Potomac - The Connection Newspapersconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/032217/Potomac.pdf · Preparing...

Potomac Almanac ❖ March 22-28, 2017 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

March 22-28, 2017

C

alendar, Page 6

❖

C

lassifieds, 1

PotomacPotomac

online at potomacalmanac.com

Pho

to

by D

ebo

rah Stevens/T

he A

lm

anac

Mattes Crichton, LilyHarburg and IsabellaCross enjoy a snow dayon March 14, less thana week before Spring’sofficial arrival.

KEEN on Staying FitNews, Page 3

Preparing for ‘25th AnnualPutnam County Spelling Bee’News, Page 3

Students LaunchOwn NewspaperNews, Page 4

KEEN on Staying FitNews, Page 3

Preparing for ‘25th AnnualPutnam County Spelling Bee’News, Page 3

Students LaunchOwn NewspaperNews, Page 4

Spring FunPages 6-7

Spring FunPages 6-7

From Sudden WinterTo Sudden Spring

Spring Fun, Pages 6-7

From Sudden WinterTo Sudden Spring

Spring Fun, Pages 6-7

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ March 22-28, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See Spring, Page 10

By Peggy McEwan

The Almanac

Spring arrived officially on Mondayat 6:28 a.m. The temperature wasbelow freezing in many parts of thearea at that time. Some days this

week will seem like spring, some not.Whether waiting for spring to arrive or

welcoming the season as it is already, hereis a list of things to do in and aroundPotomac to help fight off the winter dol-drums.

‘BLAST 28 INFINITY’For 28 years students at Winston Churchill

High School, 11300 Gainsborough Road,have wowed audiences with song and dancetaken from today’s top 40 and favorite clas-sic rock songs.

This year will be no exception. “Blast 28Infinity” opens Friday, March 24 at 7:30p.m. followed by performances Saturday,March 25, Friday, March 31 and Saturday,April 1 all at 7:30 p.m. and a final perfor-mance Sunday, April 2 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20, $15, for students. Theymay be purchased at the box office one hourbefore performances or online atwww.wchsarts.com.

LIBRARY BOOK CLUBPotomac Library, 10101 Glenolden Drive,

hosts a book club on the third Wednesdayof every month at 1 p.m. Get reading forthe April 19 discussion of “The Pearl ThatBroke Its Shell” by Potomac author NadiaHashimi.

The book is described as “A tender andbeautiful family story … A portrait of Af-ghanistan in all its perplexing, enigmaticglory, and a mirror into the still ongoingstruggles of Afghan women,” by KhaledHosseini, author of “The Kite Runner.”

Books are available at the registrationdesk. Call 240-777-0690 for more informa-tion.

DO SOMETHING FOR OTHERS“Doing good for others is not a duty, it is

a joy, for it increases your own health andhappiness,” a quote from Zoroaster.

What better time than now to increasehealth and happiness while helping an-other?

EveryMind, formerly the Mental HealthAssociation of Montgomery County, is anindependent, nonprofit organization work-ing towards mental health and wellness forall, is looking for volunteers.

The organization has several opportuni-ties available: become a supportive listener,help with community referrals for those inneed or train to help with the suicide pre-vention hotline.

Training is provided with new coursesoffered every month.

For more information call 301-424-0656ext. 541, email [email protected] visit www.Every-Mind.org.

GO FOR A WALKThe Olmstead Island bridge and walk to

the Falls Overlook at the C&O National His-torical Park at Great Falls is closed for re-pair until the end of June, but there aremany other hikes to take in the park.

Visitors are encouraged to explore theRiver Trail, Goldmine Trail or the OverlookTrail, said Pete Peterson, supervisory man-ager of the park’s Palisades Area, which in-cludes Great Falls.

Maps of all the park’s trails are availableat the information desk in the Great FallsTavern.

Just a short walk from the parking lot,the Tavern will host a talk about the womenwho worked on the canal at 2 p.m. Satur-day, March 25.

On Sunday, March 26 a canal volunteerwill lead a bike tour to the Seneca Quarrybeginning at the Tavern at 9:30 a.m.

ADD SOME COLORTO HOME AND YARD

Perk up your life with colorful plants andflowers. It’s not too early to plant pansies,hellebores or primrose outside according toGreg King, assistant general manager atPotomac Petals and Plants, 9545 RiverRoad.

Also in stock are many other plants in-cluding bright red and pink geraniums andEnglish Daisies, hardy vegetables, evenstrawberry plants.

It is too early to put most plants outside,King said, but people are asking for themso they are available.

Photo by Peggy McEwan/The Almanac

A sure sign of spring, pansies in avariety of colors are lined up atPotomac Petals and Plants onRiver Road.

Five things to do aswinter and spring fightfor seasonal rights.

News

Spring Happenings


See Volunteers, Page 4

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

The scene is the PutnamCounty Middle Schoolwhere a group of unpre-

dictable adolescent spellers com-pete in the Spelling Bee Champi-onships, run by three equally id-iosyncratic grown-ups. While at-tempting to spell their waythrough the challenge, the tweensshare humorous, yet touching sto-ries from their home lives, hopingand praying not to be eliminatedby the soul-crushing “ding” of thebell.

This funny and heart-warmingplay will be presented on April 7and 8 at Alexandria Country DaySchool by BRAVO Productions –Theatre for Young Adults. After 20years of producing theater withchildren, BRAVO is presenting itsfirst production with an adult cast.Executive Producer Laurie levy

Issembert said, “I am thrilled toexpand our repertoire to includea show with adult performers.We’ve assembled an incredibly tal-ented cast of veteran actors tobring to life these quirky and lov-able characters in a perfect middleschool venue.”

The production is especiallytimely since it is being presentedwhile the Scripps National Spell-ing Bee is taking place. Since 1925,children across America have par-ticipated in school, local and re-gional bees with the singular hopeof making it to the Scripps Na-tional Spelling Bee in Washington,D.C. This year, 11 million studentswill join in the experience.

Potomac’s Alexander Scott, asenior at Winston Churchill HighSchool will play the role of ChipTolentino for the second time. Hefirst performed in “The 25th An

By Ashley Claire Simpson

The Almanac

Imagine how important physical fit-ness is — increasing life expectancyand overall quality of life. It’s thesame case for children. According to

the World Health Organization, childrenand young adults should be physically ac-tive for at least 60 minutes a day for sig-nificant health benefits, including reducedanxiety and depression. Statistics like theseare only some of the reasons that local non-profit KEEN Greater DC (Kids Enjoy Exer-cise Now), a volunteer-run organizationthat provides free physical and recreationalactivities for young people with profounddevelopmental and physical disabilities, hasgrown steadily since its inception exactly25 years ago.

“I’ve been volunteeringfor KEEN Greater DC forthe last eight years,” BoardMember Barbara Gutermansaid. “I came one time andgot hooked because I quicklyrealized how great of a wayit was to give back to the com-munity. The mission is someaningful when you thinkabout what exercise means tothe brain and body.”

Through a number of pro-grams, KEEN Greater DC serves450 young people with significant disabili-ties –– at no cost. It all started in 1992, in a

Montgomery County middleschool, where KEEN welcomedpeople with disabilities be-tween ages five and 25 to en-joy time in the gym. To makethis individual active play pos-sible, KEEN paired a volun-teer with every participant toensure his or her safety, andalso for companionship.

