Potomacconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2012/020812/Potomac.pdf · February 8-14, 2012 Out of a Slump...

Potomac Almanac ❖ February 8-14, 2012 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Out of aSlumpSports, Page 12

County ShootsFor SolutionNews, Page 3

Eyewitnesses toPotomac’s Past

News, Page 3

Out of aSlumpSports, Page 12

County ShootsFor SolutionNews, Page 3

Home Life StyleValentine’sDay Décor

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Senior forwardKristina Feldesmantallied 13 pointsagainst Springbrook.The Vikings totaled 75,their second-highestoffensive outputof the season.

Senior forwardKristina Feldesmantallied 13 pointsagainst Springbrook.The Vikings totaled 75,their second-highestoffensive outputof the season.

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ February 8-14, 2012 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Choosing theRight Contractor

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See Adjusting, Page 4

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Learning Differences: WhatWorks?” will be the subject ofthe third annual “Cicely’s Ad-vocacy” workshop on Satur-

day, Feb. 11 at the McLean School, 8224Lochinver Lane in Potomac.

This workshop kicks-off with a keynoteaddress by dyslexia researcher and expert,Thomas G. West who will speak about

“Amazing Shortcomings, Amazing Gifts.”West is the author of “In the Mind’s Eye –Creative Visual Thinkers, Gifted Dyslexicsand the Rise of Visual Technologies.” Afterhis initial address, attendees will have theopportunity to attend breakout sessions ona variety of topics.

The “Cecily’s Advocacy” workshops, spon-sored by the McLean Parents Associationwere initiated after Cecily Kaufman ofPotomac succumbed to breast cancer in2009. Kaufman was a committed advocatefor children and a devoted mother. Shechaired the McLean School Book Fair and

was a dedicated member of the McLeanSchool Parents Association Executive Board.After she died, her friends and fellowMcLean volunteers planned the first advo-cacy workshop in memory of Kaufman —to pay tribute to her devotion to the schooland to honor her husband Joel and childrenBen and Rachel. More than 150 people at-tended the first year and more than 175attended last year to learn strategies forcoping with their child’s ADD, ADHD other

Workshop Teaches How To Adjust to Learning DifferencesNews

Third annual “Cecily’s Advocacy”parenting session at McLean School.

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NewsPotomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

See Stories, Page 5

See Solution, Page 6

Students at Walt Whitman High School raised money forthe Special Olympics by going in the Chesapeake underPolar Bear Plunge

the bridge on Jan. 27 as part of the Polar Bear Plunge.

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By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Each of our speakers is a history book,” DanaSemmes told the standing-room-onlycrowd at the Shanghai Café in the Potomac

Oaks Shopping Center. “They will share with usmemories of Potomac long ago in the ‘30s, ‘40s and50s.” The speakers were Mary Charlotte Crook, Rob-ert Hanson and Leonard Proctor; all recountedmemories of a much smaller Potomac where every-one knew one another and life was more easy-go-ing. The speakers were introduced by Elie Pisarra-Cain, also a long-time resident of Potomac.

Crook, the first speaker, was born in September1920 in Washington D.C. Her grandparents, theSaunders, lived in Potomac and she spent many Sun-days visiting them. During the Depression, her fam-ily left their D.C. home and moved in with her grand-parents. “No one asked why we moved. I don’t knowif it was to give our neighbors our home since theylost theirs, or if it just seemed too over-the-top tohave two homes. Her great-grandfather built thehome in 1853 and named it Ellerslie, an Americanversion of Sir William Wallace’s home in Scotland.Her nephew, John Troha now lives with his family inthe home — the 6th generation of the family to re-side there — and Crook lives in a smaller home onthe property.

Crook worked for the Department of the Navy for33 years. When she retired, she began volunteeringfor the Montgomery County Historical Society whereshe edited their Montgomery County Story maga-zine for 15 years.

Crook’s presentation focused on “The Fortnightly

Club” — a Potomac club which met every two weeks.Her mother served as secretary or the club, and leftdetailed minutes of their meetings. “The FortnightlyClub always focused on a topic such as a country ofthe world or a famous author,” said Crook. “Whenroll was called, the member had to answer with atidbit about the evening’s topic. One of the membersalways prepared a speech on the topic. Music wasplayed at the meeting — and they always ended withsome kind of puzzle to be solved by the members.The puzzle could be to write a verse of 5 lines thatrhyme about the evening’s topic — or a riddle aboutthe topic that they had to solve before they left. Foodwas always served, but in the minutes, I saw thattwo women were impeached. Apparently, they served

Eyewitnesses to Potomac’s PastLong-time Potomac residents share their stories.

Bob Hanson holds a long-ago photo fromthe Potomac Hunt.

By Ken Moore

The Almanac

Bow hunters have to beprecise and accurate,said Mark Eakin, whotestified before Mont-

gomery County Council’s PublicSafety Committee late last month.

“When we are hunting, we’renot just trying to hit the deer, thereis actually a small area on the deerthat you have to hit,” he said toCounty Council President RogerBerliner and CouncilmembersMarc Elrich and Phil Andrews.

In fact, bow hunters target anarea about the size of a fist on thedeer. Hunting licenses and safetyqualification tests require strictaccuracy, Eakin said.

“Every year, we’re sweating itout when it comes down to quali-fication moment. Our regulationsis four out of four arrows or eightout of ten arrows in a four inch byfour inch box from an elevatedstand 15 yards away,” said Eakin.“It’s challenging and takes a lot ofpractice. But the accuracy and thesafety is extremely high.”

The Council’s Public Safety com-mittee met on Jan. 26 to discussdeer management.

As a result of the meeting, theCouncil will study the possibilityof permitting bow hunters to huntdeer on private properties 50 yardsfrom houses. