Winter Wonderland 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK
The Writer’s Center It’s the perfect gift for the aspiring author or poet in your life! The Writer’s Center is proud to offer studio space for writers of all genres and abilities. Our light-filled, comfy writing carrels and cozy lounge will inspire anyone. Visit us online or call for pricing and more information.
Bethesda Urban Partnership Veterans Park in Bethesda Sat., Dec. 5 from 1-4pm Winter Wonderland will feature FREE entertainment, live ice sculpting and a visit from Santa Claus. For more information, please call or visit us online. BETHESDA.ORG OR 301-215-6660
WRITER.ORG OR 301-654-8664
Community Stories Film Festival: Celebrating Montgomery County Docs In Progress Nov. 10-15 at multiple venues Watch documentaries about local people and places. Meet the filmmakers and subjects of the films. Learn how to make your own videos. And much more! DOCSINPROGRESS.ORG OR 301-789-2797
Chia-Wei Lin, Classical Guitarist from Taiwan
27th Annual Production of The Nutcracker Metropolitan Ballet Theatre Fri., Dec. 4 & 11 at 7:30pm Sat., Dec. 5 & 12 at 12pm & 4pm Sun., Dec. 6 & 13 at 1pm & 5pm Start your holiday season with this fun, family tradition. Be enchanted by fabulous costumes, and beautiful scenery - including a Christmas tree that seemingly grows forever, magical dancing dolls, marching toy soldiers, giant mice, dancing snowflakes and a land of luscious sweets. MBTDANCE.ORG OR 301-762-1757
Holiday Art Show & Sale Glen Echo Park Nov. 27, 2015–Jan. 10, 2016 Sat. & Sun. from 11am-6pm Thur. & Fri. from 10am-2pm, through Dec. 18 Sat., Dec. 12 from 11am-8pm MC.com Browse and buy fine artworks for everyone on your holiday shopping list at Glen Echo Park’s annual Holiday Art Show & Sale in the Popcorn Gallery & Stone Tower Gallery. GLENECHOPARK.ORG
MC.com
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The John E. Marlow Guitar Series Nov. 21 at 8pm Young guitarist Chia-Wei Lin, winner of many competitions for his expressive playing and astonishing technical facility, joins the Marlow Guitar Series. More guitarists to be featured in the spring. MARLOWGUITAR.ORG
Adult Education Classes Live & Learn Bethesda We are a non-profit organization that provides adult education classes at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center. We are conveniently located in downtown Bethesda adjacent to the Bethesda Metro and the Montgomery County parking garage. Give us a call or visit us online to view our current catalog or register for classes. LIVEANDLEARNBETHESDA.ORG OR 301-740-6150
Holiday Glass Gifts Art Glass Center at Glen Echo 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD Fri. from 10am-2pm; Sat. from 10am-4pm; Sun. from noon-4pm Winter’s Eve, Dec. 12 from 4-7pm Give the gift of glass for the holidays. Unique artwork, functional glass, holiday décor, and jewelry. Visit us in the Arcade building. ARTGLASSCENTERATGLENECHO.ORG
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Special Advertising Section
culture watch The Lessans Family Annual Book Festival
Lemony Snicket’s The Lump of Coal
A World Premiere Co-Commission with Bay Area Children’s Theatre Adventure Theatre MTC Nov. 20-Dec. 31 by Norman Allen Adapted from the book by Lemony Snicket Directed by Holly Twyford Recommended for all ages It is Christmastime! The hilarious and heartburning, uh, heartwarming holiday adventure of a Lump of Coal who wants to be an artist. Traditionally the dreaded stocking stuffer for children on the Naughty List, this Lump turns one child’s worst nightmare into a dream come true. Direct from Lemony Snicket - author of A Series of Unfortunate Events – this stage adaptation by Norman Allen will delight audiences young and old with its story of unlikely friendships and holiday miracles. ADVENTURETHEATRE-MTC.ORG
Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington Nov. 5-15 From rock ‘n’ roll and religion to yoga and politics, this year’s festival features a diverse range of cultural programs, including live music and original theater performed by local actors. Celebrating our 46th year, the festival boasts more than 20 author events, book signings and children’s programs with the most sought-after literary talent! JCCGW.ORG/BOOKFESTIVAL
OVER 20 AUTHOR EVENTS!
The Nutcracker
SING ALONG AND DANCE IN THE AISLES!
The 33rd Annual Christmas Revels: Christmas in the Castle Washington Revels Dec. 5-13 – matinee & evening shows Revel with a beloved king, a mysterious woodland queen, a pair of royal fools, and an unexpected guest. Join our cast of over 100, ages 8 to 85, to celebrate the Winter Solstice in music, dance and drama. Enjoy rousing traditional songs, powerful medieval tunes, ethereal chants, seasonal carols, rollicking music on early instruments, familiar rounds, folk and courtly dances, a madcap “12 Days of Christmas,” the eerily hypnotic Abbots Bromley horn dance, a topsy-turvy “Lord of Misrule,” a mummers’ play, and more! Sing along and dance in MC.com the aisles - join over 10,000 people who make this part of their yearly holiday tradition. Tickets: $12 - $60
Maryland Youth Ballet Dec. 18 at 7pm; Dec. 19 at 1pm & 5pm; Dec. 20 at 1pm & 5pm Dec. 23 at 7pm; Dec. 26 at 1pm & 5pm; Dec. 27 at 1pm & 5pm Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center Montgomery College Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee Street Magical dolls, dancing snowflakes, and an enchanting kingdom of sweets return to the stage this holiday season for Maryland Youth Ballet’s award winning production of The Nutcracker. Join us for our 26th season of the full-length classic. Voted both Outstanding Production in Classical Dance and Outstanding Youth Performance by Dance Metro DC Awards. MYB’s version of the holiday classic is a metropolitan area family favorite. MARYLANDYOUTHBALLET.ORG OR 301-608-2232
REVELSDC.ORG
Experience Something Extraordinary! CultureSpotMC.com MC.com
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people. politics. current events. books. columns.
banter
Girl Power
Rockville’s Talia Lloyd has her sights set on the Olympics
photo by Edgar Artiga
By Maura Mahoney
Twelve-year-old Talia Lloyd says that people’s mouths drop when she tells them that she’s a competitive weightlifter who can hoist more than 100 pounds. “They say, ‘You’re lying, you’re messing with us,’ ” says Talia, a seventh-grader at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville. She’s not. Talia, who is 5 feet tall and about 90 pounds, first tried Olympic-style weightlifting, which uses a barbell loaded with weight
plates, three years ago during a CrossFit Kids class at what is now Tough Temple CrossFit in Rockville. She particularly liked the rush of emotions that came with doing a lift—the nervousness she felt while setting up, the concentration during the lift itself, and the sense of accomplishment after putting the barbell back on the ground. Talia trains five to six hours a week, including strength workouts
three days a week at her Rockville home with her father, Lee, who is the coach of her wrestling team at school (she’s the only girl on it). This past June, Talia beat out eight other competitors from around the country to win the silver medal in the 39 kg (86 pounds) division for girls 13 and under at the USA Weightlifting National Youth Championships. Talia says her goal is to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2024.
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banter
Brave New World Making the leap from traditional broadcast journalism to social media startup By David frey
In May, Bethesda resident Michelle Jaconi left behind 18 years in broadcast journalism—12 with NBC’s Meet the Press and six with CNN—to become executive editor of the Independent Journal Review, a brash social-first media upstart based in Alexandria, Virginia, with an out-of-the-mainstream, right-of-center approach. Jaconi, then 40, landed in a newsroom
full of 20-somethings. Located in an industrial space in Old Town, the floors are concrete, and open tables take the place of cubicles. Journalists hover over MacBooks and relax on the rooftop deck. There’s a margarita machine, but no fax. Staffers prefer Gchat and animated GIFs to email. Jaconi bought three pairs of jeans and got to work. “I have always been kind of the ingenue,”
she says. “Now I’m the wise elder. It’s incredibly laughable.” Since Jaconi came on board, the Independent Journal (it dropped the “Review” in September and is now commonly called IJ) has had some big wins. In June, IJ announced that it will team up with ABC News to host a Republican presidential debate in February in New Hampshire. Then, in July, GOP presidential candidate Lindsey Graham came by the IJ offices to destroy his cellphone on camera (a poke at rival Donald Trump, who revealed the South Carolina senator’s personal number on TV). The video scored more than 2 million views on YouTube. Bethesda Magazine talked with Jaconi about the future of journalism, balancing work and family, and her predictions for the 2016 election. Juggling family life and professional life: Jaconi, who is married and has three children, ages 2, 6 and 8, says: “For me, all the people who said, ‘How could you do this? How could you do both?’ my answer truly has always been, ‘I don’t know how I could do it without kids.’ I would have major trouble turning off, and I would not have that gasoline of joy that I get from my children.” Why she left broadcast journalism for social journalism: Jaconi was listening in a CNN control room as President Barack Obama gave his first press conference after winning re-election in 2012. As she recalled it, a reporter said, “Mr. President, you came here in 2008 as one of the greatest communicators of our time, yet now you’re going to go down in history as the president who lost the most seats for his party ever. What are you going to do to change your communication style?” Jaconi says the president exhaled, looked reflective and confessed: No matter how many press conferences he held, he said, he couldn’t get his message
photo by mike olliver
Michelle Jaconi left CNN to join Independent Journal, an Alexandria, Virginia-based startup where she works with almost all 20-somethings.
54 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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We took our record of
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banter to the people. He was right, Jaconi thought, and it was true for journalists, too. “I took off my headset in the control room and thought, Why am I working so hard if this isn’t going to break through?” On working with millennials: “I don’t feel old, and anybody who knows me knows that I have more energy than a 6-yearold,” Jaconi says. “I think that is one of the keys to my being able to work here.” What she likes about social journalism: Even when she was working on Meet the Press, bringing the biggest names in politics to sit down with then-host Tim Russert, Jaconi says she got into journalism “for the little guy.” Social journalism, with its clickable headlines and shareable videos, reaches people in a way that mainstream news doesn’t, she says. “It’s about pulling back the curtain on the labels and making it a story about bethesda_ad.pdf 1 3/23/15 3:40 human drama,” she says. “Politics is
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scary, but this is like the dinner table.” What she learned from Russert: The importance of family. Jaconi recalls nervously telling him she was scheduled to give birth the week of the 2008 general election. “We were in the hallway at NBC News,” she says, “and he goes, ‘Look at this place. Michelle, this entire bureau could go away tomorrow in some natural disaster and nobody would notice. But what’s inside you, that has to be cherished because that’s what it’s all about.’ ” Jaconi says that conversation took place two weeks before he died. “It was something that was super special to me.” On IJ’s audience: Jaconi calls it “IJ America.” It’s about 46 percent Republican, 44 percent independent. (Democrats, she says, “have a glut of news choices” elsewhere.) It’s made up of people who think for themselves, she says. People PM who are politically active but skeptical
of politicians and the media. It’s working families who struggle to pay for child care and save for college. “To me, that’s IJ America,” she says, “and it’s been ignored, talked down to or just not seen as worthy of journalism.” The future of journalism: At CNN, Jaconi watched as 1,500 staffers were laid off in 2014, many of them CNN employees from the beginning. She wants to see IJ become a model in which journalism can thrive. “I feel like the future of journalism is really strong and really exciting,” she says. “The power of the written word with images, although changing, is dynamic and cool and exciting.” Predictions for the 2016 presidential election: “It’s going to be, honestly, the best race in my lifetime,” Jaconi says. “So many people think they know what’s going to happen, and that’s always a recipe for it exploding in their faces.”
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56 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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By Andrew Metcalf
Figuratively Speaking Speed Cameras by the numbers
Since their introduction in 2006, automated speed cameras have generated more than $120 million in revenue for Montgomery County. Via a public information request, Bethesda Magazine obtained statistics from police regarding which cameras generated the most tickets, and paired those figures with other police statistics. Here’s a look at the program in Montgomery County by the numbers. Camera locations that issued the most citations in 2014:
1,065
$40
Cost of a speeding ticket
Number of people who requested a court hearing to contest a speed camera citation in fiscal year 2014*
57
Number of those citations that were dismissed
2900 block of eastbound Olney Sandy Spring Road, Olney 34,456 citations
3400 block of westbound Olney Laytonsville Road, Olney 14,619 citations
8800 block of southbound 16th Street, Silver Spring 22,105 citations
8900 block of northbound Colesville Road, Silver Spring 14,032 citations
9200 block of eastbound Damascus Road, Damascus 19,930 citations
7100 block of southbound Connecticut Avenue, Kensington 13,752 citations
$1.38 million $884,000 $797,000
$16.5 million
$8.4 million
Revenue generated by automated speed cameras in fiscal year 2014*
Amount spent on camera maintenance and installation in fiscal year 2014*
*ended June 31, 2014
17700 block of northbound Georgia Avenue, Olney 17,542 citations
$580,000 $561,280
$550,080
5900 block of southbound Bradley Boulevard, Bethesda 13,610 citations
$544,400
6300 block of southbound Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase 12,942 citations
$517,680
1900 block of eastbound Randolph Road, Silver Spring 11,371 citations
$454,840
$701,000
OLNEY I-370
*Dollar amounts are estimated revenue
“Technology gives us the opportunity to get a lot more bang for our buck when it comes to law enforcement.” —Deborah A.P. Hersman, president of the National Safety Council, in a Sept. 2015 article in The Washington Post
Rt.29
ROCKVILLE
Rt.97
I-270 I-95
I-495
SILVER SPRING BETHESDA
Sources: Montgomery County Police Department, The Washington Post
58 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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At Home on the Stage For Jordan Friend, putting on plays is a passion—and he’ll do it wherever he can By Maura Mahoney
Actor Jordan Friend at his parents’ house in Chevy Chase
unconventionality of it.” That winter, he officially formed 4615 Theater Company, a “found space” group that moves from venue to venue (the name is a nod to his parents’ address). The group has used about six different spaces in the past two summers, including friends’ backyards and classrooms and a theater at GDS. He raises funds through ticket sales ($15 each), donations at each show, and via an annual solicitation letter. Audiences have ranged from about 30 to 60 people, depending on the venue. The 4615 Theater Company was back in Chevy Chase this past summer for Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and the Jacobean tragedy ’Tis Pity She’s
a Whore. It also performed Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries at GDS and Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in the District. Throughout the summer, the company—which now includes roughly 25 members— rehearsed several times a week at Friend’s parents’ home. Sonenshine loved hosting the group, although she jokes that keeping the dog quiet during performances was a challenge. Friend, now a senior at Ithaca, plans to travel back and forth between New York City and D.C. after graduation, pursuing acting gigs and keeping the theater company going. “This is my passion project,” he says.
Photo by mike olliver
Jordan Friend takes Shakespeare’s words, “all the world’s a stage,” more literally than most. For the past three summers, he has put on and performed in ambitious plays such as Twelfth Night and Othello in a variety of unusual locations—most frequently at his parents’ home in Chevy Chase. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting at Ithaca College in upstate New York, Friend, 22, says he came home in the spring of 2013, after freshman year of college, looking for a way to spend his summer. He decided to produce The Duchess of Malfi, a classic Jacobean tragedy, with friends from the theater program at his high school alma mater, Georgetown Day School (GDS). When he realized how expensive it would be to rent a performance space, he persuaded his parents, Gary Friend and Tara Sonenshine, to let him use their house. He and his troupe put up lights, set up a sound system, moved in set pieces, and turned several rooms and outdoor spaces into miniature theaters. The audience moved from space to space to accommodate changing locations in the show. “It was a magical experience,” Friend says. “People who came and saw it were very taken with the
60 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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trending
What we’re talking about
( The good, the bad and the ugly )
▼ ▼
Michael Doran, the longtime, beloved principal of Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, died unexpectedly in August. Doran, a Bethesda resident, was an inspiring leader known for his wit and compassion. A native of Ireland, Doran always ended the school’s graduation ceremony with an Irish blessing.
illustrations by mary ann smith
▼
The River Road Universalist Congregation in Bethesda discovered that a “Black Lives Matter” sign posted outside was vandalized not once, but twice, and then was stolen. Before the theft, the word “black” was cut from the sign twice.
Who needs House of Cards when we’ve got our own political soap opera in the Town of Chevy Chase? Fallout continues over a secret write-in campaignconducted during May’s election: September’s raucous Town Council meeting saw Vice Mayor John Bickerman walk out after losing a contentious vote on new write-in candidate rules.
▼
Local diners have even more reasons to abandon their kitchens now that seafood and sushi restaurant PassionFish Bethesda and upscale diner Silver have opened in downtown Bethesda.
It’s a sight many never expected to see: buses and passengers flowing through the Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center. After five years of delays and $50 million in cost overruns due mainly to structural problems, the facility finally opened in September.
▼
By Aaron Kraut and andrew metcalf
62 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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Mothers of Invention A pair of Potomac moms is behind a clever new gadget By Maura Mahoney Amy Pepper (left) and Christy Chang avoid germs with their 3-in-1 stylus.
The No Touch Pen is a patented 3-in-1 stylus that includes a soft capacitive tip, a hard resistive tip and an ink pen. Made of copper, it has an antimicrobial finish that fights mold and bacteria on the pen itself. It attaches to your keychain, cellphone or purse.
best way to avoid germs, but it’s not always possible. “What are you supposed to do after checking out your groceries?” she asks. “Put your hands up like a surgeon and walk off to a sink?” Chang and Pepper, 52, say that hand sanitizer kills good germs, too, and dries out skin.
Why three tips?
Why use it?
The soft tip is good for screens that respond to the touch of a finger (such as ATMs, grocery store checkouts and airport self-check-in kiosks), and the hard tip is for surfaces that are pressure sensitive (such as UPS signature screens and elevator buttons). The ink pen can be used instead of the one in the doctor’s office, restaurant or pharmacy—the idea was to include a regular pen as part of the stylus so you don’t have to go digging for one in your purse.
The convenience of touch technology is only increasing the number of screens—and germs—people come in contact with every day. “We’re moms,” Chang says. “We know what it’s like when someone brings home something. The whole family comes down with it, and you can have weeks of misery.”
What is it?
Why not just wash your hands?
Chang says hand-washing is still the
The No Touch Pen is $14.99 and can be purchased online at notouchpen.com or locally at Circle Wine & Spirits and Rodman’s Discount Food & Drugs, both in Washington, D.C.
Photo by Michael Ventura
After watching a local newscast about touch screens and germs, friends Christy Chang and Amy Pepper decided to do some research, and began swabbing screens at area grocery stores, gas stations, airports and pharmacies. The women, who live in Potomac, had both worked in the medical field—Chang as a dental hygienist and Pepper as an administrator in a medical office. Every screen they tested came back positive for E. coli. “Basically, you’re touching people’s poop,” says Chang, 46. The more they researched, the more disturbed they became. “Airlines say up to 1,000 people use those check-in screens per day,” Chang says. “And do you really want to touch elevator buttons? Have you ever seen anyone clean them?” The women, both of whom have two teenage sons, searched the Internet to find a product that might help them avoid contamination from touch screens, but came up empty-handed. So they decided to invent something. Thirty prototypes and two years later they launched the No Touch Pen in November 2014.
64 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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Rachel Carlson mixes singing and socializing as artistic director of the Six Degree Singers.
The conductor Rachel Carlson is creating choral music for the next generation By Stephanie Siegel Burke
communities, farmers markets and schools. Last December they caroled at a White House holiday party. Carlson, who grew up in Kemp Mill and graduated from Montgomery Blair High School, finds time to lead the group while also studying for her doctorate in choral conducting at the University of Maryland and working with four other choirs as a singer, conductor or both. Through its annual Young Composers Competition and other special projects, the choir has also commissioned and performed more than 12 original pieces, broadening the scope of choral music and giving exposure to emerging songwriters. As the group
prepares for a string of holiday parties, festivals and a winter concert series, we chatted with Carlson about choral music for and by the millennial generation. Who’s in the group?
All of our members are in their 20s and 30s, so we’re younger than a lot of other groups. A large reason why a lot of people join my choir is the social aspect. We really have a robust social life outside of just singing together. We have dinners together, we go out after rehearsals. There are a ton of choral groups in this area, but I think we found our niche.
Photo by mike olliver
Six years ago, Rachel Carlson returned to Montgomery County with a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Wisconsin, but no choir to direct. So the Silver Spring resident got some friends together to sing in her basement. They invited a few more, and the group grew by word of mouth. They named themselves the Six Degree Singers because almost everyone in the group knew each other through mutual friends. Today, there are more than 35 members. With Carlson, 31, as artistic director, the group has performed at the Kennedy Center and the University of Maryland, and at retirement
66 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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Have any members dated?
We had a proposal in a performance once. We have two meteorologists. They were dating. They met each other in school. So in the middle of the concert he surprised her with a duet and then proposed. The whole rest of the choir was crying behind them. We did one more song after that, and then we had to end it, because how do you top that? We have some choir couples. We always go out to Quarry House after rehearsals—we have a bass singer who married a waitress at Quarry House. What makes Six Degree Singers different from other choral groups in the area?
The type of music we perform is primarily secular music. I program thematically. The theme of our January concert series is love songs and waltzes. So it’s Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes and love songs from across the ages: some jazz, some Renaissance, some world, some folk, some contemporary. My main goal has always been to make our performances accessible to our audience and to get people exposed to new music. What would you like to see the group doing in the future?
Photo by mike olliver
We really care about getting into the community and sharing our music with people who might not necessarily be into classical music. It’s about connecting, but it’s about education, too. We’re exceeding the bounds of what people think choral groups do. I’d like to do a flash mob somewhere like downtown Silver Spring, where you wouldn’t expect to hear choral music, but you’d be happy that it was there. The Six Degree Singers perform at 7 and 8:30 p.m., Dec. 9, at the Festival of Lights at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints’ visitors center in Kensington; 7:30 p.m., Jan. 23, at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Silver Spring; and 4:30 p.m., Jan. 24, at Hughes United Methodist Church in Wheaton. For more information, visit www.singsix.com.
Center for Vein Restoration’s “High Tea” Saturday, November 21, 2015 12 to 2 PM Woman’s Club of Bethesda 5500 Sonoma Road Bethesda, MD 20817 Our “High Tea” event will include a discussion by Dr. Priya Thirumlai, MD on
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BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 67
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By Aaron Kraut and andrew metcalf
Neighborhood NOTES 270
News you may have missed 1
gaithersburg
MD 200 95
rockville
I-95
200
I-270
4
270
I-495
silver spring
2 Potomac
downtown
bethesda
chevy chase
5
3
495
I-495 1. Later, Alligator A Brookeville homeowner was surprised to find a 3-foot alligator in his koi pond in September. Local animal control officers drained the pond and captured the gator, which was relocated to a wildlife preserve in Frederick County.
2. Drive -Through Windows? What is it with drivers and shop windows in Bethesda? In August, a car crashed into the Bethesda Art Metal Works shop and another vehicle drove through the window of the Underwraps lingerie store. Last March, a car smashed through windows at the Rite Aid Pharmacy in Westbard.
3. Special Delivery The owner of Bethesda pet grooming shop Bone Jour received an unwelcome delivery in September when a man dropped a bag of dog poop on the shop floor. A dog the owner was looking after had just left a mess on the sidewalk and before the owner could clean it up, an irritated passerby did the job for her.
M
M 4. Bold Bandits In September, two armed men wearing Middle Eastern disguises stole $110,000 in jewelry from a Rockville store. One robber sported a fake beard and a white hat while the other wore a black robe resembling a burqa, authorities say.
5. Pop- up Parks The county celebrated PARK(ing) Day in September by turning individual street parking spaces into temporary parklets. A downtown Silver Spring parking space hosted a cornhole game and outdoor dining areas were created in spaces on Norfolk and Woodmont avenues in Bethesda.
68 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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10/5/15 6:29 PM
banter
From the Heart
Lisa Howorth is hoping her novel shines a spotlight on a crime she’ll never forget By Miranda S. Spivack
Author Lisa Howorth drew on real-life tragedy for her first novel.
suspect’s physical description seemed to match a composite sketch the police had made in Stevie’s case, and also seemed a possible match for a shoe print near the place where Stevie’s body was found. But somewhere along the way, the police apparently lost track of the physical evidence in Stevie’s case, and the Johnston family was never told
that police had a suspect. Howorth believes an “egregious” series of mistakes by Montgomery County Police is responsible for the homicide still languishing in the coldcase files. “It was Keystone Kops all the way,” says Neumann, who runs Neumann Associates, a floor refinishing company in Bethesda. The police
Photo by Michael Ventura
Lisa Howorth says her debut novel, Flying Shoes, which came out in paperback last spring, was rattling around in her head for years. In it, a reporter begins looking into an unsolved crime that occurred 50 years ago, when a 9-year-old boy was sexually molested and killed on Mother’s Day in 1966. In real life, Howorth’s stepbrother, Stevie Johnston, also went missing on Mother’s Day in 1966, and was found dead a day later near the intersection of Little Falls Parkway and what is now the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethesda. Stevie, who was 9, had been sexually molested and stabbed. The case rocked Bethesda and the Washington, D.C., area, garnering a front-page story in The Washington Post. Rick Neumann, one of Howorth’s three surviving brothers, says the tragedy seemed to mark the end of innocence in what had been a quiet and bucolic suburb. Another of Howorth’s brothers— who asked that his name be left out of this story—began to look into the case more than a decade ago. Howorth says her brother has reviewed documents at police headquarters in Rockville that indicate that authorities eventually zeroed in on a suspect: a man who was questioned in a 1967 molestation case involving a young boy in Bethesda. The
70 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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declined to discuss the case with Bethesda Magazine. Howorth and her husband, Richard, own Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi, a community with a strong literary tradition (William Faulkner was a longtime resident). She spent years crafting the novel while raising three children, managing the bookstore with her husband, and writing nonfiction for magazines. In Flying Shoes, there is no question that art takes inspiration from life. The narrator is Mary Byrd Thornton, a woman whose story and background are similar to Howorth’s. In the book, there’s a sudden break in the case. Thornton and her family meet with a detective who describes the police department’s mishandling of evidence and the likelihood that the killer was behind bars for other molestation cases, but soon may be freed. A review in Entertainment Weekly called the book “a potent mix of Southern melancholy and charm.” As the 50th anniversary of Stevie Johnston’s killing looms, Howorth, her three brothers and her mother are hoping that the publication of Flying Shoes, paired with the unrelenting detective work of the brother who has become the family sleuth, might help to finally bring the case to a conclusion. The family would like to see the police pursue the still-living suspect from five decades ago. There is no statute of limitations on a murder charge, so if police and prosecutors could come up with solid evidence—there was no DNA testing in the ’60s—they might be able to bring a suspect to trial. But Howorth says she’s been disappointed that the book has not yet spurred any movement on the case. “This is a very old case, but it still is very much alive to me and to my family,” she says. “When I finished the book, I expected to feel elated, and I expected a real sense of accomplishment and a sense of moving things forward. I had hope.” n
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book Report By Maura Mahoney
What’s on your bedside table?
Chevy Chase’s Barbara Glickman says one of her earliest memories is of digging in the dirt, an activity that eventually led to a lifelong interest in gardening and inspired her recent book, Maryland’s Public Gardens & Parks (Schiffer Publishing, May 2015). The book showcases 52 beautiful places to visit in the state, including Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore, Sotterley Plantation in St. Mary’s County and Historic London Town and Gardens in Anne Arundel County. “I think I have an eye for what people should see in the garden and what’s important,” Glickman says.
J.B. Lawrence of Kensington describes his first novel, Last Flight Home, as a coming-of-age story full of epic battles, dark magic and unlikely heroes. A young adult novel that was released by Possibilities Publishing Co. in May, the book tells the story of Tyrcel Buteo, an 18-yearold prince who’s trying to get home to warn his father about a treasonous plot and an imminent attack. Lawrence graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney in 1989 and received a master’s degree in writing from the University of Baltimore in 2000.
enjoyable read. The beautifully detailed drawings, with their poignantly blue hues that match the color of a July sky at twilight, are stunning. But what I appreciated most was how perfectly this book captures that almost-grown-up moment when preteen girls are beginning to realize how complicated it is to be a woman.”
Bethesda’s John Keyser, the founder and CEO of Common Sense Leadership, a coaching firm for corporate executives, and his co-author, Adrienne Hand, say they wrote Make Way for Women (Librastream, May 2015) for men in corner offices. The book features the insights of 45 male and female business leaders on the financial and cultural gains women are bringing to U.S. companies, and offers strategies to help advance high-performing women to the top. Says Keyser, “Virtually every study validates that businesses with gender-diverse leadership outperform male-dominated leadership.”
Bethesda resident Chris Palmer’s latest book, Now What, Grad? Your Path to Success After College, is scheduled to be published this December by Rowman & Littlefield. Palmer says the book will help recent graduates hone practical skills, including how to find a job, manage time effectively, reduce stress, run a meeting well, survive a bad performance review, become a powerful speaker and network. Palmer is the director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking at American University’s School of Communication, where he is also a professor of film and media arts.
jen chaney courtesy photo; all Book covers courtesy
Rockville’s Jen Chaney is a pop culture writer, critic and author of As If! The Oral History of Clueless, which was published by Touchstone in July. She says, “I never tire of vivid and unusually told coming-of-age stories, so This One Summer, a graphic young adult novel by cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, was a particularly
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What Bethesda’s Reading Top - selling books as of Sept. 22 at the Barnes & Noble in Bethesda, compared with Barnes & Noble stores nationwide and at www.bn.com
Data provided by:
Author Susan Cheever
Nov. 14 SUSAN CHEEVER. The author will read from, discuss and sign Drinking in America: Our Secret History (Twelve, 2015), which chronicles how alcohol changed the nation’s history. 6 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, Washington, D.C. www.politics-prose.com.
Nov. 23 ALEXANDER WOLFF. The Audacity of Hoop: Basketball and the Age of Obama (Temple University Press, 2015) delves into how the game became a touchstone for Obama’s presidency. The author will read, talk and sign books. 7 p.m. Free. Politics and Prose, Washington, D.C. www.politics-prose. com.
Barnes & Noble Nationwide/www.bn.com
1. Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee 2. The Girl in the Spider’s Web (Millennium Series, #4), David Lagercrantz 3. The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins 4. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr 5. Purity, Jonathan Franzen 6. Make Me (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Jack Reacher Series, #20), Lee Child 7. X (Kinsey Millhone Series, #24), Sue Grafton 8. Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff 9. The Nature of the Beast (Chief Inspector Gamache Series, #11), Louise Penny 10. The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah
1. Make Me (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Jack Reacher Series, #20), Lee Child 2. The Girl in the Spider’s Web, David Lagercrantz 3. Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee 4. The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins 5. Devoted in Death, J.D. Robb 6. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr 7. X (Kinsey Millhone Series, #24), Sue Grafton 8. Aftermath: Star Wars, Chuck Wendig 9. The Scam, Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg 10. The End Game, Catherine Coulter, J.T. Ellison
1. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, Marie Kondo 2. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates 3. The Wright Brothers, David McCullough 4. Why Not Me?, Mindy Kaling 5. Modern Romance, Aziz Ansari, Eric Klinenberg 6. Rising Strong, Brené Brown 7. Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America, Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney 8. Plunder and Deceit, Mark R. Levin 9. A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety, Jimmy Carter 10. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, Atul Gawande
1. Killing Reagan, Bill O’Reilly, Martin Dugard 2. Why Not Me?, Mindy Kaling 3. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, Marie Kondo 4. Rising Strong, Brené Brown 5. Self-Help, Miranda Sings 6. The Wright Brothers, David McCullough 7. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates 8. For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards, Jen Hatmaker 9. Plunder and Deceit, Mark R. Levin 10. Destiny: Step Into Your Purpose, T.D. Jakes
1. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Daniel James Brown 2. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt 3. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, Bryan Stevenson 4. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, Malala Yousafzai, Christina Lamb 5. Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty 6. A Walk in the Woods (Movie Tie-In): Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, Bill Bryson 7. Gray Mountain, John Grisham 8. The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery, Sam Kean 9. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, Malcolm Gladwell 10. Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline
1. Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine, Madeline Puckette, Justin Hammack 2. The Martian, Andy Weir 3. The Yogi Book: I Really Didn’t Say Everything I Said!, Yogi Berra 4. Driving Mr. Yogi: Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry, and Baseball’s Greatest Gifts, Harvey Araton 5. The Alchemist (25th Anniversary Edition), Paulo Coelho 6. The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board 7. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Daniel James Brown 8. Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book, Johanna Basford 9. My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Novels Series, #1), Elena Ferrante 10. Milk and Honey, Rupi Kaur
Courtesy photo
CAFÉ MUSE. The monthly literary program includes featured readers, followed by open readings. In November: Poets Laurel Blossom and Grace Cavalieri. In December: Poets Jodi Bolz and Maryhelen Snyder. 7 p.m. Free. Friendship Heights Village Center, Chevy Chase. www.wordworks dc.com/cafe_muse.html.
Hardcover Fiction
Nov. 2 and Dec. 7
Hardcover Nonfiction
events CALENDAR
Paperback (Fiction and Nonfiction)
LITERARY
Barnes & Noble Bethesda
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banter | My Life
The Great Trick or Treat How a 9-year-old and his friends looted their Bethesda neighborhood in 1951 By Christopher Clausen
The author (left) with his brothers, Michael, Peter and Bruce Clausen
bearing on the Great Bethesda Trick or Treat of 1951, an event that to me has come to symbolize the end of the drab postwar life my parents’ generation had been leading up till then. The grim first half of the 20th century—world war, the Depression, then world war again— was finally over. Whether they knew it or not, they were ready to party. Boom times were about to dawn. Sixty years before “free-range parenting” in Montgomery County became front-page news, most children were far freer to roam on their own—on foot, by bicycle, or on public transportation—than they are today. Our school had a lecture on traffic safety every year from Dick Mansfield, a retired D.C. cop
whose unforgettable slogan was, “Look both ways, live more days.” Otherwise, the authorities left us alone unless we got into trouble. We walked to school, and at the age of 6, I could go anywhere I liked in Alta Vista or the nearby woods. My parents’ one prohibition was crossing Old Georgetown Road. But there was little reason to cross it. The Wyngate development that now stands on the other side was in its earliest stages; almost all our friends lived on our side of the great barrier. That first fall, I knew about Halloween but was unsure of its possibilities. Wartime sugar rationing had just ended the year before, and there were only about a dozen promising houses for me and
Photo Courtesy of ChrisTopher Clausen
When I was 6, my parents moved with their four small sons to Page Hill in Bethesda’s Alta Vista neighborhood. Originally built up near a streetcar line that extended to Rockville, our little enclave was almost completely selfenclosed, with only one exit to Old Georgetown Road, a bonus for parents with young children. It also had its own tiny elementary school, Alta Vista School, with acres of playground. By then, the summer of 1948, the streetcar line had been turned into the walking path that is now known as the Bethesda Trolley Trail, which runs to downtown Bethesda. Our house had a septic tank buried in the backyard, and the only available telephone service was a party line. A few houses beyond ours, Montgomery Drive dead-ended at the edge of thick woods that went on for miles. Many Page Hill residents, including my father, were civil servants who worked at the National Institutes of Health. One family we knew was in the Foreign Service, and there were several lawyers. But our next-door neighbor was a streetcar driver in the District for Capital Transit, the private company then responsible for public transportation in the metropolitan area. The father of my best friend drove a delivery truck for The Evening Star, The Washington Post’s afternoon competitor. Nearly all the parents had grown up in straitened circumstances during the Great Depression, and then endured the dangers and privations of World War II as young adults. All these humdrum facts have a
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my 4-year-old brother, Peter, to hit up. Worse, our father insisted on taking us himself, which even at that age was a humiliation. And there was another hitch. My first-grade classmates warned me that the local date for trick-or-treating was Beggars’ Night, Oct. 30, not Halloween itself. When I timidly informed my father of this, he declared it was nonsense and insisted on taking us out a day late. Every house we visited had been cleaned out the evening before. Deprived, humiliated, forever skeptical about the wisdom of adults, we vowed to do better next year—and from then on, to go alone. A year later, to my surprise, my parents raised no objections. Peter and I were allowed to roam the neighborhood freely, but only for an hour. Children of that age travel in packs, and some of our friends were just ahead of or behind us. It was the heyday of Western movies, so boys were disproportionately dressed as cowboys. Like most semi-military operations, trick-or-treating was a predominantly masculine pursuit, although some girls took part in witch or Snow White costumes. Much the same thing happened the following year, with a wider radius. The treats were becoming more lavish— some families must have spent days creating their own candied apples or popcorn balls. I’m ashamed to say that anything homemade went straight into the storm sewers, along with fruit of all kinds. What we liked most were candy corn, Hershey’s Kisses and, above all, Clark Bars, Baby Ruths and 3 Musketeers. We went for quantity, which turned the whole business into a race. We even tried bicycle trick-or-treating, but it was too awkward to carry the bags and park the bike at every stop. By the fall of 1951, the prohibition on crossing Old Georgetown Road had been lifted. Wyngate had been built out
to the point where it dwarfed our own little community. It had so many inhabitants that Alta Vista School, despite two additions, was forced to hold two sessions each day—one in the morning and one in the afternoon—to accommodate all the kids. We explored and mapped each new development systematically, not by street names and measured distances, but the way children learn to map places, by friends’ houses and pictures imprinted in the mind that can last for a lifetime. We had prepared methodically. As soon as our parents grudgingly let us leave the dinner table around 7 p.m., Peter and I each helped ourselves to a full-size shopping bag from the kitchen and suited up. With the grids of Alta Vista and Wyngate firmly in mind, we set out like the Eighth Air Force over Europe to make the most of a night of good weather. This time, nobody was going to limit our campaign to an hour or two, or even to a single shopping bag. After we filled our first set of bags in Alta Vista, we returned home briefly to deposit them, helped ourselves to two more, and crossed Old Georgetown Road. Our progress through Wyngate that night was rapid, efficient and even more lucrative than we had hoped. Just as we crossed paths with Wyngate friends earlier in Alta Vista, we now saw other Alta Vista friends in Wyngate. There was no rivalry or territorialism; all of us were willing to share the bounty of our own streets as long as there was enough for everyone. And there was. How the adults who shelled out for the hordes of children who rang their doorbells felt about it, we never found out—or even gave it a thought. We played our part in a ritual of newfound plenty, and they played theirs. The second shopping bag was full in no time. Again we discarded unwanted items before going home in order to make room for the things we really
craved. By the time we finally got home, long after dark, the houses we left in our wake had been totally stripped of treats. We were loaded down and worn out. Our two younger brothers were already in bed. They had gone out earlier, but their stamina and the size of their hauls were proportionally smaller. Though still recognizable, Alta Vista today is far more affluent and less isolated than it was 60 years ago. Alta Vista School closed when neighborhood elementary schools consolidated into a few larger institutions. The building, externally unchanged apart from a new façade, now houses the private Bethesda Country Day School. Montgomery Drive is no longer a dead end, and the woods that stretched nearly to Rockville have been largely displaced by town houses and hotels. Many of the small postwar houses where large families grew up have survived, often with additions. Others have been torn down and replaced by McMansions. Nowadays, Halloween, like most aspects of children’s lives, is much more tightly regulated. Are kids today really safer for being deprived of the opportunity to explore their world? Nobody knows. The insatiable trick-or-treaters who ransacked Bethesda on Beggars’ Night 1951 were among the first generation to grow up in the new prosperity. We were also among the last American children who, all by ourselves, took possession of neighborhoods that had sprung up overnight as if by magic and, beyond them, of woods and creeks full of other wild creatures. n Christopher Clausen (cqc1@psu.edu), who graduated from Walter Johnson High School, is a retired Penn State University professor and author of books including Faded Mosaic: The Emergence of Post-Cultural America. Now a resident of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he frequently visits relatives in Bethesda.
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banter | hometown
by steve roberts
Will Pumphrey took over the family business, Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Homes, in 1998. This horse-drawn hearse has been in the family many years, and was used during his grandfather’s funeral.
The Business of Saying Goodbye One question Will Pumphrey hears often: Do dead bodies ever sit up? Pumphrey is the sixth generation in his family to run a funeral business so he knows what he’s talking about. “No, bodies do not sit up,” he answers firmly. “They’re dead. But people think that for some reason bodies move. I’d be the first one out the door if that happens.” Another common question: Are funeral homes haunted? “If you believe in ghosts, they’re going to haunt the place where they died,” he says. “Nobody
died here so there are no ghosts.” No ghosts, but plenty of stories. Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Homes is, by many accounts, the oldest business in Montgomery County. It was founded by William Ellican Pumphrey, who settled in Rockville in about 1840 and opened a carpentry shop. Building caskets led him to start conducting funerals in 1854. In the early days, funerals were usually held in the home of the deceased and Pumphrey had to preserve his clients in “large portable iceboxes,” according to
a company history. One of his services: tending the body overnight. “The person that sat up during the death watch would empty the drip buckets where the ice dripped and put in fresh ice,” explains the history. William Reuben Pumphrey Sr. succeeded his father in 1887 and expanded the business. A newspaper ad from the period announces a “new shop and warehouse” on Montgomery Avenue in Rockville and promises “everything furnished in as good style as in the cities,
Photo by jordan silverman
For more than 160 years, the Pumphreys have helped local families arrange funerals
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and at much lower prices.” For many years, Pumphrey’s also provided the ambulance service for Montgomery County, transporting live bodies as well as dead ones in their fleet of horse-drawn vehicles. “We had fast horses and carriages that could go from one way station to the next,” says Will Pumphrey. “We’d trade the horses and keep going to get somebody to the hospital.” In the 1920s the modern concept of a funeral parlor—a home-like setting where a grieving family could greet mourners and hold services—emerged. In 1928 the third-generation Pumphrey to run the business, William Reuben Pumphrey Jr., bought a mansion in Rockville that the family still owns. He and his wife, Irene, lived on the top floor
and conducted business at street level. Six years later, the company acquired a large house on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda that’s now the main facility. The current Pumphrey manager, who is 41 and lives in Poolesville, grew up in Kentucky; that’s where his father, who inherited the funeral business but never ran it, still practices law. Will Pumphrey decided to move here and take up the family tradition in 1998 after studying history and economics at HampdenSydney College near Farmville, Virginia, and later mortuary science in Cincinnati. But a big part of his job involves psychology. “Some people come in, they’re upset,” says Pumphrey, a lively fellow in a natty bow tie, as we sit in a parlor often used for visitations. “Some people come in,
they’re numb. Some come in and they’re angry at you, as if you had something to do with their loved one’s death. Our job is learning how to help them, seeing where they’re coming from—and not to take anything personally.” The hardest days are when a young person dies. “Nobody can stop crying and you’re crying with them,” says Pumphrey. The easiest are when the deceased has lived a long, full life. “It’s almost a celebration for the families, getting back together, which is odd for people to hear,” he says. Funeral directors have a special insight into the changing customs of a community, and one trend Pumphrey has noticed is a sharp decline in church affiliation. Families don’t have their own pastors, but still want a religious ritual,
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so the funeral home maintains a roster of clergy who hire out to strangers. Another trend is the increase in cremations, which now account for 60 percent of the home’s business. During World War II, Robert A. Pumphrey, Will’s grandfather, served in Burma and became fascinated by the ritual, widely practiced by that country’s Buddhist majority. “He actually took pictures of cremations; he had a big interest in it,” says Pumphrey. That led his grandfather to install a crematorium at the rear of the Wisconsin Avenue building. Several factors have contributed to its rising popularity: Cremations cost less than burials, and there is a prevalent myth—false, insists Pumphrey—that cemeteries are running out of room. Many residents have moved here from
elsewhere and don’t own burial plots in the area. Some of them—Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs—follow religious traditions that mandate cremation. In 1963 the Catholic Church lifted its ban on cremation and in 1997 allowed cremated remains to be present at a funeral mass. “We’re doing a lot of cremations and then going to do memorial masses at Catholic churches,” says Pumphrey. “That never would have happened 10 years ago.” “The statistics say that the highereducated and the wealthier a community is, the higher the cremation rate,” he adds. “So it only makes sense that our cremation rate is so much higher.” Then there’s the growing demand for speed and convenience. “It just seems that people are in such a rush to do everything now, they just want to glance
2015
Winner
over the whole deal,” says Pumphrey. “They’re thinking, I’ve got to get back to New York in two days, I’ve got to get it done, I don’t have time for a visitation and a funeral.” There are also lighthearted moments that relieve the stress. Pumphrey points to a bier, a low, white platform used to display a casket. “As we were shutting up the shop one night, I went and lay down on the bier,” he recalls with a laugh. “My buddy walked in to turn off the lights and he almost had a heart attack.” That night the body did sit up. n Steve Roberts teaches journalism and politics at George Washington University. Send ideas for future columns to sroberts@gwu.edu.
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Special Advertising Section
Profiles | Test of Time
Darren Higgins
Meet 43 businesses, professionals and private schools that have thrived for 20 years or more.
Mr. Wash See profile page 125
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Profiles | Test of Time
Special Advertising Section
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A former Ford salesman, Jack Fitzgerald bought his first dealership in 1966 as an estate sale, which was a Chrysler and Dodge dealer on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. “The business agreement was done on a napkin at the Hot Shoppes on Connecticut Avenue,” he says. The dealership had one car on the showroom floor, which was also his office and parts department. “It was a storefront across from the Fontana Bowling Alley,” Fitzgerald remembers. “The shiniest, best-looking building then was Chevy Chase Chevrolet, which we could see from our store. I used to tell customers that they could buy from them, but they would have to pay for that, too.” But Fitzgerald knew something that would help him get ahead. “That year, all Dodges were highly recommended in Consumer Reports. I like to say it was
my scintillating personality that sold cars, but actually it was Consumer Reports,” he laughs. That kind of business intelligence continues to work for Fitzgerald 50 years later – and is a good reason why Fitzgerald Auto Malls has sold 100,000 new and used cars over the last four years alone. “What I’m most proud of is that we’ve done more than any other dealer in the country to create an environment that is consumer-friendly,” he says of his dealerships. “Way back in the ‘80s we posted prices so people don’t have to haggle. Your teenage son or daughter will get just as good a price with us as any Philadelphia lawyer.” Fitzgerald also maintains cuttingedge environmental management and uses renewable energy, as well as ISO 9001 Certification, which shows their commitment to the highest quality for consumers.
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“What I’m most proud of is that we’ve done more than any other dealer in the country to create an environment that is consumer-friendly.”
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Profiles | Test of Time
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Profiles | Test of Time
10601 Falls Road Potomac, MD 20854 301-299-8500 admission@bullis.org www.bullis.org
Founded in 1930 in a former embassy on New Hampshire Avenue, Bullis School is celebrating its 85th year in 2015 – and its long legacy of growth and change. Originally a prep school for young men aspiring to enter the Naval Academy, Bullis has grown and evolved into a college preparatory school for grades 2-12 on a 102-acre campus in Potomac, where it’s been located since 1964. Many programs have been added, including drama, music and fine arts, computer courses, community service, a variety of clubs and strong sports teams. The school became co-educational in 1981. Within the last two decades, new buildings and sports facilities, a host of campus improvements and STEM and entrepreneurship signature programs have further transformed Bullis. The newest addition is the state-of-theart 67,000 square-foot Discovery Center, currently under construction. “This building
will be truly transformational, helping us maintain our small class sizes while adding new facilities and features to the campus,” says Head of School Dr. Gerald L. Boarman. “Our history is very important to us,” says Dr. Boarman. “We celebrate the ways the school has changed while also staying true to our core values and strong commitment to community.” What further sets Bullis apart is its focus on balance. “We encourage kids to get involved and try lots of new activities, discover new talents and appreciate those in others,” says Dr. Boarman. “The happiest kids have a balance in their lives. At Bullis, students genuinely support each other with plenty of mutual appreciation of what everyone brings to the community in academics, arts, sports, clubs and other activities.” “Our slogan is ‘Achieve Excellence Through Balance,’ and I believe we really live that message today,” says Dr. Boarman.
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Bullis School
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“Tastee Diner pre-dates me, but when I was just starting out I would write contracts at Tastee or Parkway Deli,” says Jane Fairweather. “My office was in Potomac, but I worked a lot in Bethesda and was always looking for places where we could eat and write contracts. They were my two hangouts.” “I go back to when the corner of Bethesda and Arlington roads was a cement factory. I
really appreciate these last remaining shrines from old Bethesda.” “What goes around, comes around,” says Jane. When she was starting out as a Realtor, she says that everyone wanted to move up and out to Potomac. Bethesda was a moderately priced starter home community for young families. “Now with so much more density and driving times, people are return-
ing to Bethesda, especially the urban district. Back in the day no one had a concept of Bethesda as a downtown. I’ve been watching it develop for 30 years.” “Besides empty nesters looking to live in Bethesda’s urban district, young families are looking at Bethesda as a time-saver – less time commuting and more time with their kids.” They don’t want to live in their cars.
hilary schwab
“I have lived in Bethesda and raised my children here for the past three decades. It has been exciting to watch and be a part of the Bethesda renaissance.”
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They want more time to enjoy community amenities and their quality of life.� "I have lived in Bethesda and raised my children here for the past three decades. It has been exciting to watch and be a part of the Bethesda renaissance." Jane's always been a valuable part of the growth and vibrancy, serving and supporting many organizations such as Imagination Stage, the Chamber of Commerce and Bethesda Green.
The Jane Fairweather Team Coldwell banker Residential Brokerage 4709 Maple Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 301-530-4663 jane@janefairweather.com www.janefairweather.com BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 93
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Dr. Peter Glassman (left) and Dr. Harvey Cowan, circa 1981
Friendship Hospital for Animals has been taking care of area pets since 1936! Providing primary, emergency and specialty care to generations of area pet lovers and their dogs and cats, Friendship has become the most trusted animal health care facility in the Washington area. Friendship sees more than 60,000 dogs and cats each year, and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. “Our team really prides itself on providing quality veterinary
care, and also real compassion and clear communication with pet owners,” says Dr. Peter Glassman, director. Friendship is the only 24-hour emergency and specialty hospital in the District and one of only a few veterinary hospitals in the country that deliver primary care, specialty care and emergency care all under one roof. For pet owners, this means there’s no need to travel to a far off practice for specialty or emergency
care. Newly renovated, Friendship provides the comprehensive care to meet all a pet’s health needs. The expansion offers traditional veterinary services plus stateof-the-art specialty care including MRIs, CAT Scans, neurology, specialty surgery and hydrotherapy—all under one roof. Monthly Client Education Seminars provide valuable pet-related information to clients and the community. “We’ll keep you informed every step of
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“Our team really prides itself on not only providing quality veterinary care, but also providing real compassion and clear communication with pet owners.”
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your pet’s care,” says Sara Crosman, communications and client advocacy manager. “We’ll call you with any news and we always give owners a daily status report. That’s what we’d want, too, for our pets.” Eighty years of service to a community is a stunning achievement. “Pets are really family members and beloved companions,” says Dr. Glassman. “If we can make sure families and their animals stay happy and healthy, then that’s our best possible reward.”
Friendship Hospital for Animals 4105 Brandywine St., NW Washington, D.C. 20016 202-363-7300 info@friendshiphospital.com www.friendshiphospital.com BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 95
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7303 River Road Bethesda, MD 20817 301-365-5300 www.holton-arms.edu
Holton-Arms was founded more than a century ago to create a school for girls to encourage independent thinking, inspire intellectual curiosity and develop a tenacity of purpose. Generations of young women have realized this vision, blazing new paths in every walk of life. Mrs. Holton’s mission to cultivate the unique potential of young women through “education not only of the mind, but of the soul and spirit” has become even more prevalent as the school prepares students for an ever-changing world. Susanna A. Jones became head of school in 2007, and spearheaded several new initiatives, including strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. “Our school offers state-of-the-art facilities and a faculty dedicated to encouraging girls to love science and math,” she says. “We want students to be fluent – not just literate – in the sciences.” The Holton-Arms Center for the
Advancement of STEM offers an integrated program from Design Tech in the Lower School to AP and engineering and computer science courses in the Upper School. There’s a new STEM Scholars Program and co-curricular activities include robotics and Chemathon teams, and the Virtual Design and Programming Club. Holton-Arms has a long history of partnering with other institutions. In 1901, girls explored the universe with the Naval Observatory. In the Holton-Arms Science Research Program today, rising seniors can spend the summer practicing genuine science in professional labs at organizations and academic institutions. “Our school provides a warm environment of a diverse group of smart girls and dedicated teachers who demonstrate the ‘urge to learn’ every day,” says Ms. Jones. “As we develop each student’s passion as lifelong learners, we take advantage of educational opportunities locally, globally and virtually.”
Historic photo courtesy; tony lewis jr
Holton-Arms School
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Profiles | Test of Time “As we develop each student’s passion as lifelong learners, we take advantage of educational opportunities locally, globally and virtually.”
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One of very few pluralistic K-12 community day schools in the United States, Rockville’s Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (CESJDS) is a welcoming, inclusive institution united by shared Jewish values and embracing all Jewish backgrounds, beliefs and practices. “We have many activities planned to help us reflect on and celebrate CESJDS’s 50 years,” says Monica Abrams, 50th Anniversary co-chair and Bethesda resident.
“Special programming includes speakers, panel discussions, an intergenerational family trip to Israel, an endowment campaign and more.” The school’s curriculum is highly-integrated, blending general and Judaic studies, critical thinking skills, analysis, problem solving and interpretation. Faculty are gifted thought-leaders, and 82 percent have attained a master’s degree or higher. “We are teaching students how to be A-plus people,”
says Rabbi Mitchel Malkus, head of school. “We want them to excel academically within our 21st century curriculum, exhibit social awareness and serve the community too.” It begins early at CESJDS. In the Lower School, a reading buddy program between grades teaches students to help learn from each other. “Students bond across grades, and it helps to cultivate respect for each other and our collective diversity,” says Rabbi Malkus.
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“We take full advantage of our surroundings, with field trips in the arts, meetings with political leaders and a strong relationship with the National Institutes of Health.”
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“CESJDS is a wonderful place to learn,” says Roz Landy, dean of students, and a staff member since 1977. “We take full advantage of our surroundings, with field trips in the arts, meetings with political leaders and a strong relationship with the National Institutes of Health. Students are not just learning in the classroom.” “Our goal is for our graduates to become lifelong learners and make a significant contribution to their communities and to the greater world,” she says.
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School Lower School: 1901 East Jefferson St., Rockville, MD 20852 301-881-1400 Upper School: 11710 Hunters Lane, Rockville, MD 20852 301-692-4900 cesjds@cesjds.org www.cesjds.org BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 99
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Since 1890, National Lutheran Communities & Services’ (NLCS) mission has always been the same: to serve seniors through a variety of residential, lifestyle and health care options. NLCS started as a small cottage for seniors in Washington D.C., and is now a family of retirement communities and services located in Maryland and Virginia. “NLCS’ mission began when Sarah Utermehle answered the Evangelical Lutheran Church’s call to help create
support for aging seniors,” says Courtney Malengo, director of communications. “She donated 27 acres of land so the first National Lutheran Home could be built at 18th and Douglas streets, Northeast.” In 1980, The National Lutheran Home relocated to a 300-bed skilled nursing facility in Rockville, which later became The Village at Rockville – A National Lutheran Community. Services were enhanced to include independent living cottages, assisted living, short-term rehabilitation,
memory support, respite and hospice care. In 2008, the board created a parent organization, NLCS, to oversee the future expansion and growth. Today, NLCS continues to meet the needs of seniors in the Washington-Metropolitan region. The National Lutheran family includes The Legacy at North Augusta in Staunton, Va., The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester, Va., and pending Department of Aging approval, The Village at Crystal Spring in Annapolis, Md. Additionally, NLCS welcomed
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“While seniors’ needs will continue to change, one thing remains constant – NLCS’ unchanging values.”
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its first home care agency, myPotential at Home, serving the Shenandoah Valley. NLCS’ 125th anniversary milestone couldn’t be celebrated without residents, guests, families, committed staff, board members, donors, volunteers and community partners. “It is the time, talent and treasure of these individuals that make this mission possible,” says Malengo. “While seniors’ needs will continue to change, one thing remains constant – NLCS’ unchanging values.”
National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS) 2301 Research Blvd., Suite 310 Rockville, MD 20850 877-399-2725 info@nationallutheran.org www.nationallutheran.org Twitter: @NLCSNews BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 101
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Oneness Family School 6701 Wisconsin Ave. Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-652-7751 admissions@onenessfamily.org www.onenessfamily.org
In 1988, Andrew Kutt had a dream to start his own school and a few thousand dollars borrowed from his mom. “Before the Internet, I posted fliers around town, inviting parents to meetings where they could learn more about the school’s vision and its curriculum concept inspired by Maria Montessori’s philosophy of education,” he says. Nearly three decades later Andrew’s brainchild has grown into one of the premier Montessori schools in the region, serving students from two years old to 8th grade from over 50 nations. “We’re a mini United Nations,” he says. “Educating the children of diplomats, scientists, economists and entrepreneurs from around the world – including many families from Bethesda and Chevy Chase.” “Alumni of our school have gone on to found their own companies, design products for IBM and become Princeton microbiologists,” he says with pride. The boldest move yet is opening a
Montessori International Baccalaureate high school in September 2016. In keeping with the cutting-edge curriculum, the school will feature macro themes such as Innovation, Sustainability, Global Connections and Democracy and Human Rights. “Students will engage in real-world projects linked to the work of local or global organizations, government agencies and businesses,” says Kutt. Elements of the Montessori philosophy will include student-initiated learning, big picture thinking, collaboration, conflict resolution and creative problem solving. Students assess their own progress, in consultation with teachers, according to rubrics that measure development of human capacities in addition to acquisition of knowledge. “Whether in name or in principle, Montessori is the direction education is moving in, says Kutt. “We want to unleash the creative power of the individual student – which is the heart of Montessori philosophy.”
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Muhammad Ali visits, circa 2003
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hilary schwab
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Alumni students Ariel Miller and Luis Fermin have returned to work at Oneness-Family School, pictured with Founder Andrew Kutt
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962 Wayne Ave., Suite 500 Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-588-8200 info@familynursingcare.com www.familynursingcare.com
In 1968, Sandy Kursban, a young mother, started Family & Nursing Care and revolutionized the world of home care. Back then, it was almost unheard of to give people the option of aging in place in their homes, by referring experienced caregivers who could assist with activities of daily life and provide companionship. Fast forward almost 50 years and Sandy’s son, Neal Kursban, now runs the company as president with Sandy as founder/chair. Home care is one of the fastest growing industries in the country, according to Forbes Magazine. Family & Nursing Care continues to lead the way, making it possible for older adults to have professional support so that they can experience the most out of life. “We like to say that people don’t age – they evolve – and we support their changing needs,” says Sandy. “I myself have evolved from running the
company to realizing my goal of starting a charitable foundation. It’s like a dream come true.” The Family & Nursing Care Foundation supports low-income seniors with home care needs as well as home care training programs for people interested in working with older adults. Family & Nursing Care continues to be dedicated to providing compassionate, progressive and competent home care, as well as seeking new ways to round out the circle of care. To that end, Family & Nursing Care started a therapeutic massage service for older adults, another industry innovation. “It’s so interesting the way life goes,” explains Neal Kursban. “Our parents worked to help us become independent and now it’s our role to help them maintain their independence. Like our tagline says: ‘Care Comes Full Circle.’”
Historic Photos Courtesy; james kim
Family & Nursing Care
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“We like to say that people don’t age – they evolve – and we support their changing needs.”
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McLean School 8224 Lochinver Lane Potomac, MD 20854 240-395-0698 admission@mcleanschool.org www.mcleanschool.org
“Great minds don’t think or learn alike,” says Cathy Patterson, Director of Admission at McLean School. “McLean’s programs are designed to be responsive to the various ways that students learn.” Small classes, differentiated instruction, and individualized programs all contribute to a student’s academic achievement, self-confidence and self-esteem. “We support students where needed, and accelerate them where they have a strength,” Patterson says. “Our teachers understand the way a student learns best, and support their academic success.” Founded in 1954, the school moved to its current campus in Potomac in 1978. Today, the K-12, co-ed day school serves some 390 students from Maryland, Virginia, and the Washington metro area. McLean School welcomes both traditional learners and those with mild to moderate
learning differences – including ADHD, anxiety, and language-based differences. In addition to a challenging and wellrounded educational experience (including honors and AP courses in high school), McLean offers a wide range of opportunities and experiences for students to learn more about the world and themselves. Students may participate in athletics, STEM, robotics, performing and visual arts, community service, clubs, and mindfulness programs, as well as classes at American University. “For a school that’s relatively small, our co-curricular offerings are substantial,” says Patterson. “We call it ‘transformative education,’ and parents tell us that their children are transformed by our approach, becoming confident learners and gaining acceptance to excellent colleges,” she says.
Michael Ventura
“We support students where needed, and accelerate them where they have a strength.”
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“The knowledge and expertise to match high-quality retail developments with the communities they serve provides benefits to consumers, tenants and investors alike.”
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Federal Realty Investment Trust 1626 East Jefferson St. Rockville, MD 20852 301-998-8100 asimpson@federalrealty.com www.federalrealty.com
“Mixing Uses” before “Mixed-Use” was cool, Federal Realty has been creating great places for its neighbors to shop, dine, live, work and simply enjoy for over 50 years. In 1965, one of Federal Realty’s first purchases was Congressional Plaza in Rockville. Today it has grown up to be so much more – from the first Buy Buy Baby store in Maryland to the first Fresh Market in Montgomery County. Congressional Plaza serves as a great example of Federal Realty’s approach to real estate but also to the communities it serves. Since its inception, Federal Realty has sought to build partnerships, challenge the status quo with its real estate and actively engage in our communities. Today, that mission continues at Congressional Plaza, with the “The Stories,” a 48-unit amenityrich apartment living experience for the 55+ resident. “The knowledge and expertise to
match high-quality retail developments with the communities they serve provides benefits to consumers, tenants and investors alike,” Don Wood, president and CEO said. “The execution of this philosophy for over 50 years has made Federal Realty a strong partner within the community.” Down the street from Congressional Plaza, another evolution is taking place at the former Mid-Pike Plaza that will bring a 25-year strategic vision for the center to life: Turning a dated strip center into a neighborhood filled with everything we seek to enjoy, need, love and discover. Today, that’s happening with Pike & Rose, located at the intersection of Rockville Pike and Montrose Road along the region’s most successful retail corridors. With the first phase now open, Pike & Rose is blooming – neighbors living in PerSei and Pallas, friends at iPic and AMP and everything in between.
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“I am proud that our Bethesda-Chevy Chase community has embraced Capital City Nurses and our services for almost 40 years,” says President and owner Susan Rodgers, RN. Recognition as the premier provider of home care services for seniors in the metro area is an honor we strive to maintain each day.” Since 1976, Capital City has stood the test of time helping thousands of seniors with personal needs, allowing them to stay in their home and be as independent as possible. Needs might include assistance with bathing, dressing, shaving, grooming and walking. Caregivers provide medication reminders and escort to appointments, as well as prepare meals and do laundry. Moreover, they provide support to their clients’ spouses and families. In the sensitive environment of senior home care, a company must be committed to competence and professionalism every day. In that regard, Susan’s attention to detail permeates the culture. Caregivers arrive on time, communicate clearly and are attentive and proactive in attending to client needs. Caregivers in the field are supported by an office staff of experienced and professional men and women who treat each client and family as their own. The company is filled with people who have been part of the Capital City Nurses’ family for decades, aiding them in maintaining their premier provider status in home care. Capital City recently expanded services to meet the ever-growing needs of seniors. Last year it opened in Bethesda’s beautiful Bradley Hills the Cottage at Curry Manor. The Cottage offers “Refined Residential Living” to those in need of assisted living services, while continuing to offer the same high levels of care and attention that Capital City Nurses is known for.
Capital City Nurses 4915 St. Elmo Ave., Suite 301 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-652-4344 office@capitalcitynurses.com www.capitalcitynurses.com
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An independent school for children from age two to 12th grade, Rochambeau is celebrating its 60th year of educating bicultural, multilingual and internationally minded students. Known to many area residents as the French International School, the school offers a true transformative environment where students learn, grow and become fully prepared to succeed in an ever-changing world. “Graduates leave us with both a U.S. high school diploma and a French Baccalauréat, and continue their education in North America, the U.K., France or anywhere in the world,” says Head of School Catherine Levy. Rochambeau delivers a specific French curriculum that, for foreign service families, means their children can move around the world and pick right up where they left off, with the same level of quality. That’s a real advantage for many area families. “We started with 11 students in 1955, and have 1,030 today,” says Admissions Director Valerie Meriot-Burn. “More than 20,000 students have been through our school.” “We’re proud of our extraordinary diversity, with children from two to 18 representing 67 nationalities,” says Levy. “We teach several languages besides French and English. Spanish is taught as early as 4th grade and native in 6th grade. We have German and Arabic programs as well, with more than 35 students taking Arabic in middle school.” The school is spread out between three campuses, all in or around Bethesda and connected by a bus service. An immersion program is available for nonFrench speakers from age two through third grade. Diversity extends to financial aid and extracurricular activities, which include sports and arts, as well as robotics, judo, SAT prep and community service.
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The French International School 9600 Forest Road Bethesda, MD 20814 301-530-8260 admissions@rochambeau.org www.rochambeau.org facebook.com/rochambeau
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“Graduates leave us with both a U.S. high school diploma and a French Baccalauréat, and continue their education in North America, the UK, France or anywhere in the world.” BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 109
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The Academy of the Holy Cross An IB World School 4920 Strathmore Ave. Kensington, MD 20895 301-942-2100 admissions@academyoftheholycross.org www.academyoftheholycross.org
The Civil War had just ended, the District was a city in infancy and in 1868 the Sisters of the Holy Cross founded a Catholic school for young women in the District of Columbia. By the 1880s, Holy Cross had become the preeminent girl’s school in Washington. “We really grew up alongside the city,” says President Katy Prebble. “The school housed government agencies and war workers during the World Wars and flourished during the Great Depression.” The Academy moved to its present home in Kensington in 1956. New buildings and sports programs were added. An Honors Program was offered to all four grades in several subject areas. In 1998, the Academy received the coveted U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon of Excellence. An Arts & Sciences building and new theatre arrived in the early 2000s. Implementation of the Interna-
tional Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at the Academy brought a new level of educational excellence with a global focus. In 2013, the Academy became a 1:1 iPad school. This year, Holy Cross opened a Student Technology Center, installed an all-season artificial turf field and made numerous campus improvements. “It’s been a perfect storm of growth and change,” says Principal Melissa Huey-Burns. “Everything we’ve done over the years made the Academy that much better for our students and their futures.” The Academy offers over 150 AP, IB and regular-level courses for grades nine to 12, plus 15 sports, over 30 clubs, and many fine arts opportunities. Young women may attend an Open House for prospective students Sunday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. “This is a very special place for girls,” says Katy Prebble.
James Kim
“Everything we’ve done over the years made the Academy that much better for our young women and their futures.”
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“By investing in the individuals who make up our firm, we contribute to our overall strength. Our people are our firm.”
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The Stein Sperling attorneys shown here were among those chosen to the 2015 “Maryland Super Lawyers” and “Rising Stars.”
Stein Sperling Bennett De Jong Driscroll PC 25 W. Middle Lane Rockville, MD 20850 301-340-2020 www.steinsperling.com
In 1978, founding partners Paul Stein, Don Sperling and Millard Bennett created a law firm that focused on making a positive difference in the way law is practiced. “We wanted to create an environment where talented attorneys could collaborate with colleagues who hold a similar passion for practicing law,” says Bennett. “Then and now, we are driven to provide clients the strength and capabilities of a larger firm, and the personal attention and service of a smaller firm.” Stein Sperling is headquartered in Rockville and its 43 attorneys and five offices serve clients in the metropolitan Washington area and beyond. The firm’s areas of practice include business law, civil litigation, criminal law, employment law, estates and trusts, family law, personal injury law, real estate law and tax law.
Stein Sperling has continued to grow and thrive over the last 37 years. Firm principals credit Stein Sperling’s success to its unique culture. The connection among the firm’s professionals manifests itself in a collegiality that spans practice areas and seniority levels. “By investing in the individuals who make up our firm, we contribute to our overall strength. Our people are our firm,” says partner Ann Jakabcin. Many have been at the firm for 10 or 20 years or more. Partners also give credit to the firm’s particular approach with clients. “We do everything possible to earn our clients’ confidence,” says partner Fred Balkin. “We don’t believe there should be a single formula for working with our clients and solving their legal issues. We approach each client and each case with a strategy to achieve their unique goals.”
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Geneva Day School 11931 Seven Locks Road Potomac, MD 20854 301-340-7704 office@genevadayschool.org www.genevadayschool.org
“We’re a small school that does a ton for our students and families,” says the school’s Lynn Makris. “After decades here, there are so many stories why everyone loves us!” Founded in 1965 in Potomac, Geneva Day School offers engaging preschool and kindergarten programs for children beginning at age two. Voted “Best Preschool” by the readers of Bethesda Magazine (2012 & 2014), the school offers half- and full-day programs with 2-, 3- and 5-day options. A certified Maryland Green School, Geneva hosts a summer day camp as well. The nurturing environment begins and ends with an amazing staff, half who have been at the school for over a decade; some over two and three decades. “Most staff have children and grandchildren that came here too,” says Makris. “My kids are 16 and 19 now
and both went to Geneva.” Director Suzanne Funk has taught at every level at Geneva and teaches an early childhood education class at a local college. One teacher started as a parent and even went back to school so she could teach at Geneva. “Parents come here and know that their children are being looked after, loved and cared for. We let parents know if their child did something awesome, and also if they need to be aware of anything,” says Makris. “We encourage parents to volunteer in classes and join class field trips.” “We’re always doing something new and different, and we make sure that everyone finds their place,” says Funk. “When you have that kind of environment, children want to come to school every day and parents feel good about having their children here.”
mike olliver
“We’re always doing something new and different, and we make sure that everyone finds their place.”
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“We’re often told you can tell when you drive by an SSB house because of its beauty, proportion and quality.”
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Phil Leibovitz, CEO 4705 West Virginia Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 301-913-2882 info@sandyspringbuilders.com www.sandyspringbuilders.com
“At Sandy Spring Builders (SSB), we’re very proud of our long history in the area,” says CEO Phil Leibovitz. “We’ve proven one thing that is very hard to show in the building business – longevity. You can count with a couple of fingers the number of true custom builders who are still in business in the Washington metro area as long as us.” Founded in 1982 in Olney, SSB has become the success it is today through hard work, creativity, a wonderful portfolio of homes and willingness to stand behind homes years after clients move in. “Thirtythree years later, our full-service team still loves what we do, and I believe it shows in our homes,” says Leibovitz. “We’re often told you can tell when you drive by an SSB house because of its beauty, proportion and quality. We
live, eat and raise our families among our clients and take so much pride in their homes.” Active participants in the community, SSB gives back in many ways. “We care what people think of us, and work hard to try and achieve our customer’s goals,” says Leibovitz. SSB is the most experienced builder in the area not only in construction, but also finding and developing land, and working within clients’ budgets. “Our data bank of information from years of being in the building business cannot be replaced or duplicated,” says Leibovitz. “I could go on, but I think our homes and the numbers of happy clients who love their homes tells our story and our history. We are not perfect but we will always guarantee to do what is right and stand behind what we do!”
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The Nora School 955 Sligo Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-495-6672 Admissions Director: Marcia@nora-school.org www.nora-school.org
The Nora School is an intentionally small, college preparatory high school dedicated to bringing out the best in bright students who think differently. The school is celebrating over 50 years with the same mission: to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment while challenging students intellectually. “We enjoy cognitive diversity in our classrooms. Discussion-based classes allow students to explore topics collaboratively, more deeply and thoughtfully,” says Marcia Miller, director of admissions. “Being actively engaged in learning gives them a place to find their voice in an intellectually rigorous, yet safe, accepting and nurturing setting.” Founded in 1964 as The Eberhard School, it has remained intentionally small and personal. Facilities are growing, with an expansion coming soon. But, Miller says, “Our dedication to a small, safe, inclusive and supportive community will always stay the same. Our classrooms will stay small, and personal
connections between teachers and students will remain at the heart of our efforts.” Many students and their families turn to The Nora School because they’ve become frustrated in big, impersonal institutions. Others are seeking a more engaging education without an emphasis on standardized testing. “At Nora, many of our students say they can finally breathe,” says Miller. Besides college-preparatory academics, The Nora School offers sports, arts and music programs, student government, dances and homecoming events, outdoors clubs, a January Intersession, and a mindfulness program. “We help students enhance strengths and build confidence about their place in the world,” says Miller. She echoes the school’s philosophy about encouraging personal responsibility and building excitement about learning – “Small classes. Personal connections. Enjoy learning again.” While inspiring a critical worldview, The Nora School prepares students for college, work and life.
james kim
“Small classes. Personal connections. Enjoy learning again.”
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Growing up in Potomac, Deb Levy got a head start in real estate just by listening to her mother, a local Realtor, share stories about her day at the dinner table. Deb went on listing and contract appointments with her mom and helped around the office, but her dream was to work on advertising campaigns in New York City. Deb majored in marketing at University of Maryland and, while in college, she worked as many as three jobs at a time while pursuing a degree at night. One of those jobs was at a bank as administrative support in the mortgage department. That position, along with a part-time retail sales job, ended up leading her down the path of mortgage loan origination. It’s been over 25 years since she brought in her first real mortgage loan client of her own. People used to meet face to face, and being in her early 20s she tried to appear older, calling herself Deb instead of Debbie. “I still slip up,” she admits. “Today, technology has improved, various regulations have been added or changed, and more data is now required. But, at the heart of it all, we’re working with people,” says Deb. “The decision to buy or finance a home is complicated and people need someone to listen, understand and advise. The Internet is great for research but cannot replace an experienced professional who knows the community.” “After all these years, it’s still fun helping people buy their first home or move up to the next one. We truly enjoy working with lifelong clients and meeting new ones.”
Deb Levy,
Vice President / Senior Mortgage Banker NMLS: 481255
Courtesy photo
EagleBank 1425 K St., NW Washington, D.C. 20005 301-332-7758 deblevy@eaglebankcorp.com www.debbielevy.com
“The decision to buy or finance a home is complicated and people need someone to listen, understand and advise.”
Member FDIC
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Randolph-Macon Academy 200 Academy Drive Front Royal, VA 22630 540-636-5484 admission@rma.edu www.rma.edu
Founded in 1892 as a college-prep feeder school to Randolph-Macon College, the Academy has evolved into a unique boarding school that excels at its primary mission of preparing students for college. “In recent years, every senior has been accepted into a college or university, and our graduating classes average $6.6 million in college scholarships,” says Mary Gamache, college counselor. In Front Royal, Va, it’s the only private high school in the U.S. to offer a flight program. Flight instructors are faculty members and aircraft are owned by the school. About 35 students participate in the program annually, and some achieve their first solo and private pilot certification each year. “Our boarding program is different,” says Michael Williams, director of student life. “At most boarding schools, teachers are coaches, club sponsors and dorm
parents, or they may just take a turn supervising in the dorm in the evenings. Our dorm supervisors have one primary job: to look after our students whenever they are in the dorm.” Supervisors may teach a class or coach a sport, but their focus is caring for boarding students. Arts, drama and English programs are extraordinarily strong. A double-class period helps develop writing, vocabulary and critical thinking skills. The school band marches in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York and Washington, D.C. each year, among other parades and concerts. Chorus is one of the most popular classes, and students perform on campus and at events around the area. The school is one of two private boarding schools in the U.S. to offer an Air Force JROTC program. There are more than 25 sports teams, available for all grade levels.
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“In recent years, every senior has been accepted into a college or university, and our graduating classes average $6.6 million in college scholarships.”
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“Our approach is rooted in tradition and research – strong enough to withstand the test of time while evolving to meet the demands of today’s learners and future leaders.”
mike olliver
Green Acres School 11701 Danville Drive N. Bethesda, MD 20852 301-881-4100 info@greenacres.org www.greenacres.org
Green Acres School was founded in 1934 as a place where children could engage in authentic learning and make meaningful connections between school and the larger world. Today it remains a leader in progressive education – a research-based approach that is focused on creating meaningful, relevant and profound learning experiences for students. “We’ve been teaching 21st-century skills for over 80 years,” says Dr. Neal M. Brown, head of school. “Since its inception, Green Acres has taken an integrated approach to learning—a method supported by today’s STEM/STEAM advocates. Instead of viewing school subjects as independent ‘silos,’ our curriculum underscores the interconnectedness of disciplines and the multiple lenses through which any subject can be explored.” Experts in education and child development, teachers at Green Acres believe that creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to
understand an issue from multiple perspectives and disciplines are critical to unlocking innovation in young learners. “Our approach is rooted in tradition and research – strong enough to withstand the test of time while evolving to meet the demands of today’s learners and future leaders,” says Brown. Green Acres is a coeducational day school with 275 students from age 3 through grade eight. The average class size is 12 students. The school is located on 15 acres of woods and fields in North Bethesda. Green Acres was the first racially-integrated school in Montgomery County; today, diversity remains a strong focus, with at least a third of students and staff representing ethnic and international diversity. Bus transportation, carpooling, extended day care, and after-school enrichment classes are available. The school is fully accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland/ D.C. Schools.
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Profiles | Test of Time “The early years of a child’s life are the gateway to a lifelong love of learning and success.”
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“We’ve been successful because we have always hired people who demonstrate exceptional commitment to our students, families, and community,” says Libby King, who has been at WCC for more than 23 years, as a teacher, site director and now executive director. “I believe we have been able to withstand the test of time because we have an excellent reputation,” she says. WCC is the only National Association for the Education of Young Children-accredited program in the 20816 Zip code. The school is also a part of the USDA Food Program serving healthy and nutritious meals. The school’s culture is inspired by play and the thrill of discovery – King says the early years of a child’s life are the gateway to a lifelong love of learning and success – and it embraces changes head-on. With more need for technology, each classroom is equipped with iPads. WCC delivers innovative programs on exercise, play and music, all primary elements in programs. “I’ve changed our programs to fit the needs of the community,” says King, “while still adhering to our philosophy of a quality early childhood education that’s accessible for everyone.” WCC is a neighborhood school, and also attracts children from D.C. and Virginia. At WCC, children learn at an individual pace with caring, well-trained teachers who are attentive to each child’s particular needs and who create a warm, loving and safe place to learn. “I’m especially proud that our families come back to visit us after graduating from our program. And, even more wonderful, we have students now whose parents were once students here!” Adds King, whose son attended WCC, “I’m fortunate to run a preschool that I believe in and love.”
Libby King, Executive Director 5148 Massachusetts Ave. Bethesda, MD 20816 301-229-7161 www.wccbethesda.com
michael Ventura
Westmoreland Children’s Center (WCC)
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Founded in 1985, Evers & Co. is the largest woman-owned and run independent residential real estate company in the region. Donna Evers has more than 40 years of experience in residential Bethesda/Chevy Chase markets. With respect for their clients and colleagues, Evers & Co. agents deliver the highest level of expert service in the Metro area. Donna also brings a wealth of knowledge to clients. First, she’s renovated 27 different properties – including two in France. “The fun of redesigning and renovating houses far outweighs the frustrations,” she says. A Chevy Chase resident for 37 years, she also has a home and vineyard where she is the winemaker in Bluemont, Virginia, as well as an apartment in Paris. Donna’s years of experience with a variety of markets and home types make her an expert in the field and she appears regularly in the media to discuss Metro area real estate. “We list, sell and help our clients find the best properties – from condos and townhouses in D.C. to Chevy Chase colonials to homes in the Virginia countryside,” says Donna. Evers & Co. is licensed and does business in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. “Our 100+ agents are highly educated, informed people who all share tremendous enthusiasm for our job,” Donna says. “Most of our business is from referrals, and our ever-growing community of buyers and sellers is proof that when you love what your do, and put all of your energy, knowledge and skill into your work, success happens!”
Evers & Co. Real Estate
hilary schwab
Donna Evers 4400 Jenifer St., NW Washington D.C. 20015 202-364-1700 202-255-5009 (cell) devers@eversco.com www.eversco.com
“Our 100+ agents are highly educated, informed people who all share tremendous enthusiasm for our job.” BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 119
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“We offer a college prep program that emphasizes deep understanding throughout the curriculum while encouraging collaboration, instilling confidence, fostering practical experience and cultivating respect for others.”
Sandy Spring Friends School is a co-educational, college-preparatory day and boarding school serving grades Pre-K through 12. Located on 140 acres in Sandy Spring, Maryland, midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, the school was founded in 1961 to educate the whole person: mind, body and spirit. “We offer a college prep program that emphasizes deep understanding throughout the curriculum while encouraging collaboration, instilling confidence, fostering practical experience and cultivating respect for others,” says Head of School Tom Gibian. Sandy Spring Friends students develop a love of learning through close collaboration with teachers and peers. “These connections empower them to reach beyond their comfort zones,” says Upper School Head Karen Cumberbatch. “We offer a challenging education in an environment that encourages balance and thoughtful decision making.” Students feel supported at the school and are therefore confident to try new things and take academic risks without the fear of failure. The Quaker tradition puts high value on collaboration and practical knowledge, so students accumulate a wealth of experience working with others to accomplish real-world goals. Students take service trips—around the D.C. area, nationally and internationally—where they learn to take action firsthand. “In the classroom, just like in Meeting for Worship, everyone listens—and no one is afraid to speak,” says Middle School Head Jonathan Oglesbee. “Students learn to trust and respect others and see that their actions are important. They graduate well-prepared for college and able to advocate for themselves.” “Sandy Spring Friends School teaches students to be an example to others in all they do,” says Lower School Head Brenda Crawley. “They learn how, through contributions to their communities and the world, their lives can speak.”