Today, the open-gym pro-gram that KEEN startedwith, now at Tilden Middle

School on the weekends, isstill one of the most popular programs.During the 75-minute open gym session,one or two volunteers are assigned to each

young person so that every KEEN athletecan engage in whatever gym activity theyfeel drawn toward – from shooting hoopsto taking laps around the basketball court.As the children and young adults get theirexercise, they also become a part of a com-munity where no one judges them, or lim-its what they can do.

After turning 25, the people who enjoyKEEN programs are not “kicked out,”Guterman said. Typically, they graduate toKEEN’s adult program, KEENFit.

“We would never take away that time forphysical fitness,” Guterman said. “KEENprogramming is really is growing along withevery individual in KEEN community.”

In addition to the open-gym sessions,

KEEN also provides weekly programs thatprovide specific recreational classes — in-cluding music, Tae Kwon Do, swimming,bowling and Zumba dance. There are alsospecial events throughout the year.

As KEEN athletes enjoy open-gym timeor another confidence-building class, par-ents and caregivers are free to take sometime for themselves, knowing that theyoung person they care for is in good hands.

See Spelling Bee, Page 10

BRAVO Productions expandswith adult cast.

Preparing for ‘25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’

From left, front row, are Valerie Issembert (#11 Olive Ostrovsky), Sarah Mielbye (#53Marcy Park), Alexandria Clapp (#1 Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre); second row,Jessica Bay Graber (Rona Lisa Peretti), Alexander Scott (#72 Chip Tolentino), SteveCairns (Vice Principal Douglas Panch), Matthew Trollinger (#24 Leaf Coneybear), Mat-thew Sahlin (Mitch Mahoney); and not pictured Jake Robertson (William Barfee).

Pho

to

by M

eredith

K

irch

ner

Volunteers always welcome at recreational programsfor young people with special needs.KEEN on Staying Fit

News

KEEN Greater DC hosts an open-gym program at Tilden Middle School on the weekends.

Pho

to

s C

on

tributed

Potomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

Get InvolvedTo volunteer, visit www.keengreaterdc.org/

volunteer-keen.


From Page 3

POTOMACALMANAC

www.PotomacAlmanac.com

Newspaper of PotomacA Connection Newspaper

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

to homes and businesses.

1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to

connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

PUBLISHERMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

EDITORIALPHONE: 703-778-9415

E-MAIL:[email protected]

EDITORSteven Mauren, 703-778-9415

[email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITORMike Salmon

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSSusan Belford, Carole Dell,

Cissy Finley Grant, Carole Funger,Colleen Healy, Kenny Lourie,

Ken Moore

ContributingPhotographers

Harvey Levine, Deborah Stevens

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager

Geovani Flores

ADVERTISINGFor advertising information

[email protected]

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVESDisplay Advertising:

Kenny Lourie [email protected]

Andrea Smith 703-778-9411Classified Advertising

[email protected]

Debbie FunkNational Sales & real Estate

[email protected]

David GriffinMarketing Assistant

[email protected]

Jerry VernonExecutive Vice President

[email protected]

CIRCULATION: [email protected]

Potomac Almanac is publishedby Local Media Connection LLC

Five Time First PlaceAward-WinnerPublic Service

MDDC Press Association

Four TimeNewspaper of the Year

An Award-winning Newspaperin Writing, Photography, Editing,

Graphics and Design

By Colleen Healy

The Almanac

All it took was a studentasking her teacher onthe playground, “Whydoesn’t the lower

school have its own newspaper?”for The Little Bulldog to begin pub-lication at the Bullis School.

The teacher agreed to be thesponsor if the student agreed to bea reporter and a club was born. Nowin its sixth year, The Little Bulldogstaff is made up of third, fourth andfifth graders who write, layout andpublish the paper. Carolyn Cohen,a third grade teacher, is their spon-sor: “The kids are getting excitedabout writing. I find it fascinatingand I love being a part of the news-paper. Now that we are a club, stu-dents who really, really want towrite are involved. We have threeeditors who take turns formattingthe paper. The reporters coverschool news as well as world news,human interest, sports, health, poli-tics, science and editorial pieces.”The students choose from an assign-ment board of subjects and aregiven a primary source to startalong with a deadline. They mustedit their story before submitting itto an editor and then make any cor-rections or changed before the storygoes to print. Each student hasfound their area of interest sincejoining the staff.

Why did the student reportersjoin The Little Bulldog and whatdo they like to write about?

Alisha Schruefer joined because“I have a talent for writing. I amworking on a story called ‘Yellow

World’ about my childhood. I liketo write fiction the best.”

Anneke Lewis writes aboutthings she finds interesting. Hermost recent story was a scienceone about pipelines. She likes be-ing an editor because “I get to readeveryone’s articles and I like theformatting part. It helps me editmy own work.”

Samantha Pepper started onstaff in third grade: “I thought itwas a cool thing to do and I lovedworking on the paper. It gives mea good idea of what is happeningoutside in the world.”

Dilan Mendiratta likes to writeabout sports: “My favorite sport isfootball and I like the SeattleSeahawks. I cover football andbasketball at Bullis.”

Matthew Halle likes writingabout sports too: “I like hockeyespecially the Capitals. I decidedto join the paper because I likewriting about interesting and dif-ferent things. I get excited when Isee the printed copy.”

Drake Arnold joined the paperbecause “I wanted to know whatis happening around the world.Sometimes even outside of theworld. I like space and wrote astory about people going to Marsin 2030. I have written storiesabout outer space and things hap-pening in foreign countries likereporting on the King of Thailand.”

Jack Sandi writes about what isnew in the world. He recently didstories on clever cats and a 3Dprinted Adidas running shoe. Hejoined the paper because “I likewriting and have good ideas forstories. If I stay on task and keepwriting it will turn it into an amaz-ing article.”

Alexis Ewing like to write aboutpeople. Her most recent storieswere on a young inventor andSerena Williams, the championtennis player. “I joined because itseemed like a good activity to becreative and express yourself indifferent ways. I feel excited whenI get my newspaper copy and I

hope people enjoy my stories.”Nathan Chen designed a new

front page for the paper. “Ichanged the colors, font, andshape and added a picture of thewhole staff. I like covering natu-ral disasters like the Louisiana tor-nado. I joined because I love writ-ing and it is fun to have a wholenewspaper for the lower school.”

Elizabeth Martin likes to be aneditor because “formatting is funand I get to read other people’sarticles and edit them. I joined forthe opportunity to be an editor andI like to write about politics.”

Clay Narcisenfeld joined be-cause “it is fun to write and forpeople to read the work we do. Ilike to write about anything inter-esting like ice melting in the Arc-tic. I get excited and nervous whenthe paper is published.”

In the future, sponsor Cohenhopes to have time to form a jour-nalism class and would like thestudents to continue writing anddevelop confidence as writers.

Students Launch Own NewspaperNews

The LittleBulldogencourageswriting.

The staff of The Little Bulldog, the lower school newspaper at the Bullis School. Backrow from left: Alexis Ewing, Alisha Schruefer, Anneke Lewis, Dilan Mendiratta, JackSandi, and Elizabeth Martin. Front row from left: Samantha Pepper, Matthew Halle,Drake Arnold, Nathan Chen, Clay Narcisenfeld, and advisor Carolyn Cohen.

“It’s all free of charge for the families,”Guterman said, “This hour makes a huge dif-ference to the kids and to the families. Atthe same time as providing great opportuni-ties for the kids involved, it allows a respitefor the families and caretakers.”

Mark and Barbara Bucknam of Potomaccan speak to the importance of KEEN to theirfamily, which includes their son, 20-year-oldJake, who has autism. The Bucknams havebeen a part of the KEEN community for nine

with the other parents, or we get to go runerrands or enjoy a nice lunch.”

Mark Bucknam said that KEEN has beeninstrumental both to John’s development andto his own as a parent of a child with specialneeds.

“It’s so great for all these kids to movearound and exercise,” he said. “The volun-teers and mentors are so great. We donateto KEEN every year because we get so muchout of it. We’ve been able to meet a lot of

Volunteers Always Welcome at KEENyears.

“To John, this is something he can do toget exercise,” Barbara Bucknam said. “It ex-poses him to different environments and avariety of people. It’s been great introducinghim to certain fitness equipment that hemight not otherwise have gotten to enjoy.Through KEEN, he has learned that he lovesto swim. He’s gotten to do so much, it’s re-ally amazing. He went to the KEEN Prom lastyear, where he got to wear his dad’s tuxedoand dance with a date. While he gets to ex-perience all this, Mark and I can socialize See KEEN, Page 11


Potomac Village Deli Catering

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner Catering

301•299•5770www.potomacvillagedeli.com

Home of YourCorporate & ResidentialCatering Headquarters

Serving theCommunity

for over35 Years

ww

w.lo

stdo

gand

catr

escu

e.or

gA

dopt

/Don

ate/

Volu

ntee

r

See Bulletin, Page 10

Irish TunesAbigail Selby of Germantown, left, and Cathy Palmer ofMt. Airy perform Irish tunes on harp and fiddle at GreatFalls Tavern in Potomac on Sunday, March 19. The concertwas preceded by a talk on the work of Irish immigrantsin building the C&O Canal.

Pho

to

by Peggy M

cEw

an

/T

he A

lm

an

ac

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 15Part Two of Lenten Study Series

and Dinner. 6:30 p.m. at ScotlandRecreation Center, 7700 ScotlandDrive, Potomac. “One Lord, OneFaith, One Baptism,” with the “SevenLocks Churches” of Potomac (St.James’ Episcopal, GenevaPresbyterian, Seven Locks Baptist,Scotland AME Zion, EmmanuelLutheran). Join the “Seven Locks”churches Wednesday evenings duringLent for dinner and then a study ledby the pastors of the churches. TheMarch 15 topic is “The Trinity.” Call301-299-5226 or visitwww.scotlandamezion.org.

FRIDAY/MARCH 17Nomination Deadline. The County’s

Community Action Board is seekingnominations for several awardswhich recognize individuals andorganizations that have made adifference in reducing poverty, or foradvocating on behalf of MontgomeryCounty’s low-income residents.Awards will be presented at theBoard’s annual Community ActionAwards and Celebration on Tuesday,May 23. The nomination form isavailable atwww.surveymonkey.com/r/CommunityActionAwards. For moreinformation or to request a papercopy of the nomination form, call theCommunity Action Agency at 240-777-1697.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 22Education Forum. 6:30-8:30 p.m. at

Walter Johnson High School(cafeteria), 6400 Rock Spring Drive,Bethesda. Montgomery CountyCouncil Education Committee Chair

Craig Rice, Montgomery CountyPublic Schools Superintendent JackSmith and Montgomery CollegePresident DeRionne Pollard will hosta public forum to provideinformation, and seek input, on theprograms and budgets of theCounty’s public school system and itscommunity college. ContactCouncilmember Rice’s office at 240-777-7955 or [email protected].

Part Three of Lenten Study Seriesand Dinner. 6:30 p.m. at St. James’Episcopal Church, 11815 Seven LocksRoad, Potomac. “One Lord, OneFaith, One Baptism,” with the “SevenLocks Churches” of Potomac (St.James’ Episcopal, GenevaPresbyterian, Seven Locks Baptist,Scotland AME Zion, EmmanuelLutheran). Join the “Seven Locks”churches Wednesday evenings duringLent for dinner and then a study ledby the pastors of the churches. TheMarch 8 topic is “The Lord’s Supper.”Call 301-762-8040 or visitstjamespotomac.org.

FRIDAY/MARCH 24Fit4Function Workshop. 1-2:30 p.m.

at Potomac United Methodist Church,9908 S. Glen Road, Potomac. Sign upfor a free pilot program workshopthat Potomac Community Village(PCV) is organizing with Go4Life (aunit of the National Institute onAging at NIH). The workshop,Fit4Function Workshop fromGo4Life, is designed for people age50+ who are not exercising regularlybut want to or who used to exerciseregularly and need more motivationto do it again. Space is limited;advance register required by March17. Contact 240-221-1370, info@

PotomacCommunityVillage.org orvisitwww.PotomacCommunityVillage.orgor www.Facebook.com/PotomacCommunityVillage.

WEDNESDAY/MARCH 29Education Forum. 6:30-8:30 p.m. at

Richard Montgomery High School(cafeteria), 250 Richard MontgomeryDrive, Rockville. Montgomery CountyCouncil Education Committee ChairCraig Rice, Montgomery CountyPublic Schools Superintendent JackSmith and Montgomery CollegePresident DeRionne Pollard will hosta public forum to provideinformation, and seek input, on theprograms and budgets of theCounty’s public school system and itscommunity college. ContactCouncilmember Rice’s office at 240-777-7955 or [email protected].

Part Four of Lenten Study Seriesand Dinner. 6:30 p.m. at SevenLocks Baptist Church, 11845 SevenLocks Road, Rockville. “One Lord,One Faith, One Baptism,” with the“Seven Locks Churches” of Potomac(St. James’ Episcopal, GenevaPresbyterian, Seven Locks Baptist,Scotland AME Zion, EmmanuelLutheran). Join the “Seven Locks”churches Wednesday evenings duringLent for dinner and then a study ledby the pastors of the churches. TheMarch 29 topic: “The Creeds.” Call301-279-9388.

FRIDAY/MARCH 31Girl Power Writing Contest

Deadline. The Montgomery County

Email announcements to [email protected] date, time, location, description and contact for event:phone, email and/or website. Photos and artwork welcome.Deadline is Thursday at noon, at least two weeks before event.

Bulletin Board


Spring Fun, Food & Entertainment

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Snow-covered lawns, down jackets,slippery roads — is it really thethird week in March or the middleof January? Winter floated through

January and February without even oneflake of snow — until this past week. Timeto start thinking about Spring Breaks,Spring Flings and Springing Ahead to thesunshine-filled days of April and May. Startplanning now – and hopefully in the nextcouple of weeks the weather will transforminto spring.

Here are some ideas to get excited aboutspring. When the days are warmer andlonger, it’s time to rush from the house,breathe in fresh air, forget about springcleaning — and get back in shape after awinter of Netflix and ESPN.

PEDAL THE TRAILSThe D.C. area is known for some of the

best biking in the U.S. The area is brimmingwith bike trails that travel from Montgom-ery County through the hills of Virginia,north to Pennsylvania, east through SilverSpring, up and down the C&O Canal andbeyond.

Biking downtown to D.C. is fun on theC&O Canal or Capital Crescent Trail — anda way to visit museums, picnic, or exploreAlexandria. An enjoyable excursion add-onis to catch the water taxi over to NationalHarbor. So dust off that bicycle, blow up

those tires, stop by Big Wheel Bikes inPotomac for a local bike trail map, and takea ride.

