Gaithersburg’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Kentlands,...

Ride Allegheny Gears Up for Operation Second Chance

By Sharon Allen Gilder

F ormer Kentlands resident Clark Wagner’s inspiration for Ride Allegheny (RA),

a bicycling enthusiasts group he founded in 2001, came when he learned about a trail converted from an abandoned railroad passage leading from Pittsburgh, Penn-sylvania, to Washington, D.C., as part of the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy effort. His four-day trip along the ‘roads less traveled’ began with six cyclists geared up to ride and has grown to 110 rid-ers who will make the annual trek Sept. 29 to Oct. 2.

RA’s website states the event “offers an opportunity for you to join a cause greater than yourself … to support the wounded sol-diers, sailors and Marines that have given their all so we can live free.”

In 2005, RA partnered with Clarksburg resident Cindy McGrew, founder of Operation Second Chance (OSC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing assistance to “wounded, injured and ill combat veterans by identi-

fying and supporting immediate needs and interests and promoting public awareness of the many sac-rifices made by our Armed Forc-es.” Monies donated assist veterans in numerous ways from adapting

Mariann Zylstra Named KCF Executive Director

By Bethany E. Starin

O n Aug. 24, Mariann Zylstra began her role as executive director

for the Kentlands Community Foundation (KCF), a nonprofit organization that supports and educates the local community.

Just a few days later, she ener-getically assisted in pulling off the KCF’s biggest fundraiser of the year—the 23rd An-nual Kentlands/Lakelands 5K Run—held Sept. 3 at 8 a.m.

“It’s definitely been a crazy

Confusion, Controversy Follow Small Cell Antenna Plans

By Scott Harris

O pinions—and, in some cases, even facts—seem to vary pretty widely over the

potential installation of cellular mini-towers in three Gaithersburg neighborhoods.

Known as small cell facilities or small cell antennas, the structures, frequently mounted on 30-foot-tall poles, are designed to expand networks and deliver faster Inter-net speeds in surrounding areas. They are often installed in public rights-of-way, frequently a strip of land between front curb and front lawn.

Residents in neighborhoods des-ignated by at least one company for

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Gaithersburg’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Kentlands, Lakelands, Quince Orchard Park and More

Vol. 14, No. 19

COURIERTHETOWN

www.towncourier.com

n NEW DIRECTOR Continued on page 9

September 16, 2016

n SMALL CELL Continued on page 11n RIDE ALLEGHENY Continued on page 10

Photo | Dennis Stiles

In late August, the Kentlands Community Foundation welcomed new Executive Director Mariann Zylstra. (L to R) Ruthzaly Weich, John Schlichting, Mariann Zylstra, Jennifer Palmiere and Chris Campbell pose during the 23rd Annual Kentlands/Lakelands 5K Run packet pickup on Thursday, Sept. 1.

Photo | Sharon Allen Gilder

(L to R) Pinky Rodgers, Clark Wagner and Cindy McGrew celebrate Ride Allegheny’s fundraising of $2 million for Operation Second Chance on Sept. 8 at Pinky & Pepe’s Grape Escape in Kentlands.

Photos | Pam Schipper

An unseasonably cool Sept. 3 created perfect running weather for the 23rd Annual Kentlands/Lakelands 5K Run, Walk and Kids Fun Runs. More than 1,000 runners and walkers participated, and 212 children ran in the fun runs. First, second and third place in the 5K went to Billy McManus of Frederick, Christopher Shaw of Silver Spring and Steve Heagy of Lansdale, respectively. Jessica McGuire of Arlington was the top female finisher.

THE TOWN COURIER September 16, 2016

September 16, 2016 THE TOWN COURIER

Compiled by Pam Schipper

Bella Ballet Plans Open House

Bella Ballet at 347 Kentlands Boulevard celebrated its third anniversary on Sept. 10. To kick off its fourth year, the studio will host a Fall Festival Anniversary Party on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Local families are invited to enjoy music, dance and fall-themed treats.

Bella Ballet also will be offering a free trial class to any students ages 2 to 12. To schedule a free trial class, please contact [email protected].

Kentlands Film Society Kicks Off 11th Season

On Sunday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m. at the Arts Barn, the Kentlands Film Society will launch its 11th season with a screening of “The Second Mother,” a Brazilian drama/comedy in which class lines unravel and moth-er-child affections are challenged. A limited number of $9 walk-in tickets are available from 6 p.m. on the night of the movie. Tickets also can be reserved by contacting Maureen Green at 301.526.3823 or [email protected].

Public Hearing on Johnson Property Annexation Set for Sept. 19

The Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council will hold a public hearing on Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. at Gaith-ersburg City Hall. Under consideration is annexing the 23-acre Johnson property located at 12201, 12251, 12301 and 12311 Darnestown Road into the city and rezoning four parcels from the county’s R-200 and NR 0.75 H 45 zones to the City of Gaithersburg’s MXD Zone with associated annexation plan.

Community Emergency Preparedness Class Offered

Montgomery County Police Department, Mont-gomery County Fire and Rescue Services and Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security offer a Community Emergency Preparedness Class on Sept. 24, 10 a.m. to noon at the Montgomery County Public Safety Headquarters, 100 Edison Park Drive. This free class teaches attendees how to respond to specific hazards such as fires, active assailants and se-vere storms. This will enable families to prepare for disasters at home and will increase resiliency in the community. For more information and to register, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oemhs. Reg-istration is limited to 75 people.

Kentlands Lecture Series to Debut

The Kentlands Citizens Assembly (KCA) Activities Committee and the Kentlands Community Founda-tion launch a new community-based program Oct. 17 at the Kentlands Clubhouse: the Kentlands Lecture Series. The series’ mission is to celebrate Kentlands residents and their achievements and focus on new urbanism. Each hour-long presentation and question and answer period is open to Kentlands residents.

If you would like to be a presenter in the Kent-lands Lecture Series, please email Bonnie Fritz, chair of the KCA Activities Committee, at [email protected].

AROUND TOWN

Environmental Honor Only Confirms Gaithersburg’s Green Rep

By Scott Harris

G aithersburg is a green leader in the county and the state. A new honor from the federal govern-

ment is just the latest evidence of that, city leaders said.

That was the message from city leaders upon earning its entrance into the Green Power Leadership Club, a group established by the Environ-mental Protection Agency to recog-nize the organizations, programs and individuals that take a lead role in advancing the development of green power sources. The city received the recognition for purchasing Renew-able Energy Certificates (RECs) gen-erated by renewable sources like wind and solar to offset 100 percent of the city’s projected energy use, which at the time the city first went to 100 percent was 6.5 megawatt-hours per year, according to Ron Kaczmarek, the city’s facilities and capital projects division chief.

City officials expressed gratitude for the recognition but were quick to point out Gaithersburg’s long track record of demonstrable—and perhaps unsung—performance around envi-

ronmental sustainability.“I think it’s a reflection of what

we’ve been doing in the city,” said Mayor Jud Ashman. “I don’t think any city in the county, whoever it might be, or even in the state of Maryland, can say they’ve done eve-rything we’ve done in Gaithersburg.”

Although specifics can vary, ener-gy offsets essentially give people and groups the opportunity to “pay back” or offset their use of non-renewable carbon energy. Proceeds from the purchases of the offset are usually fun-neled into clean energy projects, such as a wind farm or geothermal well, as a way of symbolically counterbalanc-ing fossil fuel use.

RECs are tradable energy com-modities that each represent 1 meg-awatt-hour of clean electricity gener-ated.

“All the money that goes into offsets goes back into further development,” Ashman said. “It goes back into effec-tive renewable energy sources, and we applaud that.”

According to Kaczmarek, the cost of the offsets is relatively negligible, costing just $4,700 for fiscal 2017.

That represents a substantial price drop, brought about by a bulk dis-count available through a group con-tract that now includes 12 county ju-risdictions, and it enabled the city to increase its REC purchasing.

“We increased the load by 70 per-cent, but we only needed to double the price,” Kaczmarek said of the off-sets increase. “We were able to do it based on the price offered from the Montgomery County Contract.”

The city began purchasing RECs in 2013, when they offset 30 percent of the city’s energy use. Just three years later, RECs offset all the projected use. In addition, Ashman touted the city’s recent energy audits on public buildings, use of soybean biodiesel fuel in its heavy equipment fleet, and LEED certification efforts on new and existing properties, among a raft of other recent and longer-standing projects, as other examples. Taken to-gether, it all feeds into a grand green plan for the city.

“It’s a high priority to be stewards of the environment,” said Dyan Backe, an environmental planner with the city. “This plays right into that.”

Lost and Found:Jing Jing Finds His Way Home

By Ellyn Wexler

W hile social media often gets a bad rap for spreading gos-sip and lies, sometimes it is

responsible for a story with a happy ending. On Aug. 30, users of Next-Door and Facebook helped a dog named Jing Jing find his way home.

Joanne Koutsioukis, owner of the HealthCare Resource Network that has offices in the Shops at Potomac Valley, found the small white dog while she was walking to the shop-ping center’s Dunkin’ Donuts. She brought him back to her office, ac-cording to her employee and friend Jeanette Repie who proceeded to post a notice along with a photograph on the NextDoor and Facebook sites. Her post specified where the collarless dog was found and noted, “We have gone to PetSmart to get a collar, leash and food. I hope to find its owner. He is currently at work with us.”

“Luckily, we have dog treats in our office—because they (Koutsioukis and business partner Laura Bankeroff ) allow me to bring in my dog some-times,” said Repie. “We are all dog lovers!”