Sandy Spring Friends School 16923 Norwood Road Sandy Spring, MD 20860 301-774-7455 admissions@ssfs.org www.ssfs.org
james kim
Tony McCudden, Director of Enrollment Management
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A 90 year-old locally grown company, American Plant is a thriving and popular garden center serving the entire metro area. Two Bethesda locations include an upscale home décor lifestyle boutique named Tinge as well as a Landscape Design/Build/Maintain division. The company offers organic and earth-friendly gardening solutions as well as a strong family legacy of service and personal attention. The garden business is in their blood. “Our grandfather built American Plant, treating his customers like they were guests in his own home,” says Brett. “We’re the third generation, and now that’s second nature to all of us.” This explains why the brothers have kept expanding the company to please their loyal customers, now offering online shopping with their new e-commerce website. American Plant is best known for superior products. Customers look forward to spending time with the friendly and knowledgeable sales staff. Not only does Tinge lifestyle boutique offer the perfect gift destination, customers have said they can find something for everyone. It also offers well-known area designers, furniture pieces from France and the West Coast and décor that includes mirrors of all sizes, prints, floor cloths and tabletop settings. They have begun creating signature lines of scents named after locations and streets in the area. An exclusive line of jewelry and organic body lotions will soon follow. The Landscape Design/Build/Maintain division offers experienced, personalized design and building services that transform even a difficult space into paradise. From masonry to aquascaping, in-house professionals get the job done without relying on contractors. American Plant has a strong commitment to the area and their customers, offering environmentally friendly gardening solutions.
American Plant Brett, Erik & Todd Shorb
Courtesy photos
7405 River Road Bethesda, MD 20817 301-469-7690 5258 River Road Bethesda, MD 20816 301-656-3311
Norman Shorb circa 1950
“Our grandfather built American Plant, treating his customers like they were guests in his own home.”
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Lucy Madeira on “the Oval” at The Madeira School campus, circa 1950s, and the campus today.
The Madeira School 8328 Georgetown Pike McLean, VA 22102 703-556-8273 admissions@madeira.org www.madeira.org
When Lucy Madeira opened her school in 1906, she had a clear vision. She believed it was a duty and a privilege to help young women understand their changing world and have confidence to live lives of their own making, their own passions and their own dreams. Over a century later, the current Madeira mission of “Launching women who change the world” is right in step with the founder’s ambitions that Madeira students become effective and ethical leaders of tomorrow. The Madeira School began near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. with just 13 boarders. To this day, students carry 13 red roses at graduation as one of their beloved traditions. The school moved in 1931 to its current location on 376 scenic acres on the Potomac River in McLean. Miss Madeira’s vision for a campus, designed by Waldron Faulkner, uses Colonial
details such as those found in George Washington’s Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson’s University of Virginia. Alumnae consistently praise the renowned Co-Curriculum program that creates an internship on Capitol Hill for each student in her junior year and supports a customized internship her senior year. Recent graduate Hanna Powers says, “I chose to attend Madeira for the riding and Co-Curriculum programs. Not only was I able to ride all four years at Madeira, but I was also lucky to extend my passion for horses into my Co-Curriculum internships.” Today, Madeira educates 315 girls from 24 countries and 21 states; 171 live on campus. Another 144 are day students from Virginia, Maryland and D.C. In addition to rigorous academics that are the primary focus, students enjoy a rich array of athletic, arts and equestrian opportunities.
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“In addition to rigorous academics that are the primary focus, students enjoy a rich array of athletic, arts and equestrian opportunities.”
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“We’re just as proud that we provide excellent personalized service for each and every client, no matter what size the job.”
Fine Earth Landscape 301-972-8810 info@fineearth.com www.fineearth.com
“When I first started the Fine Earth Landscape in 1977, I had a few hundred dollars and a van,” says founder and co-owner Bernie Mihm. “I hoped that one day we would be recognized as one of the very top companies in the area. My other goal was that we’d always provide personalized service no matter what the size the company turned out to be.” Mihm and Senior Designer Judith Petersen have now been in the industry for almost 40 years. Company President and U.S. Army veteran Joel Hafner has designed and overseen more landscape construction and has won more landscape awards in the Bethesda area than anyone over the last 25 years.
Hafner, who is also a Senior Designer, says, “We take pride in our longevity, experience and the absolute best service in the Bethesda area. We have great clients, experienced and trained longtime employees, and reliable subcontractors that we have worked with for decades.” “We’ve completed many thousands of projects and won over 100 awards,” adds Mihm. “We’re just as proud that we provide excellent personalized service for each and every client, no matter what size the job. “One of the great pleasures in our business is working with the same clients – five or 10 or even 30 years after we first meet, another great joy is when clients think enough of us to tell their friends.”
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Valley Mill Camp The McEwan Family 15101 Seneca Road Germantown, MD 20874 301-948-0220 evelyn@valleymill.com www.valleymill.com
Valley Mill Camp was founded 60 years ago by May and Bob McEwan. May loved sports, especially kayaking and canoeing, and was also a synchronized swimmer, marksman, horsewoman and naturalist. Bob was an actor, teacher and excellent storyteller, and started a camp drama program that is still going strong. The strengths and talents the McEwans began are mirrored in programs at Valley Mill today. Originally a camp for girls, Valley Mill later expanded to include a boy’s camp in 1973 when it moved to its present location in Darnestown. The McEwans created a wholesome, child-centered program. “Every counselor and staff member is first and foremost a teacher, trying to make a positive difference in the hearts and minds of children entrusted to our care,” says Bob. “The chief task is to competently and with
care encourage the development of each camper.” The success of this approach is apparent in alumni. It’s quite a group, which includes Olympians, national champions and professional athletes. Today Valley Mill is run by daughter Evelyn McEwan, along with her children Charlie, Bruce and Melinda Uthus and her grandchildren, Kelsey, Evan, Tyler and Leah. “We provide vigorous camp programs in a natural environment.” Evelyn says. “Counselors are selected for character and values that make them good role models. They care about the children, and lead activities with a spirit of fun.” Many campers come back to Valley Mill as counselors – an invaluable resource of tradition, athletic skills and a deep understanding of the camper experience. They often grow up, have children and send them to Valley Mill. It’s truly a family tradition – for generations of area families.
james kim
“Every counselor and staff member is first and foremost a teacher, trying to make a positive difference in the hearts and minds of children entrusted to our care.”
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Bob Harris founded Mr. Wash Car Wash 57 years ago. The first location was a condemned building on Indian Head Highway, and he soon expanded to three more washes in Washington, D.C. After Bob’s retirement, his son Steve Harris stepped in after graduating from American University. “As a kid I’d gone to work with my Dad, then worked as a cashier and ran a car wash,” he says. “When I took over, we hired more people for better service and hands-on attention to more cars.” Now grandson Nathan Harris is bringing new energy to the chain after graduating from the University of Maryland. “Nathan has helped streamline operations through use of new technology, including a system for monthly customers while engaging new crew members, too,” says Steve proudly. Innovation has always been a hallmark of Mr. Wash. “In 1983, I found new equipment in New Orleans that used brushes instead of bristles,” says Steve. “It was a big hit.” Bob and Steve spread the word on the radio and with the Redskins, and the business grew. Nearly all car washes have followed with brushless systems – now standard in the industry. “We’re always adding new equipment, like a new kind of cloth that dries your car, which we’re trying out in our location in Kensington,” says Steve. Mr. Wash now has six locations, and the Harris family likes to support their communities. One current project involves helping to raise money in Kensington for a new ambulance. “You do a good job, with fast, excellent service, and customers will keep coming back,” says Steve. “We have deep roots in this area and we still have fun washing cars!”
Mr. Wash Car Wash darren higgins
Owners, Steve and Nathan Harris 3817 DuPont Ave. Kensington, MD 20895 301-933-4858 customerservice@mrwash.com www.mrwash.com
“You do a good job, with fast, excellent service, and customers will keep coming back. We have deep roots in this area and we still have fun washing cars.” BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 125
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When Steve Paley and Mark Rothman opened Paley Rothman in 1972, after recognizing the need for sophisticated business and tax lawyers in Montgomery County, they had no way of knowing how the firm (and the town) would grow. They chose Bethesda for its proximity to D.C. and the perks of its suburban location. “We’ve been a fixture in Montgomery County for nearly half a century, focusing on really listening to clients’ needs and goals and defining strategies to achieve them. Satisfied
with their results and our dedicated service, our clients, both institutions and individuals, come and stay through the years,” says Robert Maclay, co-president. Since 1972, Paley Rothman has grown to more than 35 attorneys in over 20 practice areas. Many in the diverse work force have been a part of the firm family for more than 20 years. Meanwhile, Bethesda has flourished into a bustling hub for businesses, while maintaining its charm.
The Primary Day School 7300 River Road Bethesda, MD 20817 301-365-4355 admission@theprimarydayschool.org www.theprimarydayschool.org
james kim
decades that the method works extremely well. “Students build a solid foundation here before they go on to other unique places,” says Head of School Mary Lisa Geppert. Small and intimate classes are still the rule. Besides the reading focus, there’s math, STEM, Chinese, Spanish, French, PE, music, and art. Children are full of energy, curiosity and potential during this magical time, and Primary Day taps all three to the fullest.
Paley Rothman 4800 Hampden Lane, 6th floor Bethesda, MD 20814 301-656-7603 www.paleyrothman.com
darren higgins
In 1944, in the midst of World War II, three women opened The Primary Day School for young children. The school still focuses today on boys and girls during the most important learning years – Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, First Grade and Second Grade. Originally founded as a demonstration school for the Phonovisual Method, a phonicsbased approach to reading and language arts, Primary Day has proven over more than seven
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“Real estate will always be personal to me – about solid connections with colleagues and past customers and clients, and deep relationships throughout the community.”
Margie Halem Group
courtesy Photo
Long & Foster Bethesda Gateway 4650 East-West Highway Bethesda, MD 20814 301-775-4196 (c) 301-907-7600 (o) margie.halem@longandfoster.com www.margiehalemrealtor.com
How do you get to the top of area real estate professionals? Well, Margie Halem started at the bottom. Over 30 years ago, she started at a small boutique firm in Georgetown. “I was right out of college – Go Penn State – and it was the summer I graduated,” she says. “I had no car, so I walked everywhere to show properties or I took a taxi. I really focused on learning about the people who make up the city and suburbs and all the different styles of homes and neighborhoods here.” Today, Margie is ranked among The Wall Street Journal’s top one percent of real estate agents nationwide. She’s worked hard and sees the results of her work every day, in referrals, repeat customers and a real estate market that’s exploded over time. “I’m connected to
all my clients, sellers and buyers, and very emotionally and intensely involved with their families and issues. That’s just my nature,” she says. “Even after all this time, I’m still committed to always being accessible and always looking out for my clients’ best interests. Whatever their price range, they receive my highest level of service.” So what’s changed since 1984 when she first started? “Well this is a networking business, and the technology changes are breathtaking. That’s why we’ve become so techsavvy and involved in social media,” says Margie. “But real estate will always be personal to me – about solid connections with colleagues and past customers and clients, and deep relationships throughout the community.”
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This venerable real estate and business law firm is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2016. “Our longevity started with the partnership of Bob Linowes and Joe Blocher,” says Richard Zeidman, managing partner. “They were the best in their fields and were always careful to hire the highest quality lawyers. We’ve held those standards all these years.” “We believe our culture of excellence and commitment to the community will carry us forward for generations to come, and our upcoming leaders are well positioned to continue providing sound guidance and legal solutions to all of our clients.” The firm’s real estate acumen has been its brand, with unmatched experience in land use and zoning, offering smart, confident and innovative approaches to modern development challenges, as well as the handling of sophisticated real estate transactions. In addition, the firm represents clients in a variety of commercial litigation matters along with complex tax and corporate structuring. Linowes and Blocher LLP serves the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and surrounding Maryland and Virginia jurisdictions.
1640 Kalmia Road, NW Washington, D.C. 20012 202-577-2000 admissions@lowellschool.org www.lowellschool.org
Courtesy Photo
Lowell School
Linowes and Blocher LLP 7200 Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 301-654-0504 info@linowes-law.com www.linowes-law.com
Hilary Schwab
Lowell School began 50 years ago as a nursery school for 25 children in the basement of Cleveland Park Congregational Church. Since then, the school has added an elementary school and middle school and now serves 348 children from age 2 1/2 through 8th grade. Lowell was founded by two teachers who were inspired by the social ideals of the 1960s and grounded in the ideas of prominent psychologists and educators— John Dewey, Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget and Haim Ginott. The founders’ vision is still very much alive today. Experiential, hands-on learning is at the heart of a rich curriculum that stretches children both academically and personally. “Along with the ability to think, read, write, research and do math, Lowell provides students with what is the greater guarantee for success in high school, college and beyond—the abilities to be courageous, persevering, flexible, empathetic and creative,” says Head of School Debbie Gibbs.
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Fernando Guedes Sr. founded JRK in 1989 to specialize in custom homes, additions, renovations and remodeling, historic restorations and home improvements. His two sons grew up in the business, and today Fernando Jr. and his brother join their father on site and working with clients. Fernando Sr. made sure the boys learned the business from the ground up, as he did, and knows every trade from the inside out. “My dad absolutely loves building and you see that every time you talk to him,” says Fernando Jr. Family is important at JRK Builders, and so is treating each project like it’s for family. “We’re more hands-on than other builders and remodelers,” explains Fernando Jr. “Our people do 95 percent of the work on the house – not subcontractors. My father and brother are always on site and I work with all the clients personally.” “My father started the company 26 years ago,” says Fernando. “He had one goal in mind from day one – to bring the highest level of quality to all JRK projects every time.” That means staffing professionals specializing in every trade so the work is always uniformly of the best workmanship.” While most builders employ subcontractors throughout construction, Fernando Sr. wanted to avoid the varying levels of quality that brings. So JRK controls everything to the extent that they offer a lifetime warranty on all projects. JRK Builders works on most neighborhoods in the metro area, concentrating in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac, northwest Washington D.C. and McLean, Virginia. “We have built everything from relatively small renovations and additions to 30,000 square-foot custom estate homes,” says Fernando Jr., proudly.
Profiles | Test of Time “We’re more hands-on than other builders and remodelers. Our people do 95 percent of the work on the house – not subcontractors.”
JRK Builders, LLC
james kim
The Guedes Family 4915 Auburn Ave., Suite 302 Bethesda, MD 20814 240-388-1123 info@jrkbuilders.com www.jrkbuilders.com www.Facebook.com/JRKBuilders BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 129
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O’Neill Development enjoys a unique history in building, remodeling and community development in the Washington region and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Brendan and Susan founded the company in 1975 and grew the company from a single house per year. After working in all areas of pre-construction and construction activities, their son Brendan Jr. assumed control and continues the company today with the help of his wife Kristina, concentrating on efficiency and tight management creating value for each of its many customers. “Our experience over the years is extremely broad based,” says Brendan Jr. “We’ve worked in award-winning historic restorations, cutting-edge passive house building, development of a number of architecturally themed subdivisions, simple and complex remodeling projects, penthouse build out, modular construction, and even cabin and barn building.” Repeat customers throughout the region testify to the thorough management and control of their projects.
Barrie 13500 Layhill Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 301-576-2800 admission@barrie.org www.barrie.org
Courtesy Photo
Montessori Prep Camp
O’Neill Development The O’Neill Family 11 Russell Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 20877 301-840-9310 boneilljr@oneilldev.com www.oneilldev.com
hilary Schwab
Peter Vogdes has been at Barrie for 37 years and for the past 26 years Director of Barrie Camp. “Barrie has always embraced innovation and change. Not for their own sake, but in response to changing needs of the families we serve. We’ve always strived to do better, with judgment based in years of experience.” Opened in 1932, Barrie is an independent school serving students 18 months through Grade 12. As one of the oldest Montessori programs in the area, Barrie Montessori serves younger students from 18 months through Grade 5. From Grades 6-12, students attend Barrie Prep, which delivers rigorous, interdisciplinary academics suited to the strengths of each student. Throughout its 83 years, Barrie has maintained a diverse, inclusive environment. Located on a 45-acre wooded campus in Silver Spring, Barrie also certifies aspiring Montessori educators through the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies and allows children ages 4-14 a rich summer experience through Barrie Camp.
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Profiles | Test of Time
The newest, most cutting-edge apartment homes in the area have arrived from one of the most venerable, longtime property management companies. Southern Management is celebrating its 50th year in 2015, and The Palisades is a culmination of their long history of providing fine apartment homes in the region. On the corner of Cordell and Woodmont avenues, the high-rise promises a perfect blend of convenience, comfort and amenities, says Property Manager Richard Lashley. “We’ve really done this world-class, with all-inclusive utilities, a 24-hour concierge, a fitness center and resident lounge. It’s more like a private club.” He points to the Penthouse levels in particular, with their maid service, prepared breakfasts, social hours and private Sky Lounge. These homes offer windows to the sky, marble floors and custom kitchens. Bethesda has changed tremendously since a cement plant stood at the corner of Arlington Road and Bethesda Avenue, and young families moved into tiny Cape Cods in the neighborhoods around Wisconsin Avenue. Today, Bethesda is a sought-after address for all ages. “That’s why The Palisades has over 50 styles to choose from, with different features like balconies, bay windows and libraries,” says Lashley. Apartments range from studios to three bedrooms and all feature upscale fixtures, plus a washer and dryer. Time marches on but because Bethesda is still well known for its power outages, the apartments offer 100 percent backup power – and may be the only apartment community in the metro area to do so. “Bethesda’s restaurants and entertainment are all around and everything is Metro accessible and walkable,” says Lashley. “We really are the height of luxury, with 50 years of experience going into these apartment homes.”
The Palisades of Bethesda Courtesy Photo
A Community of Southern Management 4835 Cordell Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 301-725-4723 888-560-0383 info@palisadesapts.com www.palisadesapts.net
“We’ve really done this world-class, with all-inclusive utilities, a 24-hour concierge, a fitness center and resident lounge. It’s more like a private club.” BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 131
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Russ Glickman is a remodeler with a heart of gold and a passion that has produced exquisite results for over 35 years. “We help to articulate our clients’ dreams for their homes and translate them into reality,” he says. “Our team of experts and I create beautiful living spaces that homeowners can enjoy every day.” Glickman recently received the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Master Certified Remodeler designation. According to NARI, “These are the leaders of our industry.” His company has earned over 40 national and local awards for outstanding design and craftsmanship. Glickman is also called upon regularly by some of the most prestigious law firms in the area to assist attorneys and their clients in litigation involving personal injury cases. He serves as an expert witness for wheelchair accessible home assessments, modifications, conversions and home redesigns.
Concord Hill School Michael Ventura
6050 Wisconsin Ave. Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-654-2626 sarzt@concordhill.org www.concordhill.org
Glickman Design Build Russ Glickman, Founder 14516 Pebblewood Drive N. Potomac, MD 20878 301-444-4663 www.GlickmanDesignBuild.com
darren higgins
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Concord Hill School, a small, inclusive community of young learners from age three to third grade. “For 50 years, our mission has remained the same,” says Assistant Head of School/Director of Admission & Financial Aid Susan Arzt. “We inspire children to embrace and enjoy learning during the early childhood years.” Concord Hill balances tradition with innovation, preparing each student to become a responsible, caring, and contributing member of society. The dynamic curriculum and outstanding faculty are strengthened by a focus on research and opportunities for professional development. Founded in 1965, the school purchased its building in Chevy Chase in 1987. Remarkably, Concord Hill has seen only three heads of school. “We are exclusively an early childhood institution, balancing top-flight academics with a strong commitment to social development, and teaching our students to think deeply and creatively about the world around them,” says Head of School Denise Gershowitz.
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“I started my real estate career at 25. That was unusual for someone so young in 1985,” Krystyna Litwin recalls. “We had a two-year old, and I fell in love with a house in Potomac. Interest rates were more than 12 percent back then!” Starting at the local realty company Shannon & Luchs, which was in a historic building in Potomac, Krystyna has seen markets come and go and lots of changes in the industry in her time. She’s gained tremendous experience watching brokers, builders, banks, buyers and sellers. She worked through the market peak of 1989 and then the tumble, as well as the “craziness” of the real estate markets from ‘98 to 2006. “Bubbles blow up and then burst. I’ve seen everything there is to see,” she laughs. “It’s always very interesting and challenging.” Today, she lists and sells properties around the area ranging from a $150,000 condos to an estate that sold for $12 million. Lessons learned? According to Krystyna: Don’t buy upper-bracket priced homes with less than 30 percent down. If banks are giving money away, be very wary. “And I always advise my client as if they were my family,” she says. “I always give my clients an accurate picture, whatever the home or economic realities.” A longtime community resident of Potomac and Bethesda, she’s very active and involved with the Washington Humane Society, Autism Speaks and The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. “Even after 30 years and all the changes in this industry, I still love the challenges and rewards that come with my work, from staging and marketing to negotiation and watching people move into their new home.”
Profiles | Test of Time “I always give my clients an accurate picture, whatever the home or economic realities.”
Krystyna Litwin, Realtor
meg nadolski
Long & Foster/ Christie’s Great Estates 10200 River Road Potomac, MD 20854 301-299-6098 301-332-7615 k.litwin@lnf.com www.TheLitwinGroup.com BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 133
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DINE. TASTE. RELISH. A 10-day dining event featuring prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus from some of MoCo’s best restaurants
Tom Brown & John Gubisch Smith, Thomas & Smith, Inc. General Contractors 4713 Maple Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 301-656-0141 stsgc@aol.com www.smiththomasandsmith.com
tony lewis jr
Longevity is one thing for a business, but a contractor whose been thriving for more than 55 years is something else. Formed in 1960, and still remodeling homes in the neighborhoods of Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Northwest D.C., Smith, Thomas & Smith (STS) has been managed for the past 35 years by Tom Brown and John Gubisch. The company specializes in all types of residential remodeling and renovation, including kitchens, bathroom, additions and whole-house renovations. To best serve customers, they also offer in-house design/build services and timely and competitive free estimates. Decades-long relationships with suppliers and subcontractors ensure responsive estimating, informed scheduling and competitive pricing. STS is consistently ranked in the Top 500 remodeling contractors in the country by Remodeling Magazine.
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“I’ve never strived to be the highest producer. But it’s important to me to be at the top of the list when it comes to knowledge, service and empathy.”
tony lewis jr
Gretchen Koitz Principal, The Koitz Group @ Compass 5471 Wisconsin Ave., 3rd Floor Chevy Chase, MD 20815 202-491-1275 301-442-8122 mobile gk@koitzgroup.com www.koitzgroup.com
“I am not quite sure why I have stood the Test of Time,” says Gretchen Koitz. “When I first started selling real estate almost 30 years ago, I certainly had no intention of being in the business for this long.” Real estate started as a fun thing to do between soccer games, she says. “I was able to attend all my sons’ games, and I purposefully worked with only a limited number of buyers and sellers.” Juggling the roles of both mother and real estate agent, she developed a real appreciation for working women and moms in the area as well as a keen sense of humor. “For years, I carried around a note left by my son. I found it one evening when I came home from a listing appointment at 9 p.m.. ‘I needed help with my Halloween costume, but it’s too late now.’”
Today her team includes both her sons who say, “All is forgiven Mom.” Though the industry has changed dramatically, she still loves what she does, mainly because of the people she’s gotten to work with over the years. “Many past buyers and sellers have become trusted friends, as have many colleagues.” “Although The Koitz Group has grown into a successful business, I’m fortunate that I never felt I needed to treat it like a business,” says Gretchen. “I’ve never strived to be the highest producer. But it’s important to be at the top of the list when it comes to knowledge, service and empathy.” The Koitz Group @ Compass is a real estate boutique primarily focusing on greater Bethesda and the D.C. luxury real estate markets. Please check their website at koitzgroup.com.
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‘
Please God, Make It Stop Heroin and prescription narcotics
’
are killing young adults all over Montgomery County, leaving devastated families behind. These mothers, and other women they know, lost their children to addiction—and will never be the same. By Cindy Rich | PHOTOS BY MICHAEL VENTURA
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Marielsa Bernard (standing) and Renee Benzel met in February, soon after each had experienced the death of a child. They’re now part of a healing group for mothers that meets in Bethesda.
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A A ca l l ca m e i n to Montgomery County’s Emergency Communications Center at 4:16 a.m. last Jan. 4 from a brick colonial near Manor Country Club in Rockville. Inside the house, Alex Benzel, a St. John’s College High School and West Virginia University graduate, lay motionless on the bathroom floor in his basement. The 28-year-old had come home to spend the holidays with his family. “I want you to place the heel of your hand on his breast bone in the center of his chest, right between the nipples, and put your other hand on top of that, OK?” a 911 dispatcher told Alex’s mother, Renee Benzel, who’d been awakened by the sound of her son’s friend screaming her name from the foyer. “You’re gonna pump the chest hard and fast at least twice per second and 2 inches deep, do you understand?” “OK,” she said, frantically starting the compressions. “One, two, three, four…” She couldn’t comprehend what was happening. She’d spent the whole afternoon at home with her son, putting away Christmas decorations, playing with the dogs and watching movies. They’d always been close: Ever since his father died of cancer, leaving Benzel alone with three children, Alex had tried to be the rock in the family. As a teenager, he’d offer to run errands with his mom and help her around the house. He encouraged her to spend time with friends and try to have fun again. “Come on, let’s go,” he’d say when she was invited to a party. Then he’d insist on going with her so she didn’t have to drive alone. Earlier that night, a rainy Saturday, they’d made dinner together and sprawled out on the living room couch for the Ravens-Steelers playoff game. Around midnight, she’d kissed him good night before going upstairs to bed. “I’m right behind you,” he said. He had asked his mom to get him up early so the two of them could leave for
the gym at 8:30 Sunday morning. She was going to a Bodypump class, and Alex, who’d been a personal trainer for kids in Bethesda, wanted to work out before getting on the road. He was supposed to be leaving in the morning for Connecticut, where he had a month left in an outpatient rehabilitation program. He’d become addicted to prescription painkillers four years earlier after herniating two discs in his back while lifting weights. B u t h e ’d b e e n cl e a n fo r s e v e n months—no pills or heroin—and his mom couldn’t believe how happy and healthy he seemed. He was lining up a job for when he moved home in February and talking about returning to school to study physical therapy. For Christmas, Alex had bought his mom a book about strength and resilience. He was starting to act like himself again. “Are they coming?” Benzel asked as she continued pushing on her son’s chest. It had been less than a minute since she started CPR, but it seemed like forever. His face was turning blue. “They’re already on the way, OK?” the dispatcher told her. “You’re doing a good job—just keep going.” “Please, Alex,” she said through tears. “Just keep counting those compressions with me, OK? One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four...”
When Montgomery County
police Capt. Dinesh Patil arrives on the scene of a fatal heroin overdose, he’s often struck by the way the house reminds him of his own. There’s usually a decent car in the driveway, not an old beater, he says, and a nice, well-kept yard. The rooms are clean, and there are family photos hanging on the walls. Sometimes he’ll notice the simplest thing, like a box of cereal on top of the refrigerator, the same kind his kids eat at home. Another reminder that this could be his family. Anyone’s family. Fifteen years ago, when Patil was a
patrol officer in Silver Spring, the heroin addicts he saw spent their days stealing and going to pawn shops. Heroin was more of a Baltimore thing. Nowadays, he says, it’s all over Montgomery County. And many of the people using it started with something prescribed by doctors— opioids such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin, which are used to relieve pain but can also be highly addictive. Prescription painkillers, also known as narcotics, are expensive—one 40-milligram pill of OxyContin sells for $40 on the street in Montgomery County—while heroin costs about $10 a bag, which can be cheaper than a six-pack of beer. “I think what people don’t always understand is that the prescription opioids that are out there, if they are crushed, snorted, injected—it’s the same as heroin,” says Meghan Westwood, executive director of the Avery Road Treatment Center in Rockville, the county’s only publicly-funded detoxification and rehabilitation facility, which often has a two- to three-day wait list for new admissions. “It’s the same high.” Beth Kane Davidson, director of Suburban Hospital’s Addiction Treatment Center, is seeing a rise in the number of patients who come through what she calls the “back door to heroin.” They’re prescribed painkillers—sometimes more than they need—become dependent on them, and start using heroin, which is also an opioid, when they can’t get the pills anymore. Often, she says, it happens to the people you would least expect. “You go to get your wisdom teeth out— what are you leaving with? Are you leaving with 20 Vicodin, or are you leaving with four? Depends on who you go to,” says Davidson, who also has her own practice specializing in addiction. “I do think overall doctors are getting very cautious. They are cutting back. …But the problem is: The horse is already out of the gate for a lot of people.” A 2013 Maryland Youth Risk Behav-
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family photos provided by renee benzel
ior Survey showed that 3.9 percent of high school students in Montgomery County had used heroin at least once, and 14.1 percent had taken a prescription drug that wasn’t meant for them. Some of the addicts Davidson works with get their drugs from a parent or grandparent’s weekly pill box. Others get them from friends: Some young people don’t want their pain pills—the drugs can cause nausea and grogginess—so they bring them to school to hand out or sell. “The scary thing is, and I try to explain this to the young people: You might take something and absolutely fall in love with it, and then what are you gonna do?” Davidson says. According to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, there were 578 heroin-related deaths statewide last year; 487 people died in motor vehicle accidents. In Montgomery County, there were 33 heroin-related fatalities in
Top left: Benzel keeps a tribute to Alex on the mantel; she also wears her son’s white wristband every day. Bottom left: Alex and his mom celebrated Thanksgiving together about five weeks before he died.
2014, up from 11 in 2011. (The number of deaths related to prescription opioids— there were 19 in the county last year—has not changed significantly.) Experts say the rise in heroin deaths may be linked to heroin laced with fentanyl, an opioid more powerful than morphine that is often used in hospitals to treat cancer pain. In response to the spike in heroin overdoses, the Avery Road Treatment
Center now offers training to the public on how to use Narcan, a life-saving medication that can be administered through the nostrils to reverse the effects of an overdose related to heroin or a prescription opioid. “We just got certified, so we can train families and we can get them certified and get them a prescription,” Westwood says. In the two months between early December 2014 and late January of this year, officers in Patil’s special investigations division responded to nine fatalities in Montgomery County related to heroin or prescription painkillers; nearly all of the victims were in their mid to late 20s. Alex Benzel was one of them. After his mother went to bed that night, a neighbor came to their house with heroin. The lack of oxygen to Alex’s
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“You go through hell when you have an addicted child because you just never know what’s gonna happen—they become someone you don’t really know,” Bernard says. “After they die, you’re in hell still, but it’s a different kind of hell.” brain caused so much damage that doctors at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney told his mom that he would never recover, and she laid next to her son with her head on his chest before a priest came to administer last rites. Four weeks later, Casey Ryan, the brother of one of Alex’s friends, was found dead at his childhood home in Brookeville with a needle lying next to him. Ryan, who was 25, was a former Sherwood High School student who dreamed of being a meteorologist. Kate Reinstein, a 2013 University of Maryland graduate who planned to get a master’s in social work and become a counselor, fatally overdosed on pain pills at her Aspen Hill apartment a week after Thanksgiving last year. Kate, who was 27, was expecting a baby in June; there were sonogram photos hanging on her refrigerator. “You go through hell when you have an addicted child because you just never know what’s gonna happen—they become someone you don’t really know,” says Kate’s mother, Montgomery County
Circuit Court Judge Marielsa Bernard. Her daughter struggled with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder since elementary school and started abusing OxyContin, and eventually heroin, in college. “After they die, you’re in hell still, but it’s a different kind of hell.”
A t t o r n e y Ly n n C a u d l e
Boynton, president of The Bar Association of Montgomery County, attended four funerals in the span of three months in late 2014 and early 2015—for Kate, Alex, Casey and another young man in his 20s, all of whom overdosed on heroin or prescription painkillers. Boynton was there when Casey’s mother, Jimena Ryan, a family friend, stood up at her son’s service and said, “I don’t want anyone else to become a member of this mothers club.” Boynton, who lives in Rockville, had never thought about the old, unfinished prescription medications sitting in her cabinets, from things like dental surgery, and the problems they could cause for her kids. She couldn’t believe how naive she’d been. If Casey’s mother could talk
so openly about how he died, she thought there must be something she could do too. Boynton organized a meeting in February to bring together county officials, fire and rescue personnel and the families of addicts—Ryan, Benzel and Bernard spoke about their children—and decided to make the heroin crisis a priority for the bar association. The organization instituted a yearlong academic program—titled “Speak Up, Save a Life”—in five county high schools to raise awareness about the dangers of opioids, and created a speaker’s bureau that will give presentations to youth sports teams and at schools and places of worship. One of the speakers is Lea Edgecomb, a 22-year-old Poolesville resident who was a freshman at Quince Orchard High School when she smoked marijuana and snorted heroin at a friend’s house, went into cardiac arrest, and was left paralyzed in her arms and legs. It was her first time using heroin. “You just don’t know how your body is going to react,” Edgecomb says. “I’m a quadriplegic now because of a choice I made when I was 15.” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy says he spoke at a chamber of commerce meeting in Bethesda this spring and was met by “largely stunned silence” when he talked about heroin. He says people still have a false sense of security that the drug won’t touch their lives. In June, 17 people were indicted on federal drug trafficking charges for conspiring to distribute heroin and crack cocaine out of an apartment complex on Bel Pre Road in Silver Spring, close to where Alex Benzel lived. The setup was like something you’d see on the TV show The Wire, McCarthy says, involving small children and “runners” on the lookout for police. He’s heard so many horror stories involving heroin and painkillers that he was afraid to let his 22-year-old son use a liquid form of oxycodone that was prescribed after a tonsillectomy this past summer. “The irony was it gave him no relief, so
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family photos provided by marielsa bernard
we had to go to another drug,” McCarthy says, “[something] far less addictive, like super Tylenol.” McCarthy says he realized how serious the heroin problem in the county had become when he spoke to his students at Montgomery College, where he teaches a course in paralegal studies. A few of them were talking about a series of heroin overdoses in the Damascus area, where they lived, and said they had siblings who were addicted. “The magnitude of the problem is not just the deaths—it’s the near deaths,” McCarthy says. In August, police were called to the Bethesda home of an Ivy League college student after one of the young man’s friends overdosed on heroin. “There’s no amount of money that makes anybody immune to this stuff,” Patil says. “This is a young-person-in-suburbia problem now.” Patil, a Montgomery County cop for 21 years, has never forgotten the moment he realized how powerful heroin is, the hold it can have on someone. A mid-level dealer he’d helped arrest was lying on the floor of the Silver Spring police station in handcuffs, screaming and crying, begging officers to let him shoot up. “I was like, ‘Wow, I get it now,’ ” Patil says. “This guy doesn’t care about anything.” Benzel, who has a doctoral degree in pharmacology, watched Alex become so desperate for pills that he took money from her purse and wrote fake checks in her name. Her friend Jimena Ryan, Casey’s mother, once begged her son’s probation officer to help get him in front of a judge so he’d be locked up at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility because that was the only place she felt he’d be safe. Kate, a double major in psychology and criminal justice, took pills at a party the night before her college graduation and missed the ceremony the next day. Then, while she and her parents were arguing about her being so high, she ran upstairs, locked her door and jumped out of her bedroom window, shattering bones in her ankle and foot.
When Bernard looks at daughter Kate’s third-grade picture (bottom), she sees a sweet and happy little girl. “She had this life plan,” Bernard says. “By the time she was 27, she was going to be married and have a baby. She was going to have her Ph.D.”
“One of the things I struggled with, and I think a lot of parents struggle with, is that you almost feel like this kid is making this choice, like, if you would just decide to get clean,” says Ryan, chief marketing officer for Raffa, an accounting firm in Washington, D.C. Her son started using drugs in middle school, a few years after the family moved from Silver Spring to Brookeville, where Casey’s father still lives. During a family week with Casey at a treatment center run by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, Ryan saw a film called Pleasure Unwoven, which changed the way she looked at addiction. “That was the first time I really understood the magnitude of the brain component. That it wasn’t a choice,” she says. “That it was a disease—this monBethesdaMagazine.com | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 141
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Police were called to the Bethesda home of an Ivy League college student in August when one of the young man’s friends overdosed on heroin. “There’s no amount of money that makes anybody immune to this stuff,” says Montgomery County police Capt. Dinesh Patil. strous disease that is almost inescapable.” There are differing views on which drugs work best in treating an addiction to painkillers or heroin, and anger over what many feel is insufficient funding for treatment and rehabilitation programs. But nobody disputes that the abuse of heroin and prescription painkillers is destroying the lives of young people with promising futures, and devastating good, loving families along the way. This summer, Davidson offered her private therapy office as a quiet place for several local mothers whose children had recently overdosed—including Benzel, Ryan and Bernard—to get together and talk. Within a month, someone new had joined the group. Soon after one of their meetings, Ryan sent out an email about a mother in Massachusetts who’d lost two of her sons to heroin addiction. In the subject line she wrote, “Please God make it stop!”
Renee Benzel had worried about prescription painkillers long before Alex started abusing them. The West Point, New York, native, who lived in Germany and Libya as a child before her family settled in Prince George’s County, spent 15 years working at Kaiser Permanente’s pain management service in Kensington. It was her job to meet with patients and make recommendations to their doctors about medicines they needed. If someone was on four drugs for chronic pain, she’d try to wean them down to one. Instead of recommending 30- or 60-day prescriptions, she would advise giving patients a week’s worth at a time, and would help monitor their records to be sure they weren’t doctor-shopping or running around to different emergency rooms. That’s the irony of all this, Benzel says. This is her field. She knew about Narcan years ago, before it was all over the news,
and isn’t sure why it wasn’t used on Alex the night he died. She could tell someone that snorting or injecting a 40-milligram tablet of OxyContin is like taking eight Percocets at a time, or that a single dose of 80-milligram OxyContin can kill a person who doesn’t have a tolerance for opioids. She knew what these drugs were doing to some of her patients, and she made sure her children knew, too. “I would come home and tell the kids stories,” says Benzel, now regional medical director for Horizon Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company. She and her husband, Scott, who worked in commercial real estate and sales, sent their children to Holy Redeemer Catholic School in Kensington and enjoyed family weekends boating and waterskiing at their house in Deep Creek Lake. The kids would go swimming and hit golf balls at the country club across the street. Despite losing his dad to cancer at 14, Alex did well at St. John’s, where he played lacrosse and developed an interest in fitness and nutrition. Friends were always coming and going. “Our house was like a revolving door,” Benzel says. After a year at Montgomery College in Rockville, Alex transferred to West Virginia in 2007 and joined a fraternity. By then, he was so serious about his health that he would tell his friends about the benefits of fish oil, and he’d eat broccoli while they were having cheeseburgers. He got a job as a bouncer, but rarely got drunk because it wasn’t good for him—if he had too many beers, he’d be angry at himself the next day. When he told his mom that he and his friends sometimes took pills before parties—just for fun—she lectured him on why he shouldn’t. After graduating with a degree in business and 3.7 GPA, Alex stayed in Morgantown, West Virginia, with his girlfriend while she finished school. He’d decided that he wanted to be a physical therapist, and planned to take the required courses to get into a gradu-
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family photo provided by jimena ryan; painting of Casey by Liliane Blom
After Jimena Ryan’s son Casey died, she saw an old photo of him looking out at the ocean and had it made into a painting, which now hangs in her Olney home. “It was so Casey,” Ryan says. “He was pensive, a deep thinker—and had a very spiritual nature.”
ate program. When he hurt his back at the gym in 2011, a doctor prescribed Percocet. “Percocet is stronger than morphine, milligram for milligram. It’s more potent,” Benzel says. She’d used the drug for a few weeks after surgery and didn’t have a problem with it. “You just never know—that’s the thing. You use something enough, you’re gonna get addicted.” Alex didn’t want to have surgery on his back, so he did everything he could to avoid it. He got a Tempur-Pedic mattress, went to physical therapy and did strengthening exercises at home. But he
couldn’t stop taking the pain pills. He hid his addiction well at first— he’d come home to visit for the weekend and nobody could tell he was high—but over time, his younger sister, Caroline, a senior at George Mason University who’s planning to go to medical school, would see him falling asleep in odd positions on the couch. He’d nod off during conversations, sleep later in the morning, and show up late for appointments. He once drifted off while taking a shower. Eventually he admitted to his mom that he was addicted to painkillers, but said he
wasn’t using them for the high anymore, that he was taking them so he didn’t get sick from the withdrawal. If Alex got his hands on 10 OxyContin, he’d take one a day, Benzel says, so he wasn’t cramping, sweating and vomiting. Still, he had to have the pills, which meant stealing and lying. He used Caroline’s debit card and emptied her bank account. He bought a set of fancy golf clubs and told himself he’d get better and start playing again, then ended up pawning the clubs for drug money. Caroline advised her mom to kick Alex out of
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the house so he would hit rock bottom. “Then what?” Benzel would say. What if something happens to him?
Marielsa Bernard was on
the bench at Montgomery County Circuit Court last December hearing a juvenile case when the administrative judge, her colleague, walked into the courtroom, sat down and looked at her. She knew as soon as she saw him that something was wrong. “Judge Debelius, can I help you?” she asked. “Judge Bernard, can you get off the bench?” he said. “I need to speak with you.” Oh my God—it’s my mother, she thought. They walked into Bernard’s chambers and closed the door. “What is it? What is it?” she asked. He told her that Kate had overdosed on heroin and died in a flophouse, a story Bernard found out hours later was not true; her daughter had taken too many prescription drugs, and her boyfriend called 911 from their apartment. “No, no, not my child!” Bernard yelled. “Not my baby!” “They heard me screaming in the courtroom,” she says. Seven months later, when Bernard looks at her daughter’s third-grade picture from Saint Andrew Apostle School in Silver Spring, she sees a sweet, happy little girl. “There’s just something about her eyes,” says Bernard, who lives in Kensington. “She used to pat my face and say, ‘I’m never gonna leave you, Mommy, I’m never gonna leave you. When I’m older, I’ll buy a house and you’ll come live with me.’ ” It was around that time, when Kate was 7 or 8 years old, that Bernard began to see signs of her daughter’s anxiety. Kate had always been sensitive, and when kids at school started making fun of her chin—they’d say her dad must be Jay Leno—she became self-conscious and stopped smiling as much. She watched a TV show about germs and started washing her hands so much that her skin peeled. She couldn’t finish her homework because she kept erasing
Beth Kane Davidson, who is director of Suburban Hospital’s Addiction Treatment Center and also has her own practice, offered her private therapy office as a place for the mothers to get together and talk. Now the women meet once a week. “I could never have predicted the power of this little group,” Davidson says. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
and rewriting. A therapist diagnosed Kate with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), something she continued to struggle with as she got older. Her anxiety worsened in middle school, where girls would tease and bully one another during three-way phone calls. Kate’s high school years at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney were better. She probably drank with friends, her mom says, but it wasn’t until she got to the University of Maryland that she started using prescription painkillers. That’s when she went to her first pill party, where everyone brought in pills, put them in a felt jewelry bag, and swallowed whatever they happened to grab. A friend of Kate’s brought OxyContin, which her mother took for cancer pain. “That was, I think, the first time that Kate told me that she felt normal—that when she used that drug, she felt like she wasn’t anxious anymore, that she could face the world,” says Bernard, the first judge of Hispanic descent in the history
of Montgomery County. “After that, she could never get that feeling back. And she kept trying.”
T h e r e a r e n’t e n o u g h seats in Davidson’s private office in Bethesda for the moms who are coming to meet tonight, a Tuesday in August, so Benzel and Ryan are bringing in a few more chairs. The two women met when Ryan’s older son, Ian, shared a house with Alex in college and they asked their moms to help decorate it. Ian and Alex had stayed in close touch; they’d gone to the gym together a few nights before Alex died. Ryan’s younger son, Casey, had been clean for 18 months when he severely injured his foot at a concert and was prescribed opioids for the pain. Soon she started finding bent spoons in his room, which he was using to heat crushed pills before injecting them. An autopsy after Casey’s death showed that he died of an overdose of fentanyl. A few weeks later, Ryan started attending Narcotics Anon-
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photo by michael ventura
“You go to get your wisdom teeth out—what are you leaving with? Are you leaving with 20 Vicodin, or are you leaving with four? Depends on who you go to,” says Beth Kane Davidson, director of Suburban Hospital’s Addiction Treatment Center.
ymous (NA) meetings in Rockville and Gaithersburg, waving her son’s autopsy report in the air. “This is what happens, guys. This is where you show up—organ by organ,” she told a group of addicts, many of whom reminded her of Casey. “I couldn’t save my kid. For God’s sake, tell us what we can do to help save you.” Benzel isn’t expecting tonight’s meeting in Davidson’s office to make her feel better. Just like therapy won’t bring her son back, she says, this won’t, either. Before Alex died, she used to run 5 miles every morning; her kids called her “the Energizer bunny.” Now she’d stay in bed all day if she didn’t have to work. When her husband died of colon cancer a year after he was diagnosed, it was terrible and awful, Benzel says, but nothing compares to this. There isn’t much that brings her comfort these days, except maybe church, and the dogs, “because they’re Alex’s.” But she’s here. “How are you?” Benzel says when Ber-
nard walks in, hugging her tightly. They met in the spring at Oakdale Emory United Methodist Church in Olney when the families of addicts gathered there with county officials to talk about the opioid epidemic. They started texting one another to check in—Benzel sent Bernard a message on Mother’s Day—and stayed in touch. “It’s a hard question,” Benzel says. “I don’t even know why I ask.” This is only the second time these women have gotten together, so there’s no real structure to the meetings yet. All five have experienced the death of a child within the last 15 months. They’re just here to talk. For Bernard, who’s divorced, it helps to be around other mothers who’ve stayed up all night wondering where their son or daughter is, who can understand that feeling of wanting nothing more than to have your child back. When she was out recently, she saw a girl with her hair up in a bun, and from behind she looked like Kate. Oh, there’s my daughter, she
thought. Her heart leaped, then she realized no, that’s not her. “How did you feel after last week?” she asks at the start of the meeting. She tells the women she felt worse the day after they got together. “Brings it close to the surface,” one mother says. Ryan says she’s been thinking about how Casey’s life might have been different if he’d been able to get better and go to school—he got his GED diploma while in treatment—but when she looks around the room and sees mothers whose children did graduate from college, she realizes it might not have mattered. That the addiction probably would’ve won anyway. “I went and got five books on neardeath experiences—that’s been helpful to me,” says Ryan, who lives in Olney. She believes in a higher power, she tells them, but she wanted to see some evidence, to feel it in a more concrete way. “I don’t think it ends here—I do think that we are gonna see our children again.” Jill Blumberg, a Rockville mother
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Alex didn’t want to have surgery on his back, so he did everything he could to avoid it. He got a Tempur-Pedic mattress, went to physical therapy and did exercises at home. But he could not stop taking the pain pills. whose 27-year-old son, Jonathan, was working as a day trader on Wall Street when he fatally overdosed on heroin, says she spoke to a psychic once who described her son and told her he was in a better place, and that he was doing fine. “You really believe that?” Bernard asks. She has a hard time with the idea that her daughter is at peace now, she says. After going in and out of treatment for six years, Kate was finally getting control of her life, expecting a baby and starting to feel like she had a future, when she relapsed and overdosed. “I was depressed today, pulling out of the garage. I was thinking about her, and a butterfly came out,” Bernard says. “I see signs like that, but part of me wants to be a skeptic and say, ‘Oh, come on. You’re grasping at straws.’ ”
Bernard’s older daughter,
Megan, a law student at American University, could tell when Kate was high on OxyContin because her pupils looked like tiny dots, almost nonexistent, and her body seemed to move in slow motion. “It would take her like five minutes just to reach for something,” Megan says. They’d fought a lot when they were
young—the usual sister stuff, she says— but started getting closer as they got older. Kate would borrow Megan’s clothes and ask for advice about boys. When she was in trouble, she called Megan first. “She was such a good arguer. Her father and I used to joke that she’d be a great lawyer because she would run circles around us with her logic,” Bernard says of Kate. “We’d be like, ‘OK, OK, we give up!’ ” Both sisters lived with their mom for a while—Megan stayed there when she took time off from law school, and Kate was at home during her last semester of college—and at times, Megan says, she was more like a “pseudo parent” to Kate. The addiction made it hard to be around her. “It sort of leaked itself into everything she did,” Megan says. She and her mom would check on Kate throughout the night to make sure she hadn’t left the oven on, or fallen asleep with a cigarette in her mouth. Kate once passed out in the middle of the street in front of her house, and strangers helped Megan carry her inside, an episode that ended with Kate in the hospital. “There was a week in a row where I stayed up all night basically making sure that she was still breathing,” says Megan, a 2001
graduate of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in the District. Doctors had Kate on benzodiazepines, including Xanax, to treat her anxiety, and because she was an adult, her parents weren’t allowed to sit in on her appointments. “She would go to a psychiatrist and say, ‘I have anxiety,’ and that psychiatrist would give her benzos without realizing she was an addict,” Bernard says. When taken together, opioids and benzos can be deadly; Kate’s autopsy found both painkillers and Xanax in her system. “Our health system should somehow connect. If you’re an addict, you’re cunning—the disease is very cunning— and you learn how to manipulate all of this,” Bernard says. “We knew that our daughter had a problem, and everybody that had treated her knew that she had a problem, but we couldn’t make new doctors aware of that.” The cost of Kate’s treatment added up. When she went to a month-long inpatient program on the Eastern Shore, only 10 days of it were covered by insurance, Bernard says. Then she and Kate’s father paid more than $25,000 out of pocket. At one point, Kate’s psychiatrist pushed for her to go somewhere that specialized in a dual diagnosis—a place that would focus on both her addiction and her mental illness— and the insurance company denied it. “I remember, in July 2011, having this long argument with them, saying my daughter is going to die if you don’t cover this,” Bernard says. “She needed to go to an inpatient treatment program for OCD, and none of those programs, at least that we could find, our insurance would cover. They were all like $50,000 for 28 days, then $6,000 a month after that. Who has the money for that?” Despite several trips to rehab and an intervention with her family—which Megan says felt like a scene from a movie— Kate would not admit that she was an addict. It wasn’t until she survived a suicide attempt in early 2014 that she started to realize she was no longer in control. The incident led to stays at Suburban Hospital and Avery Road Combined Care, a county-
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and state-funded substance abuse treatment program in Rockville for individuals with co-occurring mental health disorders. “Kate would say to me, ‘Mom, why was I born like this?’ She didn’t want to have anxiety. She didn’t want to have addiction,” Bernard says. “You have to fight against it every day. …I don’t think people see it that way sometimes—how much courage it takes to face the demons.” In late November 2014, Kate and her boyfriend, Adam, also a recovering addict, came to Bernard’s house for Thanksgiving and seemed to have a nice time. “I was letting myself believe that things were gonna get better,” says Bernard, who was planning to go to her daughter’s ultrasound appointment in January, “and then a week later Kate died.” A doctor later told Bernard that the pills Kate had taken would not have killed her when she was actively using. Experts say that when addicts are clean and then relapse, a lesser amount of heroin or painkillers can be deadly because their bodies are no longer used to the drugs. At Kate’s funeral, where her family had set up photos of her on a display board, someone approached Bernard and said it seemed like her daughter was really loved. Of course she was loved, Bernard thought. You think because she was an addict she wasn’t loved?
Whenever someone asks
Benzel how many kids she has, she doesn’t know what to say. She could say “three,” and that one of them passed away, but then people would ask questions out of concern, she says, and it’s hard for her to talk about Alex without breaking down. But she doesn’t want to say “two,” either— that’s too real. Even though she stood up at a meeting of Maryland’s Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force in July and talked about her son’s death, there are times she still doesn’t believe he’s gone. “I look at his picture and I keep thinking he’s coming home,” she says. For the first three years of Alex’s addiction, Benzel didn’t tell her family and friends what was happening with him.
“Kate would say to me, ‘Mom, why was I born like this?’ ” Bernard says. “You have to fight against it every day. …I don’t think people see it that way sometimes—how much courage it takes to face the demons.” People make judgements about addicts, she says, and Alex could feel that. She also didn’t want to burden anybody when she was so sure her son would get better. Even when Alex spent time at the Avery Road Treatment Center in 2013, his grandparents didn’t know he was there. “My father is military, and Catholic. Middle Eastern. Stern. You just don’t do things wrong—everything’s black and white,” Benzel says. “There’s never been alcoholism. There’s never been drug addiction. It’s very removed.” While she was trying to help Alex, Benzel was also dealing with a second child’s substance abuse problems. It’s a different situation than Alex’s. That child has struggled with depression and anxiety, and never fully recovered from losing a parent. But Benzel isn’t comfortable talking about that, she says, because her child still has a future to think about. After a 28-day stay at Avery Road, Alex returned to Morgantown in the fall of 2013 thinking that he could stay clean. He registered for classes and went to an outpatient treatment clinic, but soon relapsed again and came home. “Even when he would stop for days and weeks, and even a month, he would just—
it was stronger than he was,” Benzel says. He kept telling his mom that he hated the way he was treating her, that hurting her even once should have been enough to make him stop, and that he didn’t understand why he couldn’t. “I can’t believe you haven’t given up on me,” he’d say. Benzel sent Alex to a private treatment center in Connecticut in July 2014. By then, he’d started using heroin. “I know he tried it maybe a handful of times, but that wasn’t his choice of drug,” Benzel says. “Eventually you run out of money and things to sell…and that’s what’s left.” After Alex died, Caroline insisted that her mom stay with relatives for a few days so she didn’t have to sleep in the house where it happened. Caroline didn’t know how friends and neighbors would react when they found out that her brother had overdosed on heroin—whether there would be lots of people stopping by to say they’re sorry, or nobody, but she didn’t want her mom to have to answer the door if someone knocked. She stayed at the house, instead, to take care of Alex’s dogs, Max and Marley, whom he and his mom adored. Caroline signed her brother’s cremation papers and helped plan his funeral. “My mom had to do it with my dad,”
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Alex kept telling his mom that he hated the way he was treating her, that hurting her even once should have been enough to make him stop, and that he didn’t understand why he couldn’t. says Caroline, 26. “I didn’t want her to have to do that for her son, too.” Alex’s friend Cameron, who lived with the Benzels for a year after college, gave a eulogy for him at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Rockville: “The last time he and I spoke, there was nothing but positivity and hopefulness for a brighter future. I remember thinking at the end of our conversation that my friend had regained his spark.” He also said that Alex “revered his mother, Renee, with an extraordinary kind of love that I have yet to encounter elsewhere.” Soon after Alex died, Benzel received a letter in the mail from the mother of the young man who’d been in her house that night, the one who’d yelled upstairs to tell her that Alex wasn’t breathing. In it, the woman said she was sorry about what happened to Alex. “These addictions are so consuming,” the woman wrote. “I feel like I’ve been waging a war for years and losing more battles than I’m winning.” Benzel had known the family for years, and she knew the woman’s son had a drug problem. She had run into him over the holidays and asked him to stay away from Alex. “Even if he calls you, texts you, don’t respond,” she said. “OK,” he told her. “I know.”
For the first half of the mothers meeting in Beth Kane Davidson’s office, Benzel sits quietly with her hands in her lap. When someone asks how she’s doing, her eyes fill with tears. “I’m not sure why I’m getting so upset,” she says. “Because you can,” another mother tells her. For 90 minutes, none of them look at their phones. They talk about things they learned in support groups, like the “three C’s”—you didn’t cause it, you can’t control it, and you can’t cure it—and how badly they wanted to believe love was enough to protect their children. Blumberg tells them that her son Jonathan, a Walter Johnson High School graduate, was able to donate his heart and liver, the one good thing to come out of what happened. They share what they think about in their darkest moments. “If I didn’t have my other kids, I would not be here,” one mother says. “Me neither,” another responds. They discuss the anguish of the whatifs. “Part of the healing is trying to come to terms with the feeling that somehow I failed him,” Ryan says. Her son Ian scrolled through all of his Facebook conversations with Casey after he died, thinking about what he might’ve said dif-
ferently. “What didn’t I do?” Ryan says. “You did as much as you could,” Bernard tells her. Ryan takes out a picture of Casey, the last one taken of him, and says she recently lined up photos of her son from the past 10 years and could see him slowly dying. Her daughter also struggled with substance abuse, she says, and had been in rehab before her brother passed away. “I brought her back for Casey’s funeral and said, ‘Do you get it now?’ ” Toward the end of the meeting, Benzel starts to talk about her son. “Alex wanted so much to not be addicted,” she says. “I don’t know—I think I’m just broken.” “I would give anything to be able to hug my daughter,” Bernard says. Before they go, Bernard takes out copies of a letter Kate wrote when she was at Father Martin’s Ashley, an inpatient treatment center on the Chesapeake Bay in Havre de Grace. The letter, which she was assigned to write, is dated Oct. 4, 2012; the salutation reads, Hello Addiction. Each day with you was a new adventure. The euphoria, the highs of the oxys, the lows of the heroin nods and everything in between felt like a roller coaster of excitement and freedom in my life. For all those things I thank you. But it is time for us to go our separate ways. I have dreams to go to graduate school and be successful. A death sentence is all you have to offer me. ...When you were away from me my body screamed for you and my mind obsessed. When you were near me we couldn’t be close enough. At the end I wanted you more than ever, but at the same time I knew I had to finally leave you. So I asked for help. Thank God my mom was still there for me. She got me into a place where I felt safe. I learned to laugh again. To make real friends again. I found me again. …And I will one day be able to share with others all I learned from your manipulative, seductive ways, and hopefully help someone trapped like I was. “That’s her draft,” Bernard says, point-
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ing out the marked up pieces of paper Kate had written on. “Don’t you treasure this?” one mother asks. “Just to have something in her handwriting?”
Six months after Kate’s death, her boyfriend, Adam, who had a 3-yearold son, overdosed on heroin at his mother’s house in Frederick. At his funeral, Bernard found herself thinking about how much his family cared about her daughter, how they would’ve welcomed her into their lives. Bernard is currently assigned to juvenile court, and while she can’t tell the kids who come before her in the courtroom about what happened to Kate, she can talk about losing someone you love, and help them understand that once you start using drugs, it’s just so hard to stop. Some of her colleagues weren’t expecting her to return to juvenile court, she says, but her daughter was proud that she handled juvenile deliquency and adult criminal matters. Kate would tell her about people she’d met who said her mom had treated them with respect. “I think that’s what keeps me going—to know that Kate would want me to,” Bernard says. She held onto the Mother’s Day card she got from Kate last year. “It’s a little girl balancing on her mother’s shoulders and she’s pulling her hair and the mother is saying, ‘Owww!’ Then underneath it says, ‘Bet you didn’t know what you were in for when you got me,’ ” Bernard says. “Then inside it says, ‘Did you luck out or what?!’ It’s so Kate—she was so funny. ...I have that on my night table.” She’s spoken with Davidson and a few teachers about visiting local high schools and telling Kate’s story, in Spanish and English, something she hopes to start doing in early 2016. She’ll bring pictures of Kate when she was younger, and give students copies of her letter. “I don’t know if they’ll care, but sometimes you can plant like a little seed and hope it grows later,” she says. She and Megan have started a foundation, Kate’s Hope for Recovery, to advocate for what they call “more holistic
solutions to addiction based on science and compassion, not stigma and shame.” There are very few transitional housing options for women who are being released from inpatient treatment, Bernard says, and the one Kate ended up at was dirty and depressing. “My hope is that when I retire in a few years, I’ll be able to focus on improving that situation,” she says. S o on af ter Kate die d, B er nard requested a meeting with officials in the county’s health and human services department to talk about Avery Road Combined Care, where Kate lived from April to August of 2014. She told them she had concerns about the condition of the building, and said she was disappointed that there weren’t more holistic activities for residents, such as yoga classes or art therapy. When Kate started spending time with a young man in the program, Bernard says, the staff instituted a rule to keep them apart. “It’s a coed program, and after 1 [p.m.] you eat meals together and then there’s no programing in the afternoon and lots of free time,” she says. “What do they expect?” Dr. Raymond Crowel, the county’s chief of behavioral health and crisis services, told Bernard he would look into her concerns to see if improvements needed to be made. “We take complaints very seriously,” says Crowel. “Although we have been mostly flat funded in our addiction treatment programs for probably seven or eight years...we continue to strive to do the best we can to maintain the quality of care.” The department has been meeting with the providers to explore bringing in additional resources, including volunteers to lead recreational activities for residents. “There have been so many cutbacks,” Bernard says. “We just don’t have the services we used to.” Jimena Ryan, who was featured in The Gazette in 2006 for spearheading efforts to open a skate park in Olney so Casey had somewhere safe to skateboard, had planned to go to NA meetings all over the state to talk with addicts, learn their
stories, and advocate on their behalf, but the grief took over and she had to slow down. Still, she may have reached someone already: One young man told her she’d helped him realize the impact he was having on his own family. “I see my mom in you,” he said. She’s thought about starting an organization focused on bringing addicts and families together—there’s too much separation during treatment, she says— or an entrepreneurial training program for young people in recovery. For now, she’s supporting her son Ian in his own endeavor. To honor Casey, he created an online community called Golden Habits to help individuals, including recovering addicts, who are looking to improve their lives. The group focuses on fitness, nutrition, mindset and personal development. “I think something like this would have helped Casey,” Ian says. Since Casey died, the only place Ryan has found solitude is at the beach, where she recently wrote “LOVE YOU CASEY” in the sand. She has a house in Rehoboth Beach, and she’s invited Benzel to spend a few days there with her this fall. Benzel says she has to keep busy because whenever she isn’t doing something, she thinks too much. Maybe time will help, she says. That’s what people tell her. In the meantime, she’s still hoping for a sign from her son, some kind of message, like Bernard got when she saw the butterfly. She watches Long Island Medium, a reality show on TLC about a woman who claims she can communicate with the dead, and she thinks about going to see someone like her. “I never thought I believed in that,” Benzel says. She travels a lot for work these days. One week she’s in Indiana, a few days later she’s on a plane to California. Whenever she’s flying, her thoughts go to Alex. It sounds stupid, she says, but she feels closer to him when she’s in the sky. n Senior Editor Cindy Rich can be reached at cindy.rich@bethesdamagazine.com.
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Coming Up Roses Rose’s Luxury owner Aaron Silverman didn’t figure out that he wanted to be a chef until he was in his 20s. Now the Wootton High School graduate runs one of the hottest restaurants in the country. By NEVIN MARTELL | photos by LIZ LYNCH BethesdaMagazine.com | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 153
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“
“Can we walk through the
space to see if there’s a place we can put a pretty sizable fish tank?” Aaron Silverman asks. The Montgomery Countyraised chef-owner of the hit restaurant Rose’s Luxury on Barracks Row in D.C. is meeting with people at the architecture firm of HapstakDemetriou+ in Georgetown on a sunny mid-May morning. He’s dressed casually, sporting pale gray jeans and matching clogs, his tattooed arms extending from the short sleeves of a white collared shirt. The 33-year-old’s boyish face is slightly unshaved; his black hair is rustled into a spiky array. Along with HapstakDemetriou+ project manager Bill Young and project architect Chris Conner, Silverman is looking at a three-dimensional computer rendering of his second effort, Pineapple and Pearls, which is scheduled to open early next year in the space adjacent to Rose’s Luxury. The concept features a small cof-
fee shop in front and a reservations-only, prix fixe tasting menu restaurant in the back. “I envision five-star, luxury hotel pampering,” Silverman says. Many of the overarching design elements for the new concept have been determined, so today’s meeting is supposed to be about smaller stuff. It turns out that a fish tank isn’t exactly a minor detail, so a spirited debate ensues over where it might fit. An area by the front door and a corner of the dining room are both considered, then discarded, because the tank would take up too much space. Ultimately, the idea is tabled and the discussion turns to whether it would be possible to put a gold-colored or shiny brass sink behind the coffee bar. “It’s things like that—that you don’t expect—which are going to make it really nice,” Silverman says.
Three years ago, few people would have expected Aaron Silverman
to be talking about decorative fish tanks and gold sinks for a hotly anticipated new restaurant. Then again, Silverman’s path to becoming a chef has been somewhat untraditional all along. It’s not like he grew up in a family of foodies—his father, Don, is a nuclear energy attorney, and his mother, Jackie, stayed home to raise their two sons and later worked as a photographer’s assistant. When Silverman was 8 years old, the family moved from Cabin John to a two-story brick colonial in North Potomac, where his parents still live. Though they ate out regularly at casual spots and occasionally enjoyed celebratory meals at L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls, Virginia, and Michel Richard’s now-closed Citronelle in Georgetown, the family mostly eschewed restaurants for Jackie’s homecooked fare, such as ribs and garlicky sautéed shrimp on rice pilaf. “They were
Every full-time employee at Rose’s gets health insurance and full benefits. Pictured here: Silverman (left) and sous-chef Benjamin Nola
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Cacio e pepe is a simple spaghetti dish made with grated Parmesan and pecorino, pepper and butter.
simple meals, nothing fancy,” she says. Don took several cooking classes at L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg and enjoyed creating more intricate meals for special occasions, such as clam, oyster and crab bakes in the summer. Though Silverman has fond memories of helping his father make spring rolls and enchiladas, he says neither parent’s cooking affected his ultimate decision to become a chef. In fact, that world didn’t interest him. “I never once thought cooking was going to be something he took up,” says Silverman’s younger brother, Daniel, who lives in D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood and does business development for a recruiting firm. But today, Aaron Silverman is head of one of the most buzzed-about restaurants in the country—a place that’s earned universal praise from critics and foodies, where diners regularly line up hours in advance to wait for a table, and where President Barack Obama enjoyed his birthday dinner in August.
S i lv e r m a n a t t e n d e d
Thomas S. Wootton High School, which was located a short walk from his house. Late in his freshman year, he became friends with Konstantine Troupos, a talkative classmate who introduced him to lifelong pals Ike Grigoropoulos, Ted Xenohristos and Dimitri Moshovitis. “We were all about coffee, leather jackets, girls and [hair] gel,” Troupos says. “Aaron became an honorary Greek. He was the quiet guy, and we were the crazy ones.” When the friends weren’t driving around Rockville and Potomac in search of parties or bingeing on caramel macchiatos at Starbucks, they worked at Geppetto restaurant in Bethesda’s Wildwood Shopping Center. “He didn’t have to have a job because he came from a well-off family, but he wanted one,” Troupos says of Silverman. Working in a restaurant proved to be formative: Grigoropoulos,
Strings of white lights hang over diners at Rose’s Luxury.
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On a typical night, Rose’s 10 cooks serve about 250 diners.
Xenohristos and Moshovitis would go on to open the local mini-empire of restaurants that includes Cava Mezze, Cava Grill and Sugo Osteria. After high school, Silverman attended Northeastern University in Boston, where he earned a degree in business administration, with majors in accounting, small business management and political science. As part of the program there, he worked at Deloitte & Touche in 2002 and at Gillette the following year. “I realized pretty quickly that I wasn’t going to enjoy that for the rest of my life,” he says. “So I started wondering: What would I do if I didn’t have to live off money?” In his spare time, Silverman began watching cooking shows and experi-
menting with recipes, such as trout almondine, in the small kitchen at his Boston apartment. “It was rewarding,” Silverman says. “There’s the process of building something and then having a finished product you could show off. And who doesn’t like good food?” Silverman decided he would finish his degree, but pursue a career as a chef. Through a mutual friend, Silverman’s parents arranged an introduction for their son to Jonathan Krinn, who was then heading up the kitchen of the fine dining restaurant 2941 in Falls Church, Virginia. “I spent two hours talking him through the realities of being a chef—the great things and the not so great things,” says Krinn, who is now the chef-owner of Clarity in Vienna, Virginia.
At the end of their discussion, Krinn suggested that Silverman come to work at 2941 over his winter break—an experience that he loved. With two years remaining at Northeastern, Silverman cut his last externship and doubled up in credits to finish his program a year early in 2004. As he was making this transition, he kept in mind a piece of advice Krinn had given him during his first days in the kitchen at 2941. “Just work and stay focused,” Krinn told him. “Don’t even consider opening a restaurant for 10 years.” Silverman took this counsel to heart: Almost exactly 10 years after that conversation, Silverman opened Rose’s Luxury.
The servers at Rose’s Luxury are sitting at tables in the back of the res-
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Guests who examine their checks after a meal might find dishes described as “three sides of winning” or “two sides of awesome.” When a diner tells a server about a dietary restriction, the kitchen crew makes clever annotations on the customer’s menu to indicate what could be modified. “There’s lots of smiley faces,” says chef de cuisine B.J. Lieberman. Every full-time employee gets health insurance and full benefits. When Bon Appétit named Rose’s the best new restaurant in the country, Silverman took the whole staff out to D.C.’s Old Ebbitt Grill until the wee hours of the morning for seafood towers and congratulatory toasts, then gave them the next day off. In June 2014, he closed the restaurant for an evening so everyone could attend a Hall & Oates concert at Wolf Trap. “It feels like family,” says Hannah Haas, who works at the host stand. “They take such good care of us, and they’re so committed to making sure we’re happy and we’re being treated well. It feels like we’re doing something
taurant, eating a complimentary communal meal of pasta and salad prepared by the kitchen staff before their evening shift. “There’s no reason anyone should walk out of this building unhappy,” Silverman says in a pre-opening pep talk to his staff. “We have the tools. Whatever we have to do, they should walk out happy. Your only job here is to make people happy, so we will give you whatever you need to do that.” It’s not just the food that has made Rose’s Luxury a sensation; it’s the whole philosophy. Every night, the staff consciously sets out to create unexpected moments of joy. Though comping dishes or drinks for VIP guests is an industry norm, servers at Rose’s are allowed to give one free dish to every table they wait on.
different than running a restaurant.” A year ago, Maria Chicas, a dishwasher who had been with the team since the restaurant opened, had her wallet and cellphone stolen. Several staffers kicked in money to help replace what had been taken, and Silverman covered the balance. After the communal staff dinner, Silverman and the other senior chefs gather to taste and critique every dish that will be on the menu that evening. Once service begins, there are usually 10 cooks working to ensure that guests at the 76-seat restaurant are fed quickly and efficiently. On a typical night, they’ll serve 250 diners. Sampling the food, Silverman says “awesome” constantly, echoing the neon sign that glows on the wall in the dining area. Though he’s happy to dole out compliments, the perfectionist tendencies that diners have come to expect from Silverman shine through. “That’s stale chewy, not chewy chewy,” he says about the toasted coconut flakes on one des-
A diner whips out his cellphone to take photos of a dish.
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Rose’s Luxury doesn’t take reservations, so diners regularly line up outside hours in advance to try to score a table in the 76-seat restaurant.
sert, sending the cook back to the kitchen to make a new batch.
L’Academie de Cuisine founder and director Francois Dionot sees hundreds of students every year and says he doesn’t remember all of them. But he hasn’t forgotten Silverman. “He was very driven,” Dionot says. “He was excellent in his practical skills and theory skills, had good hand-eye coordination and retained everything we threw at him.” After graduating from college, Silverman returned home and enrolled in a yearlong program at L’Academie de Cuisine. When classes were finished for the day, he would battle rush hour traffic en route to 2941, where he worked nights as a line cook. He would get home around 2 a.m., then get up for school four hours later. He did his externship to complete his culinary degree at 2941 and stayed on after that. “It was hard and intense,” remembers Scott Muns, a fellow line cook who began working at the restaurant in April 2005 and became a friend of Silverman’s. “You got yelled at and screamed at.
Things were thrown and broken.” The two would often go out for drinks after work, and Silverman would talk about opening his own restaurant one day. “He didn’t want to rush it,” Muns says. After nearly a year and a half at 2941, Krinn could tell that Silverman was ready to move on. On a Thursday evening early in 2006, Krinn called his friend Josh DeChellis, then chef of the critically acclaimed Jovia (now closed) in New York City and said, “I’ve got a live one for you. If you really kick his ass, he’ll do really good.” Then he called Silverman into his office and asked him if he could be up in Manhattan in time for Saturday night service. The next four years were crucial. After Jovia, Silverman took gigs at a series of high-profile restaurants in New York: Marco Canora’s now-closed Italian eatery Insieme, the Portuguese-accented Aldea under chef George Mendes, and David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar. Silverman’s high school friend Jason LaFond visited frequently during that period, crashing at Silverman’s crowded
apartment in Tribeca that Troupos describes as “the real Real World.” On one trip, Silverman invited LaFond to a potluck dinner he hosted, where he served a startlingly innovative dish: spaghetti with strawberry sauce. The unlikely entrée would become one of Rose’s Luxury’s most well-known dishes. In the fall of 2010, Silverman packed his bags and moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to take a position working the line at McCrady’s, the groundbreaking Southern restaurant of James Beard Award-winner Sean Brock. When Silverman wasn’t in the kitchen, he started thinking about what his own restaurant might look like. He eventually picked up a copy of Setting the Table by Danny Meyer, the restaurateur behind blockbuster New York City establishments such as Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern. “The whole book boils down to: What business are you in?” Silverman says. “Making people happy and giving them an experience. It was a huge eye-opener and started the process of how I think now.”
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On a balmy evening in June 2012, the rooftop of Cava Mezze on Capitol Hill was set up for what looked like a private dinner party, with strings of little white lights hanging above several small tables pushed together to create a communal dinner table. Grigoropoulos, Xenohristos and Moshovitis had kindly offered the space to Silverman for his first pop-up dinner. Silverman had created a makeshift kitchen with a single induction burner and a small deep fryer on a couple of folding tables. Troupos and two other friends were on hand to help him set up, assemble dishes and serve. After moving from Charleston back to Washington, D.C., in August 2011, Silverman was finally beginning preparations for opening his own restaurant. That summer evening, he was hoping to impress about a dozen potential investors, including his parents and the Cava Mezze trio. The nine-course menu that night included strawberry pasta, a frothy and rich popcorn soup, and roasted cauliflower with golden raisin purée and Greek yogurt. “Everyone left the dinner saying, ‘Wow,’ ” says Grigoropoulos. “We knew he’d be the biggest hit in D.C.” With help from Troupos and others, Silverman did a series of pop-up events over the course of 2012 and into 2013 around D.C., including one dinner at Miss Pixie’s, a vintage furniture and home goods store on 14th Street. There was no kitchen at the shop, and they ended up blowing all the circuits. Troupos spent three hours doing dishes at the end of the night in a tiny bathroom sink. Though Silverman knew how to cook, he had never worked with the real estate agents, architects, contractors and various permitting offices that would turn his vision into a reality. “I didn’t know anything,” he says. “I was figuring it out as I went along.” In between hosting dinners for potential investors, Silverman slogged all over D.C. hunting for a location. He looked
The last seating at Silverman’s restaurant is 10 p.m.
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coming up roses
“
In August 2014, Bon Appétit crowned Rose’s Luxury the best new restaurant in America. “It brought tears to my eyes,” says Don Silverman.
at the spaces in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood that eventually became home to the restaurant Table and the pub A&D. Ultimately, he surveyed and discarded nearly 40 options. After months of searching, he walked past a vacant two-story town house on Barracks Row, a couple of blocks from his rental apartment. Silverman had fallen hard for that part of town. “It’s the most neighborhood-y part of D.C.,” he says. “It reminded me a lot of Boston and Charleston.” The space was in bad shape and would need a lot of work. But there was an open-air courtyard between it and a small building at the rear of the property. “It was cute and cozy, but still big,” says Silverman, who signed the lease for the property in September 2012. Meanwhile, Silverman’s dad, Don, took the lead on gathering investors, including lots of family friends from Bethesda and the surrounding suburbs. The Silvermans kicked in some of their own savings, as well. Don looked over contracts, secured permits, researched architects and contractors, and helped build out and decorate the space. “My dad gave everything but blood,” says Daniel Silverman, Aaron’s younger brother. “Sweat and tears for sure.” One of the final pieces of the puzzle was the restaurant’s name, which was inspired by Silverman’s paternal grandmother, Rose, a socialite, poet, cook and entrepreneur who ran a baking business out of her Pittsburgh home. Silverman says he added the word luxury to evoke a sense of pampering.
F i n a l ly, a f t e r m o r e than two years back in D.C., Silverman opened
Rose’s Luxury on Oct. 2, 2013. The renovated two-story space had been transformed into a charmer of a restaurant, decorated with antique bric-a-brac, vintage furniture, tables handmade by Silverman’s uncle, and strings of white lights hanging over the high-ceilinged dining room in back, where the courtyard once had been. The menu was equally eclectic, taking inspiration from the American South, the Far East and Italy. You could order fried chicken brined in pickle juice, cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) spaghetti, and a mélange of lychee, red onions, jalapeños and pan-fried sausage that servers recommended you swirl together into a dirty mess to eat. Though expectations for the enterprise were high, so were Silverman’s insecurities. “We were going into the winter, and everybody said, ‘You don’t open a restaurant in the winter,’ ” says Jackie Silverman, his mother. But buzz built quickly. Since Silverman had decided they wouldn’t take reservations, people began lining up outside each night that fall, though getting a table wasn’t usually a problem. Then, on Dec. 18, Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema gave the restaurant a rave review, calling it “the best news to come out of Capitol Hill in ages.” The lines got longer. More high praise poured forth from Washingtonian, eater.com and Garden & Gun, which, in December 2013, named Rose’s Luxury one of the five most exciting new restaurants in the South. In February 2014, the restaurant became a semifinalist for the James Beard Award in the Best New Restaurant category—a rarity for a chef who had never headed up
a kitchen before, let alone one who was also a first-time restaurateur. The lines grew longer still. Then, in August 2014, Bon Appétit crowned Rose’s Luxury the best new restaurant in America. “It brought tears to my eyes,” says Don Silverman. “It was an affirmation of everything Aaron had worked for.” The cover of the magazine featured one of the restaurant’s servers holding a bowl of lemongrass seafood stew bursting with prawns and littleneck clams. Inside, writer Andrew Knowlton declared the restaurant “a gamechanger” and “a culinary revolution.” That’s when the lines went down-theblock berserk.
It’s a Monday —perhaps the quietest night of the week at Rose’s—but the line to get a table begins forming outside at 2:45 p.m. The restaurant still takes no reservations, except for its rooftop garden table, which seats one party of eight to 10 every evening. Diners can reserve it online three weeks in advance, but when it becomes available, it is always snapped up within seconds—literally. Today, John Bayer is first in line. His parents are in town from California to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Right behind Bayer is Mike McNamara, who works at the restaurant as a bartender. Even Don and Jackie Silverman regularly stand in line for a table. The Obamas are the only people who haven’t had to wait in line. First lady Michelle Obama dined at the restaurant this past February, and then brought the president there for his birthday on
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coming up roses
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Aug. 4. “That was a crazy stressful night, but it was so cool,” says Lieberman, the chef de cuisine. “It’s just like every other night, but there’s this one party that’s taking up half your attention, and there’s four big dudes in the kitchen watching everything that you’re doing.” In the last few minutes before the doors are opened, Jackie, who’s here most days of the week, lights candles on the tables and makes minor adjustments to the flower arrangements she put out earlier. Chefs slip on fresh white shirts. The “Awesome” sign is turned on as classic rock songs such as the Police’s “Every Breath You Take” and Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” echo through the space. At 5:30 on the dot, the doors open. There are about 75 people in line at this point, most of them damp after a passing shower. As they begin to flood inside, the three staffers at the host stand funnel them off to servers, who walk the customers to their tables. After half an hour, parties of three or more are being told they’ll probably sit down to eat between 9 and 10 p.m., with the last official seating at 10 p.m. “But it’s my 30th anniversary,” one gentleman says in frustration. By 6:15, the whole line has been processed. At this point, parties of three or more are told that the restaurant is booked for the evening. As all this action unfolds out front, Silverman stands at the center of the counter in the open kitchen, calling out orders and finishing plates. He’s focused, in the zone. Every once in a while he’ll look into the dining room to survey the scene, and then turn back to his work. You can tell he’s enjoying himself. He’ll smile at a cook’s comment or give a high-five to a passing server. By 7 p.m., even parties of two are told they can’t be accommodated that evening—Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is one of the many who is politely turned away. n Nevin Martell is a D.C.-based food and travel writer. He can be found on Twitter and Instagram @nevinmartell.
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H O L I D AY 2 0 1 5
south moon under BETHESDA
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Green giants By Aaron Kraut | Photos by Darren Higgins
A CHEVY CHASE DEVELOPER that incorporates green
features into all of its projects. A Franciscan priest who advocates for environmental change. A pair of recent college graduates from Bethesda who launched a business to collect food waste.
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Teacher Liz Bullock with students at Green Acres School
These are among the five winners of the Bethesda Magazine Green Awards, held in partnership with Bethesda Green. This year’s winners represent different parts of our community but have one thing in common: a commitment to promoting a more sustainable way of life.
In Tune With Nature It’s probably no surprise that a school with “green” in its name and a heavily forested campus puts an emphasis on environmental stewardship. But lately, Green Acres, a private school of about 275 students in North Bethesda, has stepped up its green game. In May, the school was awarded Maryland Green School status by the Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education. Liz Bullock, who teaches fifth-grade science and sixthgrade math, says the honor was a culmination of the school’s long history of having a nature-based curriculum. A group of newer teachers including Bullock recently added ways to stress the importance of sustainability in other subjects. “The environmental curriculum was already very well integrated in science and math,” Bullock says. “What we were able to do is inject some lessons into language arts, social studies, even Spanish class.” Geography and topography are woven into discussions about cultures from around the world. Students in Spanish classes, for example, are asked to consider how environmental issues impact Latin America. Signs of environmental awareness are visible all around the school. In September, sixth-graders mapped the entire 15-acre campus by tree type, labeling the trees with colored ribbons before cataloging each. Everyone on campus participates throughout the school year in a composting program. Last school year, third-graders ran a farmers market with vegetables grown on campus as part of Green Acres’ gardening program. “Being outside is a big thing,” says Green Acres’ seventhgrader Alexandra Orenstein. “You just really feel connected to the environment.” The school’s annual four-day outdoor education trip sends fifth-graders and teachers to Echo Hill Outdoor School on the Chesapeake Bay to study water and air quality, learn about the history of fishing and crabbing, and identify animal species. Seventh-graders head to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia or to The Mountain Institute, where they learn about the importance of preserving mountain ecosystems at an educational facility on Spruce Mountain, West Virginia’s highest peak. On a trip to The Mountain Institute in September, students were tasked with creating a shelter, and counselors challenged them to reach the top of the mountain with only a map and a compass. After the students return to school, teachers assign projects that reinforce the lessons learned. “We want to make sure it’s not just an event,” Bullock says. “We want the students to see the planning ahead of time and reflect afterward.” BethesdaMagazine.com | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 165
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JBG employees (standing left to right) Buji Tallapragada, Jessica Long, Debra Linowes, Heather Howard and (seated left to right) Amanda Lorch, Afi Edim, Alex Bonaparte
building sustainable spaces Each design detail was considered from a green point of view when Chevy Chase-based developer The JBG Companies planned the new Rockville headquarters for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). With two eight-story towers and nearly 580,000 square feet of space, NCI’s new headquarters has movable partition walls that eliminate the need to tear down and throw away building materials should floor plans change. Green roofs are staggered on lower levels of the building, allowing for views of the lush plantings from inside. Enclosed offices are on the interior core of the building, rather than along the windows, allowing light to flow into open workspaces. It’s a far cry from the traditional office layout, where the best views and sunlight are reserved for executives in corner offices. “The National Cancer Institute was a
big driver in wanting to have a happy and healthy building and have that live, work, play attitude within their campus,” says Jessica Long, JBG’s sustainability manager. Long is JBG’s resident expert on LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), the U.S. Green Building Councilsponsored program that rates how sustainable, energy-efficient and green a building is. At JBG, one of the region’s largest property owners and building developers, the goal is to incorporate best green practices into everything the company does, Long says, whether it’s a new apartment project, an office building renovation or a property close to existing transit that encourages workers or residents out of their cars. “A lot of what we’re doing is understanding our energy use, our water use, the way people come to and from our buildings,” Long says. “We have
a ground-up approach and internal training so that we actually have people who understand the LEED program.” The result is a LEED Gold certified building (the second-highest certification level after LEED Platinum) such as the NCI’s headquarters, which is also outfitted with an energy-saving lighting system that uses dimmers and motionactivated sensors, a stormwater retention pond, and two living green walls covered in ferns. JBG’s portfolio boasts 41 buildings that are LEED certified, with another 68 such projects in the pipeline. Twenty-seven employees hold LEED accreditation. “We’re different than many real estate developers because we try to make sustainable operating practices our standard,” Long says. “We’re not changing what we do based on the property. This is the way we operate our buildings.”
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the advocate
The Rev. Jacek Orzechowski
Pope Francis’ June encyclical on the perils of climate change provided a welcome new voice for environmentalists. To those who know the Rev. Jacek Orzechowski, leader of St. Camillus Catholic Church in Silver Spring, the pope’s words sounded very familiar. With support from followers at his church and area faith leaders, Orzechowski has become an outspoken advocate for environmental issues in Maryland and beyond. In January, as part of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network’s Polar Bear Plunge, the Franciscan priest raised money for the group and jumped into the Potomac River in his clerical robe. He has lobbied lawmakers in Annapolis on allowing power-producing wind farms off Maryland’s coast (a bill eventually passed in 2013). In 2011, he was among a group of religious leaders arrested in front of the White House while protesting the Keystone XL pipeline. (He was later fined.) “One reason I feel so passionate about protecting God’s creation is because of my own experiences and my love for the beauty of nature,” says Orzechowski, who enjoys hiking. “What I do in large part comes from a sense of gratitude about how precious it is and how valuable it is. But it is also recognition that, collectively, we are destroying God’s creation. It is a profound moral issue.” As pastor of a church that celebrates Masses in three languages, Orzechowski says he’s most proud of his work with the parish’s large number of Hispanic worshippers, some of whom started a Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation committee that organizes an annual “EcoFest.” The event, held close to Earth Day, highlights sustainable living. Last year, an exhibit dedicated to healthy eating habits encouraged less reliance on red meat and more openness to vegan dishes. Joelle Novey, the director of the local branch of Interfaith Power & Light, a national group that organizes religious leaders to fight climate change, has worked with Orzechowski on many state and local environmental issues. Novey says he regularly references St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th century Catholic friar known for his teachings on nature and the environment—especially his message about the interrelatedness of creation and the responsibility of human beings to be mindful about the natural world. “Father Jacek has definitely taken St. Francis out of the birdbath,” Novey says, referring to birdbaths often adorned with St. Francis’ image. “He’s determined to get that legacy out there because I think he feels there has been a diminishment of that message.”
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Wildlife Saviors
Wildlife Habitat Council President Margaret O’Gorman
When leaders of large corporations want to transform portions of their properties into conservation areas, they’re likely to turn to a Silver Spring-based nonprofit that has helped orchestrate 827 such projects over its 27 years. The 30 employees at the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) work with major companies across the country, including ExxonMobil and Lockheed Martin, to develop conservation projects—such as the installation of pollinator gardens and the construction of nature trails— and guide them through the process. Two years ago in Dresden, Ohio, WHC helped Oldcastle Materials, a building materials company, convert a former sand, gravel and stone mine into a 96-acre wildlife habitat. The space has lakes, restored grasslands and carefully managed areas that are now home to herons, ospreys and bald eagles. WHC worked with the company and local leaders to open up the land to the community for educational projects and offer access to a trail and boat dock. “Our perfect project is at an intersection of conservation, community and employee well-being,” says WHC President Margaret O’Gorman. The group advised Pepco on its WaterShed Sustainablity Center in Rockville, a 900-square-foot home designed by University of Maryland students that won first place in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon. Boy Scout troops use the facility to learn about water conservation and energy use. WHC has also helped businesses with smaller projects, such as using rain gardens to collect stormwater Alan recycling before it hitsPultyniewicz, sewer systems and coordinator using for Montgomery County’s Department bee boxes to attract pollinators. Since of Environmental Protection, helps out major conservation can seemDay daunting, at Free Paper Shredding at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda. WHC encourages companies to start small and grow their project, O’Gorman says. It’s a strategy that has given new life to huge swaths of land.
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The Waste Trimmers
Compost Crew founders Ryan Walter (left) and Brian Flores
Ryan Walter and childhood friend Brian Flores were back in Bethesda and in a post-college reflection phase when the idea for The Compost Crew hit them. After starting a compost pile in his mom’s backyard, Flores had researched successful compost collection services for everyday food waste in Europe and on the West Coast. He saw an opportunity to do something similar in Montgomery County. “People here tend to see the value in paying extra to do the environmentally and socially right thing,” Walter says. The business was established in 2011, and the two have grown the collection service to about 2,000 homes. The company hit the milestone of 1 million pounds of collected food waste earlier this year. The Compost Crew does weekly pickups throughout the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore region for customers who are outfitted with an airtight 5-gallon bucket and compostable bag liners for their food waste—egg shells, produce peelings, spoiled leftovers—and contaminated paper products. The service costs $32 a month or $352 a year. The company takes the materials to a composting facility in Upper Marlboro, and every six months customers are offered the opportunity to take up to four onecubic-foot sealed bags of the compost to use in their garden or yard. Bethesda resident Doug McManus says his family received the service as a gift on a trial basis a few years ago. “It gave us more awareness about how much food we were wasting,” McManus says. “It’s amazing how much food you end up throwing out. We fill a 5-gallon bucket each week. Over a year, that turns into a lot of good organic material.” n Aaron Kraut is a senior writer for Bethesda Beat, the magazine’s daily online news briefing.
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Fare Game Second-generation Barwood owner Lee Barnes
Barwood Taxi owner Lee Barnes isn’t just battling companies like Uber—he’s also at war with some of his own drivers. Can he keep the company his father founded more than 50 years ago alive? By Eugene L. Meyer photos by lisa helfert
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Taxis often sit idle at Barwood’s White Flint Industrial Park headquarters.
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Depending on the hour and the day, anywhere from four to 20 dispatchers are on duty at Barwood headquarters.
Lee Barnes wasn’t happy
at all. The president and owner of the county’s largest taxicab company had lobbied councilmembers individually, and had sat patiently in the meeting room, letting others do the talking, as the Montgomery County Council slogged through a public hearing last December and six work sessions this year. Now, he’d had it. It was July 21. The council had just passed a bill it promised would “level the playing field” between the county’s established cab companies—such as Barnes’ Barwood—and Uber, the new unruly kid on the block that claims it’s not really a cab company, just a technology vendor, and therefore cannot be regulated. So, after huddling with his advisers in the council cafeteria, the 62-year-old Barnes spoke his mind. “I think the taxi industry—fleets, individual owners and drivers—is worse off,” he said. “The council hasn’t done anything to make the industry more com-
petitive. Uber is more successful not just because it has the app, but because it has [billions] to take on anybody. It’s a corporate bully.” Barnes, determined to continue the company his father founded more than 50 years ago, has had a tough few years. In addition to fighting Uber and other transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Lyft, he’s been warring with his own drivers over such issues as the lease terms he requires on cars he owns, including daily rental rates of $100 or more, and credit card charges that the drivers argue are excessive. The conflict has led some drivers to switch to Uber and others to form a union affiliated with the AFL-CIO: MontCo Union Taxi, which is creating a co-op to compete against both Uber and Barwood. The new legislation may indeed level the playing field for taxi drivers, but it probably doesn’t for companies like Barwood. According to the new law, the county will now decide how much
taxicab companies can charge drivers to rent their cabs. The bill also adds 100 new passenger vehicle licenses (commonly called PVLs; the equivalent of New York City’s medallions) to the 770 the county had allowed. Half of the new PVLs are reserved for the co-op; 25 are to be split up among the three smallest cab companies operating in the county; and 25 for other, unaffiliated drivers—a new category, since all drivers before now needed to be affiliated with a fleet. The bill also allows cabs to be any color and to carry less conspicuous dome lights—in other words, to look less like cabs and more like, well, Uber. Despite the changes in the law, it’s a tough landscape for nearly everyone in the industry, except perhaps for Uber, which says it has some 12,000 drivers roaming the Washington, D.C., metro area just waiting for the next online request for service. All of this matters to the riding public. Not only to those who profess to love
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Barnes says that some nights, business is off 50 percent compared to what it was before Uber.
Uber, including legions of millennials, but also to the segments of society to which Uber does not cater, including the wheelchair-bound; up-county residents; and people without cellphones and credit cards, such as the low-income elderly. “It is a new world,” declared Councilmember Roger Berliner, transportation committee chair, after the July meeting. “A lot is changing. We’re trying to strike the right balance. Nobody is going to be happy.”
T h e tax i b u s i n e s s used to be pretty simple. You needed a ride, you called or hailed a cab. For drivers, it
embodied the American dream, the notion that anyone who worked hard could do well. At least that was the philosophy of Harrison Eugene Barnes, a World War II Army veteran from Taylorsville, North Carolina. After the war, like a lot of GIs from rural America, he came to Washington, where he and his brother, Harold, owned country music bars and restaurants, and drove cabs. By the mid-50s, the District was regulating its growing number of taxis, and the Barnes brothers looked for less-plowed pastures. They found them in wide-open, unregulated Montgom-
ery County. “Everyone heard Montgomery was better,” says Lee Barnes, Harrison’s son. So, in 1958, the brothers started Montgomery Cab next to the Tastee Diner on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda. In 1960, Harold left to sell used cars. Henry Woodfield, a Ford dealer in Damascus, took his place and threw in some 60 vehicles. In 1964, Barnes and Woodfield became Barwood. Harrison Barnes owned a light-blue 1964 Thunderbird. At the time, most Montgomery County cabs were black, so the senior Barnes chose light blue to distinguish his. Would Barwood ever
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change its color? “No way,” his son says. Lee Barnes grew up in the Wyngate neighborhood of Bethesda off Old Georgetown Road, not far from where he lives now, and graduated in 1971 from Walter Johnson High School. As a kid, he rode often with his father, who, in addition to owning the company, drove cabs. He remembers his dad giving him a dime each time he opened the door for the “little old ladies” to whom he gave rides. During the summers, Lee Barnes worked in the cab company’s dispatch room and garage, in an old house at 8215 Wisconsin Avenue that had rental rooms for drivers. As a teenager, he cleaned cabs and answered phones, experiences that taught him the importance of customer service. “You have to learn how to read your customers, their wants and expectations,” he says. Barnes was studying accounting at the University of Maryland and driving a cab to make money when his father suffered a heart attack in October 1974. Barnes dropped out of school the next day to help run the business, and the two worked together until Harrison Barnes died in 1983 at the age of 63. “Washington is a town of movers and shakers, and I’ve had my share as a driver,” Barnes says. “When I drove, [presidential adviser] Clark Clifford was one of our regulars, and he always asked for me. He was a really good tipper. I drove [television news commentator] Eric Sevareid, [AFL-CIO President] George Meany, [columnist] George Will. I drove [former Vice President] Hubert Humphrey.” Barnes is proud that his father hired the first female and African-American drivers in the 1950s, and that he refused to cater to the Southern sensibilities of some of his white customers. “In 1965, 1966, you’d get [white women] who’d ask not to have an African-American driver. My dad would say, ‘Be polite, say no, we can’t do that.’ ”
Uber driver Richard Sassoon says he doesn’t drive for money; he does it to meet interesting people and socialize.
In 1970, Barwood moved its headquarters to Metropolitan Avenue in Kensington, near the train tracks. Twelve years later it moved to 4925 Nicholson Court in Kensington and then in 1995, moved again, this time next door, where it’s been ever since. The 3-acre site, on a cul-de-sac in White Flint Industrial Park, encompasses a sea of light-blue Barwood cabs, a repair shop and a two-story brick office building. Office walls and hallways are adorned with family and Bar wood photos. Upstairs, a former locker room is now a
prayer room to accommodate the company’s large contingent of Muslim drivers. The call center on the ground floor is a warren of 16 cubicles. Four to 20 dispatchers are on duty at any time, depending on the hour and day. Over the years, the driver demographic has changed from all white to a rainbow of colors and ethnicities. Barnes says the company often sees an influx of drivers from countries that are experiencing upheavals. In the late 1960s, Iranians began driving; in the 1970s, Nigerians; in the 1980s, Afghans; and
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ulations. Nobody’s ticketing them [$200] for not filling out a paper manifest.”
UBER IPHONE PHOTO BY ANDREW METCALF
Ride requests are made through Uber’s app.
in the 1990s, Ethiopians. Today, most are African immigrants, many of them well-educated and happy to be in America. Barwood got to be the leading company by buying up others, but the road hasn’t always been smooth. A 2006 traffic accident involving a Barwood cab resulted in a $3 million judgment—and bankruptcy in 2007. To repay its debt, Barwood persuaded the county to allow it to sell up to 250 of its PVLs to its drivers at an average price of $62,000, according to Barnes. To buy the PVLs, many of the drivers took out loans from Barwood
that they’re still repaying. Barwood retains 300 PVLs, plus 159 affiliated drivers with their own PVLs. Regency Cab is next with 113 PVLs and 22 affiliates, followed by Action Taxi with 62 and 17, Sun Cab with 60 and 11, and Orange Taxi with 14 and 12. Currently, there are no independent cab drivers in the county, but that’s scheduled to change by Jan. 1, 2016, under the new law. No sooner had Barwood begun to emerge from bankruptcy than a new threat appeared: Uber. The company promised drivers they could earn more by using its Web technology to lure customers—without having to meet stringent state standards applied to traditional taxis and drivers. Many Barwood drivers who did not own PVLs are now driving for Uber. This move to Uber has left anywhere from 50 to 200 Barwood cars idle, depending on the time of day and who’s counting. Since Barwood still owns the PVLs on these vehicles, no one unaffiliated with the fleet can use them. Uber drivers, of course, don’t need them. “Some nights our taxi business is off 50 percent,” compared to what it was before Uber, Barnes says. “We’ve probably lost 75 or 100 drivers. They go [to Uber] because there are none of the reg-
L aunched in 2010 in San Francisco, Uber quickly spread to cities around the country—and beyond. Its expansion sparked controversies, from riots in Paris and Mexico City to outright bans in South Korea, the Netherlands, Romania, Berlin and Geneva. Uber’s unregulated entrance into regulated markets also led to an ill-fated effort by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to limit its number in Manhattan. It has even become an issue in the 2016 presidential campaign, with Hillary Clinton denouncing, without naming Uber, the “gig economy” that she says denies rightful benefits to workers. Others, primarily Republicans, have praised the company’s entrepreneurial free-market spirit. Meanwhile, lawsuits have been filed against Uber from coast to coast. In California in June, the state labor commissioner ruled that a former Uber driver was an employee entitled to reimbursement for past expenses, and not an independent contractor merely using its digital platform, as Uber maintains. Uber is appealing the ruling. In August, a separate California agency ruled that another former Uber driver was an employee, eligible to receive unemployment benefits. Cashless payments from riders go to Uber, which returns 80 percent to the drivers. Uber also sets the rates through a “dynamic pricing” strategy that includes “surge prices” pegged to supply and demand. Riders rate drivers on a scale of 1 to 5, and Uber can essentially fire those who are low-rated. Drivers also rate riders, and can steer away from low scorers. Despite mounting challenges, Uber so far seems to have a winning strategy. The company was recently valued at $51 billion. It operates in 329 cities in 59 countries on six continents. It claims more than 3,500 employees worldwide (a figure that excludes drivers but covers mar-
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Barwood driver Naftali Ayele, who owns his own PVL, says it is difficult to support his wife and four children on what he earns as a cab driver.
keting, communications and operations personnel), hundreds of thousands of “driver partners,” and “millions” of riders. Uber is less forthcoming about its local operation, other than to say it has more than 12,000 drivers in the Washington, D.C., area who are able to move freely back and forth across jurisdictions—a perk not available to local cab companies, which are only allowed to pick up passengers in Montgomery County. “Specific numbers of drivers and riders in the area is proprietary,” says Uber spokesman Taylor Bennett. The Uber office in downtown Washington is off-limits to reporters. Uber calls its service “ridesharing,” a term suggesting that it is not a business transaction. Uber insists it merely makes its app “platform” available to drivers it calls “providers” and to riders who use it to facilitate a no-cash transaction. Users must have a cellphone and credit card, requirements that Uber critics contend exclude many low-income riders. “Borders didn’t go out of business because people wanted to stop reading books,” says John Marshall, an attorney
for the Coalition for a Competitive Taxicab Industry (CCTI), the local taxi trade association. “A percentage was hollowed out by Amazon. In the transportation industry, where it’s really troubling is if cab companies go under, what happens to those passengers who don’t use a cellphone, what happens to the elderly? Uber has no interest in transporting those people. The disruption is to people who really can least afford to be disrupted.”
U b e r’s u n r e g u l at e d arrival here in 2011 drew the ire and opposition of established cab companies and their drivers. But, responding to aggressive Uberdriven social media campaigns, first the District in October 2014, then Virginia last February, enacted laws providing a framework in which Uber and other socalled “ridesharing” services could operate legally. In both cases, the rules that applied to Uber and other similar services were far less restrictive than those that already applied to traditional taxis. “Uber bullied the [D.C.] council with social media, tweets, to make it look like the government was evil,” Barnes says.
“They don’t want a level playing field.” In 2013, Maryland’s Public Service Commission (PSC) sought documents and information from Uber regarding its operations to learn whether it should be subject to the same rules as traditional taxis. That December, the PSC staff issued a brief that was sharply critical of Uber. “Through its vehicle requirements, screening processes, billing system and rating system, it is apparent that Uber is managing a high-end brand of for-hire transportation,” it asserted. Uber hired H. Russell Frisby Jr., former chairman of the PSC, to represent the company. In Maryland, several cab companies, including Barwood, filed suit in Baltimore federal court in July 2014 to stop Uber. “If left unchecked,” the suit warned, “Uber will upend the vehicle transportation industry in Maryland, creating a two-tiered market of ‘haves’ and ‘have nots.’ ” The suit was later withdrawn on technical grounds. On the local level, Montgomery County, which had last overhauled its taxi regulations in 2004, was eager to update its laws. Bills were drafted that, among other things, were designed to address TNCs like Uber. But even as the council was holding a public hearing and work sessions on its proposals earlier this year, a bill moved through Annapolis that superseded its efforts. In its state lobbying, Uber sought a framework similar to the District’s and Virginia’s that would place it under the PSC—with fewer rules than applied to taxicabs. On April 13, at the last meeting of the 2015 Maryland General Assembly, the legislature passed the Uber bill. It allows companies like Uber and Lyft to conduct their own safety inspections and driver criminal background checks, which do not have to include the fingerprinting required of traditional taxicab drivers. Under the new law, the commission is not allowed to require more stringent background checks until April 1, 2016, at which time the TNCs can ask that such requirements be waived. One concession: The TNCs must
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Outnumbered
Every Montgomery County cab must have its own passenger vehicle license (PVL). Currently, there are 770 PVLs in the county; the new law that was passed in July will add 100 more by Jan. 1. Uber drivers are not required to have a PVL, and though the company won’t say how many cars it has in Montgomery County, it does say that it has 12,000 drivers in the Washington, D.C. area.
Barwood 459 PVLs
Regency Cab 135 PVLs
Action Taxi 79 PVLs
Sun Cab 71 PVLs
Orange Taxi 26 PVLs
DRIVERS
contribute 25 cents per ride to a fund, overseen by the Maryland comptroller, for taxi drivers to make their cabs wheelchair-accessible. The TNCs are honor-bound to report all rides, but the information they provide is deemed confidential. “You took to Twitter and Facebook, and sent countless emails and phone calls to stand up for ridesharing in Maryland,” Uber blogged to supporters on April 14. “Thanks to your support, [Uber] now has a permanent home in Maryland.”
R i c h a r d S a ss o o n is not the first UberX driver to respond to my ride request one recent morning. First, there is Mushkbar (4.8 stars) who, Uber texts, will arrive in six minutes. Moments later: “Unfortunately, your driver had to cancel the trip. Please request a new ride and we’ll get you moving shortly.” Then: “All nearby UberX drivers are busy but one should free up soon. Check back in a minute or choose another Uber option.” Uber’s least expensive option, UberX connects riders with the driver of an everyday car such as a Toyota Prius or Honda Accord. More expensive services include UberSUV or UberBLACK, which
hooks riders up with a recent-model black sedan with a black leather interior. Before I have to splurge on one of these higher-cost options, I receive a message saying: “Your Uber is on the way. Richard (4.9 stars) will arrive in 8 minutes.” As a shiny black 2011 Honda CR-V pulls up, a text alert says, “Your Uber is arriving now.” The 10-minute, 2.38-mile ride from my home to the Silver Spring Metro station costs $7.43, according to the emailed receipt. That’s about what Barwood would charge, I learn from an estimate I glean from its iPhone app. My driver, Sassoon, 60 and now retired, was chief of capital operations and programs for the Department of Veteran Affairs. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Maryland and lives in a house in downtown Silver Spring. In January, Uber released a study that analyzed the demographics of its drivers. Except for his age, Sassoon reflects those findings: Uber drivers are more white, more educated and younger than traditional cabbies. About 37 percent have college degrees, and nearly 11 percent have graduate degrees.
12,000
Sassoon and his wife, Jane, are empty nesters. After 37 years with the government, he has a healthy six-figure pension, and Jane works as an accountant. “Being a retiree is an isolating experience,” says Sassoon, who drives for Uber about twice a week. “I enjoy meeting people.” He says he’s driven people from Saudi Arabia and Slovakia. He took three young ladies to a Taylor Swift concert, and drove a journalist from Mother Jones. So, how much does he make? For one two-day period, during which he drove for about 20 hours, he says he grossed $385. From that, Uber withheld its fee of 20 percent, lowering his payout to $308—a little more than $150 per day, minus his expenses for gas, maintenance and insurance. “It’s really a social experience for me,” he says. “I don’t want it to turn into a grind, don’t need it. I don’t need money per se. It’s a quasi hobby, I suppose. A pastime.” Driving a cab is noT a pastime for Nelson Biama. In order to further his education, Biama, 49, emigrated 23 years ago from Cameroon, where he’d studied accounting. “But when I got here, one of my sponsors passed away and I had no
graphic by amanda smallwood
12,000
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fare game support to pay for school,” he says. He worked in construction, then as a delivery driver, but the economy tanked, he spent his savings, and he lost his job and his house in Prince George’s County. In 2009, he started driving for Barwood. He now lives in a $1,900-a-month, threebedroom apartment in Rockville with his wife and children. He says he drives 14 hours a day, seven days a week to support his family. His wife is a home health aide. They have two daughters, a 21-year-old who attends Montgomery College and a 16-year-old high school student, as well as a 17-year-old son who goes to Wesley College in Dover, Delaware, on a scholarship. “On good days,” he says, “I can go home with about $100 or $110 after paying my [$110 daily rental] expenses with Barwood,” which holds the PVL on the car he drives. Why didn’t he defect to Uber? “To tell you the truth, I put in my application with Uber. They offered me to go, but I didn’t. Everybody was praising Uber. I was taking a wait and see attitude to see what it would entail. For me, the jury is still out.” What he did do was get involved with the union in a leadership role. He says he doesn’t want to go to Uber before seeing what he and his colleagues can achieve through the co-op. “We have to change the system from within,” he says. “At the end of the day, our customers need us.” One recent morning, seven or eight cabs were lined up at a taxi stand near the Silver Spring Metro station, some lightblue (Barwood), others green (Sun Cab), red (Action) and white (Regency). One former Barwood driver said he was now driving for Sun because it charged him less to lease his cab. A Barwood driver in a Prius who owned both his car and a PVL said he is hard-pressed to support his wife and four children on what he earns. “I’m not happy now,” said the driver, Naftali Ayele, a 43-year-old Ethiopian immigrant who said he paid $78,000 to buy his PVL from Barwood, borrowing the money from friends, Barwood and the Ethiopian Community Development Council. He said if he weren’t locked into a five-
year contract with Barwood, he might switch to Uber.
Neither Uber nor Lyft attended the July 21 county council meeting. But cabbies were there in force—and were divided. Those allied with the union and seeking more PVLs to establish a co-op were on one side. They wore yellow T-shirts that said “MontCo Union Taxi.” Those who owned PVLs sat on the other side. Worried that the issuance of more PVLs would devalue theirs, they carried signs that said, “No Free PVLs” and “Our Families Are Our Business.” Barnes and other company officials sat somewhere in the middle, uncomfortably, by themselves. As the council voted to have the county issue 100 more PVLs, there were loud cheers from the union drivers—and boos from the rest. “This is a mess we helped create and perpetuate,” Councilmember Marc Elrich said, “and now we’re trying to clean it up.” After the meeting, a convoy of lightblue taxicabs exited the adjoining garage—toward a daunting and unsettled future. “It’s an uncertain time,” Barnes said a few weeks later at Barwood headquarters. Outside his office, as many as 100 cabs sat idle for lack of drivers. But Barnes is not giving up without a fight. He was recently in talks with Verifone, a Silicon Valley-based firm whose technology allows passengers to directly charge their rides without giving a credit card to the driver. The company is also developing an app, similar to Uber’s, that will show riders where cabs are and how long they should expect to wait. As with Uber, the app will allow riders to rate drivers. “This is very similar to the TNCs of the world,” Barnes said, being careful not to mention Uber specifically. “I use their name as little as possible. I don’t like to use four-letter words.” n Eugene L. Meyer is a contributing editor for Bethesda Magazine. To comment on this story, e-mail comments@bethesda magazine.com.
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the experts Moms and dads in the Bethesda area are used to succeeding. So what happens when they feel like they’re failing at parenting? By Katherine Reynolds Lewis Illustration by daniel guidera
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Jen Campbell Munn pried her son Lucas’ arms from around her legs and handed the sobbing boy to his pre-K teacher. She reassured her 4-year-old that she’d be back after she finished leading a yoga class, which was due to start in a half hour. She watched as the teacher tried to settle him in her lap. “The teacher looked at me and said, ‘If you’re going to leave, I think you should just go,’ ” recalls Campbell Munn, 45, of Bethesda. “It was one of those parenting moments that you hope never comes. You’re leaving your child somewhere where they’re physically restraining him. He’s crying. You don’t have an option.” As she left the building, Campbell Munn wondered how her son’s behavior had deteriorated so quickly. Since he was a toddler, Lucas had thrived at the private school. But after winter break of his pre-K year, every other day seemed to bring another teacher’s report of misbehavior: screaming, stomping, running around or crawling under a table. At first she deemed it a fluke for the normally sweet-tempered boy, perhaps a reaction to being cooped up by winter weather. Lucas’ parents and his teachers emphasized maintaining a routine and tried to set consistent expectations in hopes of curbing the misbehavior. “The crazy play happens outside in the park,” Campbell Munn would say. But before long, his teachers seemed to give up on Lucas, calling Campbell Munn to pick him up early almost every day in the two weeks prior to that morning. Campbell Munn and her husband, Jeff Munn, both have an older child from previous marriages, and neither had ever acted like this. How could they
be so flummoxed by their pre-schooler’s behavior? Campbell Munn withdrew Lucas from school and turned to Mali Parke, a parent coach who had been recommended by a friend. “My intention was for him to be at the school until high school graduation, to grow up in this environment, and it was shocking to me that that was not going to happen,” Campbell Munn says. “I had a lot of fear, anxiety and uncertainty. How could we help him?”
L i k e m a n y Bethesda parents, the Munns are polished and well-educated— she ran her own Pilates business, and he’s a health care and retirement adviser. They’re accustomed to being in control. Faced with a problem, they educate themselves and find the right solution. But when it came to their son’s behavior problems, they were at a loss for what to do. Since Dr. Benjamin Spock wrote Baby and Child Care in 1946, parents have turned to experts for help in raising children. But unlike the 1950s and 1960s, when father knew best, or the 1980s, when Dr. T. Berry Brazelton taught child development to the masses, there’s no clear authority or widely accepted single answer today on how to parent. If anything, there’s too much parenting advice, with each new book contradicting the last. Parents can easily become overwhelmed by the abundance of information and paralyzed by too many choices. Although parenting classes and workshops started to pop up in the 1980s, experts say that the field of education for parents has flourished in recent years. Many attribute this growth to the popularity of parenting styles that turn away
Jen Campbell Munn turned to a parent coach to help with her son Lucas’ behavior problems.
from punishments or rewards as ways to influence the actions of children, and instead seek to build kids’ problem-solving skills, resilience and independence. “It’s easier to be authoritarian than it is to be democratic,” says Kimberly Greder, an associate professor at Iowa State University who specializes in family resiliency and parenting education. “You actually have to listen to your child, think about what they’re saying and work with them.” Parent coaching, a subset of parent education that involves hiring a person to help you with your child, is an even more recent development, and one that has grown apace with the explosion of life and career coaches throughout the country. The International Coach Federation counted 47,500 coaches in 2012, up from 30,000 in 2007 and 2,100 in 1999. About 2 percent of those coaches focus on relationships, the category that includes parent coaches.
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photo by michael ventura
The trend has been especially pronounced in the Bethesda area, where some parents can be obsessed with raising the perfect child. We buy Oeuf cribs for $1,000 and feed our children organic snacks; why not bring in an expert when our child misbehaves or won’t sleep through the night? Bethesda-area parents are hiring coaches or taking classes for a wide range of problems: their high schooler won’t sit down to do homework without being reminded a dozen times; their middle schooler dawdles and takes forever to get out the door in the morning; their toddler has started biting or hitting at preschool. Parke, the Dupont Circle-based coach hired by Campbell Munn, says the parents who come to her typically fall into one of four groups. Some are feeling disconnected from their children and want more peace in the home. Others are attachment-parenting dev-
otees seeking more independence as their children move into the elementary years. Certain parents are struggling with a life transition, such as a divorce, or are seeing their children through a new developmental stage that is presenting challenges. Then there are those who merely want more tools and stronger parenting skills. As the field of parent coaching has grown, so have concerns that you could be bilked by a coach who doesn’t have enough experience or the right training to help with your problems. Before hiring any expert, but especially one in a relatively new field such as parent coaching, it’s important to check references, ask about training and credentials, interview competitors and understand which problems they can—or can’t—tackle. You don’t want to muddle through with a parenting coach when your child has a developmental
issue in need of diagnosis and treatment by a doctor. On the other hand, if you’re independently able to work through tough developmental stages with advice from friends and parenting books, there’s no need to hire an expert. “We rush to fix things too often that don’t necessarily have to be fixed. They may resolve in a day or two,” says Peter Stearns, a history professor at George Mason University in Fairfax and author of Anxious Parents: A History of Modern Childrearing in America. The media and the outpouring of advice from parenting authors and researchers have created an “expert culture” that can cause parents to doubt their competence unnecessarily, says Lenore Skenazy, a public speaker and author of the book FreeRange Kids. “The whole idea that you need an expert for everything is wrong,” Skenazy says. “The culture that says you personally need a teachable moment with every step
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“Here I am practicing law at one of the top law firms in Washington, D.C., and I can’t figure out how to get my child to stop screaming,” says Karen Bunting of Potomac. you’re taking with a kid can make you feel as if your instincts are not enough. It can be oppressive.” Do we need experts? The simple answer is no. After all, generations of children reach adulthood with parents who feed them, clothe them and send them off to school without a thought of sleep consultants or parenting classes. But some parents say that experts provide a valued outside voice and a wealth of wisdom from other families that have experienced similar challenges, and therefore a way to avoid painful trial and error. They help parents assess the situation dispassionately, notice patterns, suggest steps to break unhealthy cycles, and stick to their principles. When my youngest daughter was about 3½, we began butting heads. She was extremely strong-willed—often refusing to dress or put on her shoes when it was time to leave the house—and my husband and I did not know how to deal with her behavior. We tried counting to three. We tried negotiating. One tactic would work but then lose its power a few days or weeks later. It seemed that every day, we were getting into power struggles that ended with yelling and tears. Eventually, we turned to a parent workshop. Consulting an expert gave me an arsenal of new parenting tools, but more importantly, it helped me understand
better what kind of parent I wanted to be—a sentiment echoed by many of the parents that I interviewed for this story. In a sense, then, parent coaches and parenting classes may be as much about the adults as they are about the children— a way for parents to assuage our own doubts, decide how we want to parent, and filter out the conflicting messages from the media, friends and society.
For Karen Bunting of Potomac, it was an epic meltdown in Whole Foods that led her to parenting education. Bunting’s 3½-year-old son, Ryan, grabbed a treat off a shelf and started screaming when she took it away. She did what the parent books recommended, calmly picking him up and saying that they would return another time. But he kept crying and pleading with her to stay, his voice ringing through the store: “Just one more chance, Mommy!” Her whole body flushed with embarrassment and frustration as she hurried out of the store. She didn’t want to follow in the path of her authoritarian Russian father, but her own parenting methods weren’t working. It was hardly the boy’s first public temper tantrum— since he turned 3, Ryan had been testing her patience, quite unlike his obedient older sister. “Here I am practicing law at one of the top law firms in Washing-
ton, D.C., and I can’t figure out how to get my child to stop screaming,” Bunting says. “I thought, ‘A mother bird knows how to feed her babies worms, why don’t I instinctively know how to truncate this behavior without getting into a power struggle?’ ” A friend recommended taking a workshop through the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP), a nonprofit educational organization based in Kensington. Bunting started giving Ryan dedicated one-on-one time, using routines, offering more choices and finding ways to defuse power struggles before they began. Within a month of using PEP’s techniques, Bunting says Ryan’s behavior started to improve. Founded in 1982 by Linda Jessup, a nurse practitioner who was raising three biological and four foster children, PEP was one of the first parent education centers in the Washington area. Based on the philosophies of psychiatrists Rudolf Dreikurs and Alfred Adler, PEP’s curriculum aims to teach parents how to encourage their children, treat them with respect, hold them to high standards of behavior, and train them to be contributing members of the household and society. As the demand for parenting education has grown, PEP has grown, as well. Today it serves 4,000 parents in the region each year with parenting classes, workshops and consultations. Instead of using carrot-andstick tools (promises of ice cream or toys, timeouts and punishments), PEP teaches parents to use reflective listening, respectful requests rather than commands, routines set by the entire family, and consequences that are agreed upon in advance. In the ground-floor social hall of the Kensington Baptist Church, parents seated on gray folding chairs form a semicircle around Jessup. One mother describes with relief a transformation in her morning routine. Previously, the
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children would drag their heels while she nagged or pleaded with them to hurry. When she started implementing PEP tools, she was seething inside but pretending to have faith that they would cooperate. Now she completes the five things on her personal to-do list— shower, dress, hair, makeup and breakfast—confident that the kids know what to do and will be ready to go on time. “That’s a big step,” responds Jessup, 75, who lives in Silver Spring. “Attitude is really hard to change, so when you find that is shifting in yourself, that’s worth the class.” The parents gathered around her are completing their third and final series of classes in PEP’s core curriculum. Jessup then shares the memory of her youngest son, Luke, calling her to the porch, where several boys were shaking up crawdads in bell jars and making them fight. Furious, she threw out his friends and told them they could return in a week to apologize for being cruel to animals. After she cooled down, she started to apologize to Luke for losing her temper. He burst into tears and said that he came to get her because he didn’t know how to curb the torture. “I realized that he was counting on me to stop them,” she says. “Your kids count on you to stand up for the things you believe in.” One example of a PEP approach: Your daughter comes home upset that her friend Emma is being mean, insisting that she wants to disinvite Emma to her birthday party. Your impulse might be to critique Emma’s behavior, or perhaps to lecture your daughter on the protocol of party invites. Instead, PEP would recommend reflecting back her feelings: “It sounds like Emma made you furious,” or “That probably made you feel pretty embarrassed, huh?” The goal of reflective listening is to help a child understand and name her emotions, and to provide support, rather than judging or moralizing about the situation.
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bring in the experts
By the time Briana Pobiner’s son, Toby, was 5½ months old, the accumulated days and nights of sleep deprivation had turned her into a frazzled wreck. Her husband, Peter Nassar, suggested that she take a night off and sleep at a
Linda Jessup, a nurse practitioner, founded the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP), one of the first parent education centers in the Washington, D.C. area, in 1982.
friend’s home. It was a blissful night of rest for Pobiner, but when she returned the next morning, she realized it wasn’t enough. “I still felt not quite settled,” she says. “That was the turning point. I said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ ” The Wheaton mom, 40, turned to sleep coach Jessica Dodson with a list of issues she wanted help with: how to gently end co-sleeping, how to phase out
napping in a swing, and how to nudge him to sleep through the night. Pobiner, an archaeologist at the Smithsonian, and Nassar, 46, a biology professor at Montgomery College, had already read several sleep books and asked friends for advice, but nothing had worked. Dodson told them to track Toby’s sleep patterns, which led them to understand that he really didn’t need to nurse
Photo by liz lynch
When you ask questions and reflect back what you believe you’re hearing, the PEP thinking goes, you strengthen your connection to your child. This tool opens the door for a child to problem solve on her own, and learn to manage her emotions. This is one of the techniques PEP teaches in a series of eight-week to 10-week classes costing about $250 each. The workshops also teach parents to incorporate one-on-one time with their children, start weekly family meetings, and enlist children’s ideas in tasks such as housework. The result may be the same jobs chart that the family already used, but may be more likely to be followed because children participated in its formation. Like Karen Bunting, the organization I turned to for help with my daughter was PEP. My husband, Brian, and I signed up for an eight-week class, where I learned to use Jessup’s techniques. I found it transformative to stop trying to “win” clashes with my daughter. Instead, we learned strategies to defuse the situation before it escalated—we would distract her, turn the conversation into a game, or give her a way to do the activity herself. Rather than nag about a backpack left in the hallway, I’d place a Post-It on the bag saying, “Please hang me up! Love, your backpack.” She’d chuckle and instantly tidy it up. The classes also gave me a community of support and peer role models. Talking to other parents who were having similar problems helped me stop taking her behavior personally or seeing it as evidence that I was failing as a parent. I realized that what she was doing was completely normal. And that—in itself—was incredibly liberating.
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bring in the experts
Sleep coach Jessica Dodson (left) advises Briana Pobiner on how to deal with her son’s sleep patterns. “People don’t trust their instincts a lot of the time,” Dodson says.
on-one with people,” she says. Parents generally enlist her because advice from books, their friends and their pediatrician isn’t working or doesn’t align with their values. Moms are frazzled by the combination of unrealistic expectations that infants will sleep through the night, sleep deprivation and, often, the pressure of returning to work after just a few months of maternity leave. “We’re brought to our knees by this baby thing,” Dodson says. “People don’t trust their instincts a lot of the time. A lot of parents have this overriding concern: ‘I’m not doing it right.’ I really don’t believe there’s right and wrong; it’s your child. I really feel that my job is to help people find that groove for their family.”
When parenting coach Mali Parke met with Jen Campbell Munn, she suggested a number of tools the mother could use to manage her anxiety over Lucas’ struggles in school and to strengthen the bond with her son. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by crisis, Campbell Munn learned to take a breath and think before she reacted angrily to something Lucas did. Parke also encouraged her to take care of herself, to recognize the rituals she needed to maintain her energy for parenting. Campbell
Munn stopped viewing her one moment of calm each morning over a cup of tea as an indulgence, and recognized it instead as an important way to center herself for the day ahead. She used family meetings and special code words to work through problems with the kids. For example, “peaches” meant a promise to revisit a disagreement after everybody had calmed down. Instead of focusing narrowly on how to solve an immediate behavior problem, Campbell Munn became comfortable riding out the bumps. “The family is a place of safety and growth, and a place where it’s OK to lose it so we can learn together,” says Campbell Munn, who took Lucas to an occupational therapist for an evaluation of his sensitivity to noise and stimulation. He’s now a well-adjusted 6-year-old, thriving in a new school and still receiving occupational therapy to regulate his vestibular system, which helps us maintain balance and orients us in space. My daughter, now 9, is also doing well. Brian and I kept taking classes through PEP and last year began leading them ourselves. Many of the parents who come through the door want to know how to change their kids, how to make them more obedient or less argumentative.
Photo by Micheal Ventura
at night. So she helped the couple break the habit of nursing him to sleep, suggested they give him a lovey as a sleep cue and a pacifier for comfort sucking, and taught them how to set consistent times for his naps and bedtime. The parents learned to read his activity level and alertness for signs of sleepiness so they could put him into the crib just as he was ready to fall asleep. “She was gentle, but firm and supportive, and really talked us through things,” Pobiner says. “He was sleeping through the night by 6 months. Within four to six weeks, all the big problems were basically gone.” Dodson, who is based in Chevy Chase, D.C., says that when parents come to her, they usually have tried several baby books and are confused by all the conflicting advice. They’re rarely inclined to let their baby cry it out. “Practically speaking, the people who call me are tear sensitive. If anyone was inclined to close the door and let their child scream, they would do it and they wouldn’t need me,” says Dodson, who offers a newborn consultation for $185, or a $395 package for parents whose babies are older than 4 months. Dodson had never held a newborn before having her son, Jonah, now 5. She heard Annapolis-based Kim West, known as The Sleep Lady, speak when Jonah was 3 months old, bought one of her books, and started implementing her methods. “I asked a question during the Q&A, and she started describing my son,” Dodson says. “I felt like she was a psychic.” When Jonah was about 11 months old, West began offering a program to train sleep coaches. Dodson signed up because she wanted to learn more about children’s sleep, and found it so fascinating that she decided to pursue sleep coaching as a career, launching her business in 2011. It was around the time that she was trying to decide what to do with her life, since she didn’t want to return to her pre-baby career in international development. “I really love working one-
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bring in the experts
Class members discuss a parenting question in a small group during a PEP “More Tools for Parenting Preschoolers” class. Pictured from left are Naomi Johnson, Beatriz Quintos and Susana Uria.
mitments. When we resist nagging a child about homework, and she turns in a halffinished page, she learns from the teacher the consequences of her action. My daughter still has a strong stubborn streak, which I hope will serve her well resisting peer pressure as a teenager. We’ve learned that when she starts acting up, it’s usually a sign that she needs more responsibility—or more
time with us. We cook dinner together or go for a bike ride, and that usually does the trick. n Katherine Reynolds Lewis is a Potomacbased journalist who covers parenting, education and workplace issues. She and her husband, Brian, have children aged 9, 11 and 22 and are active volunteers in the Parent Encouragement Program.
courtesy PEP/ashley mat tison
They are looking for the perfect words or parenting technique that will transform a stormy house into a tranquil one. PEP has taught me dozens of helpful maneuvers and phrases that I use every day in my parenting. But the most important thing I’ve learned is that no single moment is crucial—and there are no magic words or tricks to fix every problem. I focus on creating a loving home and setting appropriate limits. When my child misbehaves or is upset, I sometimes still lose my cool, but I always follow up with a sincere apology. It’s our children’s job to test limits, to challenge us, to learn about the world. That’s how they develop important character traits like empathy, resilience and independence. I teach the parents in my classes that the point of parenting isn’t to avoid those difficult moments—if that were even possible—it’s to make the most of them. When we refuse to let our daughter quit swim team, she learns to stick to her com-
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name DeMaurice Smith AGE 51 What he does Executive Director of the NFL Players Association Grew up in Glenarden, Maryland Lives in Woodhaven neighborhood of Bethesda
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interview
A Conversation with
DeMaurice Smith By ANDREW METCALF | photo by SKIP BROWN
On a summer day in June, DeMaurice Smith was sitting in what he calls his “haven,” a parlor with a stone fireplace and wood beams in his Bethesda home. At the time, Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), was just three days away from taking NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to court on a contempt motion and four days from Tom Brady’s first hearing on the “Deflategate” controversy in a federal court in New York. But the man who stands at the center of the NFL world—that rarefied place where billionaire owners clash with superstar athletes—seemed relaxed and comfortable, his new puppy, Riley, playing at his feet. Three months later, in September, Brady and the NFLPA won their case against the NFL and Goodell, and a judge vacated the four-game suspension that had been given to Brady, the New England Patriots’ superstar quarterback. It was Smith’s latest victory connected to players who had been punished by Goodell in a series of highprofile cases. Over the past four years, Smith has helped clear New Orleans Saints players accused of accepting “bounty” payments for injuring opponents, and helped shorten lengthy suspensions for Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson after both players were involved in highly-publicized domestic violence incidents. Smith, a former federal prosecutor and defense lawyer, has been at the helm of the union that
represents the league’s players since 2009. He follows in the footsteps of the legendary Gene Upshaw, who served in the role for 25 years and helped usher in free agency, led a players strike in 1987 and worked to increase player salaries as the league’s popularity grew. But Upshaw, a former offensive guard for the Oakland Raiders, was criticized for overlooking critical issues linked to the athletes he represented, including support for retired players and concerns about the long-term effects of injuries, such as concussions. Since Smith took over, he has played pivotal roles in securing a new collective bargaining agreement in 2010, addressing questions about player safety, and, most recently, representing players involved in controversial criminal cases, such as Rice and Peterson. Smith also helped develop a pension system in which players and teams contribute to the support of retired players. Smith, who graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1989, was elected to the union position after stints as a partner at the powerhouse Washington, D.C., law firms of Latham & Watkins and Patton Boggs. Smith lives in Bethesda’s Woodhaven neighborhood with his wife, Karen, and son, Alex, a junior at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac. His daughter, Elizabeth, is a sophomore at Kenyon College in Ohio.
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Smith’s Favorites
interview
Favorite Restaurants
▼ on his nightstand Grapes of Wrath, which he is reading with his daughter, and The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League
▼ favorite way to keep in shape Working out with his son
▼ Favorite season Fall
What was your early childhood like? I was born in the District, lived right off of Alabama Avenue for a short while. My mother came up from Atlanta, Georgia, and became a nurse at the old Freedmen’s Hospital. My dad, after he got out of the Marine Corps, came up to D.C., became a teacher and then started working for the federal government. My mother worked at NIH for 40 years and my father for the Department of Transportation for 40 years before they retired. Other than going away to school, I have always been in this area. I went to Riverdale Baptist in Upper Marlboro for high school. We used to come out here to play Landon, Flint Hill and all those schools back in the day. You played defensive back on your high school football team. Do you remember how many interceptions you had? I think between zero and one. But we had a fun team. And talk about a small world; my high school football coach works at Strosniders in Bethesda. I still go back and we talk. Coach Jim Beckett—great guy, just one of the guys who really was a huge influence on me in high school. I’ve always been blessed with good coaches and good mentors, and he was probably one of the first ones who stayed on me about school, stayed on me about grades, and who was really insistent on performing well on the field, performing well off the field. When did you figure out you wanted to be an attorney? Probably around my sophomore year in college. I went to Cedarville University, a small Baptist liberal arts school in Ohio. The ministry interested me, and I thought that was a probable path. Right around sophomore year I realized I wasn’t being called to go into the ministry. I became student government president, and right about that point is when law school seemed to make the most sense. There was a professor at Cedarville that I really connected with,
Gary Percesepe. He encouraged me to go to law school and not think about staying small.
What did you do after law school? I went to a small white-collar defense firm in Georgetown called Schwalb Donnenfeld Bray & Silbert. Earl Silbert, [a prosecutor in the Watergate case], recruited me out of law school to work there. I was there for almost two years. Then I was a prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office in the District for nine years. How did that job, prosecuting criminals at the D.C. U.S. attorney’s office, prepare you for your job now? You’re asked to make a lot of hard calls under a tremendous amount of pressure, so you do take away from that job a level of not only confidence in your ability, but confidence in your thought process. You come into a job like I have now, and it comes with its levels of pressure, and at times you have to make tough calls. It was nice to have a job where even as a young lawyer you were able to grow into that and learn the value of the right process, the right partners, the right teammates and the right vision. And so the job becomes much more manageable. I couldn’t imagine having this job without that as a background. I left the U.S. attorney’s office when Eric Holder became the deputy attorney general [in 1997]. I went to the Department of Justice and I was there for almost two years. Were you close with Eric Holder? Yes, very, very close. Another one of those people, mentors. The first time I met him, I was a prosecutor when he was a judge on the Superior Court, and then later on he became the U.S. attorney, and I worked directly for him. I think probably the best lesson I got from Eric was about being a good husband and good father—to see someone in a position like the deputy attorney general and then attorney general of the United
Courtesy Photos
Grapeseed in Bethesda and Medium Rare in Northwest D.C.
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States, knowing that while he’s pulled in a number of directions, it’s important to get home and be there for your family.
Fast forwarding through your years at white-collar defense firms like Patton Boggs, how did you end up at the NFL Players Association? [In 2008], I started working on the transition team for DOJ for then-Sen. Barack Obama. And I got a call from a search firm saying your name has come up as a candidate that we’d like to interview for the next executive director of the NFL Players Association. My first thought was, ‘I’m not interested in that,’ because I was really interested in going back to the District of Columbia as the U.S. attorney. I decided to talk to the players association while I was going through the U.S.
attorney process. They explained that they had other candidates who are sports agents, sports executives, former players, but the executive committee at that time really wanted to take a look at a few people who had a traditional business, law, politics and corporate background.
When you started the job, you had two years to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. What was that like? The one thing we knew at the time is that the league openly touted that they had a $4 billion war chest to lock out the players. So you get elected in 2009, and the first thing you know is you’re facing $4 billion and 32 billionaires— there’s not a whole heck of a lot of time of kumbaya and celebration, we just really got to work.
Recently, the players union has been in the middle of several public controversies over players’ personal conduct. At the center of this debate has been a question about whether Commissioner Roger Goodell should be able to unilaterally decide players punishments. What do you think it’s going to take to have a neutral party settle disputes like those involving Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice and Tom Brady? Obviously for the players, we think that neutral arbitration, like we have for onfield fines, is a fairer system. But even when I step back, and the player leadership steps back, neutral arbitration is also a very good thing for the owners and the NFL as a whole. I think that our fans would rather have a system that is predictable, fair for both owners and players, and not in the news every day.
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Do you think there’s a chance Ray Rice will play again in the NFL? People make mistakes, but I think one of the highest human capacities that we have is redemption and forgiveness. I think that Ray is a guy that understood the mistake that he made, paid dearly for it, but is a young man who should be given a chance to play football. Right now, I believe there is a concerted effort to keep him out of football.
Football League. Two, it’s to make sure that we keep a firm eye on the role of the union. That’s making sure our media reps and our players understand what the fight is about and why we’re taking this position. The third hat that we wear is the traditional lawyer hat. We always use a great legal team, but I approve every legal brief, every legal argument, everything that goes out under the union’s name.
Do you ever feel conflicted about representing certain players, especially after seeing something like the Ray Rice video? No, because we’re not defending the conduct as much as we’re defending what their rights are under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Whether it was Ray Rice and the domestic violence incident or Tom Brady, those cases were overturned not on the conduct of the players, but on the conduct of the league and their unwillingness to follow due process. What was your reaction when a federal judge in New York cleared Tom Brady in the “Deflategate” case? I probably won’t ever forget being on the phone with Tom as the opinion came in. I felt very happy for him, but a lot happier for the union because this is what we do. It was a very long summer. I felt that it wasn’t a particularly good thing for our business. But, I’m glad that Tom had the resolve and I know that I pushed the rest of our legal team to fight hard not only for this player, but for all the players. Do you remember Brady’s reaction at the time? I think we just had a very, very, very long laugh. What was your primary role in that case? I had three. The first is to make all the strategic decisions of how we’re going to fight the case—whether it’s fighting it in the courtroom or trying to negotiate a resolution with the National
Do you think the Brady case may be a tipping point, in terms of having the policy changed? I think that we’re past the tipping point. I would have made it the [New Orleans Saints] bounty case, when Paul Tagliabue, a former commissioner [who was brought in to investigate the incident], overturned the current commissioner. I’m not sure there’s ever more of a tipping point than when a former commissioner overturns a current commissioner. But yet we went from bounty to Rice to Peterson and we’re still where we are. Do you think there’s a double standard in terms of the way the league investigates and punishes owners versus players? I know there’s a double standard. Right now, we will deal with every instance of alleged misconduct by a player. [However], whether it was the DEA raids [visiting team medical staffs in New Jersey, Baltimore and Kansas City in 2014] or [other] instances of owner misconduct, we haven’t had any of that level of investigation when it comes to [owners]. What are you working to change in the future? We have to remain diligent about what changes we can make to the game and to practice to make the game even safer. This will be one of the first years we’ll have a comprehensive and ongoing playing surface examination. I’m
interested in taking a look at injuries on natural grass vs. artificial turf. The second thing that is very important to us, and something we’re going to be doing in the future, is offering grants and submissions from outside developers on improving the equipment that our players use—contests where if you have an idea for building a better helmet or coming up with a new pad system, you can enter. For example, I read recently about water-cooled shoulder pads to decrease body heat. We’re very interested, and we have been working with a few developers on wearable technology—shirts and sensors that would provide the player with more information to take ownership of their own health and safety.
Have you ever had a concussion? I had a concussion once in high school and I had a concussion running outdoor track in college. A pole vault broke in the infield, flew out on the track and clipped a bunch of us. I went down and went face-first into the track and was knocked out. I don’t remember it. When it comes to concussions, my concern is we need to have better procedures for handling concussions when they happen in practice. In games we have protocols, with neutral doctors clearing players to return to the game. The union still has concerns about how concussions are addressed in practice. For every concussion, there are multiple sub-concussive events [or head injuries that don’t qualify as concussions, but can still cause long-term damage]. What science tells us is that the sub-concussive events can be just as dangerous if a.) they are non-diagnosed or b.) a person is suffering a number of sub-concussive events that don’t rise to the level of concussions. For example, the reason why we insisted on doing away with two-a-day practices is not a fear of concussions, but a fear of multiple sub-concussive events.
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What’s your day-to-day life like during the season? I visit all the teams during the season. I have 32 teams to visit, and we start the first week in September and we typically end the week before Thanksgiving. We talk about union issues, health, safety, wages, benefits. We talk about our strategic plan to protect the players’ interests. I think it’s incredibly important for our players to not only understand the economics of the business that they’re in, but also appreciate their obligations to themselves to be fiscally responsible—to understand how to navigate the world as an extremely young business person and to also never forget the average career of our players is 3½ years. The real strategy should be: How do you get more out of football than football gets out of you? What’s your take on the Redskins’ name? I grew up a fan of the team. I grew up during the Larry Brown years, and Chris Hanburger and Diron Talbert and Sonny Jurgensen. Then later on it was Art Monk and Darrell Green. We shouldn’t be in a world where we’re doing anything, I think, that intentionally or recklessly denigrates or insults or prejudices anybody. I don’t think anybody should think that issues of prejudice or slander are things that we should overlook. If they change the name, are all the people who grew up fans of the team, like me, going to become less fans of the team? I think the answer is no. I think we should be always looking for how we use sports to unite people and bring people together—those are the things I tried to instill in my son and daughter. Does your son play football? No. We told him that he could play football. He was thinking about leaving school and switching schools to play football, but then he decided, no, I’m going to stay at St. Andrew’s [which does not have a football team]. He’s a 202 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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Fall In Love With Your Reflection three-sport athlete there. For any parent thinking about whether their kid should play a sport—whether it’s lacrosse, football or anything else—I think it’s very important that kids at the earliest age understand that they need to take ownership of their own health and safety. I don’t think any parent should just blindly drop their kid in a sport and say, ‘Hey, have at it, good luck.’ We have an obligation as parents in the same way we taught our kids how to ride a bike. We didn’t just stick them on the bike and push them down a hill, right? No, we were with them until we knew they could keep their balance—that they knew when to stop, what posed dangers, what was unsafe.
How did you end up in Bethesda? I just always loved the area. First we moved to Kensington, and that was a great spot for us. We were a young couple with a small house and we used the parks nearby. I was working for the U.S. attorney’s office. It was a nice place to live, it was near the Metro. Once we had kids and needed a larger place, we moved to Silver Spring. Again, it was just fantastic for us. We lived right off of Layhill Road, across from the old Indian Spring Country Club. That’s really where our kids grew up. It was a great block with young kids, great Halloweens. Then we moved to Bethesda in 2008. We had been looking at this house for a long time. We were up in Boston on a trip and the house went on the market, so I left the family in Boston, flew down and bought the house. We just fell in love with this place. It’s a huge lot, it’s quiet. It’s my fortress of solitude. I can sit in my backyard, have a nice fire and, at least temporarily, drift away. n Andrew Metcalf writes for Bethesda Beat, the magazine’s daily online news briefing. He can be reached at andrew.metcalf@ bethesdamagazine.com.
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philanthropists of the year
‘A Dynamic Blend’ She’s warm and casual. He’s quiet and a bit formal. Together, Anna Parisi-Trone and Robert Trone are two of Montgomery County’s most generous and effective philanthropists. By kathleen wheaton photo by michael ventura 204 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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After her daughter, Sophia, started taking classes at The Washington School of Ballet, Anna Parisi-Trone joined the board of The Washington Ballet. In that role, Parisi-Trone and other board members met last fall with instructors from the school’s campus in Southeast Washington, D.C., and learned that many low-income students were dropping out of ballet, despite having received scholarships. It wasn’t a question of talent or enthusiasm—it was because parents couldn’t afford to keep their fast-growing daughters in ballet toe shoes. During the meeting, Parisi-Trone listened quietly as the board members talked about how they might raise some emergency funds to pay for the shoes. Afterward, she pulled one of the teachers aside and offered to pay anonymously for the students’ ballet slippers for the following year. “Even the other board members didn’t know she’d done it,” says board Chair Sylvia de Leon. “I found out because as the chair I had to know.” Parisi-Trone and her husband, Robert Trone, were already substantial benefactors of The Washington School of Ballet—this year, they are funding the construction of a new studio that will be completed in November at the main campus on Wisconsin Avenue. Nevertheless, after they heard that some low-income students couldn’t afford the $200 spring performance fee, they covered those, too—also anonymously. It’s that kind of quiet but openhearted generosity that led The Community Foundation in Montgomery County to name Parisi-Trone and her husband Philanthropists of the Year for 2015. “Once the Trones get involved, they make an investment and they make a difference,” says Marie Taylor, who was executive director of the Community
Foundation until September. The Trones’ charitable strategy is straightforward: They give to organizations they know well and believe in. And once they commit, they are loyal. In addition to supporting The Washington Ballet and The Washington School of Ballet, where 13-year-old Sophia continues to study dance, they also contribute to Bethesda’s Imagination Stage, where their daughter took classes when she was in elementary school. The Trones also support organizations that reflect their Catholic faith, including Catholic Charities, the Archdiocese of Washington, Mercy Health Clinic in Gaithersburg, which was founded by members of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Potomac (the Trones’
and a bit formal. But sitting at their kitchen table in Potomac on a summer afternoon, they speak in tandem about the values they share—particularly their Catholic faith. Anna, the child of Italian immigrants, grew up in the religion, while Robert converted from Lutheranism when Sophia was a year old. “I had a close relationship with my wife and daughter, so it was a logical choice,” he says. “They say that converts make the best Catholics,” Anna adds, smiling. Monsignor John Enzler oversaw Robert’s religious instruction when he was pastor at Our Lady of Mercy. “He’s got a great soul,” says Enzler, who is now president and CEO at Catholic Chari-
“I always get the sense that they genuinely feel fortunate to be able to help. Philanthropy should be joyful, and the Trones really reflect that idea.” —Catherine Karrels, Stone Ridge Head of School
parish), and the Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, where Sophia is in eighth grade. Getting to know a few organizations in depth enables the Trones to contribute significantly and encourage others to do likewise. “They are great community members—humble, gracious and warm, and they invite others in,” says Stone Ridge Head of School Catherine Karrels. “I always get the sense that they genuinely feel fortunate to be able to help. Philanthropy should be joyful, and the Trones really reflect that idea.” At f i r s t g l a n c e, Anna ParisiTrone and Robert Trone, both 55, appear to be a study in contrasts. She is warm, vivacious and casual; he is quiet, reserved
ties of the Archdiocese of Washington. “Faith guides him, and he wants to serve others.” Faith and serving others were at the heart of Anna Parisi’s childhood. She grew up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Wilmington, Delaware, the middle child of five and the second one born in America—her parents had emigrated from Castel Morrone in the Campania region of Italy in 1955. Her father spoke little English and worked in a plastics factory in Newark, Delaware, taking several buses to his job because the family didn’t own a car. Her mother was a homemaker who grew and canned her own tomatoes but always found a way to stretch the family’s budget to help neighbors in need. Many of those neighbors were also
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The Trones chaired the 2011 Catholic Charities Gala at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park.
from Castel Morrone, including Anna’s first employers, an elderly couple who owned an ice cream shop and hired her at age 8 to run errands and stock the soda cooler for 5 cents an hour. Anna attended all-girls Catholic schools through high school, and she remains close to her childhood friends, making a point of organizing an annual get-together in Wilmington. “Anna’s always been our catalyst,” says Vicki Allegretto, who has known her since the second grade. With the help of scholarships and student loans, Anna put herself through Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science (now Philadelphia College), where she studied fashion merchandizing. After college, she moved to New Jersey and worked for J.G. Hook and then for
Liz Claiborne, the fashion juggernaut of the 1980s. Her dream was to live in New York, but believing she couldn’t afford it, she returned to Philadelphia, where she worked in sales at The Franklin Mint— part of a team that pushed the company’s annual revenue from $800 million to $1 billion. She was then hired by QVC, where she was working when she met her future husband. Also the middle child of five, Robert Trone was raised on a 200-acre chicken and hog farm outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. “Farm work is very hard work,” he says. “Everything after that has seemed easy.” His father, who had an entrepreneurial bent, built guest cottages on his property, as well as a gas station/beer store.
When Robert’s parents divorced in 1981, his mother took the store and his father got the farm. Robert and his older brother David helped out with both while attending college at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, but the farm eventually went bankrupt, while the store prospered. The brothers, who had decided to go into business together, concluded that sticking to one type of business, rather than doing several things at once, was the key to success. Robert attended law school at Penn, and David got an MBA at The Wharton School. After they graduated, the brothers opened beer stores in Hanover and Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania state law allowed only one store per person and required beer to be sold by the case,
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so the brothers moved in 1991 to lessrestrictive Delaware and expanded into wine and spirits. Robert and David gradually grew their company, then called Liquor World, through the 1990s, developing a model that offered elements of both high- and low-end stores: discount prices, an attentive and well-trained sales staff, and a vast selection. In 1998, they acquired the D.C.-area chain Total Beverage and renamed the company Total Wine & More. In 2000, they moved the company’s headquarters to Montgomery County. With more than 7,000 employees, including 500 in Maryland, and stores in 17 states, Total Wine & More calls itself the country’s largest independently-owned alcohol retailer. According to Trone, the company projects that its 2015 revenue will be $2 billion.
Vicki Allegretto says she knew right away that Anna and Robert were a good match. Her husband, Steve, had met Robert through business, and in 1994 the Allegrettos decided to set the two up. They were scheduled to meet in the Burgundy aisle at the Trones’ store in Claymont, Delaware. Anna had agreed to go only if the Allegrettos went with her. “We saw immediately that this was probably going to work out pretty well,” Vicki says about watching the couple meet. “Steve and I made ourselves scarce.” Robert invited Anna up to his drab, windowless office—which didn’t faze her. “I saw it as a testament to how hard he worked,” she says. The two had dinner at an Italian restaurant the following evening, and first impressions proved correct: They had much in common, including, perhaps, a lack of impulsivity. After four years of dating, the couple got engaged. They married in October 1998. Anna worked in sales for Total Wine until Sophia was born in 2002. “She took maternity leave and said she was coming back, but that was 13 years ago, so I’m guessing she’s not coming back,” Robert
says with a laugh. Over the last 13 years, Parisi-Trone has dedicated much of her time to fundraising. Her warmth and sociability have made her a natural at turning staid fundraising events into joyous occasions. As a board member of Imagination Stage, Parisi-Trone co-chaired with JeanMarie Fernandez and Evonne Connolly a fundraising effort for a Kennedy Center co-production of The Lion King. They were so successful that they’ve been asked to raise money for next year’s coproduction of The Little Mermaid with The Washington Ballet. The Trones often donate wine for galas, which adds to the fruitfulness— and festivity—of such events. “More people will come when there’s a free glass of wine,” says Anna Hargrave, the interim executive director of the Community Foundation. The couple is heavily involved in fundraising for Mercy Health Clinic in Gaithersburg, which provides free medical care for low-income county residents. Robert sits on the 12-member board of Catholic Charities, helping to shepherd the $70 million that the organization spends on 65 different programs in Montgomery County and throughout the Washington area, including medical and dental clinics, pro bono legal services for immigrants, mental health and addiction programs, and shelters for the homeless and for women and children fleeing domestic abuse. Karrels, the head of school at Stone Ridge, calls the Trones a “dynamic blend.” “Anna is very social and loves bringing people together as a vehicle for building community, inspiring giving and expressing gratitude,” Karrels says. “Robert uses his business sense to help analyze impact as well as communicate with other stakeholders about the metrics of fundraising. Where they are in complete synchronicity with one another is the spirit of their generosity.” n
Award About the
Each year, The Community Foundation in Montgomery County recognizes successful area businesspeople who “give where they live,” as the organization puts it. Recipients of the Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year award are: Josh Freeman in 2007; Craig Ruppert in 2008; Stewart Bainum in 2009; Carol Trawick in 2010; Jeffrey Slavin in 2011; Patrice and Scott Brickman in 2012; Solomon Graham in 2013; Tammy Darvish in 2014; and Anna Parisi-Trone and Robert Trone this year. If you would like to nominate someone to be the 2016 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year, watch for an announcement in an upcoming issue of Bethesda Magazine. To learn more about the Community Foundation, go to www.thecommunityfoundation. org.
Kathleen Wheaton lives in Bethesda.
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Put a roof over someone’s head
Improve someone’s Health
Help a student go to College
Support the arts & Humanities
Give a Child a Chance
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Giving More than 60 ways to make a difference in our community
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G u i d e to G i v i n g
Feed the hungry. Support the arts. Help a student go to college. There are many ways to contribute to local communities throughout Montgomery County. But which groups are worthy of your time, energy and money? All of the organizations below have been recommended by either The Community Foundation in Montgomery County or the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County. If an organization offers Student Service Learning (SSL) hours or internships, we noted that at the end of the listing. For more local nonprofits vetted by these two organizations, go to BethesdaMagazine.com.
Give a Child a Chance Asian American LEAD (www. aalead.org) equips low-income and underserved Asian Pacific-American youths with the tools and opportunities to define themselves and their futures. AALEAD currently supports 400 youths with educational empowerment, identity development and leadership opportunities through after-school, summer and mentoring programs. Headquartered: Montgomery County, Washington, D.C., and Fairfax, Virginia. Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 covers a weekend event for 50 youths. • $1,000 allows one youth to participate in AALEAD programming for one year. • $10,000 helps 10 youths to participate in AALEAD programming for one year. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Teach a workshop in dance, cooking, résumé-writing or another topic.
• Weekly/monthly: Volunteer at an after-school program.
The Court Appointed Special Advocates Program of Montgomery County (www.casamontgomery.org)
supports abused or neglected children by providing them with trained advocates who ensure that their best interests are represented in the legal and social service system. Through CASA’s recruitment and training, advocates work with more than 300 children annually. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 covers recruiting and training for four child-advocate volunteers. • $1,000 provides ongoing support and supervision for volunteers to serve three children for one year. • $10,000 covers the matching of seven children with a trained volunteer for one year. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Donate new or gently used toys for young children in foster care, or give household items to
support older youths transitioning out of foster care. • Weekly: Become an advocate after extensive screening and training.
Crittenton Services of Greater Washington (www.
crittentonservices.org) helps teen girls make positive choices and believe in their ability to succeed—even in the face of significant challenges. Its school-based programs work with 400 middle school and high school girls, teaching them about healthy relationships, reproductive health, college and careers, and equipping them with life skills needed to succeed. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 takes a first generation student on a college tour to envision her potential. • $1,000 sends 10 girls to a career fair. • $10,000 enables Crittenton to serve 10 to 15 pregnant and parenting teens. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Volunteer at Crittenton’s annual anniversary celebration. • SSL
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Jennifer Delcid with Maurice Hirsh, her Identity youth development counselor
spotlight Identity Inc.
photo by mike olliver
Serving Latino youths in Montgomery County Alexis Cabrera, a seventh-grader at Neelsville Middle School in Germantown, says that when his dad broke his collarbone this summer and was unable to work, the nonprofit Identity Inc. helped his family pay rent and get food stamps. “We didn’t get kicked out of our home because Identity helped us,” Cabrera says. Providing case management services to families is just one facet of Identity, a Gaithersburg-based organization that aids Latino youths in Montgomery County. Identity operates year-round school-based programs at seven middle and high schools; two Youth Opportunity Centers, which provide services such as GED classes and tattoo removal; and three Wellness Centers, which offer school-based mental health counseling and other health services. Identity’s 68 employees and 42 volunteers assist more than 4,000 Latino youths and their families every year. “We are in the business of forging positive relationships,” Executive Director Diego Uriburu says. Jennifer Delcid, a seventh-grader at Montgomery Village Middle School, has experienced those positive relationships during both the summer and after-school programs, where staff helped her with homework and talked with her and the other kids about bullying. “They
By Kelly Seegers
will encourage you, they will help you feel better if you are a little bit down,” she says. “If you have something to talk about, you are allowed to go to them to talk about it.” The organization is always looking for ways to improve, and in June 2014 it surveyed 1,000 students, including current high school students, graduates and those who had dropped out. Based on students’ answers about why they had stayed in school or dropped out, Identity made some changes to its services, such as extending the after-school program so students wouldn’t return to empty homes, and teaching parents how to access children’s grades online. Identity also advocates for the more than 170,000 Latinos in Montgomery County on a public policy level. “You do not see Latinos at the head or at middle management, so lots of people are making decisions for [the Latino] community without really understanding it,” Uriburu says. Identity hopes its advocacy helps to close the achievement gap and provide more opportunities for workforce development. In the summertime, Delcid and Cabrera were both looking forward to attending Identity’s after-school programs again this school year. “Whatever you need, they will actually help you,” Delcid says. BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 213
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The George B. Thomas Sr. Learning Academy’s Saturday School (www.
saturdayschool.org) supports more than 3,000 students and their families in Montgomery County public schools. With 12 centers in areas with high poverty, the Saturday School works to ensure that the most academically at-risk students can access grade-appropriate, low-cost academic tutoring and mentoring services. The group also offers parent workshops in English and Spanish. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 underwrites one Saturday School student for one semester. • $1,000 covers tutors who assist high
school students at risk of not graduating on time, or elementary/middle school students who could benefit from additional academic support. • $10,000 provides tutors for students with limited English proficiency. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Share experiences in your professional life with students. • Weekly: Volunteer in a classroom, working with a certified teacher. • SSL
Girls on the Run of Montgomery County, Maryland (www.girlsontherun
ofmoco.org) provides an interactive after-school running program for more than 130 schools throughout Montgomery County. A fun,
experience-based curriculum integrates running into a program that seeks to inspire girls to be healthy and confident. The program culminates with the girls completing a celebratory 5K running event that builds confidence through accomplishment. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides curriculum for 20 teams. • $1,000 provides new running shoes for 25 girls who would not be able to participate without them. • $10,000 covers program scholarships for 125 girls. Volunteer opportunities: • Weekly: Serve as a volunteer coach twice a week during the 10-week sessions in the spring or fall.
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Carlos Perdomo was matched with his mentor, real estate developer Leigh Henry, through Future Link.
spotlight Future Link
photo by mike olliver
Guiding at-risk youths to education and jobs The summer before Carlos Perdomo entered the 11th grade at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, he watched his father get murdered on the first day of a vacation in El Salvador. Perdomo, now 30, says his family, including his mom and a younger brother, were traveling from the airport to their hometown in the Central American country when three men rammed their truck, robbed them and shot his father to death on the side of the road. “By some miracle, me and the rest of my family didn’t die that day,” he says. At the time, Perdomo felt he needed to financially support his mother and younger siblings. But after graduating high school, he struggled. He dropped out of Montgomery College and did construction and landscaping work. He started drinking and had two DUI convictions by age 25. Then he was caught driving with a suspended license, and a judge ordered him to serve two weeks in jail. Perdomo says jail made him realize he needed to make a change. He learned from a friend about Future Link, a Rockville-based nonprofit that helps local atrisk youths connect with mentors and finish their education through a rigorous career development seminar.
By Andrew Metcalf
The nonprofit focuses resources on young adults who have been convicted of crimes, experienced homelessness or addiction, or are managing early parenthood. Potential students are referred by local agencies and chosen based on a number of at-risk factors. The program enrolls about 90 students each year into its free career seminar and supports about 80 of its alumni with job networking. Future Link helped Perdomo find scholarships that allowed him to return to Montgomery College and matched him with a mentor, local real estate developer Leigh Henry. The nonprofit also helped him find a yearround job as a counselor with the Montgomery County Department of Recreation, teaching kayaking and landscaping to local kids. At Montgomery College, he received an associate degree in electrical wiring in 2014, and he secured an apprenticeship job as an electrician earlier this year at a Future Link job fair. He’s now working on a building under construction on Rockville Pike and living with his girlfriend in Woodbridge, Virginia, and continues to help support his mother. “If my dad could see me now, I know he’d be proud,” Perdomo says. BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 215
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• One day: Support the celebratory 5K Fun Run. • SSL
Horizons Greater Washington (www.horizons
greaterwashington.org) provides academic, cultural and recreational programs designed to empower students to realize their full potential. Through year-round, summer and Saturday programs, Horizons seeks to prevent learning loss for the 330-plus kids it serves. Activities are geared to help kids strengthen problem-solving skills, foster awareness of community responsibility, instill respect for themselves and others, and encourage a lifelong interest in learning. Headquartered: Washington, D.C.
Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 provides a classroom with supplies and healthy snacks. • $1,000 covers all classroom supplies for one summer program. • $10,000 hires two additional teachers. Volunteer opportunities: • Weekly: Volunteer at the Saturday program to assist teachers. • SSL
Identity Inc. (www.identity-youth. org) provides educational opportunities, social service support and positive role models for about 4,000 Latino youths annually in order to facilitate their successful transition to postsecondary education and the workforce. Identity serves Latino youths and
I’m Max, a service dog, and
I help heroes recover who are severely wounded in service
their families with school-based and summer programs, gang prevention and intervention, youth leadership, health promotion, mental health services, job readiness workshops, GED instruction, rehabilitation services for youth offenders and other family-based initiatives. Headquartered: Gaithersburg Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 covers materials and other costs for a youth in the 12-week job readiness program. • $1,000 covers 20 hours of mental health counseling for youths who have experienced trauma. • $10,000 provides hands-on science and math enrichment for 20 students in summer programs.
AS A SERVICE DOG, I HELP OUR WOUNDED HEROES RECOVER. WILL YOU HELP, TOO?
to our county. The Combat
Soldiers Recovery Fund also helps by giving them 100%
of every donation they receive.
Each dollar makes a difference so join me to help our heroes.
combatsoldiersrecoveryfund.org
THEY GAVE 100% so WE GIVE 100% 216 November/december 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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Looking for a Financial Meet Jay. For the past 15 years, Jay has been proud to be a part of the D.C. community. Consultant Jay is equally proud of his 21 years with Schwab, where he has learned that who’s into values like straight talk and accountability have a place in wealth management. he knows that trust anchors any good relationship. If you find this modern accountability? And approach to wealth management compelling, stop by the Schwab Bethesda branch or give Jay a call.
Jay Reilly, CFP® VP, Sr. Financial Consultant Bethesda 301-941-9801
Wealth Management at Charles Schwab
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Visit us at Schwab.com/DC Brokerage Products: Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value
There are eligibility requirements to work with a dedicated Financial Consultant. Branch located at: 7401 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814 Wealth management refers to products and services available through the operating subsidiaries of The Charles Schwab Corporation of which there are important differences including, but not limited to, the type of advice and assistance provided, fees charged, and the rights and obligations of the parties. It is important to understand the differences when determining which products and/or services to select. The Charles Schwab Corporation provides a full range of securities, brokerage, banking, money management and financial advisory services through its operating subsidiaries. Its broker-dealer subsidiary, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (member SIPC), offers investment services and products, including Schwab brokerage accounts. Its banking subsidiary, Charles Schwab Bank (member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender), provides deposit and lending services and products. ©2015 The Charles Schwab Corporation. All rights reserved. (0715-4593) ADP87105-00
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Volunteer opportunities: • Weekly: Offer an internship at your company. • Occasional: Conduct mock job interviews and offer coaching.
Leveling the Playing Field
(www.levelingtheplayingfield.org) collects used/excess sports equipment to give underprivileged children the opportunity to play sports. LPF has donated more than $800,000 worth of sports equipment to more than 75 programs, enabling those organizations to save money that can be reallocated to scholarships and/or lower registration fees. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: D.C./Baltimore region What a donation buys: • $250 gives a youth sports team the equipment needed to participate in a league. • $1,000 equips a program/league with enough equipment for every child. • $10,000 gives one school the equipment needed for every child to participate in recreational activities. Volunteer opportunities: • One time: Help at the warehouse by organizing equipment deliveries for partner organizations. • One time or ongoing: Organize your own equipment drive for gently used sports gear. • SSL
Project Change (www.project change-md.org) promotes positive youth development through leadership experiences, community service opportunities, performing arts and social activities. Its Team of Stars (TOS) program provides summer camp and after-school programs for middle school youths from lowincome households. The TOS camp uses musical theater as a medium to improve communication and life skills.
Headquartered: Olney Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 covers 50 hot lunches for TOS campers. • $1,000 supports one week at the Project Change Student Leadership Institute for five youths. • $10,000 sends five youths to the TOS camp for five weeks. Volunteer opportunities: • Weekly: High school students can help with information technology and social media. • Summer: Facilitate dialogue circles at the TOS camp. • SSL
Help a Student Go To College CollegeTracks (www.college tracks.org) helps Montgomery County public school students navigate the college application and financial aid process and to enroll, persist and graduate from college or technical school. The 1,000 students served annually are often low-income and/or the first in their families to apply to college. Headquartered: Bethesda Serves: Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Wheaton and Watkins Mill high schools What a donation buys: • $250 enables five recent high school graduates to attend college success skills workshops. • $1,000 provides one year of college admissions advising for a high school senior. • $10,000 provides college success coaching for 10 college scholars. Volunteer opportunities: • Weekly: Become a trained volunteer to help students during lunchtime and after school with all aspects of the college admissions and financial aid process.