EXPLORE NEIGHBORHOODSEvery Saturday and Sunday, Washington

Walks offers two-hour guided tours throughEmbassy Row, Georgetown, Capitol Hill,Arlington Cemetery, Roosevelt Island andmore. Revel in the architecture of D.C. whilelearning the history and politics behind eachsight. Some fascinating and timely toursinclude the “Blossoms Secrets Tour,”“Hamilton’s Washington,” “John F. Kennedyin Georgetown,” “Capitol Hauntings: Ghostsof the U.S. Capitol” and more. Tours are $20per person. Make reservations atwww.washingtonwalks.com. Most walksembark from a Metro Station.

RAMP UP YOUR GOLF GAMEWarm up those golf skills and get pre-

pared for summer on the links. Head to TopGolf in Ashburn, Va. or Alexandria, Va.where practice involves fun and competi-tive golf games in a climate-controlled bay.

The double-decker bays feature room forlunch or dinner, space for group gatherings,golf lessons, games to improve the longgame, short game and putting, virtualgames that let provide famous courses fromaround the world. See www.topgolf.com.

SCRAMBLE, HIKE, CLIMBJust five minutes away from Potomac Vil-

lage, find exceptional hiking trails along theC&O Canal and Potomac River. Park at OldAngler’s Inn and walk south on the Canalto arrive at Billy Goat A and B (easier) orchoose to scramble over boulder after boul-der on way to the precipice. Gorgeous viewsawait on top. One highlight is to spot rockclimbers risking their lives scaling rocks on

the Virginia side of the Potomac River. De-pending on one’s speed, the hike could takeat least two hours and might be an out-of-your-comfort-zone experience. Enjoy theviews, the experience, the challenges andthe adrenalin rush — and return again andagain.

BIRDINGHead out for birding or wildlife photog-

raphy on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.Just a little over an hour from Potomac isthe town of Chestertown in Kent County.Years ago, the rumor was that one couldwalk across the Chester River on the backsof the canvasbacks and other ducks thatpacked the waters. Those days are longgone, but birds still flock to Kent County.

Birders will spot Canada and snow geese,24 species of ducks, great blue herons, terns,

swallows, sparrows, blackbirds and eagles.These are among the 300-plus species re-corded in the county. Areas to explore in-clude Chesapeake Farms, the MillingtonWildlife Management Area, Sassafras Natu-ral Resource Management Area, Turner’sCreek County Park and the Eastern Necknational Wildlife Refuge. All of these ref-uges invite birders, photographers, and na-ture-lovers to explore year-round.

STEP BACK IN TIMEPile the family into the car and take a two-

hour spring ride through the Virginia coun-tryside to Jefferson’s Monticello. Jeffersonwas a president, inventor, historian, philoso-pher, and plantation owner who served hiscountry for over five decades.

Monticello yields insights into the nation’shistory. Stroll through gardens, visit thehome, learn how Jefferson invented an im-proved dumb waiter, an iron hillside plow,an elbow macaroni machine, the wheel ci-pher, a swivel chair, and the first pedom-eter. Then take the Hemings Family Tour,hike the Saunders-Monticello trail and visitthe University of Virginia, founded byJefferson.

TULIPSTiptoe through the tulips at Brookside

Gardens in Wheaton. Since the cherry blos-soms may not be nearly as spectacular asin previous years, head over to Wheaton totake advantage of 50 acres of dazzling flow-ers. Not only will you see tulips, daffodilsand lots of other spring flowers, you canvisit the Aquatic Garden, Azalea Garden,Butterfly Garden, Children’s Garden, RoseGarden, Japanese Style Garden, Trial Gar-den, Rain Garden, and the Woodland Walk.Everyone in the family will appreciate thisMontgomery County park.

Ready for Some Spring Adventures?Near and far, somesuggestions toembrace spring.

Jackson Belford tiptoeing throughthe tulips.

Pho

to

by Susan

Belfo

rd/T

he A

lm

an

ac

Email community entertainment eventsto [email protected] date, time, location, descriptionand contact for event: phone, email and/or website. Photos and artwork welcome.Deadline is Thursday at noon, at least twoweeks before event.

ONGOING2016 Inaugural Video Art

Exhibition. 5-7 p.m. at Glen EchoPhotoworks Gallery, 7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen Echo. Photoworksshowcases a group of female visualartists who use video to reveal thepersonal, the intimate and theartistic. Desires, dreams and fears areall visually explored in Photoworks’Inaugural Video Competition andExhibition, curated by Na’ama BatyaLewin. Free. Visitwww.glenechophotoworks.org.

Ballroom Dancing. 1-3 p.m., everyWednesday in March, at NorthPotomac Senior Center, 13860Travilah Road, Rockville. Come outand practice the international styleBallroom Dance, like Waltz, VienneseWaltz, Tango, Paso Doble, Quickstepand Slow Foxtrot, Latin Dancing,

such as Cha Cha, Rumba and Samba,also social dances, such as swing.This is a volunteer-led practice. Free.

Children’s Storytime. Wednesdaysand Saturdays, 10 a.m. at Barnes &Noble Booksellers, 4801 BethesdaAve., Bethesda Listen to employeesread children’s stories. Free. Visitwww.store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/4824850-21.

VisArts Cocktails and CanvasClass. at VisArts in the Painting &Drawing Studio, 155 Gibbs St.,Rockville. Price $40. Visitwww.visartsatrockville.org/cocktails-and-canvas for more.

Thang Ta. Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m. atSutradhar Institute of Dance andRelated Arts, 1525 Forest Glen Road,Silver Spring. Learn the ancient art ofthe sword and spear. $25.www.dancesidra.org.

Weekly Blues Dance. Thursdays8:15-11:30 p.m. in the Back RoomAnnex at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd. Capital Bluespresents rotating DJs and instructorswith beginner workshop 8:15-9 p.m.,no partner necessary. $8 for all.capitalblues.org

Weekly Swing Dance. Saturdays, 8p.m.-midnight. The DC Lindy

Exchange presents a swing dancewith live music in the SpanishBallroom, Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo.Beginner swing dance lesson at 8p.m., followed by dancing. Admission$16-$18, age 17 and under $12.www.glenechopark.org.

Argentine Tango with Lessons.Most Sundays, 6:30-11 p.m. in theBack Room Annex at Glen Echo Park,7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo.Argentine Tango lessons followed bya Milonga most Sunday evenings.Beginner lesson 6:30-7:30 p.m. andintermediate lesson 7:30-8:30 p.m.Cost is $15/lesson and includes theMilonga. For just the Milonga, cost is$10 and the open dance with DJ runs8:30-11 p.m. No partner required.www.glenechopark.org, 301-634-2222.

Contra and Square Dance. Fridaysand Sundays 7-10:30 p.m. in theSpanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park,7300 MacArthur Blvd. The eveningcan include square dances, mixers,waltzes and other couple dances. AllContra and Square dances are taught,no partner necessary. Lessons at 7p.m., followed by the called dancewith live music at 7:30. $13 for

nonmembers, $10 for FSGWmembers, $5 ages 17 and under.www.glenechopark.org, 301-634-2222.

Late Night Comedy. Fridays (openmic night) and Saturdays(established comedians) at Benny’sBar & Grill, 7747 Tuckerman Lane,Potomac. Benny’s is open 8 a.m.-1a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.www.BennysBarGrill.com.