Flor Alvarez, owner of Fit Dog Adventures, saw the notice when she logged onto NextDoor Kentlands “to see what Kentlands neighbors had to say or sell,” and the avid dog lover

wanted “to help the little pup.” She reposted the information and photo on her own Facebook page and asked her friends to share it in hope of reu-niting the dog with his family. “We got 22 shares,” Alvarez said, add-ing that “within minutes, someone thought he looked familiar (and) called a neighbor that had a pup that looked like him. Thankfully, he (the other dog) was home safe with his family.”

The search continued until Jessica Chang, who lives in Las Vegas, saw one of the shares and responded to Alvarez. “I believe you found my par-ents’ dog Jing Jing,” she wrote, noting that her parents live right behind the

shopping center and asking that Alva-rez contact her.

“Victory!” said Alvarez. “Cutie had a name and a family eager to have him home soon.”

Chang said she saw the online post within 10 minutes of her parents’ tell-ing her that Jing Jing was missing. “They have let their dog out every day for the past 15 years to go to the bathroom, and he’s never run away, but I guess they waited too long to let him back in and he wandered off,” she explained.

Alvarez forwarded the information to Repie, who arranged for the dog’s owner to pick him up after work. “A happy ending with a little help of the magic of a close community and so-cial media,” said Alvarez. “I love this ‘hood and its people. It feels like a lit-tle town in the big city.”

Repie agreed. “Fortunately, our community has a love for dogs and we all work together to take care of them. We enjoyed having Jing Jing (in our office) and are so happy that the owner was found. The dog was excited to see him.”

My parents, added Chang, “were really happy and grateful that people were made aware through NextDoor and took the time to take care of their dog and make sure he got back to his home.” All’s well that ends well.

Photo | Courtesy of HealthCare Resource Network

Thanks to social media and a close-knit community, lost dog Jing Jing was reunited quickly with his owners.


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School’s Back With Record Enrollment

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) welcomed more than 159,000 students for the first day of the 2016–2017 school year on Aug. 29. This is more than 2,500 new students to the school system and represents the largest enrollment in the district’s history.

“We are thrilled to welcome back all of our amazing students and teachers to MCPS,” stated Michael Durso, president of the Montgomery County Board of Educa-tion. “We are also excited to welcome Dr. Jack Smith as he begins his first school year as superintendent of schools in Montgom-ery County.”

Superintendent Smith took the helm of MCPS on July 1 after serving with the Maryland State Department of Education as interim state superintendent. “I’m ex-cited and grateful to take on the role of Superintendent of Schools for one of the largest, most respected school systems in this nation,” stated Smith. “My priority in this role is to both maintain the high level of student achievement that our school sys-tem is known for, and to help lift up those who are not performing as well, so that all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, so-cioeconomic status, language or disabil-ity can meet their full and true potential. We must close the opportunity gap. It is a moral imperative.”

MCPS now has significant new resourc-

es to help close the opportunity gap. The $2.46 billion Operating Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 provides $37.9 million of targeted funding that will allow MCPS to reduce class sizes in many classrooms across the district and accelerate efforts to close the achievement gap.

MCPS has hired more than 1,200 new teachers this year, thanks, in part, to the ad-ditional resources allocated in the budget. MCPS begins the school year with 12,673 teachers on staff.

Cougar Marching Band Yard Sale Planned

Head to Quince Orchard High School bright and early on Saturday, Sept. 17, for the Cougar Marching Band’s semi-annual community yard sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., for “new to you” finds. And if you have some treasures to pass on, donations will be ac-cepted starting at 7 a.m.

MCPL Recognizes First Enrollees of Online Diploma Program

On Sept. 7, Montgomery County Ex-ecutive Ike Leggett, Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) Director Parker Hamilton and Karen Radulovich from Gale Cengage Learning officially recog-nized the first enrollees in MCPL’s recent-ly-launched Career Online High School Diploma. There are five candidates offi-cially enrolled in the program.

MCPL is the first library system in Mar-

yland to launch the Career Online High School, the world’s first accredited, pri-vate online school district. This past June MCPL began accepting applications for the program. Career Online High School is specifically designed to re-engage adults into the education system and prepare them for entry into post-secondary career education or the workforce. Currently, more than 60,000 adults over the age of 25 in Montgomery County lack a high school degree or equivalent.

MCPL to Launch Online Music and Art Education Program

September is Classical Music Month, and Montgomery County Public Libraries offers a series of solo guitar concerts featur-ing works from the best classical composers of Brazil. Free performances by Richard Miller, professor of guitar and music theo-ry at Columbia University and director of education programs for the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance, will take place at the Gaithers-burg Library on Sept. 17, 3 p.m., and the Twinbrook Library on Sept. 24, 3 p.m.

Before each concert, MCPL staff will introduce ArtistWorks, a new online pro-gram being launched by MCPL. Artist-Works allows residents to take musical and art lessons with virtuoso musicians and art-ists from home 24/7. The presentation will include how to use the online program

n ASSIGNMENT EDUCATION Continued on page 12

309 Main StreetGaithersburg, MD 20878

For Advertising: 301.279.2304Also on the Web at www.towncourier.com.

©2016 Courier CommunicationsThe Town Courier is an independent newspaper

published twice a month that provides news and in-formation for the communities of Kentlands, Lake-lands and Quince Orchard Park in Gaithersburg, Md. The paper is published by Courier Communications, which is responsible for the form, content and policies of the newspaper. The Town Courier does not espouse any political belief or endorse any product or service in its news coverage. Articles and letters submitted for publication must be signed and may be edited for length or content. The Town Courier is not responsi-ble for any claims made by advertisers Letters to the Editor and Commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff, management or advertisers of The Town Courier.

Pam Schipper Managing Editor

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Staff Photographers Arthur Cadeaux

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Staff Writers

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Nora Caplan Mike Cuthbert

Gina Gallucci-WhiteSharon Allen Gilder

Betty HafnerScott Harris

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Bethany StarinMaureen StilesEllyn Wexler

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ASSIGNMENTEDUCATION Compiled by Pam Schipper


Mayor, City Council Tour Proposed Site for Public Safety Building

T he Mayor and City Council recent-ly took a tour of the building set to one day become the home of the

Gaithersburg Police Department. During a scheduled on-site work session Sept. 12, the governing body and members of the public were able to see inside 16 S. Sum-mit Ave.

The tour was requested by city staff to get guidance on how the governing body envisions utilizing space that isn’t already spoken for by the police department. Some of the options presented include commu-nity meeting space rooms and relocating City Council chambers.

Prior to the tour, City Councilmember Ryan Spiegel said he was hoping to get a better understanding of the interior con-struction and what budget would be asso-ciated with the work. “If there is a certain cost associated with moving the chambers, does it also leave open the opportunity to design a new chamber, a more modern chamber, from scratch that’s going to have better use of space, more room for mem-bers of the public, better use of technol-ogy? Right now, the chambers that we are in are fine and lovely but they are also part of a historic building and there are a lot of limitations in terms of space and technol-ogy.”

He was also interested in discuss-ing how the design and foot traffic flow of the building can be arranged to make sure the building remains open, accessi-ble and welcoming to the public yet also meets all of the safety and security require-ments that would be needed for a police station. “Does it send the right message to have a council chamber right down the hall from a police station?” Spiegel asked. “As long as you do it the right way, you can, but we need to make sure we do it the right way so that none of the members of our community feel uncomfortable having to come to a council meeting that happens to be right down the hall from a police sta-tion. I think we can do it the right way. I think the culture of our police department, the culture of our city government is such that it shouldn’t be a problem but we just need to proceed thoughtfully so that we design the interior of the building in a way that makes sense.”

The city finalized the $5.1-million building purchase in mid-May with the renovation estimated to cost around $8.4 million. Onsite work session tours like this for capital projects are common, accord-ing to Spiegel who estimates the council does two to three a year. “It is a chance for us to tour a property or facility, learn

about its potential and any challenges and inform our subsequent decisions about the design, funding and other plans for a city property,” he said.

Councilmember Neil Harris said before

the tour that he did not “really have super strong feelings” about moving the council chambers to the new building to free up

Lightning Strikes Washingtonian Woods HomeAround 6 p.m. on Sept. 7, a home on the 200 block of Midsummer Drive was

struck by lightning. According to Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service re-ports, the attic quickly caught fire. One occupant at home at the time escaped un-harmed, and 75 firefighters fought the blaze. Sustaining approximately $700,000 in damage, the house is totaled and a family of four has been displaced.

CITYSCENE Compiled by Pam Schipper

n CITY SCENE Continued on page 12

POLICEBLOTTER

9/16Economic and Business Development Com-mittee Meeting, City Hall Gallery, 7:30 a.m.

9/19Mayor and City Council Meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.

9/20Transportation Committee Meeting, Public Works Conference Room, 7 p.m.

9/21Planning Commission Meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.

9/26Mayor and City Council Work Session, Sen-eca Heights Apartments, 7:30 p.m.

9/28Historic District Commission Meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.

10/3Senior Advisory Committee Meeting, Benja-min Gaither Center, 10:30 a.m.

10/5Planning Commission Meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.

For the latest information on city meet-ings, visit the City of Gaithersburg website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

MEETING CALENDAR

n POLICE BEAT Continued on page 12

POLICEBEAT By Gina Gallucci-White

Public Hearing on Stevenson Property Reveals Access Issues

Craftmark Homes would like to build a maximum of 83 townhomes and condos on the 5.69-acre Stevenson property, located adjacent to the Watkins Mill Town Cent-er (Parklands) subdivision and currently zoned MXD (Mixed Use Development). A public hearing on Sept. 6 on Craftmark’s submitted sketch plan revealed access issues created by adjacent developer BP Realty’s intention not to extend Exchange Avenue to the Stevenson property and the unsuit-ability of Metropolitan Grove Road for public access. Metropolitan Grove Road is unpaved and only 15-feet wide; accessing the Stevenson property on this road would also require use of the existing at-grade railroad crossing.

City staff is looking into these access is-sues. The Planning Commission will hold their record open until 5 p.m. Oct. 11 with anticipated recommendation on Oct. 19. The Mayor and City Council will hold its record open until 5 p.m. Oct. 20 with an-ticipated policy discussion on Nov. 7.

This proposed residential development will feed into the Quince Orchard clus-ter. Students will attend Brown Station Elementary, Lakelands Park Middle and Quince Orchard High.

City May Expand Tobacco BanOn Sept. 6, the Mayor and City Coun-

cil considered ordinance amendments that

would expand the ban of the use of tobacco products on city property, with some ex-ceptions, and heard public testimony. Pro-posed amendments would prohibit the use of all tobacco products, including chew-

Photo | Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service

A severe storm wreaked havoc in Montgomery County on Sept. 7. This Washingtonian Woods home was hit by lightning and engulfed in flames.


‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’Through Sept. 25, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. select Sundays, Arts Barn

Enter the mysterious, comical, raucous, and risqué world of the English music hall, where the audience determines the out-come. Who killed Edwin Drood? Who is Dick Datchery? And who finds love in the end? You choose! Presented by Landless Theatre Company and hosted by Arts on the Green, this production is accompanied by a new symphonic metal score approved by au-thor/composer Rupert Holmes. Tickets are $25, and this show is recommended for ages 12 and up. www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

Helene Glass: ‘People and Places’Through Sept. 30, Framer’s Choice Gallery, 402 Main St.

Contemporary works in watercolor and mixed media by Kentlands artist Helene Glass are exhibited through the month of September. theframerschoicegallery.com

The Latino Art LeagueThrough Oct. 16; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Activity Center at Bohrer Park

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the City of Gaithersburg and The Latino Art League (TLAL) of Greater Washington DC present an exhibition of multimedia artwork celebrating the group’s diverse talents. Free. For more information, please visit www.thelatinoartleague.org.

‘Autumn Glory’Through Oct. 31 at the Arts Barn; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., and 1:30 to 5 p.m. Sat.

Through Nov. 11 at Kentlands Mansion; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Artists Reception on Thursday, Oct. 6, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Gaithersburg’s Arts on the Green pre-sents “Autumn Glory,” a juried art exhibit celebrating the fall season. With showings in both the Arts Barn and Kentlands Man-sion galleries, this extensive multimedia exhibit features a wide range of mediums and styles from representational to abstract. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

Skywatching— ‘Lunar Discovery Night’Sept. 16, 6-8:30 p.m., Observatory Park,

100 DeSellum Ave.

This scout or group observation event will explore astronomy and the moon. Par-ticipants will make a star chart, learn about the parts of a telescope and observe the full moon. Fee program (fee and details TBD). Advanced registration required. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

Main Street Farmers and Artists MarketSept. 17 & 24, Oct. 1, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Main Street Pavilion

Products for sale include a variety of fruits and vegetables, herbs, jams and jellies, baked goods, crab cakes, meat, eggs, honey, cut flowers, potted plants and dog treats. Arts and crafts vendors sell one-of-a-kind items. Musicians perform 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. www.facebook.com/GaithersburgMarkets

Master GardenersSept. 17 & 24, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Quince Orchard Library

Do you have a question for a Master Gar-dener? Master Gardeners give advice on vegetables, trees, lawns, shrubs, insects and pruning. Visitors can bring plant samples or photos for Master Gardeners to identify or diagnose. Free.

Guys in Thin TiesSept. 17, 6-8 p.m., City Hall Concert Pavilion

Step back a few decades as Guys in Thin Ties perform ‘80s classics while you en-joy themed games, prizes, giveaways, and dancing. The Say Cheese! food truck will be on site with tasty gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and more available for purchase. Free. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

‘The Second Mother’Sept. 18, 7 p.m. (complimentary wine & cheese at 6 p.m.), Arts Barn

The Kentlands Film Society kicks off its eleventh season with a Brazilian drama/comedy in which class lines unravel and mother-child affections are challenged. Val has worked many years as a live-in maid and nanny for a wealthy family in São Paulo, leaving her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives far away in the North-east. When Jessica comes to São Paolo to take university entrance exams and stays with Val, her visit disrupts Val’s relations with the family and exposes the gap be-tween Val and her employers in the social pecking order. A limited number of walk-in tickets cost $9 and are available from 6 p.m. on the night of the movie or can be reserved by contacting Maureen Green at 301.526.3823 or [email protected].

Talk Like a Pirate DaySept. 19, 3-6 p.m., Gaithersburg Community Museum

Visitors can take “pirate talk” lessons and make eye patches and hooks. Author Mary Quattlebaum reads from her book, “Pirate vs. Pirate” at 4 p.m. At 5 p.m., Steve Buckley reads his book, “Black-bear the Pirate.” While admission is free, those who pre-register by calling the Gaithersburg Community Museum at 301.258.6160 will receive a free copy of Buckley’s book. This activity is sponsored in part by the Maryland State Arts Council. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

Evenings in Olde Towne: Savoy TruffleSept. 22, 6-7:30 p.m., City Hall Concert Pavilion

Experience the music of the Beatles! Northern England ex-pat Andrew Coupe sings lead and adds authentic local color and personal anecdotes, while band mem-bers Dean Evangelista, Daniel David John-son and Mike Queen provide additional vocals, guitars, harmonica and drums, not to mention the occasional sitar. This is a Beatles cover band, not a tribute band. Free www.gaithersburgmd.gov

n ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Continued on page 15

ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT Compiled by Pam Schipper

Greg Harrison Jazzes It Up Fountain Style

By Sharon Allen Gilder

O rchard Hills resident Greg Har-rison knows how to jazz things up. By day, with a doctorate from

George Washington University in engi-

neering, he is a forensic engineer and ap-pears as an expert witness in legal cases involving product liability. By night, Harrison, on clarinet, is the leader of the

Photo | Sharon Allen Gilder

Members of the Greg Harrison Jazz Band played a local gig recently. They are (L to R) Jay Miles on bass, Greg Har-rison on clarinet, and Rick Rowe on guitar.

n HARRISON Continued on page 13


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910 Bayridge Terr. • $369,000Gaithersburg • 3 BR, 3.5 BA

Catalina Sandoval • 301-536-3560

10807 Hampton Mill Terr. #5092 BR, 2 BA • $354,900

Scott Leidner • 443-670-2165

19240 Cross Ridge Dr. • $305,000 Germantown • 3 BR, 2 FB, 2 HB

Mike Milo • 240-780-1824

17 Willow Spring Ct. • $252,900Germantown • 2 BR, 2 BA

Jane Macedonia • 301-404-9754

UNDER

CONTRACT!

UNDER

CONTRACT!

2004 Petersfi eld Pl. • $576,800 Stunning 4BR 2.5BA HomeEllie Hitt • 240-888-8448

20271 Waters Row Ter. • $325,000 2BR 3.5BA Garage TH

Sima Blackmon-Hall • 240-672-3000

21400 Goshen Park Ct. • $1,100,0006BR, 4.5BA, 7,000+ sq.ft., Private

Bob Graves • 301-538-9337

110 Booth St. #28 • $299,900 2BR, 2 BA, Updated KitchenBob Graves • 301-538-9337

Source: Information included in this report is based on data supplied by MRIS and its member Association(s) of REALTORS, who are not responsible for its accuracy. Does not refl ect all activity in the marketplace. January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole

number. Information contained in this report is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, should be independently verifi ed, and does not constitute an opinion of MRIS or Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. ©2016 All rights reserved.

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FOR SALE! JUST

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Compiled by Pam Schipper

Vasili’s Opening DelayedAccording to publicist Kelly Moran,

the opening of the Vasili’s Kitchen at 705 Center Point Way has been delayed due to construction issues. The new an-ticipated opening is late October.

Kentlands Market Square Sold for $95 Million

According to a company press re-lease, Kimco Realty Corp. acquired Kentlands Market Square for $95 mil-lion during the third quarter. The cent-er is “currently 69.1% occupied,” the release states, and “offers a multitude of near-term lease up and long-term redevelopment opportunities, with the surrounding community eager to see the center restored to its original vision of a walkable, ‘live-work-play’ town center. There is also the additional po-tential for mixed-use development and densification at the site.”

Fleet Feet Offers Free FunDid you know that Sept. 16 is Na-

tional Run@Work Day? Mark the occasion with Fleet Feet Sports Gaith-ersburg and join fellow office dwellers at the 255 Kentlands Boulevard store,

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9034 Tempelton Dr., Frederick, MD 21704 • ParkwoodHomes.com • 240.695.2130Prices and features subject to change without notice. Illustrations are representational only. See Community Sales Manager for details. BLDR #431.

Just 20 minutes north of Gaithersburg on I-270

SHOPTALK

n SHOP TALK Continued on page 15

Kentlands Now Home to Rockville InsuranceBy Sharon Allen Gilder

S taying on top of the latest trends and packages in commercial and resi-dential insurance has been David W.

Kushner’s career mission since he entered the industry in 1982 after graduating from the University of Maryland the previous year. Kushner, born in Washington, D.C., and a Montgomery County resident since 1989, is president and owner of Rockville Insurance Agency, Inc. He has been a Kentlands resident since 2002 where he re-sides with his wife, Melissa, and their three children.

On June 23, he relocated his company from West Jefferson Street in Rockville and hung his shingle in the Kentlands community at 60 Market Street, Suite 203—perched above Red Door Spa.

Seven full-time licensed agents and three support staff comprise the company’s team that serves more than 2,000 families and 300 businesses. Multiple insurance carri-ers are represented by the firm, including Nationwide, Hartford, Liberty Mutual, The Guard, Travelers and a host more. For 28 years, Rockville Insurance has been a top-producing office for Nationwide In-surance. Kushner said he was granted an independent contract with Nationwide in 1989 “specifically for Montgomery Coun-ty to develop a multi-line insurance agency

offering auto, home, business and financial service products.”

He said that demand required his com-pany to obtain the additional independent insurance carrier appointments. “Appoint-ment with a carrier means you are ap-proved to solicit, produce and bind cover-age on their behalf,” noted Kushner, who said insurance carriers “do not just appoint. … This is not an easy process to obtain. The prospective agency must go through a rigorous background check, compliance check and be licensed by each individual state.” Rockville Insurance is licensed in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Vir-ginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Vir-ginia, Florida, North Carolina and Geor-gia.

A sampling of commercial coverage op-tions available includes commercial auto, workers’ compensation, business owners’ policies, general liability, and apartment/condo. Residential coverage options in-clude auto, homeowners, personal um-brella, renters, coastal, specialty auto, and MAIF (Maryland Auto Insurance Fund). As a broker/agent, Rockville Insurance conducts comparative product pricing with quotes from multiple insurance carriers, yielding yearly reviews for clients to en-sure “rates and premiums are competitive without sacrificing coverage,” Kushner said. He added that his office uses the “Ap-

plied TAM-Online management system with other comparative raters designed for personal lines and commercial lines com-parisons.”

“It is a good idea to check with an agent to make sure your liability protection is enough to cover your assets,” Kushner said. “If you own a business, this is an additional risk factor.” He emphasized that cover-age needs to be correct before a loss oc-curs. Rockville Insurance offers the often hard-to-find “coastal insurance” through two carriers, and the agency “recommends flood insurance if the property is located in an area prone to floods.” He said insurance carriers are available 24/7 and his company “receives copies of notice of loss (claims) from the insurance carriers and advises cli-ents of any coverage issues.”

Kushner said he enjoys the challenges of running a business and joying in the suc-cess of his associates and clients. When he’s not working he enjoys golf, working out, walking in Kentlands, and “going to the beach at Fenwick Island, Delaware, where we have a second home and spending time with family.” He has been a member of Lakewood Country Club in Rockville for 23 years and Bayside Golf and Resort in Delaware since 2005.

For more information, visit www.rockvilleins.com.


introduction—like drinking from a fire-hose,” Zylstra said. “It’s been a little over-whelming and very fun.”

Zylstra enlisted her family in the 5K as well. Her husband, Kirk, worked as a course marshal and her daughter, Ashton, ran the 3.1 miles after working in packet pickup.

“Mariann has been here a week and a half and she already got her hands dirty,” said Ruthzaly Weich, KCF chair. Weich said Zylstra was busy in all aspects of the event—from packet pickup to meeting with police to volunteer meetings. “She hit the ground running.”

Zylstra said working with the 5K made her thrilled about her position because it put her in touch with the quality of com-munity she lives in. “I love the area, the community in the Kentlands,” she said. “What I didn’t realize was how many ac-tive volunteers there are. There is an old saying, ‘It takes a village.’ It really does and we have that here.”

Zylstra applied for the executive director position in July, a few months after settling in Kentlands. She had been in commercial banking for 20 years, including a decade as senior vice president of KeyBank in Seattle, where the family lived for 15 years. There she managed corporate clients whose val-ues ranged from $20 million in revenue to $1 billion. Zylstra said that after watching the 2008 market crash and being part of the rebuilding process, she decided it was time for a career change.

“I thought that was as exciting as bank-ing would ever get and it was time to try something else.” She laughed, adding that during those years she discovered her love for nonprofit work. “When I went to vari-ous board meetings to volunteer, that was always the most fun part of my week.” So when they made the move to the East Coast to be closer to family, Zylstra made the move into the nonprofit sector.

“I like … bringing financial expertise to a nonprofit,” she said. Before moving to Kentlands in March, Zylstra spent a year in Bethesda where she got involved in busi-ness mentoring through Washington DC SCORE, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting small businesses. She also volunteered as the executive director for 40Plus of Great-er Washington, where she found another niche: transition. “I was in that same boat and became very engaged and interested in transitioning professionals from one ca-reer to the next,” she said of her work at 40PLUS, a nonprofit that helps profession-als move career paths.

Zylstra was attracted to the KCF execu-tive director position because she thought it combined her work expertise. The big-gest strength she brings to the table came from her banking work, which taught her to foster good relationships, Zylstra said. “I bring the ability to develop and grow relationships with the residents, the busi-nesses, the city, the community and other nonprofits that serve the community.”

Chris Campbell, interim executive di-rector for the 5K and current chairman of the Kentlands Citizens Assembly Board of

Trustees, said he is excited to see what Zyl-stra will do in her new role. “She’s very knowledgeable, a hard worker, and seems to be very good with people, which is an important part of the position,” Campbell said. “The Kentlands Community Foun-dation relies on partnerships with local businesses. I believe she will do a very good job cultivating those relationships for the future.”

Zylstra was the candidate who came to the interview the best prepared, the most versed in the mission of the KCF and its history, Weich said. Weich has lived in Kentlands for a decade and was part of the interview and selection process for the ex-ecutive director. “She’s a leader. That came across the moment she sat down in front of us,” Weich said. “She’s sweet but very strong, and that’s important in this role.”

Weich added that Zylstra plans to pro-ject growth for the KCF and create a plan for the future. “We are very happy to have found someone with forward-thinking ex-pertise. The foundation is growing and to have somebody with forward-looking ex-perience was the perfect fit for us,” she said.

Zylstra said she is passionate about de-veloping new programs in the community, including The Village that helps aging or disabled locals receive the services they need so they can stay in their homes. Zyl-stra said that she hopes to create a vibrant partnership with Kimco Realty, the com-pany that just purchased Kentlands Market Square. She is also passionate about sup-porting culture and the arts in the area.

“This is a very welcoming community, and I find them to be very welcoming to new ideas and new people,” she said.

Circling back to the 5K, Zylstra said it was a perfect introduction week to her job because running is her personal hobby. She can be seen jogging the Kentlands streets, putting in about 15 miles a week.

“I took up running to spend time with my daughter,” Zylstra said, adding that Ashton is in law school at the University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore. “I’m really trying to keep up with her, which I won’t ever be able to do.” In addi-tion to Ashton, she and her husband have a son, Alex, who works as a scientist in the San Francisco Bay area.

A favorite hobby for the couple is boat-ing. Zylstra said they began boating in Se-attle as a family adventure, and over the years it transitioned into a passion they pursue with a group of dear friends. With this group, they annually took a trip from Seattle to the San Juan Islands, sometimes continuing up to Vancouver. Last month, the duo flew back to Seattle and chartered a boat with the original group of friends to the San Juan Islands.

“When you boat, you always have ad-ventures with the weather and the me-chanics of the boat,” Zylstra observed, “too many to mention!” She added that they are excited to transfer their boating experience to the East Coast and see what adventures the Chesapeake has to offer.

To welcome Zylstra, contact her at [email protected].

n NEW DIRECTOR from page 1


housing for wheelchair access to providing medical emergency grants and a variety of family needs.

McGrew, who said she is “very patriotic and pro-military,” has four older broth-ers who served during the Vietnam War. In 2004 she learned from a friend serving in Iraq that several soldiers attached to his unit were wounded and would be arriving at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She decided to visit them to report their progress and witnessed “such a need” that she made a commitment to do more.

Wagner said when RA discovered what McGrew was doing to help soldiers and Ma-rines recovering at Walter Reed, “we knew

immediately that this was our calling.”A small group of veterans are joining this

year’s ride, which is dedicated to former Clarksburg resident Army Corporal Tyler Burroughs who suffered with Post Traumat-ic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Burroughs, who had moved to West Virginia, attended school with McGrew’s children. He served in the 25th Infantry Division, Tropic Lightning, stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He deployed to the Philippines supporting Special Forces before serving 15 months in Iraq where he served as a dismount and strik-er commander. McGrew said the 31-year old Burroughs committed suicide in July.

In her president’s message on the OSC website, McGrew wrote, “It is estimated that 1 in 5 veterans suffer from PTS. Notice I left off the ‘D.’ Even though the ‘D’ stands for

disorder, I personally believe that the final letter should be ‘I’ for injury.” RA’s website notes, “Those injured physically and emo-tionally in these ongoing conflicts will bear the burden years after their return, and many for life.”

RA participants have the option of a 310-mile, four-day ride through 23 towns from Pittsburgh to Gaithersburg or a 165-mile, two-day ride from Cumberland to Gaith-ersburg, culminating in a post-ride picnic at Smokey Glen Farm. RA hails the ride as a serious endurance event, not a race. Rid-ers of all ages and skill levels are invited to take part; over the years the youngest rider was 14, the oldest 80. Wagner said a group of more than 50 volunteers put a lot of effort “into the fundraising and making the ride a great adventure.” The scenery along the trail in Pennsylvania “is amazing as it crosses bridges over scenic rivers such as the Cas-selman and Youghiogheny,” he added.

Kentlands resident John Gresh, who will be riding a Fuji Cyclocross, has participated in RA for a decade. As part of the ride com-mittee he helps coordinate meals, accom-modations and outreach efforts. He said he enjoys the unique experience “in terms of the scenery, the challenge, the people and certainly the cause.” When Gresh joined, RA was “a small group of 10 to 15 riders, packing all our gear on our bikes to now about 100 riders with full SAG support (Sup-port And Gear).” He said that riding is “low on the enjoyment factor but the exercise and group make it worthwhile.”

Kentlands resident David Baseheart has the distinction of being one of the original 2001 RA cyclists, and he is a member of the

planning committee comprised of volunteers who organize RA. “The lifelong friend-ships I have developed and the camaraderie experienced on Ride Allegheny keeps me coming back. … Supporting the outstand-ing work of Operation Second Chance also makes the ride very special.” Baseheart, who will be riding a Bianchi road bike, said being outdoors “is one of best parts for me about riding a bicycle.”

As the spokes turn, an average of $3,000 is raised per participant, making RA “unique in the fundraising arena,” Wagner said. “Ninety percent of the money raised goes directly to OSC, and OSC has a very low overhead compared to other national organi-zations supporting veterans.” The option of being a “virtual rider” exists for people who want to fundraise and donate but not ride in the actual event.

“It is a team effort to help our wounded, injured and ill veterans. Financial support is key to our mission,” McGrew said.

Wagner thanked “all our loyal support-ers, both individuals and businesses that have made donations over the years to support our cause. Helping our wounded veterans is something we have great passion for, and it is gratifying to know that so many others in our community feel the same way we do.”

McGrew added, “When we turn on the news, we hear that the war is winding down, yet the reality of what we really need to hear more of is despite the fact that the war is winding down, ‘wounds last a lifetime.’ Our families need us now more than ever.”

For more information, visit www.rideallegheny.org and www.operationsecondchance.org.

n RIDE ALLEGHENY from page 1

Join us for Classes in Tai Chi Chuan, Kung Fu, Swordplay or Qigong/ Meditation.

Private, small group, or job site programs available now for Children and Adults.Call us for info or the latest schedule.

Tai Chi/Kung Fu instructor training program also enrolling now!

Clear Circle Holistic Training Center208 Main Street, Kentlands • Taichimartialartsandhealth.comCall 301-651-3617 for information on class times.

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small cell installation are voicing concerns over safety and aesthetics. Petitions are cir-culating, and in April hundreds packed a city work session on the topic.

Meanwhile, at the county level, Mont-gomery County Council President Nancy Floreen recently brought fresh attention to the issue by proposing a zoning change that would allow for construction of small cell facilities within 30 feet of any county resi-dent’s home. A Sept. 13 Planning, Hous-ing and Economic Development (PHED) Committee meeting raised additional small cell antennae issues, and the County Council will discuss the matter on Sept. 27.

While it may appear on its face to be a straightforward “NIMBY” situation, there are elements that make the situation, at least for now, a little atypical.

First, there appears to be conflicting in-formation on whether any applications to construct the antennae have actually been filed.

Spokespersons for Crown Castle, a Houston-based telecomm infrastructure company, indicated the company has sub-mitted applications for small cell antennae, even providing a map of the tower sites for which they purportedly applied (www.crowncastle.com/projects/gaithersburg-md.aspx). The locations fall in the RIO commercial area and the Washingtonian Woods and Westleigh neighborhoods.

City officials maintain that no company

has applied to install small cell facilities in Gaithersburg, although two companies—Crown Castle and California-based Mo-bilitie—have requested more information about the city’s relevant right-of-way and approval processes.

“The City of Gaithersburg is not con-sidering any applications for small cell facilities from any small cell providers in-cluding Crown Castle at this time,” wrote Deputy City Manager Dennis Enslinger in an emailed response to questions. “Staff is still in the process of working on the (re-quested) draft (informational) documents and any potential criteria which would be reviewed by the Mayor and City Council at a future date. … Only after the execu-tion of these two documents could any ap-plications be submitted and considered by the City of Gaithersburg.”

A staff presentation on small cell fa-cilities in the public right of way at the April 11 Mayor and City Council work session stated that Crown Castle has sub-mitted pre-approval applications. These designated four new facilities in the RIO commercial area and five facilities in the residential neighborhoods of Washingto-nian Woods and Westleigh.

At press time, Crown Castle officials had not responded to a request seeking further clarification.

Adding to the intrigue is the uncertainty over what, if anything, the city can do to prevent the installation of small cell anten-nae. The city has cited the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 and Telecommunications Act of 1996 as

limiting, for various reasons, their options for prohibiting construction on things like small cell facilities.

City Councilmember Ryan Spiegel has been a supporter of this position, noting at the April meeting and elsewhere that exist-ing laws constrain the city’s ability to influ-ence or prohibit the facilities’ construction. Spiegel declined to comment on the record for this story.

That kind of stance doesn’t sit well with some residents, who suggest there is prece-dent for staving off small cell construction.

“Go ahead and push back on our be-half. Why would you make it any easier for them?” said Washingtonian Woods resident Lisa Cline. “I don’t see any peti-tions going around asking for better WiFi. … The right-of-way belongs to (the city). These representatives are elected to repre-sent people.”

In a public meeting on the topic in April, City Councilmember Robert Wu called for more investigation into the issue, and indicated the city is working with outside lawyers to gain a better understanding of the legal mechanisms at work.

“We can consider public opinion, safety, security and aesthetics, but not radio fre-quency health concerns,” said Wu at the April meeting. “We need community in-put.”

Wu recently reiterated that stance. “I am certainly open,” he said, “to expand-ing (wireless) capacity in the city to meet resident needs, including the installation of small cell facilities, where appropriate.”

n SMALL CELL from page 1

Photo | Courtesy of City of Gaithersburg

This Crown Castle photo simulation visualizes a small cell at a non-intersection location in a residential area.


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ing tobacco, vaping and e-cigarettes, in all public buildings and on public property in general, including all areas of municipal parks.

City Declares September Recovery Month

At its meeting on Sept. 6, the Mayor and City Council declared September 2016 as Alcohol and Drug Addiction/Mental Health Recovery Month. Gaith-ersburg owns and operates Wells/Robert-son House, a 14-bed transitional housing program for homeless men and women in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, and DeSellum House, which offers transi-tional housing for Wells graduates. Activi-ties throughout the month will highlight the message that behavioral health is es-sential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover from mental and/or substance use disor-ders.

Volunteer for the Compensation Review Committee

The City of Gaithersburg is seeking residents to serve on an Ad Hoc Mayor and City Council Compensation Review Committee. Every four years an Ad Hoc Committee is formed and charged with reviewing the compensation of elected of-ficials of other jurisdictions in the region, examining the current work load of the Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council, and making recommendations for com-

pensation adjustments as appropriate. The Committee is also charged with reviewing and recommending adjustments to stipends for the Planning Commission, Board of Appeals and Historic District Commission members.

The Ad Hoc Committee’s recommenda-tions are advisory in nature and the Mayor and City Council have the option of ac-cepting, rejecting or modifying recom-mendations. To be considered for appoint-ment please send a letter of interest and a resume to Mayor Jud Ashman via e-mail to [email protected] or to Gaith-ersburg City Hall, 31 South Summit Ave., Gaithersburg, MD, 20877. The deadline for submission is Oct. 7.

Share Your Model-Building SkillsA Discovery Day: Model Building event

at the Gaithersburg Community Museum is planned for Sunday, April 23, 2017 from 1 to 4 p.m. To help families explore this wonderful hobby, the museum is seeking model-building organizations, individu-als and related retail businesses to provide demonstrations and exhibits. There is no fee to participate; however, hobby busi-nesses are being asked to donate model kits and/or gift certificates that the museum may use as prize giveaways.

Application forms are available on the Community Museum page at www.gaithersburgmd.gov. For more information, email Karen Lottes at [email protected] or call 301.258.6160.

from page 5

POLICEBEAT

from page 5

CITYSCENE

space for offices at City Hall. “But I think we want to look at how that would work and how to connect the two buildings if people have to go back and forth, if it is convenient (and) what other uses there may be for the space,” he said. “The may-or and council chambers themselves—it’s

a large chunk of real estate that only gets used a very small percentage of the time, basically for our meetings once a week and for the planning commission meetings and very little else. Just trying to see if there is a way to make that more a multipurpose space that is more efficiently utilized than the way it is today.”

from page 4

ASSIGNMENTEDUCATION

to learn piano, guitar and many other in-struments, as well as how to improve your singing and visual arts abilities.