Future Link (www.futurelinkmd. org) empowers disadvantaged young adults through career exploration programs, workforce development, academic advising, scholarships, paid internships and mentors. Its program emphasizes entrance into and persistence in postsecondary education, teaches youths good workplace, self-advocacy and personal decisionmaking skills, and helps youths identify and carve out a plan for a meaningful and realistic career pathway that will enable them to become self-sufficient. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides public transportation for 10 students to attend the Future Link college-level seminar. • $1,000 provides a scholarship for a student at Montgomery College. • $10,000 funds the Future Link semester-long, career development college-level seminar for 10 students. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Provide informational interviews in your career field to help students understand your career path. • Short-term: Offer a shared-cost internship or job-shadowing opportunity. Generation Hope (www. supportgenerationhope.org) provides scholarships and mentoring support to empower teen mothers and fathers to complete college. To date, more than 86 students have enrolled in the program, which is provided by the only local organization that focuses solely on college completion for teen parents. Headquartered: Washington, D.C. Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 provides 10 scholars with gas cards to help them attend class for one week.
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After graduating from a Per Scholas program, Kombo Inko-Tariah landed a job with the Social Security Administration.
spotlight Per Scholas
photo by mike olliver
Free IT training for unemployed or low-income adults Kombo Inko-Tariah, a Nigerian immigrant living in Laurel, Maryland, had been working in the United States for five years, struggling to make ends meet as a freelance photographer, when he saw an online advertisement for Per Scholas. The national nonprofit has a Silver Spring branch that provides tuition-free IT and career coaching to about 80 unemployed or low-income adults per year. Inko-Tariah, who was supporting a family of six, decided to apply, but initially didn’t demonstrate the required 10th-grade math level. When told to retake the test in a couple of months, he studied intensely with his wife and tested at a 12th-grade level the next week, earning admission. Less than a month after graduating in May 2014, Inko-Tariah was hired by the Social Security Administration. Since then, he has been promoted twice and is now a systems support administrator. “I love watching people set a goal for themselves and actually complete it,” Per Scholas Managing Director Bridgette Gray says. Gray opened the National Capital Region branch of Per Scholas in January 2014 and has seen seven classes complete the eight-week program. Mondays through Thursdays, they focus on IT skills, Fridays on career
By Kelly Seegers
development. Two instructors on staff teach the classes. In the eighth week, the students take tests to receive their CompTIA A+ certification. The majority of IT jobs require certification; Per Scholas covers the $2,000 cost of preparation and certification. The program culminates with graduation and an on-site hiring fair. Graduates are frequently hired as help desk technicians, quality assurance specialists and clinical desktop specialists. On average, Per Scholas students’ annual salaries leap from under $7,000 to $39,000 after the training. Once the alums have been in a job for 90 days, the organization offers two additional certifications at no cost. “For people that have been wanting to break into IT but don’t know how, or don’t have the funds or don’t have the support, they get that with Per Scholas,” says alumna Bunmi Ajagbe of Germantown, who now works as an IT auditor at Kearney & Company in Baltimore. At an alumni happy hour in July, Gray asked former students to raise their hands if they would be willing to invest 1 percent of their salary back into Per Scholas. All the hands in the room shot up. “The least we could do is give back to Per Scholas so they can continue to provide opportunities for other students as well,” Ajagbe says. BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 219
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• $1,000 provides one academic skills
training course for 37 scholars and their sponsors. • $10,000 provides a four-year sponsorship for one scholar attending a local university. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Serve as a child care volunteer at a scholar training. • Ongoing: Become a volunteer tutor.
Montgomery College Foundation — Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES )
(www.montgomerycollege.edu/aces) is a collaboration among Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College and The Universities at Shady Grove that aims to increase college enrollment and completion in Montgomery County for students underrepresented in higher education. The program provides targeted academic coaching, interventions and support for students while they are enrolled in the three institutions. ACES currently serves about 1,200 students in 10 MCPS high schools and about 475 students at Montgomery College. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 covers a college tour for 10 students. • $1,000 provides three staff training sessions. • $10,000 covers scholarships for 10 students. Volunteer opportunities: • One time: Talk to a group of high school or college students about your career path.
The Posse Foundation
(www.possefoundation.org) identifies students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential and places them in multicultural teams (“posses”)
of 10 students, which act as support systems on campus. Scholars receive four-year, full-tuition merit scholarships from Posse’s college and university partners, and graduate at a rate of 90 percent. Each year, Posse supports 60 scholars in pre-collegiate training, 240 scholars on campus and more than 250 alumni. Headquartered: Washington, D.C. Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 sponsors two financial aid information sessions for selected Posse scholars and their families. • $1,000 sponsors training sessions for 12 college mentors, who work with scholars during their first two years on campus. • $10,000 sponsors a year of Posse’s comprehensive programming for two scholars. Volunteer opportunities: • Ongoing: Serve as a writing or résumé coach for high school seniors. • Ongoing: Become a career coach for a Posse scholar or alumni.
Help Someone Find A Job CASA (www.wearecasa.org) works to improve the quality of life in immigrant communities. For its 80,000-plus members, CASA provides job placement, vocational training, instruction in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), citizenship assistance, and other critical legal, social and health services, while leading grassroots community organizing efforts. Headquartered: Langley Park Serves: Maryland, Northern Virginia What a donation buys: • $250 provides a scholarship for an immigrant worker to receive job training. • $1,000 provides scholarships that enable seven low-income
immigrants to take 12 weeks of English instruction. • $10,000 purchases vital equipment for CASA’s job training program. Volunteer opportunities: • Weekly: Serve as a mentor to immigrants studying for the U.S. citizenship exam. • Monthly: Assist immigrant youths applying for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Empowered Women International (www.ewint.org)
provides entrepreneurship and workforce training, mentoring, access to markets and capital, and highly individualized support services for immigrant, refugee and American-born women who face economic and personal challenges. Each year, EWI’s programs provide more than 300 women with the skills to launch, manage and sustain their own businesses. Headquartered: Alexandria, Virginia Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 provides four weeks of financial education for 15 students. • $1,000 provides scholarships for the three-month Entrepreneur Training for Success program, which helps women launch their own micro-businesses. • $10,000 provides four women with full scholarships for the Grow My Business program, which includes business development, marketing strategy, financial education, expert speakers and business coaching. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Direct a workshop on marketing, business management, finance, public speaking or leadership. • Weekly: Mentor a woman in business development.
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Establishing a Legacy for Montgomery College Students
IMPACT Silver Spring (www. impactsilverspring.org) brings people together across lines of race, class and culture to create thriving multicultural communities. Its Opportunity Circles support small groups of residents working together to form new businesses and improve their neighborhood conditions, and help the individuals achieve personal development goals related to health, education and economic stability. IMPACT also convenes larger Network Night gatherings that enable participants to form connections with each other and a broader network of people and organizations. IMPACT also offers sports and enrichment activities to low-income and immigrant youths in Long Branch and Wheaton. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 pays for soccer jerseys for one team with IMPACT’s Wheaton Soccer League. • $1,000 pays for two Network Nights, where diverse residents come together to socialize and share information. • $10,000 pays to support micro-entrepreneurs with startup costs. Volunteer opportunities: • Weekly: Volunteer as a coach for elementary school and middle school soccer or basketball teams. • Intermittent: Use social media, photography and creative writing to communicate stories of everyday people in IMPACT’s network. • SSL Latin American Youth Center / Maryl and Multicultural Youth Centers (www.layc-dc.org/index.
php/md-programs) reaches 4,500 at-risk youths in the region, including 600 underserved Montgomery County
Carl Buch, Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard, Tracy Buch
Montgomery College Salutes Carl Buch and Buch Construction Though Buch Construction recently earned accolades from the Washington Business Journal as one of the 50 fastest growing companies in the Washington region, Carl Buch, president of the family-owned business, downplays his part in its success. Instead, when Buch talks about what most influenced his life, he talks about playing on the football team as a student at Montgomery College. For Buch, a young man unsure of what to do with his life, Montgomery College provided a caring and structured environment—and helped him grow into the leader he is today. Buch can relate to the hundreds of MC students who graduate from high school and find themselves unsure of what to do in the next phase of their lives. That is why he established an endowment supporting students in the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program at Montgomery College, which provides underrepresented student populations the support they need to earn their bachelor’s degree. We are very proud of Carl Buch. Not only is he leading a burgeoning construction company, but also he is building a bright future for Montgomery College students.
montgomerycollege.edu/foundation Carol Rognrud Executive Director of the Montgomery College Foundation 240-567-7493 BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 221
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youths, particularly youths who have dropped out of school. Programs include job readiness training, paid internships, work experience, GED instruction, academic enrichment, college preparation, case management, counseling, mentoring, leadership development and life skills. With its support, 165 county teens obtained paid summer internships in 2015. Headquartered: Washington, D.C. Serves: Washington, D.C., and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties What a donation buys: • $250 provides public transportation fare cards for three young people to attend a year’s worth of counseling sessions. • $1,000 enables 20 youths to take the GED exam. • $10,000 pays for computer training for youths from low-income families. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Become a motivational guest speaker to the youth program, discussing careers, financial literacy and parenting skills. • Weekly: Tutor a high school or GED student once or twice a week on academic subjects.
Latino Economic Development Center
(www.ledcmetro.org) equips Latinos and other D.C.-area residents with the skills and tools to achieve financial independence and become leaders in their communities. Its small-business services include technical assistance and micro-loans for aspiring and existing low- to moderate-income entrepreneurs. Its housing services prepare aspiring homebuyers for owning a home and prevent families from going into foreclosure. Headquartered: Washington, D.C., and Wheaton Serves: Washington, D.C., and Maryland
What a donation buys: • $250 covers pulling credit reports for 10 clients to help improve their credit standing. • $1,000 covers a homeownership workshop for low- to moderateincome first-time homebuyers. • $10,000 helps capitalize an aspiring low- to moderate-income entrepreneur. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Volunteer at an LEDC event to educate clients about personal and business financial management, the startup process, sound business management practices and the first-time purchase of a home.
Per Scholas (www.perscholas. org/nationalcapitalregion) helps lowincome and unemployed adults gain the skills and connections needed to break into the information technology field. Through its tuition-free IT Support job training courses, Per Scholas equips 80 individuals with certifications each year and connects them to in-demand IT jobs. Headquartered: New York, N.Y., and Silver Spring Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 pays for the professional IT certification that makes a student a certified technician. • $1,000 develops the career skills for graduates to impress future employers. • $10,000 covers eight weeks of ITReady training for two students, helping them launch IT careers in the region. Volunteer opportunities: • Ongoing: Speak to the class on industry-specific and/or career development topics. • One day: Edit résumés or participate in mock interviews.
Support Those With Special Needs Red Wiggler Community Farm (www.redwiggler.org) employs
adults with developmental disabilities as growers on its certified organic farm. Annually, more than 800 people, with and without mental disabilities, participate in inclusive education and service learning activities in the outdoor classroom. Growers and volunteers harvest more than 34,000 pounds of organic produce a year, 30 percent of which is distributed to low-income individuals in Montgomery County. Headquartered: Germantown Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides one delivery of fresh vegetables to 10 group homes for adults with disabilities. • $1,000 provides new ergonomic hand tools for growers and volunteers. • $10,000 supports winter greenhouse programming for 50 youths with developmental disabilities. Volunteer opportunities: • One day or weekly: On-farm education and learning opportunities are available for youths and adults with and without developmental disabilities through community and school-group visits as well as by individuals. • SSL
Sunflower Bakery (www. sunflowerbakery.org) prepares young adults with developmental/cognitive disabilities for employment through skilled on-the-job training. Its individualized 12-month program includes on-site professional instruction, skills training and a paid off-site internship for 16 to 20 individuals annually, and a summer job exposure program for 25 to 30 teens. The organization recently launched Cafe Sunflower, where employees work in an integrated environment to gain experience in
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Do people consider you
DEDICATED, DEPENDABLE, CONSCIENTIOUS, ADVENTUROUS, AND CARING? Then VOLUNTEER at
Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department And use your strengths to help others. Become a Firefighter, EMT, Swift Water Member, Tactical Services Tech, or Paramedic Visit our website
WWW.CJPVFD.ORG Or call our Membership Coordinator:
301-252-5314
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customer service, business operations, marketing and sales while selling Sunflower’s sweets and beverages. Headquartered: Gaithersburg and North Bethesda Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 covers student materials for one pastry arts student. • $1,000 provides bakery supplies for one pastry arts student, including ingredients, disposables and small equipment. • $10,000 covers the program fee for two pastry arts students. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Hold a bake sale using Sunflower Bakery products to benefit the group. • Weekly: Provide mentoring and guidance as a scheduled member of the cafe team. • SSL
Improve Someone’s Health Aspire Coun seling (www. we-aspire.org) provides mental health counseling for children, adolescents, adults and seniors. Programs include an integrated behavioral health care program with Mobile Medical Care, treatment for perinatal depression through the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies program, and the Positive Aging Project specifically geared for seniors. Headquartered: Gaithersburg Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 buys therapeutic toys to aid in the counseling of young children. • $1,000 provides 12 sessions of homebased mental health counseling for an uninsured new mother with postpartum depression. • $10,000 provides a year of mental health counseling for 40 uninsured children and adults.
Volunteer opportunities: • One day or weekly: Help with technology, fundraising or translation of materials into Spanish.
Mercy Health Clinic (www. mercyhealthclinic.org) is a communitybased health clinic that provides free medical care, health education and medication for uninsured, low-income adults. The clinic’s medical services are provided primarily by volunteer physicians and other health professionals, and include primary health care and specialty clinics, behavioral health, health education programs and an on-site pharmacy. Headquartered: Gaithersburg Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 covers a mammogram and follow-up support for one patient. • $1,000 provides essential nutrition education and support for 40 patients, including those managing diabetes and hypertension. • $10,000 provides medication and consultation for 100 patients for five months. Volunteer opportunities: • Daily, weekly or monthly: Doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses and medical assistants can provide health care services, including visiting with patients. Mobile Medical Care
(www.mobilemedicalcare.org) provides primary and preventive care for nearly 5,000 low-income, uninsured and underinsured Montgomery County residents. MobileMed has seven primary care clinics in areas with the greatest need or outreach capacity, including three locations that offer walk-in appointments for patients who have unpredictable work schedules. In fixed site and mobile van locations, staff and volunteer clinicians deliver culturally sensitive care, integrated
behavioral health services and wraparound support. Through partnerships with area hospitals and community organizations, MobileMed arranges free or low-cost diagnostic laboratory, radiology and cardiac testing, as well as specialty care and medications. Headquartered: Bethesda Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides life-changing patient education for 25 individuals with chronic conditions. • $1,000 supports two half-day women’s clinic sessions to serve 40 economically disadvantaged women. • $10,000 supports medical visits for 200 vulnerable patients. Volunteer opportunities: • Weekly or monthly: Serve as a volunteer in a clinic or at headquarters. • SSL
The Teen and Young Adult Health Connection Program of CCI Health & Wellness Services (CCI -TAYA) (www.cciweb.org/family.
html) is a reproductive health care program that works to prevent unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among teens and young adults from age 12 to 35. It provides low-cost, high-quality, bilingual care through annual gynecological exams, birth control services, and STI testing, treatment and counseling. Last year, CCI-TAYA served more than 3,000 patients with clinical services on-site, and more than 5,000 people in the community through health fairs, community meetings and youth and parent workshops. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 provides one interactive workshop on reproductive health for 25 teens and young adults.
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We want to help local families have sweeter dreams. Each night, many families sleep on floors just miles away from some of our nation’s greatest wealth. These families need beds. That’s why the Wydler Brothers Team created the 1000 Bed Challenge. For every home bought or sold with Wydler Brothers this year, our lead agent will donate a bed to A Wider Circle, a local charity helping thousands of families in need. To help us reach our goal of donating 1000 beds, we have joined with the generous partners listed below who will also donate beds to A Wider Circle. Please help us deliver sweeter dreams to local families in need. TO LEARN MORE OR MAKE A DONATION, VISIT
10 0 0 BEDC H A LLE NG E .C O M
In-kind donation by Art Director: Craig Coughlin, Copywriter: Francis Sullivan, Photographer: Elliott O’Donovan
& We want to thank our partners for their support of this campaign.
Wydler Brothers Team, of Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
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• $1,000 provides one year of birth
control for 10 young women. • $10,000 provides 65 annual comprehensive gynecological visits. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Host a community forum for adults to learn how to talk with their kids about reproductive health. • Ongoing: Medical providers can donate services for uninsured patients.
Put a Roof Over Someone’s Head Housing Unlimited (www. housingunlimited.org) empowers people in mental health recovery to live on their own and learn the skills they need to be successful and confident. Housing Unlimited provides 175 individuals with affordable homes at 62 fully furnished properties, along with weekly staff visits to check in with tenants and ensure that the homes are well-maintained. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides pots, pans, plates and tools for a newly purchased home. • $1,000 covers living room decorations and furnishings for a new townhome. • $10,000 supports the annual salary for an AmeriCorps full-time intern to help serve 175 residents. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help landscape or mulch a yard. • Weekly: Provide administrative help at the Housing Unlimited office. • SSL The Montgomery Housing Partnership (www.mhpartners.
org) is the largest private, nonprofit developer of affordable rental housing in the county, with nearly 1,500 affordable homes in Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Wheaton and other transit-oriented
communities. For more than 25 years, MHP has acquired, rehabilitated, built and managed quality affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families and provided Community Life Programs for its residents. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides 16 new backpacks for the annual Back to School Backpack Drive. • $1,000 helps pay for two field trips for 72 children to the National Zoo. • $10,000 covers the stipend for one AmeriCorps member to support Community Life Programs. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Join in community fairs, neighborhood cleanups and holiday toy drives. • Weekly: Read to preschoolers or tutor older children on their homework. • SSL
Rainbow Place (www.rainbow place.org) is an emergency winter shelter for women, open from Nov. 1 to March 31. Each resident is given a place to stay, a hot dinner, breakfast, a bag lunch, shower and laundry facilities, clothing, toiletries, storage space and bus tokens. A visiting nurse addresses medical needs weekly. Since the goal is to help the women transition out of homelessness, case management is offered and strongly encouraged. Rainbow Place serves about 100 guests annually. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides bus tokens needed by women to travel to medical appointments, job interviews or work sites. • $1,000 covers a 30-night stay for one woman. • $10,000 adds an on-site therapist two nights a week.
Volunteer opportunities: • One day or ongoing: Cook and serve meals. • One day or ongoing: Provide special services for the clients, such as computer training, haircuts or tutoring. • SSL
Stepping Stones Shelter
(www.steppingstonesshelter.org) offers shelter and support services to about 88 families with children each year. Its programs help families find longerterm housing solutions and create a stable home environment. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides 10 cartons of diapers for homeless families. • $1,000 provides grocery store gift cards for 20 families as they move out of the shelter and into permanent housing. • $10,000 buys one-on-one money management counseling and monthly employment workshops for 30 families during one year. Volunteer opportunities: • Ongoing: Help with child care. • Ongoing: Cook and serve dinner for shelter residents. • SSL
Provide Those in Need With a Safety Net The Association of Vietnamese Americans
(www.avaus.org) provides linguistically and culturally appropriate services to isolated Vietnamese-American seniors, struggling Vietnamese-American parents, and immigrants of all backgrounds who are seeking citizenship. It serves more than 140 children, parents and seniors each year with case management, English language lessons and parenting enrichment services.
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Natalie Zanin instructs students in her ArtStream comedy class.
spotlight ArtStream
photo by mike olliver
Providing arts programming for adults with disabilities During the last session of a series of four comedy classes offered in July, 10 adults with cognitive disabilities were beaming as they stood in front of their family and friends at the Round House Theatre Education Center in Silver Spring. They each did a stand-up routine and together performed bits from I Love Lucy and The Simpsons and an original scene dreamed up by one student called “Unholy Bagels,” about a restaurant that serves bagels without holes. The show was just one of ArtStream’s programs that aims to make the arts accessible for everyone—especially those with disabilities or facing challenging life circumstances, such as grief or illness. The Silver Spring-based organization was founded in 2005 by five women artists—Sally Kinka, Patricia Krauss, Emilia O’Connor, Nicolette Stearns and Patricia Woolsey—who met while working at Imagination Stage in Bethesda and discovered a common interest in spreading the arts to communities that don’t usually have access to them. ArtStream now has seven inclusive theater companies that create original plays, as well as a large selection of classes in drama and social skills, housed in various community centers and theater spaces. Forty staff artists administer these programs, along with 200 volunteers. ArtStream also sponsors arts programs in health care settings, such as Allies in the Arts, which brings artists to
By Kelly Seegers
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda for bedside art activities with patients. Last year, ArtStream had 3,700 participants in its programs. Adults with disabilities particularly benefit from arts programming after they reach the point in their lives where there is a “services cliff,” says John Newman, ArtStream’s marketing manager. After they hit 21, adults with disabilities go from being in school with many programs to being adults with new expectations. “Everyone deserves to express themselves through art, and everyone can benefit from expressing themselves through art,” Newman says. Natalie Zanin, a comedy class instructor, says she has seen how ArtStream programs have drastically improved people’s confidence and empowered them to get jobs or do volunteer work. One actor she met in her first year of directing would not look anyone in the eye when he began taking drama classes. A year later, his confidence had grown so much that he came decked out in a costume to audition as Richard III. The year after that, he played President Orama Barometer in the ensemble’s original play The Wizard of Ooohs and Aaahhs. Since then, the 23-year-old Silver Spring resident has started working at a record store, appeared in a TV commercial and begun volunteering at Holy Cross Hospital. BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 227
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Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Maryland What a donation buys: • $250 provides two hours of support and programs for 20 isolated, low-income seniors at a local senior center. • $1,000 covers 10 translators to help health care providers offer free screenings to 50 uninsured individuals. • $10,000 supports the salary for one AmeriCorps member to provide 1,700 hours of services to clients. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Provide support at a special event, such as the Tet lunar new year celebration. • Weekly: Provide assistance to senior citizens needing translation and transportation services. • SSL
Bethesda Cares (www.bethesda cares.org) is dedicated to easing, ending and preventing homelessness in our community. A housing-focused outreach organization, Bethesda Cares helps people contending with chronic homelessness find paths to permanent housing, while also easing their lives through its drop-in center, daily hot meal program, clothing closet and mental health services. Bethesda Cares also works directly with landlords and utility companies to prevent low-income residents from spiraling into homelessness. Headquartered: Bethesda Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides hot, nutritious meals for 41 people. • $1,000 staves off eviction or a utility shutoff for 10 households, buying clients time to weather temporary crises. • $10,000 sponsors five months of psychiatric support for dozens of chronically homeless individuals
battling mental illness or needing emotional support. Volunteer opportunities • One day: Organize a drive for socks, coffee, tea, nonperishable food, seasonal clothing and toiletries. • Ongoing: Create bagged lunches for clients. • SSL
Capital Area Asset Builders (www.caab.org) empow-
ers low- and moderate-income families to take control of their finances, increase their savings and build wealth. Through Individual Development Accounts, CAAB provides $3 for every $1 that each family saves. Once the participant saves $1,000, the money can be used toward postsecondary education, starting or enhancing a small business, or providing a down payment on a first home. Headquartered: Washington, D.C. Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 provides class materials for one financial literacy class. • $1,000 enables 10 families to take the financial literacy class. • $10,000 enables CAAB to provide one year of financial coaching at a community-based organization. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help facilitate a financial literacy class. • Weekly: Educate residents about the Earned Income Tax Credit and other benefits during tax season.
Community Ministries of Rockville (www.cmrocks.org)
provides health and human services to the most vulnerable residents of Montgomery County. Its programs include health care for the low-income, uninsured; emergency assistance for families in crisis; permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless men
and women; home care services that enable low-income seniors to age in place; and English as a Second Language, literacy and citizenship classes for immigrants. CMR’s programs serve more than 5,000 individuals annually. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 pays for a patient visit and lab work for a low-income, uninsured adult. • $1,000 helps a working family avoid eviction while coping with an unexpected financial crisis. • $10,000 provides three low-income seniors with home care services for one year. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Cook a meal for residents of CMR’s housing program. • Weekly: Volunteer as a caller or friendly visitor for a senior.
Crossroads Community Food Network (www.crossroads
communityfoodnetwork.org) aims to build the local food system, educate and empower community members— especially low-income and immigrant residents—about healthy food choices, and create universal access to healthy food. Crossroads serves more than 3,000 people annually in the Takoma/ Langley Crossroads area. Programs include microenterprise development, healthy eating education and farmers market nutrition incentives at Crossroads Farmers Market. Location: Takoma Park Serves: Takoma Park/Langley Park What a donation buys: • $250 funds bus service for 25 limited-mobility seniors to receive free transportation to the farmers market for one week. • $1,000 provides a dollar-for-dollar match for food stamps spent at the farmers market for two families for
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the entire market season.
• $10,000 pays for a season’s worth of
nutritional counseling for 20 lowincome women. Volunteer opportunities: • Weekly from November-June: Volunteer with local schools and community organizations to give demonstrations on cooking with fresh vegetables. • Weekly from June-November: Volunteer at the Crossroads Farmers Market to help elderly and disabled customers shop for produce.
Home Care Partners
(www.homecarepartners.org) provides nonmedical support services to low-income elderly, chronically ill and disabled residents throughout the
metro region. Each year, 200 licensed aides provide home care services to more than 1,000 adults, support for family caregivers, and training for individuals interested in working in the home care field. It gives vulnerable, low-income residents the opportunity to remain in their own homes. Home Care Partners’ licensed Training Institute prepares students to become certified home health aides, and offers continuing education in caregiving to aides, professionals, family caregivers and the general public. Headquartered: Washington, D.C. Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 provides home care services for one month for two frail elders or persons with disabilities.
• $1,000 supports a scholarship for a
student to obtain a home health aide certification. • $10,000 supports home care services for a year for seven frail elders or persons with disabilities. Volunteer opportunities: • Weekly: Volunteer as an intake worker. • Long-term: Act as the coordinator for marketing, volunteers or development. • SSL
International Rescue Commit tee (www.rescue.org/
us-program/us-silver-spring) helps people whose lives were shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their
Home
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Another way to
Give Sharing Montgomery Fund www.thecommunityfoundation.org
Created 19 years ago, The Community Foundation in Montgomery County was set up to make it easier for county residents and businesses to give to the causes most dear to their hearts. It also pools contributions from hundreds of families through the Sharing Montgomery Fund, which supports local nonprofits serving low-income residents. The foundation’s staff and donor-led committees conduct an annual vetting process that evaluates each applicant for strong leadership and program excellence. Sharing Montgomery donations support safety-net services that address the basic needs of the most vulnerable residents, educational opportunities that help youths to succeed and workforce-development programs that enable adults to gain the skills they need to obtain living-wage jobs.
Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County www.creativemoco.com This Silver Spring-based nonprofit brings the arts and humanities to communities across Montgomery County through grants for cultural nonprofit organizations, civic groups, schools, and individual artists and scholars. AHCMC also offers capacitybuilding workshops and professional development programs; markets the county’s cultural treasures through culturespotmc. com, The Guide to Children’s Arts Activities and power2give. org; and manages the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery and The Public Arts Trust, which curate and conserve art in public places throughout the county. AHCMC also accepts donations that can be directed to local groups and individuals and offers volunteer, internship and Student Service Learning (SSL) opportunities.
future. The IRC in Silver Spring makes sure newly arrived refugees receive a furnished home, health care, nutritious and affordable food, English language classes, social services and legal support, and helps refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency through job readiness training, career counseling and ongoing wraparound services. Its Silver Spring resettlement office has empowered 8,000 refugees since 2006, including 4,500 individuals in Montgomery County. Headquartered: New York, N.Y., and Silver Spring Serves: Montgomery and Prince George’s counties What a donation buys: • $250 provides 10 meals for a newly arrived refugee family. • $1,000 sponsors 15 classes for adults striving to learn English. • $10,000 provides training and job search support for 15 adults. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Organize a drive for gently used toys, books, clothes and household items for a newly arrived family. • Monthly: Become a mentor for refugee families and individuals as they learn English, gain new job skills and learn to navigate our community. • SSL
Shepherd’s Table (www. shepherdstable.org) serves more than 2,400 homeless individuals in Montgomery County every year, providing meals, clothing, haircuts, information and referrals, as well as technical assistance by pro bono lawyers, Department of Veterans Affairs staff and tax preparers. It runs an eye clinic to provide vision screenings and prescription eyeglasses for the uninsured, while also providing vouchers for prescriptions, mail service, transportation assistance and telephone access.
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WHEN BUSINESSES DO GOOD, THE COMMUNITY PROFITS. As members of Community Profits Montgomery, the following businesses have committed to give at least 2% of their pre-tax earnings back to the community or $100,000 to nonprofits serving Montgomery County. To learn more, or to join in our pledge, visit CommunityProfitsMontgomery.org Welcome New members:
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Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides prescription eyeglasses for five low-income, uninsured adults. • $1,000 provides medical prescription assistance for 40 people. • $10,000 covers 2,000 meals. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Prep, set up and serve a nutritious meal. • One day: Assist clients with basic needs in the resource center in the afternoons and evenings.
St. Camillus Food Pantry
(www.gofundme.com/trpqnc) distributes nutritious food to ensure that low-income families get enough to eat.
Through emergency food distribution on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings, this all-volunteer, bilingual food pantry served more than 10,000 families last year. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides a week’s worth of emergency food for 10 families. • $1,000 provides two pounds of rice and beans for 250 families. • $10,000 provides enough food to serve all of the families that visit the food pantry over two days. Volunteer opportunities: • One day or ongoing: Bag and distribute food during pantry hours, or help unload and shelve food on weekdays.
• Ongoing: Bilingual adults can help
with client registration during pantry hours.
The Tree House Child Assessment Center of Montgomery County
(www.treehousemd.org) serves child and adolescent victims of sexual/ physical abuse and neglect and their non-offending family members. This public-private partnership between the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County provides an array of integrated services, including medical evaluations, mental health assessments and treatment, nurse case management, victim advocacy and
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Voted Best Financial Advisor forensic interviewing in a safe, childfocused and central location. The center supports nearly 1,000 individuals annually. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 provides five hours of trauma therapy for a child. • $1,000 provides a full medical exam and psychological evaluation for a child. • $10,000 enables the hiring and training of an additional trauma specialist to serve victims of abuse. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Volunteer at the Tree House Tour de Cookie. • One day: Organize community/ school collection of snacks or other supplies needed for children who come to The Tree House. • SSL
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(www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org) educates and inspires new generations of theater artists and audiences with theatrical experiences. ATMTC reaches more than 75,000 students, families and educators annually with stage adaptations of popular children’s literature and stories celebrating diversity, student productions, classes and performing ensembles. ATMTC serves students at all skill levels, and families from culturally and economically diverse communities. Headquartered: Glen Echo and Rockville Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $100 covers the materials needed for a prop, such as one of the munchkin puppets in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. • $500 gives tickets to a theatrical
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production to 60 students from Title I schools. • $1,000 buys enough lumber to build a theatrical set designed by a local artist. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with special projects, such as painting during Glen Echo Renovation Week. • Weekly: Volunteer in administrative offices or as a historian. • Internships • SSL
The American Dance Institute (www.americandance.
org) presents performances by professional contemporary dance companies and offers residencies to choreographers to make new work. Every year, ADI brings dance performances to more than 4,500 audience members in the D.C. area and supports several hundred national and international artists that push the limits of dance in new ways. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 provides food and beverages for a meet-the-artists reception following a performance. • $500 provides a special performance of Ballet ADI for up to 100 local elementary school students. • $1,500 provides housing for an ADI Incubator artist for one week. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with performances by handing out programs, providing parking assistance, acting as an usher and other tasks. • Internships
ArtStream (www.art-stream.org) creates artistic opportunities for individuals in communities traditionally underserved by the arts. The nonprofit’s signature programs include social
and job skills classes for adults with disabilities; inclusive theater companies for adults with intellectual disabilities; and arts sessions for wounded military personnel and their families and caregivers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda. Headquartered: Silver Spring Services: Metro region What a donation buys: • $100 sponsors a participant for three sessions of inclusive social clubs or drama skills classes. • $1,200 pays for one month of twiceweekly arts sessions for wounded military personnel and their families. • $3,000 underwrites theater space for one inclusive theater company. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Party along with our participants at a Super Social Saturday inclusive party workshop. • Long-term: Perform onstage as a mentor in an inclusive theater company. • Internships • SSL
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (www.bsomusic.org),
in residence at the Music Center at Strathmore, offers 37 classical, pops and educational performances in Montgomery County during the 20152016 season. Enriching the cultural life of a diverse and rapidly changing community outside the concert hall is a role the BSO at Strathmore embraces, and the organization continues to expand its impact through education and outreach initiatives. The BSO’s educational programming includes BSO on the Go, OrchLab, senior center chamber concerts and the Music Box Series. Headquartered: North Bethesda Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $350 helps to underwrite a visit by a BSO musician to a local Title I school
as part of the OrchLab program.
• $1,500 enables a BSO string quartet
to play a BSO on the Go recital at a Montgomery County senior center. • $5,000 covers the cost for more than 100 Montgomery County students to attend a BSO concert at Strathmore. Volunteer Opportunities: • One day: Provide on-site assistance as a musical mentor during a BSO school visit. • Weekly: Manage check-in for preconcert lectures and other events. • Internships
BlackRock Center for the Arts (www.blackrockcenter.
org) encourages individuals of all ages, means and backgrounds to explore, experience and celebrate the arts. BlackRock reaches more than 20,000 people each year through arts education classes, performances, free gallery exhibits and other community engagement events. BlackRock also offers educational scholarships, a free summer concert series and outreach classes at community schools. Headquartered: Germantown Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 provides a scholarship for one student to take an arts education class for 12 weeks. • $1,000 helps supply costumes, dance shoes, paint and other education materials. • $10,000 sponsors BlackRock’s free summer concert series. Volunteer opportunities: • Short-term: Help with events such as an annual open house and spring gala. • Ongoing: Usher at BlackRock’s performances, gallery receptions and other special events. • SSL
CityDance (www.citydance. net) works to establish the nation’s
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Salang capital as a destination to see, study and create great dance. CityDance OnStage brings highly acclaimed national and international companies to the region’s performance venues and supports emerging choreographers to create and perform original work in the CityDance Studio Theater at Strathmore. CityDance School & Conservatory provides more than 600 students each week with high-level dance training. CityDance’s community programs, including DREAM and ReachDC, are offered at more than 25 community-based sites across the region, providing free performances for more than 5,000 students each year, in-school and after-school programs for 500 students every week, and camps for more than 400 students every summer. Headquartered: North Bethesda Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $100 provides classroom materials for one after-school program. • $250 sponsors 10 students to attend a professional dance performance. • $1,000 provides 120 meals for student field trips.
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Class Acts Arts (www.class actsarts.org) engages communities to create interactive arts experiences to enhance learning. Class Acts Arts brings the transformative power of the arts to children via cultural arts performances at their schools, to incarcerated youths in juvenile detention and correctional facilities through skills-based arts workshops, and to others in the D.C. region. The organization works with professional artists from various cultural backgrounds and artistic disciplines. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $440 brings a Latin American BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 235
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heritage performance to a lowincome elementary school. • $1,000 brings a series of African drumming workshops to wounded warriors. • $10,000 covers a 10-week mural arts residency in which juvenile offenders learn painting techniques and create a mural to donate to the community. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with special events, such as the organization’s tent at Montgomery County Public Schools’ Back-to-School Fair. • Weekly or Monthly: Volunteer in the administrative office for event planning, graphic design or marketing. • Internships
Dance Exchange (www.dance exchange.org) is an intergenerational contemporary dance company that serves a diverse range of ages, cultural backgrounds and physical abilities through interactive performances, community residencies, classes and professional trainings. Founded in 1976 by Liz Lerman, and currently under the artistic direction of Cassie Meador, the internationally renowned Takoma Park dance company believes that everybody can dance. Headquartered: Takoma Park Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $100 covers 10 community classes for one individual. • $500 underwrites a year of tuition for one teen exchange participant. • $20,000 provides one month of artistic and administrative salaries. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with special events and Dance Exchange HOME series events. • Weekly: Provide administrative assistance, particularly during development campaigns. • Internships
Friends of the Library, Montgomery County
(www.folmc.org) works to help county libraries function as community centers that respond directly to the diverse needs of all the populations they serve. FOLMC provides programming and funding for Montgomery County Public Libraries. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $250 sponsors FOLMC’s Senior Spelling Bee competition, which provides intellectual and social engagement opportunities for older adults. • $500 funds one Go! Kit, a backpack circulated in libraries that’s filled with interactive games and toys, including an iPad mini, to get kids excited about science and technology. • $1,000 provides registration for a half-day writing camp for the two middle school student winners of Mosaic, FOLMC’s creative writing contest. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Volunteer at an event, including serving as a judge for a creative writing contest. • Long-term: Volunteer at one of two used bookstore locations. • SSL
The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture (www.glenecho
park.org) provides multidisciplinary resources that gather the community together for cultural, educational, recreational and arts activities in an environment that’s rich with history and natural resources. Programs focus on individual and collaborative arts activities, shared arts experiences (such as concerts and festivals), self-development, mental stimulation
and growth, and overall health and fitness through social dance and other programs that encourage physical activity. Headquartered: Glen Echo Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 assists with art supplies for low-income students in the summer outreach program. • $1,000 covers fees to hire local artists for free public festivals. • $10,000 supports installation supplies, printing/promotion and staffing for a full year of exhibitions featuring local artists in the park’s three galleries. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help during a free public festival with set-up, supervising children’s crafts and more. • Weekly: Assist with planning craft activities and preparing supplies for a free public festival. • Internships • SSL
Imagination Stage (www. imaginationstage.org) inspires creativity in children through theater and arts education experiences. Imagination Stage’s programs include arts education classes and performance opportunities, a season of professional theater productions, early childhood programs and in-school efforts to build learning through the arts. Headquartered: Bethesda Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 supports scholarships for young children and teens to expand their creative capacity. • $1,000 provides free tickets and pre- and post-theater learning opportunities for 40 third-grade students. • $10,000 supports inclusion facilitators that will enable students with
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and without disabilities to partici pate together in Imagination Stage’s classes and productions. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with special events such as the annual Gala or the annual Children’s Ball. • Weekly: Serve as an usher or assist in the Just Imagine! shop. • Internships • SSL
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington (www.jccgw.org)
inspires and connects people of all ages and backgrounds through educa tional, recreational, social and cultural opportunities in a welcoming and inclusive environment. The JCCGW’s Arts & Culture division provides a variety of classes, gallery exhibits, film screenings, concerts, programs and performances. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $100 supports an author event at The Lessans Family Annual Book Festival. • $250 provides scholarships for art enrichment programs and classes for children in need. • $1,000 underwrites author pres entations or film screenings with talk-backs. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with a special cultural arts event, such as annual book and film festivals. • Weekly or monthly: Volunteer in the art gallery or library. • Internships • SSL
Expert Psychiatric Care in a Residential Setting The Retreat at Sheppard Pratt, Sheppard Pratt Health System’s premier, self-pay program, offers patients seeking an intensive and highly personalized assessment and treatment experience, a chance to make meaningful progress toward recovery. We offer an intermediate length of stay from three weeks to several months in a therapeutic setting and provide care for depression, anxiety, personality, and substance use disorders, among others. Our experienced psychiatrists lead treatment teams and are involved in all aspects of patient care.
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Levine Music (www.levinemusic. org) is a center for music education for anyone with an interest in music, regardless of age, ability or means. The BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 237
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faculty of 160 artists offers a curriculum that provides a strong musical foundation in an environment where students can explore, create and find inspiration through music. Since its founding, Levine Music has been committed to providing scholarship support for those who cannot afford music instruction. This year, more than 650 children will receive free or subsidized music instruction. Headquartered: North Bethesda Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 covers one semester of Early Childhood Music instruction at Levine’s Southeast D.C. campus at THEARC. • $1,000 covers the cost for one child to have 13 individual music therapy sessions. • $10,000 covers the cost for five high school students to receive a year of musical theater training and to participate in productions as part of Act Two at Levine. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Support Levine events by welcoming, directing and assisting visitors at weekend performances and special functions during the week. • Weekly: Provide administrative support to staff and work on special projects. • Internships • SSL
Lumina Studio Theatre
(www.luminastudio.org) positively affects the lives of area youths through professionally staged productions of classic works by Shakespeare, Dickens and others. Actors receive intense training in diction, character development and stage presentation. Lumina training builds actors’ confidence, study and time management skills, and teamwork. A scholarship fund offers low-income
youths an opportunity to participate in a full season or summer-stock production. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Montgomery and Prince George’s counties What a donation buys: • $500 provides a scholarship for a youth to participate in one mainseason production. • $2,500 provides free tickets for lowincome families to a full season of family-friendly performances. • $5,000 provides costumes for six scholarship actors for a full season. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with loading production sets into the theater. • Weekly: Help organize photos from past shows. • SSL
The Maryland Youth Ballet (www.marylandyouth
ballet.org) offers classical ballet training to prepare young dancers for professional careers in the performing arts. MYB alumni dance in professional companies across the country. The JumpStart outreach initiative provides scholarships that enable disadvantaged children to have access to MYB’s training opportunities. Students are selected from MYB’s free after-school ballet classes in local elementary schools on the basis of financial need and potential for success in ballet. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 outfits 10 JumpStart students with their own leotard, tights and ballet shoes. • $5,000 provides a nine-month scholarship for one advanced dancer, age 12 to 15. • $10,000 covers the JumpStart “Summer Intensive” week of dance for 20 students.
The Metropolitan Ballet Theatre & Academy (www.
mbtdance.org) provides dance instruction and performance opportunities in classical ballet, pointe, jazz, modern and hip-hop for students ages 3 through senior adult. MBT strives to make dance accessible to all through outreach performances and by bringing dance into the community. Reduced tuition and free tickets are available for families in need. Dance buddies are offered for students with special needs. All who audition for The Nutcracker are cast. Headquartered: Rockville and Gaithersburg Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $19 buys a ticket for a student in need to attend a ballet production. • $250 covers tuition for one student to attend one week of early ballet summer camp. • $1,500 pays for a cultural arts assembly at a local elementary school with the Metropolitan Ballet Ensemble. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Take tickets, serve as an usher or sell refreshments and gifts at a public performance. • Weekly: Be a dance buddy for a student with special needs. • Internships • SSL
Montgomery Community Television | Montgomery Community Media
(www.mymcmedia.org) strives to be the voice of Montgomery County that informs, connects, engages and educates communities. MCM focuses on educational training, improving digital literacy, bridging the digital divide, and delivering flexible multimedia learning services. MCM presents and archives community contributions in the humanities, broadcast electronic
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media, communications, new media and multimedia. MCM also serves the community through economic development, nonprofit partnerships and collaborations, and production services. Community content is made available by MCM on Access.19 (on local cable channel 19), Montgomery Channel (on local cable channel 21) and mymcmedia.org. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Montgomery County What a donation buys: • $25 provides multimedia supplies for student projects. • $250 provides a scholarship for one student at a digital video, music, backpack journalism or sports journalism camp. • $10,000 underwrites a semester of a financial literacy course at a Montgomery County high school. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help during the “Day in the Life of Montgomery County” on April 22. • Weekly: Become a blogger on mymcmedia.org.
The Montgomery County Historical Society
(www.montgomeryhistory.org) collects, interprets and promotes the history, heritage and culture of Montgomery County. The society uses its historic resources (historic buildings, educational programs, and artifact and library collections) and fosters partnerships with others to create a shared sense of place in a changing environment. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 sponsors a session at the 10th annual Montgomery County History Conference. • $1,000 buys archival boxes to store
documents and objects in the collection. • $10,000 conserves a decade of textiles, such as beaded gowns from the 1920s, or the entire military uniform collection. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with special events, including History Day, Heritage Days, the Strathmore Museum Shop Around and the annual History Conference. • Weekly: Become a docent and give guided tours of the society’s two museums. • Internships
The National Philharmonic
(www.nationalphilharmonic.org) offers music education programs that serve more than 14,000 children from every age and income level. Programs include student concerts, school music curricula, summer camps, youth competition, world-renowned musician mentorships and free tickets to National Philharmonic concerts. Headquartered: North Bethesda Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $75 covers the cost for a family of four to attend any National Philharmonic concert. • $250 covers a full scholarship for a student in the Summer Choral or String institutes. • $500 covers a full scholarship for a student in a Summer String Institute. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with education and special events of the National Philharmonic. • Weekly: Provide support with data entry administration information. • Internships
The Olney Theatre Center
(www.olneytheatre.org) is an awardwinning, nonprofit theater offering
an array of professional theatrical productions to more than 100,000 audience members each year. Olney Theatre Center’s touring company, National Players, travels to 25 states and performs Shakespearean and classical plays in repertory for more than 40,000 students and audience members each year. National Players also acts as an educational ambassador, teaching theater-related workshops and classes to students of all ages and backgrounds. Headquartered: Olney Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $100 covers weekly prop and costume maintenance for an Olney Theatre Center production. • $875 covers travel expenses for a National Players tour member. • $23,840 covers one week’s salary for the cast and musicians of a holiday production. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with community outreach events, campus beautification and special projects. • Weekly: Serve as an usher for a performance. • SSL
The Puppet Co. (www.thepuppet co.org) provides more than 400 performances annually, with an emphasis on shows for children and family audiences. The organization is dedicated to its mission of making quality theater available to all sectors of the community. There are also exhibits, workshops and classes to enhance a visit to the Puppet Co. Playhouse and for further exploration of the puppet arts. Headquartered: Glen Echo Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 provides special lenses for “ecogreen” stage lighting.
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• $1,000 provides special effects
equipment for shows. • $10,000 provides seed money for a new production. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with the Puppet Co.’s children’s events on special Glen Echo Park festival days. • Weekly: Work with staff backstage, including refurbishing puppets, sets and costumes. • Internships • SSL
Round House Theatre
(www.roundhousetheatre.org), a professional theater company, produces a six-show season of modern classics, new plays and musicals at its 400seat Bethesda theater. The 2015/16 season features a world premiere, four regional premieres and a Pulitzer Prize-winning American classic. Round House also provides arts education programs for more than 3,500 participants of all ages at its Silver Spring education center and in schools throughout Montgomery County. Headquartered: Bethesda and Silver Spring Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $20 pays for an area high school student to attend a Round House production as part of the Play It Forward program. • $285 pays for a week of full-day summer program tuition for a student in need. • $1,000 pays for the paint to create scenery for one main stage production. Volunteer opportunities • One day or weekly: Volunteer as an usher (and stay after your shift to enjoy the show). • Internships • SSL
The Strathmore (www.strath more.org) provides top-tier music, visual arts and arts education programs for nearly 121,000 visitors per year, more than 43,000 of whom attend events for free. Headquartered: North Bethesda Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 buys supplies for a springbreak multidisciplinary arts camp for 20 low-income fourth- and fifth-graders. • $1,000 brings one Montgomery County second-grade class to the Music Center for a classical concert. • $10,000 pays for the education components of a multiday residency by a world-class chamber music group, including school outreach programs reaching more than 1,000 students. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with special community events such as Imagination Bethesda and Discover Strathmore. • Weekly, monthly or long-term: Usher Music Center performances. • Internships • SSL VisArts (www.visartscenter.org) is a nonprofit arts center dedicated to engaging the community in the arts through educational programming, gallery exhibitions and a studio artist program. VisArts provides children, teens and adults with opportunities to express their creativity and enhance their awareness of the arts. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $50 provides free art classes for two veterans from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. • $125 sponsors an economically disadvantaged child in a 10-week after-school art program.
• $1,000 covers the costs of one exhi-
bition in the Gibbs Street Gallery. Volunteer opportunities: • Ongoing: Assist in the administrative office. • Ongoing: Help in the galleries with installing, lighting and taking down exhibitions. • SSL
Washington ArtWorks
(www.washingtonartworks.com) is an arts complex in Rockville’s Twinbrook area that provides a collaborative working community for students and practitioners of the visual arts. The organization offers classes, workshops, exhibits and outreach programs to serve the visual arts community and the general public in the region. Twelve outreach programs per year offer art and photography experiences to low-income senior citizens and military veterans. Additionally, WAW is home to the Washington School of Photography, which provides workshops and a professional photography program. Headquartered: Rockville Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 funds a charitable gallery exhibition. • $1,000 contributes to photography studio maintenance for students. • $7,000 covers a full-time scholarship for a military veteran for the professional photography program. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Greet visitors at a gallery show. • Weekly: Help maintain the photo studio.
The Washington Conservatory of Music
(www.washingtonconservatory.org) provides learning and listening
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ROCKVILLE GYNECOLOGY
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opportunities for all ages—tots though adults. Students learn music through individual lessons, classes and ensembles, with performing artist faculty members teaching classical, jazz, folk, pop, rock and Irish music. WCM presents free public concerts and a free community orchestra. Headquartered: Bethesda and Glen Echo Park Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $165 provides one piano tuning. • $1,000 provides five student scholarships for a 10-week session of folk guitar or ukulele classes for teens. • $8,000 covers rebuilding a grand piano for teaching. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Help with free professional concert series and receptions or special events. • Monthly or long-term: Provide professional expertise as applicable to the WCM organization. • Internships • SSL
Washington Revels
(www.revelsdc.org) is a multigenerational community of more than 300 performers (professional and nonprofessional) and hundreds of volunteers who celebrate traditional music, dance, drama and the spoken word from diverse cultures and eras. In 2014, Revels presented 50-plus programs, including The Christmas Revels, May Revels, after-school workshops, concerts, pub sings, monthly community sings, parades and more, to more than 20,000 adults and children. Headquartered: Silver Spring Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $300 offers one child in grades K-6 a full scholarship to attend a
10-session after-school workshop.
• $1,000 provides an hourlong show
by a performing ensemble to an organization that could not otherwise afford the fee. • $10,000 enables a person or organization to be the premium sponsor of the annual May Revels outdoor family festival. Volunteer opportunities: • One day: Volunteer at May Revels or The Christmas Revels. • Monthly or long-term: Provide support for productions and events, marketing, educational programs, event planning or development. • Internships • SSL
The Writer’s Center
(www.writer.org) is a thriving literary community that serves more than 5,000 writers and aspiring writers each year, including active duty and retired members of the military and adult ESL students. Programs include writing workshops in all genres for adults— beginner to advanced—as well as readings by local and visiting authors, conferences, performances and art openings. Headquartered: Bethesda Serves: Metro region What a donation buys: • $250 covers tuition for one active duty member of the military or a military veteran. • $1,000 enables The Writer’s Center to provide up to four scholarships for writing workshops designed for military veterans and members of their families. • $10,000 enables The Writer’s Center to make substantial capital improvements to its building, including lighting, restrooms and the front entrance. • SSL n
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® ®
to Long & Foster® Real Estate’s exclusive “Showcase of Homes” As the home of the best-trained, best-equipped agents in the industry, we are positioned to provide unsurpassed service and expertise to today’s real estate clients from contract to closing and beyond. No matter what your real estate goals are, Long & Foster agents can help you take advantage of historic real estate opportunities. Enjoy browsing the following pages, and when you’re ready to take the next step, we welcome you to contact one of our sales offices or expert sales associates. Readers’ Pick— Best Real Estate Agency
1
#
In Bethesda In the Washington Metro Area In the Mid-Atlantic Region Family-Owned & -Operated Real Estate Company in the Nation Seller of Luxury Homes in the Mid-Atlantic Region
*Source: Information is based on data supplied MRIS and its member Association(s) of REALTORS, who are not responsible for its accuracy. Does not reflect all activity in the marketplace. January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2014. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. Information contained in this report is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, should be independently verified, and does not constitute an opinion of MRIS or Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. ©2015 All rights reserved.
-Bethesda WELCOME PAGE nov-dec.indd 1 Untitled-4 1
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Bethesda Gateway Office BethesdaGatewaySales.com | LongandFoster.com
Over $1.18 Billion in Sales for 2014 • Already Over $1 Billion in Sales for 2015
Bethesda/Glen Echo Heights
$2,195,000
Bethesda/English Village
$2,095,000
Chevy Chase
$1,989,000
New Home—Immediate Delivery! Gorgeous Arts and Crafts home on a 12,000 sq. ft. lot. Over 7,000 sq. ft. featuring tray ceilings, 6 bedrooms, 4 full + 2 half baths, 2 fireplaces, patio, screened porch and more!
Brand New Home (delivery late 2015) situated on a 13,000+ sq. ft. lot. Lovely home with stone and hardiplank elevation, custom finishes, high ceilings, 5 bedrooms, 4 ½ baths, screened porch.
Stunning new home featuring spectacular kitchen, 5 ensuite bedrooms and finished lower level with media room and nanny suite. Fabulous deck, 2-car garage.
Paula Nesbitt 240.731.3369 Paula@BannerTeam.com
Paula Nesbitt 240.731.3369 Paula@BannerTeam.com
Sharyn Goldman 301.529.7555 Sharyn.Goldman@LNF.com
Chevy Chase
$1,795,000
Bethesda
$1,735,000
Potomac/Rivers Edge
$1,299,000
Glamorous, renovated and expanded Mediterranean villa featuring elegant living room, sunroom, sundrenched family room, extraordinary chef’s kitchen, luxury master suite, and enchanting gardens.
Exquisite, 10-year-young brick and stone Tudor with 4 finished levels and 2-car garage. 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, family room open to cook’s table-space kitchen with island, 1st-floor library, lower level guest suite.
Gorgeous 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath contemporary on 2 acres. Open floor plan with renovated gourmet kitchen, finished walkout lower level, lovely deck and pool.
Phyllis Wiesenfelder 301.529.3896 PhyllisW@LNF.com
Sharyn Goldman 301.529.7555 Sharyn.Goldman@LNF.com
Kristen Waksberg & Pat Karta 301.461.4676 KristenWaksberg@LNF.com/ PatKarta@LNF.com
UNDER CONTRACT!
® ®
Chevy Chase/ Kenwood Forest II $549,900 Fabulous 2-level brick end unit townhome in sought-after neighborhood. Two master bedrooms, 2.5 baths, fireplace, eat-in kitchen with granite counters. Steps to downtown Bethesda!
Chevy Chase
$1,098,000
Bethesda/Westmoreland Hills
$1,049,000
Renovated 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath brick Colonial with garage and gorgeous family room addition. Table-space kitchen, walkout lower level with rec room and guest room, new heating and AC, beautiful wraparound deck.
Bright 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath Colonial featuring open kitchen with fireplace and exposed brick wall, living room with fireplace, 3rd fireplace on light-filled finished lower level. Just ½ block to fabulous park.
Sharyn Goldman 301.529.7555 Sharyn.Goldman@LNF.com
Damian Buckley 202.438.6080 Damian@LNF.com
Tim & Scott Harper 301.215.4777 TimH@LNF.com
4650 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland | 301.907.7600
Bethesda Gateway 2015 Nov-Dec_9prop.indd 1 Untitled-4 1
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Bethesda Gateway Office BethesdaGatewaySales.com | LongandFoster.com
Over $1.18 Billion in Sales for 2014 • Already Over $1 Billion in Sales for 2015
Bethesda/Glen Echo Heights
$2,395,000
2016 delivery of this stunning new prairie style home! Over 7000 sq. ft. of finished space on a .25 acre lot. Five bedrooms, 5 ½ bathrooms, 2 fireplaces, elevator, screened porch and more! Paula Nesbitt 240.731.3369 Paula@BannerTeam.com
Bethesda/downtown
$1,399,000
Bethesda
$2,200,000
Beautiful all brick Colonial situated on a level one-acre lot. 10’ ceilings on all levels, upper bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. Lower level walkout to large yard—perfect for a pool or swing set.
Potomac/Avenel
Rockville
$1,348,000
Luxurious end unit in Avenel. Grand floor plan with 2-story living room and dining room overlook, updated gourmet kitchen open to breakfast room, elevator to all levels, rooftop deck with golf course views!
Potomac/Fox Hills
Dunkirk
$799,000
$2,249,000
Stunning new home with exquisite views of Bethesda Country Club golf greens and lake. 6,500+ sq. ft. of luxurious space with 6 bedrooms, 5 ½ baths, gourmet kitchen, owner’s suite with private balcony, screened porch and deck. Sondra Mulheron 301.785.9536 SMulheron@LNF.com Pam Schiattareggia 301.802.7796 Pam.Scat@LNF.com
Rare offering! Combine these two sun-filled, sideby-side condominiums in the luxurious Adagio for a sprawling corner, L-shaped 3 bedroom, 4 full bath plus den with over 2,300 sq. ft. Three reserved garage spaces, 2 storage units, fabulous close-in location. Michelle Teichberg 301.775.7263 Michelle@BannerTeam.com
Sun-filled brick end unit garage townhome built by Mitchell & Best. Three bedrooms, 3.5 baths, family room with beamed ceiling and stone fireplace, rear deck off dining room. Finished walkout lower level, rear patio. Hardwood floors, new carpet, freshly painted. Michael Matese 301.806.6829 Mike@MichaelMatese.com
Potomac Village
Michael Matese 301.806.6829 Mike@MichaelMatese.com
$650,000
Sprawling, multi-generational, 6,300 sq. ft. Colonial. Five bedrooms, 5.5 baths including 1st- and 2nd-floor master suites. Huge, walkout lower level with additional bedroom and bath. Garage. 30 minutes to Capitol Hill and Virginia! Susan Miller 301.717.5883 HomesbyMiller@aol.com
® ®
Paula Nesbitt 240.731.3369 Paula@BannerTeam.com
$1,099,999
Over 5,000 sq. ft. of finished space with over $100,000 in designer upgrades! Five bedrooms, 4.5 baths, custom chef’s kitchen, finished walkout lower level with guest suite. Beautiful, level backyard bordered by trees and green space. Near restaurants and shops. Amazing value! Michelle Teichberg 301.775.7263 Michelle@BannerTeam.com
Silver Spring/Carroll Knolls
$395,000
Solid, updated brick rambler in convenient location. Sleek granite countertops, beautiful bamboo floors, fireplace. Galley kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Fashionable baths, close to Metro, I-495 and shopping centers. Juan Umanzor 240.606.8294 Juan@LNF.com
4650 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland | 301.907.7600
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Wendy Banner
& The Banner Team ® ®
301.365.9090 | Wendy@BannerTeam.com | www.BannerTeam.com
Bethesda
$3,500,000
Potomac $3,395,000 Over 17,000 square feet with elevator, 8 fireplaces and Brazilian wood floors. Owner’s suite with sitting room, deck, his/hers dressing rooms and sauna. Indoor sport court, upper level home theater, walkout lower level and more!
Bethesda
Stunning masterpiece featuring every conceivable amenity throughout 13,000 sq. ft. on 4 levels, including banquet-size entertaining spaces, billiard room, home theater, exercise room, spa, wine cellar, a 4-car garage, elevator and much more.
Potomac
Potomac
Potomac
$2,995,000 or $10,000/month
$1,795,000
$3,150,000
NEW HOME! Approximately 7,600 sq. ft. on 1.5 acres in Burning Tree! Five bedrooms, 5 full and 2 half baths. Topof-the-line finishes throughout, stone/flagstone porch, rear patio, maintenance-free deck, screened porch with cedar ceilings, walkout lower level, and 3-car garage!
$1,500,000
SALE or RENT. Elegant and timeless newer estate on 2.68 acres with swimming pool and winner of National Grand Award for Outdoor Living Space in ‘09! Incredible mouldings, wine cellar, walkout lower level, 6 fireplaces, and main level library. Five minute walk to Great Falls!
Set back off main road on private drive, backing to parkland, beautiful home renovated/expanded in 2008 with heated pool, main level owner’s suite with marble bath, walkout lower level and home office/in-law suite over one of two garages!
Brick/stone Colonial built in 2005 with 6,800 square feet on four levels. 5 bedroom suites including owner’s suite with sitting room and bath with jetted tub. Finished loft with sitting room and bedroom suite, walkout lower level, deck and sport court!
Bethesda
Potomac
Potomac
Starting at $1,495,000
$1,495,000
$1,299,000
Delivery in 2016 – Ten NEW single family homes in Grosvenor Heights by Sandy Spring Builders! Walk to Metro! All include elevators and 2-car garage, 3/4 bedroom plans available. Call us today for an information package!
Renovated and expanded on quiet cul-de-sac at the Bethesda/Potomac line! Featuring main level owner’s suite, renovated gourmet kitchen with heated floors, upgraded HVAC system, generator, solar panels, walkout lower level, fully fenced yard and 3-car garage!
NEW HOME on serene 3+ acre lot! Owner architect designed home on private tree lined street with main level owner’s suite with private deck, separate office/ study loft off kitchen and more! Mature landscaping with 2 maintenance free decks and 2-car garage!
Darnestown
Bethesda
Potomac
$1,150,000
Custom Williamsburg cape on private 2 acres with circular driveway. Main level owner’s suite, hand milled cabinetry includes paneled cherry library, built-ins and dramatic great room with gorgeous 2-story fireplace. Front, rear and side covered porches.
$1,068,000
Updated Colonial on cul-de-sac in Al Marah! About 4,500 sq. ft. on half acre in Whitman school district. Huge owners suite with dressing area and luxurious bath, updated kitchen, 3 baths up, 4 fireplaces, upgraded HVAC, and large deck overlooks private yard. Must See!
$1,070,000
Spacious townhome in Avenel with stunning golf course views! Renovated baths and owner’s suite with loft/sitting room and fireplace! Landscaped lot with 3-season porch, owner’s porch, Georgetown style patio and 2-car garage.
4650 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland | 301.907.7600
Wendy Banner 2015 nov-dec.indd 1 Untitled-4 1
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Licensed in MD | DC | VA MargieHalem@LongandFoster.com Please view our listings at MargieHalemRealtor.com.
301.775.4196
® ®
Everywhere You Want to Be
10815 Red Barn Lane | Potomac $2,495,000
11761 Split Tree Circle | Potomac $1,069,000
11321 Berger Terrace | Potomac $899,900
10104 Daphney House Way | Rockville $1,124,900
9509 Pin Oak Drive | Silver Spring $619,000
6525 Olney Laytonsville Road | Laytonsville $799,000
Margie Halem Recognized by THE WALL STREET JOURNAL as one of America’s Top Real Estate Agents
ST D JU OL S
10404 Strathmore Park Court #305 North Bethesda | $1,275,000
#1 Billion Dollar Bethesda Gateway Office | 301.907.7600
Margie Halem Group 2015 NOV-DEC.indd 2 Untitled-4 1
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Miller Bethesda All Points Office
4701 Sangamore Road Bethesda, MD 301.229.4000
#1 W.C. & A.N. Miller Realtors® Office • #10 Long & Foster Office for 2014 NT CO
RA
ANDY ALDERDICE
CT
Bethesda, Maryland
$895,000
Delightful and updated Cape Cod in the desirable Greenwich Forest/Battery Park neighborhood. It’s many amenities include a breakfast room and family room addition as well as an open and renovated kitchen. Only one mile to the Bethesda Metro!
A 5th generation Washingtonian assisting many MD, DC and VA residents in the sale and/or purchase of their first and subsequent homes since 1994. Call her to schedule a private consultation. 301.466.5898 / 301.229.4000 andy4homes@gmail.com • www.andy4homes.com
Rockville, Maryland
SO
Bethesda, Maryland
$1,399,000
Sophisticated and spacious, this 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath Colonial is idyllically set on a cherry tree-lined street. With 6,000+ sq. ft. on 3 levels, this home is an entertainer’s delight with large open rooms and a sun room addition.
Bethesda, Maryland
$985,000
This gracious 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath Colonial features gorgeous, random-width hardwood flooring throughout, expansive rooms for entertaining and a spectacular oneacre lot.
l
www.VickiPorter.net
DIANA SWEENEY
703.407.4129 l Diana.Sweeney@LongandFoster.com
Long & Foster Gold Club Member
Bethesda, Maryland Elegant and stately SMART house with all bells and whistles, 1.14 acre lot, Gibson Builders and designed by GTM Architects. 6 bedrooms, 7.5 baths, whole house generator, 3-car garage, stateof-the-art kitchen, 10 ft. ceilings & so much more!
Patricia Ammerman 301.787.8989 Pammerman@LongandFoster.com Top Producer, Experienced, Passionate, Integrity, Skilled Negotiator!
Bethesda All Points nov-dec 2015.indd 1 Untitled-4 1
$6,000,000
Your Key To A Successful Selling & Buying Experience l Licensed in MD, DC, & VA. l
l
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Over 25 years of Experience Committed to Helping You throughout the Selling & Buying process Let my Real Estate Knowledge Work for You
$1,100,000
Waterfront Retreat! Custom built Rixey Contemporary with 4 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, stunning gardens, swimming pool, and private beach access. Community marina, too!
WALSH RICHARDS
301.580.4552 • Lynn@LynnStewartSells.com Licensed in DC, MD & VA
• Helping you open your next door • Call me to start planning your move • Senior Residential Specialist (SRES) with a focus on “Right-Sizing” • Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) & Top Producing Listing Agent • Bethesda Residential Specialist & Expert Buyers Agent in MD & DC • Local Resident & Neighbor
Innovative Marketing Expert Your Montgomery County Expert raised in Bethesda l Helping buyers and sellers make their real estate dreams come true! l SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist) experienced in down-sizing l Call Vicki for the real estate results you desire! l
LD
Annapolis, Maryland
LYNN A. STEWART
VICKI PORTER
301.325.2965 • Vicki.Porter@LNF.com Licensed in DC, MD & VA
$799,000
Handsome 4 bedroom, 2 full bath, 2 half bath Colonial located in the fantastic Old Farm neighborhood. This home features hardwood flooring, an expanded lower level, family room with fireplace, eat-in kitchen, and even a bedroom level laundry room.
301.706.3151 l Walsh.Richards@LongandFoster.com Licensed in DC, MD & VA l l
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Results driven Native Washingtonian committed to finding you the perfect home. Professional and personal level of service Over 45 years of diverse commercial and residential real estate experience to help you throughout the selling and buying process.
MARY LOU DELL
301.404.5554
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MaryLouDell@aol.com
I’d love to work with you. Call me when you’re ready to buy or sell. And watch me periodically News on Now TV at Noon talking about our local real estate market. Licensed in MD & DC
10/7/15 9:33 AM 10/7/15 3:53 PM
Miller Bethesda All Points Office
4701 Sangamore Road Bethesda, MD 301.229.4000
#1 W.C. & A.N. Miller Realtors® Office • #10 Long & Foster Office for 2014 The #1 Miller Office is growing one great agent at a time! We are home to successful and top-producing agents seeking an executive approach to their real estate business as well as new agents ready to launch successful real estate careers. Call Susan today for a confidential interview to find out why top producing and new agents join my office and choose to stay! Susan Sanford
VP, Managing Broker ssanford@LNF.com Office Direct: 301.320.8300
Welcome to Our New Agents! Sarah Catherine Bahl • Bill Conover • Alex Gorton LaTanya Junior • Erica Lusk Judith Michaels • Maggie O’Reilly
ELLEN COHEN
TAMMY GRUNER DURBIN
Always There for YOU!
301.996.8334 • TGDHomes@LNF.com
Cell or Text 240.462.6000 ecohen@LNF.com • www.EllenCohen.com Moving up, down OR away Contact me for Potomac, Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Bethesda, Rockville & DC homes for sale. • Certified Residential Specialist • Licensed to represent Sellers & Buyers in MD-DC-VA • Long & Foster Gold Club Hall of Fame • Seniors RE Specialist
Serving MD and DC Associate Broker Consistent top honors and producer in the Bethesda Miller Group, Long & Foster Companies and Nationwide. 25 years of a proven track record = Results Commitment to Excellence
Chevy Chase, Maryland
$950,000
If you are looking for a home under $1,000,000 and can’t find one large enough, this is the house for you! Stunning, four-square Colonial with driveway access on Underwood Street. So even though it faces Conn. Ave., it has the feel of being one house off! Kat Conley Witowski 301.943.3865/ 301.229.4000 (O)
PAGE EISINGER
301.461.3934 • Page.Eisinger@LongandFoster.com Licensed in DC, MD & VA
#6 Individual Agent Miller Bethesda Office #5 Individual Agent Miller Bethesda Office (units) #10 Individual Agent Companywide #8 Individual Agent Companywide (units) #9 Individual Agent Companywide (volume) • Native Washingtonian. • Offering caring, committed, personal and professional service to buyers and sellers for over 26 years.
TED DUNCAN
SHARRON COCHRAN
301.785.7966 • Ted@LNF.com Licensed in DC, MD & VA
301.351.4517 • SCochran@LNF.com www.SCochran.com
#4 Individual Agent Miller Bethesda Office #9 Individual Agent Companywide #6 Individual Agent Companywide (volume) • Exceptional knowledge and ability serving Sellers and Buyers • Unparalleled home pricing • Outstanding Negotiator • Service well beyond expectations
• Realty Alliance Award Recipient, Top 5 Percent North America • SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist) • Staging, marketing, and negotiation expert
Let my experience work for you! Licensed in MD, DC & VA
ANNE & LAURA EMMETT Anne: 301.466.2515 • Anne.Emmett@LNF.com Laura: 202.422.6374 • Laura.Emmett@LNF.com Licensed in DC, MD & VA
Gaithersburg, Maryland
$499,998
Original structure built prior to Civil War. Additional rooms built later continue its historical charm with today’s necessities in mind. Completely updated and renovated with state of the art kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, living room, detached garage, shed, lots of spacious storage, and sun room that looks into beautiful 2.78 private acres. Rowena DeLeon 240.423.2422 /www.rowenadeleon.com
#2 Team Miller Bethesda Office • Anne & Laura call Bethesda home! It is our pleasure to work with our friends and neighbors. • We are a full service real estate team and can guide you through complex transactions. We take pride in maximizing profit and minimizing stress! • Gibson Island Real Estate Expertise • Anne, M.A.E., Stanford University; Laura, J.D., Georgetown University
Rockville, Maryland
$765,000
This sun-filled brick Colonial sits gracefully on a 1/3 acre wooded lot just minutes from Potomac Village. Grand floor plan with remodeled kitchen and baths. A screened porch flanked by two decks allows for comfortable enjoyment of both the indoors and a gorgeous back yard. George Rados 301.502.1959 George.Rados@LongandFoster.com
Call Our Award-Winning Managing Broker Susan Sanford to find out why top producing and new agents join our office and choose to stay! 301.320.8300 | ssanford@longandfoster.com
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How to Determine
Your Home’s Worth
Happy homeowners know the true value of their home: it’s priceless. But then the day comes when it’s time to consider selling, or if you’re a renter, deciding to become one of those happy homeowners. In either scenario, understanding the true value of a property can be confusing, and yet essential to a successful real estate transaction. Whether you are a buyer, or a seller, the only price that really matters is the price both sides agree on, and ink on their real estate contract. Homeowners hope their property sells for a nice profit, or they receive a better offer than their neighbors, but realistic sellers realize a variety of factors play into the market value of their residence.
Online Estimates Aren’t Always Accurate Both sides of real estate transactions typically turn to the Internet to get an idea of the going rate for homes in their community. Online, buyers and sellers use Automated Valuation Models (AVMs), such as Zillow’s Zestimates, to learn home price estimates that are based on data analytics. Consumers find it easy to enter an address, which then computes the expected price. While glancing at an AVM-generated price can be a starting point for a buyer or a seller, it’s important to understand that these estimates are just that: estimates. On its website, Zillow notes that its AVMs have a national median error rate of a little more than 8 percent. In some communities, higher median error rates of up to 12 percent are reported, and other sources have noted error rates as high as 32 percent when comparing the AVM and the actual sale price of a home. An 8 percent disparity between an AVM and a sales price can mean a difference of $40,000 on a $500,000 home. The cost differential could be as much as $100,000, or more, when the error rate or the home price is higher. A REALTOR® in Charlottesville, VA, who studied the accuracy of Zestimates in that market, found the values were overestimated in 17 of the 21 homes that sold in one month; two of those homes sold for 61 percent less than their estimated price. Researchers have found errors that could favor a buyer or a seller in AVMs: sometimes the estimated price is too high and sometimes the price is too low. Either way, relying on an AVM as a basis for pricing a property, or negotiating a transaction, can be misleading.
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Why Estimates Can Be Dangerous Misleading estimates can cause problems for both buyers and sellers. Buyers may see a property they love, that appears to be in their price range, but then discover that the AVM is woefully low. Those buyers are then in the unenviable position of attempting to convince the sellers to unfairly reduce their price, or simply moving on to a second- or third-tier property choice. For sellers, relying on an inaccurate AVM can cause multiple problems. If the estimate is too low, the homeowners could shortchange themselves and reduce their profit. If the estimate is too high, the sellers could come into the market with an overpriced property, that lingers on the market. Either it doesn’t sell, or eventually sells for an even lower price.
Local Market Expertise is Essential to an Accurate Property Valuation Even Zillow’s CEO suggests that estimates are best viewed as a starting place for looking into property values. There’s no substitute for the professional opinion of a REALTOR® when it comes to evaluating fair market value. Unlike computer software, an experienced agent knows that sale prices depend on the scientific analysis of recent sales for similar properties, as well as the creative analysis of the neighborhood’s features, local buyer preferences and market conditions that influence prices. A REALTOR® has the ability to visit a home to be able to compare its features and current condition to nearby homes.
Additionally, a knowledgeable real estate agent will be able to compare a home, not only to recent sales and homes that are currently on the market, but also to homes that have been taken off the market. An AVM can generate a price based on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, but qualified REALTORS® know buyer expectations for a particular area. While there’s always a place for data analysis, experience with local buyers and sellers cannot be replicated with software. Property values fluctuate constantly, therefore an agent with in-depth knowledge of a local area, including its traffic patterns, retail development, school systems and popular amenities, can understand how those factors can influence a home price. If you’ve made the decision to buy or sell a home, Long & Foster Real Estate can help you accurately evaluate the fair market value of your own home, and other properties in your community. The company offers multiple services that can help you find, finance and insure your home. Representatives of Prosperity Home Mortgage are available in most Long & Foster offices in the Mid-Atlantic region to assist prospective buyers with financing. In addition, Long & Foster agents have a range of contractors they can recommend to provide service to buyers and sellers, before and after, they buy a home. Resources 1. Zillow.com, Zestimate: How Accurate is the Zestimate, updated on June 3, 2015 2. The Real Deal: New York Real Estate News, Erroneous Zestimates 3. Realtor.com, How Much is Your Home Really Worth? *The information contained in this article is not intended to be, and does not constitute financial or investment advice.
About the author Jeffrey S. Detwiler is president and chief operating officer of The Long & Foster® Companies, parent company to Long & Foster® Real Estate, the No. 1 family-owned real estate company in the United States, and Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC, a full-service mortgage banker. From extensive, neighborhood-level market information to Long & Foster’s core services companies, providing mortgage, settlement, insurance and property management services in a streamlined manner, Long & Foster offers the services necessary to make today’s real estate transactions manageable for owners and investors.
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Vicki Porter SRES
“
Working with Vicki was like working with a trusted friend who had only our best interests at heart. Not only did she sell our condo
quickly, but she helped us with every aspect of the move and preparation. With community resources at her fingertips, she was able to recommend movers, house cleaners, and a carpet company. And since I was trying to manage the sale long distance, she took my place in handling all of the many on-site activities. She was always available and responsive to my many questions, and went well beyond our highest expectations. We couldn’t possibly have had a better experience.
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S. Dunn (Bethesda)
Long & Foster Real Estate | 4701 Sangamore Rd, Bethesda, MD | 301.229.4000 301.325.2965 | www.VickiPorter.net
Nestled in the heart of Martin’s Addition, this Tom Manion contemporary masterpiece has almost 8000 sq. ft. of architecturally crafted space. The Nantucket inspired exterior, along with almost 1,000 sq. ft. of ipe decking, gazebo, and lap-sized black bottomed pool, sit on an incredibly private double lot (over 17,000 sq. ft.). The interior, sun-bathed and full of interesting angles, openings, volume ceilings, and specialty lighting boasts 6/7 bedrooms and 6 ½ baths. The luxuriously flexible floor plan is perfect for everything from active family living to intimate dinner parties to large scale entertaining.
7207 Delfield Street Chevy Chase, Maryland ◆ $3,150,000 301.996.9344 Cell | 240.497.1722 Office | dsc4homes@aol.com www.DennisSColeman.com
Top 1% Nationwide Top 100 of all 12,000 Long & Foster Agents ®
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for viewing Long & Foster Real Estate’s exclusive “Showcase of Homes” No matter what your buying, selling or investment goals are, our agents can help you take advantage of real estate opportunities. When you’re ready to take the next step, we welcome you to contact one of our sales offices or expert sales associates.
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What You Want. Where You Want to Be.
4502 West Virginia Ave, Bethesda
8216 Buckspark Lane West, Potomac
The Promenade in Bethesda
4401 Dresden Street, Kensington
King Farm in Rockville
7612 Dwight Drive, Bethesda
The Kentlands in Gaithersburg
9036 Willow Valley Drive, Potomac
1335 Patuxent Drive, Ashton
For an appointment to see any of these homes, please call Cindy Souza at 301-493-9878
The Souza Group of Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc 7700 Old Georgetown Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814 ● 240-497-1700 Main Office
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interior design. architecture. home sales.
photo by bob narod
home
After a horrible house fire, Eric and Kristin Burka hired McLean, Virginia-based BOWA to do a top-to-bottom renovation of their Chevy Chase home. For more, see page 258.
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home | house appropriations
1
Deck the Halls
2
We rounded up six accessories—from pillow covers to coasters—that could lend any home some holiday flair
1. Making an Entrance
2. Shining Bright
3. Perfect Jewels
This cheerful wreath gives new meaning to the holiday blues. The ring of bright blue ornaments, with touches of silver and gold, is a refreshing alternative to red and green, and works for Christmas or Hanukkah. Find it for $44.95 at Pier 1 Imports in Rockville (301-2309028; www.pier1.com).
Colorful, glass-beaded Menorah coasters from designer Sudha Pennathur can add shimmer and shine to a Hanukkah party. Find the four-piece sets for $40 at Neiman Marcus in Mazza Gallerie (202-966-9700; www. neimanmarcus.com).
These washed velvet pillow covers would add warmth and texture to a room. The square covers are 20 by 20 inches, have zipper closures, and come in 10 rich, jewel tones. They’re available for $39.50 each at the Pottery Barn in Bethesda (301-654-1598; www. potterybarn.com).
all images courtesy
By Carolyn Weber
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5 3 4
6 4. Raise a Glass
5. Tiny Treats
6. Tree Time
Sparkly little lowball glasses are appropriate for any holiday, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve. The Paper Source in Bethesda sells these eight-ounce Confetti tumblers for $19.95 per pair (301-215-9141; www.papersource.com).
Use these jolly little fellows to decorate a mantel or as the focal point of a holiday centerpiece. Handmade from lambswool felt, they stand nine inches high. A set of three Roly Poly gnomes is priced at $29.97 at World Market in Rockville (301-816-2480; www. worldmarket.com).
Create a glowing winter wonderland with a forest of birch trees wrapped in warm, white lights. For use indoors or out, each has an on/ off switch and a built-in timer. The trees come in five sizes and are priced from $39 to $189 at Restoration Hardware in Georgetown (202625-2771; www.restorationhardware.com). n
Carolyn Weber lives in Silver Spring and frequently writes about architecture and home design. BethesdaMagazine.com | november/december 2015 257
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home
photo by skip brown
Eric and Kristin Burka moved back into their rebuilt home 14 months after a fire. “You thought it would never happen to you, ever, and then it did,� says Kristin Burka of the fire.
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A
Fresh Start After a devastating fire and countless battles with their insurance company, Eric and Kristin Burka rebuilt their Chevy Chase home By GABRIELE MCCORMICK
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O home
On the evening of Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, Eric Burka, his wife, Kristin, and two of their three children were watching the movie Romeo and Juliet in their Town of Chevy Chase family room. Eric, whose father had died two days before, was enjoying the quiet time at home with his family. “We had let the kids stay home from school and we were just really into hanging out together,” Eric says. The music in the movie was loud and the Burkas’ daughters, Lily, then 15, and Ava, 13, were dancing. The Burkas’ 11-year-old son, Max, and a friend were up on the third floor playing, and the family’s housekeeper, Swarnapali, was in the basement. Halfway through the movie, one of the Burkas’ two dogs started barking. When Kristin opened the door to let the dog out, she noticed some black smoke in the backyard and asked Eric to come take a look. He thought it was probably from the tile work being done in the house next door, which had been vacant and under construction for a year and a half. When he saw how thick the smoke was, he ran to the front door and found the street jammed with fire engines and the house next door engulfed in flames. The movie had drowned out the chaos. Eric yelled to everyone in his house to get out. The group stood on 45th Street in Chevy Chase watching the flames grow higher and higher. Suddenly, the house
large hole in the Burkas’ roof. Firefighters climbed aerial ladders and pumped water and flame-retardant foam into the home for almost an hour. Pictures and videos of the three-alarm blaze began to saturate the evening news and social media. The smoke could be seen from as far as Northern Virginia.