Drop in Art Activities. EverySaturday 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in theCandy Corner Studio at Glen EchoPark, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., parentsand children can explore a new artform or theme. $10/child, parentcombo. Drop-in only. www.pgip.org.

Mommy & Me (& Daddy, Too).Third Tuesday each month. 10 a.m.at Rockville Town Square. Meet for amorning out with active learning andcreative play with lunch specials,story time, arts and crafts, sing-a-longs, prizes and more.rockvilletownsquare.com/events/mommy-and-me.

Live Music & Dancing. Fridays andSaturdays, 7-11 p.m. in Margery’sLounge, Normandie Farm Restaurant,10710 Falls Road. Dance to the musicof Barry Gurley. 301-983-8838

www.popovers.com.Chocolate Factory Tours. Fridays

and Saturdays, 2-5:45 p.m. atSPAGnVOLA Chocolatier, 360 MainSt., Gaithersburg. Take a short tourof The Truffle Factory facilities. Free.www.spagnvola.com.

Glen Echo Park Films. Saturdays andSundays. Arcade Building, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Filmsabout the Park’s history are shown onrotation in the lobby. Free. Visitwww.glenechopark.org for more.

SilverWorks Studio & Gallery.Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdaysand Sundays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. GlenEcho Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.,Glen Echo. SilverWorks Studio &Gallery is a working silversmithstudio and includes an ongoingexhibition, as well as sales of thework of artist-in-residence BlairAnderson. Free. Visitwww.silverworksglenechopark.com.

Art Glass Center at Glen Echo. Allday Wednesdays; Fridays, 10 a.m.-2p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.;Sundays, noon-4 p.m. Art GlassCenter, Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Ongoingexhibitions feature work of residentartists. Sculpture, vessels, functional

Calendar


art and jewelry for sale. Classes aretaught year-round for beginner,intermediate and advanced students.Visit www.artglasscenteratglenecho.org for more.

Yellow Barn Studio & Gallery.Saturdays and Sundays, 12-5 p.m.The Yellow Barn Studio & Gallerypresents free exhibitions of emergingartists’ work. Each weekend featuresthe work of a different artist. Mostartwork is also for sale.www.yellowbarnstudio.com.

Acoustic Open Mic. Wednesdays, 7-11 p.m. at Benny’s Bar & Grill, 7747Tuckerman Lane. Everyone welcometo perform. Wine bottles are 50percent off. www.bennysbargrill.com.

Potomac Games Group.Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. at PotomacCommunity Recreation Center,11315 Falls Road, Potomac. Theworld is in the midst of a Golden Ageof new board and card games forplayers of all ages. Free. Contactevent host Randy Hoffman at 412-983-5411 or [email protected].

Strathmore Launches Food,Beverage Program. Partnershipkicks off 2017 focusing on creative,upscale bar cuisine, sharable drinks,expanded service with Ridgewells.For additional information or topurchase tickets, call 301-581-5100or visit www.ampbystrathmore.co.

CAMPS, CLASSES & WORKSHOPSArt Explorers Open Studio. Every

Saturday, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at TheCandy Corner Studio, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Artactivities for parents and children.Activities change weekly and there isno pre-registration; $10 per child.Visit www.glenechopark.org/saturday-art-explorers for more.

Ceramic Classes. Various dates andtimes. VisArts, 155 Gibbs St,Rockville. An opportunity to try thenew ceramic workshops. Visitwww.visartsatrockville.org/ceramicsfor a list of class dates, times.

DEADLINE APRIL 15“Students Making History”

Contest. High school students fromMaryland, D.C., Virginia, and WestVirginia are invited to submit aresearch paper or artistic illustrationon the theme “African American andWomen’s History on the C&O Canal.”for the chance to win a scholarship.Students must be willing to havetheir research shared within the park

and published on social media andthe park’s website. Visitwww.nps.gov/choh/learn/education/students-making-history.htm or [email protected].

THURSDAY/MARCH 23Historical Home Tours. 11 a.m. at

The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701Rockville Pike. A guided tour foradults illuminating the history,architecture and personal stories ofthe Mansion at Strathmore. The tourlasts approximately 45-60 minutes.Free. Please note: Tickets will not bemailed. There will be a will call list atthe door. Private tours for largergroups are also available byappointment for a $30 fee by calling301-581-5102 or [email protected].

SATURDAY/MARCH 25Cars ‘N Coffee. 8-10 a.m. at the

Corner Bakery, 10327 WestlakeBlvd., Bethesda. Plenty of parkingand free coffee. Visitwww.carsncoffeebethesda.com.

American Swing Dance. 7 p.m. atGlen Echo Spanish Ballroom, 7300MacArthur Blvd. Dances sponsoredby the American Swing Music andDance Association. $20, less with adiscount card. Visitwww.gottaswing.com.

SUNDAY/MARCH 26,Seneca Quarry Bike Ride. 9:30 a.m.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal NationalHistorical Park (C&O Canal), at theintersection of Falls Road andMacArthur Boulevard in Potomac. RicJackson, longtime volunteer withtheC&O Canal, will lead a bike tourand share his knowledge of SenecaStonecutting Mill. $10 per vehicle.Email [email protected].

Seafood Feast Fundraiser. 1-5 p.m.in the Anastasi Room at the RescueSquad, 5020 Battery Lane, Bethesda.Shrimp and oyster feast fundraiserfor the Bethesda-Chevy Chase RescueSquad, a community-supportednonprofit organization that providesfire, rescue, and emergency medicalservices for the Bethesda-ChevyChase area, $50. Visitwww.bccrs.org.

Potomac River Jazz Club. 3-6 p.m.at Normandie Farm Restaurant,10710 Falls Road, Potomac. Bring aninstrument and sit in with theConservatory Classic Jazz Bandduring the first set, or just drop in to

listen to classic jazz, Dixieland, andswing. $10, free for jammers andstudents. Call 301-762-3323 or visitprjc.org for more.

FRIDAY/MARCH 31Annual Thrift Sale. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. St.

Francis Episcopal Church, 10033River Road, Potomac. Clothing,jewelry, household, collectibles. Call301-365-2055 for more.

SATURDAY/APRIL 1Annual Thrift Sale. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. St.

Francis Episcopal Church, 10033River Road, Potomac. Clothing,jewelry, household, collectibles. Call301-365-2055 for more.

Mozart’s Piano Concerto. 8 p.m. atStrathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane,North Bethesda. Chinese-Americanpianist Eric Lu joins the NationalPhilharmonic, led by Maestro PiotrGajewski, to perform Mozart’s PianoConcerto No. 23 in A Major. $23-$78,free for ages 7-17. Visitwww.nationalphilharmonic.org orcall 301-581-5100 for more.

SUNDAY/APRIL 2Waltz Workshop. 2:45-3:30 p.m.-

midnight at the Spanish Ballroom,Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthurBlvd. The ensemble Devine Comedywill provide a mix of folk waltzeswith a few other couple dances,including Hambo, Schottische,Swing, Tango, and Polka. Call JoanKoury at 202-238- 0230 or Glen EchoPark at 301-634-2222, or go towww.WaltzTimeDances.org.

Rabbi Jack Gabriel Sings. 7 p.m. atthe at Temple Shalom, 8401 GrubbRoad, Chevy Chase. $20, $15 forTemple Shalom members, $10 forstudents and $5 for kids. [email protected] or call 703-380-3151 for more.