Gaithersburg Teen Writing Club Resumes

Heading into its third year, the Gaithersburg Teen Writing Club co-facilitated by Quince Orchard Park resident Lucinda Marshall with Peggy

Ruppel resumes Wednesday, Sept. 21 at the Gaithersburg Library. Open to teens ages 12 to 16, this free program of the Maryland Writers’ Association won the library’s award for best volunteer program last year. Meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of the month, 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Teen Lounge of the Gaithersburg Library. For more information, visit gaithersburgteenwritingclub.wordpress.com.

www.towncourier.com


Greg Harrison Jazz Band with fellow musi-cians Jay Miles on acoustic bass and Rick Rowe on guitar. They bring their lively ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s era swing and New Orleans jazz to the Kennedy Center, res-taurants, clubs, and private gigs and have recorded several CDs.

Harrison is joined by native Washingto-nian and Olney resident Rick Rowe who lends his talents on an archtop, hollow body Gibson ES-175 1970-vintage electric guitar. After more than three decades in the plastics distribution industry and per-forming, Rowe is now a fulltime profes-sional musician.

Frederick resident Jay Miles has been part of Harrison’s ensemble for 25 years. He is a fulltime professional musician with a part-time day job as a records manager at N.I.H. He has been playing acoustic bass for 26 years, tuba for 38 years and electric bass for 39 years.

The moniker ‘renaissance man’ might be attributed to Harrison who, in addi-tion to his engineering and musical talents became a Montgomery County volun-teer firefighter when he was 16, which he continued through the 1990s, and he has a fourth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. His storied accomplishments weave a tale of persistence from his 30-year off-and-on endeavors to complete college un-dergraduate and advanced degrees, to his determination to master the clarinet that began when he was in junior high school and saw the late, legendary New Orleans jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain on the “The Lawrence Welk Show.” Fountain became Harrison’s mentor.

“I fell in love with that music and his sound of the clarinet,” Harrison said. “My father simply gave me permission to go to work and buy one. It cost me $123.50 earned cutting grass.” Harrison said he “tried really hard to learn,” paid for his clarinet lessons, and “had to ride my bike for miles to them, but everyone around me, especially the dog, begged me to quit and when the band director told me to give it up too, that was it … I knew I was musi-cally challenged.”

A decade later in the ‘70s, a serendipi-tous business trip to Las Vegas put him face-to-face with a marquee announcing Pete Fountain at the Tropicana. “I decided to go, wondering if it would be a turn-on like it was when I was 12 years old. It was even better. I met Pete backstage and we became friends,” Harrison said. He bought a clarinet and took lessons for 17 years with Sidney Forrest, the late renowned classical clarinet teacher from Baltimore’s Peabody Conservatory of Music who lived in Kens-ington, Maryland.

Harrison maintained his friendship with Fountain keeping him abreast of his ac-complishments with the clarinet and trave-ling to see him. “When I could save up and afford a plane ticket he greeted me every time and asked me to play some notes for him. I could never play anything nice if he was in the room, of course. He just smiled and said ‘keep tootin’.’”

Years later Harrison received a package and “was stunned to see that it was a gold-

keyed special Pete Fountain clarinet. I about died.” The gift encouraged Harri-son to study even harder. He began copy-ing notes from Fountain’s records and after decades of dedication, he said Fountain in-vited him to join him on the “famed stage of the Hilton Jazz Club. … It was totally intimidating. … He just laughed at me and the curtain went up.”

Harrison said that as Fountain aged and suffered some health setbacks, he would visit him and stand by in case Fountain needed to leave the stage. “One night when we were both performing on stage, he slowly turned before the lights were gonna dim and said, ‘Son, it is all yours.’ He liter-ally walked off stage for a rest. Well, you either pee in your pants and crash and catch on fire or come out of your shoes,” Harri-son explained, meaning that you rise above like never before. “I walked on air after that one. Pete was happy with my clarinet performance and he said I had finally made it. ... Nice, but I didn’t think so and kept practicing.”

Harrison said he copied Fountain the best he could. “Pete had a clarinet sound to die for and put his soul through the clari-net. Others played a million notes real fast never discovering the one genius note that Pete would latch onto and just hold over the chord changes bending and shaping it all the while. There is only one Pete and there will never be another. I simply do my best to try and play with a good clari-net sound and perform his style hoping I remind the listener of Pete Fountain and maybe bring back a memory or influence a younger player to gravitate towards him.” In August, Harrison attended Fountain’s funeral in New Orleans and performed in the processional.

Harrison’s clarinet is a Buffet Prestige. He said he might change to an “antique 1960 Selmer larger bore clarinet to capture Pete’s 1950s sound.” Harrison’s favorite tunes include “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Tin Roof Blues,” “You Are My Sunshine,” “Bill Bailey,” “Love Me or Leave Me,” “The Preacher,” and “Blue Skies.” He re-cently ended a set brilliantly performing one of Fountain’s signature songs, “Shine.” “The song made Louis Armstrong house-hold-famous,” Harrison said. “I was on it front and back. … I was out of my shoes. … It’s the fact that I lost myself and as an engineer that’s not easy to do.”

You can see the Greg Harrison Jazz Band perform Tuesdays, 6 to 9 p.m. at Mon Ami Gabi on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda.

n HARRISON from page 6 ColdwellBankerHomes.com

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Arlington | 3/3/1 | $729,900Rockville Office 301.921.10402531 S Kenmore CourtSearch AR9749326 on CBHomes.com

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FYI...You can see the Greg Har-

rison Jazz Band perform Tuesdays, 6 to 9 p.m. at Mon Ami Gabi on Wood-mont Avenue in Bethesda.


Heavy Lifting Begins for Clubhouse Expansion

Ultra Company will begin clubhouse demolition on Sept. 19 or 20. Look for the Quince Orchard Park Clubhouse to close on Sept. 16 so that fitness center equipment may be moved into storage. A chain link fence will surround work on the left side of the building, rendering that side of the building and portion of the parking lot off-limits.

If you would like to see plans for the ex-pansion, which includes doubling the size of and adding a separate entrance to the fitness center, replacing the fitness center HVAC system and reinforcing its floor, and replacing the entire roof, go to www.quin-ceorchardpark.com and click on the “Pool and Clubhouse” tab and then the “Club-house Expansion” topic.

Work will be limited to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. If delays are experienced, some weekend work will be scheduled, but this should begin after 9 a.m. Noise and other disruptions will be kept to a minimum. If all goes well, work should be completed by March 1, 2017.

City Sidewalk/Concrete Repairs Coming

The City of Gaithersburg Street Mainte-nance Division was understaffed this sum-mer, but David Arthur, streets and special projects supervisor, said that the depart-ment is now fully staffed and ready to roll with needed sidewalk and concrete repairs in Quince Orchard Park. Arthur antici-pates a mid- to late September timeframe for repairs.

Volunteers Needed for Halloween Party

The annual Quince Orchard Park Hal-loween party is only six weeks away and volunteers are needed. If you’re interested in helping out, please contact Assistant Community Manager Alex Deering at [email protected].

The ParkPages

MANAGEMENT MENTIONS

Trash and RecyclingTrash is collected on Tuesday and

Friday and must be placed in lidded trash cans. If left for collection in bags only, trash is ripped open by animals and strewn throughout the community. Continued use of bags may result in fines.

Recycling is picked up on Fridays. Containers with lids are now available from the City of Gaithersburg. Please contact the city at 301.258.6370 to have a lidded bin delivered and the old one picked up. Bulk pickup is usually the first Friday of the month. The next recycling pickup is Friday, Oct. 7.

Please remember that trash cans and recycle bins must be stored out of sight on non-pickup days.

The City of Gaithersburg and Poto-mac Disposal (301.294.9700) both offer collection services for bulk items at no cost.

Dog DutyCleaning up after dogs is the legal

responsibility of every canine owner walking a dog in the community. Dogs are not permitted off-leash on common property in the City of Gaithersburg.

Visit the New QOP Website!The Quince Orchard Park website

has a fresh new blue color scheme and is being populated weekly with new photos and content. If you have photos to share, please email them to Community Manager Ruchita Patel, [email protected].

QOP Management Contact Information

Quince Orchard Park Community Manager Ruchita Patel

QOP Assistant Community Manager Alex Deering

c/o The Management Group Associates, Inc.

20440 Century Boulevard, Suite 100Germantown, MD 20874

Phone: 301.948.6666

MEETING CALENDAR

Sept. 26 Condo I Board Meeting, location TBD, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 Condo II Board meeting, location TBD,

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 11 HOA Board meeting, location TBD, 7 p.m.

News and Current Events for Quince Orchard Park n E-mail your contributions to [email protected] n SEPTEMBER 2016

QOP NEWS REMINDERPlease don’t throw away your

pool passes. These will be used again next summer.

Stay Tuned!Board of Directors meetings, now

held at the clubhouse, will take place at another, soon-to-be-determined location starting in October through February 2017. A construction com-pany representative will attend each Board meeting to brief everyone on the status of the clubhouse expansion project and answer any questions.

Play, Dogs, PlayIt was a dog party. Big dogs, little dogs,

black dogs and white dogs—all came to the Quince Orchard Park pool Sept. 5 to close down the pool season in style. The Labs, Irish Setter and Labradoodle dominated in the main pool, jumping in, fetching balls and tirelessly swimming “laps.” Smaller dogs took over the kid-

die pool. And a very enthusiastic whippet lived up to the breed’s reputation, racing about the pool, jumping in and out, and energetically swimming. Main pool dogs competed for Target gift cards. The first competition—fetch a pink Frisbee—was met with disinterest, but a blue ball spurred them on.