At t h e i r h o m e in Silver Spring, Kristin’s parents, Betty and Leonard King, were making dinner when they received a phone call from the Burkas’ alarm company. Kristin had given their names as emergency contacts, and the company called to say that all the alarms in the house had triggered and that the homeowners weren’t answering their cellphones—everyone fled the house so quickly that no one remembered to pick up a phone, and Kristin didn’t have her purse. “People ask, ‘What would you grab if your house was on fire?’ ” she says. “The answer is, ‘Nothing.’ ” When Betty and Leonard arrived, Kristin immediately packed the three kids and two dogs into her mother’s Prius and sent them back to her house so the kids wouldn’t have to watch anymore. A neighbor took Max’s friend to her house. Firefighters pulled down the ceiling and walls on the third floor to expose and extinguish any flames in the attic and ripped out walls on the second floor to make sure the fire hadn’t spread there.
would check for flare-ups every 90 minutes throughout the night. Although much of the structure of the Burkas’ house was intact, the home was uninhabitable. A large chunk of the roof was gone, making the night sky visible from the third floor, and there was water, ash and charred debris everywhere. Late that evening, Eric’s stepfather, a former Bethesda real estate agent, called Beltsville-based Minkoff Company and asked for a team of property restoration specialists to board up the windows and throw a tarp over the hole in the roof. On Saturday morning, the Burka family walked through the house that they had bought new in 2001 and lived in for 12 years—it was the only time Eric and Kristin let the kids into the destroyed home. Eric and Kristin were relieved to see that firefighters had covered the piano and dining room table on the first floor, which had been passed down to Eric from his grandmother, with flame- and waterretardant covers, but they were devastated to see how much had been lost. Kristin found the stuffed bunny that Max had since he was a baby, but the Torah and tallit from Ava’s recent bat mitzvah were gone. Ava was also very sad to discover that a sculpture she made at school had been crushed by a piece of falling ceiling. “One day my room was one way, and the next it wasn’t even our house any-
“People ask, ‘What would you grab if your house was on fire?’ ” Kristin says. “The answer is, ‘Nothing.’ ” next door exploded. Three large windows near the back of the structure blew out from the heat, creating a powerful, three-story blow torch aimed directly at the Burkas’ home. The blast lit the Burkas’ attic on fire, and a row of 35-foot trees separating the homes ignited. The flames quickly ate a
Water ran through the second and first floor ceilings and drenched other parts of the house. In shock, Eric and Kristin kept thinking, Please don’t let it burn to the ground. We’ll lose everything. Four hours later, around 9 p.m., firefighters told them that the fire at the house next door was out and that a unit
more,” Lily says. “That was the room I grew up in, where all my memories with my friends were, and it was gone.”
A s E r i c s too d on the sidewalk watching his home burn the night before, strangers began approaching him with business cards. They were lawyers, insur-
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The fire started at the house next door (right).
photos courtesy burka family
Although much of the structure of the Burkas’ home was intact after the fire, the house was uninhabitable. Fire and water damage had destroyed many of the family’s belongings, including Eric’s childhood comic book collection (bottom right).
ance adjustors and others who monitor emergency services broadcasts and troll for clients at a disaster scene. Eric’s stepfather shooed them away and told Eric to call Harvey Goodman of Goodman-Gable-Gould (GGG) in Rockville, a firm of public adjustors who advocate on behalf of policyholders and handle negotiations with insurance companies. The day after the fire, a team from GGG and people who specialize in art, furniture and electronics restoration began removing pieces from the home that they thought they could repair, including the table from Eric’s grandmother. “There were 10 different teams carrying our stuff out in 10 different directions,” Kristin says. “We didn’t know who had what or where it was going.”
The following day, Sunday, the family attended Eric’s father’s funeral in a state of numbness and in clothes that, despite the rush dry cleaning job, still smelled of smoke. “It was very surreal,” Eric says. “I knew everybody there, but I didn’t see anybody.” In the days that followed, a Minkoff demolition team began ripping out the drywall, carpeting and flooring—it was an unusually warm September, and there were concerns about mold. Eric and Kristin continued to wander through the chaos, searching for anything they could salvage among the soggy, charred mounds. A few days after the fire, a worker carrying a heavy industrial dehumidifier to the second floor suffered a heart attack and died in a bedroom. “We felt terrible
for him and his family,” Eric says. “All we could think was, ‘What next?’ ”
K r i s t i n a n d E r i c looked for ways to minimize the impact of the fire on Lily, Ava and Max. Kristin and the kids had moved into her parents’ home, while Eric, a managing principal at Streetsense, a Bethesda-based real estate marketing firm, stayed in Bethesda with his mom and stepdad so he could be close to his office. The Burka children attend the Maret School in Washington, D.C., and Kristin’s father, Leonard, teaches there, so he drove the kids to and from school each day. Every night, Leonard and Betty helped the kids with their homework and fed them dinner. “They just engulfed us, and the kids knew they were safe,” Kristin says.
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home
The roof after the fire (left) and during construction
Two weeks after the fire, the Burkas found a home to rent in Chevy Chase. The kids were relieved to be back in their own neighborhood and near their friends, but the house was unfurnished and the Burkas had to rent everything in a hurry. “It was like a bad model home,” Eric says. “There wasn’t one thing in that house that was ours.” All five family members had to buy new clothes. They went to the Apple Store and spent $6,000 on laptops so the kids could do their homework. At Bloomingdale’s, they spent another $10,000, letting the kids pick out duvets, pillows, sheets and mattress pads. “I wanted them to feel that their rooms were cozy and safe, and letting them pick their own stuff did that,” Kristin says. Kristin laid down strips of indooroutdoor carpeting on the rented home’s hardwood stairs so the dogs wouldn’t slip. “It was makeshift,” she says, “but I
knew we just had to survive while we were there, just get through it.” Every morning, Kristin and two of her friends, Caroline Kaplan of Bethesda and Heidi Brotman of Chevy Chase, went to the house to pack things up. Firemen had cut the electricity to the home, so the air conditioning and the lights were off. The street-level windows were boarded up to prevent break-ins and the smell of smoke still hung in the air. Kristin wanted to throw everything away, but her friends wouldn’t let her. “You saved your kids’ baby clothes for a reason,” they said. Kristin’s mom kept telling her, “Don’t think about two weeks from now, just think about today, and tomorrow you’ll get up and do tomorrow.” Meanwhile, three investigators—one hired by the Burkas’ insurance company, one hired by the lawyers representing the homeowners next door, and one hired by the liability insurer of the builder of
the house next door—began working to determine the cause of the fire. The Burkas’ insurance company’s investigator and the homeowners’ investigator determined that a cigarette butt on the next door neighbor’s property had started the fire, Goodman says. But the investigator hired by the builder’s liability insurer said his findings were inconclusive—which meant that the insurer wouldn’t assume liability and refused to cover any of the costs of rebuilding the Burkas’ house. The Burkas weren’t worried. For 20 years they had paid high premiums to their insurer (which they declined to name for this article) for what they thought was more than enough coverage. But once they started submitting claims, they realized the fire was just the beginning of their problems.
T h e B u r ka s q u i c k ly learned that before the insurance company would
photos courtesy burka family
A large chunk of the roof was gone, making the night sky visible from the third floor, and there was water, ash and charred debris everywhere.
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home The destroyed family room; Eric and Kristin only let the kids walk through the house one time after the fire.
include even the smallest items, such as an article of clothing, rug or piece of furniture, in their settlement amount, it had the right to declare them salvageable by cleaning. The Burkas could refuse the cleaned items, but they had to pay for the cleaning first, refuse any still-damaged items, and then file a claim for the replacement of the items and the cleaning costs. Kristin says their clothes felt stiff and scratchy after being cleaned, and many pieces shrank. She and her mother spent three months sorting through boxes of cleaned clothing and shoes, and figuring out the replacement value for every item they returned. The family room rug, purchased only months before the fire, came back from cleaning covered in tiny black spots. The insurance company insisted that it was as good as new. There was also a smokeand water-damaged custom-made couch in the family room that the insurance company wanted to clean. “Our kids have allergies and asthma,” Kristin says. “How do we know when we sit on it, what poofs out isn’t toxic?” Eventually, GGG stepped in and pushed the insurance company to replace the sofa and the rug. The insurance company kept urging the Burkas to accept a lump sum set-
tlement. “They just kept lowballing us,” Kristin says. “They want to wait as long as possible to pay out, hoping you’ll just give up and take the offer.” Although GGG eventually negotiated a settlement on the Burkas’ behalf, Eric says the money was much less than what they originally sought. There were also many items they couldn’t claim, including GGG’s fee and payments to their attorneys. “I lost many days of work,” Eric says. “I couldn’t get that back.”
I n J a n u a ry 2014, McLean, Virginia-based builder BOWA began a top-to-bottom renovation of the Burkas’ home. Potomac’s Steve Kirstein, one of BOWA’s owners, says the hardest part of a post-fire renovation is getting rid of the smoky smell that can linger in the framing. The Burkas’ insurer didn’t want to replace all of it, claiming that the “nondamaged” pieces could be “soda blasted” (similar to power washing), but GGG convinced them to cover the cost. The BOWA team also found that many of the pipes had split while spending a few cold months in an empty house. The Burkas’ insurance company argued that the pipe damage was unrelated to the fire, forcing them to file a second
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Firefighters used flame-retardant covers to save the family’s dining room table, which had been passed down to Eric from his grandmother; it now sits in the renovated home.
fire photo courtesy burkas; photos of renovated home by bob narod
The renovated family room combines new furniture with Eric’s inherited antiques, which were restored after the fire.
Designer Gerald Smith mixed textures, colors and shapes to give the kitchen an “urban-chic” feel.
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Smith’s design for Ava’s room centered around a hanging chair she found online.
Max’s new room has custom shelves to accommodate the computers he likes to build.
claim and pay another $5,000 deductible. The Burkas had to pick every finish and fixture for the renovation in a hurry. “A blank slate can be overwhelming,” says their designer, Gerald Smith of G.L. Smith Associates in Georgetown. But he and the Burkas worked well together from the beginning. “He got our style,” Eric says. “He would show us something, and we would love it.”
Smith describes the renovated house as “stylish urban chic.” He mixed textures, such as hammered metallics and smooth concrete, and styles, combining new modern pieces with antiques that were restored after the fire. Smith designed Ava’s room around the “Manu Nest” hanging chair that she found online. Made in Latvia from volcanic basalt fiber, it’s Ava’s favorite place to
sit and read. Lily, who is involved in local musical theater and dreams of one day performing on Broadway, asked for a wall of exposed brick to give her room the feel of a New York loft. For Max, Smith created custom shelves to accommodate the computers he likes to build. In November 2014, 14 months after the fire, the Burkas finally moved back home. Though the house was even better than they had hoped for, Eric had a hard time letting himself enjoy it. When people would ask if he was excited about his new house, he didn’t know how to respond. He kept thinking, The fire was terrible. Our old house was great. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. He says he gets upset now when people say, “Your house is so great. Maybe we should burn down our house.” Each member of the family has suffered moments of post-traumatic stress in the last two years. When a chemical leak in Maret’s biology lab caused the fire alarms to go off, Ava began to shake in fear until she saw that Lily and Max were safe. Two months after moving into the renovated house, Lily was home alone studying when a malfunctioning smoke detector triggered the alarm system, setting off buzzers and a “Fire, Fire” announcement. Panicking, she ran outside with the dogs and called the fire department. Kristin gets anxious any time she hears a siren, especially if she’s not at home. “You thought it would never happen to you, ever, and then it did, and you realize it could happen again,” she says. A few weeks after the fire, Eric began seeing a therapist to help him deal with the stress from his father’s death and the fire. The therapist helped him look at the situation in a different light: One good thing—a beautiful new house—had come out of all the horrible things that happened that week and in the ensuing 14 months, and he was allowed to enjoy it. He says he finally does.
photos by bob narod
home
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home The Burka family (from left to right): Ava, Max, Kristin, Eric and Lily
According to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, there are about 500 dwelling fires in the county every year. Eric and Kristin Burka never imagined that their house would be one of them. They thought they had taken appropriate measures for a speedy and seamless recovery in the event of a catastrophe, but they wound up battling their insurance company for two years, learning countless lessons about coping with disaster. Here, a few of the biggest takeaways: ❱❱ Hire someone to represent your family’s interests. Hiring Rockville-based Goodman-Gable-Gould (GGG) was the most important thing he did, Eric says now. During the weeks after the fire, the GGG staff inventoried the Burka’s remaining possessions and documented every unsalvageable item. “You need the details,” GGG’s Harvey Goodman says. “Otherwise they’ll say you bought your shirts at Walmart, when you really bought them at Neimans.” GGG also served as an intermediary
By Gabriele McCormick
between the Burkas and their insurer. ❱❱ Make sure your insurance policy covers additional living expenses (ALE). The Burkas’ policy included ALE, so their insurer covered the increase in living expenses that allowed the family to maintain its “normal standard of living” after the fire, including $9,000 per month for a rental house and $5,000 per month for rental furniture. Goodman says a lot of people don’t get ALE coverage because they think they’ll be back in their houses soon and can stay with family and friends in the meantime. But following a major disaster such as a fire, many people are out of their homes for a year or more. ❱❱ Know what you have and know what it’s worth. Many people don’t realize that an insurance company doesn’t automatically pay an insurance claim or pay one lump sum, Goodman says. Instead, it’s the insured’s responsibility to prove their claim in order to be compensated for their loss. Eric
❱❱ Opt for full replacement cost coverage on your homeowners’ policy. Standard actual cash value coverage only pays what possessions were worth when they were purchased, not what it would cost to replace them today. A chair that cost $100 in 2000 has an actual cash value of $100. Under full replacement cost coverage, the chair is valued at what it would cost to buy in 2015, say $400. ❱❱ Understand your homeowners’ policy. “You never want to be like the Farmers Insurance commercial,” Goodman says. “You think you’ve got coverage for a diamond ring, but you’re really only covered for a candy necklace. Don’t think it will never happen to you, because it happens to someone every day.” n Gabriele McCormick is a regular contributor to Bethesda Magazine.
courtesy burka family
Lessons Learned
says he wishes he had walked through his house before the fire with a cellphone and taken a video documenting the family’s possessions. “Who can remember what they had in their bathroom cabinets?” he says.
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We Make Your Home Beautiful.
Photograph Courtesy of © Thibaut Inc.
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Interior designer Elizabeth Boland, shown with her husband, Monty, son, Jack, and newborn daughter, Brynn, retrofitted furniture from other parts of the house to outfit her son’s nursery.
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photo by stacy zarin-Goldberg
Forget Pink and Blue Just as “matchy-matchy” has become an unpopular term in the world of interior design, decorating a baby’s nursery is trending far away from traditional palettes and themes. In fact, it’s getting less baby-oriented altogether, as parents take more practical approaches and look for schemes that have staying power beyond the first 24 months. Here’s how three local moms bypassed the baby catalogs and used their own instincts to create original spaces.
By Jennifer Sergent
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home
the art of repurposing
1. Start with what you have. “A lot of the time, [parents] are converting an old room into a nursery— it’s not like they have a big empty room and they’re starting from scratch,” Boland says. Because most “adult” furniture tends to be gender-neutral, look around the house for a dresser, chair or table that could work in the nursery. Boland used a handsome white-lacquer dresser from her design studio, realizing almost by accident that its lower shelf works perfectly for Jack’s books, which he can grab on his own. Another dresser that she had in the apartment nursery had to be jettisoned in the new, smaller space—not a big deal since she didn’t buy it new to begin with. As luck would have it, a Karastan rug she had already owned worked well in both nurseries.
photos by stacy zarin-Goldberg
Elizabeth Boland of Bethesdabased Design In A Day has created two nurseries for her son, Jack. The first involved converting a guest room when she and her husband were living in a Silver Spring apartment; the second when they moved to a nearby house. She scrambled each time to retrofit furnishings she already owned into a cohesive space that was inspired by her love affair with the American West.
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2. Pick a theme that’s meaningful to you. After going to college in Montana and then living briefly in Aspen, Colorado, Boland became hooked on all things Western. So she decided to splurge when she saw a huge Indian print on design website Natural Curiosities. “It’s fun art that he can have for the rest of his life,” Boland says. “He loves falling asleep staring at his Indian.” A handsome impressionist-style painting of a California mountain hangs in the new nursery. She also got creative with the window treatments. Inspired by the colorful stripes on Pendleton’s classic Glacier National Park woolen blanket, the drapes are made from fabric that Boland found at Bethesda’s Bruce Variety, which is now closed.
photos by stacy zarin-Goldberg
3. Mix and match. Rather than using a prepackaged set of crib bedding, Boland created her own look. She combined brands with different colors and patterns from Daisy Baby & Kids in Bethesda, and purchased burlap from Bruce Variety for the crib skirt, which enhances the nursery’s rustic Western feel.
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home
a piece of history Popular fashion blogger Candace Ourisman was pregnant when she and her husband, Chris, who helps run his family’s auto dealerships, were decorating their new home in Bethesda’s Edgemoor neighborhood with the help of designer Erica Burns. “I wanted it to be sophisticated but different,” Ourisman says of the nursery that she and Burns designed for her son, Van. “Something with whimsy.”
1. Use family photos. Ourisman turned to the auto dealership’s extensive photo archives to decorate Van’s nursery. She found a black-and-white photograph taken in 1923 at the family’s original dealership on H Street in Washington, D.C., featuring Van’s greatgreat-grandfather, Benjamin Ourisman. “I love portrait photography, and these characters are really neat,” she says. The old-time photo also set the tone for the nearby chaise longue, which was upholstered in a masculine fabric from British textile company Holland & Sherry.
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2. Focus on your own needs.
Sure, it’s your baby’s room, but parents spend nearly as much time in there as the infant. “Make a space that’s functional for you and the baby, but also make a space that you want to spend time in,” Ourisman says. Besides a “super-comfy” custom chaise longue that’s wide enough for sleeping, Ourisman also commissioned a neon sign above the dresser with her favorite quote: “To thine own self be true.” The yellow sign—her late mother’s favorite color—inspires Ourisman each time she’s in there. “I wanted to honor her, and for Van to have a piece of her,” she says.
photos by stacy zarin-Goldberg
3. Don’t look for baby-specific products. Besides the crib, Ourisman says, nothing in the room was specifically made for babies. She splurged on an antelope-patterned rug in deep navy blue from Stark. “Everything else was based around it,” she says, noting that she tried to stay neutral with the furnishings so the rug would stand out. She found the antique dresser on Craigslist. “It’s so beautiful—and the details on it are absolutely amazing,” Ourisman says, adding that Van will never outgrow it.
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home
color coded Meaghan McNamara
was six months pregnant when she and her husband, Eric Larsen, moved into their new house in Kensington. The small, white room that would be daughter Hadley’s nursery provided the perfect blank slate. “I really wanted it to be colorful,” McNamara says. She chose an animal theme because it allowed for bold colors and offered endless options. “I didn’t want your typical elephant-, lion- or tiger-themed room,” she says. “I wanted to incorporate fun, bright and unique art that amplifies the theme.”
It can be anything, McNamara says—a pillow, a piece of art, or even a swatch of fabric. “Make it something that’s meaningful to you; it will help you start tying in colors you love.” McNamara chose a kaleidoscopic painting of a lion’s head that she created at Regan & Meaghan, the Kensington home design shop and art gallery she co-owns with interior designer Regan Billingsley. “I loved the colors I used for that,” McNamara says, referring to the combination of orange, coral, mint and black.
2. Don’t be afraid of color. McNamara, whose specialty at Regan & Meaghan is repurposing old furniture with new paint and fixtures, painted a brown Ikea dresser that she and her husband had in their former apartment. She used Benjamin Moore’s fun ’n games, which matches the minty shade from the lion painting. Next came a black and white graphic rug from rugsusa.com that contrasts nicely with the dresser, while pops of coral emerge in drapery panels from fabric.com.
photos by Regis Lefebure
1. Find an inspirational starting point.
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photos by Regis Lefebure
4. Don’t forget neutrals. The colors throughout Hadley’s nursery are notable in part because McNamara grounded them with strategically placed neutrals. There’s a white Eames rocker overlaid with white sheepskin in the corner, along with a black floor lamp topped with a shade she found at Target. In front of the crib, she placed a gray storage ottoman that hides toys inside. A huge white L (for Larsen) hangs on the wall above Hadley’s crib. It might be too much if it was in color, but instead it has a subtle presence that’s underscored by a colorful banner that McNamara’s sister created. With these neutral anchors in place, McNamara says, the space can easily (and affordably) change with different color accents as Hadley grows up. n
Jennifer Sergent (jennifer sergent@verizon.net) is a home and design writer based in Arlington, Virginia.
3. Use unconventional art and accessories. This was easy for McNamara, whose shop sells work by local artists and other goods. That’s where she got the jaunty stuffed zebra head that hangs on Hadley’s wall. And instead of purchasing a premade mobile for over the crib, she used an embroidery hoop to hang white and gold ribbons, creating a twinkly, gossamer piece that delights her baby. Then she scoured Etsy for animal-themed art, which hangs from clips all over the wall above the dresser. BethesdaMagazine.com | november/december 2015 277
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by the numbers
Data provided by
August’s Most Expensive
Home Sales Sale Price:
$6.3 million courtesy photo
List Price: $7 million
Address: 3512 Lowell St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 73 Listing Agent: Marylyn Paige, Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 7, Full/half baths: 6/2
$3.4 million List Price: $3.4 million
Address: 3010 Foxhall Road NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 63 Listing Agent: William F.X. Moody, Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 7, Full/half baths: 5/1 Sale Price:
Sale Price:
$2.65 million
List Price: $6.95 million
Address: 11604 River Road, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 83 Listing Agent: Nita Purohit, Weichert Bedrooms: 17, Full/half baths: 13/4
$6.15 million Courtesy photo
Sale Price:
Address: 11100 Cripplegate Road, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 343 Listing Agent: Jeffrey Wilson, Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 7, Full/half baths: 7/4
List Price: $2.75 million
Sale Price:
$2.62 million List Price: $2.78 million
Sale Price:
$5.45 million Courtesy photo
List Price: $6.5 million
Address: 3420 36th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 77 Listing Agent: Margot Wilson, Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 4/2
Sale Price:
photo by Sean Shanahan
$5.3 million List Price: $5.5 million
Address: 4871 Glenbrook Road NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 108 Listing Agent: Jonathan Taylor, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Bedrooms: 8, Full/half baths: 6/2
Address: 8617 Country Club Drive, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 164 Listing Agent: William Burr, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 4/2 Sale Price:
$2.6 million List Price: $2.5 million
Address: 30 Grafton St., Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 8 Listing Agent: Marc Fleisher, Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 5/1 Sale Price:
$2.5 million List Price: $2.75 million
Address: 5914 Kirby Road, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 3 Listing Agent: Carolyn Sappenfield, RE/MAX Realty Services Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 5/3
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Custom Built masterpieCe FrenCh Country stone & stuCCo elevation
Bethesda. Welcome to this absolutely stunning fully custom built home by acclaimed designer, Carole Lindenberg. A dramatic two-story center hall foyer with breathtaking front-to-back exposures introduces a sensational floor plan ideal for both full-scale entertaining as well as comfortable family living. From the fully custom-milled wood paneled library with built-in cabinetry/ bookcases and unique fireplace, to the spectacular grand salon with extraordinary two-story ceiling design and enormous picture palladium window, to the exceptional French country kitchen with beamed and vaulted ceiling, expansive center island/breakfast bar and adjoining family room with stone fireplace, no detail has been compromised in presenting this home of distinction. Further complementing the main entry level’s appeal is a fabulous master bedroom suite with exaggerated tray ceiling, designer wall treatments, luxury bath and unparalleled dressing room. Four bedrooms adorn the upper level while the fantastic fully finished lower level features second family room, guest bedroom, enormous office, exercise/game room and exquisite built-in cabinetry and wet bar. Further enhancing the home’s appeal is a side load three car garage. Unparalleled in its beauty, materials and expert workmanship, this very special home is both an incredible value and opportunity for its lucky future owner. Offered at $2,295,000.
Marc Fleisher
www.thefleishergroup.com 202.364.5200 x 2927 (O) 202.438.4880 (C)
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by the numbers Sale Price:
$2.35 million List Price: $2.5 million
Address: 5109 Wehawken Road, Bethesda 20816 Days on Market: 109 Listing Agent: Lisa Crum, Prestige Properties Bedrooms: 6, Full/half baths: 4/1 Sale Price:
$2.3 million List Price: $2.5 million
Address: 7909 Deepwell Drive, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 105 Listing Agent: Anne Killeen, Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 6, Full/half baths: 6/3 Sale Price:
$2.25 million List Price: $2.3 million
Address: 5025 Glenbrook Terrace NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 6
Listing Agent: Louise Williams, Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 4/1 Sale Price:
$2.25 million List Price: $2.48 million
Address: 7203 Nevis Road, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 57 Listing Agent: Marc Fleisher, Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 6, Full/half baths: 6/2 Sale Price:
$2.18 million List Price: $1.8 million
Address: 5905 Aberdeen Road, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 7 Listing Agent: Lori Maggin, Rory S. Coakley Realty Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 4/1 Sale Price:
$2.1 million
Address: 5209 Hampden Lane, Bethesda 20814 Days on Market: 0 Listing Agent: Gretchen Koitz, Compass Bedrooms: 4, Full/half baths: 4/1 Sale Price:
$2.1 million List Price: $2.1 million
Address: 108 Melrose St., Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 0 Listing Agent: Florence Meers, Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 4, Full/half baths: 2/2 Sale Price:
$2.08 million List Price: $2.2 million
Address: 6220 Winnebago Road, Bethesda 20816 Days on Market: 44 Listing Agent: Kara Sheehan, Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 5/2
List Price: $2.15 million
Your dreams Your success Your life
Sale Price:
$1.99 million List Price: $2.15 million
Address: 5405 Brookway Drive, Bethesda 20816 Days on Market: 272 Listing Agent: Kathleen Slawta, Stuart & Maury Bedrooms: 6, Full/half baths: 5/1 Sale Price:
$1.98 million List Price: $2 million
Address: 8204 Caraway St., Cabin John 20818 Days on Market: 138 Listing Agent: Ellen Wilner, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 4/1 Sale Price:
$1.91 million List Price: $1.97 million
Address: 7218 Chestnut St., Chevy Chase 20815
Real estate counselors for exceptional properties. 888.907.6643 (Direct) 240.497.1707 (Office) ColeyReed@gmail.com www.ColeyReed.com ColeyReedHomes on
12045 Great Elm in Potomac, MD 280 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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Deb Levy and Lisa Bennett
They say the kitchen is the hearT of the home‌ Trust your instincts when you find the right house. Trust us to find the perfect mortgage financing to make the house your home. Service | mortgage options | Local Bank | home Lending Team Deb Levy, Vice President/Senior mortgage Banker NMLS# 481255
| 202.292.1581 | deblevy@eaglebankcorp.com
Lisa Bennett, Loan Consultant NMLS# 482234
| 202.292.1582 | lbennett@eaglebankcorp.com
ReLocatioN SpeciaLiStS • We LeNd iN eveRy State
mD | DC | Va | www.debbielevy.com
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by the numbers Days on Market: 57 Listing Agent: Andrew Gibbons, Evers & Company Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 5/1 Sale Price:
$1.87 million List Price: $1.95 million
Address: 5701 Oldchester Road, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 49 Listing Agent: Jeremy Lichtenstein, RE/MAX Realty Services Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 5/1 Sale Price:
$1.87 million List Price: $2 million
Address: 3510 Bradley Lane, Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 49 Listing Agent: Eric Murtagh, Evers & Company Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 4/1 Sale Price:
$1.83 million
List Price: $2 million
Address: 4256 Nebraska Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 436 Listing Agent: Margot Wilson, Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 6, Full/half baths: 3/2 Sale Price:
$1.81 million List Price: $1.85 million
Address: 7904 Carteret Road, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 290 Listing Agent: Sondra Mulheron, Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 4/1 Sale Price:
$1.77 million List Price: $1.8 million
Address: 6405 Marjory Lane, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 172 Listing Agent: Laura Quigley, Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 5/1
Listing Agent: Silvana Dias, W.C. & A.N. Miller, Realtors, a Long & Foster Co. Bedrooms: 8, Full/half baths: 5/0
Sale Price:
$1.77 million List Price: $1.8 million
Address: 6121 Highboro Drive, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 40 Listing Agent: Robert Jenets, Stuart & Maury Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 5/1 Sale Price:
$1.71 million List Price: $1.78 million
Address: 10711 Burbank Drive, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 21 Listing Agent: Yasmin Abadian, Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 4, Full/half baths: 5/1 Sale Price:
$1.7 million List Price: $1.7 million
Address: 4485 Sedgwick St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 7
Sale Price:
$1.65 million List Price: $1.8 million
Address: 6513 Kenhill Road, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 51 Listing Agent: Sylvia Bergstrom, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Bedrooms: 5, Full/half baths: 5/1 Sale Price:
$1.64 million List Price: $1.7 million
Address: 8908 Iverleigh Court, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 314 Listing Agent: Joan Karpa, Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 7, Full/half baths: 6/0 Note: Some sales and list prices have been rounded off.
Innovative National Movement Comes to Montgomery County Montgomery County recently joined a nationwide movement by passing the Building Energy Benchmarking Bill, to improve transparency in the commercial real estate market. Energy Benchmarking is a way for building owners to leverage the classic wisdom, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
‘‘
Benchmarking empowers owners to see how much bang they’re getting for each energy buck they spend, allowing them to optimize performance.
Energy Benchmarking leads to: • Lower operating costs • Higher asset valuation, freeing up funds • Reduced environmental footprint • Enhanced corporate stewardship
The Glascock Building owners are very pleased to accept EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts. Through our partnership with Recurrent, whose management of this effort helped us achieve the Energy Star certification, we have demonstrated our continuing commitment to environmental stewardship, while also lowering our energy costs.” Denise Spencer, President Glascock Condo Board
Whether you need a small amount of technical assistance or a complete turn-key solution, Recurrent’s energy experts will fulfill all your building benchmarking needs.
1390 Piccard Drive • Suite 120 • Rockville, MD 20850 301.795.1440 • www.re-current.net
RECURRENT is proud to hold the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection’s Benchmarking Ambassador designation. 282 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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by the numbers
Real Estate Trends (by zip code )
August 2014
August 2015
August 2014
August 2015
20015 (Upper NW D.C.)
20818 (Cabin John)
Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
Number of Homes Sold 3 Average Sold Price $973,300 Average Days on Market 51 Above Asking Price 0 Below Asking Price 3 Sold Over $1 Million 2
3 $1.4 Mil. 166 0 2 2
8 12 $1 Mil. $988,324 20 18 3 5 3 4 3 4
20016 (Upper NW D.C.)
August 2014
August 2015
Number of Homes Sold 56 Average Sold Price $1.1 Mil. Average Days on Market 56 Above Asking Price 7 Below Asking Price 42 Sold Over $1 Million 26
48 $1.1 Mil. 72 1 45 21
20854 (Potomac)
20832 (Olney)
20855 (Rockville)
Number of Homes Sold 19 17 Average Sold Price $562,456 $514,211 Average Days on Market 43 61 Above Asking Price 3 0 Below Asking Price 13 12 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Number of Homes Sold 9 13 Average Sold Price $507,667 $509,500 Average Days on Market 83 63 Above Asking Price 0 2 Below Asking Price 9 9 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
20814 (Bethesda)
20850 (Rockville)
20877 (Gaithersburg)
Number of Homes Sold 16 19 Average Sold Price $1.4 Mil. $898,184 Average Days on Market 35 39 Above Asking Price 4 4 Below Asking Price 9 14 Sold Over $1 Million 6 3
Number of Homes Sold 21 18 Average Sold Price $669,943 $666,189 Average Days on Market 48 46 Above Asking Price 5 1 Below Asking Price 15 15 Sold Over $1 Million 2 3
Number of Homes Sold 11 13 Average Sold Price $398,445 $400,108 Average Days on Market 32 48 Above Asking Price 2 2 Below Asking Price 8 9 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
20815 (Chevy Chase)
20851 (Rockville)
20878 (North Potomac/Gaithersburg)
Number of Homes Sold 14 13 Average Sold Price $319,182 $341,773 Average Days on Market 29 34 Above Asking Price 1 2 Below Asking Price 7 9 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Number of Homes Sold 28 39 Average Sold Price $717,621 $685,372 Average Days on Market 31 63 Above Asking Price 5 6 Below Asking Price 22 29 Sold Over $1 Million 2 2
20852 (North Bethesda/Rockville)
20879 (Gaithersburg)
Number of Homes Sold 13 14 Average Sold Price $618,954 $563,369 Average Days on Market 37 40 Above Asking Price 0 2 Below Asking Price 12 9 Sold Over $1 Million 0 2
Number of Homes Sold 10 11 Average Sold Price $391,040 $395,047 Average Days on Market 53 63 Above Asking Price 4 2 Below Asking Price 6 7 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
20853 (Rockville)
20882 (Gaithersburg)
Number of Homes Sold 24 36 Average Sold Price $504,283 $443,686 Average Days on Market 32 41 Above Asking Price 4 11 Below Asking Price 18 21 Sold Over $1 Million 0 1
Number of Homes Sold 13 12 Average Sold Price $531,142 $514,625 Average Days on Market 90 56 Above Asking Price 1 1 Below Asking Price 11 10 Sold Over $1 Million 0 1
Number of Homes Sold 17 Average Sold Price $1.2 Mil. Average Days on Market 27 Above Asking Price 5 Below Asking Price 11 Sold Over $1 Million 11
Number of Homes Sold 24 Average Sold Price $1.4 Mil. Average Days on Market 39 Above Asking Price 7 Below Asking Price 13 Sold Over $1 Million 14
24 $1.9 Mil. 39 9 11 17
27 $1.2 Mil. 43 4 19 14
20816 (Bethesda) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
14 $1 Mil. 30 4 7 7
12 $1.3 Mil. 54 1 7 8
Number of Homes Sold 38 Average Sold Price $1.2 Mil. Average Days on Market 56 Above Asking Price 8 Below Asking Price 27 Sold Over $1 Million 11
43 $1.2 Mil. 64 7 29 22
20817 (Bethesda)
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August 2014
August 2015
August 2014
August 2015
August 2014
August 2015
20886 (Gaithersburg)
20902 (Silver Spring)
20905 (Silver Spring)
Number of Homes Sold 6 7 Average Sold Price $445,000 $466,529 Average Days on Market 65 35 Above Asking Price 0 1 Below Asking Price 6 5 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Number of Homes Sold 35 45 Average Sold Price $409,326 $377,380 Average Days on Market 51 38 Above Asking Price 5 5 Below Asking Price 24 32 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Number of Homes Sold 22 15 Average Sold Price $494,736 $510,600 Average Days on Market 51 60 Above Asking Price 3 0 Below Asking Price 15 14 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
20895 (Kensington)
20903 (Silver Spring)
20906 (Silver Spring)
Number of Homes Sold 21 24 Average Sold Price $637,240 $639,563 Average Days on Market 18 58 Above Asking Price 4 11 Below Asking Price 17 12 Sold Over $1 Million 2 1
Number of Homes Sold 9 6 Average Sold Price $362,222 $388,092 Average Days on Market 92 57 Above Asking Price 2 2 Below Asking Price 7 3 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Number of Homes Sold 32 42 Average Sold Price $392,686 $410,460 Average Days on Market 42 42 Above Asking Price 4 9 Below Asking Price 25 26 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
20901 (Silver Spring)
20904 (Silver Spring)
20910 (Silver Spring)
Number of Homes Sold 22 29 Average Sold Price $457,234 $421,981 Average Days on Market 61 57 Above Asking Price 5 5 Below Asking Price 13 22 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Number of Homes Sold 23 18 Average Sold Price $382,817 $417,539 Average Days on Market 49 69 Above Asking Price 5 2 Below Asking Price 15 13 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Number of Homes Sold 18 20 Average Sold Price $579,961 $566,188 Average Days on Market 32 29 Above Asking Price 3 6 Below Asking Price 11 12 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Information courtesy of MRIS as of Sept. 15, 2015. Listing information should be independently verified. MRIS is real estate in real time™, enabling real estate professionals to list and sell more than $100 million in real estate each day in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and markets in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. MRIS powers MRIShomes.com, the only real estate home search site in the MidAtlantic brought to you by the Multiple Listing Service. Visit MRIShomes.com or text MRIS2Go to 87778 to download the MRIS Homes™ app for real-time local listings. Note: Some sales and list prices have been rounded off.
Selling
mASterWork
Martins Addition. Dramatic floorplan & grand proportions on three finished levels. Gorgeous 13,000+ sq ft lot w/enchanting garden views. Walk to shops on Brookville Road. Easy access to all of downtown Bethesda & DC. $2,700,000 Eric Murtagh 301.652.8971
viSit uS BetheSdA/Chevy ChASe 7032 WiSConSin Avenue Chevy ChASe, md 20815 301.656.1800
the
AreA’S FineSt ProPertieS
timeleSS treASure
Chevy Chase. Spectacular, perfectly sited new residence w/ gorgeous, high-end finishes on three magnificent levels w/5 BR, 5.5 BA, & chef’s Kit. Walk to the Capital Crescent Trail, community center, park, Metro, farmers markets, & more. $2,700,000 Eric Murtagh 301.652.8971
grAnd trAditionS
Town of Chevy Chase. Impressive 1920s manor w/ dramatic spaces has been renovated from top to bottom. Formal LR & DR, 5 BR, 6.5 BA, dazzling Kit, 3-car garage, and inviting deck. $2,695,000 Eric Murtagh 301.652.8971 Karen Kuchins 301.275.2255
enChAnting
Chevy Chase Superlative quality, high end finishes and an aura of comfort and charm: chef’s kitchen, delightful family room, large bed rooms and luxurious baths; elegant MBR suite. Walk to downtown Bethesda. $2,200,000 Eric Murtagh 301.652.8971 Karen Kuchins 301.275.2255
FriendShiP heightS 4400 JeniFer St nW WAShington, dC 20015 202.364.1700 WWW.everSCo.Com
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Special Advertising Section
SHOWCASE Kitchen & bath
In collaboration with Treacy Eagleburger Architects
Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath 6935 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-657-2500 | www.gilmerkitchens.com
bio
In collaboration with Vivian Braunohler, ASID
Jennifer Gilmer worked with renowned designer Richard Tunis from 1985 until 1993, when she and a colleague co-founded Kitchen and Bath Studios. In 1997, Gilmer established her own business, one where all designs are stellar and where the happiness of her employees is contagious, resulting in superior service to all clients.
From its inception in December 1997, Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, Ltd. has earned a reputation for innovative, high-end, luxurious kitchen and bath design, delivering quality products with exceptional service. In addition, we provide unique and interesting materials and hardware that no other design firm can deliver. We create detailed drawings, provide product specifications and job site binders that contain all of the details necessary to assure seamless installation. Throughout the years, our designs have appeared in many publications and won innumerable industry awards, including the “Pinnacle Award� from the National Kitchen & Bath Association in 2009. Let our attentive designers combine all the right elements to create the kitchen or bath that reflects your personal style and meets your functional requirements. We strive to design projects within every budget range. From traditional to transitional to cuttingedge contemporary, our designers are not limited to a single style.
Top: Bob Narod; Bottom: Tom Olcott
our work:
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Special Advertising Section
ARCHITECTURAL CERAMICS
bio
6807 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-718-8343 | www.architecturalceramics.com
Architectural Ceramics , deemed “where the architects and designers shop” by Washingtonian magazine, is a comprehensive tile and stone company servicing the design industry, including homeowners, designers, builders, contractors, architects and installers. Established in 1983, we’re a family-owned and operated corporation with six locations in the DMV area.
Courtesy Photos
our work: From drab and outdated, to a fantastic modern farmhouse feel, Architectural Ceramics designers were able to give these Takoma Park residents the kitchen of their dreams with the help of the latest trend in tile: cement! Cement tiles are made one at a time by hand, with blends of cement, marble powder, fine sand and natural mineral color pigments to create the patterns the world has fallen in love with. After helping the client narrow down their favorite selections from Architectural Ceramics’ thousands of high-quality tile options, a custom concrete design in shades of blue and grey for their backsplash turned out to be the perfect match to the rest of the kitchen. Architectural Ceramics designers eagerly work to make your project their top priority with a one-of-a-kind design you can brag about for years to come. Thank you to Lofft Construction for the design and build of this original kitchen.
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Special Advertising Section
Carnemark Design + Build
bio
7550 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 120, Bethesda, MD 20814 301-657-5000 | www.CARNEMARK.com
From whole house remodels to kitchen, addition, bath, and condo renovations, CARNEMARK creates design + build solutions that flow—meeting practical needs in contemporary life through a client-responsive and environmentally sensitive process. Since 1987, Washington, DC-area clients have enjoyed the award-winning combination of function and beauty we’ve helped bring home.
This couple wished for a modern, Scandinavian-inspired master bath where they could get ready for the day in comfort. Their existing bath felt too small, so a reconfiguration to maximize usable space was in order. Transforming the existing dual master closets into a large, single closet and expanding the size of the bathroom created room for a frameless shower, his and her sinks, a separate toilet area, and a tub with a view. Luxurious quartz counters atop an oak vanity and a large tub surround deliver more surface area, while lift-up medicine cabinets offer a unique storage option with integrated interior lighting and electrical outlets. Heated porcelain tile flooring provides a contemporary wood charm, and a heated towel rack ensures warmth and comfort during the winter months. The final result: a spacious and efficient master bath that makes the morning rush a more leisurely affair.
Courtesy Photos
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Special Advertising Section
Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens
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12223 Nebel St., Rockville, MD 20852 301-984-9484 | www.jackrosen.com
For over 33 years, Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens continues to be one of the most celebrated and trusted kitchen design firms in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. Offering award-winning designs and fine cabinetry for culinary, closets, home offices and entertainment with outstanding service. Visit our all-new showroom today!
Courtesy Photos
Our Work: A well-designed kitchen is not only one that is beautiful to see, but functions easily. In the photo above, the appliances are placed logically with plenty of prep space and the areas for storage are maximized. The grey painted and glazed island allows for additional counter top space or an overflow eating area. As well, the custom hood, mirrored doors and substantial island legs all contribute to a stunning appearance. The kitchen at right is an ideal example of very prevalent trends towards “transitional” kitchens. The painted cabinets around the room's perimeter have a subtle double-stepped detail. This sleek style is the perfect contrast for a central, oversized island. The glass doors above the sink and silver pendants offer visual focal points that enhance the overall clean appearance. BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 289
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Special Advertising Section
MERRICK DESIGN AND BUILD INC.
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3923 Plyers Mill Road, Kensington, MD 20895 301-946-2356 | merrickremodel.com
Merrick’s team of dedicated professionals have been serving Montgomery County and NW D.C. since 1989. The team is dedicated to a high level of excellence with a tight focus on budget and functionality. By working with them you are sure to create a dream space that fits all your needs.
Diana wanted their new kitchen addition to be a family friendly gathering space with traditional characteristics. The L shape and island combination create easy flow and make the kitchen feel spacious. White painted cabinets with contrasting dark countertops create that timeless traditional feel Diana was after. The cabinetry is enhanced by design features like the Kohler Deck Mount Faucet, a farm sink and Carrara marble backsplash tiles. To shake things up the island was fitted with a butcher block top and chicken wire inserts in the cabinet doors. The rustic pendant lighting centers the island and finishes off the mix creating a warm eclectic feel that her husband, Johnathan, was after. The island top was extended so that her girls could join her while she worked. Other features include 42" tall cabinets and a microwave built into the island to save counter space. All are features that offer greater function and practicality.
Courtesy Photos
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Special Advertising Section
KONST SieMatic
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7550 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 130, Bethesda, MD 20814 301-657-3800 | www.konstsiematic.com
Leading the way in European kitchen design, KONST is the exclusive source for SieMatic cabinetry in the Washington, D.C. area. Our flagship showroom features three unique style collections, displaying an array of design elements and materials. You’ll also find appliances from such brands as Sub-Zero, Wolf, Gaggenau and Miele.
Courtesy Photos
our work: The owners of this new home wanted a sophisticated—but in no way stuffy—kitchen for entertaining. Minimal, clean design and open sight lines maximize their stunning waterfront views. Walnut SieMatic cabinetry creates a streamlined storage wall. Material specifications throughout echo the warm appeal: the mahogany floor, crimson glass tile backsplash, granite counter tops and trio of pendants that hang above the table extending from the island. Two features help make sure our clients—with two young children—avoid clutter in their open kitchen. A spacious pantry provides extra storage, while a butler’s pantry houses a second dishwasher, sink and icemaker to keep prep and cleanup at bay. Extending the mahogany floor and aligning the storage and fireplace walls helped us create a seamless transition into the central entertainment area of the home. While the river views naturally draw the eye, this kitchen offers a balanced backdrop. BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 291
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Special Advertising Section
Kitchen & Bath Studios
bio
7001 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD 20815 301-657-1636 | www.kitchen-bathstudios.com
For over 21 years Kitchen & Bath Studio’s has built a great reputation in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Our showroom features five cabinet lines displaying a vast array of cabinet styles and finishes. Clients will get a creative and functional design with no upfront design fees from any of the five designers on staff.
It’s hard to imagine this space with a wall between the kitchen and the adjacent breakfast room surrounded with windows. Before moving into their new home, this family knew immediately that it wanted to reconfigure this central area of the home. By removing a load bearing wall, the kitchen now opens into a beautiful view to the trees and wildlife of parkland beyond the backyard. The decorative columns house the load bearing support and the architectural beams carry duct work from cooking to the exterior. The symmetrical design of columns, cabinets and coffered ceiling created by Karen Hourigan (CKD) of Kitchen & Bath Studios add to a beauty of this sophisticated space built by IP Construction. The pendant lights caught the owner’s eye when the project started as their glass shape does not distract from the open view. The breakfast room now includes a dining table for meals, homework and a cozy nook for reading the paper and enjoying a cup of coffee. Plenty of space and two dishwashers flanking the sink add to the ease of entertaining friends and family.
Bill Bauer
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fitness. wellness. medicine.
photo by lisa helfert
health
Six-year-old Bryce Goldblatt (left), who has a rare genetic syndrome, enjoys spending time with his older brother, Bennett. For their story, see page 296.
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Like father, like son Matthew Katz grew up watching his dad, a dermatologist, come home from work happy. Years later, they were sharing an office.
For the 18 years that they practiced together, they were known as “Dr. Robert” and “Dr. Matthew.” It was the easiest way for their dermatology patients to know whether they were seeing the elder Dr. Katz—Robert—or his son, Matthew. Robert, 77, is retired now, but Matthew continues to treat patients, including his father, at the Katz Dermatology office in North Bethesda. “He’ll still pop in if he’s got something and needs it removed,” Matthew says. Growing up, Matthew occasionally visited his dad at the office or tagged along when he went to see patients in nursing homes. After graduating from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Matthew majored in biology in college and then attended medical school. “People would say, ‘How did you get Matthew to go into dermatology?’ ” Robert says. “I never told him to. I never implied that he should. It must have, by osmosis, gotten to him—what medicine meant to me.” Matthew, 53, considered becoming a surgeon but decided dermatology offered a better work-life balance, he says. He remembered his dad being home a lot, and never getting called away on emergencies. “Until the day he retired, he was extremely enthusiastic about what he did,” says Matthew. Though they occasionally consulted on cases, each doctor saw mainly his own patients. “We didn’t chitchat a lot,” says Robert, who lives in Bethesda and now volunteers at Mercy Health Clinic in Gaithersburg. Outside the office, the two rarely talked shop. One of Matthew’s sisters is a teacher; the other is a potter. Holiday gatherings were about family. “We left work at work,” Matthew says. Robert cut back on his hours nine years ago and retired in 2012. “The worst thing about retiring for me,” he says, “was that I was leaving people who I took care of for 40 years.” The silver lining, he says, was that he knew they were in capable hands. Robert recently spoke to a former patient who told him, “Matthew’s taking good care of me.”
Matthew Katz (left) worked with his father, Robert, for 18 years at Katz Dermatology. “It’s nice over the years to see your dad every day,” Matthew says. “I have grown kids now— you gotta cherish the time.”
Photo by justin tsculas
BY kathleen seiler neary
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in Dr. Matthew Katz’s words...
THE SUN “I remember my father slathered in the first sunscreens when we would go to the beach every summer, the very early sunscreens that would stain everything yellow or orange. He was probably one of the first guys with an umbrella—I remember him sitting under the umbrella with a hat on.”
FAther knows best “It was nice, especially in the beginning, to get his advice, his pearls on what’s made him successful. He was never somebody to say, ‘Do it this way or do it that way.’ That was very helpful.”
ANTI -AGING ADVICE “The secret is sun protection. I tanned—I’ve got all these spots. They come out when you’re in your 30s, 40s and 50s. The 18- and 20-yearolds sitting on the beach look great. Their skin is flawless. The effects of that come later— spots and wrinkles, hopefully not skin cancers.”
On patients getting better: “I see infants and toddlers up to people in their 90s and 100s. It’s gratifying to see their satisfaction in getting their psoriasis or itchy eczema cleared up—or acne that’s causing a kid to be very self-conscious. Catching melanomas at a very early stage when they’re curable— patients are very grateful for that. Or a mole they’ve never liked on their face, and we’ve taken that off and they’re thrilled with the results.”
the truth about
PIMPLES
Photo by justin tsculas
“A lot of people are under the impression that the soda their kid’s drinking or their diet has a lot to do with their acne—it doesn’t. People come in and say, ‘My bangs are causing my acne.’ That’s not really true. Acne is mostly hormonally based. You see a lot of teenagers with it. You frankly see a lot of adults with it, too.”
SKIN SMARTS “I play golf and bike and run, so I’m outside a lot. I wear a hat. I get an umbrella. I use SPF 50—if I’m out at the beach for hours, I reapply it every couple hours. I swim in the winter, and my skin gets dry and itchy that night, so I put moisturizing lotion on. I don’t do much [for my skin] other than protect it. We have gentle soap in the house—Dove, Neutrogena, that sort of thing. Whatever soap my wife buys, I use it.” n
Associate Editor Kathleen Seiler Neary (kathleen.neary@bethesdamagazine.com) regrets the amount of tanning with baby oil she did as a teen. BethesdaMagazine.com | november/december 2015 295
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Six-year-old Bryce Goldblatt wasn’t expected to walk. Now he’s doing that and more.
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No Looking Back Doctors are still learning about Bryce Goldblatt’s rare genetic syndrome. But his parents and brother know at least one thing for sure: He’s a happy little boy who never gives up. By Cindy Rich Photos by Lisa Helfert
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L i k e m a n y k i d s his age, Bryce Goldblatt would spend all day at the playground if he could. There’s a small one near his townhouse in Gaithersburg, with just a slide and a rock climbing wall, and if his parents let him, he would run and play there until he was too tired to move. If he falls, he gets up and keeps going—he could get hurt and he wouldn’t even notice. When it’s time to go home, he often pulls on his mother’s hand, trying to get her to turn back. Bryce, 6, also loves the beach and the pool. And pancakes, peekaboo and his little truck book. The more bubbles in his bath, the better. Everyone who knows him talks about his smile. He likes waterslides, unhooking the straps on his car seat, shopping at Wegmans and chasing his 9-year-old brother, Bennett. If somebody hides the TV remote, he’ll find it. In preschool, he used to give his Goldfish pretzels to a classmate and then take that little boy’s egg rolls. But Bryce won’t sit down and play with a toy or draw a picture. He doesn’t get excited for his birthday or Halloween. He watches three shows—Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Bubble Guppies and The Fresh Beat Band—but only the same episode of each, over and over again. He has to be buckled into his chair for meals, and has trouble using a fork or spoon. His mom, Jenna, carries cooling towels, Children’s Tylenol and Diastat, a medication that can help stop seizures, everywhere she goes. Strangers have asked her why she lets her son play outside in shorts on a winter day. “I can’t believe you have him in that,” one said. Jenna could tell people that Bryce has a rare chromosomal disorder called PhelanMcDermid syndrome (PMS), which causes him to overheat easily. She could explain that he can only go on an air-conditioned school bus, and if the family goes on a plane, they have to check with the pilot to make sure the cabin temperature isn’t too warm. But she doesn’t really respond to those comments anymore—
she feels like she shouldn’t have to. Until about a year ago, Bryce rarely made eye contact with his parents. He would never have handed Bennett a book to read to him, the way he does now, or guided Jenna’s hands as she sang “The Wheels on the Bus.” As a baby, his muscle tone was so poor that he couldn’t sit on his own. His cute cooing sounds disappeared before his first birthday, and he couldn’t sleep, even at night, for more than an hour at a time. He was so delayed that a neurologist told Jenna and her husband, Dan, five years ago that their son would never walk, talk or amount to anything. They decided not to listen.
A sign on the wall of the office where Bryce goes for pediatric physical therapy reads: “Life is a series of thousands and thousands of tiny miracles.” Jenna takes Bryce to Early Intervention Associates in Rockville twice a week, before his school day starts, to work on balance, spatial orientation and sensory processing. When he started therapy there in 2012, he couldn’t stand still because his body always had to be moving. He didn’t follow instructions because he wasn’t able to process what people were saying. His feet curled and he couldn’t put them flat on the ground. Now he’s riding a two-wheel bicycle with training wheels. “Steering and everything,” Jenna says. When people ask Jenna about Bryce, a first-grader at Germantown Elementary School who’s in a special education class for children with severe disabilities, she’ll often tell them he has autism. According to the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation, there are only about 1,200 known cases worldwide of PMS, which is listed in the National Organization for Rare Disorders’ database right between Pfeiffer syndrome and phenylketonuria, so most people have never heard of it. Many children with PMS, including Bryce, are also on the autism spectrum, which is one reason the syndrome
is underdiagnosed, according to experts. Whenever he watches television, Bryce makes the same groaning noise, which his parents say is a form of “stimming” or self-stimulation. He likes to repeatedly open and close car doors. According to the National Institutes of Health, there are more than 6,800 rare diseases—also known as “orphan diseases”—currently identified, affecting an estimated 25 million to 30 million Americans. PMS, also called 22q13.3 deletion syndrome, is caused by the loss of a small piece of chromosome 22. The severity of symptoms vary, but PMS is typically characterized by developmental delays, moderate to profound intellectual disability, sleep disorders, seizures, decreased muscle tone, high pain tolerance and absent or delayed speech. Doctors never mentioned PMS to
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Bryce’s older brother, Bennett, who often reads to him, says he wants to be a physical therapist when he grows up because he’s seen the way therapy has helped Bryce.
Bryce’s parents when they were trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Jenna read about the disorder online and became convinced that Bryce had it, but no one believed her. “The parents are really the experts,” says Dr. Katy Phelan, director of the cytogenetics laboratory and associate professor of pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine, who was one of the first to study the 22q13.3 deletion. “They’re the ones that teach the doctors about this condition.” Dan, a senior sales executive for Massachusetts-based Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group, and Jenna, now a stayat-home mom, moved to their Lakelands neighborhood from New Jersey in 2011, in part because they’d heard great things about the county’s Infants & Toddlers Program and the special education services at MCPS. They also liked the idea of
being close to NIH, where Bryce is now part of a study involving 90 children with PMS. “NIH has done every test known to mankind,” Jenna says. “I had to fill out this 12-page survey about things he can do and things he can’t. You don’t think about it in your day-to-day life, but then you see it on paper: Can he do this? No. Can he do this? No. It’s hard to see that.” Bryce can only say a few words clearly— “hi,” “yes,” “more” and “Cara,” the name of the physical therapist he adores. “He doesn’t say ‘Mom,’ but Cara he can say for hours,” Jenna says with a smile. “She’s always like, ‘I’m sorry.’ I’m like, ‘It’s OK—it’s a word!’ ” He finds other ways to communicate—if Jenna closes her eyes for a second, Bryce will gently lift her eyelids. If she’s on her iPad and he wants her attention, he’ll take it right out of her hand. “I really think he has a lot of comprehension that he just
can’t express,” says Bryce’s grandmother, Barbara Seiden, who moved to Gaithersburg from New Jersey last year and now lives a few blocks away from him. “There’s a lot going on in that little boy’s head.” Jenna and Dan can’t let Bryce out of their sight because he’ll try to unlock a door or grab a banana and start biting the peel. In ways, Jenna says, he’s like a 2-year-old in a 6-year-old’s body. He likes to take off his clothes and walk around naked, and if he has to pee, he might do it wherever he’s standing. He used to try to eat the top of his coat, so now he wears chewable coil necklaces. But he’s also starting to hit a ball off a tee—he lights up when people clap for him—and last year in kindergarten he learned how to push a cart in the grocery store and find certain items on the shelves. This summer he went on carnival rides with his
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Soon after Dan and Jenna bought an adaptive bike for Bryce, his physical therapist suggested they try a regular two-wheeler. “Let’s just see if he can do it,” she said. Now he rides all the time.
mom, wearing a shirt with the words: Never Count Me Out. “They have expectations for him beyond what anybody ever told them they should expect—honestly, I think that’s a good thing,” says Jessica Ditto, Bryce’s pediatric nurse practitioner at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. She met Bryce after other medical professionals had given his parents little to be optimistic about. During an appointment with Ditto last fall, Bryce sat on her lap and put his hands on her face to get her to look him in the eyes, something she’d never seen him do. “We don’t want to push kids too fast, in general, when they have developmental delays, but we don’t
want to expect nothing from them, either.” When Jenna took Bryce to a cardiologist for a routine exam—children with PMS can have heart problems—the doctor looked at her at the end of the appointment and said, “I’m sorry this is your life.” “Don’t be,” she said. “He’s amazing.”
Bryce’s father , Dan Goldblatt, made it out of the South Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11 minutes before the building fell. His fund company had an office on the 33rd floor, and as he made his way down a stairwell after the first plane hit the North Tower, he heard an announcement that his building was secure and that every-
body should return to their desks. He was on the ninth floor by then, and the elevators on that level didn’t go back to the 33rd floor, so he kept going. He could see the other building on fire, and then saw people jumping out of windows. He eventually found a way out and called his father in New Jersey. “Can you call Jenna and tell her I’m OK?” he said. “I’m outside the building.” At the time, he and his girlfriend, Jenna Cohen, who’d met as camp counselors, were living together in Manhattan. Jenna was working as a child life specialist at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital in New Jersey, helping families cope with the challenges of hospitalization, and could only be contacted via pager. Right after Dan’s father told Jenna that his son was safe and standing outside the South Tower, it collapsed. For seven hours, Jenna thought Dan was dead. “I survived,” says Dan, now 43. “I wanted to do things like get engaged and get married.” He proposed to Jenna three months later, and they had their first child, Bennett, in 2006. He was happy and healthy, an early talker who decided one day that he wanted to use the potty and taught himself how to do it. Jenna got pregnant again when Bennett was 2, and she and Dan found out during the first ultrasound that something might be wrong with their baby. A doctor in New Jersey saw cysts on one of the developing baby’s kidneys. The couple went to see a specialist, and soon learned that their son had multicystic dysplastic kidney, a condition that results from the malformation of the kidneys during fetal development. Bryce’s left kidney was damaged, but the other was OK. “They said, ‘He can live with one kidney—everything’s functioning fine,’ ”
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Jenna says. She and Dan went on with their lives, working and taking care of Bennett. Then a sonogram at 38 weeks showed that their baby had stopped growing. “That’s when they were starting to question what was wrong,” Jenna says. “Then I worried.” Bryce was born a few days later and weighed just under 5 pounds. He spent a week in the neonatal intensive care unit, where he was fed through a tube because of his size, but doctors said he was fine. “I just noticed that when I would hold him, he was just so floppy. I know newborns are floppy, but he just had no control whatsoever of his body,” says Jenna, 39. She thought his face looked different than other babies. “I kept saying to Dan, ‘Something’s not right.’ ” Later, when her friends started putting their babies in infant swings at the park, Jenna could barely keep Bryce from falling out of her arms. Other moms stopped calling her for playdates. When a highly respected New Jersey pediatrician came to speak at Bennett’s preschool, Jenna begged him to fit Bryce into his schedule. “Please, I need this appointment,” she said. “You have to tell me what’s wrong with him.”
“B ryc e y, a r e yo u r e a dy for
night-night?” Jenna says on a Monday evening. It’s been a busy day for him— school from 9 to 3, then speech therapy with Emily Lascari, who worked with Bryce at his previous school, Stone Mill Elementary in North Potomac, and now comes to his home. “Yes,” Bryce says. It’s not a perfect Y-E-S, but it’s close, and his parents know what it means. His dad recently heard him trying to say “truck” while they were reading. “No, no, you’re not cheating,” Dan says with a smile as Bryce tries to crawl up the steps instead of walk. He usually puts Bryce to bed while Jenna reads with Bennett, a fourth-grader at Rachel Carson Elementary School in Gaithersburg. He brushes Bryce’s teeth, lets him splash his hands around in the sink, and gives him his melatonin supplement to help him fall asleep.
Bryce goes to see his physical therapist, Cara Tommer, twice a week before school. “He’s a very persistent kid,” says his dad, Dan. “All these things we need him to do, he’s excited about doing them.”
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health “We don’t want to push kids too fast, in general, when they have developmental delays, but we don’t want to expect nothing from them, either.” — Jessica Ditto, Bryce’s pediatric nurse practitioner at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore “Dan tickles him to death—that’s why he’s cracking up,” Jenna says. Bedtime wasn’t always like this. For the first three years of Bryce’s life, his mom slept on a mattress on the floor in his room because he woke up so often. “I don’t know how I functioned,” she says. “I looked awful, I was always sick.” Doctors were stumped. A neurologist sent Dan and Jenna home with a list of blood tests Bryce needed and a referral to a clinic for children with muscular dystrophy; another physician said there was no way it was muscular dystrophy and ripped up the paperwork. As they waited for answers, they enrolled Bryce in early intervention services—speech, occupational and physical therapy—in New Jersey. “He qualified for everything,” Jenna says. Dan asked one of the doctors they saw if therapy might make a difference for Bryce. “If it makes you feel better, go for it,” he remembers the man saying. When Bryce was a year old, a friend of Jenna’s told her about Cuevas Medek Exercises, also known as MEDEK, a psychomotor therapy used to help infants and children who have movement disorders due to neurological dysfunction. The woman had seen MEDEK work wonders on a young girl who had decreased muscle tone like Bryce. “It’s very controversial: Three to four times a week, and you have to sign a waiver,” Jenna says. “They say, ‘We could break a bone, we could dislocate his shoulder.’ ” Bryce’s therapist, Deborah Goldberg, would place him in a variety of positions so that his body had the chance to experience them with as little hands-on support as possible. “The exercises…are designed to provoke automatic movement responses that contribute to func-
tional mobility,” she says. Goldberg would have Bryce sit cross-legged for 5 to 10 seconds while balancing on her forearm; once he began to gain control of his trunk muscles, she would stand him up and support him only at the thighs, lower legs, ankles or shoulders. “It’s all about gravity and training the muscles,” Jenna says. “She would throw him up in the air—the craziest things.” Within a few months, Bryce was sitting up and rolling on his own. Soon he had control of his head, and his reflexes started working. When Dan got a job offer in Montgomery County in 2010, he and Jenna looked for a MEDEK program in the area but couldn’t find one that was accepting new patients, so Jenna moved in with her mom and kept the boys in New Jersey until Bryce was done with therapy. Dan took the job and drove back to New Jersey on weekends. After a year and a half of MEDEK, Bryce was crawling. “We went back over winter break [last year] and saw his therapist, and she’d never seen him walk before,” Jenna says. “He walked in and just…tears. She couldn’t believe it.” When Jenna moved the boys to Gaithersburg in June 2011, she called the Infants & Toddlers Program to set up an evaluation for Bryce. Three therapists and a special education teacher showed up at her door for the first appointment, she says. They brought Bryce a walker he’d needed for months and started scheduling physical, occupational and speech therapy. In New Jersey, she and Dan had to pay for early intervention services, which was hard to do on only one salary, and the therapists didn’t work as a team. She was impressed by what Montgomery County offered. “I looked
at them like: What’s going on? This is free?” Jenna says. Bryce was 2½ when Dan and Jenna brought him to the Kennedy Krieger Institute. The symptoms Jenna had seen in Bryce—weak and floppy muscles, overheating, flaky toenails, and a high tolerance for pain—matched the description of PMS she had read about when she was doing research online. “You have to test for this one syndrome,” Jenna told Jessica Ditto, Bryce’s nurse practitioner. She and Dan had waited six months for the appointment. “I’m telling you—this is what he has.” Ditto had never met a child with Phelan-McDermid syndrome; she asked colleagues about it, but they hadn’t, either. She looked it up in the medical literature and ordered a variety of genetic tests for Bryce, including a chromosomal microarray which looks for duplications or deletions. “In the 10 years that I’ve been in developmental pediatrics, the technology has improved exponentially,” Ditto says. A decade ago, she says, Bryce’s disorder may not have shown up in the testing. “It’s gone from looking at hundreds of points of genetic material to thousands upon thousands.” Ditto called Jenna with Bryce’s test results a few weeks later. “I can’t believe it—you were right,” she said. Finally, Jenna thought. She’d already done her mourning, she says, and faced the realization that Bryce wasn’t like most kids. But at least she had an answer now. At least she could start looking for other parents who might understand.
On a warm, humid Saturday morning at Washington Nationals Miracle Field in Germantown, Bennett is help-
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Dan went from neck pain nightmares to marathon dreams. Dan Paul, spine patient
An avid runner, Dan Paul woke up with searing neck pain radiating down his left arm. He saw a chiropractor and tried pain injections. He considered neck fusion surgery but feared the potential loss of mobility and lengthy recovery time. Fortunately, he found a better option. The specialists at the MedStar Spine Center diagnosed and surgically replaced Dan’s herniated disc. Two days after being cleared to run again, he won a 5K race in his age group. Today Dan is training to run a full marathon. If you are suffering from neck or back pain, turn to the board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeons, orthopaedic surgeons and rehabilitation specialists at the MedStar Spine Center in Chevy Chase to get you back to an active life. To make an appointment or to learn more, visit MedStarHealth.org/Spine or call 855-546-0814.
5454 Wisconsin Ave. 11th Floor Chevy Chase, MD 20815
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health ing his little brother get from third base to home plate. In the Miracle League of Montgomery County, a baseball program for children and youths with mental or physical challenges, every player is paired with a “buddy,” so Bryce already has someone to help him hit and round the bases. But Bennett wants to walk with him, too. He likes being a part of everything Bryce does: He takes notes during Bryce’s physical therapy appointments, and with his parents’ help he turned an upstairs loft at home into a therapy room where he helps Bryce with his exercises. When Bryce wants cereal, Bennett wants to be the one to give it to him. “What’s wrong, Boo?” Bennett asks as Bryce lies down on the players’ bench and rests his head on Bennett’s lap. The heat is hard on Bryce—he can only play outside for short periods of time before he starts developing red splotches on his face and legs. “You OK?” For a while, Jenna says, Bennett would get frustrated because he wanted to play with Bryce, and his brother wouldn’t respond to him. But over the last year, Bryce has started bringing Bennett the TV remote, his way of asking to watch a show, instead of handing it to Jenna or Dan. “He’ll walk up the stairs holding my hand and show me where he wants to go,” Bennett says. One of Bennett’s friends recently told Bryce that he had great dance moves. “None of them see Bryce as any different anymore,” Jenna says. When Bennett swam butterfly in a swim meet for the first time this summer, something he’d been trying to accomplish, he got out of the pool and ran to his brother first. He’s usually the first to open Bryce’s backpack after school and pull out the electronic device that Bryce’s teacher uses to record short voice messages about his day at school: “I ate all my lunch, but I threw lots of my cucumbers; we did writing on the chalkboard and calendars.” Bennett has told his parents that when Bryce gets hurt, he feels it. “Like a twin thing,” Jenna says. When the family traveled to the Bahamas last spring, Jenna
Bryce’s parents, Dan and Jenna, often take the boys to the playground in their Gaithersburg neighborhood.
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health and Dan put Bennett in their king-size bed, thinking they’d move him later, and let Bryce fall asleep on the pullout couch that was lower to the ground. Every night, they’d come in from the balcony to find Bryce in their bed snuggled up next to his brother. “In the morning, we found him sleeping on my head,” Bennett says. Jenna and Dan decided early on that they weren’t going to keep anything from Bennett. He’s mature for his age—Jenna calls him an “old soul”—and if he’s away from his brother for a night, he calls to check on him. “The love that’s there—you can see it between both of them,” Seiden, the boys’ grandmother, says. “What better way to teach a child that kind of compassion?” Last fall, when Bryce had a febrile seizure brought on by high body temperature, Dan and Jenna had to bring Bennett with them to the hospital because they didn’t have anyone to watch him. It was Bennett’s first time at the hospital with Bryce, and after his seizure stopped, Bennett stood by his brother’s bed and sang to him. It was the only thing that seemed to calm him down. When Jenna saw her 4-year-old son walk for the first time, in the middle of a physical therapy session, she texted Dan to tell him, and he didn’t believe her. “I was so angry,” she says. “He came home from work and I literally didn’t want to speak to him.” He’d heard his wife say things like that before—“Bryce just said a new word!”—but whenever that happened, he couldn’t get Bryce to do it again. That night, while Dan was doing work in the living room, she stood Bryce up near the fireplace and he walked across the room. “He walked!” Dan yelled. “He walked. We need a video!” “I told you he could walk,” Jenna said through tears. Over time, he started walking faster, then running. “No looking back,” Dan says. After Bryce’s diagnosis, Jenna joined a Facebook group called “The 22q13 Deletion: PMS Family Support Group” and began reaching out to other parents. She heard about families making index
cards for their kids to carry around that read: “My name is xxx and I have this syndrome called Phelan-McDermid. If you’re curious about it, why don’t you Google it?” When a group of families from all over the country got together at the Lakelands Clubhouse in Bryce’s neighborhood— Katy Phelan came to speak—Jenna and Dan saw a young girl in a wheelchair who had a breathing tube. They have plenty of tough moments, Jenna says, like when Bryce throws himself on the ground and won’t move (she has back problems from lifting him), or when kids at the park ask her why Bryce doesn’t talk. “He was born that way,” she’ll say. But they realize how lucky they are. They’ve met parents who can barely leave the house because their kids can’t handle public places. Jenna’s heard about several couples whose children have PMS who’ve separated or divorced; she knows the toll a child’s illness can take on a marriage. “If you go anywhere—NIH, any of the doctors appointments, they’re always like: ‘Your husband’s with you?’ ” she says. Jenna’s brother, Lee, lives with the couple and her mom has a townhouse down the street, so Jenna and Dan get to take walks and go on dinner dates. On weekends, they put Bryce in his room to nap for an hour and a half. “It’s more for our sanity than his,” she says. “It’s too long of a day.” They don’t agree on everything—she thinks therapeutic horseback riding lessons are helping Bryce; Dan doesn’t—but they balance each other, she says. She’s the nervous Nellie; he’s the rock. “He stops everything to go to all of Bryce’s appointments and to be as much a part of it as me,” she says. When Bennett was a toddler, Jenna and Dan got used to taking him everywhere, and they didn’t want that to change because his baby brother had special needs. So even though Bryce gets loud at restaurants and grabs food that isn’t his, and some people stare or roll their eyes, the family goes out anyway. “I said to Dan, ‘Looking back, before we had kids, how would we react?’ ” Jenna says. “He looks so normal, so I
guess people think he’s just a misbehaved kid.” Two years ago, a woman they didn’t know approached them at Silver Diner in Rockville and said, “Kids shouldn’t have iPads at the dinner table.” You try sitting here with him, Jenna thought, this is the only way we can go out to eat.
Alicia Thompson, Bryce’s classroom teacher at Stone Mill Elementary, where he spent more than two years beginning at the age of 3½, made a scrapbook for him and his family when he graduated from the Preschool Education Program (PEP) in June 2014. She filled it with photos of Bryce in the classroom— playing on a sensory board, holding a crayon on his own, turning the pages of a book—along with handwritten notes about what he’d accomplished. “Here you are sitting still with no supports, with a little shadowing, at the computer. Before, you would jump around and push yourself back making sitting on the bench impossible,” one note reads. In her 11 years at Stone Mill, Thompson has taught many children with rare syndromes that she didn’t know about. Most are more medically fragile than Bryce; some need to be fed through tubes. At the beginning of her time with Bryce, he could only move around with a gait trainer, then he moved on to a walker. Over time, he needed only a teacher’s hand. He eventually was cruising the hallways—he likes to explore— and Thompson had him help bring the class attendance to the office every day. “That was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life—to see him walking,” she says. “I always tell the parents, ‘Yeah, doctors know a lot, but you can’t lose hope.’ ” Recently, in speech therapy, Jenna saw Bryce pick out eyes, a nose and a mouth for Mr. Potato Head—scanning a board for the part he needed, pointing to it, vocalizing on command. “Every day is a new thing with him,” she says. When he intentionally throws something on the ground, which children with PMS often do, she’s started telling him to pick it up. It’s hard for her to follow through, she
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health says, because Bryce looks at her with a sweet smile she can’t resist. But she tries. “He knows what he’s doing—he’s just starting to understand.” Jessica Ditto wishes she had a crystal ball so she could tell Bryce’s parents what his future holds, but it’s hard for anyone to know. There aren’t many studies available about adults with PMS—the PhelanMcDermid Syndrome Foundation recently started a group for adolescents and adults to learn more about what happens as children age. Katy Phelan, who helped organize the foundation, knows of adults who lost skills as they got older, including the ability to walk, but says it’s often the unusual cases that make the medical journals. “You’re not going to publish [on] the adult that’s 40 years old and doing great,” Phelan says. Jenna has read about the regression, and about people in their 20s and 30s who develop life-threatening medical issues, but she won’t let herself think about that. For now, she’s focused on the day to day—getting Bryce on the school bus (which he loves), making sure Bennett does his homework before swim practice. A few months ago, she saw drops of sweat on Bryce’s forehead for the first time, a sign that his body might be starting to regulate itself. In May, she found out about a new clinical trial involving a hormone called oxytocin, which has been shown to ease social deficits in rats. Researchers want to see if administering oxytocin to children with PMS, through a nasal spray, will improve their social skills. Jenna posted a link to the story on her personal Facebook page and wrote, “HOPE for Bryce and others with Phelan McDermid Syndrome!!!” She and Dan were excited to tell Bennett that there might be a medicine available soon that could help Bryce, maybe even get him to talk more. They couldn’t believe Bennett’s reaction. “I don’t want him to take it,” he said. “I like him the way he is.” n Senior Editor Cindy Rich can be reached at cindy.rich@bethesdamagazine.com. 308 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad founding members circa 1940.
A lot has changed in 75 years. Craig Pernick Chevy Chase resident since 1990 Volunteer EMT since 2004
Our dedication to this community has not. More than 75 years ago, members of the community came together to ensure their neighbors had help during times of crisis. Since then, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad has become worldrenowned for the thousands of hours of training its dedicated responders go through each year and the high-tech, sophisticated equipment it brings to each emergency. But one thing hasn’t changed: The commitment of the BethesdaChevy Chase Rescue Squad to the community we serve.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors for 75 Years. bccrs.org 301.652.0077 5020 Battery Ln., Bethesda, MD 20814 @BCCRS facebook.com/BCCRS
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health
Pedal P Cycling instructor Kelly Pollitt leads classes at PureRyde in Bethesda, where the bikes bend and lean.
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By Steve tein Golds
Pushers photo by erick gibson
Indoor cycling is the new workout craze. How do you know which studio is right for you? It’s hard to imagine that many businesses can match the explosive growth of indoor biking. Cycling studios are the hot way to get your sweat on, and a symbol of the latest trend in the exercise industry—single-fee specialty studios that are replacing all-you-can-eat contract fitness clubs. Nearly 450 cycling boutiques dot North America, with more on the way, according to industry analysts. The Washington, D.C., area has 15 and counting. Indoor cycling is not for everyone, though. As I said to my wife in the middle of a bike binge (seven classes in 16 days): “I’m going to get really fit or drop dead.” Neither happened, but I came away with a new appreciation for decibel-crushing playlists and the above-thewaist gyrations possible on a stationary bike. It’s hip to hop, flex, lunge and thrust on your pedals. As one of my fellow riders said, “I felt like I was at a dance party!” The indoor cycling cocktail is two parts perspiration, one part aspiration. The industry term of art for this concoction is “exertainment”—all the stimulation and sex appeal overrides the pain of the workout. If you want to look like the toned, cut,
impossibly lithe instructors—and many of the riders, I might add—then be prepared to leave a puddle on the floor. “I worry about them pedaling too fast with not enough resistance,” says veteran instructor Dave Slikker. “I was thinking, this is like Richard Simmons on crack!” Common denominators at these classes, apart from music to melt your eardrums (earplugs cheerfully provided), are darkroomlevel lighting (to reduce self-consciousness, or possibly to obscure the butt in your face); bikes spaced thisclose to one another; the use of weights to work the upper body; a breakneck pace and exhortations! woo-woos! mantras! galore. Oh, and pity those not rocking something from Lululemon. Says cycling instructor Liz Corah, who has worked out at SoulCycle and other boutiques: “The low light creates a pack mentality. They want you to become attached to your instructor, who may tilt towards entertaining more than safety.” Bethesda Magazine compared the three cycling-specific studios in our area: SoulCycle, Zengo Cycle (which has two locations) and PureRyde. I attended classes anonymously, and here’s what I learned:
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s t s e B
health
The lineup
BIKES PureRyde uses RealRyder ABF8 bikes with an articulating frame that allows them to steer, bend, lean and imitate an actual road bike. The first one or two classes can be a bit unsettling—you may feel as though you’re going to topple over—but once you get used to it, it feels less awkward. Proponents claim these bikes put less stress on your back.
leisure company Equinox, SoulCycle reported a $25 million profit from 47 studios in 2014 and was preparing to offer stock shares this fall to an adoring public, aiming to raise $100 million. The experience is “tribal” and “primal,” in the words of its founders. The pitch: “Change your body. Find your SOUL.”
INSTRUCTORS SoulCycle trains instructors for six weeks in New York City. There’s an emphasis on performance; applications are called “auditions.” The training, SoulCycle asserts, “will teach you how to inspire riders, change bodies and ultimately change lives.” The aptly-named Sunny Mae was inspiring, but not hectoring. Michelle bike-danced furiously while providing continuous patter, including healthy diet tips.
MERCHAndise
Zengo Cycle is the wannabe challenger to the two-wheeled throne: cheaper, louder and darker. Founded in part by Dennis Ratner, the Bethesda guy who built Hair Cuttery, Zengo charges less for the same experience.
PureRyde is the maverick. Budget conscious, less glitzy but with a twist: bikes that bend. A “purer” ride, in their view.
Each studio charges $3 for bike shoe rentals, $2 for a bottle of designer water. Bike shoes are not essential, but recommended, and you may feel subtle pressure to wear them.
SoulCycle sells hip logowear that transforms cash into cachet. Hat ($48), zip front bra ($64), T-shirts (up to $64), tie-dye skull capris ($86), grapefruit-scented candle ($42). The clothing features the company’s iconic wheel or skull and crossbones logos and bears slogans such as “High on Sweat,” “Soul & Brunch” and “Find Your Soul.” You can even buy their custom yellow bikes for $2,200, not including tax and shipping.
soulcycle courtesy photo; zengo and pureryde photos by erick gibson
Soul is the alpha dawg: You say community, I say cult. Owned by fitness and
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How the Studios Stack Up PureRyde 6910 Arlington Road, Bethesda, 240-743-4049 www.pureryde.com
SoulCycle 4931 Elm St., Bethesda, 301-803-7685 www.soul-cycle.com
Zengo 4866 Cordell Ave., Bethesda, 301-312-6658 215 Kentlands Blvd., Gaithersburg, 301-330-8333 www. zengocycle.com
That’s “Exertainment”
Good to Know
Wheel Deal
Riders
Amenities
New riders can buy three classes for $45. A single class is $22; a package of five costs $100. Classes are 50 minutes.
Riders span the widest age range, from 20s to 40s, and dress in everything from stylish logowear to shorts and tees. Most seemed relaxed, less driven than at other studios.
There’s lots of free parking in front, and a bakery and deli adjacent. Chilled eucalyptus-scented towels are available at the finish line.
Kevin, who usually teaches Monday through Friday, plays a conga during the portion of his class when riders choose their own pace.
The studio also offers PureRyde Express, which combines 30 minutes of cycling with 25 minutes of Pilates for $35.
New riders pay $20 for the first class. After that, single classes are $30, and a package of five is $145. Classes are 45 minutes. A tutorial class called Soul101 is $35, but only offered as new studios open.
Very fit riders, mainly in their 20s and 30s, and togged in Soul-wear and Lululemon.
The locker rooms are clean and spacious, with two showers and designer grooming products, including Whole Foods’ grapefruit shampoo and conditioner.
Instructors are spotlighted, encircled by yellow Jonathan Adler designer candles. Extremely animated, the leaders preen and perform and orchestrate a “cardio dance,” mainly out of the saddle.
The fittest and most spirited riders are encouraged to occupy the front row. Specialty classes, such as those that use resistance bands, are generally not available in Bethesda.
The first class is free. Thereafter, single classes are $22; a package of five costs $105. Classes are 50 minutes.
Most riders are collegeage to upper 30s, budgetconscious but fashionably clad in Athleta, Lululemon and Zengo tanks.