SATURDAY/APRIL 8Video Game Music Concert. 7 p.m.

at Rockville High School Auditorium,2100 Baltimore Road, Rockville. TheWashington Metropolitan GamerSymphony Orchestra will play avideo game music concert, playfullytitled “Downbeats withDetermination!” marking the debutof a multi-movement symphonic suitefeaturing music from the game“Undertale,” as well as an interactiveGame Gallery. $8 online, $9 at thedoor. Visit www.wmgso.org.

Calendar

THURSDAY/MARCH 23Historical Home Tours. 11 a.m. at The Mansion at

Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike. A guided tour foradults illuminating the history, architecture andpersonal stories of the Mansion at Strathmore. The tourlasts approximately 45-60 minutes. Free. Please note:Tickets will not be mailed. There will be a will call list atthe door. Private tours for larger groups are alsoavailable by appointment for a $30 fee by calling 301-581-5102 or emailing [email protected].

SUNDAY/MARCH 26Seneca Quarry Bike Ride. 9:30 a.m. Chesapeake &

Ohio Canal National Historical Park (C&O Canal), at theintersection of Falls Road and MacArthur Boulevard inPotomac. Ric Jackson, longtime volunteer with theC&OCanal, will lead a bike tour and share his knowledge ofSeneca Stonecutting Mill. $10 per vehicle. [email protected] for more.

SATURDAY/APRIL 22Canal Pride Days. 9 a.m.-noon at Great Falls in Potomac,

11710 MacArthur Blvd. Preserve historic buildings,improve Park grounds, remove invasive plant species,and more. Visit www.canaltrust.org for more.

2017 Spring Events

On Sunday afternoon, March 26, theConservatory Classic Jazz Band will beplaying at Margery’s Lounge atNormandie Farm Restaurant, 10710Falls Road from 3-6 p.m. Call 301-983-8838 for more.

SUNDAY/MAY 21Potomac Hunt Races. 10 a.m. at 14401B Partnership

Road, Poolesville. Visit www.potomachuntraces.com/for more.


De

Lane

rree

Road

oouse

Road

Glenoad

lah

R adEs

SSSe ca Road

495

495

eRoad

3

4

Address ........................... BR FB HB .... Postal City . Sold Price ... Type ......... Lot AC .. PostalCode ....... Subdivision ......... Date Sold

1 11804 GREGERSCROFT RD ... 4 .. 2 .. 1 ....... POTOMAC ..... $711,000 ... Detached ....... 0.39 ......... 20854 .............. GLEN OAKS ............. 01/31/17

2 10913 WHITERIM DR ........ 3 .. 2 .. 2 ....... POTOMAC ..... $668,000 ... Townhouse .... 0.05 ......... 20854 .... FAWSETT FARMS MANOR ... 01/20/17

3 11902 HENRY FLEET DR .... 4 .. 2 .. 1 ....... POTOMAC ..... $663,000 ... Detached ....... 0.22 ......... 20854 ............ REGENT PARK ........... 01/04/17

4 8 WOODSEND PL .............. 5 .. 3 .. 1 ....... POTOMAC ..... $580,000 ... Detached ....... 0.49 ......... 20854 ........... SADDLEBROOK .......... 01/12/17

5 10605 MUIRFIELD DR ........ 3 .. 2 .. 2 ....... POTOMAC ..... $473,000 ... Townhouse .... 0.03 ......... 20854 ........ INVERNESS NORTH ....... 01/12/17

Copyright 2017 RealEstate Business Intelligence. Source: MRIS as of February 15, 2017.

Photos by Deb Stevens/The AlmanacPotomac REAL ESTATE

In January 2017, 19 Potomac homes sold between $1,385,000-$473,000.

January, 2017 Sales,$473,000~$711,000

1 11804 Gregerscroft Road — $711,000

2 10913 Whiterim Drive — $668,000

3 11902 Henry Fleet Drive — $663,000

4 8 Woodsend Place — $580,000

5 10605 Muirfield Drive —$473,000


You can read any of this week’s 15 papers digital editions here:www.ConnectionNewspapers.com/PDFs

Business

By Peggy McEwan

The Almanac

Less than a week afteropening on March 15,Moby Dick House ofKabob in Potomac Vil-

lage is doing a bustling business.At lunchtime on Friday, tables

filled and emptied and filled again,a pattern that continued throughthe afternoon. It’s surprising, con-sidering the restaurant did nothave a grand opening.

“I think it’s coming from ourgood reputation,” managerBehzad Falahi said. “The food isgreat, everybody likes it.”

Moby Dick’s features 10 differ-ent kabob entrees, served with riceand or salad and pita bread withyogurt cucumber sauce. There arealso sandwiches and appetizers onthe menu and a selection of veg-etarian choices.

Alex Momeni, director of MobyDick, said he thinks the favoritesare the Joojeh Kabob, which ismade with chunks of chicken, orthe Kubideh Kabob, with groundbeef. Both are marinated in spe-cial house seasoning.

“They are the largest sellers,”Momeni said.

Moby Dick is a local chainstarted in 1989 by Mike Daryoush,a Potomac resident, and a partnerwho is no longer active in the busi-ness. The original restaurant wasMoby’s Luncheonette and itstruggled until the ownerschanged the menu to focus on Per-sian food like Daryoush enjoyed asa boy in Iran. The Potomac storeis number 21 in the growing chainwith restaurants in Maryland, D.C.

or Virginia.Of course, everyone wants to

know how a kabob restaurantcame to be called Moby Dick.

“If you find out, I’d like to know,”said Sandra McMurtrie, ofBethesda.

She and her grandson A.J.Herndon, were having lunch to-gether at the restaurant aftergrandparents’ day at his school.

“We’ve been waiting for[Moby’s] to open,” she said. “Mygrandchildren knew about it.”

A.J. seconded that.“It is really, really tasty,” he said.McMurtrie wanted to note how

nice the staff is at the restaurant.She said she brought the wrongpurse and had no money of creditcards and they were very niceabout letting her call home andgive them her credit card informa-tion on the phone.

About the name, Momeni saidthe story is that the founders weretrying to come up with a name andone was reading HermanMelville’s “Moby Dick” and sug-gested that as a name. It stuck. Hedid say that they later added“House of Kabob” because manypeople thought they were a sea-food carry out.

Falahi has been with MobyDick’s for almost nine years. Hewas manager of the Kentlands res-

taurant before coming to Potomac.He too is from Iran and is proud

to be sharing foods from his home-land.

“I like the company,” He said.“We are presenting our culture andour food. I like the connection be-tween the Iranian culture and theAmerican culture.”

Both Falahi and Momeni talkedabout the quality of the ingredi-ents used at Moby Dick’s. The ka-

bobs are cooked over charcoal, notoil, and all meats are antibioticfree.

“We don’t cut corners,” Momenisaid.

Eva Civan, a Potomac residentwho works at the nearby Long andFoster Realty office, stopped by forlunch Friday.

“This is much needed,” she said.“It’s a good fit for people of inter-national backgrounds.”

Introducing Moby Dick House of KabobNew restaurant offering fastcasual food opens in Potomac.

DetailsMoby Dick House of Kabob

9812 Falls Road, Potomac240-660-2626www.mobyskabob.comOpen 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondaythrough Sunday though the hourswill be adjusted as business falls intoa pattern.