Board Treasurer Victor Liau and his wife, Camilla Kuo, organized this year’s

Pet Swim and brought dog and people treats. The Purina Beggin’ Strips and Nudges Jerky Cuts were popular with the furry partiers. Their two-legged companions enjoyed chicken wings, deli wraps, pastries, Cuties mandarins and bottled water. People outnumbered dogs three to one, so canines enjoyed swim-ming, treats and lots of loving attention.

Photos | Pam Schipper

Nearly 20 dogs enjoyed the last hour of the Quince Orchard Park pool season at the community’s annual Labor Day Pet Swim, organized by Board Treasurer Victor Liau and his wife, Camilla Kuo.


Tune’n to JazzSept. 24, 2-3 p.m., Quince Orchard Public Library

Tune in to Tune’n Jazz Quartet, playing jazz favorites old and new. Free. montgom-erycountymd.gov/library/branches/quin-ceorchard.html

Train DaySept. 25, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Gaithersburg Community Museum

View model train displays, explore a caboose and RDC rail car, visit the 1918 steam locomotive on display in the adjacent History Park, learn whistle signals, and participate in train-related activities. You’ll also discover hands-on learning centers, participate in train-themed crafts and view vintage train-themed movie shorts in the Budd Car. Free. www.facebook.com/GaithersburgCommunityMuseum

All Aboard Storytime StationSept. 27, 11-11:45 a.m., Gaithersburg Community Museum

Children ages 3 to 6 are invited to en-joy a story time reading about memories. Tickets are $3 per child; admission for accompanying adults and infants is free. www.facebook.com/GaithersburgCom-munityMuseum

Evenings in Olde Towne: The Hardway ConnectionSept. 29, 6-7:30 p.m., City Hall Concert Pavilion

There is an exciting new variation of “oldie but goodie” melodies sweeping the land. It is a blues and rhythm and blues sound counterpointed by a thread of family values and tradition. It is the smooth, pas-sionate, sometimes funky and extremely “tight” sound of The Hardway Connec-tion, evoking feelings of nostalgia and an

undeniable compulsion to dance. Free. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

Half Day Hoopla – Panda Express & Gym GamesSept. 30, 12:55-5:30 p.m., Activity Center at Bohrer Park

Students in grades 1 through 5 are in-vited to spend the afternoon learning about coding and playing virtual and physical games. This program is limited to the first 60 registrants. Transportation is available from Fields Road Elementary School. The cost of the trip is $13 ($19 for nonresi-dents). A $3 late fee per 10 minutes will be charged to all parents arriving late to pick up. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

Kentlands Acoustic JamOct. 4, 6 p.m., Kentlands Carriage House

Come jam with the group or just listen at the Kentlands Carriage House. www.reverbnation.com/kentlandsacousticjam

Evenings in Olde Towne: Lloyd Dobler EffectOct. 6, 6-7:30 p.m., City Hall Concert Pavilion

This band’s multi-layered and upbeat music showcases a universal appeal to both mainstream modern rock lovers and culturally diverse audiences. Free. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

high noon. You can run and walk around the Kentlands neighborhood and then en-joy a free lunch provided by Potomac Deli.

Can’t make this? Here’s another free op-portunity for fitness and food. The Fall Foodie Fun Run & Walk at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29 at Fleet Feet offers food from Whole Foods Market Kentlands and test drives from Adidas after the run/walk.

While learning self-defense is fun, keep-ing yourself safe is serious business. At-tend this free Safety & Self-Defense Clinic given by Uriel Casas of American TKD Academy on Tuesday Oct. 4, 7 p.m. at Fleet Feet Sports.

Peppers Taco Bar Launches Live Music Lineup

Newly reopened in Kentlands Market Square, Peppers Taco Bar hosts live mu-sic on select Fridays and Saturdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. this fall. Performers include Kentlands favorites Donuts for Dinner, Scott Slay, Daniel Hill, Phil Kominski of the Lloyd Dobler Effect and more. For a full listing of events and times, visit www.pepperstacoandwine.com.

Congratulations to The Bar Method North Potomac

Owners Jenn Menconi and Jennifer Gawronski, staff and clients celebrated The Bar Method North Potomac’s three-year

anniversary on Sept. 10 at the 189 Kent-lands Boulevard studio.

Rotary Club of Gaithersburg Celebrates 50 Years

On Thursday, Sept. 29, the Rotary Club of Gaithersburg celebrates 50 years of ser-vice to the community with a dinner and comedy show at the Courtyard by Marri-ott in Washingtonian Center.

The Rotary Club of Gaithersburg, and its 501(c)(3) foundation, carries out do-mestic and international service activities including giving encyclopedic dictionar-ies to third graders throughout the city, awarding a yearly scholarship to a Gaith-ersburg High School student, helping fund a school garden in Uganda, and contribut-ing to an education project in Guatemala. For more information, visit www.gaithers-burgrotary.org.

Giant Begins Free Fruit for KidsBeginning Sept. 8, all 169 Giants stores

will offer kids 10 and under a free piece of fruit while parents shop. Just head to the pro-duce department to find a healthy snack for your children.

In-store signage and produce displays will direct customers to the free fruit that is avail-able in each store. Bananas will be offered first, followed by mandarin oranges later in the fall. Customers are encouraged to take one piece of fruit per child ages 10 and under.

from page 8

SHOPTALK

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from page 6

ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT

Fall Bridal ShowcaseSept. 25, 12-4 p.m., Kentlands Mansion

Experience the elegance and charm of historic Kentlands Mansion while meeting one-on-one with a variety of wedding vendors, including caterers, photographers, event planners, musi-cians, makeup artists, hotel represent-atives and more. Admission is $5 per person. www.gaithersburgmd.gov


Sully (PG-13) ****The movie account of

the famed US Airways crash landing on the Hud-son River in 2009 can be criticized for a certain lack of suspense due to the fact that the incidents surrounding the flight are so well known. What suspense there is comes from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation of the landing and the almost incredible attempts to fault Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) for not turning to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey or back to LaGuardia since the

left engine was supposedly still running at the time of the crash. Director Clint East-wood does a masterful job of maintaining what suspense there is with continued shots of the crash from various points of view throughout the film.

The film opens with a sequence of what might have been had Sullenberger not made the right choices in a real hurry that January day. After 42 years of flying, the question becomes: “Are you a hero or a fraud?” Tom Hanks is not a fraud and nei-ther was Sullenberger. Co-pilot Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) sums up what he would have done differently: “I would have flown in July.”

As skilled as Sullenberger and Skiles were, the entire flight crew, the passen-

gers who calmly made their way out of the plane onto rafts and the wings, and the first responders were also heroes of the day. As so often happens in life, what was billed as a “miracle” turned out to be professionals doing their jobs wonderfully well. It took 24 minutes to get the 155 passengers onto ferries and back to shore. Meanwhile, Sul-lenberger became obsessed with the num-ber 155—the total of passengers and crew on board—and returned several times to the endangered wreck to make sure all 155 are accounted for.

Laura Linney, as Lorraine Sullenberger, has the thankless part of the anxious wife, and Katie Couric plays herself first as a vil-lainess, questioning the heroism of Sully, and later rescuing him and advancing his

reputation as the hero of the entire opera-tion.

If there are villains in the piece, they would be the members of the NTSB in-vestigating committee that seemed bent on destroying Sully’s reputation with an in-vestigation built on faulty computer simu-lations of the flight. “Garbage in, Garbage out” fits the computer work post-flight.

Nothing has been done since the crash to sully Sully’s reputation as a top-grade pro-fessional pilot who on that January day did his job perfectly. It is rare these days to see someone who does the job professionally get the credit he deserves. This film gets the credit right.

MIKEAT THE MOVIES

By Mike Cuthbert

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Advertise in Gaithersburg’s hometown paper

[email protected]@towncourier.com

Professional Service Directory

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PublicationsGraphic Design

Web 2.0

Not Only for Summer

T here are an infinite number of ways to attract children to

reading, and children’s rooms in our public li-braries provide a veritable endless supply of displays, activities that involve recreational reading pro-grams for specific age groups, special events, clubs, and a juvenile book collection that appeals to a wide variety of young peoples’ interests and reading levels.

For instance, Quince Orchard Library has a Discovery Room within its greater children’s area that preschoolers and their parents can reserve for one hour. It is filled with exciting educational toys, games and

puzzles, even a playhouse, especially wel-come for children and their frazzled moth-ers or fathers during inclement weather.

Another special attraction at Quince Orchard Library is their Penny Theater where volunteers present rod puppet plays based on well-known juvenile books. This art form became popular in Victorian Eng-land and has continued through the present day. These popular miniature theater pro-ductions attract mostly ages three through the primary grades. Flyers listing the sched-ule of monthly puppet shows, September through April, are available. Programs are free, but reservations are required for each child.

In addition to the above, Quince Or-chard Library has a Children’s Book Club for grades 4 through 6, both a younger

children’s poetry club and a teen poetry writing club, and a book club that meets the first Wednesday evening of each month at 7 p.m. Other special programs include a teen “Tune’n to Jazz” on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m, and “Read to a Dog” where school-age children read to certified thera-py dogs to improve their reading skills.

Storytimes are the backbone of the li-brary experience for an amazing age-span of children at most public libraries. Years ago when I was a fulltime librarian with Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL), a father asked me how old his child should be when his parents began reading to him. The library and I must have unknowingly concurred because Quince Orchard Library begins with a “Mother Goose Storytime” for infants and

their parents at 10 a.m., followed by “Stay and Play” each Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m. for children ages two to four.