There are two small changing rooms, each with two showers and generic products. Parking is free at the Kentlands location.
The music is very loud and the lighting is very low to create high energy. A five-minute “zen” segment in the middle is meant as a meditation period, but mainly it’s go, go, go.
The emphasis is on sweat not glitz. A college student said, “Cheaper than Soul. Better workout.”
Steve Goldstein is a freelance writer and editor. To comment on this story, email comments@bethesdamagazine.com. BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 313
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wellness
calendar Compiled by Cindy Murphy-Tofig
members of D.C. Road Runners Club. The fun run is free. www.dcroadrunners.org. Dec. 6 SENECA SLOPES 9K. 10 a.m. The crosscountry run is roughly 5.6 miles. Seneca Creek State Park, Gaithersburg. $10; $5 younger than 18; free for members of Montgomery County Road Runners Club. www.mcrrc.org. Dec. 13 JINGLE BELL JOG. 9 a.m. The 8K race winds through a residential neighborhood. Rockville Senior Center, Rockville. $10; $5 younger than 18; free for members of Montgomery County Road Runners Club. www.mcrrc.org.
RUNNING/WALKING Nov. 1 ROCKVILLE 10K/5K. 8:30 a.m. It’s the 40th annual running of this challenging race at the King Farm Village Center. The 10K begins at 8:30 a.m., 5K at 8:45 a.m. The kids’ 1-mile fun run starts at 8:15 a.m. $34 until Oct. 29; $40 after Oct. 29; $12 for the fun run. www.rockville10k5k.com. Nov. 8 CANDY CANE CITY 5K. 8 a.m. The outand-back course is on the Rock Creek Trail. Race starts outside Ohr Kodesh Congregation in Chevy Chase. $10; $5 younger than 18; free for members of Montgomery County Road Runners Club. www.mcrrc.org. Nov. 14 STONE MILL 50 MILE. 6 a.m. The 50-mile trail run is along the Seneca Greenway at Muddy Branch trails. The start/finish will be near Stedwick Elementary School in Montgomery Village. $45. www.stone-mill50-mile.org.
Nov. 21 RUN UNDER THE LIGHTS. 6:15 p.m. The 5K takes runners and walkers through the city of Gaithersburg’s annual Winter Lights Festival at Seneca Creek State Park. $30 until Nov. 7; $35 Nov. 8 through race day. mcrrcrununderlights.com. Nov. 28 TURKEY BURNOFF. Work off all the holiday goodies with a run through Seneca Creek State Park. The 5-mile and 10-mile races begin at 9 a.m.; a 2.78-kilometer fun run begins at 9:05 a.m. Seneca Creek State Park, Gaithersburg. $10; $5 younger than 18; free for members of Montgomery County Road Runners Club. www.mcrrc.org. Dec. 6 BREAD RUN 10K AND 2-MILE FUN RUN. The race started about 30 years ago as a 10K featuring fresh-baked loaves as prizes. 10 a.m. for 2-mile; 10:30 a.m. for 10K. 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Fee for the 10K is $5 or a loaf of home-baked bread; free for
SUPPORT GROUPS Support groups are free unless otherwise noted. Oct. 28-Dec. 16 BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP. 6 p.m. Wednesdays. The seven-week session is for anyone coping with a loss. Holy Cross Resource Center, Silver Spring. To register, call 301-754-7742. www.holycrosshealth.org. Nov. 3 and Dec. 1 DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP. 5 p.m. For those with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Adventist HealthCare Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Park. 301-891-6105, www.adventisthealthcare.com. Nov. 3 and Dec. 1 THYROID CANCER SUPPORT GROUP. 6:30 p.m. For patients, caregivers, family members and friends. Aquilino Cancer Center, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Rockville. 240-826-2011, www.adventisthealthcare.com. Nov. 10, Nov. 24 and Dec. 22 ALL CANCERS/CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP. 12:30 p.m. For patients, caregivers, family members, friends and others who share a cancer experience. Aquilino Cancer Center, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Rockville. 301-634-7500, www.adventisthealthcare.com.
Photo courtesy of MCRRC/Ken trombatore
The Candy Cane City 5K, held on Nov. 8, starts in Chevy Chase.
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Photo courtesy of MCRRC/Ken trombatore
Nov. 12 BETTER BREATHERS CLUB. 6:30 p.m. The group supports people with chronic lung disease such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Suburban Hospital, Bethesda. 301-896-3100, www.hopkins medicine.org/suburban_hospital.
301-896-3100, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/ suburban_hospital.
Nov. 17 and Dec. 15 BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP. 6:30 p.m. For current patients, survivors, family members, caregivers and friends. Aquilino Cancer Center, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Rockville. 240599-9920, www.adventisthealthcare.com.
Nov. 2-16 WHAT IF IT’S DEMENTIA? AN EDUCATIONAL SERIES FOR FAMILIES. 7 p.m. Mondays. Topics in the three-part series are: What Is Dementia?; Caregiving Strategies; and Community Resources. Each topic will have a guest speaker and a question-andanswer session. Sponsored by the Friends Club. Covenant Hall at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church, Bethesda. Free; registration required. To register, call 301-469-0070. www.friendsclubbethesda.org.
Nov. 18 and Dec. 16 OVARIAN AND GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER SUPPORT GROUP. 6:30 p.m. For patients and survivors. Holy Cross Hospital Professional and Community Education Center, Silver Spring. 301-754-8800, www.holycrosshealth.org.
Nov. 4 SUPERFOOD SPOTLIGHT: COOKING WITH GREEK YOGURT. 6-8 p.m. Learn how to incorporate Greek yogurt into everything from appetizers to dessert. Holiday Park Senior Center, Wheaton. $25. 301-896-3100, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/suburban_hospital.
SCREENINGS/CLASSES/ WORKSHOPS
Nov. 7-21 PARENTING PRESCHOOLERS: THREE DAY INTENSIVE. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays.
Ongoing REGAIN YOUR STRENGTH EXERCISE. 6:30 p.m. Mondays. Work out at your own level and learn how to warm up and stretch during this strength and balancing class. Hope Connections for Cancer Support, Bethesda. Free. 301-634-7500, www.hope connectionsforcancer.org.
Personalized
Ongoing HEART ART. 11 a.m. Tuesdays. Relax with a painting class led by an energy healer. Hope Connections for Cancer Support, Bethesda. Free. 301-634-7500, www.hopeconnections forcancer.org.
that can improve your
Ongoing PINK RIBBON PILATES. 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays. A Pilates instructor helps breast cancer survivors with strength and mobility in their shoulders and arms, as well as improving their energy level and well-being. Hope Connections for Cancer Support, Bethesda. Free. 301-634-7500, www.hopeconnectionsforcancer.org. Nov. 2, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5 SAFE SITTER. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The training class, designed for 11- to 13-year-olds, includes basic first aid and child care skills, plus what to do in an emergency. Bethesda Regional Service Center, Bethesda. $95.
Hearing Care Quality of
Life.
Learn how to set limits, use positive discipline methods to handle tantrums or power struggles, and foster cooperation and responsibility. For parents of children ages 2½ through 5. Kensington Baptist Church, Kensington. $229 per person; $206.10 for PEP members. Textbook costs $17.97; $16.17 for PEP members. 301-929-8824, www.pepparent.org. Nov. 10 “LIKE, WHATEVER.” RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO TEEN ATTITUDE AND BACKTALK. 7:30 p.m. Find out what makes teens think they can speak to you the way they do, and learn what you can do in response to tone things down. For parents of teenagers. Kensington Baptist Church, Kensington. $35; $31.50 for PEP members. 301-929-8824, www.pepparent.org. Nov. 12 and Dec. 10 NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE SEMINARS. 6:30 p.m. Learn about healthy changes you can make in your daily life. The Nov. 12 seminar is on holiday stress; the Dec. 10 session explores how food and nutrition
POTOMAC
Readers’ Pick Best Audiologist • Comprehensive Hearing Exams • Accurate Real-Ear Measurements • Latest Digital Hearing Instruments • Assistive Listening Devices • Custom Ear Protection • In-home Hearing Care
Win2n01e3r
Gail Linn, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology 240-477-1010 or 301-770-3231 11300 Rockville Pike Suite 105, Rockville, MD 20852
PotomacAudiology.com BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 315
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health affect mood. Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Rockville. $15 per session. 800-542-5096, www.adventist healthcare.com. Nov. 14 AARP SMART DRIVER COURSE. 1-5:30 p.m. The class, for ages 50 and older, teaches defensive driving techniques, new traffic laws and rules of the road. Bring your driver’s license, AARP membership card and a pen to class. Suburban Hospital, Bethesda. $15; $20 for nonmembers. Fee is due at the class. 301-896-3100, www.hopkins medicine.org/suburban_hospital. Nov. 19 THE FIVE KEYS TO RAISING MOTIVATED, POSITIVE, CAPABLE KIDS. 7:30 p.m. Discover how connection, play, practice, mastery and recognition help foster selfesteem and the ability to self-motivate. For all parents. Landon School, Bethesda. $35; $31.50 for PEP members. 301-929-8824, www.pepparent.org. Nov. 19 GIRL TALK. 7 p.m. The two-hour class— designed for girls ages 8 through 11 and their mothers—will cover puberty changes,
menstrual changes and ways to keep communication lines open. Holy Cross Hospital Professional and Community Education Center, Silver Spring. $20. 301-754-8800, www.holycrosshealth.org. Dec. 2 LET’S BEAT PROCRASTINATION! 7 p.m. Recognize your procrastination patterns and learn techniques to get results and reduce stress. Suburban Hospital, Bethesda. $20. 301-896-3100, www.hopkinsmedicine. org/suburban_hospital.
Dec. 10 LOOK GOOD, FEEL BETTER. 7 p.m. Learn about skin care, makeup applications and hair and wig techniques. For women undergoing or who have undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Holy Cross Hospital Professional and Community Education Center, Silver Spring. Free. To register, call 301-754-8800. www.holycross health.org.
Dec. 4-18 SETTING LIMITS AND BOUNDARIES. 9:45 a.m. Fridays. Find out why upholding clear expectations is worth the effort. For parents of children ages 5 through 12. Kensington Baptist Church. $98; $88.20 for PEP members. Textbook is $15.90; $14.31 for PEP members. 301-929-8824, www.pepparent.org.
Dec. 19 SAFE SITTER. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The babysitting class covers behavior management skills, appropriate responses to medical emergencies and other child care techniques. Designed for ages 11 through 14. Holy Cross Resource Center, Silver Spring. $65. 301754-7000, www.holycrosshealth.org. n
Dec. 5 AMERICAN INDIAN POW- WOW AND HEALTH FAIR. 11 a.m. Celebrate Native American culture with traditional singing and dancing, plus learn about health and wellness. Sponsored by Holy Cross Health,
2015 WALK TO END HOMELESSNESS to Benefit DC’s Anne Frank House
Join us on Sunday, November 1, 2015 11:15 am at Adas Israel Congregation Register online:
www.theannefrankhouse.org/welcome.html $18/youth (under age 25); $36/adult
SPECIA L ADVER TISING
PHYSICIAN
SECTIO N
Your Guide to
Leading Physi
RICHARD WINTERS, MD
For more information or to make a donation, visit www.theannefrankhouse.org.
Easy
FINDER
cians in the Bethe
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Waldorf Dermatology & Laser Associates
4721 Wakefield Road, #445 Bethesda, MD 20817 301-555-5555 www.waldorfderm .com
Special Expertise: Dysport, Voluma, Noninvasive rejuvenation, Kybella, Restylane, Juveder Botox, m, Coolsculpting Hospital Affiliati ons: Suburban, Holy Cross
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AUDIO LOGY Specia l adver tiSing Sectio MAR n Y DALT
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sts in the Bethe
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2455 Western Ave., #1100 dentiS trY Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-555-5555RICHaRD WINTERS, DDS www.smpodiatry. com
Winters Dental Arts Special Expertise: 119 Kolker Highway , Suite 11 pediatric audiolog Diagnostic hearing tests,Rockville hearing, aids, MD 20850 y, Cochlear implant tinnitus treatment, middle301-555 ear testing, -5555 s www.wintersdent
alarts.com
Services Include : Digital X-rays, extracti treatment, full and partial denture serviceson, fillings, root canal INTERN implants, teeth whitenin AL MEDIC INE, crowns, bridges, g and gentle teeth cleanings.
SAMUEL GOO
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Montgomery Concie rge Associates
933 Old Georgeto wn Road Bethesda, MD ortHo 20814 donti cS 301-555-5555 www.montgomer TaRa MaRRETTE, yconcierge.com
a C. HILL, DDS FaGD
North Potomac Dental DDS Special Expertise: Associates cent care, minima General gynecology, contrac Southern Montgo 2420eption, lly invasive surgery Darnesto adolesmery wn Road, #142 Specia , cancerN.risk Orthod l Expertise: Prevent assessm Hospital Affiliati Potomac , MDent 20878 ative medicine, nutrition ontics ons: Shady Grove fitness, disease prevent Adventist,301-555 2455 Western , physica -5555 Suburba ion ls, #1100 Ave., n www.northpotom Chevy Chase, MD Hospital Affiliati acgyn.com 20815 ons: Suburban, Sibley 301-555-5555 www.smortho.co Special Expertise: m scious sedation, Complete general dental services implant and mini , con- BETHE SDAMA implant sleep apnea applian GAZINE Service .COM |: Orthodo s Include NOVEMntics ces, facelift denture s, 6 month braces, BER/DE CEMBE (Braces other clear aligners s R 2015n and ), Invisalig 2 , Laser Treatments Metal free and Mercury free Restoraall tions,
perido donti
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8210 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 745 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-555-5555
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Services Include : Gum disease treatme Implants, All-on-4 , Gum grafting, Bone nt with LANAP, Dental tion, Wilckodontics, grafting, Tooth extracDental x-rays, Oral Professional dental cleanings,3D imaging, cancer screen
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For information on advertising in this section please contact advertising@bethesdamagazine.com oral SUrge rY
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www.montgomer
Special Expertise:
Bethe sdaMa
316 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
sda Area
Southern Montgo mery Podiatry
Associates
Special Expertise: ld Road, #445 women’s feet, sportsBunions, foot pain, heal pain, Bethesd a, MD rtoes, hamme 20817 injuries, orthotics 301-555-5555 Hospital Affiliati ons: Shady Grove Adventistwww.waldorfdental.com
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gy Center
ANNE FRANK HOUSE
A New,
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Anne Frank House provides permanent homes and support to formerly homeless adults with mental disabilities in Northwest DC. Our residents live in safe and comfortable apartments they call home.
To submit calendar items, go to www.Bethesda Magazine.com.
Coming in the Jan./Feb. issue
Connecticut Avenue & Quebec Street, NW (Cleveland Park Metro)
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the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs and the Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities. Holy Cross Hospital Professional and Community Education Center, Silver Spring. Free. 301-754-8800, www.holycrosshealth.org.
Extractions, wisdom
gazine .coM
yos.com
teeth, Implants
| Janua ry/FeB
ruary 2016
2
10/7/15 5:20 PM
Special Advertising Section
Profiles | Senior Services
Courtesy Photo
Fox Hill See profile page 325
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Special Advertising Section
Maplewood Park Place 9707 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, MD 20814 301-530-0500 www.maplewoodparkplace.com
There’s nothing resident Mary Fay loves more than to be surrounded by her artwork and family. Daughters Mary Beth LaMartina and Nancy Fay Gant, and granddaughters Genna Epstein Cessna and Kelly Dickinson are all artists. Three generations of the Fay family celebrate the talent and appreciation Mary gave them over her lifetime. “I’ve painted all my life, and now right along with them,” says Mrs. Fay. Currently the Fay family art collection is on display at Maplewood’s gallery. “Not only do residents become involved but so do their families,” says Executive Director Scott McAlister. “Children, grandchildren and friends make life so much richer and more meaningful.” Located on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, Maplewood Park Place is the only senior community in Montgomery County with the benefits of home ownership, as well as both skilled nursing and assisted living services, if and
when needed. McAlister proudly boasts that Maplewood’s unique ownership structure creates an esprit de corps among residents. “The reason Maplewood was selected “Best Senior Living Community” by readers of Bethesda Magazine for six consecutive years is due to our residents working together in order to maximize their investment in Maplewood.” When asked why she chose to move to Maplewood, Mrs. Fay echoed the same sentiment. “My family felt Maplewood would be a sound investment, and Bethesda has been my home for many years where I raised my children. I couldn’t imagine myself moving anywhere else.” That’s music to McAlister’s ears. “Maplewood is in a class of its own. Where else can you receive the benefits and independence of home ownership while living in a supportive community with access to outstanding health care services?”
Courtesy photo
“Where else can you receive the benefits and independence of home ownership while living in a supportive community with access to outstanding health care services?”
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Special Advertising Section
“We believe the more people are engaged in life, the healthier and happier they will be.”
Patricia Rathburn, PhD-aquatics instructor; David Wiley- Five Star fitness trainer, MS,HFS; Kathleen Andreone, PT, DPT, Rehabilitation Director
Tony Lewis jr
Five Star Premier Residences of Chevy Chase 8100 Connecticut Ave. Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-915-9217 www.fivestarpremier-chevychase.com
The residents of Five Star Premier Residences of Chevy Chase have always enjoyed a vibrant lifestyle. But now, resulting from evidence based research, the Five Star Lifestyle 360 program has been created. The focus is on the five dimensions of wellness: intellectual, social, physical, emotional and spiritual. Susan Bick, lifestyle director, explains, “We believe the more people are engaged in life, the healthier and happier they will be. Each month we offer 300 activities that reflect the five dimensions of wellness.” The fun and meaningful activities give residents opportunities to discover new interests and friendships. Recently, the dimension of physical wellness has been enriched in several ways. Because of high demand, they added a third water aerobics class each week in the heated indoor pool. The Five
Star Rehabilitation and Wellness Department now offers speech and occupational therapy as well as physical therapy. There are 11 weekly exercise classes taught by professional trainers. Classes include golden Pilates, yoga and tai chi. A Saturday core fusion fitness class has been added to the schedule. David Wiley, a personal trainer, has joined the rehabilitation and wellness department, offering one-on-one sessions as well as small group classes in the health club. Residents are very involved in the selection of activities. Recent additions to the calendar include poetry writing and meditation groups. Not all activities are held at Five Star. Outings may be as close as an evening movie on Bethesda Row or a visit to the downtown museums, or as far away as a casino or an art gallery in Baltimore.
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Special Advertising Section
Ingleside at King Farm 701 King Farm Blvd. Rockville, MD 20850 240-499-9019 www.inglesidekingfarm.org
After 30+ happy years in their Bethesda home, empty nesters Bill and Barbara Gressman decided to explore local retirement living options. In 2011, the active retirees chose Ingleside at King Farm. It stood out above the rest for a few reasons. “The apartments are so spacious,” says Barbara Gressman. “And we liked that it is new and built within a well-designed, planned community. King Farm is landscaped beautifully, adding to our enjoyment as we walk to the many shops and restaurants that are close by.” “We also like that it is all under one roof, and we were impressed with the calendar of events,” says Bill Gressman. “We jumped right in and made friends. Socialization was important to me. People here get to know each other easily through volunteering, committee work and simply by sitting with others in the dining room.”
Both Barbara and Bill are enthusiastic volunteers. Barbara, who retired from IBM, has taught a variety of computer classes and leads an “iDevice” users group; she also serves on a couple of resident advisory committees. “I like the challenge of helping people by making difficult things easier,” she says. Bill takes their popular Bichon Frise, Mushu, on informal pet therapy visits to people in assisted living, comprehensive care and rehabilitation, as well as visiting with residents in independent living. IKF’s Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Loube says, “Most of our residents are active and engaged, constantly on the go. I frequently hear that they are busier now than when they lived in their family homes.” Like the Gressmans, people who move to Ingleside at King Farm do so because it has a reputation as a vibrant, engaged community.
Hilary Schwab
“The apartments are so spacious, and we liked that it is new and built within a well-designed, planned community.” – resident Barbara Gressman
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Special Advertising Section
“A tour through The Cottage reveals lovely suites, each with private bathrooms and beautiful appointments, fresh flowers and lots of light and color.”
Susan Rodgers pictured with Maureen Amuso, Director of Operations
TOny lewis Jr
The Cottage at Curry Manor 6501 Curry Manor Court Bethesda, MD 20817 301-365-2582 office@capitalcitynurses.com www.thecottagehomes.com
Since welcoming its first permanent resident just over a year ago, The Cottage has blossomed into everything its owner, Susan Rodgers, RN, could have imagined. It’s a community of residents receiving the care and attention they deserve, fascinating conversation between residents and staff and the smell of delicious home cooked meals throughout the house. In addition, very happy family members know their moms and dads are in Bethesda’s best assisted living. “We have created a balanced environment,” says Rodgers, “where it may be a hive of activity with family members visiting or a pianist leading a sing along of classic songs to a more serene time when residents listen to a local author reading her new novel.” A tour through The Cottage reveals lovely suites, each with private bathrooms and beautiful appointments, fresh flowers and lots of light and color.
The Cottage at Curry Manor is an extension of Capital City Nurses, the home care company that has offered exceptional care to seniors, helping them age in place for almost 40 years. Staff members are carefully selected by the experienced management team. These special caregivers are experienced in providing the highest level of care with an emphasis on mental and physical development. The Cottage has proven that people can thrive in an assisted living community that provides the medical and environmental support for them to live life to the fullest. “At The Cottage, a community tailored to residents’ wellbeing and interests, living with assistance is a refined, beautiful experience,” says Rodgers. “We are forging new ground in assisted living.” Eight individual suites are available and couples can be accommodated.
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Special Advertising Section
Charles E. Smith Life Communities Cohen-Rosen House ElderSAFE Center Hebrew Home Hirsh Health Center Landow House Post-Acute Care Revitz House Ring House 1799 East Jefferson St. Rockville MD 20852 301-816-5050 www.smithlifecommunities.org
For seniors, just the right amount of assistance can make a big difference. Charles E. Smith Life Communities provides two choices on its campus in Rockville for personalized assisted living, choices that can make a positive change in life. Landow House’s gracious oneand two-bedroom assisted living apartments offer an exceptional package of personal services, three kosher meals daily and an appealing schedule of leisure programs, all expertly backed by 24-hour nursing supervision, on-staff physicians and individual attention. For memory care, Cohen-Rosen House is an intimate residence with just 18 studio apartments, thoughtfully combining elegance and award-winning memory care design. This striking residence has garnered
warm praise for the skills and patience of its staff, all specifically trained to make each moment engaging, positive and caring. The campus also offers outstanding choices for independent living and five-star-rated rehabilitation and recovery and long-term care, all enriched by Jewish heritage, an on-site, full-time medical staff, wonderful dining, extensive recreation and cultural arts programs and more. There are the added benefits of Hirsh Health Center, a medical practice focusing solely on seniors’ well-being, and Home Care Solutions, providing additional personal care. Seniors and family members are welcome to visit to learn about all of the choices, options and benefits of Charles E. Smith Life Communities, and to inquire about current availability.
Mike Olliver
“For seniors, just the right amount of assistance can make a big difference.”
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Special Advertising Section
Profiles | Senior Services
Many physicians and retina specialists say that nothing more can be done for individuals with significant vision loss due to macular degeneration, other vision loss diseases and even legal blindness. While there may be no further medical interventions, there is another avenue that can be explored and should be presented: improved vision through low vision technological advances and customized low vision glasses. Low Vision Specialists of MD & VA (LVS), a 40-year-old family practice, is licensed in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, offering hope, options and even house calls to people resigned to blindness. LVS’s 98 percent success rate results from sincere care for their patients. An initial complimentary screening, complete with demonstrations, is followed by an in-depth appointment with a low vision specialist. LVS of MD & VA primarily designs customized telescope and microscope glasses with the precise prescription and proper magnification for each patient, and their desired tasks. A new game-changing technology called eSight uses, in their words, “a sophisticated high-speed camera, patented video processing software, a computer processor and the highest quality OLED screens to project real-time video that allows the legally blind to actually see.” With these electronic glasses, people can see the world around them, watch TV and movies, zoom in, and adjust contrast for reading. Connected to a computer, it enables people with low vision to be employed in their chosen fields again. “When some of our patients begin to imagine a new quality of life through any of these technologies, there are tears of joy,” says Dr. Thomas Azman. “If a person has any amount of sight left, we can help.”
Dr. Thomas Azman Low Vision Specialists of MD & VA 6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 300 Bethesda, MD 20817 240-453-4666 info@LowVisionMD.org www.LowVisionMD.org
“When some of our patients begin to imagine a new quality of life through any of these technologies, there are tears of joy.” BethesdaMagazine.com | November/december 2015 323
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Special Advertising Section
Brookdale Potomac Formerly Emeritus® at Potomac
Assisted Living Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care 11215 Seven Locks Road Potomac, MD 20854 301-765-9198
The Solana® Olney A Brookdale Managed Community
Assisted Living Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care 2611 Olney Sandy Spring Road Olney, MD 20832 301-570-2611 www.brookdale.com
Those exploring senior living solutions in the area can look to Brookdale for an enriching, comfortable lifestyle in a warm, inviting setting. With two Montgomery County communities from which to choose, Brookdale offers personalized care and convenient locations close to shops, restaurants and many local medical centers. Both Brookdale Potomac and Solana Olney are beautiful three-story communities that offer elegant common areas and features such as a library and theater room. Each day residents enjoy the serenity of the outdoors in their lovely courtyards as well as recreation opportunities that include cooking classes, outings, seminars and brain-fit activities with close-knit neighbors who quickly become friends.
Brookdale’s compassionate, loving associates are highly skilled and dedicated to helping residents and their families. The environment created by each community enables seniors to truly relax, knowing on-site nursing and therapy care is close at hand. Short-term stays are also available. Brookdale considers its residents family, which means they offer residents comfort and support every step of the way. At Brookdale, living well is an important part of aging well. Seniors or their loved ones who are interested in the assisted living and Alzheimer’s and dementia care solutions Montgomery County Brookdale communities can provide should contact a community near them to learn more.
Courtesy Photo
“Brookdale’s compassionate, loving associates are highly skilled and dedicated to helping residents and their families.”
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Special Advertising Section
Courtesy Photo
“Many things distinguish Fox Hill from other retirement options, but perhaps the most important difference is the opportunity to own.”
Fox Hill 8300 Burdette Road Bethesda, MD 20817 301-968-1850 www.foxhillresidences.com
Pursuing passions and opportunities for healthier living without worrying about house-related chores defines retirement living at Fox Hill, where residents focus on well-being in a variety of ways. For physical health, there are complementary classes in a state-of-the-art fitness center, which has equipment that’s easy on joints. Amenities include an indoor pool, a Jacuzzi, spa treatments and personal training. To exercise the mind, Fox Hill has classes and seminars, a fully stocked library, art studio, woodworking shop and even a recording studio. The performing arts center hosts films and dances. A creative partnership with Strathmore provides outstanding arts programming. Most retirement communities offer nutritional meal plans in one or two restaurants and maybe a takeout option. Fox Hill steps it up, with frequently changing menus in five diverse dining venues. Head Chef Quang
Doung joined Fox Hill after a distinguished career with Ritz-Carlton. Retirement planning can be challenging, since no one can predict his or her future health status, but individuals can plan how they’ll receive care. Many Fox Hill residents live independently. Should needs change, Fox Hill offers assisted living and memory care managed with the expertise of Sunrise Senior Living. Many things distinguish Fox Hill from other retirement options, but perhaps the most important difference is the opportunity to own. A Fox Hill condominium is an investment that brings peace of mind. Residentowners take comfort in knowing they have a home that comes with a high level of service, convenience and security, including emergency call systems. Fox Hill owners live in luxury, remodeling and decorating as they wish. The staff takes care of anything that makes life easier: home maintenance, weekly housekeeping and other services.
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Special Advertising Section
Lifematters 7768 Woodmont Ave., Suite 200 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-652-7212 7531 Leesburg Pike, Suite 101 Falls Church, VA 22043 571-282-2600 800-293-8973 www.lifemattersusa.com
“Lifematters is more than just our name,” says founder Scott Thompson. “It’s a reflection of our purpose and inspires everything we do. Our core philosophy, delivering peace of mind, says it all.” Founded in 2004, Lifematters is the largest employee-based (all caregivers are employees) home care company in the Washington metropolitan area, garnering local and national awards and attention. Home Care Pulse named LifeMatters “Best of Home Care Employer of Choice” in 2014 and 2015. The company works with clients to create fully tailored care plans and employs highly trained, skilled caregivers. The full range of in-home services includes skilled care in which clients receive nutrition counseling, medication management, wound care and care for neurological disorders. Their associates also assist clients with bathing and grooming, personal safety and security services, transportation and errands. Care management, provided by their
sister company, CMA, provides social workers and registered nurses who guide, educate and advocate on the client’s behalf and provide supportive counseling to the client and family members. They also offer quality of life associates who provide clients with companionship. Patient navigation services improve clients’ engagement in medical care by addressing their barriers to care and also help clients access health and social service resources. “With more than 1,200 employees, we’re proud of our unusually low turnover rate,” says Thompson. “We go the extra mile to attract top-tier associates and provide them additional training through Lifematters University.” Lifematters’ 50 corporate professionals, including licensed clinical social workers and registered nurses, provide clients with seamless support. “For someone in need,” says Thompson, “highly qualified help is a phone call away. We offer free consultations, in person or by phone, to discuss options.”
Tony Lewis Jr
“Our core philosophy, delivering peace of mind, says it all.”
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Special Advertising Section
“National Lutheran Communities & Services believes that all seniors should have the opportunity to live a vibrant and fulfilling life.”
Hilary Schwab
National Lutheran Communities & Services 2301 Research Blvd., Suite 310 Rockville, MD 20850 877-399-2725 www.nationallutheran.org
“With 125 years as a trusted, not-forprofit resource in senior care, National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS) believes that all seniors should have the opportunity to live a vibrant and fulfilling life, regardless of age or health concerns,” says NLCS President and CEO Larry Bradshaw. NLCS’ mission is to provide seniors with a variety of lifestyle, residential and health care options through retirement communities and services in Maryland and Virginia. From independent living and shortterm rehabilitation to assisted living, long-term care and in-home care, NLCS offers a variety of choices for seniors and their loved ones. Every National Lutheran community cultivates an environment that values lifelong learning, focusing on holistic wellness that covers physical, spiritual, social, intellectual and vocational dimensions. That environment is paired
with various residence options and price ranges to maximize retirement choices and options. “As a mission-driven organization, we believe we must meet the needs of today’s seniors while planning for the future generations of seniors that we will serve,” Bradshaw says. In order to meet those needs, NLCS is branching beyond its physical retirement communities. In 2014, NLCS added myPotential at Home, a home care organization serving seniors in the Shenandoah Valley. NLCS hopes to offer these same services in Maryland in the future. The National Lutheran family also includes The Village at Rockville in Rockville; The Legacy at North Augusta in Staunton, Va.; The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester, Va.; and coming soon, The Village at Crystal Spring in Annapolis, subject to Maryland Department of Aging approval.
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Profiles | Senior Services
Special Advertising Section
Glickman’s Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (CAPS) from left to right: Lanna Ali-Hassan, CAPS; Keith Long, CAPS; Russ Glickman, CAPS; Karen Pearl Berglund, CAPS
At the very elegant Grand Oaks, assisted living residents enjoy the comfort and amenities of this gracious Georgianstyle home. Residents enjoy true apartment living, with a full range of services and amenities. As a result, residents and their families experience the peace of mind that comes with around the clock personal care, supervised by 24-hour RN’s. Grand Oaks residents enjoy many off-site activities including museum visits, baseball games and lunch cruises. Daily fine dining is overseen by the executive chef who sources local, organic food. Grand Oaks residents are members of the Sibley Senior Association, with programs such as Laugh Café, specialized movement classes, support groups and educational seminars. On the campus of Sibley Hospital, Grand Oaks’ professional, nurturing and well-educated staff provides transitional care from hospital visits or rehabilitation services. Residents’ overall wellness is enhanced by a team of geriatric specialists from the Hopkins Care Program.
Russ Glickman Glickman Design Build 14516 Pebblewood Dr. N. Potomac, MD 20878 301-444-4663 www.GlickmanDesingBuild.com
Darren Higgins
project that he’s seeing are in-law suites. They have gained in popularity because of the trend of multiple generations living together. In-law suites keep everyone under one roof while providing plenty of privacy. Elevators are another popular project for the Glickman team. Often they are a necessity for the elderly. “Because of our experience with elevators,” Glickman says, “they are fairly straightforward to do and can be as small as a closet.”
Grand Oaks 5901 MacArthur Blvd., NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 202-349-3400 www.grandoaksdc.org
James Kim
Russ Glickman often jokes that he was born with a hammer in his hand, since he comes from a family of builders. Most of his work is general remodeling: additions, bathrooms, kitchens and outdoor spaces. However, as the father of a child with cerebral palsy and having been a caregiver for an aging parent, he has a particular passion for working with families for whom physical disability or aging prompts a remodel. One popular, accessible and universal design
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Special Advertising Section
Profiles | Senior Services
“We have earned a reputation of excellence by providing the highest quality nursing and rehabilitation services to the Washington area.”
Carriage Hill Bethesda Mike Olliver
Nursing and Rehabilitation Center 5215 West Cedar Lane Bethesda, MD 20814 Main: 301-897-5500 Fax: 301-897-5093 www.carriagehillbethesda.com
Rated a “Top Nursing Home” by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2015, Carriage Hill Bethesda sets the standard for quality care. “Families choose Carriage Hill because we offer a comfortable and beautiful environment with a focus on individualized care and an outstanding rehabilitation program that enables hundreds of people to return home each year,” says Community Liaison Kerri Donnelly. In addition to skilled nursing and rehabilitation, Carriage Hill Bethesda provides long term, respite and hospice care in an elegant, home-like setting. Conveniently located on West Cedar Lane, Carriage Hill is just minutes from dining, shopping and many area hospitals. Having worked for over 20 years together, Administrator Jim Jarboe and Director of Nursing Claire Malden have devoted their careers to building a
superior care model to meet the specific needs of seniors. When asked what sets Carriage Hill Bethesda apart, Jarboe responds, “We are so proud to have a team of committed, professional caregivers with many years of dedicated service to both Carriage Hill and its residents.” Carriage Hill Bethesda accepts Medicare and most secondary insurances. A newly renovated rehabilitation wing, along with spacious accommodations, provides the perfect environment for both short- and long-term care. “We have earned a reputation of excellence by providing the highest quality nursing and rehabilitation services to the Washington area,” says Donnelly. “We welcome people to come and visit Carriage Hill to experience the exceptional services offered by an independent facility that has served the community for over 35 years.”
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Profiles | Senior Services
Special Advertising Section
“We are more like a friend than an agency.”
Best Senior Care P.O. Box 155 Ashton, MD 20861 301-717-2212 www.bestseniorcare.us
“When my mother was a social worker in Montgomery County, she saw seniors who needed help but didn’t have it,” says Alex Petukhov, president of Best Senior Care, LLC. “She met exhausted caregivers without financial resources. Seventeen years ago she was inspired to help, and we started our family business.” The Petukhovs began with a focus on Medicaid recipients, but the need for home care for seniors exists across all economic brackets. Quickly their services expanded to the general population. The caregivers are chosen carefully. Most have worked in hospitals, assisted living group homes or skilled nursing facilities. All are certified nursing assistants, supervised by registered nurses and thoroughly assessed by the company, which does background checks and contacts references. The multicultural staff is uniformly fluent in English. “An elderly
person who may not be in the best health should not have to struggle to understand or be understood,” says Petukhov. Best Senior Care does phone consultations and free in-home assessments for those in need, a senior or any individual whose circumstances require assistance to avoid moving from their home to a care facility. There are no standard plans or packages; each client has an individually tailored care plan to meet their specific needs. Caregivers can assist for just a few hours a day to 24-hour care as needed. Petukhov believes that what sets their business apart is the personal touch. When a client or caregiver calls, they always speak to a family member. “We are more like a friend than an agency,” he says. “Our communication is open, direct and productive with no bureaucracy to get in the way of a solution.”
Tony Lewis Jr
Alex Petukhov
Owner, Alex Petukhov, and his wife and daughter
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restaurants. cooking. food. drinks.
dine
photo by stacy zarin-goldberg
A.G. Kitchen is one of a handful of new restaurants adding life to the dining scene in downtown Silver Spring. Pictured here is server Scott Matheson. For more, see page 332.
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Grub Hub
A handful of newcomers—some better than others—has Silver Spring’s dining scene buzzing BY Carole Sugarman | photos by stacy zarin-goldberg
Pizza, paninis and calzones are the stars of Italian Kitchen’s menu
W i t h a b o o m in residential options and the long-awaited opening of its transit center, downtown Silver Spring has become a lively hub—and that includes for places to eat. While it has its share of the fast-casual eateries and chains cropping up elsewhere, the diverse enclave has snagged a growing number of distinctive, independently owned restaurants in the last year or so. Fabulous food isn’t guaranteed, but most serve up a hip urban vibe. Even for those who don’t live in the neighborhood, gathering spots such as Denizens Brewing Co. and The Urban Winery, with their locally made liba-
tions, deserve a visit. Ditto for Kaldi’s Coffee Bar—a soothing spot with bombshell baked goods—and Bump ‘n Grind, a combination coffee shop, vinyl record store and live music and event venue. Urban Butcher, the edgy protein palace with its own butcher shop and meat cellar that opened in December 2013, remains a destination. Among the newest batch of eateries, Italian Kitchen is an unassuming gem, delivering on its name to serve up homey Italian dishes. From the owners of Italian Kitchen on U in Washington, D.C., the informal pizzeria sports unusual steel and multi-wood paneling and a small bar
made of the same materials. Sliced twoinch-high rounds of tree trunks serve as trays for the pizza, with its pillowy but crisp-bottomed crusts and tasteful toppings (loved the Roma Prosciutto, topped with prosciutto, Roma tomatoes, greens, fresh mozzarella and olive oil). Italian Kitchen turns out far more than pizza, with a long list of pastas, paninis, wraps, calzones and salads also on the menu. The Chicken Paradiso panini, made on oval-shaped focaccia, was layered with grilled chicken breast, pesto, red onions, greens, fontina cheese and balsamic aioli—a surprisingly compatible combination. And a Prima calzone,
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stuffed with spinach, artichoke hearts, Roma tomatoes, caramelized onions, tomato sauce, and ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, was a big and beautiful crescent that oozed with fresh-tasting filling. Speaking of good looks, one of the most attractive newcomers is A.G. Kitchen, the area’s first full-service outpost from The Restaurant Group, a Manhattan-based company where Cubanborn chef Alex Garcia (A.G.) serves as a partner. At one time or another, Garcia has been an author, Food Network celebrity chef, consultant, do-gooder, caterer and seller of spices and cookware. The former Macaroni Grill is now awash in pretty pastels, with wall paint and colored-glass accents in shades of apricot, lime, turquoise, pink and yellow. A fun and inventive collection of Latin-inspired dishes comprises the menu. All of this sets up jazzy expectations, but most of the food I tried was inexplicably dull. Among the gaffes: rubbery taco shells, vapid guacamole, fried calamari with an overly sweet glaze and a tuna burger’s topping of “spicy” mayo with little discernible heat. Another restaurant with stunning décor, All Set Restaurant & Bar is more sophisticated. Located in the space that housed the age-old Golden Flame, All Set is a modern seafood eatery, with cobalt blue banquettes, and white rope incorporated into chandeliers, panels and dividers. As restaurant partner and Silver Spring resident Jennifer Meltzer puts it, “I wanted it to be nautical but not with kitschy buoys, anchors and mermaid tails.” I was hoping to be hooked by the food, too, but after having lunch and dinner there, I can’t tell a fish story. From tough, dense Sriracha cheddar biscuits to watery clam chowder, tired-tasting fish dip, sticky fettucine with clams, and nothing-special salmon and lentils, the dishes were underwhelming. Strangely enough, the best of the bunch wasn’t seafood but moist brick chicken, served
A.G. Kitchen’s pretty pastels
Crispy-skinned salmon at Mix Bar and Grille
Chef Edward Reavis at All Set Restaurant & Bar
House-made Limoncello and local hard cider are served at Sligo Cafe.
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dine | review with Swiss chard and mashed potatoes. The salmon at Mix Bar and Grille, served with cardamom rice, gingered bok choy and a sake yuzu glaze, turned out to be a better rendition, its silken flesh a striking foil to the crispy skin. Mix on Georgia Avenue is the second location of a restaurant with the same name in Potomac. Pedro Matamoros, the former chef at Silver Spring’s 8407 Kitchen Bar and the shuttered Nicaro, oversees the cooking at both places. With a large bar and 10 television screens, the newer restaurant seems more a late-night drinking destination than its older sister. But as in Potomac, the food is a mix of spot-on offerings (the salmon, plus warm and creamy crab dip, a grilled oyster appetizer special and an A-plus apple pie) and so-so dishes (an overcooked, below-average burger; fettucine with shrimp that needed more zip). Another newcomer with ups and downs is Sligo Cafe, a comfortable
neighborhood spot with an ambitious drink menu that includes house-made Limoncello and ginger beer, plus local hard ciders. Among the small plates I sampled from the summer menu, I quickly polished off the Gochu chicken wings; they had the perfect balance of sweet and spicy from their namesake Korean pepper, soy sauce and chives. And while Brussels sprouts are as ubiquitous as construction cones around town, Sligo Cafe’s lacy-crisp version, with bacon, sunflower kernels and lemon vinaigrette, proved to be a standout. On the downside: soggy homemade potato chips and smoked lamb ribs with an off-putting flavor. But don’t skip dessert; the restaurant does an adult riff on s’mores, and it’s childhood and summer all over again. n Carole Sugarman is the magazine’s food editor. To comment on this review, email comments@bethesdamagazine.com.
DINING details Italian Kitchen, 8201 Fenton St., 301-588-7800, www.italiankitchenmd. com. Pizzas, $7.99 to $19.99; calzone, pasta and paninis, $7.99 to $11.99. A.G. Kitchen, 931 Ellsworth Drive, 301-588-9400, www.agkitchen.com. Appetizers, $9 to $17; burgers $12 to $19; entrées $16 to $29. All Set Restaurant & Bar, 8630 Fenton St., 301-495-8800, www.allsetrestaurant.com. Appetizers, $8 to $16; salads and sandwiches, $14 to $23; entrées, $17 to $34. Mix Bar and Grille, 8241 Georgia Ave., #200, 301-326-1333, www.mixbarandgrillesilverspring.com. Appetizers, $7 to $16; entrées, $11 to $27. Sligo Cafe, 923 Sligo Ave., 301-5652233, sligocafe.com. Small plates, $5 to $12; entrées, $15 to $22.
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Hosting a Dinner Party or Special Event this Holiday Season? The Market Cold Antipasto Platter
Look no further than The Market at River Falls. From intimate dinners for two, to corporate luncheons and larger family gatherings, The Market at River Falls is there for all of your catering needs. We provide everything from gourmet appetizers to soups, entrées to side dishes, desserts and more to make your next dinner party or event both relaxing and delicious!
The Market Poached Atlantic Salmon Platter with Cucumber Scales
Visit us at marketriverfalls.com to view our complete Catering Menu. Or, if you are looking for a customized menu, we can help with that too. Just give us a call!
Be sure to call us for Thanksgiving turkeys and all of the trimmings. We request 72-hour advance notice for all catering orders.
The Market Grilled Vegetables
THE MARKET at RIVER FALLS 301-765-8001 | MarketRiverFalls.com | Potomac, MD
Seafood • Meats • Prepared Foods • Sushi
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dine
table talk BY CAROLE SUGARMAN
Former Oval Room chef Tony Conte, setting up shop in Gaithersburg
from posh to pizza
Tony Conte, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, former executive sous chef at the widely acclaimed Manhattan restaurant Jean-Georges and most recently the well-regarded chef at the District’s Oval Room, was planning to open Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, a 1,500-square-foot Neapolitan pizza place in Gaithersburg, in October. Conte, who lives with his family in Darnestown, says his new gig “couldn’t be any further from what I did in D.C. Nobody saw it coming.” Here are five reasons why he made the switch: 2. Neapolitan pizza is different for Gaithersburg.
“It’s about bringing something to this area that I don’t think exists.”
3. He was looking for a challenge.
“I had achieved almost all my goals in D.C.—it was time for something new. Continuing down that road would have been easy.”
4. He wanted to transfer a high-level culinary approach to a humble dish.
“This could not be any different from cooking at the Oval Room. But I’ll treat it exactly the same. Just because it’s pizza doesn’t mean it needs to be downgraded.”
5. He loves pizza.
“I can eat it all day long, two, three times a day.”
Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana, 12207 Darnestown Road, Gaithersburg, 301-963-0115.
photo by stacy zarin-goldberg
1. It’s close to home.
“Door to door, it’s two miles on the nose. I’ve never lived and worked so close.”
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&
comings goings Good news for taco and margarita mavens: Bethesda’s beloved Gringos & Mariachis is opening a new outpost at Park Potomac, the Potomac development at I-270 and Montrose Road. Look for a spring or summer 2016 opening. The longtime Hard Times Café space on Del Ray Avenue is being turned into Quincy’s Bethesda, a sibling of Quincy’s Bar and Grille in Gaithersburg and Quincy’s South in North Bethesda; the owners were shooting for a late-October opening. Joining Westfield Montgomery’s burgeoning dining terrace is B Bop Q, a Korean fusion carryout serving wraps,
tacos and bowls, coming sometime in November or December. The local franchise owner of World of Beer, the Tampa-based tavern chain that features more than 500 beers, is shooting for an early 2016 opening at the Upton apartment building near Rockville Town Square. Also in Rockville apartment restaurants, Pie 360, a fast-casual pizza place from the folks at Coal Fire, the Maryland chainlet, will open in early 2016 at the Galvan at Twinbrook. And speaking of beer, at press time, Suspended Brewing and 7 Locks Brewing, two new Rockville breweries, were plugging away at their build-outs.
Lots of summer closings: Da Marco on Colesville Road in Silver Spring permanently packed away the pasta after 30 years in business; Potomac Grill on Rockville Pike shuttered after a nine-year run; the Bethesda Barbecue Co. on Elm Street went dark less than a year after transitioning from Newton’s Table; and longtime Woodmont Triangle restaurants Steamers and Brasserie Monte Carlo both called it quits. Ashish Alfred, owner of Bethesda’s 4935 Bar and Kitchen, plans to turn the latter space into a French bistro called Duck Duck Goose. Meanwhile, the venerable Faryab, Bethesda’s lovely Afghan restaurant, closed after 18 years.
photo by darren higgins
photo by stacy zarin-goldberg
stellar cellar Most families hang on to heirlooms, whether they be tattered black-andwhite photos or great-grandma’s locket. For Bethesda resident Stephen Taplin, preserving the past meant opening a winery on Napa Valley farmland passed down through five generations. Taplin, who grew up in St. Helena, California, and is now an internationally known breast cancer researcher at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, founded Taplin Cellars in 2012 with his brother and sister. His wife, Sylvia, a former epidemiologist, now crisscrosses the country as business manager for the 28-acre vineyard. The winery produces a full-bodied and well-balanced 100 percent cabernet sauvignon called Taplin Terra 9—the name is inspired by Taplin’s great-greatgrandfather, who described the land in 1864 as “nine parts rock and one part soil.” The 2009 and/or 2010 vintages are available in Bethesda at Cork 57, Vino Volo and Capital Beer & Wine; in Potomac at Wine Harvest; in Rockville at The Bottle Shop; and online ($65 a bottle). www.taplincellars.com.
Stephen and Sylvia Taplin of Bethesda co-own a Napa Valley winery with family.
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homegrown for the holidays locally made food gifts
Handcrafted Chocolates
Award-winning Potomac chocolatier Rachelle Ferneau makes vegan, kosher, gluten-free and dairy-free chocolates that are rich, creamy and even better than much of the traditional competition. Using premium Belgian chocolate with a high butterfat content, organic soy milk and topquality vegan butter, among other ingredients, Ferneau crafts creative, vibrantly flavored candies. Holiday specialties include the North Pole Artisan Chocolate Bar and Christmas and Hanukkah truffles. Most gifts are $10 to $30. Available at Williams-Sonoma, Balducci’s, The Bottle Shop (Rockville), The Candy Shop (Silver Spring) and online. www.dearcoco.com.
dear coco chocolate photo courtesy; meatcrafters photo courtesy
Cured Meats
Packaged in attractive boxes, MeatCrafters’ antibiotic-free, heritagebreed Duroc pork salamis—available in traditional and unique flavors—are a great gift for a connoisseur carnivore. Or slice them thinly and serve with cheese, wine and olives at your own holiday gathering. The company— owned by Potomac residents and Central Farm Markets’ co-founders Mitchell Berliner and his wife, Debra Moser, plus sausage expert Stanley Feder—sells its cured meats at the Bethesda Central Farm Market on Sundays throughout the year, and at Rockville’s Pike Central Farm Market on Saturdays through Nov. 21. Salamis are $15 each at the markets; $14 online (minimum order $30). www. meatcrafters.com.
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Candied Crunch
one - of -a- kind biscuits
Lesley Riley describes herself as an information technology manager by day, background investigator by night and biscuit maker in between. With a lineup of more than 50 rotating flavors, the Germantown resident bakes with butter, not shortening, resulting in biscuits that are more cake-y than flaky. Inventive holiday varieties, which come with pats of flavored butters, include sweet potato, apple and sage; pumpkin, orange and rum; and eggnog peppermint. Available online (shipped frozen; $22.50 per half dozen, $45 per dozen, plus shipping); and soon at Whole Foods markets in Montgomery County. mamabiscuit.com.
Bethesda’s Jennifer Segal— chef, writer and photographer behind the popular food blog Once Upon a Chef (www. onceuponachef.com)—shares this recipe for sweet-andsalty nuts with a hint of heat. Seriously addictive, they can be served with cocktails, sprinkled over a salad or given as a gift.
Sugar-and - Spice Candied Pecans
mama biscuit photos by leslie riley; pecans photo by jennifer segal
dear coco chocolate photo courtesy; meatcrafters photo courtesy
(Makes 2 cups)
Ingredients ½ cup confectioners’ sugar ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼8 teaspoon ground cloves 2 cups (8 ounces) pecans Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. 3. Add the pecans to the sugar mixture, along with 4 teaspoons of water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved into a sticky glaze. If the mixture is still too powdery after stirring, add a few drops of water. 4. Transfer the pecans to the prepared baking sheet and spread out in a single layer, making sure nuts do not touch. Drizzle any remaining glaze on top. 5. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the pecans are crusty on top and caramelized and golden on the bottom. Immediately slide the nuts and parchment off the baking sheet and allow the pecans to cool completely on the countertop. Store in an airtight container; for gift giving, package nuts in a mason jar tied with ribbon. n BethesdaMagazine.com | november/december 2015 339
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dine
By Brian Patterson L’Academie de Cuisine | www.lacademie.com
A Cut Above For a special meal, a simply prepared roast leisurely cooking in the oven means more time to tend to other details—and a grand carved entrée on the table Difficulty Level
On the Clock
4 hours Servings
8 Simple Side Suggestions Roasted fingerling potatoes Peas and carrots
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Prime Rib Ingredients 3-rib piece of prime rib (about 10-11 lbs.) 5 tablespoons coarse salt 4 tablespoons coarse freshly ground black pepper
2
3
4
7
9-12 small sprigs of rosemary 9-12 thick slivers of garlic
Supplies butcher’s twine meat thermometer that registers below 140 degrees Fahrenheit roasting pan with a rack
Beef Tips When purchasing a piece of prime rib from the butcher or grocery store, it’s wise to order in advance and reserve the best piece.
photos by stacy zarin-goldberg
Ask for the “first cut,” which is the part of the prime rib closest to the loin rather than the shoulder. For a roast that makes a nice presentation, request the bones be “frenched” (cleaned and trimmed). A “three-rib” roast is approximately 10-11 lbs. and serves eight big eaters or 10 modest eaters. Expect to pay about $10 a pound for this luxurious cut of meat.
7. Check the temperature at the center of the roast with a meat thermometer.
Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 2. Make several incisions into the surface of the meat with a paring knife. Insert a small piece of rosemary and a sliver of garlic into each incision. 3. Tie the twine once around tightly between each bone of the prime rib.
Savage rare is about 110 degrees Civilized rare is about 115 degrees Medium rare is about 120 degrees Medium is about 125 degrees Medium well is about 130 degrees Well done is about 135 degrees
4. Use your hands to rub the salt and pepper all over the meat, and place it in the pan.
8. When the roast has reached the desired internal temperature (which could take another hour), remove it from the oven.
5. When the oven is preheated, put the roast in. Cook at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. It may get smoky. Avoid opening the oven door too often to prevent the roast from drying and to maintain an even cooking temperature.
9. Allow the roast to rest for a half hour before transferring to a cutting board.
6. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees and cook for 90 minutes.
10. Remove all twine. Use a long, thin straight-edged knife placed parallel to the cylindrical shape of the roast to carve the meat off the three bones, shaving as close to the bones as possible to remove all meat.
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Dining Guide
Check out the online version of the DINING GUIDE at BethesdaMagazine.com.
Bethesda 4935 Bar and Kitchen
4935 Cordell Ave., 301-951-4935, www.4935bar andkitchen.com. The restaurant offers a sleek, modern interior and a young chef-owner serving French and Indian fusion dishes such as spicy chicken confit and tandoori pork chops. The popular upstairs private party room is now called “The Loft at 4935.” L D $$$
Aji-Nippon
6937 Arlington Road, 301-654-0213. A calm oasis on a busy street, where chef Kazuo Honma serves patrons several kinds of sushi, sashimi, noodle soups, teriyaki and more. Try a dinner box, which includes an entrée, vegetables, California roll, tempura and rice. L D $$
American Tap Room
7278 Woodmont Ave., 301- 656-1366, www.americantaproom.com. Here’s a classic grill menu featuring sliders, wings and craft beer offered by Thompson Hospitality, the owners of Austin Grill. Entrées range from BBQ Glazed Meatloaf Dinner with whipped potatoes and green beans to the lighter Crabmeat Omelet. ❂ R L D $$
&pizza
7614 Old Georgetown Road, 240-800-4783, www.andpizza.com. Create your own designer pizza from a choice of three crusts, three cheeses and eight sauces or spreads. Toppings for the thin, crispy crusts range from the usual suspects to falafel crumbles, fig marsala and pineapple salsa. This location of the hip, fast-casual chain has limited seating. L D $
Bacchus of Lebanon
7945 Norfolk Ave., 301-657-1722, www.bacchus oflebanon.com. This friendly and elegant Lebanese staple has a large, sunny patio that beckons lunch and dinner patrons outside when the weather is good to try garlicky hummus, stuffed grape leaves, chicken kabobs, veal chops and dozens of small-plate dishes. ❂ L D $$
Bangkok Garden
4906 St. Elmo Ave., 301-951-0670, www.bkk garden.com. This real-deal, family-run Thai restaurant turns out authentic cuisine, including curries, soups and noodle dishes, in a dining room decorated with traditional statues of the gods. Dishes range from mild to very hot. L D $
BARREL and CROW
4867 Cordell Ave., 240-800-3253, www.barrel andcrow.com. Contemporary regional and southern cuisine served in a comfortable setting with charcoal gray banquettes and elements of wood and brick. Menu highlights include Maryland crab beignets, shrimp and grits croquettes and Virginia mackerel. ❂ R L D $$
Benihana
7935 Wisconsin Ave., 301-652-5391, www. benihana.com. Experience dinner-as-theater as the chef chops and cooks beef, chicken, vegetables
and seafood tableside on the hibachi. This popular national chain serves sushi, too. The kids’ menu includes a California roll and hibachi chicken, steak and shrimp entrées. J L D $$
Bethesda Crab House
4958 Bethesda Ave., 301-652-3382, www.bethesda crabhouse.net. In the same location since 1961, this casual, family-owned dining spot features jumbo lump crabcakes, oysters on the half shell and jumbo spiced shrimp. Extra large and jumbosized crabs available year-round; call ahead to reserve them. ❂ L D $$
Bethesda Curry Kitchen
4860 Cordell Ave., 301-656-0062, www.bethesda currykitchen.com. The restaurant offers lunch buffet and Southern Indian vegan specialties, served in a spare and casual setting. There are plenty of choices from the tandoor oven, as well as vegetarian, seafood and meat curries. L D $
Bistro LaZeez
8009 Norfolk Ave., 301-652-8222, www.bistro lazeez.com. Reasonably priced Mediterranean cuisine served in a small, attractive space. Don’t miss the grilled pita and the signature BLZ Chicken Medley, with a grilled, marinated chicken thigh, drumstick and wing basted in a zesty sauce. ❂JLD$
Bistro Provence (Editors’ Pick)
4933 Fairmont Ave., 301-656-7373, www.bistro provence.org. Chef Yannick Cam brings his formidable experience to a casual French bistro with a lovely courtyard. The Dinner Bistro Fare, served daily from 5 to 6:30 p.m., offers a choice of appetizer, main course and dessert for $35. ❂ R L D $$$
Black’s Bar & Kitchen (Editors’ Pick)
7750 Woodmont Ave., 301-652-5525, www. blacksbarandkitchen.com. Bethesda Magazine readers voted Black’s “Best MoCo Restaurant” and “Best Happy Hour” in 2014. Customers count on the impeccable use of fresh and local ingredients and enjoy dining on the expansive patio. ❂ R L D $$$
Blaze Pizza
7101 Democracy Blvd. (Westfield Montgomery mall), 240-630-8236, www.blazepizza.com. One of the new breed of fast-casual pizza concepts, Blaze features build-your-own pies with a choice of nearly 30 toppings and six sauces. Pizzas are “fast-fire’d” for 180 seconds, resulting in thin, super-crisp crusts. Wash them down with the bloodorange lemonade. L D $
Bold Bite
4901-B Fairmont Ave., 301-951-2653, www.bold bite.net. Designer hot dogs and hickory-smoked burgers from the Venezuelan Roche brothers, with a menu that won “Best Menu Design” from the magazine’s editors in 2013. Among the menu options: breakfast sandwiches, ice cream sandwiches and house-made doughnuts. J B L D $
Key Price designations are for a threecourse dinner for two including tip and tax, but excluding alcohol. $ $$ $$$ $$$$ b B R L D
up to $50 $51-$100 $101-$150 $151+ Outdoor Dining Children’s Menu Breakfast Brunch Lunch Dinner
Brickside Food & Drink
4866 Cordell Ave., 301-312-6160, www.brickside bethesda.com. Prohibition-era drinks meet Italian bar bites and entrées. Dishes range from fried chicken and waffles to lobster ravioli. Try one of the colorfully named punches, which include Pink Murder Punch and Snow Cone Punch. ❂ R L D $$
Caddies on Cordell
4922 Cordell Ave., 301-215-7730, www.caddies oncordell.com. Twenty-somethings gather at this golf-themed spot to enjoy beer and wings specials in a casual, rowdy atmosphere that frequently spills onto the large patio. Bethesda Magazine readers voted Caddies “Best Place for a Guys’ Night Out” in 2015. ❂ J R L D $
Café Deluxe
4910 Elm St., 301-656-3131, www.cafedeluxe.com. This local chain serves bistro-style American comfort food in a fun and noisy setting with wood fans and colorful, oversized European liquor posters. Menu options include burgers, entrées, four varieties of flatbread and mussels served three different ways. ❂ J R L D $$
Cava Mezze Grill
4832 Bethesda Ave., 301-656-1772, www.cava grill.com. The guys from Cava restaurant have created a Greek version of Chipotle. Choose the meat, dip or spread for a pita, bowl or salad. Housemade juices and teas provide a healthful beverage option. ❂ L D $
Cesco Osteria
7401 Woodmont Ave., 301-654-8333, www. cesco-osteria.com. Longtime chef Francesco Ricchi turns out Tuscan specialties, including pizza, pasta and foccacia in a big, jazzy space. Stop by the restaurant’s Co2 Lounge for an artisan cocktail before dinner. ❂ L D $$
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Chef Tony’s
4926 St. Elmo Ave., 301-654-3737, www.chef tonysbethesda.com. Chef-owner Tony Marciante focuses on Mediterranean seafood tapas, offering dishes ranging from fish and seafood to chicken, steak and pasta. Desserts include Drunken Strawberries and Classic Creme Brulée. J R L D $$
City Burger
7015 Wisconsin Ave., 301-652-0010, www.city burgeronline.com. Inexpensive quarter-pound burgers made from all-natural, antibiotic-free beef from the owners of Food Wine & Co., Beer Wine & Co., Don Pollo and Fish Taco. Hot dogs and half-smokes, plus homemade milkshakes and ice cream available. Space seats about 15, but geared for takeout. L D $
City Lights of China
4953 Bethesda Ave., 301-913-9501, www.bethesda citylights.com. Longtime Chinese eatery serves familiar Szechuan and Beijing fare, including six types of dumplings and seven handmade noodle dishes. Red walls and chocolate-colored booths give the place a sharp look. L D $$
CRAVE
7101 Democracy Blvd., Suite 1530 (in Westfield Montgomery mall), 301-469-9600, cravebethes da.com. Minnesota-based chainlet offers an eclectic melting pot of American dishes, including bison burgers, duck confit flatbread and kogi beef tacos. The restaurant is also known for its extensive selection of wine and sushi.J L D $$
Daily Grill
Garden Grille & Bar
Don Pollo
Grapeseed American Bistro + Wine Bar (Editors’ Pick)
One Bethesda Metro Center, 301-656-6100, www.dailygrill.com. Everyone from families to expense-account lunchers can find something to like about the big portions of fresh American fare, including chicken pot pie and jumbo lump crabcakes. ❂ J B R L D $$ 7007 Wisconsin Ave., 301-652-0001, www.don pollogroup.com. Juicy, spiced birds and reasonable prices make this Peruvian chicken eatery a go-to place any night of the week. Family meals that serve four or six people available. Locations in Rockville and Gaithersburg, too. L D $
Flanagan’s Harp & Fiddle
4844 Cordell Ave., 301-951-0115, www.flanagans harpandfiddle.com. This stylish pub features live music several days a week, Tuesday night poker and Monday quiz nights. In addition to traditional stews and fried fish, Flanagan’s offers smoked ribs, salmon and traditional Irish breakfast on weekends. ❂ J L D $$
Food Wine & Co. (Editors’ Pick)
7272 Wisconsin Ave., 301-652-8008, www.food wineandco.com. Upscale American fare that includes a farmstead cheese and charcuterie bar, an oyster bar, salads and sandwiches, and entrées ranging from pan-roasted rockfish to a risotto made with local pumpkin, smoked pearl onion and wild mushroom, all served in a stunning bistro. L D $$
7301 Waverly St. (in the Hilton Garden Inn), 301654-8111. Aside from a breakfast buffet featuring cooked-to-order omelets, waffles, fruit and more, the restaurant offers an extensive menu, from burgers and other sandwiches to crabcakes, short ribs and pasta dishes. J B D $$
4865 Cordell Ave., 301-986-9592, www.grape seedbistro.com. Chef-owner Jeff Heineman, who develops each dish on the frequently updated menu to pair with a specific wine, also offers small plates and a 10-seat wine-room table. Charcuterie offerings include house-made and artisan meats. L (Tuesday-Friday) D $$$
Gringos & Mariachis (Editors’ Pick)
4928 Cordell Ave., 240-800-4266, www.gringos andmariachis.com. The owners of the popular Olazzo Italian restaurants in Bethesda and Silver Spring trade in the red sauce for salsa at this hip taqueria with edgy murals and plenty of tequila. Starters include duck nachos, and the taco selection nears 15 choices. Voted “Best New Restaurant” by the magazine’s readers in 2015. L D $
Guapo’s Restaurant
8130 Wisconsin Ave., 301-656-0888, www.guapos restaurant.com. This outpost of a local chain has everything you’d expect: margaritas and chips galore, as well as a handful of daily specials served in festive Mexican surroundings. Perfect for families and dates. J R L D $
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dine Guardado’s
4918 Del Ray Ave., 301-986-4920, www.guardados. com. Chef-owner Nicolas Guardado, who trained at Jaleo, opened this hidden gem devoted to Latin-Spanish cooking in 2007 and has developed a following with tapas specialties like shrimp and sausage, stuffed red peppers and paella. J L D $
Hanaro Restaurant & Lounge
7820 Norfolk Ave., 301-654-7851, www.hanaro bethesda.com. Operated by father-and-son Mike and Gene Han, the restaurant’s modern dark woods combined with a light-filled dining room brighten its corner location, and the menu includes sushi and Asian fusion main courses. The bar offers a daily happy hour. ❂ L D $$
Heckman’s Delicatessen
4914 Cordell Ave., 240-800-4879. www.heckman sdeli.com. The deli features all the staples, plus a dinner menu with chicken-in-a-pot and stuffed cabbage. Menu offers long lists of ingredients to build your own salads, sandwiches and egg dishes. Sweets include rugelach, black-and-white cookies and homemade cheesecake. ❂ J B L D $
Himalayan Heritage (Editors’ Pick)
4925 Bethesda Ave., 301-654-1858, www. himalayanheritagedc.com. The menu includes North Indian, Nepalis, Indo-Chinese and Tibetan cuisines, featuring momos (Nepalese dumplings), Indian takes on Chinese chow mein and a large selection of curry dishes. All-you-can-eat lunch buffet offered, too. L D $
House of Foong Lin
4613 Willow Lane, 301-656-3427. www.foong lin.com. The Chinese restaurant features Cantonese, Hunan and Szechuan cuisine, including chef’s recommendations, low-fat choices and lots of traditional noodle dishes. L D $$
House of Milae
4932 St. Elmo Ave., 301-654-1997. The Kang family, who own Milae Cleaners in Bethesda, bring simple Korean dishes to their first food foray. Chef “M&M” Kang prepares home-style fare such as bulgogi, galbi and bibimbap; also look for the Korean-style sushi known as kimbab. The kids’ menu has one item: spaghetti, made from the recipe of owner Thomas Kang’s former college roommate’s mother. L D $
Jaleo (Editors’ Pick)
7271 Woodmont Ave., 301-913-0003, www.jaleo. com. The restaurant that launched the American career of chef José Andrés and popularized Spanish tapas for a Washington, D.C., audience offers hot, cold, spicy and creative small plates served with outstanding Spanish wines. Voted “Best Small Plates” by Bethesda Magazine readers in 2014 and 2015. ❂ R L D $$
JAMAICAN MI CRAZY (New)
7101 Democracy Blvd. (in Westfield Montgomery mall), 301-469-6000. www.jmccurbside.com. Food truck operator Naya Radway adds a Caribbean vibe to Westfield’s dining terrace with a stationary counter-service eatery. The daughter of Jamaican parents, Radway features family recipes for jerk chicken, curry chicken, stewed oxtail and more. L D $
Jetties
4829 Fairmont Ave., 301-769-6844, www.jetties dc.com. The only suburban location of the popular Nantucket-inspired sandwich shop, which has five restaurants in Northwest Washington, D.C. Aside from the signature Nobadeer sandwich (roasted turkey and stuffing with cranberry sauce and mayon-
naise on sourdough), look for large salads, a soup bar and an innovative children’s menu. ❂ J L D $
Kabob Bazaar
7710 Wisconsin Ave., 301-652-5814, www.kabob bazaar.com. The younger sister of a popular Arlington restaurant with the same name offers kabobs in every protein possible, plus lots of vegetarian side dishes. Music on Saturdays and Sundays. ❂ L D $
Kadhai (Editors’ Pick)
7905 Norfolk Ave., 301-718-0121, www.kadhai. com. This popular Indian restaurant formerly known as Haandi serves a variety of traditional chicken, lamb and seafood dishes, plus rice and vegetarian dishes and a selection of breads. An extensive lunch buffet is offered daily. ❂ L D $$
La Panetteria
4921 Cordell Ave., 301-951-6433, www.la panetteria.com. La Panetteria transports diners into a quaint Italian villa with its impeccable service and Old World atmosphere, serving such Southern and Northern Italian classic dishes as homemade spaghetti and veal scaloppine. L D $$
Le Vieux Logis
7925 Old Georgetown Road, 301-652-6816, www. levieuxlogisrestaurantmd.com. The colorful exterior will draw you into this family-run Bethesda institution, but classic French dishes such as Dover sole meunière and mussels in a white wine broth will keep you coming back. ❂ D $$$
Lebanese Taverna
7141 Arlington Road, 301-951-8681, www.lebanese taverna.com. This branch of this long-lived local chain is an elegant spot for dipping puffy pita bread into hummus and baba ghanoush. The rest of the traditional Lebanese mezze are worth a try, too, as are the slow-cooked lamb dishes. Voted “Best Mediterranean Restaurant” by Bethesda Magazine readers in 2014. ❂ J L D $$
Louisiana Kitchen & Bayou Bar
4907 Cordell Ave., 301-652-6945, www.louisiana bethesda.com. The popular Bethesda institution offers a Cajun- and Creole-style menu, complete with divine fried items. The pain perdou and beignets remain a great way to start a Sunday morning. B R L D $
Luke’s Lobster
7129 Bethesda Lane, 301-718-1005, www.lukes lobster.com. This upscale carryout features authentic lobster, shrimp and crab rolls; the seafood is shipped directly from Maine. Try the Taste of Maine, which offers all three kinds of rolls, plus two crab claws.❂ L D $
Mamma Lucia
4916 Elm St., 301-907-3399, www.mammalucia restaurants.com. New York-style pizza dripping with cheese and crowd-pleasing red sauce, and favorites like chicken Parmesan and linguini with clams draw the crowds to this local chain. Gluten-free options available. ❂ L D $$
MATUBA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
4918 Cordell Ave., 301-652-7449, www. matuba-sushi.com. Longtime Bethesda Japanese eatery goes more casual, with counter service and carryout added to the traditional seating area. Sushi a la carte, rolls and entrées all available. L D $$
Max Brenner Chocolate Bar
7263 Woodmont Ave., 301-215-8305, www.max brenner.com. Chocoholics and dessert lovers will
have a field day with the restaurant’s milkshakes, coffee drinks, hot chocolate, crêpes, waffles, fondue, ice cream and chocolate pizza. A retail section offers bonbons, praline wafers and caramelized nuts rolled in hazelnut cream and cocoa powder. ❂ $
Met Bethesda
7101 Democracy Blvd., Unit 3200 (in Westfield Montgomery mall), 301-767-1900. www.met bethesdamd.com. Boston-based restaurateur Kathy Sidell’s restaurant offers seasonal American cuisine cooked over a wood-burning grill. Look for oak-fired prime rib-eye steak, grilled avocados stuffed with Maryland crab and an extensive martini selection, served in snazzy surroundings with an open kitchen. L D $$
Mia’s Pizzas (Editors’ Pick)
4926 Cordell Ave., 301-718-6427, www.miaspizzas bethesda.com. Mia’s Pizzas’ wood-burning oven turns out Naples-style pies with a variety of toppings, plus homemade soups and cupcakes. Sit in the cheery dining room with yellow, green and orange accents or under an umbrella on the patio. ❂ J L D $$
Moby Dick House of Kabob
7027 Wisconsin Ave., 301-654-1838, www. mobyskabob.com. This kabob takeout/eat-in mainstay was one of the first kabob places in the area. It makes its own pita bread. The menu includes a variety of salads and vegetarian sandwiches and platters. L D $
MOMO Chicken + Jazz
4862 Cordell Ave., Bethesda, 240-483-0801, www. momofc.com. Skip the breasts, and head for the wings or drumsticks at Bethesda’s first Korean fried chicken spot. Options such as seafood pancakes, bulgogi and bibimbap are part of the extensive offerings, all served in a hip space with framed record albums gracing the walls. ❂ J L D $$
Mon Ami Gabi
7239 Woodmont Ave., 301-654-1234, www.mon amigabi.com. Waiters serve bistro classics such as escargot, steak frites and profiteroles in a dark and boisterous spot that doesn’t feel like a chain. Voted “Best Place for a Couple’s Night Out” by the magazine’s readers in 2015. Live jazz Tuesday and Thursday nights. ❂ J R L D $$
Morton’s, The Steakhouse
7400 Wisconsin Ave., 301-657-2650, www.mortons. com. An ultra-sophisticated steak house serving pricey, large portions of prime-aged beef and drinks. The restaurant is known for a top-notch dinner experience but also offers lunch and a bar menu. D $$$
Mussel Bar & Grille
7262 Woodmont Ave., 301-215-7817, www.mussel bar.com. Kensington resident and big-name chef Robert Wiedmaier serves his signature mussels, plus wood-fired tarts, salads and sandwiches. Wash them all down with a choice of 40 Belgian beers, a list that won “Best Craft Beer Selection” by the magazine’s readers in 2013 and 2015. ❂ R L D $$
Naples Ristorante E Pizzeria E Bar
7101 Democracy Blvd. (in Westfield Montgomery mall), 301-365-8300, www.naplesbethesda.com. Neapolitan-style pizzas from three wood-fired ovens are served at this large, light and airy addition to the mall’s dining terrace. Owned by the Patina Restaurant Group, which operates about 70 eateries nationwide, Naples also offers Italian wines, small plates, pasta dishes and entrées. L D $$
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Nest Cafe 4921 Bethesda Ave., 301-718-6378, www.nestwine barcafe.com. Nest offers simple salads, pasta and pizzas. Among the best eats, however, are the crispy calamari and artichokes appetizer and the mussels and fries entrée. Live music on Friday and Saturday nights. ❂ R L (except Monday) D $$
NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE’S 10400 Old Georgetown Rd., 240-316-4555, www.notyouraveragejoes.com. Massachusettsbased chain does a total redo, inside and out, of the old Hamburger Hamlet, transforming it into an urban, rustic setting. Moderately-priced menu offers burgers, big salads and stonehearth pizzas, plus entrées like Vietnamese salmon and Anything But Average Meatloaf. ❂ J L D $$
Oakville Grille & Wine Bar (Editors’ Pick) 10257 Old Georgetown Road, 301-897-9100, www.oakvillewinebar.com. Fresh California food paired with a thoughtful wine list in an elegant, spare setting may not sound unique, but Oakville was one of the first in the area to do so, and continues to do it well. L D $$
Olazzo (Editors’ Pick) 7921 Norfolk Ave., 301-654-9496, www.olazzo. com. This well-priced, romantic restaurant is the place for couples seeking red-sauce classics at reasonable prices. Founded by brothers Riccardo and Roberto Pietrobono, it was voted “Best Italian Restaurant” and “Best Fried Calamari” by our readers in 2014. ❂ L D $$
Original Pancake House
7700 Wisconsin Ave., Store D, 301-986-0285, www.ophrestaurants.com. Try one of dozens of pancake dishes, as well as eggs and waffles galore. Named “Best Breakfast” by the magazine’s readers in 2014. J B L $
Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar
7904 Woodmont Ave., 301-312-6488, www.the parva.com. With more than 70 tequilas and an extensive menu of Tex-Mex dishes, the eatery formerly called The Parva has re-branded itself from its Latin fusion days. All three varieties of the ceviche are lively, and so is the bar scene. R D $$
Passage to India (Editors’ Pick)
4931 Cordell Ave., 301-656-3373, www.passage toindia.info. Top-notch, pan-Indian fare by chefowner Sudhir Seth, with everything from garlic naan to fish curry made to order. Elegant ivory screens shield diners from street noise. Voted “Best Indian Restaurant” by Bethesda Magazine readers in 2014. ❂ R L D $$
PASSIONFISH bethesda (New)
7187 Woodmont Ave., 301-358-6116. passionfish bethesda.com. The second location of Passion Food Hospitality’s splashy seafood restaurant (the first opened in 2008 in Reston, Virginia) features stunning coastal-themed décor and an extensive menu of shellfish, caviar, sushi, chef’s specialties and fresh catches of the day. J L D $$$
PAUL
4760 Bethesda Ave., 301-656-3285, www.paul-usa. com. Five-generation, family-owned French bak-
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Penang Malaysian & THAI Cuisine & BAR 4933 Bethesda Ave., 301-657-2878, www.penang maryland.com. At this Malaysian spot decorated with exotic dark woods and a thatched roof, spices run the gamut of Near and Far Eastern influence, and flavors include coconut, lemongrass, sesame and chili sauce. L D $$
Persimmon (Editors’ Pick)
7003 Wisconsin Ave., 301-654-9860, www.persimmonrestaurant.com. Owners Damian and Stephanie Salvatore’s popular restaurant offers casual fare from salads to sandwiches to meat and seafood entrées in a bistro setting featuring a lively bar, cozy booths and bright paintings on the walls. ❂ R L D $$
Pines of Rome
4709 Hampden Lane, 301-657-8775. Local celebrities and families gather at this down-home Italian spot for traditional pasta, pizza, fish and seafood at prices that are easy on the wallet. The white pizza is a hit, and don’t forget the spaghetti and meatballs. L D $
Pizza Tempo
8021 Wisconsin Ave., 240-497-0000, www.pizza tempo.us. Pizza with a twist, which includes toppings such as sujuk (Mediterranean beef sausage), pistachio mortadella and spicy beef franks, plus a wide selection of pides (boat-shaped pizzas).