Photo by Peggy McEwan/The Almanac

Moby Dick House of Kabob opened March 15 in PotomacVillage.


From Page 5

From Page 2

From Page 3

See Bulletin, Page 11

“I bet nobody has English Dai-sies within a hundred miles,” hesaid. “They come in red, whiteand pink and bloom through-out the summer.”

New to Potomac Petals andPlants, King said he looks forunusual plants, working to of-fer a better selection than anyother garden center in the area.

He is a trained horticulturistand plant diagnostician. He canhelp identify diseases or insectson plants and grass.

“Just bring in a leaf,” he said.If it’s too cold to think about

planting, just a walk throughthe center gives a colorful,sweet smelling hint of things tocome.

For more information, call301-765-7670.

For a Good CauseTorie Mills and Emily Crump sell sweets to raise moneyfor the Humane Society on Tuesday, March 14.

Photo by Deborah Stevens/The Almanac

Pre-Spring SurpriseThis pile of snow in the Potomac Promenade parking lot on Saturday, March 18 is likelyto be around for some time even with warmer temperatures.

Pho

to

by M

ary K

im

m/T

he A

lm

an

ac

Commission for Women is kicking offWomen’s History Month by invitingresidents of all ages to participate inthe first annual Girl Power WritingContest, “What’s It Mean to Be aWoman in 2017?” Girls and womencan share their own experienceswhile boys and men can reflect onwhat they think life is like for thewomen in their life. Submissions canbe intellectual, emotional, funny,spiritual or serious. Written entriesshould be no more than 500 words.Entries should include full name, age,grade and school (if applicable),phone number, and email address.Winners will be announced by April14. Entries may be submitted by mailor email. Mail entries should be sentto Girl Power Contest, MontgomeryCounty Commission for Women, 21Maryland Ave,, Suite 330, Rockville,MD 20850. Email entries should besent [email protected] “Girl Power Contest” in thesubject line. Call 240-777-8300 orvisitwww.montgomerycountymd.gov/cfwfor details.

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 5Part Five of Lenten Study Series

and Dinner. 6:30 p.m. at GenevaPresbyterian Church, 11931 SevenLocks Road, Potomac. “One Lord,One Faith, One Baptism,” with the“Seven Locks Churches” of Potomac(St. James’ Episcopal, GenevaPresbyterian, Seven Locks Baptist,Scotland AME Zion, EmmanuelLutheran). Join the “Seven Locks”churches Wednesday evenings duringLent for dinner and then a study ledby the pastors of the churches. TheApril 5 topic is “The Crucifixion andResurrection.” Call 301-424-4346 orvisit genevapotomac.org.

WEDNESDAY/APRIL 12Application Deadline. The

Montgomery County Council isseeking applicants to fill a vacancy onthe Montgomery County PlanningBoard, which serves as the council’sprincipal adviser on land useplanning and community planning.Planning Board members, who servefour-year terms and are limited totwo full terms, also serve ascommissioners of the Maryland-National Capital Park and PlanningCommission. Letters of applicationexpressing interest, including arésumé listing professional and civicexperience, political party affiliation,home and office telephone numbersand an email address, should beaddressed as follows: CouncilPresident Roger Berliner, CountyCouncil Office, Stella B. WernerCouncil Office Building, 100Maryland Avenue, Rockville,Maryland 20850. Applications alsomay be emailed [email protected].

BEGINS APRIL 24Job Search Training for Seniors. 9

a.m.-4 p.m. JCA’s Career GatewayProgram can help hone a resume,polish networking and interviewingskills, use Internet job searchresources more effectively, and turnage and experience to an advantage.Each session of the Career Gatewayfeatures 30 hours of small-groupclassroom instruction over five days,comprehensive take-home materials,practical exercises, and a long-termmentor. $75. Session V takes placeApril 24, 26, 28, May 1 and 3, 2017.Call Ellen Greenberg at 301-255-4215 or [email protected].

THROUGH APRILHost Families Needed. The Big Train

is looking for families to share theirhomes with a Big Train player duringthe 2017 season. Players stay withfamilies from late May through lateJuly or early August. Contact EmilyWaldman [email protected] or Anne

Fletcher at [email protected].

FRIDAY/MAY 5Building Attachment Through

Trust. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Silver SpringCivic Center, 1 Veterans Place, SilverSpring. Children exposed to trauma,abuse and neglect often have troubletrusting adults, which can contributeto challenging family relationships.Explore the newest neuroscience-based research and interventions onenhancing attachment and

Bulletin Board

Spring Happenings

connection in families. Early Bird(through March 31): Parents, $79,professionals (includes 6 CEUs),$129; parents, $99, professionals(includes 6 CEUs), $149. Lunch willbe provided. [email protected] or410-402-1121 for more.

GUIDE DOG FOSTERS NEEDEDGuiding Eyes for the Blind -

Montgomery Region is looking forvolunteers to foster and train future

nual Putnam County Spelling Bee” when he wasat Stagedoor Manor summer camp. “I have lovedplaying the role of Chip for BRAVO Productions,” hesaid. “Working with professional adults feels oddbecause I’ve been trained in a pre-professional pro-gram, and actual professional theater is much dif-ferent than I was trained for. People are much nicerand respectful than I expected and they are also verywelcoming. The biggest difference between my firstproduction of ‘Spelling Bee’ at Stagedoor Manor sum-mer camp where I also played Chip and this one isthe people, because I built relationships with my pre-vious cast mates, and expect to see my friends whenI turn around, but it’s actually now a professionalactor. I love getting the opportunity to play Chip againwith a cast so talented and amazing as this.”

Potomac residents have very likely seen Alex per-forming in local productions or at Winston ChurchillHigh School (WCHS). He has appeared at Imagina-tion Stage, Arena Stage and the Arc theaters. He isalso involved in many of the music programs atWCHS where he is a senior. He is a singer, vocal cap-tain and guitarist for the Churchill production “Blast,”as well as a creator, arranger and performer for thePitch Pipes, a male a capella group. He plays guitarin the Honors Jazz Band and is a bass drummer inthe drumline. He has also performed in many WCHSdrama productions and in Showstoppers. Alex stud-

ies classical piano, singing and dancing while attend-ing weekly conversational Portuguese and Frenchclasses with his dad. In the summer, he works as alifeguard at the Inverness Recreation Center Pool.

In addition to serving as the director of “SpellingBee” and artistic director of BRAVO Productions,Valerie Issembert will perform the role of OliveOstrovsky, a newcomer to the Bee circuit and an onlychild who spends much of her time alone readingthe dictionary. Issembert previously performed withthe Metropolitan Opera Company in New York City.She said, ““This show and this venue presented theperfect opportunity for BRAVO Productions to bridgethe gap between theatre with young actors and the-atre with adults because Spelling Bee is a show aboutchildren, played by adults, and written for all to en-joy. After a decade performing mainly with adults inNew York, and a subsequent three years teachingmainly children in Washington, D.C., I wanted to in-tegrate the two worlds. This experience has providedthat opportunity. I get to work with my friends, col-leagues, family, and students. What more could I askfor?”

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”will be performed in Alexandria Country Day School’sPerforming Arts Center, 2400 Russell Road, Alexan-dria, VA 22301 on April 7 at 8 p.m. and April 8 at 2p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are available online atwww.showtix4u.com for $28 until April 6 for $30(cash or check only) at the door.