Other Montgomery County Libraries have similar storytimes for as wide a range of ages as Quince Orchard, and each branch may have special attractions like a Discovery Room. The MCPL webpages offer detailed information about children’s programs at your local library.

Grandparents who are having an un-expected visit from grandchildren find the “bundles of picture books” handy to check out in a jiffy. And oh yes, you may return books checked out from one branch to any other branch or even any other public library in the entire state of Maryland.

NORA’SCORNER

By Nora Caplan


Northwest Coach Brings Olympic Experience to the TrackBy Jennifer Beekman

T hea LaFond, Montgomery County’s all-time best triple jumper who last year joined the Northwest High School

cross country and track and field programs as an assistant coach, has experienced some of her highest highs in 2016—she recorded a personal-best 13.41-meter jump in May—as well as some of her lowest lows. The 2011 John F. Kennedy graduate suffered her worst injury (a bruised right heel bone) during the Olympic qualification process.

But on Aug. 13, LaFond, who was one of just two athletes representing the Common-wealth of Dominica, made her Olympic de-but in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“I think (the Olympics) is one of those dreams that’s always in the back of every-one’s mind,” said LaFond, who was named 2015 Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year dur-ing her senior season at the University of Maryland. “You say when you start doing track, ‘Oh yeah, I want to do this. I want to get a scholarship to run track in college and then try to go to the Olympics.’ It’s always a concept, but it becoming a reality this year was surreal.”

LaFond’s Olympic triple jump perfor-mance didn’t go as planned. She’d done eve-rything—even switched jumping legs—to ensure she could compete at full strength in Rio. But new to the rigors of being the pri-mary jumping leg, LaFond’s left hamstring began acting up and on the day of competi-tion, it locked completely. She finished 37th in qualification with a 12.82.

It was disappointing, LaFond admitted. And she let herself feel down. But she was also determined not to let the unfortunate timing of the injury ruin the rest of her ex-perience.

“I gave myself 24 hours, maybe 48 hours, to be emotional,” LaFond said. “Then I pulled myself together and went out and cheered on my other friends who were com-peting and started responding to people who had been reaching out to me about my expe-

rience. I wiped my tears away and I said, ‘(I’ll be ready for) Tokyo 2020.’”

Mature beyond her years even as a high school athlete, today LaFond said one of the biggest lessons she learned in Rio is that “your mind is your best muscle, it’s your strongest muscle.” Working on mental strength can change everything, she added. All Olympic athletes boast superior athleti-cism, but LaFond credits mentality with tak-ing such athletes to a greater level.

“Everything around you (at the Olym-pics) is true athletic prowess, but it was that ‘Can do, will do, have done,’ mentality that got (these athletes) there,” LaFond said. “It made me respect (The Games) that much more. While the athleticism was amazing, to be around everyone who has had their own struggle but made it there and shined, I think that was my biggest takeaway from the ex-perience and my biggest motivation to keep driving (forward).”

It’s such lessons, in addition to her knowl-edge of track and field and the proper tech-niques and training exercises, that LaFond has been able to instill in Northwest’s young athletes. Jaguars’ coach Robert Youngblood, who was an assistant coach at Kennedy dur-

ing LaFond’s senior year of high school, said last year that LaFond was an invaluable asset to the Northwest program.

Spending time around high school athlet-ics has also brought back a different type of fun, LaFond said, reminiscent of what track and field was like before collegiate sport, when there was no money involved. But it’s not all fun and games; LaFond is rather hard on her student-athletes, she said, mak-ing sure they don’t get complacent with their success. She also promotes the importance of a family atmosphere, even in what’s per-ceived as an individualized sport.

“It’s important to teach them to be bet-ter teammates, teach them problem-solving skills,” LaFond said. “If you have an is-sue with a teammate, let’s sit down like the young adults you are and sort through it.”

LaFond’s typical track season—indoor and outdoor—begins in late January and runs through the end of June or July, she said, ex-cept for Olympic years. After a hectic 2016, she has some down time this fall and is us-ing it to get healthy before picking right back up. During last year’s indoor and outdoor track seasons, LaFond was waking up at 5:30 a.m. for the first of three daily workouts and wouldn’t get home after work until around 8 p.m.

Though her ultimate focus has already shifted toward the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, it remains only in the back of her mind. Setting short-term goals, she said, and breaking down each season, each training session, is the best way to prepare during this next four-year cycle. Her next main event will be Worlds in 2017, followed by the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

LaFond said she continues to push herself and make the sacrifices necessary to train at a professional level without receiving the monetary rewards of most athletes with her status for two main reasons: representing her small country, which doesn’t even have a track on its island, and putting it on the map, as well as pure love for the sport. When that wanes, then she’ll know it’s time to move on, LaFond said.

“I come from a very small country that no one even knows exists, so I end up giving a brief geography lesson,” LaFond said. “Be-ing able to represent my country, I like giv-ing them something to celebrate. No matter how many struggles we go through, we are still strong and we will prosper. I used to say I do this 100 percent for my country, but I love what I do. That’s what keeps me going. When it no longer becomes fun, I will no longer do it.”

SPORTS

Some Lessons Are More Important Than Winning

By Syl Sobel

F ew football coaches will admit to finding victory in defeat. But what Coach John Kelley, his football team,

and the Quince Orchard administration accomplished in their season opening 21-13 loss to Damascus involved a lot more than just a football game.

QO played that game without six play-ers, including four starters, suspended for breaking team rules. We’re not going to name the players. These are kids who made mistakes, the kinds of mistakes that other teenagers make without getting their

names in the newspaper. No sense singling these guys out because they play football.

But Kelley, QO Principal Carole Work-ing, and Athletic Director George Awkard had a choice to make in the days leading up to the opener. They could enforce the rules and expectations that the school re-quires of its student-athletes or they could decide not to risk their no. 8 ranking against the area’s 4th ranked team; meet-ing Damascus down several top players and losing could have playoff implications later in the season.

n LESSONS Continued on page 18

Photo | University of Maryland

Thea LaFond was named 2015 Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year during her senior season at the University of Maryland.


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QO did the right thing. They followed the rules. The players were suspended from the team and QO went into the game un-dermanned against one of the best teams in Maryland.

That would seem like the obvious choice to most grown-ups. Kids break rules, they need to know there are consequences. There are more important things in life than win-ning a football game.

True, but what about the other kids on the team who didn’t break the rules? What’s fair to them?

The QO varsity football team consists of 60 young men—boys, really, when you look at them when they take those bulky pads and helmets off. Almost all of those boys have been running, conditioning, lifting weights, studying tape, and learning plays pretty much since January, and twice a day in the heat and humidity since Aug. 10. Going into the season Kelley said he was proud of how his kids “worked their butts off” to prepare for the 2016 schedule.

So what is the impact on those 54 kids who didn’t break the rules when the team sits some of its best players in an important game that can have consequences for the season’s outcome? Should 90 percent of the team sacrifice because of the actions of 10 percent? Don’t the decision-makers have to consider the effect of their discipline on the rest of the team?

And that’s where this becomes more than a matter of sports and the real teaching occurs.

By enforcing the rules and disciplining the

kids who broke them, QO taught their foot-ball players and the rest of the students at QO some important life lessons.

• Your actions have consequences for you and often for the people close to you.

• Sometimes you will confront adversity not of your own making. How will you handle it?

• Opportunities will come at the most unexpected times in life. Be ready for them.

• Will you take responsibility for your performance or blame disappointments on others?

The QO players entered their opening game outgunned. But to paraphrase their coach, they played their butts off. They gave the defending state champion the toughest fight they’ve had in two years, the Damascus

coach said, and came within an end zone in-completion from a chance to tie the game in the final minute.

“I’m proud of my kids,” Kelley said. “Our kids played hard. … We didn’t back down, and I’m proud of them.”

Neither he nor team members would blame the loss on the absence of key players.

“I don’t think that affected us,” Kelley said. “We played the game with the guys we had.”

“It’s not hard at all,” said quarterback and co-captain Doc Bonner when asked how difficult it was to play without four starters. “Next man steps up. Doesn’t matter who—next man steps up.”

Two players who especially stepped up were sophomores Brendan McGonagle and Tre Wade. Both saw extensive action in the absence of other players and performed well.

Wade gained 70 yards rushing and receiv-ing, including the key 44-yard screen pass that got QO into the red zone in the final minute. McGonagle led the team in receiv-ing with seven catches for 85 yards and a touchdown.

But it was off McGonagle’s fingers that a possible game-tying touchdown slipped as the clock ticked down, and after the game he was disconsolate.

One by one teammates came over to en-courage him and lift his spirits. “Hell of a game. This is your first game on varsity. Hell of a game,” said senior wide receiver Kyle Moats.

“You were the best player out there,” said another.

The QO football team showed themselves to be a tough, resilient and mutually sup-portive group of young men, a team that is likely to be around very late in the season and have a chance to compete for a state title. They displayed their talent last week, trouncing Walter Johnson, 48-6, scoring touchdowns on their first six possessions in the first half before handing the game over to reserves. Six different players scored for the Cougars, currently ranked 11th in the DC/MD/VA area by the Washington Post. They will probably get even better when the suspended players return—assuming those young men can earn back their playing time and the respect and trust of the teammates and coaches they let down.

The scoreboard said QO lost to Damascus, 21-13 and started the season 0-1. But the kids and coaches who took the field to represent QO that night are all winners to me.

Photo | Mac Kennedy

Damascus running back Markus Vinson stiff arms QO linebacker Marvin Nemi in home opener.

n LESSONS from page 17


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