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dine Salads, wraps, panini and entrées also available. Limited seating; delivery within about a 3-mile radius. L D $
Pizzeria da Marco (Editors’ Pick)
8008 Woodmont Ave., 301-654-6083, www.pizzeria damarco.net. Authentic Neapolitan pizzas fired in a 900-degree Italian brick oven range from the Siciliana with eggplant confit and black olives to the Solo Carne with sausage, pepperoni and salame. Salads, antipasti and calzones available, too. ❂ L D $
Positano Ristorante Italiano
4940-48 Fairmont Ave., 301-654-1717, www. epositano.com. An authentic Italian, family-run restaurant popular for private events, large and small. Colorful rooms are decorated with Italian landscapes, copper pots and hanging plants, and the outdoor patio is one of the most beautiful in the county. ❂ L D $$
Praline Bakery & Bistro
4611 Sangamore Road, 301-229-8180, www. praline-bakery.com. This sunny restaurant offers a tempting bakery takeout counter, full dining service and a patio. The food, which includes chicken pot pie and pralines, is French with an American accent. The magazine’s editors voted its desserts the prettiest around in 2013. ❂ J B R L D $$
Raku (Editors’ Pick)
7240 Woodmont Ave., 301-718-8680, www.raku asiandining.com. Voted “Best Sushi” by the magazine’s readers in 2014 and “Best Bethesda Restaurant” in 2013, this casual restaurant has bamboo walls that do little to dampen the noise, but the menu satisfies with everything from sushi to kung pao chicken. ❂ L D $$
Redwood Restaurant & Bar
7121 Bethesda Lane, 301-656-5515, www.redwood bethesda.com. The upscale wine bar features fresh, local food and California-centric wines. Voted “Best Private Dining Room” by the magazine’s readers in 2013 (in a tie), Redwood features a frequently changing menu and in-season farmers market dinners. ❂ J R L D $$
Rice Paddies Grill & Pho
4706 Bethesda Ave., 301-718-1862, ricepaddies grill.com. This cute copper-and-green eat-in/carryout makes quick work of Vietnamese favorites like pork, beef and vegetable skewers infused with lemongrass and the classic beef noodle soup known as pho. L D $
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery 7900 Norfolk Ave., 301-652-1311, www.rock bottom.com. India Pale Ales and specialty dark brews are among the award-winning beers crafted in-house at this cavernous yet welcoming chain, which offers a vast menu. The burgers are the real deal. ❂ J L D $$
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
7315 Wisconsin Ave., 301-652-7877, www.ruths chris.com. A dark and clubby feel makes this elegant chain popular with families as well as the happy-hour crowd. Don’t skip the fresh seafood choices, which include Caribbean lobster tail and barbecued shrimp. D $$$
Sala Thai
4828 Cordell Ave., 301-654-4676, www.salathai dc.com. This Thai mainstay cooks the classics and offers diners a nearly panoramic view of Wood-
mont Avenue through huge, curved windows. Live jazz Friday and Saturday evenings. L D $$
Saphire Café
7940 Wisconsin Ave., 301-986-9708. A relaxing spot for tasting everything from Maryland-style crab soup to Argentine skirt steak, Saphire pumps it up a notch on Friday and Saturday nights with drink specials and DJs. Tiki bar open Wednesdays through Saturdays. ❂ L D $
Satsuma
8003 Norfolk Ave., 301-652-1400. satsumajp.com. Bethesda’s first yakiniku (Japanese barbecue) restaurant has built-in grills at each table. Diners select a cut—short rib, chuck rib, skirt or tongue— and prepare it themselves. There’s also an extensive sushi and sashimi menu, as well as interesting cooked dishes. L D $$
Shanghai Village
4929 Bethesda Ave., 301-654-7788. Owner Kwok Chueng prides himself on personal attention and recognizing regulars who have been stopping in for his classic Chinese cooking for more than 25 years. Order the secret recipe Mai Tai. L D $
Shangri -La Nepalese and Indian Cuisine
7345-A Wisconsin Ave., 301-656-4444, www. shangrilabethesda.com. Northern Indian and Nepali specialties such as butter chicken and fresh flatbreads known as naan shine here. The extensive menu ranges from soups and salads to tandoori and kabobs.J L D $
Share Wine Lounge & Small Plate Bistro
8120 Wisconsin Ave. (in the Doubletree Hotel), 301-652-2000, www.doubletreebethesda.com/ dining.aspx. Share some buffalo chicken sliders or avocado bruschetta, or go for main courses ranging from Yankee pot roast to cedar plankroasted salmon. B L D $$
SILVER (New)
7150 Woodmont Ave., 301-652-9780, eatatsilver. com. Upscale, tonier version of the homegrown Silver Diner chain, with modern takes on American classics and an emphasis on healthy, local and organic ingredients. Sleek interior takes its cue from the 1920s. ❂ J B R L D $$
Smoke BBQ Bethesda
4858 Cordell Ave., 301-656-2011, www.smoke bbqbethesda.com. Pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked chicken, ribs and all the fixin’s, plus starters including smoked tomato soup and fried pickles served in a friendly, casual space. Delivery available for orders over $15. J L D $
South Street Steaks
4856 Cordell Ave., 301-215-8333, www.south streetsteaks.com. Even transplanted Philadelphians will admire the cheesesteaks at this local chain’s third location. The shop also offers chicken cheesesteaks, hoagies (that’s Philly-talk for cold subs) and sandwiches called “Phillinis,” a cross between “Philly” and “panini.” J L D $
Stromboli Family Restaurant
7023 Wisconsin Ave., 301-986-1980, www.strombolis restaurant.com. In addition to a large selection of delectable hot Italian sandwiches called stromboli, this proud family restaurant/carryout features pizzas, subs and pastas at reasonable prices. L D $
sweetgreen
4831 Bethesda Ave.301-654-7336, sweetgreen. com. The sweetgreen fast-casual chain—with its focus on local and organic ingredients—concentrates on salads (devise your own, or pick from a list) and soups. Look for eco-friendly décor and a healthy sensibility. ❂ L D $
Tako Grill
4914 Hampden Lane (The Shoppes of Bethesda), 301-652-7030, www.takogrill.com. Longtime, popular sushi destination relocates to the space formerly occupied by Hinode Japanese Restaurant. Look for the same traditional sushi menu, plus some new options, such as griddlecooked teppanyaki at lunch, and more varieties of yakatori at dinner. L D $$
Tandoori Nights
7236 Woodmont Ave., 301-656-4002, www.tandoori nightsbethesda.com. Located in the heart of downtown Bethesda, the restaurant serves traditional Indian fare ranging from tandoori chicken, marinated in yogurt and spices, to a biryani flavored with saffron, nuts and raisins. ❂ L D $$
Tastee Diner
7731 Woodmont Ave., 301-652-3970, www.tastee diner.com. For 80 years, this crowd-pleasing if slightly sagging spot has served up everything from breakfast to burgers to blue-plate specials like steak and crabcakes to crowds of loyal customers. Open 24 hours. J B L D $
Taylor Gourmet
7280 Woodmont Ave., 301-951-9001, www.taylor gourmet.com. The sandwich shop offers a menu of upscale takes on Philadelphia hoagies, sandwiches and salads made with top-notch ingredients. Check out the eggroll appetizer of mozzarella, provolone, hot capicola, Genoa salami, peppers and red onion. L D $
The Barking Dog
4723 Elm St., 301-654-0022, barkingdogbar.com. A fun place for young adults, with drink specials nearly every night and bar food such as quesadillas and burgers. Salsa dancing on Tuesdays, trivia on Wednesdays, karaoke on Thursdays and a DJ and dancing Fridays and Saturdays. ❂ L D $
The Burger Joint
4827 Fairmont Ave., 301-358-6137, www.bgrthe burgerjoint.com. The burgers are good and the vibe is great at this frequently packed eatery next to Veterans Park. Try the veggie burger, made with a blend of brown rice, black beans, molasses and oats. ❂ J L D $
The Corner Slice
7901 Norfolk Ave., 301-907-7542, www.the cornerslice.net. New York-style pizza, available by the slice or as a 20-inch pie. Specialty pizzas include the spinach-artichoke white pie with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan and the Buffalo Chicken Pie with blue cheese and hot sauce. ❂ L D $
Tia Queta
4839 Del Ray Ave., 301-654-4443, www.tiaqueta. com. This longtime family and happy-hour favorite offers authentic Mexican food like moles and fish dishes, as well as the usual Tex-Mex options. Menu includes American and Mexican beers. ❂ J L D $$
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Tommy Joe’s Restaurant
4714 Montgomery Lane, 301-654-3801, www. tommyjoes.com. Hot wings, loaded potato skins and sliders, along with drink specials, abound at this friendly restaurant/bar/nightclub featuring 20 big-screen TVs for game time. ❂ L D $$
Trattoria Sorrento (Editors’ Pick)
4930 Cordell Ave., 301-718-0344, www.trattoria sorrento.com. This family-run Italian favorite offers homemade pastas, baked eggplant and fresh fish dishes. Half-price bottles of wine on Wednesdays. Opera dinners at 6 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month feature a four-course meal and a performance for $60 per person. D $$
Tyber Bierhaus
7525 Old Georgetown Road, 240-821-6830, www.tyberbierhausmd.com. Czech, German and Belgian brews served in an authentic beer-hall setting, furnished with the same benches as those used in the Hofbrau brewhouse in Munich. Pub menu features mussels, hearty sandwiches, schnitzel and goulash. R L D $$
Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Café
4870 Bethesda Ave., 301-656-2981, www.uncle julios.com. Loud and large, this Tex-Mex eatery packs in families and revelers fueling up on fajitas, tacos and more. Kids love to watch the tortilla machine. Voted “Most Kid-Friendly Restaurant” by the magazine’s readers in 2015. ❂ J R L D $$
Union Jack’s
4915 St. Elmo Ave., 301-652-2561, www.union jacksbethesda.com. This authentically decorated British-style pub is partially below street level. English dishes such as Welsh rarebit cozy up to burgers, salads and crabcakes. DJ and dancing weekends until 2:30 a.m. ❂ L D $$
Urban Heights
7940 Norfolk Ave., 301-312-8282, urbanheights bethesda.com. Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s RW Restaurant Group features the pan-Asian cooking of Filipino chef Cliff Wharton, who concentrates on creative small plates (think wasabi blue cheese guacamole). The second-story restaurant offers patio and rooftop dining, plus jazzy drinks such as a kumquat mojito. ❂ L D $$
Villain & Saint
7141 Wisconsin Ave., 240-800-4700, villainand saint.com. Listen to live music while digging into salt-roasted beets or slow-smoked pork ribs at this hip bar, courtesy of chef Robert Wiedmaier’s RW Restaurant Group. Delightfully dated décor includes lava lamps and photos of late great rock stars. The menu is divided into hearty dishes (villain) and vegetarian options (saint). ❂ R L D $$
Vino Volo
7247 Woodmont Ave., 301-656-0916, www.vino volobethesdarow.com. This wine bar and shop features a rustic café serving small plates,
cheeses and cured meats, salads, sandwiches, pizza and a few entrées. For dessert, there’s bourbon bread pudding, gelato or sorbetto. ❂ L D $$
Wildwood Italian Kitchen
10257 Old Georgetown Road (Wildwood Shopping Center), 301-493-9230, www.oakvillewine bar.com. The owners, menu, décor and chef are the same, but the former Geppetto restaurant just gets a name change. The longtime eatery, owned by the adjacent Oakville Grille & Wine Bar, serves up thick-crusted Sicilian-style pizza, pasta and entrées in a casual atmosphere. ❂ L D $$
Wildwood Kitchen (Editors’ Pick)
10223 Old Georgetown Road (Wildwood Shopping Center), 301-571-1700, www.wildwood kitchenrw.com. Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s attractive neighborhood bistro serving fresh and light modern cuisine. Entrées range from Amish chicken with a scallion potato cake to grilled Atlantic salmon with creamy polenta. L D $$
Woodmont Grill (Editors’ Pick)
7715 Woodmont Ave., 301-656-9755, www.hillstone.com. Part of the Houston’s chain, the eatery offers such classics as spinach and artichoke dip and its famous burgers, but also housebaked breads, more exotic dishes, live jazz and a granite bar. ❂ L D $$$
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dine Yamas Mediterranean Grill
4806 Rugby Ave., 301-312-8384, www.yamasgrill. com. A friendly staff serve gyros, souvlaki, lemon chicken and other Greek specialties at this sunny café. Dinner entrées include Greek-style chicken and vegetarian mousaka. ❂ J L D $
Yuzu
7345-B Wisconsin Ave., 301-656-5234, yuzu bethesda.com. Diners will find authentic Japanese dishes, including sushi, sashimi and cooked tofu, vegetable, tempura, meat and fish dishes, prepared by sushi chef and owner Yoshihisa Ota. L D $$
CABIN JOHN Fish Taco
7945 MacArthur Blvd., 301-229-0900, www.fish tacoonline.com. This counter-service taqueria from the owners of Bethesda’s Food Wine & Co. features a full roster of seafood as well as non-aquatic tacos, plus margaritas and other Mexican specialties. The eco-chic décor is casual and attractive. Don’t miss the bread pudding. ❂ J L D $
Indigo House
7945 MacArthur Blvd., 301-312-6737. Sakesteamed clams, tamarind pork buns and teasmoked duck breast are among the choices at this hip Pan-Asian eatery from Persimmon and Wild Tomato restaurateurs Damian and Stephanie Salvatore. There’s a long bar that’s inviting for drinks and sushi. ❂ L D $$
Wild Tomato (Editors’ Pick)
7945 MacArthur Blvd., 301-229-0680, www.wild tomatorestaurant.com. A family-friendly neighborhood restaurant from Persimmon and Indigo House owners Damian and Stephanie Salvatore, serving salads, sandwiches and pizza. Voted “Best Fish Tacos” by our readers in 2014. ❂ J L D $
CHEVY CHASE Alfio’s La Trattoria
4515 Willard Ave., 301-657-9133, www.alfios.com. This Northern Italian classic on the first floor of The Willoughby of Chevy Chase Condominium has been feeding families and casual diners for more than 30 years. Look for traditional pasta, veal and chicken dishes (plus pizza), served in an Old World environment. J L D $$
Capital Grille
5310 Western Ave., 301-718-7812, www.capital grille.com. The upscale steak-house chain, known for its He-Man-sized portions and extensive wine list, is located in The Shops at Wisconsin Place. Entrées also include chicken, lamb chops, salmon and lobster. L D $$$$
Clyde’s
5441 Wisconsin Ave., 301-951-9600, www.clydes. com. The popular restaurant features a frequently changing menu of American favorites and a collection of vintage airplanes and cars, as well as a model train running on a track around the ceiling. ❂ J R L D $$
La Ferme (Editors’ Pick)
7101 Brookville Road, 301-986-5255, www.la fermerestaurant.com. This charming Provencestyle restaurant serving classic French cuisine is a popular choice for an intimate dinner or a celebration in one of several private rooms or
on the heated patio terrace. Perhaps that’s why the magazine’s readers voted it the “Most Romantic Restaurant” in 2014. ❂ R L D $$$
Lia’s (Editors’ Pick)
4435 Willard Ave., 240-223-5427, www.chefgeoff. com. Owner Geoff Tracy focuses on high-quality, low-fuss modern Italian-American fare at this modern space with a wine room. Pizzas, housemade pastas and fresh fish please business lunchers and dinner crowds. ❂ J R L D $
Manoli Canoli Restaurant
8540 Connecticut Ave., 301-951-1818, www.manoli canoli.com. Italian and Greek specialties abound at a fun family eatery that features a large prepared foods section, dishes made with olive oil from owner Stavros Manolakos’ family farm in Greece and homemade mozzarella on pizza and subs. ❂ J L D $
Meiwah Restaurant
4457 Willard Ave., 301-652-9882, www.meiwah restaurant.com. This modern restaurant on the second floor of a Friendship Heights office building offers top-quality Chinese dishes that are hard to beat. There’s also a sushi bar with an extensive menu. A fountain sparkles on the outdoor patio. ❂ L D $$
Potomac Pizza
19 Wisconsin Circle, 301-951-1127, www.potomac pizza.com. This cheery, casual dining room provides a break from the ultra-posh shopping surrounding it. In addition to pizza, subs and pastas are popular. Beer and wine available. ❂ J L D $
Sushiko (Editors’ Pick)
5455 Wisconsin Ave., 301-961-1644, www.sushiko restaurants.com. Known as the Washington, D.C., area’s most respected sushi restaurant, Sushiko offers a wide range of sushi and other dishes. A chef’s nine-course tasting menu includes seven original small dishes, a sushi course and dessert. ❂ L D $$
Tavira
8401 Connecticut Ave., 301-652-8684, www.tavira restaurant.com. Fish stews and several versions of bacalhau (salted cod) figure prominently on the menu of this intriguing Portuguese restaurant, which manages to be charming and attractive despite its location in an office building basement. L (except Saturday and Sunday) D $$
GARRETT PARK Black Market Bistro (Editors’ Pick)
4600 Waverly Ave., 301-933-3000, www.black marketrestaurant.com. Sublime American bistro fare served in a restored Victorian building next to railroad tracks; the building once served as a general store and still houses a post office. Entrées range from swordfish to a burger and pizza, including several vegetable options. ❂ J R L D $$
GLEN ECHO Irish Inn at Glen Echo
6119 Tulane Ave., 301-229-6600, www.irishinn glenecho.com. This historic tavern has been a family home and a biker bar, but its incarnation as the Irish Inn has been delivering smiles and hearty food since 2003. Traditional Irish music on Monday nights and The 19th Street Band on
every other Wednesday night, plus live jazz on Thursday nights. ❂ J R L D $$
KENSINGTON Frankly…Pizza!
10417 Armory Ave., 301-832-1065, www. frankly-pizza.com. Owner Frank Linn turns out high-quality pizza in a rustic brick-and-mortar restaurant. The menu offers wood-fired pies topped with home-cured meats and tomato sauce made from an 80-year-old family recipe. Wines and homemade sodas served on tap, too. ❂ L D $
K Town Bistro
3784 Howard Ave., 301-933-1211, www.ktown bistro.com. Try filet mignon, duck breast à l’orange, chicken marsala and other classic continental dishes from this family-run eatery owned by Gonzalo Barba, former longtime captain of the restaurant in the Watergate Hotel. L D $$
Savannah’s American Grill
10700 Connecticut Ave., 301-946-7917. This casual sports bar serves American bar food, including wraps, burgers, salads and ribs, and brunch on weekends. Diners can enjoy their meals outside on a 50-seat patio. ❂ J R L D $
Sub*Urban Trading Co.
10301 Kensington Parkway, 301-962-4046, www. suburbantrading.com. Earthy, neighborhood bistro and market features creative seasonal dishes. Think cured duck leg sandwich with shaved onions and fig preserves, roasted sausage and ricestuffed shallots, vegetable pot-au-feu, plus homemade sweets. R L D $$
NORTH POTOMAC/ GAITHERSBURG Asia Nine
254 Crown Park Ave., 301-330-9997, www.asia ninemd.com. Pan Asian restaurant with a first location in Washington, D.C.’s Penn Quarter offers dishes from Vietnam, China, Thailand and Japan. Specialties include grilled lamb chops served with mango-soy coulis and miso honey duck breast drizzled with a sake butter sauce. R L D $$
Athens Grill
9124 Rothbury Drive, 301-975-0757, www.athens grill.com. This casual, friendly, family-run restaurant specializes in authentic Greek cooking, using recipes handed down through generations. Specialties like rotisserie chicken, chargrilled salmon with a lemon dill sauce and lamb kabobs are cooked on a hardwood grill. L D $
Bonefish Grill
82 Market St., 240-631-2401, www.bonefishgrill. com. While fresh fish cooked over a wood fire is the centerpiece of this upscale Florida chain, the steaks, crabcakes and specialty martinis make it a fun option for happy hour and those with hearty appetites. R L (only on Sundays) D $$
Buca di Beppo
122 Kentlands Blvd., 301-947-7346, www.bucadi beppo.com. The Kentlands outpost of this national chain serves huge, family-style portions of Italian specialties from fresh breads to antipasti and pasta
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dishes amid a sea of Italian kitsch. Desserts include Italian Creme Cake and Tiramisu. J L D $$
Burma Road
617 S. Frederick Ave., 301-963-1429, www.burma road.biz. A good place to sample pickled tea leaf salad and other Burmese specialties. House specials include Three Cup Chicken Casserole and Sizzling Shrimp and Scallop in Hot Garlic Sauce. LD$
Coal Fire
Kentlands Square, 116 Main St., 301-519-2625, www.coalfireonline.com. Homemade crusts fired by coal and topped with your choice of toppings and three different sauces: classic, spicy and signature, which is slightly sweet with a hint of spice. Salads, sandwiches and pasta also available, plus a full bar. ❂LD$
Coastal Flats
135 Crown Park Ave. (Downtown Crown), 301-8698800, www.greatamericanrestaurants.com. First Maryland locale for Great American Restaurants, a Fairfax-based chain. Seaside-inspired décor extends to the menu, which offers lobster and shrimp rolls, fried grouper and key lime pie. Steaks, pasta and burgers also served. ❂ J L D $$
Copper Canyon Grill
100 Boardwalk Place, 240-631-0003, www.ccgrill. com. Large portions of American classics like salads, ribs and rotisserie chicken prepared with seasonal ingredients at family-friendly prices are the bill of fare at this spacious and casual chain restaurant. J L D $$
Dogfish Head Alehouse
800 W. Diamond Ave., 301-963-4847, www.dogfish alehouse.com. The first Maryland outpost of the popular Rehoboth Beach brewpub, the restaurant is packed with revelers and families clamoring for the Dogfish Head brews, burgers, pizzas and ribs. Check out the burger of the week. ❂ J L D $$
Growler’s
227 E. Diamond Ave., 301-519-9400, www.growlers restaurant.com. This turn-of-the-century building in downtown Gaithersburg is now a brewpub with regular and seasonal house brews and a full menu including pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and entrées such as Cajun rigatoni and steak frites. Live music Wednesday through Saturday. ❂ J R L D $
Guapo’s Restaurant
9811 Washingtonian Blvd., L-17, 301-977-5655, www.guaposrestaurant.com. See Bethesda listing. ❂JRLD$
Il Porto Restaurant
245 Muddy Branch Road, 301-590-0735, www.il portorestaurant.com. A classic red-sauce menu, elegant murals of Venice and an authentic thincrust pizza are hallmarks of this friendly, unfussy Italian restaurant tucked in the Festival Shopping Center. Fried calamari and the white pizza are among customer favorites. ❂ L D $
Joe’s Crab Shack
221 Rio Blvd., 301-947-4377, www.joescrabshack. com. This is one of four Maryland locations of the chain, which offers blue crabs from April through August and other varieties year-round, as well as chicken and burgers for landlubbers. Popular with families and young couples. ❂ J L D $$
Le Palais
304 Main St., No. 100, 301-947-4051, www. restaurantlepalais.com. Chef-owner Joseph Zaka trips lightly through the dishes of Brittany and
Burgundy, adding a modern twist here and there. Entrées include squab with chestnuts, prunes and wild mushrooms, and cassolette of lamb. D $$$
Not Your Average Joe’s
245 Kentlands Blvd. (Kentlands Square Shopping Center), 240-477-1040, www.notyouraverage joes.com. See Bethesda listing. ❂ J L D $$
Old Town Pour House
FRESH CLASSICS FROM SCRATCH
212 Ellington Blvd. (in Downtown Crown), 301963-6281, www.oldtownpourhouse.com. One of the eateries from Chicago’s Bottleneck Management restaurant company, this place features more than 90 local and international brews on tap. Classic American cuisine is served in a setting with copper-inlaid bars and high ceilings. ❂ L D $$
Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar
11333 Woodglen Drive, 301-816-1100, www. paladarlatinkitchen.com. This Cleveland-based chain covers the spectrum of Latin cuisine, with dishes from Cuba, the Caribbean and Central and South America. From Brazil, there’s feijoada stew; from Cuba, ropa vieja; and from Jamaica, jerk chicken. Bar selections includes 50 varieties of rum, 15 tequilas and six types of mojitos. ❂ J R L D $$
Potomac Pizza
625 Center Point Way, 301-977-9777, www.potomac pizza.com. See Chevy Chase listing. J L D $
Quincy’s Bar & Grille
616 Quince Orchard Road, 301-869-8200, quincys bar.com. Energetic neighborhood pub with a sports bar atmosphere, Quincy’s also has an extensive menu with wings, pizza, build-your-own burgers and chicken sandwiches, plus entrées including Guinness-braised brisket. Live music is also a big draw. L D $
Red Hot & Blue
16811 Crabbs Branch Way, 301-948-7333, www. redhotandblue.com. You’ll find generous portions of hickory-smoked barbecue, plus burgers, salads and wraps, and a Southern attitude at this chain popular for its office party takeout and its familyfriendly, kitschy roadhouse décor. J L D $
Voted one of the most kid friendly restaurants by the readers of Bethesda Magazine
GAITHERSBURG | BETHESDA | TYSONS CORNER | CLEVELAND PARK | WEST END | WWW.CAFEDELUXE.COM
the
grilled oyster co.
Rio Grande Café
231 Rio Blvd., 240-632-2150, www.unclejulios. com. See Bethesda listing under Uncle Julio’s. ❂ J R L D $$
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
106 Crown Park Ave. (Downtown Crown), 301990-1926, www.ruthschris.com. See Bethesda listing. D $$$
Sardi’s Pollo a La Brasa
430 N. Frederick Ave., 301-977-3222, www.sardis chicken.com. Yes, there’s charbroiled chicken, but don’t miss the other Peruvian specialties, especially the ceviche and Salchipapas, a true Peruvian street food of thinly sliced pan-fried beef hotdogs mixed with french fries and served with condiments. L D $
Tandoori Nights
106 Market St., 301-947-4007, www.tandoori nightsmd.com. See Bethesda listing. ❂ L D $
Tara Thai
9811 Washingtonian Blvd., L-9, 301-947-8330, www.tarathai.com. Thai cuisine goes high style at Bethesda Magazine’s pick for “Best Thai Restaurant” in 2014. With colorful murals of ocean creatures
The Grilled Oyster Company is a regionally inspired fresh seafood & raw bar 7943 Tuckerman Ln. Potomac, Md 20854 TheGrilledOysterCompany.com
301-299-9888
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dine looking on, diners can try dishes ranging from mild to adventurous. ❂ L D $$
Ted’s Bulletin
220 Ellington Blvd. (in Downtown Crown), 301990-0600, www.tedsbulletin.com. First Maryland location of the modern diner chainlet from the folks at Matchbox Food Group. Boozy milkshakes, homemade pop tarts and the Cinnamon Roll As Big As Ya Head (served weekends only) are among the specialties. ❂ J R L D $$
Thai Tanium
657 Center Point Way, 301-990-3699, www.thai taniumrestaurant.com. Authentic Thai food laced with lots of chilies and garlic as hot as you like. Try one of the Thai street food dishes, such as roasted pork with Thai herbed sweet sauce and noodle soups. ❂ J L D $
The Boulevard Tavern
311 Kentlands Blvd., 301-569-4247, thetaverns. com/boulevard-tavern. Brasserie Beck Kentlands was revamped into a more casual American tavern with an expansive menu including chicken wings, burgers, Maryland crab cakes and mussels. The restaurant also offers a mixture of American and Belgian craft beers and a larger outdoor dining area that sometimes hosts live music. ❂ R L D $$
The Melting Pot
9021 Gaither Road, 301-519-3638, www.the meltingpot.com. There’s nothing like dipping bits of bread, vegetables and apples into a communal pot of hot cheese to get a date or a party started. The Melting Pot chain also offers wine, oil or broth to cook meat tableside and chocolate fondue for dessert. J D $$
The Wine Harvest, The Kentlands
114 Market St., 301-869-4008, www.thewine harvest.com. Stop by this popular Cheers-like wine bar locally owned by the Meyrowitz family for a glass of wine or a Belgian beer. The menu includes salads, sandwiches and cheese plates. There’s also a Potomac location. ❂ L D $
Vasilis Mediterranean Grill
353 Main St., 301-977-1011, www.vasilisgrill.com. With soaring white pillars and a spate of inviting outdoor tables, this Greek restaurant serves the usual souvlaki and gyros as well as more interesting dishes such as grilled branzini (sea bass) and lamb chops. ❂ J L D $
Yoyogi Sushi
328 Main St., 301-963-0001. A no-nonsense neighborhood sushi place with bright fish tanks, it offers the familiar sushi, teriyaki, tempura dishes, plus seaweed salad, soup, green tea and red bean ice cream. L D $
Ziki Japanese Steak House
10009 Fields Road, 301-330-3868, www.zikisteak house.com. This large steak house on a busy corner charms patrons with its fountains, stone Buddhas and geisha mannequins. Food offerings include sushi, as well as meats cooked on a tableside hibachi. J L D $$
POTOMAC Amici Miei
1093 Seven Locks Road, 301-545-0966, www.amici mieiristorante.com. Chef Davide Megna and manager/partner Roberto Deias have created an upscale Italian neighborhood gathering place, with
wood-fired pizzas, homemade pastas and creative salads. Happy Hour held Monday through Friday. ❂ R L D $$
Attman’s Delicatessen
7913 Tuckerman Lane (Cabin John Shopping Center), 301-765-3354, cabinjohn.attmansdeli.com. This landmark Baltimore deli has run a second location in Potomac since 2013. The menu offers the same legendary corned beef, pastrami and other deli specialties. Third-generation owner Marc Attman is at the helm. J B L D $
Benny’s Bar & Grill
7747 Tuckerman Lane (Cabin John Shopping Center & Mall), 301-299-3377, www.bennysbar grill.com. Familiar American favorites from pancakes and waffles to shrimp scampi, ribs and roast chicken served amidst 1940s-era décor. Signature cocktails include Rhubarb Gin Fizz and Sweet Fire Margtini. J B (on weekends) L D $$
Brooklyn’s Deli & Catering
1089 Seven Locks Road, 301-340-3354, www. brooklynsdelimd.com. From chopped liver to chicken soup, Brooklyn’s serves all the deli specialties, plus more. Think hot pastrami with cole slaw and Russian dressing on pumpernickel or grilled marinated chicken breast, avocado, tomato and mayonnaise on grilled sourdough. ❂ J B L D $
Elevation Burger
12525-D Park Potomac Ave., 301-838-4010, www. elevationburger.com. Fast-food burgers go organic and grass-fed at this Northern Virginia-founded chain. Veggie burgers, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese and a BLT available, too. Shake flavors range from banana to key lime and cheesecake. ❂LD$
Gregorio’s Trattoria
7745 Tuckerman Lane (Cabin John Shopping Center), 301-296-6168, www.gregorios trattoria.com. Proprietor Greg Kahn aims to make everyone feel at home at this family-owned restaurant serving a hit parade of traditional Italian favorites, with all the familiar pasta, pizza, chicken, veal and seafood dishes; the glutenfree menu offers pizza, cheese ravioli and quinoa pastas. J L D $$
Hunter’s Bar and Grill
10123 River Road, 301-299-9300, www.thehunters inn.com. At this Potomac institution and popular English hunt-themed spot, try a big salad or hamburger for lunch and a traditional pasta dish or filet mignon for dinner with the family. ❂ J R L D $$
Mix Bar and Grille
9812 Falls Road, Potomac, 301-299-3000, www. mixbarandgrille.com. This casual spot serves charcuterie and cheese plates, brick-oven flatbreads and other light fare. The space is modern and hip, with tall, white banquettes, Plexiglas chairs, five big-screen TVs, and a 20-seat bar. Look for lots of wines by the glass and beers on tap. L D $$
MoCo’s Founding Farmers
12505 Park Potomac Ave., 301-340-8783, www.we arefoundingfarmers.com. Farm-inspired fare in a modern and casual setting; this is the sister restaurant to the phenomenally popular downtown Founding Farmers. Bethesda Magazine readers chose it as “Best Restaurant in Montgomery County” and for “Most Inventive Cocktails” in 2015. Try the warm cookies for dessert. ❂ B R L D $$
Normandie Farm Restaurant
10710 Falls Road, 301-983-8838, www.pop overs.com. This fine-dining French restaurant,
open since 1931, strives to preserve its classical heritage while embracing new traditions. Dinner entrées run from seafood to beef and lamb. The restaurant offers quick service, a casual café option and a violinist at afternoon tea. ❂ J R L D $$
Old Angler’s Inn
10801 MacArthur Blvd., 301-365-2425, www.old anglersinn.com. Open since 1860 and known for its refined American food and beautiful fireplaces and grounds, it features live music on weekends. Signature cocktails include hard cider sangria and a pumpkin pie martini. ❂ R L D $$$
Potomac Pizza
9812 Falls Road, 301-299-7700, www.potomac pizza.com. See Chevy Chase listing. L D $
Renato’s at River Falls
10120 River Road, 301-365-1900. The Italian restaurant offers fish dishes among its menu of pastas and classics such as osso bucco and linguini with clams and eggplant parmigiana. Traditional Italian desserts include tiramisu, profiteroles and cannolis. ❂ J L D $$
River Falls Tavern (Editors’ Pick)
10128 River Road, 301-299-0481, www.thetav erns.com/river-falls-tavern. Well-known chef Robert Wiedmaier’s RW Restaurant Group took over this upscale American pub—formerly called The Tavern at River Falls—in February. Entrées include crab cakes, fish tacos, grilled bronzino, a New York strip steak and steak frites. ❂ R (Sundays) L D $$
Sugo Osteria & Pizzeria
12505 Park Potomac Ave., 240-386-8080, www. eatsugo.com. The Greek guys who own Cava Mezze and Cava Mezze Grill partner with Mamma Lucia restaurants to serve Italian small plates, meatballs, sliders, pizza and pasta. Chef specialities include blue crab gnocchi and charred octopus. ❂ R (Sundays) L D $$
Tally- Ho Restaurant
9923 Falls Road, 301-299-6825, www.tallyho restaurant.com. A local fixture since 1968, the eatery serves an expansive diner-style menu with Greek and Italian specialties. Choose from options ranging from burgers and deli sandwiches to pizza, calzones and dinner entrées. ❂ J B L D $
The Grilled Oyster Co. (Editors’ Pick)
7943 Tuckerman Lane (Cabin John Shopping Center), 301-299-9888, www.thegrilledoystercom pany. com. This Chesapeake-style seafood eatery features small plates, salads, sandwiches and entrées. Happy Hour from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the bar only. Named “Best New Restaurant” by Bethesda Magazine readers in 2014. ❂ J R L D $$
The Wine Harvest
12525-B Park Potomac Ave., 240-314-0177, www. thewineharvest.com. The second location of the popular Gaithersburg wine bar offers salads, sandwiches and cheese plates, along with wine and beer. See Gaithersburg listing. ❂ L D $
Zoës Kitchen
12505 Park Potomac Ave., Suite 120, 240-3281022, www.zoeskitchen.com. The first Maryland outpost of a Birmingham, Alabama, fast-casual chain, Zoës features Mediterranean dishes such as kabobs, hummus and veggie pita pizzas. It specializes in takeout dinner for four for under $30. ❂ J L D $
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ROCKVILLE/ NORTH BETHESDA A & J Restaurant (Editors’ Pick)
1319-C Rockville Pike, 301-251-7878, www. aj-restaurant.com/main.html. Northern dim sum is the specialty at this hard-to-find spot in the Woodmont Station shopping center. Warm-colored walls surround the crowd digging into thousand-layer pancakes and fresh tofu. Named “Best Dim Sum Brunch” by the magazine’s editors in 2014. R L D $
Al Carbon
200 Park Road, 301-738-0003, www.alcarbon restaurant.com. Serving authentic Latin American fare across the street from the Rockville Metro station, this unassuming roadhouse has a loyal following for its arepas, empanadas, tapas and more. Try one of the natural juices including mango and tamarindo. ❂ B L D $
Amalfi Ristorante Italiano
12307 Wilkins Ave., 301-770-7888, www.amalfi rockville.com. A family-run, red-sauce Italian restaurant with specialties including white pizza and lasagna. Lots of antipasti choices, too. The gazebo is a charming spot to dine during the summer. J L D $$
American Tap Room
36-A Maryland Ave. (Rockville Town Square), 301- 838-4281, www.americantaproom.com. See Bethesda listing. ❂ R L D $$
plus other traditional offerings such as bulgogi, bimbimbop and scallion seafood pancakes. L D$
bar selections, small plates, shareable salads and entrée options such as rotisserie-cooked lamb shoulder and black sea bass. ❂ R L D $$$
Cuban Corner
BRIO Tuscan Grille
20 Paseo Drive, 240-221-2691, www.brioital ian.com. Look for a wide range of Tuscan dishes served in a handsome setting. House specialties run from the traditional, such as lasagna Bolognese al forno, to the modern, including grilled chicken and quinoa salad. ❂ J R L D $$
CavA MEZZE (Editors’ Pick)
9713 Traville Gateway Drive, 301-309-9090, www. cavamezze.com. The dark and elegant Cava offers small plates of everything from fried Greek cheese, octopus and orzo in cinnamon tomato sauce to crispy pork belly and macaroni and cheese. There are martini specials, too. ❂ R L D $$
Chef Geoff’s
12256 Rockville Pike (Towne Plaza), 240-6213090, www.chefgeoff.com. Geoff Tracy branches out with his fourth eponymous restaurant featuring contemporary cuisine and something for everyone. Try a CG Classic dish, such as Big Shrimp and Very Gouda Grits or Blackened Fish Tacos. ❂ J R L D $$
City Perch Kitchen + Bar
11830 Grand Park Ave. (Pike & Rose), 301-2312310, www.cityperch.com. Located above the entrance to the iPic Theaters at Pike & Rose, City Perch offers creative, seasonal American cuisine in a rustic, inviting space. The menu includes raw-
825 Hungerford Drive, 301-279-0310, www. cubancornerrestaurant.com. Pork and empanadas shine at this small space brimming with ethnic pride (there’s a tribute wall to famous CubanAmericans). Don’t skip the Cuban coffee or the Cuban sandwich, a sub bursting with ham, pickles and tangy mustard. L D $
Del Frisco’s Grille
11800 Grand Park Ave. (Pike & Rose), 301-8810308, delfriscosgrille.com. This is the Texas-based chain’s second location in the area. Look for upscale takes on American comfort foods, such as veal meatloaf and short rib stroganoff, plus trendy items like kale and Brussels sprouts salad, deviled eggs, flatbreads and ahi tuna tacos. Plenty of burgers, sandwiches and salads, too. ❂ R L D $$
East Pearl
838-B Rockville Pike, 301-838-8663, www.east pearlrestaurant.com. Choose from many options of Hong Kong cuisine, including familiar dishes featuring chicken, beef, poultry, pork and even duck, as well as those for adventurous tastes. Try the soups ranging from egg drop to seafood with bean curd. L D $
El Mariachi Restaurant
765-D Rockville Pike, 301-738-7177, www.el mariachirockville.com. Serving Tex-Mex and South
Amina Thai Restaurant
5065 Nicholson Lane, 301-770-9509. Pleasant and bright, Amina Thai is run by a husband-and-wife team and bills itself as the first Muslim Thai restaurant in the area, using only halal meats and serving familiar Thai dishes. Chef’s specials include pineapple fried rice and grilled salmon. L D $
Benjarong Thai Restaurant
885 Rockville Pike, 301-424-5533, www.ben jarongthairestaurant.com. This Thai food stalwart has a reputation for above-average food served in a gracious setting reminiscent of an upscale country home. Try Thai-style fried bananas with ice cream for dessert. L D $
Blue Star
11417 Woodglen Drive, 301-881-6800, www.blue starkosher.com. Subtitled “House of Beef, Burgers, BBQ,” this strip shopping center eatery is under the kosher supervision of the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington. A beef rib- and brisketheavy menu includes all the traditional barbecue favorites, minus the pork. Family friendly atmosphere. L D $
Bombay Bistro
98 W. Montgomery Ave., 301-762-8798, www. bombaybistro.com. Bombay Bistro opened in 1991 as one of the first Indian restaurants in the area to combine high style, reasonable prices and a fresh take on traditional Indian, and it has been packed ever since. House specialties include tandoori lamb chops and shrimp and scallops masala. J L D $$
Bonchon Chicken
107 Gibbs St., Unit A (Rockville Town Square), 301-637-9079 and 301-637-9379, www.bonchon. com. International fried chicken franchise with Korean roots serves up wings, drumsticks and strips with soy-garlic or spicy hot garlic sauce,
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dine American food in a bright, pleasant space made lively with colorful art. In addition to the usual enchiladas, tacos and burritos, look for Peruvian seafood and Cuban beef specialties. L D $
El Patio 5240 Randolph Road, 301-231-9225, www.elpatio international.com. This bustling café with pretty green umbrellas on the patio serves up the traditional meat-heavy dishes of Argentina, as well as pizzas and freshly made baked goods. Look for mouth-watering empanadas, beef tongue and sausage specialties. ❂ J B L D $
Ev & Maddy’s 101 Gibbs St., Unit C (Rockville Town Square), 301-296-6682. Owned by Olney residents Patrick and Eunice Pak, this unpretentious French bistro serves beef bourguignon, lamb sausage, hanger steak and other traditional dishes with a modern twist. Executive Chef Patrick Pak sports impressive credentials, having cooked at Washington, D.C.’s Komi, Blue Duck Tavern and the former Palena. J L D $$
Far East Restaurant 5055 Nicholson Lane, 301-881-5552, www.fareast rockvillemd.com. Owned and operated by the same family since 1974, this classic Chinese restaurant greets customers with two royal stone lions out front and sticks to the familiar ChineseAmerican basics. Check out the daily specials and dim sum menu. L D $$
Fontina Grille 801 Pleasant Drive, 301-947-5400, www.fontina grille.com. A trendy spot with its curvy maple bar and wood-burning pizza oven, Fontina Grille is a favorite gathering place for the King Farm neighborhood. Pizza, pasta and salads are the main attractions. Two-dollar pasta dishes available on Monday nights and half-price bottles of wine on Tuesdays. ❂ J R L D $$
Gordon Biersch 200-A E. Middle Lane (Rockville Town Square), 301340-7159, www.gordonbiersch.com/restaurants. The national brewpub chain prides itself on house beers and friendly service. The shiny bar is boisterous, and the menu includes bar favorites with some barbecue and Asian touches, small plates, salads, pizza and flatbreads. J L D $$
Grand Fusion Cuisine 350 East Fortune Terrace, 301-838-2862, grand fusionrestaurant.com. Diners will find something for everyone seeking a taste of the Asian continent, a full sushi bar, and Chinese, Malaysian and Singaporean specialties. Chef’s specials include Crispy Eggplant in Spicy Orange Sauce and Double Flavored Shrimp. ❂ L D $
Hard Times Café 1117 Nelson St., 301-294-9720, www.hard times.com. Good American beer selections, hearty chili styles ranging from Cincinnati (cinnamon and tomato) to Texas (beef and hot peppers), and hefty salads and wings bring families to this Wild Weststyle saloon for lunch and dinner. L D $
Hinode Japanese Restaurant 134 Congressional Lane, 301-816-2190, www. hinoderestaurant.com. Serving traditional Japanese cuisine since 1992. All-you-can-eat lunch and weekend dinner buffet offers 40 types of sushi, 14 hot foods and a salad bar. Check out the patio with full bar service. L D $$
Il Pizzico
15209 Frederick Road, 301-309-0610, www.il pizzico.com. Setting aside the strip mall location and lack of pizza (il pizzico means “the pinch” in Italian), chef-owner Enzo Livia’s house-made pasta dishes, gracious service and extensive wine list of mainly Italian wines make even a weeknight meal feel special. L D $$
Joe’s Noodle House
1488-C Rockville Pike, 301-881-5518, www.joes noodlehouse.com. Chinese ex-pats and many other customers consider the Szechuan specialties (soft bean curd with spicy sauce and hot beef jerky) among the area’s best examples of gourmet Chinese cooking. L D $
La Brasa Latin Cuisine
12401 Parklawn Drive, 301-468-8850, www.labrasa rockville.com. A bold, yellow awning marks the unlikely industrial location of the popular La Brasa. Customers rave about the rotisserie chicken, lomo saltado (Peruvian marinated steak), Salvadoran pupusas and Tres Leches. ❂ L D $
La Canela (Editors’ Pick)
141-D Gibbs St. (Rockville Town Square), 301-2511550, www.lacanelaperu.com. Sophisticated, modern Peruvian cooking shines in a regally furnished dining room in a yellow stucco building graced with curvy black ironwork. The menu includes artfully prepared seafood, pork, chicken and beef dishes. ❂ L D $
La Limeña Restaurant
765 Rockville Pike, 301-424-8066. lalimena restaurant.com. Diners can choose dishes such as beef hearts, tripe and homemade pastries in this tiny but well-appointed eatery. Desserts include passion fruit mousse and vanilla flan. And of course, there’s rotisserie chicken to go. L D $
with toppings including herb-roasted chicken and portobella mushrooms or fire-roasted red peppers and Spanish onions served in a super-cool space in Congressional Plaza. ❂ J R L D $
MemSahib
4840 Boiling Brook Parkway, 301-468-0098, www. memsahibrestaurant.com. Patrons eat the Indian country way, with their hands. MemSahib offers a buffet lunch, including such dishes as tandoori chicken and vegetable samosas and pakoras, and a six-course prix fixe dinner while belly dancers entertain customers. L D $$
Michael’s Noodles
10038 Darnestown Road, 301-738-0370, www. michaelsnoodles.com. Extensive Taiwanese menu at this popular strip mall eatery includes dim sum, mixed noodle dishes, noodle soup and unusual specialties, such as Shredded Chicken with Jelly Fish and Stewed Pork Intestine and Duck Blood. LD$
Mi Rancho
1488 Rockville Pike, 240-221-2636, www.mi ranchotexmexrestaurant.com. You’ll find a boisterous party atmosphere every night at a place where customers can count on standard Tex-Mex fare at good prices. The outdoor patio, strung with colorful lights, is the place to be in nice weather. ❂LD$
Moa
12300 Wilkins Ave., 301-881-8880. moakorean restaurant.weebly.com. A welcoming Korean restaurant in the midst of an industrial stretch. Try the seafood pancake appetizer—a satisfying, crispy frittata bursting with squid, clams, shrimp and scallions. Dol Sot Bibimbap, a mix of rice, vegetables and protein in a hot pot, is a customer favorite. L D $
La Tasca
Mosaic Cuisine & Café
Lebanese Taverna Café
Mykonos Grill
141 Gibbs St., Suite 305 (Rockville Town Square), 301-279-7011, www.latascausa.com. The Rockville location of this regional chain strives to keep things interesting with 45 tapas dishes and six kinds of paella, including Paella Mixta with chicken, shrimp, chorizo, scallops, mussels, squid and clams. ❂ L D $$ 1605 Rockville Pike, 301-468-9086; 115 Gibbs St. (Rockville Town Square), 301-309-8681; www. lebanesetaverna.com. A casual and pleasant family spot for lunch or dinner after shopping on Rockville Pike, the café is a more casual offshoot of the local Lebanese Taverna chain, serving hummus, pita, falafel, chicken and lamb kabobs. JLD$
Lighthouse Tofu & BBQ
12710 Twinbrook Parkway, 301-881-1178. In addition to the numerous tofu dishes ranging from Mushroom Tofu Pot to Seafood Beef Tofu Pot, diners at this Korean stalwart can try barbecue, stirfried specialties and kimchee, the national dish of pickled cabbage. L D $
Mamma Lucia
12274-M Rockville Pike, 301-770-4894; 14921-J Shady Grove Road, 301-762-8805; www.mamma luciarestaurants.com. See Bethesda listing. ❂ L D $$
Matchbox Vintage Pizza Bistro
(Editors’ Pick) 1699 Rockville Pike, 301-816-0369, www.match boxrockville.com. Look for mini-burgers, a “ginormous meatball” appetizer and thin-crusted pizza
186 Halpine Road, 301-468-0682, www.mosaic cuisine.com. A diner with a soft European accent. Try the fresh Belgian waffles for breakfast. For those with hefty appetites, the waffle sandwiches are worth the trip, but don’t overlook the homemade soups or light dinner entrées. J B R L D $$ 121 Congressional Lane, 301-770-5999, www. mykonosgrill.com. An authentic Greek taverna with whitewashed walls with Mediterranean blue accents on a busy street, Mykonos Grill turns out legs of lamb and fresh seafood expected at any good Greek restaurant. ❂ L D $$
Nagoya Sushi Japanese Restaurant
402 King Farm Blvd., Suite 130, 301-990-6778. Cheery yellow walls decorated with shelves of Japanese knickknacks greet customers who come for the large selection of sushi at this unassuming sushi spot in King Farm. L D $$
Nantucket’s Reef
9755 Traville Gateway Drive, Rockville, 301-2797333, www.nantucketsreef.com. This casual New England-style eatery offers a wide range of reasonably priced seafood dishes, including raw and baked oysters, stuffed cod, fried Ipswitch clams, seafood tacos, tuna and salmon salads, and lobster items. Signature cocktails are made with Nantucket Nectars juices. ❂ R L D $$
Nick’s Chophouse
700 King Farm Blvd., 301-926-8869, www.nicks chophouserockville.com. Aged Angus beef cooked over an open fire is the specialty at this upscale
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T H E at LOFT spot, but seafood lovers can get their fill from big crabcakes. Signature steaks include slow-roasted prime rib weighing 10 to 32 ounces. Separate bar menu. ❂ L D $$
Niwano Hana Japanese Restaurant
887 Rockville Pike, 301-294-0553, www.niwano hana.com. Clean Asian décor and elegant wooden screens greet diners at this friendly and busy sushi spot located in Wintergreen Plaza. There are the usual sushi rolls, plus creative options such as a Spicy Scallop Roll with mayonnaise and chili peppers, noodle dishes, teriyaki and yakitori. L D $$
Old Kimura Sushi
785 Rockville Pike, Unit D, 301-251-1922, www. oldkimura.com. A small restaurant serving an extensive sushi menu, along with noodle soups, rice dishes and tempura. Dinner specials include grilled fresh eel served over rice and sushi and sashimi combinations. L D $$
Original Pancake House
12224 Rockville Pike, 301-468-0886, www.oph restaurants.com. See Bethesda listing. J B L $
Peter Chang
20-A Maryland Ave. (Rockville Town Square), 301838-9188. Chef Peter Chang’s only restaurant in Maryland showcases his Szechuan specialties in an apricot-walled dining space. Garnering a cult-like following over the years, Chang is best known for dishes such as dry-fried eggplant, crispy pork belly and duck in a stone pot. L D $$
Pho 75
771 Hungerford Drive, 301-309-8873. The restaurant is one of the Washington area’s favorite spots for the Vietnamese beef noodle soup known as pho. Soup can be customized with bean sprouts, Thai basil, chilies, lime, and hot and hoisin sauces. Beverages include interesting options like Iced Salty Pickled Lemon Juice. L D $
Pho 95
785-H Rockville Pike, 301-294-9391. Pho, the Vietnamese beef noodle soup, is king here. Other offerings include fat rice-paper rolls of shrimp, noodles and herbs with a sweet and spicy peanut sauce, Grilled Lemon Grass Chicken and Grilled Pork Chop and Shredded Pork Skin. L D $
Pho Hoa Binh
11782 Parklawn Drive, 301-770-5576. www.pho hoa.com. This pleasant pho restaurant offers the full gamut of variations on the beef noodle soup, plus about a dozen grilled entrées. The Adventurer’s Choice features “unusual” meats, including tendon, tripe and fatty flank. The Vietnamese iced coffee is divine. L D $
Pho Nom Nom
842 Rockville Pike, 301-610-0232, www.phonom nom.net. As the name suggests, the specialty is pho, but there are also grilled dishes, noodles and the Vietnamese sandwich known as banh mi. House specials include Vietnamese beef stew and pork and shrimp wontons. L D $
PHOLUSCIOUS VIETNAMESE GRILL
10048 Darnestown Road, 301-762-2226, www. pholuscious.com. This casual restaurant and bar is home to traditional Vietnamese cooking, with fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil and many herbs and vegetables. Their menu features pho, noodle dishes, rice plates and lots of protein dishes. Beverages include bubble tea, smoothies, beer and wine. L D $$
Pizza CS
1596-B Rockville Pike, 240-833-8090, www.pizza cs.com. Authentic Neapolitan pies are offered in a sub-shop atmosphere. Choose from a list of red and white pizza options, or build your own pie with herbs, cheeses, meats and vegetables. ❂ J L D $
Potomac Pizza
9709 Traville Gateway Drive, 301-279-2234, www. potomacpizza.com. See Chevy Chase listing. ❂ JLD$
Quench
9712 Traville Gateway Drive, 301-424-8650, www. quenchnation.com. Urban bar scene in the suburbs, with unique cocktails and contemporary American cuisine. Lots of starter options to try, plus salads, entrées, sandwiches and burgers, and three Asian dishes including pad Thai. ❂ J R L D $$
Quincy’s South Bar & Grille
11401 Woodglen Drive, 240-669-3270, quincys bar.com. See North Potomac/Gaithersburg listing. ❂LD$
Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company
891-A Rockville Pike, 240-268-1120, www. rocklands.com. John Snedden has perfected the art of barbecue since he first opened Rocklands in Washington, D.C., in 1990. This location serves allAmerican pork ribs, smoked chicken, brisket and lamb cooked exclusively over red oak and hickory. ❂ JLD$
Rolls ‘N Rice
1701 Rockville Pike (Shops at Congressional Village), 301-770-4030, www.rollsnrice.com. This Asian café serves more than 25 varieties of rolls, from a volcano roll (spicy tuna, white fish, salmon, tomato, jalapeno, fish eggs and vegetables) to a Philadelphia Roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese and avocado). J L D $
Sadaf Halal Restaurant
1327-K Rockville Pike, 301-424-4040. An elegant alternative to the run-of-the-mill kabob places dotting Rockville Pike, Sadaf is pristine, with lace curtains and glass mosaic tiles in front. In addition to kabobs, it offers Persian curries and fish dishes. ❂ J L D $
Sam’s Café & Market
844 Rockville Pike, 301-424-1600, www.samcafe market.com. Fill up on the kitchen’s juicy skewered meats or interesting entrées, including pomegranate molasses stew and marinated grilled salmon, then have a gelato and check out the hookahs. ❂ L D $
Seasons 52 (Editors’ Pick)
11414 Rockville Pike, 301-984-5252, www.seasons 52.com. A fresh, seasonal menu featuring items under 475 calories. Choose from flatbreads including Blackened Steak & Blue Cheese and Grilled Garlic Pesto Chicken to entrée salads to meat and seafood dishes. Nightly piano music. ❂ L D $$
Seven Seas Chinese Restaurant
1776 East Jefferson St., 301-770-5020, www. sevenseasrestaurant.com. An elegant restaurant popular with politicians and local chefs and known for its fresh seafood and impeccable service. Specials include the paper hot pot, meals using ancient Chinese herbs and afternoon tea. Sushi, too. L D $
Sheba Restaurant
5071 Nicholson Lane, 301-881-8882, www.sheba rockville.com. The menu features authentic Ethio-
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dine pian cuisine with lots of vegetarian and vegan options. House specialties include Dulet Assa, chopped tilapia mixed with onion, garlic and jalapeño and served with a side of homemade cheese. L D $
Sichuan Jin River
410 Hungerford Drive, 240-403-7351, www.sich uanjinriver.com. Customers find terrific Sichuan cuisine served in a no-frills setting. Take the plunge and try something new with the authentic Chinese menu, inlcuding 23 small cold plates. L D $
Silver Diner
12276 Rockville Pike, 301-770-2828, www.silver diner.com. Customers flock to this trendy diner that still offers tableside juke boxes. The latest food trends (think quinoa coconut pancakes) share company on the enormous menu with diner staples such as meatloaf and mashed potatoes. JBRLD$
Spice Xing
100-B Gibbs St. (Rockville Town Square), 301-6100303, www.spicexing.com. Chef and owner Sudhir Seth, who also owns Bethesda’s Passage to India, serves up small plates and dishes that reflect the history of culinary influences on India. Try the allyou-can-eat lunchtime buffet. ❂ J R L D $$
STANFORD GRILL (New)
2000 Tower Oaks Blvd., 240-582-1000, www. thestanfordgrill.com. From the Blueridge Restaurant Group, owner of Copper Canyon Grill restaurants, comes this 300-seat American eatery on the ground floor of an office building. Salads, burgers, steaks and seafood, plus sushi, with an eye towards high-quality. ❂ L D $$
Stella Barra Pizzeria
11825 Grand Park Ave. (Pike & Rose), 301-7708609, www.stellabarra.com. Adjacent to its sister restaurant, Summer House Santa Monica, Stella Barra is an artisan pizzeria with a hip, urban vibe. Look for crisp crusts with chewy centers topped with butternut squash and candied bacon or house-made pork sausage and fennel pollen. Italian wines available. ❂ L (weekends only) D $$
Summer House Santa Monica
(Editors’ Pick) 11825 Grand Park Ave. (Pike & Rose), 301-8812381, summerhousesm.com. An airy, light and stunning space sets the scene for modern American cuisine with a West Coast sensibility. Dishes include Beach Bum Ceviche, Santa Monica Cobb Salad, plus sushi, tacos, sandwiches and steak frites. Do not miss the bakery counter. ❂ J R L D $$
Super Bowl Noodle
785 Rockville Pike, 301-738-0086. www.super bowlnoodlehouse.com. Look for a large variety of Asian noodle dishes in super-size portions, plus a large selection of appetizers. Also, bubble tea and desserts, including Sweet Taro Root Roll and Black Sugar Shaved Ice. ❂ L D $
Sushi Damo
36-G Maryland Ave. (Rockville Town Square), 301340-8010, www.sushidamo.com. A slice of New York sophistication, this elegant restaurant offers sushi à la carte or omakase, chef’s choice, plus beef and seafood entrées and an impressive sake list. L D $$
Sushi House Japanese Restaurant
1331-D Rockville Pike, 301-309-0043. A tiny, plain restaurant serving a large selection of fresh sushi, including sushi and sashimi combinations. Lunch
specials for under $7. It’s popular, so be prepared to wait. L D $$
Sushi Oishii
9706 Traville Gateway Drive, 301-251-1177, www. sushioishii.com. This charming sushi bar in the Traville Gateway Center offers friendly service and 24 specialty sushi rolls, bento boxes and a few grilled items, including beef, poultry and seafood teriyaki. L D $$
Taipei Tokyo
14921-D Shady Grove Road (Fallsgrove Village Center), 301-738-8813; 11510-A Rockville Pike, 301-881-8388; www.taipei-tokyo.net. These sister restaurants offer a sizable roster of Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes. The Fallsgrove Village location is the younger and sleeker of the two, with full sit-down service. The older sister, opened in 1993, is more like a noodle shop/cafeteria. L D $$
Tara Asia
199-D E. Montgomery Ave., 301-315-8008. www. taraasiarestaurantrockville.com. A pan-Asian offshoot of the Tara Thai family, Tara Asia is dominated by a floor-to-ceiling mosaic and has an 82item menu that spans the cuisine from Japan to Thailand and the tiny islands in between. L D $$
Tara Thai
12071 Rockville Pike, 301-231-9899, www.tarathai. com.com. See Gaithersburg listing. ❂ L D $$
Temari Café
1043 Rockville Pike, 301-340-7720. Deep-fried oysters, classic rice balls, ramen noodle soup, sushi and sashimi and comic books to peruse while you await your order set this Japanese restaurant apart from the rest. L D $$
Thai Farm
800 King Farm Blvd., 301-258-8829, www.thai farmrestaurant.com. A tastefully modern dining room soaked in a soothing yellow light. The usual suspects are on the menu here, but chef’s suggestions include an intriguing broiled fish wrapped in banana leaf and stir-fried duck. L D $$
Thai Pavilion
29 Maryland Ave., Unit 308 (Rockville Town Square), 301-545-0244, www.thaipavilionrestaurant.com. The soaring ceilings decorated with red chandeliers shaped like giant, stationary spinning tops give the feel of a modern museum. When the menu says spicy, believe it. ❂ J L D $$
That’s Amore
15201 Shady Grove Road, 240-268-0682, www. thatsamore.com. This local chain focuses on family-style portions of classic Neapolitan dishes like lasagna and chicken Parmesan in a more elegant setting than might be expected. Good for groups and large families. J L D $$
The Dough Roller
800 Pleasant Drive, #160, (King Farm Village Center), 301-869-4584, www.doughrollerrestaurants. com. Grab a pizza slice and dream of boardwalk breezes at the first inland outpost of Ocean City’s popular pizza and pancake chainlet. Besides pizza, this locale features sandwiches, burgers and other items, including pancakes served all day. J B R LD$
The Original Ambrosia Restaurant
12015 Rockville Pike, 301-881-3636, www.theo riginalambrosia.com. Look for an eclectic menu of breakfast, gyros, pizza, crabcakes and soups
at this family-owned eatery. Traditional Greek dishes include spanikopita, stuffed grape leaves, mousaka and shish kabob. J B L D $
The Woodside Deli
4 N. Washington St., 301-444-4478, www.the woodsidedeli.com. A second location of the venerable Silver Spring eatery and caterer that has been dishing up matzo ball soup since 1947. Choose from a wide selection of sandwiches, burgers and entrées. This one has a pickle bar. ❂ JBRLD$
Timpano Italian Chophouse
12021 Rockville Pike, 301-881-6939, www. timpanochophouse.net. A chain steak house with an Italian accent, Timpano is a favorite of wheeler-dealer business lunchers and nighttime diners looking for a high-quality steak or well-prepared pasta. ❂ L D $$$
Tower Oaks Lodge
2 Preserve Parkway, 301-294-0200, www.clydes. com/tower. Here is Clyde’s version of a lodge in the mountains. Well-prepared food runs the gamut of American desires, from burgers to fish, plus a raw bar. Check out the twig sculpture spanning the ceiling of The Saranac Room. J R L D $$
Trapezaria
11 N. Washington St., 301-339-8962, www.thetrap ezaria.com. This down-to-earth and hospitable Greek/Mediterranean restaurant serves top-notch and unfussy small plates and entrées. Choose among a variety of dips, vegetarian mezze, souvlaki, sausages, and more-involved fish and lamb dishes. Save room for the baklava. L D $$
Urban Bar- B - Que Company
2007 Chapman Ave., 240-290-4827; 5566 Norbeck Road, 301-460-0050, urbanbbqco.com. Urban Bar-B-Que Company, a tiny joint run by a couple of local friends, has a winning formula and features finger-licking ribs, burgers and wings, plus salads, chili and smothered fries. Staff is friendly, too. J L D $
Villa Maya
5532 Norbeck Road (Rock Creek Village Center), 301-460-1247. Here you’ll find all the traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites from quesadillas to fajitas that are sure to please the whole family. R L D $$
Yekta
1488 Rockville Pike, 301-984-1190, www.yekta. com. Persian cuisine, including a selection of beef, chicken and lamb kabobs, is served in a beautiful dining room. Try a dessert such as frozen noodle sorbet or saffron ice cream. Check out the adjacent market after polishing off your kebab. L D $$
Yuan Fu Vegetarian
798 Rockville Pike, 301-762-5937, www.yuanfu vegetarian.com. From tea-smoked “duck” to kung pao “chicken,” the whole menu is meatless, made from Chinese vegetable products. There is a large selection of chef’s specials, including Pumpkin Chicken with Mushrooms in a hot pot and Baby Abalone in Tomato Sauce. L D $
Silver Spring 8407 Kitchen Bar
8407 Ramsey Ave., 301-587-8407, 8407kb.com. This sleek space across from the Silver Spring
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Metro prides itself on stellar service and fromscratch preparations, such as house-smoked salmon and home-cured charcuterie. Signature craft cocktails are a specialty. R L D $$
Addis Ababa
8233 Fenton St., 301-589-1400. Authentic Ethiopian-style vegetables and fiery meats are served atop spongy bread in communal bowls. Traditional woven tables and a roof deck add to the ambience. There’s a weekday lunch buffet, too. ❂ RLD$
Adega Wine Cellars & Café
8519 Fenton St., 301-608-2200, www.adegawine cellars.com. This light and bright blond wood dining room serves creative sandwiches and allows customers to choose from a small selection of wines by the bottle to take home. A fine place for lunch, if only to try the eggplant fries. ❂ L D $
A.G. Kitchen
931 Ellsworth Drive, 301-588-9480, www.ag kitchen.com. Cuban-born Manhattan chef and restaurateur Alex Garcia goes casual at this colorful Latino eatery with a creative menu of footlong bacon-wrapped hot dogs with jalapeno, papaya and sweet pickle relish; a Gaucho burger topped with crispy onions and guava barbecue sauce; and crispy Cuban seafood sliders with pineapple slaw. For the less adventurous, there’s Brazilian-style roast chicken, tacos, Cubanos and paella. ❂ R L D $$
All Set Restaurant & Bar
8630 Fenton St., 301-495-8800, www.allsetres taurant.com. American cuisine with a focus on New England specialties. Look for clams, oysters and lobster, plus crab cakes and rockfish, and beef and vegetarian options. The snazzy space is also the setting for clam bakes and fried chicken on Sunday nights. ❂ J L D $$
Asian Bistro Café
8537 Georgia Ave., 301-589-0123, silverspring asianbistro.com. A bevy of choices, from Japanese sushi and soups to Chinese noodles and vegetarian dishes are offered at this bustling downtown eatery. Try one of the Chinese or Japanese lunch specials. L D $
Austin Grill
919 Ellsworth Drive, 240-247-8969, www.austin grill.com. Fun and friendly service welcomes families and couples to this noisy, colorful Tex-Mex favorite. Finish off a meal with Margarita Bites, cake “bites” soaked in tequila, flash fried and served with salted honey-lime dipping sauce. ❂ J R L D $$
Azúcar Restaurant Bar & Grill
14418 Layhill Road, 301-438-3293, azucar restaurant.net. The name means sugar, and it fits. A colorful Salvadoran spot decorated in bright purple and orange with Cubist-style paintings. The pork-stuffed corn pupusas are stars. Also look for more elegant dinners, including fried whole trout. L D $$
Copper Canyon Grill
928 Ellsworth Drive, 301-589-1330, www.ccgrill. com. See Gaithersburg listing. ❂ J R L D $$
Crisfield Seafood Restaurant
8012 Georgia Ave., 301-589-1306. www.cris fieldseafood.com. With its U-shaped counter and kitschy, oyster-plate-covered walls, this land-
mark seafood diner has customers lining up for the Eastern Shore specialties such as oysters and crabmeat-stuffed lobster that it has served since the 1940s. L D $$
Cubano’s
1201 Fidler Lane, 301-563-4020, www.cubanos restaurant.com. The brightly colored tropical dining room of greens, blues and reds and the authentic Cuban cooking evident in dishes such as ropa vieja (shredded beef in onions, peppers and garlic) and fried plantains keep customers coming back. ❂ L D $$
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Denizen’s Brewing Co.
1115 East West Highway, 301-557-9818, denizens brewingco.com. The bright-orange building houses Montgomery County’s largest brewery, featuring core beers and seasonal offerings, along with drafts from other regional breweries. The former BBQ Bus food truck provides sandwiches, picnic plates and chili. There is a large outdoor beer garden and indoor seating overlooking the brewery. ❂ D $
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Eggspectation
923 Ellsworth Drive, 301-585-1700, www. eggspectations.com. This Canadian import features fresh and creative egg plates in an elegant yet casual dining room complete with a fireplace and colorful Harlequin-themed art. It also serves great salads, dinners and dessert. ❂ B L D $$
El Aguila Restaurant
8649 16th St., 301-588-9063, www.elaguila restaurant.com. A cheery bar and generous plates of Tex-Mex favorites such as enchiladas and Salvadoran seafood soup make this eatery popular with families and others looking for a lively night out. ❂ L D $
El Gavilan
8805 Flower Ave., 301-587-4197. gavilanrestau rant.com. The walls are bright, the music’s upbeat, the margaritas are fine and the service is friendly. The usual Tex-Mex fare is here, as well as Salvadoran specialties such as tasty cheese- or porkfilled pupusas. Live music on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. J L D $
El Golfo
8739 Flower Ave., 301-608-2121, elgolfo restaurant.com. Friendly, home-style Latin service is the hallmark, as attested to by the many Salvadorans who stop in for lunch and dinner. Pupusas, soups and beef dishes such as carne asada as well as more adventurous choices can be found in the charming, raspberry-colored dining room. ❂ JRLD$
Ethio Express Grill
952 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring, 301-844-5149, ethiogrill.com. Ethiopian food goes fast-casual in this counter service eatery that offers your choice of carbohydrate bases (i.e., injera, rice, pasta), plus grilled meats (or tofu), sauces and a host of vegetables (the spicy lentils and yellow split peas are especially good). L D $
Fenton Café
8311 Fenton St., 301-326-1841. An out-of-theway crêperie serving 31 kinds of sweet crêpes and 16 varieties of savory crêpes. Savory versions range from cheese and ham to roasted eggplant with zucchini, bell pepper, sundried tomato, garlic and onion. B L D $
Fire Station 1 Restaurant & Brewing Co.
8131 Georgia Ave., 301-585-1370, www.fire station1.com. A historic firehouse made over as an eatery serves 21st-century pizza, sandwiches, meat, seafood and vegetarian entrées. Try the Cuban sandwich with seasoned pork, chipotle mayo, Dijon mustard, pickles and Swiss cheese on a ciabatta roll. L D $
ITALIAN KITCHEN (New)
8201 Fenton St., 301-588-7800. www.italian kitchenmd.com. Casual, attractive pizzeria with bar seating also turns out homemade sandwiches, calzones, salads and pasta dishes. Pizza and paninis are top notch. L D $
Jackie’s Restaurant (Editors’ Pick)
8081 Georgia Ave., 301-565-9700, www.jackies restaurant.com. This lovable eatery serves modern American cuisine emphasizing seasonal, organic ingredients from local farms in a former-auto-repair-shop-gone-1960s-hot-pink. The Sidebar is a cocktail lounge; Jackie’s Back Room has live music and private parties. R D $$
Jewel of India
10151 New Hampshire Ave., 301-408-2200, www. jewelofindiamd.com. Elegant décor and top-notch northern Indian cuisine make this shopping center restaurant a real find. Diners will find a good selection of curries, and rice and biryani dishes. L D $$
Kao Thai
8650 Colesville Road, 301-495-1234, www.kao thairestaurant.com. This restaurant turns out top-notch curries, noodle dishes and vegetarian options, plus house specialties, such as Siam Salmon with Spicy Thai Basil Sauce and Thai Chili Tilapia. Dishes are cooked medium spicy. ❂ L D $$
La Casita Pupuseria & Market
8214 Piney Branch Road, 301-588-6656, www.la casitapupusas.com. Homemade pupusas, tamales and other Salvadoran specialties are available,
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dine plus a full breakfast menu and a small selection of grocery items. B L D $
LacoMelza Ethiopian Cafe
7912 Georgia Ave., 301-326-2435. One of Silver Spring’s many Ethiopian eateries, Lacomelza serves traditional cuisine from doro wat (chicken legs with spicy sauce) to the ground beef mixture of kitfo in a modern and attractive setting decorated with Ethiopian art. R L (only weekends) D $
La Malinche
8622 Colesville Road, 301-562-8622, www.la malinchetapas.com. Diners will find an interesting selection of Spanish and Mexican tapas, plus a full Saturday and Sunday brunch featuring huevos rancheros, variations of tortillas Espanola and more. R L D $$
Langano Ethiopian Restaurant
8305 Georgia Ave., 301-563-6700. Named for the popular Ethiopian vacation spot, Lake Langano, this longtime restaurant offers fine Ethiopian cuisine such as doro wat (spicy chicken stew) and tibs (stewed meat) in a cozy white- and red-accented dining room. Lunch specials on weekdays. LD$
Lebanese Taverna Café
933 Ellsworth Drive, 301-588-1192, www.lebanese taverna.com. See Rockville listing. J L D $
Mamma Lucia
1302 East West Highway, 301-562-0693, www. mammaluciarestaurants.com. See Bethesda listing. ❂ L D $$
Mandalay Restaurant & Café
930 Bonifant St., 301-585-0500, www.mandalay restaurantcafe.com. The modest dining room is packed most evenings with families and large groups who come for the Burmese food, a cross between Indian and Thai. L D $
McGinty’s Public House
911 Ellsworth Drive, 301-587-1270, www.mcgintys publichouse.com. Traditional Irish pub and restaurant features corned beef and cabbage, live music and dancing. Early-bird special, three-course menu for $15, from 5 to 7 p.m. Happy Hour from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. ❂ J R L D $$
Mi Rancho
8701 Ramsey Ave., 301-588-4872, www.mirancho texmexrestaurant.com. See Rockville listing. ❂ LD$
MIX BAR AND GRILLE (New)
8241 Georgia Ave., #200, 301-326-1333, mixbar andgrillesilverspring.com. Modern American bistro with an older sibling; similar menu, plus a selection of ceviche. See Potomac listing. ❂ R L D $$
MOD Pizza
909 Ellsworth Drive, 240-485-1570, www.mod pizza.com. First Maryland location of this Bellevue, Washington-based chain offers design-your-own fast-casual pies (hence, Made on Demand, or MOD). Pizzas, cooked at 800 degrees for three minutes, can be topped with a choice of nearly 40 sauces, cheeses, meats, spices and veggies. ❂ L D $
Mrs. K’s Restaurant
9201 Colesville Road, 301-589-3500, www.mrsks. com. Here’s an elegant, antique-filled option for special occasions and Sunday brunch. This historic restaurant beckons a younger crowd with the Wine Press, a European-style wine bar downstairs, which has its own more casual menu. ❂ R L D $$$
Nainai’s Noodle & Dumpling Bar
1200 East West Highway, 301-585-6678, www. nainaisnoodles.com. Sisters Joanne and Julie Liu serve homemade noodles and dumplings in this lovable fast-casual eatery that shares kitchen space with their Scion restaurant next door. Focus on the noodles, and bring a picture of your “Nainai” (grandmother in Chinese) to tack on the bulletin board. L D $
Olazzo
8235 Georgia Ave., 301-588-2540, www.olazzo. com. See Bethesda listing. ❂ J L D $
Oriental East Restaurant
1312 East West Highway, 301-608-0030, www. orientaleast.com. Be prepared to wait for a table and maneuver around carts filled with dumplings, noodles and spare ribs at this popular dim sum restaurant that caters to families and groups on weekends. Chinese standards for dinner, plus tripe and jellyfish. L D $
Pacci’s Neapolitan Pizzeria (Editors’ Pick) 8113 Georgia Ave., 301-588-1011, www.paccis pizzeria.com. This stylish eatery turns out topnotch pizzas from a wood-burning oven. Choose from red or white pizza selections, plus four kinds of calzones. ❂ J (upon request) L D $
Pacci’s Trattoria & Pasticceria
6 Old Post Office Road, 301-588-0867, paccistrat toria. com. Diners will find a range of classic Italian dishes, including homemade meatballs and sausage, from the owner of Pacci’s Pizzeria, also in Silver Spring. L D $$
Parkway Deli & Restaurant
8317 Grubb Road, 301-587-1427, www.theparkway deli.com. Voted “Best Deli” for 2014 by Bethesda Magazine readers, Parkway features a bustling back dining room that makes this popular spot so much more than a deli. Longtime waitresses greet regular customers and kids with hugs during busy weekend breakfasts. All-you-can-eat pickle bar. ❂BLD$
Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza
962 Wayne Ave., 301-588-7383, www.petesapizza. com. Sporting more stylish décor than its other locations, this Pete’s offers the same crunchy-crusted New Haven-style pizzas, plus pasta, panini and salads. This branch is the only one so far to offer fried calamari. J L D $
Pho Hiep Hoa
921-G Ellsworth Drive, 301-588-5808, phohiep hoa.com. Seventeen kinds of Vietnamese soup called pho can be customized to taste in this upbeat restaurant overlooking the action in the downtown area. L D $
Samantha’s
631 University Blvd. East, 301-445-7300, saman thasrestaurante.com. This white-tablecloth, LatinSalvadoran spot in an industrial neighborhood is popular because of its welcoming attitude toward families with young children. The steak and fish specialties are good. L D $$
Scion
1200 East West Highway, 301-585-8878, www. scionrestaurant.com. A contemporary American eatery from sisters Joanne and Julie Liu, who also own a popular Dupont Circle restaurant with the same name and Nainai’s Noodle & Dumpling Bar in Silver Spring. Look for everything from wasabi Caesar salad to lobster reuben to spicy yogurt chicken. J R L D $$
Sergio’s Ristorante Italiano
8727 Colesville Road, 301-585-1040. A classic red-sauce Italian restaurant that manages to feel special, with soothing wall murals and high-quality service, despite a basement location inside the Double Tree Hotel. Ravioli with asparagus and cheese in a tarragon sauce is popular. L D $$
Sligo CafE
923 Sligo Ave., 301-565-2233, sligocafe.com. Neighborhood restaurant serving modern takes on comfort food, like French onion soup topped with a gratin of macaroni and cheese, or shrimp and smoked Gouda black pepper grits. Interesting craft cocktails and rotating selection of local craft brews. ❂ R L D $$
Sushi Jin NEXT DOOR
8555 Fenton St., 301-608-0990, www.sushijinnext door.com. The eatery is spare, clean and modern, and offers terrific udon noodle soup and impeccable raw fish. Choose from 11 appetizers and seven soups and salads. L D $$
sweetgreen
8517 Georgia Ave., 301-244-5402, www.sweet green.com. See Bethesda listing. L D $
Tastee Diner
8601 Cameron St., 301-589-8171, www.tastee diner.com. See Bethesda listing. ❂ J B L D $
Thai at Silver Spring
921-E Ellsworth Drive, 301-650-0666, www.thai atsilverspring.com. The Americanized Thai food is second to the location, which is superb for people-watching on the street below. A modern and stylish dining room with a hip bar in bold colors and good service add to the appeal. ❂ L D $$
Thai Derm
939 Bonifant St., 301-589-5341, www.thaiderm usa.com. This local favorite serves home-style Thai food in a pleasantly modest dining room off a quiet street near downtown. The large menu includes noodle dishes like pad Thai and savorysweet salads. Lunch specials offered daily. ❂ LD$
The Big Greek Café
8223 Georgia Ave., 301-587-4733, www.biggreek cafe.com. Owned by the Marmaras brothers, whose family operated the decades-old Golden Flame restaurant, the café serves a hit parade of Greek specialties, including a top-notch chicken souvlaki pita. L D $
The Classics (Editors’ Pick)
8606 Colesville Road, 301-588-7297, www.the classicsdc.com. The restaurant features great steaks and seafood served without the pomp in a basic white dining room. Serious drinks and fresh seasonal American fare. Its less-formal bistro seating is first-come, first served. D $$
The Daily Dish
8301 Grubb Road, 301-588-6300, www.thedaily dishrestaurant.com. A neighborhood favorite serving seasonally inspired, locally sourced comfort food, including bar bites and brunch dishes. Full-service catering is available, too. ❂ J R L D $$
The Greek Place
8417 Georgia Ave., 301-495-2912, www.thegreek place.net. Here are big portions of better-thanaverage food at reasonable prices. The bifteki pita sandwich, a seasoned ground lamb and beef patty with tzatziki, tomatoes and red onions, is especially good. L D $
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The Society Lounge
8229 Georgia Ave., 301-565-8864, www.societyss. com. A sleek and modern atmosphere catering to a nightlife crowd, Society offers fare with a Caribbean accent. Check out the rooftop seating and daily drink specials, which include $25 beer buckets. ❂ L (weekends only) D $$
Urban Bar-B- Que Company
10163 New Hampshire Ave., 301-434-7427, ur banbbqco.com. See Rockville listing. L D $
Urban Butcher (Editors’ Pick)
8226 Georgia Ave., 301-585-5800, www.urban butcher.com. Hip, eclectic setting is the backdrop for this New Age steak house, with its home-cured salamis, sausages and other charcuterie, plus meat dishes made from local animals of yesteryear breeds. There’s a lounge, bar, meat curing room, retail counter and dining area. R D $$
URBAN WINERY
949 Bonifant St., 301-585-4100, www.theurban winery.com. Silver Spring residents Damon and Georgia Callis open the first and only urban winery in the Mid-Atlantic area. Tasting facility offers craft wines made with local and international grapes, and customers can even create their own wines (by appointment). Light menu includes artisan cheese, charcuterie and smoked seafood platters, plus Greek mezze. D $
Vegetable Garden
3830 International Drive (Leisure World Plaza), 301-598-6868, vegetablegarden.com. The popular vegan, vegetarian and macrobiotic Asian restaurant
features a wide variety of eggplant and asparagus dishes, plus vegetarian “beef,” and “chicken” dishes often made with soy and wheat gluten. L D $$
Vicino Ristorante Italiano
959 Sligo Ave., 301-588-3372, vicinoitaliano. com. A favorite neighborhood red-sauce joint that hasn’t changed in decades, Vicino features some fine seafood choices in addition to classic pasta dishes. Families are welcome. ❂ L D $ $
The Woodside Deli
9329 Georgia Ave., 301-589-7055, www.the woodsidedeli.com. See Rockville listing. JBLD$
Upper NW D.C.
Arucola
5534 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-244-1555, www. arucola.com. The restaurant serves authentic Italian cuisine in a casual setting, with a changing menu that includes creative treatment of traditional dishes, homemade pasta and pizza from the wood-burning oven. ❂ L D $ $
Blue 44
5507 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-362-2583, www. blue44dc.com. The menu features classic American favorites infused with the flavors of Italy and France, including ratatouille, pork schnitzel and bouillabaisse. ❂ J R L D $$
Buck’s Fishing and Camping
Aggio (Editors’ Pick)
5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW (Chevy Chase Pavilion), 202-803-8020, www.volt-aggio.com. Located in the former private party room at Range, this formal and sophisticated space is chef Bryan Voltaggio’s “restaurant within a restaurant.” Look for modern takes on Italian standbys like steak Florentine and inventive combinations such as lentils with charred octopus and sprouted wheat berries. D $$$
American City Diner
egg creams. Diners can catch a classic movie free with dinner. ❂ J B L D $
5532 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-244-1949, www.americancitydiner.com. Retro diner complete with blue-plate specials such as Salisbury steak and stuffed peppers; malts and
5031 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-364-0777, www. bucksfishingandcamping.com. Diners can enjoy a seasonal menu that changes daily, and offers hip takes on comfort food such as roast chicken (locally raised) in an artsy-chic setting. D $$$
Café of India
4909 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-244-1395, www. cafeofindiadc.com. Here’s a cute corner café with two levels of dining and an extensive menu that includes vegetarian and tandoori entrées, dosas, samosas, tikkas, curries and kabobs. ❂ L D $$
Chads Friendship Heights
5247 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-362-8040, chadsdc. com. This neighborhood hangout is sometimes compared to Cheers, but it also offers a full menu
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dine beyond bar food, including salads, steaks, seafood and sandwiches. ❂ R L D $$
Comet Ping Pong (Editors’ Pick)
5037 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-364-0404, www.cometpingpong.com. Landmark fun spot where you can play ping-pong or admire local art while you wait for your wood-fired pizza. Choose from over 30 toppings to design your own pie. ❂ R L (weekends only) D $
DeCarlo’s Restaurant
4822 Yuma St. NW. 202-363-4220, www.decarlos restaurant.com. This is a family-owned neighborhood staple, with a traditional Italian menu and upscale/casual atmosphere. Signature dishes include agnolotti, veal Bolognese, broiled salmon and hand-made pasta. ❂ L D $$
Guapo’s Fine Mexican Cuisine
4515 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-686-3588, www. guaposrestaurant.com. See Bethesda listing. ❂ R L D $$
Jake’s American Grille
5018 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-966-5253, www. jakesdc.com. Burgers, steaks and sandwiches are served in a restaurant named after the owner’s grandfather, an accomplished Navy test engineer. Check out the Boiler Room, a sports bar in the basement. J R L D $$
Jetties
5632 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-364-2465. www. jettiesdc.com. See Bethesda listing. J L D $
Le Chat Noir
4907 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-244-2044, www.le chatnoirrestaurant.com. This cute, cozy neighborhood bistro is run by French restaurateurs, who cook traditional fare like steak frites, bouillabaisse and braised lamb cheeks. R L D $$
LUNCHBOX
5535 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 018, 202-2443470, www.voltlunchbox.com. The Washington
remake of chef Bryan Voltaggio’s defunct Frederick restaurant offers specialties including the Southern Bahn Mi with crispy chicken and pickled vegetables and B’More with pepper-crusted pit beef. L D $
Macon Bistro & Larder (Editors’ Pick)
5520 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-248-7807, macon bistro.com. Southern and French cuisine converge at this airy, charming restaurant in the historic Chevy Chase Arcade. Appetizers include raclette and fried green tomatoes, and steak frites is offered alongside short ribs with grits for main courses. ❂ R D $$
Maggiano’s LITTLE ITALY
5333 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-966-5500, www.maggianos.com. The restaurant features old-style Italian fare that’s a favorite for large groups and private celebrations. Check out the signature flatbreads and specialty pastas, including lobster carbonara. J L D $$
Masala Art (Editors’ Pick)
4441-B Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-362-4441, www. masalaartdc.com. Here is fine Indian dining featuring tandoor-oven specialties and masterful Indian spicing. Start off by choosing from a selection of nine breads and 17 appetizers. L D $$
Murasaki Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar
4620 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-966-0023, www. murasakidc.com. The restaurant offers a wide variety of specialty sushi rolls plus a full menu, including teriyaki, tempura, noodle soup and other authentic Japanese dishes served in a tastefully understated décor. ❂ L D $$
Parthenon Restaurant
5510 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-966-7600, www. parthenon-restaurant.com. This is a neighborhood eatery taken up a couple notches, with an extensive menu full of authentic selections familiar and exotic, including avgolemono (egg/lemon
soup), tzatziki, moussaka, dolmades and souvlaki. ❂ L D $$
Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza
4940 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-237-7383, www. petesapizza.com. See Silver Spring listing. ❂ J LD$
Range (Editors’ Pick)
5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 201, 202-8038020, www.voltrange.com. Celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio’s extravaganza, featuring multiple open kitchens, seats 300 and offers an enormous wine list. The restaurant was chosen for “Best Cocktail” in 2014 by the magazine’s editors. L D $$$
Satay Club Asian Restaurant and Bar
4654 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-363-8888, www. asiansatayclub.com. The restaurant prides itself on providing a comfortable/casual setting with a menu that spans Japanese sushi, Chinese moo-shi vegetables, Thai curries and Vietnamese spring rolls. L D $
Tanad Thai
4912 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-966-0616, www. tanadthaicuisine.com. The extensive menu ranges from noodles, rice and curries to vegetarian entrées, and even a Thai lemonade cocktail. House specialties include pad Thai and Drunken Noodles. ❂ L D $$
Tara Thai
4849 Massachusetts Ave. NW, 202-363-4141, www.tarathai.com. See Gaithersburg listing. ❂ L D $$
Terasol (Editors’ Pick)
5010 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-237-5555, www.ter asolartisans.com. This charming French café offers soups, salads, quiches and a few entrées, along with jewelry and pottery from local artisans. Live music on Fridays and Saturdays. ❂ B L D $ n
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Salon Central 10317 Westlake Drive Bethesda, MD 20817 301-767-1077 www.saloncentralbethesda.com
3. As a market leader in Bethesda, “we always keep the salon sparkling clean because, cleanliness is next to godliness,” says Cohen. 4. There is abundant, free parking; the salon is open 7 days a week and has free Wifi.