‘Putnam County Spelling Bee’


21 Announcements 21 Announcements 21 Announcements

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

We pay top $ for STERLING, MEN'S WATCHES,

JEWELRY, COSTUME JEWELRY, FURNITURE, PAINTINGS AND CLOCKS.

Schefer Antiques703-241-0790

[email protected]

26 Antiques 26 Antiques

Zone 5 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-778-9411

Zone 5:

• PotomacClassifiedClassified

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.compotomacalmanac.com

Zone 5 Ad Deadline:

Monday Noon

703-778-9411

Zone 5:

• Potomac

Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.

By KENNETH B. LOURIEI wouldn’t say I’m forgetting things, but

according to my wife, Dina, I certainly don’tseem to be remembering them, at least as shedoes. Naturally, this “misremembering” couldbe attributed to the condition which likelyaffects many couples who have been over hill,over dale and over many dusty trails in nearly39 years of marriage, as we have. Nevertheless,identifying the condition doesn’t soothe thesavage beast. Another possible/probable expla-nation is the ever-unpopular, recently-con-firmed actual occurrence common to manycancer patients receiving chemotherapy:“chemo brain.”

Even though I’m a veteran of these can-cer/chemo wars apparently doesn’t make meimmune to its harmful effects. Quite the con-trary in fact. Survival is wonderful, but years-long treatment does take its toll. And for a can-cer patient now in his ninth consecutive year oftreatment, the bell tolls for me. Fortunately, Ican still hear the bell. The question is: will Iremember having heard it? I say, absolutely! Mywife says: not so fast.

All kidding aside, I can see this difference ofopinion becoming a problem. At present, I’mnot the least bit (well, maybe a little bit, other-wise; why would I be droning on about it?)concerned about a few of our memories fadingsince I don’t believe that they have. I’minclined to invoke an opposite-GeorgeCostanza here and say it’s her, not me. Not sur-prisingly, my wife will play the part of one ofGeorge’s ex-girlfriends and say it’s definitelyme. So what else is new? Nothing. The ques-tion/worry is: will this become a chronicproblem?

Which in a way is what all us heretofore “te-rminal” cancer patients want. Obviously, a curefor what ails me/others similarly diag-nosed would be ideal, but the more realisticscenario is that one day, cancer will treated as achronic condition, like diabetes, not a terminaldisease as my stage IV, non-small cell lung can-cer was originally characterized by my oncolo-gist on Feb. 27, 2009 (you bet I remember thatdate!). Oh yes, that is a date that will live ininfamy. Unlike Pearl Harbor, however, wherethousands died, and unlike the message deliv-ered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt that sameday, when the sober news was first heard by anation then at war, only three people heardwhat my oncologist said to me that day, andonly my life was at stake, though certainly mywife, Dina and my brother, Richard wereimpacted, even though they weren’t he onesreceiving a grim prognosis.

As Dina and I regularly reminisce about ourlife together, we regularly have different recol-lections. She’s entitled. I’m entitled. Theremight be a right. There might be a wrong. Butwithout Warner Wolf around to “go to thevideotape,” the chance that we’ll remember ashared memory similarly or at all consideringthere’s now almost four decades worth ofstuff is unrealistic, isn’t it? I mean, we’re differ-ent people. We process and store informationdifferently. In fact, I might say, it’s likely a mira-cle if we did actually remember, identically,people, place and things.

The older one gets, the greater the cumula-tive information in our brains and apparently,the less chemical/muscular ability we have toaccess/retrieve all that information. Not remem-bering or remembering differently is nothingmore than the passage of time rearing its uglyhead. Now combine that inevitability with thetoxicity of chemotherapy — and God knowswhat else my cancer is affecting, and what youhave here is a sitting duck. If I were to believetotally in this inevitability or in my wife’s assess-ment, I would say there’s disintegrating hopefor me. But I don’t. I believe in the power ofme. I believe in the power of positive thinkingand in always seeing the bright side — and jok-ing/laughing about all of it. So what if I don’tremember or remember differently, it probablywasn’t worth remembering anyway.

I Can’t ForgetWhat I Don’tRemember

GGAARRDDEENNEERR

Energetic gardener, Speaks French & English. Spring/Summer

Cleanup, weeding, planting, edging, mulching, maintenance. Excellent Potomac references.

301-980-8258

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

It’s Never Too Early to schedule your pool opening for 2017

Call Jonathan Ruhe & Teamat Anthony & Sylvan Pools

Opening and Closing Packages(4th season free if booked before April 1)

Annual Pool Maintenance Contracts 10% OFF if booked by April.

703-803-7374 Ext. 3140

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPINGFor a free digital sub-scription to one or allof the 15 ConnectionNewspapers, go towww.connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

Complete digital rep-lica of the print edition,including photos andads, delivered weeklyto your e-mail box.

Questions? E-mail:[email protected]

An expert is someone who knowssome of the

worst mistakesthat can bemade in his

subject and howto avoid them.

-WernerHeisenberg

From Page 10

guide dogs. Volunteers will foster a specially bredguide dog for 14 months, attend bi-monthlytraining classes, and teach the pup housemanners, people skills and socialization withinthe community. Dog crates, training equipmentand monthly medications are provided. ContactMargie Coccodrilli at 301-869-2216 [email protected] or visitwww.guidingeyes-md.org.

DATES FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEARThe Montgomery County Board of Education

approved the start and end dates for the 2017-2018 school year at its Nov. 15, 2016 meeting.The school year will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 5,2017, and the last day of school will be no laterthan Friday, June 15, 2018.

Bulletin Board

families who then introduce us to certainprogramming and therapies that benefitJohn. It helps to have this community aswe navigate the milestones and life events.”

Guterman said the majority of KEEN par-ticipants are on the autism spectrum, orhave cerebral palsy or Down Syndrome.This description, however, is not all-encom-passing.

“No child is ever turned away from ourprograms,” Guterman said. “The volunteerswork with such a wide spectrum of ability.While the majority of the event volunteerswork one-on-one with a child, sometimeswe have to make it work by having two vol-unteers working with someone who mayneed more help.”

To honor the organization and its 25 yearsof success, the board and KEEN staff haveset some anniversary goals: to create newprograms and serve more young peoplewith special needs.

To make this expansion possible, KEENcontinues to grow its network of commit-ted volunteers, which currently range fromlocal high school students to people whohave been volunteering with the organiza-tion since the beginning.

“Anyone can volunteer,” KEEN Greater DCExecutive Director Beata Okulska said. “Youdon’t need to have any experience workingwith special needs kids. We look for peoplewith imagination, good will and patience.”

KEEN volunteers benefit from the KEENexperience perhaps every bit as much as thedisabled population that the organizationserves.

“Volunteering for KEEN helps people de-velop their leadership skills, teaches toler-ance, and helps them to understand and ap-preciate diversity,” she said. “When you be-gin volunteering with KEEN, you immedi-ately see the huge impact that 75 minutesa week can make on everyone involved. Theeffect that KEEN has on the community isindisputable. KEEN teaches not only factson different disabilities, but teaches some-thing far more important, that everyone isequally important and needed in buildingthe community, and that diversity makes theworld a better place.”

From Page 4

News

KEEN onFitness

Potomac - The Connection Newspapersconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/032217/Potomac.pdf · Preparing...

Documents

Transcript of Potomac - The Connection Newspapersconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2017/032217/Potomac.pdf · Preparing...