5. The salon has an 85 percent guest retention rate and a 90 percent employee retention rate. 6. In 2014, Salon Central was awarded “Salon 200” a recognition given to 200 salons nationwide for their best business practices. 7. For eight years in a row, Salon Central has been a “Top Pick” in Bethesda Magazine’s “Best of Bethesda” Readers’ Poll. 8. “Do you want fuller, longer luxurious hair?” Cohen asks. “Perfect, we provide hair extension services that meet everyone’s desires!” 9. We offer the Olaplex conditioning color service, which makes hair stronger, healthier, and your color last longer. 10. Salon Central is, “always ahead of the latest trends such as Balayage highlights, bohemian braiding and fun funky color,” concludes Cohen.
Michael Ventura
Salon Central has created a culture that is, “welcoming, warm and down to earth,” says Gail Cohen, who opened her salon 18 years ago. “We want our clients to join our family.”
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Eleven years ago Massimo Quartararo and Eyal Uzana combined their 60 years of hair styling talent and opened EYMA Salon & Spa in the heart of Bethesda.
James Kim
EYMA Salon & Spa 829 Woodmont Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 301-986-6996 www.eymasalonandspa.com
5. Uzana specializes in curly hair; hair extensions and crazy colors are “done in a subtle way” by all of the salon’s sytlists.
1. Quartararo hails from Modena, Italy; Uzana is from Tel Aviv, Israel.
6. “Bethesda is the perfect spot,” says Uzana who wanted to be close to D.C. Two blocks from Metro, the salon also has free parking.
2. The salon’s name is borrowed from the first two letters of each of the owner’s first names, “because we are the perfect balance between Israel and Italy,” says Quartararo.
7. Designed with a minimalist approach, the salon’s stainless steel Italian furniture is paired with wood touches for warmth.
3. Catering to men and women, EYMA’s focus is “on everything for hair and spa,” including, facials, massages, nails, waxing and eyelash extensions. 4. Comb Bayalage is the salon’s specialty. “No one really does it outside of Italy,” says Quartararo.
8. “I want clients to feel they’re at a fashionable salon,” says Uzana. “After their service I want them to feel fashionable.” 9. EYMA stylists take hair and color classes, “constantly,” to learn the hottest techniques. 10. A great day for Quartararo is, “when I see my salon happening, clients in every chair and my stylists taking on their art.”
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A hidden gem between Rockville and Bethesda, Blu Water Day Spa is an oasis where you can step away from your busy life to enjoy peace and relaxation.
5. Carla is a certified XtremeLash stylist. Performed in our private spa room, she will customize individual lashes for natural and fuller enhanced looks.
1. Our product lines: GM Collins, Comfort Zone, Neova, Eminence and SkinCeuticals.
6. Norya, an esthetician, has over 45 years of experience coming from Roxsan Day Spa.
Blu Water Day Spa, White Flint Plaza
Julie Nguyen - Owner 5234 Nicholson Lane, Kensington, MD 20895 301-984-6245 www.BluWaterdayspa.com
3. Erika is a graduate of The Aveda Institute. Her passion is in providing targeted skin treatments, excelling in glycolic peels and waxing. 4. Ivetta came from The Spa at Saks in Chevy Chase and specializes in Dermaplaning and Microdermabrasion facials.
7. At Blu Water, your appointment time is dedicated to a peaceful experience – not to pressuring you to buy products! We offer a glass of wine to clients who are getting our packaged services. 8. We have a meditation room to relax before/after spa services. Hot tea, dried fruit, nuts and neck warmers are provided. 9. We are dedicated to giving back to the community.
James Kim
2. Our services including nails, facials, all type of massage modalities, brow design and waxing performed by licensed technicians.
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This winter, The Woodhouse Day Spa will begin delivering to the Bethesda area the restorative experience of a destination spa without the journey. 1. The entire Metro area has been, “underserved from the luxury day spa perspective,” says owner Peter Dychkewich. “There are essentially no dedicated, full-service day spas in Montgomery County.” 2. With the “The 99 Elements of the Woodhouse Experience,” each guest receives a signature, therapeutic experience.
Courtesy Photo
3. Singular attention is placed on initiating and developing relationships one guest at a time.
The Woodhouse Day Spa North Bethesda Market 2 Paseo Drive North Bethesda, MD 20852 northbethesda.woodhousespas.com
4. The Woodhouse experience inspires relaxation and rejuvenation. With natural aromatherapies, warm colors and relaxing, quiet lounges, the elegant 6,000 square-foot spa caters to men and women. 5. The spa offers more than 70 stressrelieving services including, Minkyti Facial,
Four-Handed Massage, body treatments, sleep treatments, manicure and pedicures. 6. Along with their exclusive rejuvenating skin products, the spa’s “skincare and anti-aging treatments feature hand-harvested seaweed from Ireland,” says Dychkewich. 7. Mud baths and organic seaweed wraps are offered in combination with the Vichy shower, “specialized therapies that are just not offered anywhere else in this area,” says Dychkewich. 8. There is complementary valet parking in the North Bethesda Market; the spa is twoblocks from White Flint Metro. 9. Spa professionals are hired not only for their abilities but also for their, “selfless spirit, generous nature and graciousness,” says Dychkewich. 10. “The work environment is first class with base salaries and bonus incentives, very important differentiators,” explains Dychkewich.
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Elegantly tucked into a Wisconsin Avenue row house, Illusions of Georgetown, which opened in March, is a cozy salon specializing in men’s and women’s hair, as well as make-up application. 1. “We customize all of our treatments based on the personality of an individual’s hair,” says Irma Wheeler, who co-owns the salon with her son, Justin Wheeler. 2. Wheeler was “taken by surprise” when, at 20, Justin decided to follow in her footsteps and learn her trade. 3. “He is conservative and I am wild,” says Wheeler of her style sense versus Justin’s. “I am into funky, short cuts and color and he is into traditional, longer cuts.” Justin also specializes in barber style cuts for men. 4. Wheeler came to the U.S. from Cuba and, at 10, followed in her sisters’ footsteps by going into the hair business. 5. Mother and son also own the 23-year-old Illusions of Shirlington. 6. “Our stylists thrive on education,” says Wheeler. 7. Illusions of Georgetown hosts client hair and makeup events to present the season’s latest trends. 8. The salon name, “Illusions,” was chosen because, “with hair and make-up, you can create any kind of illusion that you desire,” says Wheeler. 9. Illusions stylists work as a team. Clients feel comfortable going to one stylist for an updo and another for an everyday look. 10. The salon is wheelchair accessible with valet parking; additionally, the Georgetown Circulator has a stop in front of a salon.
1629 Wisconsin Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20007 202-338-4100 www.illusionsofgeorgetown.com facebook.com/IllusionsOfGeorgetown
Darren Higgins
Illusions Salon of Georgetown
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Special Advertising Section
Progressions salon spa store 12211 Nebel St. Rockville, MD 20852 301-231-8757 www.Progressions.com
Since 1984, Progressions salon spa store has been committed to providing exceptional customer service to each and every guest, each and every day.
5. Progression salon’s 58-person team is a family that includes family members who work together. Progressions also builds multi-generational, longlasting relationships with its clients.
1. Team members pride themselves on saying ‘yes’ often. According to owner Cindy Feldman, the team strives daily, “to make their guest’s day.”
6. Progressions supports students, teachers and the active duty military by offering a savings on products and services, “with a smile and a big thank you,” says Feldman.
2. Progressions leadership assures that team members are inspired to continue their education, give back to the community and achieve their personal goals.
7. Team members speak various languages including, English, American Sign Language, Cantonese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
3. The award-winning salon provides hair color and cutting services as well as nail treatments, signature facials, therapeutic massage, custom spray tanning and brow design services. 4. The team’s goal is for every client to, “leave looking and feeling beautiful,” says Feldman. Guests are also educated on how to look “salon ready” every day.
8. Progressions is listed in Salon Today “Top 200 2015.” 9. A jungle-themed playroom room enables parents to bring their children with them. 10. Transportation is provided to and from the Red Line’s White Flint Metro in the salon’s eyelash-adorned, branded convertible VW Bug. There is ample free parking.
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1. The salon has been named “best of Yelp” and “Hot on Yelp” for years. With its “famously feel good atmosphere and stylish, sundrenched space,” co-owner Stan Sokolowski says Bethesda Magazine has named it one of the best salons in Rockville. 2. With 22 stylists, Kindle & Boom is a specialty salon with a focus on hair care.
Kindle & Boom 180 Halpine Road Rockville MD 20852 301-770-0404 kindleandboom.com
3. “‘Kindle & Boom’ is a statement that means ‘to inspire an expression of joy’,” explains Sokolowski of the salon’s name. 4. There’s plenty of free parking; Twinbrook Metro is two blocks away.
5. Kindle & Boom hosts wine nights on evenings in November and December. 6. Sokolowski wants his clients to, “live beautifully and have fun while doing it;” he wants his team to, “communicate clearly, deliver their personal best and spread joy.” 7. Sokolowski’s favorite Yelp quote is, “This has been one of the best heat salon experiences I have ever had!” 8. Sokolowski’s second favorite Yelp quote is, “They are friendly and trendy without feeling stuffy.” 9. The salon’s rewards program has paid out thousands in products and purchases for pre-booking and referrals. 10. Annually the salon brings in the world’s top talent for theoretical and practical education.
Tony Lewis JR
With a cohesive, playful team of warm, highly skilled stylists who cater to both men and women, Kindle & Boom has become the place to go for professional cuts and color.
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Michael Ventura
Red Door Spa in Wildwood Shopping Center 10213 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, MD 20814 240-644-1319 www.reddoorspas.com
For 12 years, the Red Door Spa’s signature red door has decorated Bethesda’s Wildwood Shopping Center bringing to the area the 100-year-old spa’s culture of pampering.
unique and unforgettable experience,” says Browning. All team members are trained and “committed to enhancing the lives of guests through beauty, wellness and meaningful connections.”
1. “Enter you. Exit new.” says GM Rachael Browning of the Bethesda Red Door Spa experience. “For a quick beauty fix, a signature spa treatment or a luxurious spa day. Experience transforming treatments for face, hair, body and nails delivered by expert technicians.”
5. “We stay ahead of the curve on what’s trending and what the community is seeking,” says Browning who recently added the Olaplex hair treatment, the Color4 Light Therapy Facial and the newest offering, The Arden Standard facial.
2. All Red Door aestheticians are trained and licensed through the state of Maryland.
6. This year, the spa launched the Red Door More membership program. Guests save $25 on every massage with the purchase of a $50 annual membership.
3. “Our team feels fulfilled that they are part of a culture of impeccable service that has guests returning to us for years,” says Browning.
7. Red Door Spa is open seven days a week, with complimentary parking.
4. Red Door “provides guests with a
8. Browning recently celebrated her 11th anniversary at the Red Door Bethesda.
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1. Ludwick is passionate about his craft, dedicated to his team and committed to exceptional results. 2. With a background in editorial hairdressing, Ludwick’s been doing hair since he was 17. 3. Born and raised in D.C, Ludwick learned about hard work and service at his family’s store, Brookville Supermarket in Chevy Chase.
Ira Ludwick Salon 10400 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, MD 20814 301-530-3250 www.iraludwicksalon.com
4. Launching his career in 1975 in Georgetown, in 1984 Ludwick opened his first salon in Rockville; Ira Ludwick Salon opened in 2012. 5. The salon’s 16 stylists specialize in color and cut; skin-care and make-up services are also available.
6. With an upcoming “international jam session of color, cut and design” in Rome, Ludwick helps create the latest techniques. 7. Since 1991 Ludwick has been part of the global network Intercoiffure, “the most respected association of salon owners and educators in our profession.” 8. With clients from throughout the DMV, Ludwick chose the salon’s location for its proximity to I-270 and I-495. 9. “We love our work, you will too,” Ludwick says. “The salon is an oasis where every day we get to make people feel good about the way they look.” 10. Ludwick passionately believes in the “‘art of consultation.’ We actively listen to our clients to create a great vibe and consistency.”
Tony Lewis jr
The Ira Ludwick Salon is known for its “Glam Squad” styling – from Saks 5th Avenue fashion shows to Elle Magazine’s “Women of Washington.”
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Gathering “Rainbow” and “New Wave” under one roof, in January 2014, Danny Sayag found a new home for his one, large shop, New Wave Salon and Day Spa. 1. Called the “United Nations of hair salons,” the New Wave team (many working together for decades) hails from 16 countries.
Hilary Schwab
2. The salon has 31 stylists and colorists, a shampoo staff that takes the head/ neck massage very seriously, nail-techs, estheticians and a make-up artist.
New Wave Salon and Spa
3. A stickler for customer service, Sayag makes sure there are plenty of receptionists at the front desk to help clients.
1776 East Jefferson St., #111 Rockville, MD 20852 301-231-4844 newwavesalon.com
4. After serving in the Israeli army, Sayag moved to the U.S. in 1984 and, in 1990, joined the original New Wave Salon partnership.
5. “I don't ask anything of my staff that I wouldn't do myself,” says Sayag. 6. “I encourage my team members all the time, ‘don't rush, give the clients the attention they deserve’,” says Sayag. 7. “At the end of the day, I am proud that I can help a client feel good,” says Sayag. 8. There is ample free parking; Twinbrook Metro is a short walk from the salon. 9. Sayag chose Rockville for the salon‘s home because, “I wanted to serve the community in which I live.” 10. “My favorite days are when something funny happens at the salon and the staff and clients laugh together,” concludes Sayag.
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1. Hope Floats has brought back to Bethesda what was developed here by a neurophysiologist at the NIMH. “We’ve bought a 1954 life-changing therapy into the 21st Century,” says Kimberly Boone who opened her spa in 2013. 2. “Floating triggers a relaxation response deeper than sleep,” Boone says comparing a float to rebooting a computer. 3. “Muscles release, the brain relaxes and the skin absorbs much needed magnesium sulfate,” explains Boone.
5. According to Boone, medical research cites float therapy benefits for chronic pain, insomnia, addiction as well as weekend and professional athletes.
2. Pampered with a buffet of treats and beverages, clients appreciate the gift selection of jewelry, cosmetics and accessories. 3. It’s the only salon in the D.C. area with Magic Sleek, the formaldehyde-free
4709 Chase Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 202-236-2099 www.hopefloatsusa.com
straightening product that leaves shiny hair full of body for six months. 4. This L’Oreal Concept Salon uses the line’s best hair care and color products, including oil-based, ammonia-free color. 5. The salon produces a calendar, featuring local dogs and cats, that supports two pet charities.
Jean Bae Salon Jean 7945 MacArthur Blvd. Cabin John, MD 20818 301-320-5326 www.salonjean.com
Hilary Schwab
1. Salon Jean is a community salon and spa that welcomes children, but with 20 employees, it’s no small shop.
Hope Floats Mike Olliver
4. Four blocks from the Bethesda Metro with complimentary parking, “Hope Floats is honored that floating is offering relief to our veterans receiving treatment at Walter Reed,” says Boone.
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Hilary Schwab
David’s Beautiful People 12121 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 301-881-2540 davidsbeautifulpeople.com
Four decades after opening his salon, David Cohen still has a passion for what he does. “I want people around me to love what they do as much as I do.”
5. David’s team specialize in color, thinning hair concerns using extensions and the Evolve system, Brazilian smoothing, nails as well as eyebrow threading and waxing.
1. David and his team of stylists travel the globe, from New York to Paris, seeking and teaching the latest fashions. “Education keeps us going,” says Cohen. “As stylists, we have to be on the cutting edge, always.” It’s also important to note that each member of David’s team offers free consultations.
6. David’s has early morning and evening appointments available. Appointments can be made online (davidsbeautifulpeople.com) and by phone (301-881-2540).
2. There may be an “i” in David, but the salon isn’t about one person. “It is a team effort. We teach and share,” says Cohen. 3. The salon has been open 7-days a week since the Blue Laws. 4. Cohen began styling hair at 16. Born and raised in New York, Cohen moved to the D.C. area when he was 25.
7. Cohen chose Rockville Pike because to bring D.C hair styling into the suburbs and, “work with people where they live rather than where they work.” 8. The salon has been at its current location for 43 years. 9. At David’s “we treat our clients like we are welcoming them into our own home.” 10. There is free parking. Twinbrook Metro is 1.5 blocks away.
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Montgomery County
THANKSGIVING
PARADE Downtown Silver Spring
On Georgia Avenue - from Ellsworth Drive to Silver Spring Avenue
Saturday, November 21, 2015 l 10 am 240-777-0311 l SilverSpringDowntown.com l montgomerycountymd.gov/rec l @mocorec
@mocorec
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shopping. beauty. weddings. pets. travel. history.
photo by jeff fusco
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Philadelphia hosts a wide array of holiday-themed events and festivals, including a light show called Electrical Spectacle in Franklin Square. For more, see page 388.
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etc. S h o p Ta l k
By samantha miller
Great Finds Spread cheer this holiday season with handcrafted gifts by local artisans
For men
Skincando Combat- Re ady Balm Made in Silver Spring
Jumbie Industrie s Business Card Holder
Made in Gaithersburg Available in several hardwoods such as walnut and maple, this laser-engraved accessory can be customized with a company logo or favorite quote. Proceeds from every purchase benefit the families of Maryland children battling cancer. Starting at $49 at jumbieindustries.com
Knot by Tiffa Poc ket Square
Made in Silver Spring Olympic figure skating medalist Jeremy Abbott and philanthropist John Kluge have been spotted in Knot by Tiffa’s stylish designs. Each piece is inspired by a different song—this paisley pocket square is named after Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby.” $20 at knotbytiffa.com
All Photos Courtesy
This all-natural balm soothes razorburn, winter dryness and minor abrasions—just ask the thousands of U.S. soldiers who’ve received the product through Skincando’s nonprofit Operation Sand Flea. $22 at The Emerald Door Spa in Silver Spring and skincando.com
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For Kid s
For wom e n
E arthBa byClothing Long- Sleeve Shirt
Sans Sugar Scrub Squares
Made in Potomac
Made in Potomac Made with pure cane sugar and cocoa butter, these little cubes melt slowly in the shower, leaving skin soft and hydrated. Sans’ products are formulated without parabens or synthetic ingredients, which makes them a good fit for sensitive skin. $25 at Varnish Lane in Friendship Heights and sansskincare.com
Splendid Be ads Bracelet
Made in Bethesda Jeweler Valeriya Huseynova mixes Swarovski crystals, Czech beads and rhinestones to create one-of-a-kind bracelets. Splendid Beads’ online boutique also carries sparkling pendants and headbands. $50 at etsy.com/shop/ splendidbeadsbklyn
Hand-stitched by Yana Gurevich, a Potomac mother of three, this cotton top is sure to keep little ones warm and cozy. The Etsy shop offers organic outfits for newborns to 3 years, and plans to offer more sizes soon. $25 at etsy. com/shop/earthbabyclothing
Mostly Monograms Duffle Bag Made in Bethesda
Bell ajenna Calligraphy Stationery
Made in Silver Spring Because snail mail never goes out of style, stationery company Bellajenna recently launched a new line of personalized note cards. Each set includes 10 flat or folded cards and elegant lined envelopes. $20-$25 for a boxed set at bellajenna.com
Perfect for pint-size travelers, these 18-inch bags are available in pink or blue seersucker, with complimentary personalization. The cotton fabric is easy to spotclean or throw in the wash. $30 at mostlymonograms.com
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Shopping guide
With the holidays coming, here’s where to find locally owned clothing and gift boutiques By Cynthia Hacinli
Bethesda Row’s Calypso St. Barth is a luxury resort-wear boutique.
vet. Finish the look with accessories by Margaret Elizabeth and Gorjana.
American Classic Clothes If you can’t find what you’re looking for in this traditional children’s clothing shop, they can make it for you. Among the treasures here: classic smocked cotton rompers and party dresses, hand-knit sweaters and booties, delicate blouses and fun pj’s, and hand-sewn vests and dress pants.
Wildwood Shopping Center, 10215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, 301-897-2929, www.belinaboutique.com
Westfield Montgomery mall, 7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, 301-365-7740, www. americanclassicclothes.com Belina Boutique Owners Betty Barati and Sherri Hatam dress women of all ages in designers such as Splendid, Ecru, Joie, Ella Moss and Vel-
Beyda’s Lad & Lassie This shop offers classic, upscale dressy and everyday clothing for infants, girls and boys by labels such as Kissy Kissy, Bella Bliss and Florence Eiseman, as well as uniforms for local schools. There are also pajamas, swimwear and accessories. 5444 Westbard Ave., Bethesda, 301-656-2026 Blanca Flor This small shop lures in customers with glass cases full of sterling silver jewelry
that owner Rigel Garcia collects from Mexico, Greece, Poland and the United States. Pieces include a changing selection of offbeat bracelets, earrings and necklaces at a wide range of prices. Wildwood Shopping Center, 10231 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, 301-530-6313, www.blancaflorofbethesda.com Calypso St. Barth Launched in St. Barth in 1992 as a luxury resort-wear boutique, Calypso St. Barth now sells its feminine, boho-chic fashions in Bethesda Row. The store carries its namesake collection as well as a carefully curated selection of pieces from international designers—you’ll find dip-dyed caftans, luxe cashmere sweaters and fun animal prints. The
courtesy photo
BETHESDA
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Owners John Helm and Caroline Liberty fill their boutique, Red Orchard, with crafty items found at local art shows.
shop also sells fragrances as well as rugs, pillows and throws. Bethesda Row, 4810 Bethesda Row, 301652-1219, www.calypsostbarth.com Claire Dratch Locally owned since 1946, Claire Dratch is where women go when they want to say yes to the dress. Proms, bat mitzvahs, and weddings are all covered here. The store prides itself on personal service, alterations and customized clothing. 7615 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, 301-6568000, www.clairedratch.net Current Boutique Designer labels abound at this local consignment boutique that sells online as well as at its brick-and-mortar shops in Bethesda, Logan Circle, Arlington and Alexandria. You’ll find in-demand names like Roberto Cavalli, Alexander Wang, Prada, Chanel and Christian Louboutin. 7220 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, 301-2221114, www.currentboutique.com Daisy Baby & Kids Owner Dana Evans specializes in helping parents and parents-to-be design their kids’ rooms and nurseries. Daisy Baby & Kids offers an array of designer and upscale furniture and baby linens, including Maddie Boo and Oilo, as well as accessories, gear and gifts. 4912-A Del Ray Ave., Bethesda, 301-6547477, www.shopdaisybaby.com Etcetera This visit-by-appointment showroom is devoted to Etcetera, the fashion-forward, less pricey line of Carlisle, a luxury clothing brand typically sold at trunk shows. It’s the only Etcetera showroom in the country, and the experience is much like having a personal stylist to help you navigate the mixand-match classics-gone-trendy pieces.
photo by james mertz
courtesy photo
4709 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, 301-2158363, www.etcetera.com Furs by Gartenhaus You can buy a new fur here—or get an old one restyled, repaired and appraised. Coats, jackets, vests, capes and hats are all options, and sheared mink is a specialty—as a lining or as a soft, light coat or jacket. The store also stocks exotic furs such as chinchilla and fox. Fur storage is also available.
7101 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, 301-6562800, www.fursbygartenhaus.com Hoamgar This Bethesda outpost of a Singaporebased shop is known for its Taiwanese tailoring, Japanese and European fabrics, and feminine styling. Clothing is produced in limited quantities, and handbags are one of a kind. Westfield Montgomery mall, 7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, 301-767-9479, www. hoamgar.com Irresistibles The clothing in the Bethesda location of this East Coast chain is an eclectic mix of names such as Nic + Zoe, Three Dots, Autumn Cashmere, Christopher Blue and Trina Turk. The store also carries shoes, jewelry and accessories by Alexis Bittar and Orla Kiely. Wildwood Shopping Center, 10301 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, 301-897-2574, www.irresistibles.com Lou Lou This jam-packed accessories boutique—located in the former Urban Chic space—carries loads of costume jewelry, scarves, belts, small gifts and handbags from pleather to leather. 7126 Bethesda Lane, Bethesda, 301-6520048, www.loulouboutiques.com Luna This Bethesda Row boutique is known for its collection of designer duds by the likes of J Brand, Autumn Cashmere, Velvet and Vince, and for its extensive collection of fun costume jewelry. There are also handbags, shapewear and hats.
Bethesda Row, 7232 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, 301-656-1111, www.shopluna.com Mustard Seed Appealing to a wide swath of customers— savvy middle schoolers to 70-somethings among them—this second-hand store owned by Derek Kennedy and Gayle Herrmann specializes in items that are fewer than two years old. Think names like Elie Tahari, Nine West, Nicole Miller, Old Navy, American Apparel, Gap and H&M. There are some vintage offerings from the ’50s to ’70s as well. 7349 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, 301-9074699, www.mustardseedshop.com Petra Owner Petra Winkler hails from Germany and focuses on upscale European fashion lines, including Cambio and the Munichbased Bogner. The store, on Bethesda Row since 2009, features sportswear, party dresses and accessories for women. Bethesda Row, 4803 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, 301-215-9080 REDDz Trading This resale shop stocks high-end to less pricey designers such as Gucci, Céline, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, J.Crew and All Saints. Unlike a consignment shop that gives you a percentage of what you sell, Reddz pays you a flat fee of 30 percent for items they want, or 45 percent to be used toward in-store purchases. 7801 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, 301-6567333, www.reddztrading.com Red Orchard Owners John Helm and Caroline Liberty enjoy scouting local art shows for many
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tennis gear since 1976. The staff is trained in foot biomechanics to help customers find the right shoe. There is also discounted apparel, socks and gear. The Rockville location (see Rockville section) has a selfserve clearance room.
Wildwood Shopping Center, 10253 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, 301-571-7333, www.redorchard.com
4945 Elm St., Bethesda, 301-986-0558, www.rnjsports.com
Rita G’s Chapter Two Boutique Fine Consign Named for owner Rita Gendelman, this stylish consignment shop sells pre-owned designer handbags, jewelry, scarves, shoes and clothes at a fraction of their original prices. Designers include Dior, Bottega Veneta, Hermes and Chanel, as well as less pricey names such as Kate Spade and Marc Jacobs. 4931 Cordell Ave., Bethesda, 301-718-7200, www.ritagfineconsign.com RnJ Sports ASICS, Brooks and Saucony are some of the names you’ll find in this family-owned business that’s been selling running and
Sassanova Sarah “Sassy” Jacobs and Sarah Cannova opened this women’s shoe store in Bethesda in 2009. The boutique stocks high-end designer footwear by Loeffler Randall, Butter, French Soles and Jack Rogers. Totes, wallets, jewelry and a selection of clothing by designers including MILLY, Trina Turk and Diane von Furstenberg round out the offerings. Bethesda Row, 7134 Bethesda Lane, Bethesda, 301-654-7403, www.sassanova.com Secrète Fine Jewelry Custom fine jewelry, including bridal sets, earrings and necklaces, is the specialty in this family-owned store. Designs range from modern and contemporary to vintage.
You also can choose a watch from established names such as Rolex, and get jewelry repaired and restored. Wildwood Shopping Center, 10227 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, 301-530-7892, www.secretejewelry.com Sequel This women’s boutique features an eclectic mix of upscale contemporary names, including Michael Stars, Clover Canyon, and Bailey 44. The store also carries jewelry and accessories. Its two sister stores, Wear it Well in Bethesda and Corby Collection in Chevy Chase, D.C., carry some similar merchandise, but each has unique items, as well. Wildwood Shopping Center, 10255 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, 301-530-4423, www.sequelbethesda.com South Moon Under Originally a surf shop in Ocean City, Maryland, this boho boutique for women and men is especially popular with teens and 20-somethings. But there’s way more than swimsuits and beachwear. Look for casu-
Accessories boutique Sassanova stocks high-end designer footwear, among other items.
photo by james mertz
of the crafty items at Red Orchard. You can find everything here from John Derian decoupage trays and Company C rugs to home accents and fine jewelry made by local artisans. Whimsical Czechoslovakian glass “petal” rings are big sellers.
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al to dressy clothing from labels such as MINKPINK, Marc Jacobs and Trina Turk, along with quirky home goods, gifts, jewelry and shoes (think Steve Madden, Frye and Seychelles). Wildwood Shopping Center, 10247 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, 301-564-0995, www.southmoonunder.com The Blue House Owner Connie Cissel travels to markets around the country to choose the whimsical items in this jam-packed shop. In addition to fun things like glassware and pillows representing each state, the store has more practical items, including cookbooks by local authors and unique baby clothes. 7770 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, 301-6566088, www.thebluehousebethesda.com The Goldsmiths: Dealers in Dreams This store has been serving celebrities and regulars from its location at Bethesda Place since 1990 and before that was at White Flint since 1972. Most of the fine jewelry sold here is one of a kind. Owner Irwin Gross can help clients create their own unique piece and remount and restore heirloom items. Bethesda Place Shops, 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite N, Bethesda, 301-907-6787, www.goldsmithsdealersindreams.com The Pink Palm This Bethesda outpost of a small chain carries on the Lilly Pulitzer tradition on Bethesda Row. Co-owner Lizanne Jeveret stocks a full line of the iconic print dresses, tops, accessories and shoes for women and children. Look for menswear by Barbour as well.
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Bethesda Row, 4867 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, 301-913-9191, www.thepinkpalm.net Tugooh Toys and Yiro This store sells environmentally friendly toys for eco-conscious kids and their parents. There is a large selection of wooden toys, and even shelving is made of natural woods. Look for brands such as Alex, Fisher-Price, Radio Flyer and Kid Galaxy. There’s also a small selection of organic baby clothing for 9 months and under. Bethesda Row, 4823 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, 301-654-2412, www.tugoohtoys.com
Underwraps Underwraps sells more than bras, panties, pantyhose and nightgowns—you’ll find denim by NYDJ and tops, too. Find familiar lingerie names such as Olga and Maidenform, as well as the upscale Natori, Cosabella and Wacoal brands. The Shoppes of Bethesda, 4928 Hampden Lane, Bethesda, 301-656-4900 Wear it Well Wear it Well brings a funky, fashion-forward sensibility to Bethesda Row. The store carries accessories and a number of different clothing lines, including Ella Moss, White + Warren and Majestic Paris. The shop has two sister stores with similar, but not identical merchandise: Sequel at the Wildwood Shopping Center, and Corby Collection in Chevy Chase, D.C., which has more evening wear than the other two. Bethesda Row, 4816 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, 301-652-3713, www.justperfectcollection.com
CHEVY CHASE Boone & Sons Jewelers Started in 1966 by family patriarch French Boone, this fine jewelry store has everything from loose diamonds to fashion and estate jewelry. Boone’s son, Darryl Boone, runs the Chevy Chase store. 5550 The Hills Plaza, Chevy Chase, 301-6572144, www.booneandsons.com Gals on and off the Green Just because you’re playing sports doesn’t mean you can’t be stylish. That’s the philosophy of this women’s shop that sells resort, sports and golf wear that covers all the bases from country club to edgy chic. Brands include Ralph Lauren, Nike, Lilly Pulitzer, Adidas, Puma and Greg Norman. Chevy Chase Center, 5449 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, 240-800-4670, www.galsonand offthegreen.com Miller’s Furs This third-generation, family-owned furrier has been in Chevy Chase for more than 20 years. Find new and vintage fur coats, outerwear and fur-trimmed cashmere scarves. The salon also offers restoration services, repairs, appraisals and custom work. 4620 Leland St., Chevy Chase, 301-6563877, www.millersfurs.com
Nina McLemore Boutique The sedate yet stylish clothes seem tailormade for the professional woman. Look for work-ready dresses, separates, casual and evening wear in wool, stretch cotton and silk at this eponymously named Georgetownbased designer’s shop, one of several across the country. 5310 B Western Ave., Chevy Chase, 301-9511111, www.ninamclemore.com Saks Jandel This family-owned department store has been a Chevy Chase destination for highend fashion for more than 40 years. Inside you’ll find clothing and accessories from European and American designers such as Saint Laurent, Valentino, Michael Kors, Gucci and Karl Lagerfeld. The bridal salon carries equally posh labels, including Oscar de la Renta and Vera Wang. 5510 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, 301-652-2250 Sylene For 40 years, sisters Helen Kestler and Cyla Weiner have been finding the right bras for local women, including former first lady Nancy Reagan. The lingerie boutique is known for its extensive swimwear collection, and also offers in-store bridal showers and lingerie parties. 4407 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, 301-6544200, www.sylenedc.com The Lemon Twist Shop The Lemon Twist Shop has been a Chevy Chase neighborhood staple since 1977. Regulars like owner Sally Prince’s eclectic mix of women’s clothing and accessories from known names such as Lilly Pulitzer and Vineyard Vines. The store also sells handbags and jewelry. Chevy Chase Plaza, 8541 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase, 301-986-0044 Town Jewelers Town Jewelers owner and master goldsmith Saro Abrahamian has been designing fine jewelry for the Bethesda-Chevy Chase community for 30 years. In addition to custom pieces, the store sells Novobeads and Citizen watches. The shop also does repairs, restorations and appraisals. 7017 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, 301-6568867, www.townjewelerschevychase.com
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KENSINGTON/ NORTH BETHESDA Catch Can This Kensington shop is stocked with everything from quality women’s apparel and shoes to baby and children’s clothes and unique home accessories. If you’re in search of a gift, chances are you’ll find it here. And there’s a bargain basement clearance corner, too. 10505 Metropolitan Ave., Kensington, 301933-7862, www.catchcan.com Masica Diamonds Owner and master diamond cutter David Masica carries an array of diamonds, engagement rings and custom-made jewelry. There are also pieces featuring natural, coffee-colored diamonds. 11763 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, 301255-0000, www.masicadiamonds.com The Shop at Strathmore A turntable kitchen timer, and wood spoons that double as drumsticks are the kind of offbeat, music-related items that can be found at this gift shop at the Strathmore mansion. There are also DVDs, hand-painted silk scarves, Monet-inspired umbrellas, kids’ books and jewelry.
GAITHERSBURG/ NORTH POTOMAC Chic to Chic This consignment store has clothing, handbags, accessories and shoes by highend designers both familiar and obscure. Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Chloé, Roberto Cavalli, Richard Tyler, Mulberry, Hermes, Chanel, Theory and BCBG are just some of the names you’ll find here. You can also sell your own gently worn togs. 15900 Luanne Drive, Gaithersburg, 301-9267700, www.chictochic.com Class Act Located inside Gaithersburg’s Lakeforest Mall, Class Act provides lots of options for women and girls looking for a party, prom
The Pink Palm on Bethesda Row is the place to go for preppy brand Lilly Pulitzer.
or bat mitzvah dress. The store features a variety of price points and has some wedding gowns, too. Lakeforest Mall, 701 Russell Ave., Gaithersburg, 301-869-2244 Clover Locals Michon Frick and Jenn O’Brien wanted to bring an urban chic sensibility to Gaithersburg and opened Clover in 2004. Inside are jeans by AG and clothing by Rebecca Minkoff, Ella Moss and Alex + Olivia, as well as accessories, jewelry and handbags. The Kentlands, 502 Main St., Gaithersburg, 301-869-4544, www.shopclover.com Fleet Feet Sports Opened by runners and former CPAs Chris and Robyn Gault in 2005, the Gaithersburg
outpost of the nationwide franchise is known for its running shoes and moisture-wicking apparel. The store also offers running clinics, training programs and group runs. 255 Kentlands Blvd., Gaithersburg, 301-9266442, www.fleetfeetgaithersburg.com Imagine Boutique Named for owner Nancy Strauss’ favorite song, Imagine offers boho and contemporary styles from Bailey44, Bobi, Silver Jeans and Sanctuary. In addition to handbags, shoes and accessories, you’ll also find jewelry. Men will appreciate the edited choices from Robert Graham. 26-A Grand Corner Ave., Gaithersburg, 301527-1694, www.shopimagineclothing.com South Moon Under See Bethesda listing.
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The Mansion Shop at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, 301-5815175, www.strathmore.com.
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Washingtonian Center, 15 Grand Corner Ave., Gaithersburg, 301-948-0971, www. southmoonunder.com The Surrey Looking for place mats, a gift or a saddle? You’ll find it all here. Originally started in 1953 as a tack shop for English-style riders, The Surrey also sells an array of riding clothes, jewelry and hostess gifts. 14120 Darnestown Road, Darnestown, 301-299-8225, www.thesurreysaddlery.com
POTOMAC Emily Grace Women of all ages visit this airy shop at Park Potomac to peruse the latest in contemporary tops, bottoms and dresses from Rebecca Taylor, Vince, Joie and Alice + Olivia, as well as premium denim. Finish off the look with handbags from Rebecca Minkoff and Lauren Merkin. Park Potomac, 12525 Park Potomac Ave., Potomac, 301-251-4184, www.shopemily grace.com Flora’s Feathered Nest Though most of the items are new, owner Marcia Copenhaver hunts down weathered-looking merchandise at shows and sales. Find an array of unique decorative birdcages, upscale scented candles, mirrors, gifts and garden décor.
Cabin John Shopping Center & Mall, 11325 Seven Locks Road, Potomac, 301-299-9662, www.shoetrainpotomac.com Toy Castle Brian Mack, formerly of Toys Etc., and Carlos Aulestia, who also owns Toy Kingdom in Rockville, opened Toy Castle in Cabin John Shopping Center & Mall in 2010. The store features high-quality educational toys, books and games for children of all ages, and a very knowledgeable staff. Cabin John Shopping Center & Mall, 11325 Seven Locks Road, Potomac, 301-299-0680, www.toycastlepotomac.com
artists who regularly make appearances in the store. You’ll also find natural fiber clothing, Judaica, whimsical home décor and gifts. Congressional Plaza, 1611 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 301-984-0102, www.askindred spirits.com Child’s Play The Rockville location of this toy store is one of four in this family-owned chain that’s known for its hands-on service. Inside are children’s books and a wealth of toys, puzzles, games, art supplies and costumes. Congressional Plaza, 1661 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 301-230-9040, www.barstons childsplay.com
ROCKVILLE Appalachian Spring This store carries everything from artisan glassware, pottery and wooden items to quirky baby goods and birdhouses. Don’t miss the fine collection of kaleidoscopes and the glass cases of designer jewelry. Congressional Plaza, 1641 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 301-230-1380, www.appalachian spring.com As Kindred Spirits Women love to shop here for the unique jewelry made by local and international
Mervis Diamond Importers This family-owned fine jewelry store specializes in loose diamonds and creations from designers including Tacori, Sasha Primak and Benchmark. All the standards are here: cuff links, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, engagement rings and wedding sets. 1775 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 301-2310030, www.mervisdiamond.com Na Ohana Jewelry This family-owned shop in Federal Plaza on Rockville Pike specializes in custom-de-
12211 River Road, Potomac, 301-765-0003, www.florasfeatherednest.com Leila Fine Gifts & Jewels Owner Deb Shalom searches out offbeat artisanal items for this shop, which sells a wide range of gifts. Among the finds: ceramics, decorative wine accessories, Judaica, and jewelry made of glass, crystals, copper, pearls, gemstones and silver.
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Cabin John Shopping Center & Mall, 7737 Tuckerman Lane, Potomac, 301-299-5675, www.leilajewels.com Shoe Train During the back-to-school season, more than 100 kids per day will visit this classic children’s shoe store for footwear from Ugg Australia, Clarks, Stride Rite and Nike, among others. The kid-friendly staff also specializes in fitting children with orthotics and orthopedic footwear.
Emily Grace is a good place for contemporary clothing and accessories.
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signed fine jewelry. One entire wall is devoted to pieces made with pearls of different colors and sizes. The store also does repairs. Federal Plaza, 12268-C Rockville Pike, Rockville, 301-881-0141 On Cloud 9 Carol Gowling brought her four daughters on buying trips when this “tween-age” store first opened, allowing them to help choose the teen-and junior-targeted styles. You’ll find casual wear as well as a unique selection of party dresses for bat mitzvahs. Potomac Woods Shopping Center, 1085 Seven Locks Road, Potomac, 301-251-1331, www.ishoponcloud9.com RnJ Sports See Bethesda listing.
Core72 is an activewear boutique in Chevy Chase, D.C.
Silver moon jewelry & Accessories Formerly Tiara Galleries & Gifts, this store has been in business since 1960 and prides itself on classic, established brands. Inside you’ll find women’s accessories by Alex and Ani and Pandora jewelry, Vera Bradley bags and Brighton accessories. Congressional Plaza, 1659 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 301-468-1122, www.tiaragalleries.com TennisTopia TennisTopia carries everything for the courts, including rackets, apparel, shoes and bags by tennis standards including Nike, Fila, Kaelin, Babolat and Adidas. Owners Darrell and Amy Haines also provide team uniforms and racket re-stringing and demos. Congressional Village Shopping Center, 1701 Rockville Pike B10, Rockville, 301-2309195, www.tennistopia.com The Cottage Monet Inside this bright and colorful shop is everything from thick Italian ceramic dishes to fun costume jewelry to placemats and glassware. Some of the many established lines featured here include Vietri, Vera Bradley, Mariposa and Thymes. Rockville Town Square, 36 Maryland Ave., Rockville, 301-279-2422, www.cottage monet.com Toy Kingdom European toys abound in this store, which has been operating since 2007 in Rock-
ville Town Square. You’ll find dolls, toys and games for boys and girls from names such as Corolle, Lego, Ravensburger and Creativity for Kids. Carlos Aulestia, co-owner of Toy Castle in Potomac, owns this store as well. Rockville Town Square, 36-C Maryland Ave., Rockville, 301-251-0220, www.toykingdom llc.com Uptown Cheapskate Nancy Kline and Emily Schramm, who are mother and daughter as well as business partners, offer cash on the spot or 25 percent more in store credit at this fashion resale shop. Brands include J.Crew, Free People, Steve Madden and Michael Kors. Kline, the former COO for South Moon Under, and Schramm go for items that are current— shirts, dresses, denim, jackets, handbags and accessories. 1032 Rockville Pike, Rockville, 301-7621089, www.uptowncheapskate.com
SILVER SPRING Dor- ne Corset Shoppe Hard-to-fit women will feel like they’ve found nirvana at this shop for ladies’ undergarments. But traditional-size women also are catered to, with bras, lacy corsets, colorful garters and body slimmers. There is a $5 fitting fee if you don’t buy anything (fittings are free if you do).
8126 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, 301-5895151 Footlights It’s everything ballet at this boutique for dancers, from girly tutus and stylish leotards to leg warmers and wraparound sweaters. There are also dancing shoes (jazz, ballroom, tap, ballet slippers and pointe shoes), plus pointe cushions and other footgear. Ballet-themed totes, pj’s and shirts round out the offerings. 938 Wayne Ave., Silver Spring, 301-3264351, www.dancefootlights.com Rostas This two-level boutique in the heart of downtown Silver Spring carries a broad range of classic and unique apparel from names such as Terani Couture, Alberto Makali and Samuel Dong. Find colorful scarves to silk gowns, along with casual wear, handbags and jewelry at prices 30 percent to 70 percent off retail. 8618 Fenton St., Silver Spring, 301-5887554, www.rostasboutique.com
UPPER NW, Washington, D.C. Child’s Play See Rockville listing.
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11910-R Parklawn Drive, Rockville, 301-8810021, www.rnjsports.com
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5536 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-244-3602, www.barstonschildsplay.com Catch Can See Kensington/North Bethesda listing. 5516 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-686-5316, www.catchcan.com Charles Schwartz & Son Jewelers Offerings at this posh jewelry shop range from contemporary pieces to Victorian, art deco and art nouveau estate designs. If you’re searching for a cuff dripping with diamonds or a statement South Sea pearl necklace, this is the place you’ll find it. Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-363-5432, www.charlesschwartz.com Corby Collection Part of Chevy Chase’s Mazza Gallerie since 1992, this women’s boutique features a mix of dress, casual and career clothing. Sister stores, Wear it Well and Sequel, both in Bethesda, have some overlap in merchandise, but each has unique items, as well.
to help customers redo their look or their entire closet. Find a well-edited selection of sportswear and dresses and accessories from designers including Raoul, Susana Monaco, Sachin & Babi, Halston Heritage and number 35. The Julia Farr Collection is also carried here. 5232 44th St. NW, Washington, D.C., 202364-3277, www.juliafarrdc.com Pampillonia Jewelers Classic design, a large selection of engagement rings and wedding bands, and handcrafted statement rings are what this sixthgeneration, family-owned jewelry store is known for. Pampillonia also has an extensive collection of art deco, Victorian and belle epoque estate and antique pieces from names like Tiffany and Cartier. Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-363-6305, www.pampillonia.com
Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-686-5363, www.justperfectcollection.com
Periwinkle The dazzling windows alone (especially around Halloween and Christmas) are worth a visit to this charming shop of gifts, chocolates, cards, stationery and holiday décor. Brands include Stonewall Kitchen gourmet goods, Thymes bath products, and Seda France candles. 3815 Livingston St. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-364-3076, www.periwinklegiftsdc.com Tabandeh Owner Tabandeh Sizdahkhani fills her store with bold, edgy apparel and jewelry from more than 200 designers including Samira 13, Janis Savitt, Alexis Bittar and Iradj Moini. Find fashions from avant-garde designers such as Rick Owens and Ann Demeulemeester. Mazza Gallerie, 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-244-0777, www.tabandehjewelry.com ■
Naughty or nice?
Core72 Whether you’re into running, cycling, yoga, Pilates, tennis, skiing or swimming, this store has the goods to outfit you. The colorful activewear and accessories come from boutique designers such as Letarte, Oiselle, Carve Designs and Balega. And many of the items are cool enough to wear on the street. 5502 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-686-4258, www.core72dc.com
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Full of Beans Unusual clothes and toys for infants and children fill this wonderland of a shop. Owner Mary Hutchens stocks fun things to wear (some of them handmade) from designers including Morgan & Milo, Joules, Jojomaman, Feather Baby, Kissy Kissy and the locally designed line by Petite Lucette. There are also artful toys by Maileg and others. 3813 Livingston St. NW, Washington, D.C., 202-362-8566 Julia Farr This beautiful little shop is part boutique, part style salon, with owner Julia Farr ready
The only place to shop for lingerie that makes you feel special.
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Ballroom Elegance For Allison Reines, having a mom who’s a wedding planner made things easy
The wedding: June 21, 2014, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown. The 7 p.m. ceremony was in the ballroom, which was transformed for the reception while guests enjoyed a cocktail hour—partially outdoors with couches and a fire pit—in another part of the hotel. Allison’s mom, Ellen Reines, an event planner in Bethesda, handled all the details for the wedding. “I never had to worry,” Allison says. “I knew everything was going to be covered. She thought of things I didn’t even know existed. She exceeded any vision I could have potentially ever had. I didn’t even know you could make a room look so beautiful, so unique and so custom.” How they met: The couple met their senior year at Walter Johnson when they had an AP psychology class together.
First date: In 2002, Jonathan asked Allison to prom, and the event was the first time their families met. After graduating, they went off to separate colleges (Jonathan to the University of Maryland and Allison to the University of Michigan) but stayed in touch and began dating seriously after college in 2006. Their rehearsal dinner included a slideshow with a photo from their prom. The proposal: On an April 2013 weekend trip to Allison’s uncle’s house in St. Michaels, Maryland, Jonathan pretended to get up early to take pictures of the sunrise. When Allison woke up and came outside, he proposed alongside the water. “He surprised me by having both of our families come for the whole rest of the weekend, and he had gone food shopping and bought all of our favorite foods and cooked all weekend,” Allison says. Wedding theme: While there wasn’t a distinct theme, the wedding encompassed various shades of whites and creams, along with matte metallics in gold and silver. “And some blush for a little pop,” says Allison. Number of guests: 240
Special detail: “Our chuppah had spray-painted pearlized foliage on the sides of it,” Allison says of the Jewish canopy they were married under. The entire structure was covered in lush flowers and the top featured woven branches and dangling globe lights. Most meaningful moment: Rabbi James Kahn, who performed their ceremony, suggested that Allison and Jonathan write each other a letter that they read in private after the service. “We didn’t want to have long personal vows but we still wanted to share things that we felt about each other,” Allison says. “We’ve been together so many years, it was nice to have both of us put all of our thoughts into one place.” The food: Allison is a vegetarian, so having food options was important to her. The cocktail hour had both passed hors d’oeuvres and stations of nibbles. The dinner started with a first course of baby arugula and citrus salad served on a glass plate. The entrées were miso-glazed sea bass and New York strip steak, with vegetarian options available. The couple’s four-tiered red velvet cake was covered in cream cheese
Photos by Michael Bennett Kress Photography
The couple: Allison Reines, 31, grew up in Bethesda and is a physical therapist at C.O.R.E. Physical Therapy. Jonathan Zygielbaum, 31, moved from South Africa to Bethesda when he was in eighth grade and is an attorney at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP. Allison and Jonathan graduated from Walter Johnson High School in 2002 and now live in Washington, D.C.
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frosting that had a different texture and style for each layer. Party treats: Guests sported favors on the dance floor: customized sunglasses that said “Zig & Al” and the wedding date. And mini ice cream treats and candy pops were given out on the dance floor later in the evening. One - of -a- kind touches: The décor company Chicka designed pieces for the wedding, including a custom dance floor with a taupe-and-ivory diamond pattern. The company also created an elaborate wall with shelves for candles, flowers, table assignment cards and old family wedding photos in various frames. “I love that it had all of our family history in it,” Allison says. Cost- cutting tips: “Be the daughter of a wedding planner,” Allison quips. Her mom’s connections and knowledge of the industry helped keep costs down.
The honeymoon: A trip to the French Polynesian islands Bora Bora and Moorea. “We wanted relaxation,” Allison says. The details: Catering and cake were provided by Four Seasons Hotel; décor, Chicka; event planner, Ellen Reines of Ellen Reines Events; flowers, Edge; hair, Maggie Sprague; invitations, Dauphine Press (ordered through Sidelines); lighting, Frost Lighting Co. of D.C.; makeup, Carl Ray; music, L.A. Starz of EBE Entertainment; photography, Michael Bennett Kress; videography, Bill Bowen of Suburban Video. n
Photos by Michael Bennett Kress Photography
Gown: An ivory strapless gown with a tulle layered bottom, bought at Vera Wang Bridal Salon in New York. Allison accessorized with a Vera Wang jeweled belt and a veil.
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Celebrating 30 Years
of supporting the arts and humanities in Montgomery County
The Honorable Isiah “Ike” Leggett and First Lady Catherine Leggett cordially invite you to the
30th Annual Montgomery County Executive’s Ball Benefitting the Arts & Humanities
Administered by The Community Foundation in Montgomery County Funded solely through corporate and private donations
Monday, December 7, 2015 at 6pm Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center Tickets $150 • Creative Black Tie For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.mocoexecball.org/bethesdamag or call 301-244-8183
2015 Toyota RAV4 Raffle Tickets on Sale Now!
$
50
per ticket
Drawing to take place 9:00pm at the Ball Presented by FitzMall.com
Winner to select color. LIC Raffle #12-1307 You do not need to be present to win.
Proceeds of the 30th Annual Montgomery County Executive's Ball and Raffle will support arts and humanities education programs in Montgomery County.
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By Christine Koubek
Icy Fun
Holiday by the Fire Want someone else to do the cooking (and cleaning) this holiday season? Consider gathering your family in Williamsburg, Virginia, for a Colonial-era inspired, farm-to-table Thanksgiving dinner that includes roasted turkey, sage stuffing and a sweet potato casserole. The meal is part of Kingsmill Resort’s Thanksgiving package, which includes a stay in a one-, two- or three-bedroom condo with a wood-burning fireplace (a bellman delivers wood and starts the fire), full breakfast buffet and free rides to Colonial Williamsburg. The resort also has a new million-dollar spa, which opened in January. Massages, facials and an array of holistic treatments are offered. The package is available Nov. 25-Dec. 1; $239-269 per night for a one-bedroom condo, $566 for a two-bedroom (two-night minimum required). Kingsmill’s Holiday Tradition package, available Dec. 23-28, includes similar perks, plus a condo decked out with a real Christmas tree (two-bedroom from $559 per night). For more, visit www.kingsmill.com.
Courtesy of Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center; Courtesy of Kingsmill Resort
You don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy ICE!, the main attraction in Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center’s holiday celebrations. This year, artisans from Harbin, China, will hand carve more than 2 million pounds of ice into seven rooms of colorful sculptures—and two-story slides—that bring to life the classic tale of Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. An area called the Frostbite Factory will give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at ice sculptors using chain saws, ice picks and paintbrushes. Inside Gaylord National, kids can take part in events such as an Elf on the Shelf-inspired scavenger hunt, gingerbread house decorating, and brunch with Santa (Dec. 13 and 20). And don’t miss the atrium’s focal point: a nightly fountain show with 2 million twinkling lights that “dance” on a 55-foot-tall Christmas tree, complete with indoor snowfall. The festivities run from Nov. 21 to Jan. 3. ICE! prices begin at $28 for adults, $20 per child. Holiday overnight packages at the Maryland hotel start at $219 per night for a family of four. Visit www.christmasonthepotomac.com for times, discounts and package information.
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Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest
Photo by Laszlo Bodo, Courtesy of Winterthur Museum; Photo by Mat t Stanley, Courtesy of Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest
Philly’s Festive Music and Lights The City of Brotherly Love offers many seasonal celebrations for people of all faiths. Three favorites: Electrical Spectacle in Franklin Square is a holiday light show that features more than 50,000 lights (including a 10-foot-tall lighted kite), a holiday train, carousel rides and miniature golf with warming stations. Nov. 12-Dec. 31 (except Thanksgiving and Christmas), visit historicphiladelphia.org for details.
Reflect on Christmas Past In Delaware’s historic Brandywine Valley, Winterthur is the former estate of horticulturist Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969)— great-grandson of Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours, founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.—and also home to a world-renowned collection of 90,000 antiques and decorative objects. Each year the estate is transformed for Yuletide events that recreate the family’s home during holidays past, including an extravagant dinner party setup on New Year’s Day in 1900, when the du Ponts celebrated their first 100 years in America. Roughly a dozen Christmas trees will grace the mansion and gardens this year, from one bejeweled in Tiffany glass, to one decorated in dried flowers, to one inspired by H.F. du Pont’s boyhood collection of rocks and shells. Admission is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and students, and $5 for children ages 2 to 11. For more, visit winterthur.org.
Visit Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest for ice-skating under the stars, roasting s’mores and lounging at “The Lodge,” a 400-person warming tent that’s home to plump sofas, chandeliers and live fireside music. Nov. 27-March 6, $3 entrance fee, no charge if you’re a Blue Cross insurance cardholder. For more, visit www.riverrink.com. A tradition since 1956, Macy’s Christmas Light Show is set to symphonic music from the historic Wanamaker Organ, the world’s largest operating pipe organ. Located inside the Wanamaker Building, the free daily show features more than 100,000 LED lights, recorded narration by Julie Andrews, and organ performances. Visit wanamakerorgan.com for dates and showtimes; make sure to note when the organ is played live, versus a recording. For a full list of holiday events and hotel information, go to www.visitphilly.com.
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Visitors tour tall ships that line the docks of Chestertown during Downrigging Weekend, held annually during the fall.
Festive boutique The Christmas Sleigh carries everything from nutcrackers to cuckoo clocks.
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christmas sleigh photo by Barbara Anne am Ende; parade photo by jim poston
Every year, thousands descend on Middleburg’s picturesque main street for the town’s annual Christmas parade, which takes place this year on Dec. 5.
merry and bright Celebrate Christmas the old-fashioned way in Middleburg, Virginia By lisa rabasca roepe
It’s a brisk Saturday in early December as more than 90 mounted equestrians parade down Washington Street amidst a sea of rosy-cheeked spectators. Twenty eager hounds flank the lead horse as the rhythmic clippety-clop of hooves is punctuated by the occasional neigh. Neatly clad in tailored red and
black hunting jackets, the riders could easily be taken straight out of the popular PBS series Downton Abbey. Except the setting isn’t the English countryside and the characters aren’t paid actors. Rather, they are members of the Middleburg Hunt, established in 1906, one of several local hunt clubs.
They’re heading for the rolling hills just outside of town, where they’ll spend the day chasing foxes (which, for the record, will be left unharmed). It’s just one of the time-honored rituals still observed and practiced in this charming town, once a Colonial stopover and now among Loudoun County’s poshest ZIP codes.
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search of new hunting grounds. During his presidency, John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy visited more than once to participate in fox hunts (the family owned an estate on nearby Rattlesnake Mountain in Fauquier County). Today, celebrity sightings, including actors Robert Duvall (who owns a home nearby) and Tom Selleck, are not uncommon. That’s a notable measure of star power for a town measuring only 384 acres with a population of roughly 750. But Hollywood legends aren’t the only ones flocking to this quaint destination—particularly during the first weekend in December, when the main streets are lined with twinkling fir trees.
The annual “Christmas in Middleburg” celebration, a weekend-long extravaganza of yuletide events, attracts more than 10,000 visitors each year. This 33-year-old event was started by local residents as a way to kick off the holiday season, says Punkin Lee, one of the four original organizers and owner of Journeymen Saddlers on West Federal Street. Over the years, she says, Christmas in Middleburg has become a way for businesses to attract visitors, yet the event hasn’t lost its small-town feel. In addition to a calendar of events for Christmas in Middleburg, held this year Dec. 4-6 (page 394), we’ve recommended a handful of shops, restaurants and sights that are open year-round.
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map design by mary ann smith
Middleburg was founded in 1787 by Revolutionary War Lt. Col. and Virginia House of Delegates member Leven Powell. Powell purchased the land that is now Middleburg for $2.50 an acre from Joseph Chinn, first cousin to President George Washington, naming it Middleburg because it rests at the halfway point between Alexandria and Winchester. Over time, this affluent outpost—an area marked by rolling pastures, stone fences and stately fieldstone mansions— has steadily gained a reputation as the “Nation’s Horse and Hunt Capital.” It became a destination for fox hunting in the 1920s and 1930s when rich northerners moved down from Long Island in
Photo by jim poston
In this equestrian-obsessed town, a horse-drawn carriage pulls Santa during the Christmas parade.
If you go....
the institution’s general stacks, rare book holdings archives and art collection. 102 The Plains Rd.; nationalsporting.org
Middleburg’s can’t-miss shops, restaurants and sights Home Farm Store This butcher shop and grocery store, owned by Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Virginia, sells locally sourced organic produce, wine, cider, honey, jam, meats, cheese and homemade baked goods. 1 E. Washington St.; www.homefarmstore.com
map design by mary ann smith
The Christmas Sleigh This festive boutique carries European and handmade gifts, including cuckoo clocks, music boxes, beer steins, nutcrackers, marionettes, advent calendars, Nativity figurines and chocolates. 5A E. Washington St.; thechristmassleigh.com Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery Enjoy small-batch, handcrafted ciders and spirits in this distillery’s beautiful tasting room. Tastings are held every half hour from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. (1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sundays). 207 W. Washington St.; www.mtdefiance.com The Red Fox Inn & Tavern Established in 1728, the historic fourstory building that houses the inn offers a number of rooms and suites. The tavern
Middleburg Tack Exchange This shop specializes in new and used Engserves local favorites like crab cakes, Virlish hunting tack and apparel, and is one of ginia peanut soup, seafood, steaks and duck. the largest consignment tack shops in the A second-floor art gallery showcases animal Mid-Atlantic region. Browse its selection and sporting art. 2 E. Washington St.; of frock coats, hunt jackets, hunt caps, top www.redfox.com hats and derbies. It also offers antique and modern sandwich cases, hunt flasks and The Red Horse Tavern crops, as well as used saddles, boots and This restaurant and pub offers casual dining blankets. 103 W. Federal St. #G; options such as burgers, sandwiches and www.middleburgtack.com fish and chips. Open for lunch and dinner, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 122 W. Washington St. Crème de la Crème Here you’ll find unique French and ItalMiddleburg Common Grounds ian tableware, furniture, linens and gifts, This popular coffee shop across from the including handcrafted Italian dishes from post office is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The lunch VIETRI, table linens and kitchen towels menu features cleverly named sandwiches, from Le Jacquard Français, cutlery from including the “Trusty Hound” and “Sly Fox,” Claude Dozorme, and La Verrerie de Biot made with ingredients from local farmers. glassware. 23 E. Washington St.; 114 W. Washington St.; www.shopcremedelacreme.com www.middleburgcommongrounds.com The Fun Shop National Sporting Library & With its iconic rocking-horse sign, The Museum Fun Shop offers something for everyone, Founded in 1954, this museum’s 6-acre including barware, kitchenware, greeting campus includes a world-class research cards, toys, children’s books, and a large library and a fine-art museum with selection of equine and fox-themed gifts depictions of angling, steeple-chasing, and décor. 117 W. Washington St.; foxhunting, polo, wildlife and more. Explore www.thefunshop.com BethesdaMagazine.com | november/december 2015 393
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the weekend’s agenda
Breakfast with Santa and Silent Auction (8-10:30
a.m. Dec. 5, Middleburg Community Charter School, 101 N. Madison St.; 540-751-2490). Although the same local resident has been donning the red suit for about a dozen years, Santa’s identity is a well-kept secret, according to Jim Herbert, Christmas in Middleburg’s main organizer. Breakfast is $10 per adult; $5 per child 12 and under. A photo with Santa is $10 per print; $5 per emailed digital image. Local merchants donate items that are auctioned off to benefit the Middleburg Community Charter School.
The Middleburg Hunt & Hounds Review (11 a.m.
Dec. 5, along Washington Street). Mounted equestrians meet behind The Red Fox Inn & Tavern to enjoy a “stirrup cup” (typically a swig of port) before parading through town and into the hills for a holiday fox chase. Park by 10 a.m. if you want to see the Hunt Review, Herbert recommends. Not sure where to put your car? Parking is available for $5 per vehicle, starting at 8 a.m. (cash only) at Mickie Gordon Memorial Park, 22670 Carters Farm Lane. Price includes parking, shuttle service (pets on leashes allowed) and a program guide.
The Middleburg Garden Club Christmas Greens Sale (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec 5,
Emmanuel Episcopal Parish House, 105 E. Washington St.). Christmas greens and flowers will be on display and for sale.
Christmas Parade (2 p.m. Dec. 5 downtown). The stoplight at the corner of Madison and Washington streets is a coveted vantage point that offers sweeping views of the mile-and-a-half-long parade. Roughly 80 groups (including more than 700 animals) participate each year, bringing floats, polo teams, high school bands, acrobats, antique cars, fire trucks, bagpipers and various animal rescue organizations. The procession ends with Santa Claus in a horse-drawn carriage. Premium Wines and Truffle Pairing at Greenhill Winery & Vineyards (noon-5 p.m. Dec. 5,
Greenhill Winery, 23595 Winery Lane). Sample pairings of Abby Rose truffles (passion fruit, lemon-honey, cherry and prime dark) and premium wines by Greenhill Vineyard (greenhillvineyards. com) while listening to live music (2 to 5 p.m.) from Terbush & Hannah. Visit www. cellarpass.com/greenhill-vineyards-profile to make a reservation; $24 per person.
Hunting dogs in the Christmas parade
Spirits of Middleburg
(3-6 p.m., Dec. 5) is a progressive tasting of wine, food, ciders and distilled spirits that stretches from one end of Washington Street to the other. Merchants and restaurants will offer tasting flights for a modest, pay-as-you-go fee. A featured stop is Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery, which is housed in a restored 1949 Sinclair gas station and run by Arlington, Virginia, native and distillery partner Marc Chrétien. The distillery offers locally made hard ciders and liqueurs, as well as absinthe served over handmade sugar cubes.
Christmas tree lighting in Pink Box Park
Courtesy of Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery; Dogs and Tree Photos by Jim Poston
Christmas Tree Lighting
(5 p.m. Dec. 4 in Pink Box Park, 12 N. Madison St.). An old-fashioned ceremony featuring carolers, hot chocolate and cider. (From 11:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. Dec. 5, the park becomes a launch point for hayrides through town.)
Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery
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Courtesy of Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery; Dogs and Tree Photos by Jim Poston
courtesy salamander resort & spa
Holiday Fun at the Salamander Resort & Spa
This 340-acre luxury resort (500 N. Pendelton St., www.salamanderresort.com) offers expansive views, fine dining, spa treatments and 168 guest rooms including 17 suites. A “stay and play” package the weekend of Dec. 4-6 includes on-site parking, transportation to the parade, allday luggage storage and a $100 resort gift card per night, per stay. Salamander also offers one-hour zip line tours (Tree Top Zip Tours, 540-692-ZIP1) every 30 minutes, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Reserve before Nov. 30 to get a $20 discount (prices vary).
Annual Christmas Pageant
The Salamander Resort & Spa includes 168 guest rooms.
Lane). This is a free performance by Foxcroft students, based on the Gospel of Luke and the story of Christ’s birth, featuring a live animal Nativity. n
(2 p.m. Dec. 6, Engelhard Gymnasium writer Lisa Rabasca Roepe’s 2015-03_BethesdaMag.pdf 1 3/9/15 Arlington 2:41 PM at Foxcroft School, 22407 Foxhound work has appeared in The Washington
Post, Woman’s Day, Men’s Journal and on dailyworth.com. For more details on these and other seasonal events between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, visit www.christmasinmiddleburg.org or follow the Twitter handle @xmasmiddleburg.
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A transdisciplinary approach to learning for social success!
Now Enrolling with campuses in Silver Spring, Northern VA and Baltimore ▪ admissions@theauburnschool.org ▪ ▪ www.theauburnschool.org ▪
Learn More! Come, learn more about our programs for children ages 2 1/2 through 8th grade. Tours run October-January. 1640 Kalmia Road NW Washington, DC 20012 202-577-2000 | lowellschool.org New this fall: Bethesda/Friendship Heights bus service
www.rma.edu
540-636-5484
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Gurim
Timeless lessons. Enduring values. Brilliant futures.
An experiential, child-centered Junior Kindergarten New for 2016-2017, the Gurim (Cubs) program builds a bridge between Preschool and Kindergarten. Join us for an information session on November 12 to learn more about our program.
WWW.CESJDS.ORG/GURIM
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (CESJDS) is a JK-12 independent school that engages students in an exemplary and inspiring general and Jewish education. We are a welcoming community united by our shared Jewish values with a comprehensive, inquiry-based academic program that challenges students to think critically and look from within.
VISIT OUR COMMUNITY Lower School Open House Sunday, November 1
www.cesjds.org
McLean celebrates differences; they don’t walk away from them. These kids are the people who will think differently and solve the world’s problems.
It is surprising how few public or private schools understand how to educate a child with learning disabilities—yet capable of high academic performance. McLean is the only school that can provide a rigorous, college prep curriculum for students with learning challenges!
Upper School Open House Wednesday, November 11
/cesjdsconnect
The love, attention, and the individualized understanding of our daughter’s academic needs were managed in such a positive manner. McLean has changed our child’s life, and our family dynamic.
Our son was off the charts smart— but couldn’t get organized. It was a relief to come to a school that recognized his intellectual strengths.
Parents Talk. Join the conversation about McLean School.
Open House 9:00 am Saturday, November 7 9:00 am Wednesday, December 9 9:00 am Saturday, January 16 RSVP admission@mcleanschool.org 240.395.0698
8224 Lochinver Lane Potomac, Maryland 20854 mcleanschool.org K-12 College preparatory school supporting bright students’ individual learning styles
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Bethesda Mag Nov-Dec.pdf
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OPEN HOUSE
NOVEMBER 1 REGISTER NOW
301.365.0955 www.holychild.org 9029 Bradley Blvd. Potomac, MD 20854
“The Beginning is the Most Important Part of the Work” —Plato
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Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School is an independent elementary school for grades Pre-Kindergarten – Third Grade. For more information, please visit us online at: www.beauvoirschool.org.
n. w o t e g Geor t a w o hild. C y l o She’s n H an atuates receivednammeicrit g e b e Sh ss of 2015 grrakded with our deyir Holy Child
th em wo f our Cla where Many o ships. All of thteam to find on. scholar advisement put into acti college nce could be See more outcomes. experie
www.holychild.org 3500 Woodley Road, NW · Washington, DC 20016 · www.beauvoirschool.org
sienna_Bethesdamag3.375 x 4.625_Layout 1 7/15/13 9:31 AM Page 1 Please call or e-mail Clare Cahill to schedule a tour: clare.cahill@wccbethesda.com
TouR Day:
Wed. 9:30 am
www.thesienaschool.org
“To me the greatest testament to a school is the fact that your child wakes up every morning and can’t wait to get there.” — parent of an 8th grader
1300 Forest Glen Road | Silver Spring, MD 20901 | 301-244-3600 Serving bright college bound students with language-based learning differences in grades 4-12.
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>
WHERE YOU START
NOW ENROLLING!
THE JOURNEY CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Tour the Goddard School located in Bethesda and experience why it’s the best preparation for social and academic success. Goddard Systems, Inc.’s program is AdvancED accredited. BETHESDA • 240-630-2400 6400 Goldsboro Road GoddardSchool.com
-----------LEARNING FOR FUN. LEARNING FOR LIFE.® ------------
The Goddard Schools are operated by independent franchisees under a license agreement with Goddard Systems, Inc. Programs and ages may vary. Goddard Systems, Inc. program is AdvancED accredited. © Goddard Systems, Inc. 2015
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IA BUDDING AM MUSICIAN. A STUDENT LEADER. A GLOBAL CITIZEN.
Empowering leaders to serve with faith, intellect, and confidence.
OPEN HOUSES
ALL-SCHOOL ¡ November 11, December 9, and January 7, 8:45 am
www.stoneridgeschool.org Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for girls, Grades 1-12, with a co-educational Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten, located in Bethesda, Maryland. Northern Virginia bus transportation available.
Weekly Tours: Tuesday & Thursday at 9:00am For more information: admissions@thedienerschool.org 11510 Falls Road Potomac, MD 301.299.4602
www.TheDienerSchool.org
Excellence in K-8 Education Learn more about our child-centered program at www.norwoodschool.org
Motivating Minds, Inspiring Capabilities Serving Students Kindergarten-6th Grade with Learning Disabilities, Language and Sensory Processing Disorders, Executive Functioning & Attention Issues, and Social Thinking Challenges Readers’ Pick, Runner-Up, A 2013 A 2012 A 2011 Top Vote Getter Top Vote Getter Top Vote Getter
Best School for Non-Traditional Learners Grades K-8 Open House 1:00-3:00 pm
*Tour Our Campus *Experience Our Program *Meet Our Community
8821 River Road Bethesda, MD 20817 Bus transportation available How you lead your life matters. 404 November/December 2015 | BethesdaMagazine.com
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www.ThePrimaryDaySchool.org
For more information on local private schools,
Who is a Holton girl? a Holton girl is someone Is who: Loves to learn eager to explore Might be an artist, athlete, scholar, or all three Works hard, yet knows how to have fun Hears •
Special advertiSing Section
•
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our motto, “I will find a way or make one,” and
Private School Guide
Sound like anybody you know?
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yes, that’s me!
istock
Choosing a private sChool for your child isn’t easy. There are scores of good schools to chose from and a countless number of factors that you need to consider. Co-ed or single gender? A school with a religious affiliation or not? What’s the educational philosophy and approach? Bethesda Magazine’s Private School Guide will help you to find the school that’s the best fit. In the following pages, we provide essential information on 40 schools. You’ll find the information you need to narrow your search and to start your exploration in a targeted and effective way.
thinks,
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view our digital edition at BethesdaMagazine.com
ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSE Sunday, November 8, 2015 2 to 4:30 p.m.
Holton-Arms is an independent day school in Bethesda, Md., for girls in grades 3 through 12. www.holton-arms.edu BethesdaMagazine.com | November/December 2015 405
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etc. Pets
by Kelly Seegers
house calls
As Keith Murray opens the door of his Bethesda home to greet Dr. Solomon Perl, his dogs, Rudy and Oakley, rush over with tails wagging. Murray shakes Perl’s hand enthusiastically, saying, “It is good to see you!” before the veterinarian sits on the kitchen floor and begins to examine Rudy, who licks his face in excitement. Perl has been offering house calls in the Bethesda area for more than 25 years and going to the Murray residence for about three. Rudy, a 12-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, has metastatic cancer, and Perl is trying to keep him comfortable for as long as possible. According to Perl, just about anything that doesn’t require an overnight stay at the vet’s can be taken care of at a pet’s home, from vaccinations and lab work to wellness exams and euthanasia. Many house-call vets, including Perl, are unaffiliated with an animal hospital, but have previous experience in hospitals or clinics. These vets refer clients out for things such as X-rays or major surgeries. However, some businesses offer house calls in addition to hospital services, including
Petvacx Animal Hospital in Rockville and Grove Center Veterinary Hospital in Gaithersburg. While some vets have visited homes for decades, new house-call-only practices have been sprouting in the area recently, such as Rock Creek Home Veterinary Care and DC MetroVet. “For the pet owners, many are realizing that the convenience and the costs make it that much more practical,” says Perl, who sees an average of 15 clients per day, up from three or four when he began making house calls. Veterinary appointments at home are a good option for people who can’t leave their residences or those with multiple pets, busy schedules or pets that dislike the car or the waiting room. “Cats don’t do well out of their own environment, so taking them in the car in a carrier can be very stressful for them,” says Carol Lander of Rockville, who has three cats and three dogs and has been using Petvacx Animal Hospital’s house-call services for more than 20 years. Despite the convenience for cat own-
ers, Perl has noticed his business spread more rapidly among pooch people. “Dog owners meet other dog owners at the dog park and talk about their dogs,” Perl says. With less socializing connected to cats, their owners may not chat about vets as much, he says. Prices for house calls vary, but the travel fee ranges from about $40 to $120 and the cost of care is similar to brick and mortar animal hospitals. For people with multiple pets who pay only one travel fee, it may be more economical than going to a clinic. The life of the traveling vet is often unpredictable. “We’ve been under a bed, on the roof; we’ve been everywhere,” says Dr. Deborah Dodson, a vet for Petvacx. She has attended housecall parties, where one person invites friends and their pets over to use a vet’s services. She has even been on a house call to the circus, where she took care of the performers’ pets—as well as a circus tiger. n Kelly Seegers is a former editorial intern at Bethesda Magazine.
illustration by goodloe byron
Traveling vets bring care to pets’ homes
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etc. f l a s h b ac k
BY MARK WALSTON
True Patriots
Photo illustration by alice kresse
In the days after Pearl Harbor, residents of Montgomery County rallied to support the war effort—and each other At 4 p.m. on Dec. 8, 1941, one day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the declaration of war against Japan. The next day, at 1:15 p.m., air raid sirens wailed all around Washington, D.C. Rumors ran rampant. Enemy planes were in the sky headed for the Capitol, some people said. Bethesda schools were closed, and police stopped all traffic on Wisconsin Avenue and Old Georgetown Road. Legendary basketball coach Red Auerbach and his highly-ranked Roosevelt High School team were ordered to turn around their bus and return to D.C., their game with Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School canceled. (Two days later, the B-CC Barons won the rescheduled game against Roosevelt, 33-31, in triple overtime.) The sirens, it turned out, were only part of an air raid drill. But the community was shaken. If Pearl Harbor, then why not the nation’s capital? Germany had become increasingly belligerent toward the U.S. Would it send planes on a bombing raid? (On Dec. 11, Germany declared war on America.) On Dec. 9, about 200 residents gathered at the Bethesda Fire Department
to watch Chief Angelo Bargagni demonstrate how to fight fires caused by incendiary bombs dropped from enemy planes. Each household was instructed to secure a large bag or basket, fill it with 50 pounds of sand from either the firehouse or the Meadowbrook Saddle Club on East West Highway, and have it on hand to smother flames. Homeowners were urged to keep their bathtubs full of water, and to leave a garden hose hooked up. Throughout Bethesda, the Civil Defense Corps appointed district wardens and organized block supervisors to help coordinate neighbors’ responses to air raid emergencies and blackouts. Chevy Chase resident Arch McDonald, the radio voice of the Washington Senators, became the area’s chief air raid warden, charged with overseeing emergency responses. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion volunteered as aircraft spotters; the county commissioners eventually allocated $300 to build a lookout tower for spotting planes at Bradley Hills Country Club (now Bethesda Country Club) on Bradley Boulevard. The women’s division of the Civil Defense Corps took the jobs of daytime
spotters and block supervisors when the men were at work. The leaders of The Potomac Hunt offered their horses and riders to carry messages and spread the word should the phone system break down. In the few short days after Pearl Harbor, seemingly every citizen and business in Bethesda had joined in the homeland defense effort. The Bethesda Theatre gave Defense Savings Stamps— a way for ordinary citizens to invest in the war effort—as change at the ticket booth; at the Tastee Diner in Bethesda, employees agreed to accept two dollars of their weekly pay in savings stamps. By Jan. 1, more than 4,000 Montgomery County residents were in civil defense training. Washington Tribune Editor W. Prescott Allen praised the citizens’ spirit. “There has been no public squabbling in Montgomery County about who’s who or what’s what or even about what to do,” Allen wrote. Eventually the air raid and blackout drills diminished, as the possibility of attack grew distant. But the area’s patriotic zeal never waned. n Mark Walston is an author and historian raised in Bethesda and living in Olney.
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By kathleen seiler neary
family portrait Danni and Slim Starr and their two daughters, 3-year-old M.J. and 1-year-old D.C., live in Rockville’s King Farm neighborhood. Danni, 30, is co-host of The Kane Show on HOT 99.5. Slim, 33, runs his own disc jockey business, Slim & Starr Entertainment. Where they are on Friday nights: Slim works as a DJ at Tommy Joe’s in Bethesda, pumping out a mix of pop, dance and hip-hop. Danni is usually home, putting the girls to bed and relaxing, though occasionally she gets a babysitter and joins Slim. The playground rules: The girls’ favorite park is Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park in King Farm, which they refer to as “the big park.” “There’s a beautiful playground, tons of open space, basketball courts, tennis courts,” Danni says. “They also do really cool fireworks on the Fourth of July.” Where you’ll find them on date night: Cava Mezze in Rockville. “The lighting is dim and it seems super intimate,” says Danni, who loves the chicken souvlaki.
The Starr family from left to right: Slim, D.C., M.J. and Danni
Snow what: When the Starrs were apartment hunting in Rockville in 2013, a big snowstorm was in the forecast and a few snowflakes had begun falling. They kept checking out homes anyway, and were greeted with surprise. “They would be like, ‘Oh my God, how did you get here?’ ” Danni says. “We were like, ‘We drove.’ And they were like, ‘What do you mean, you braved the storm?’ And we were like, ‘Wait, this is the storm?’ ” n
photo by michael ventura
Lake love: The family moved to Rockville from Minneapolis in 2013. “Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and it is really hard to find a lake around here,” Danni says. That is, until they discovered Greenbrier State Park near Frederick this summer. “It made us feel like we were back at home,” Danni says.
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Readers’ Pick, Best Car Dealership
”
Bethesda continues to develop into a world-class community and Chevy Chase Cars has been there from the start, providing great products and customer-friendly service for almost 75 years! That’s why for decades my family has been buying cars and trucks from Chevy Chase Cars!
”
Bob Dalrymple, Partner at Linowes & Blocher
“We make friends through sales…and keep them through service!” 7725 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda · 301-656-9200
www.ChevyChaseCars.com
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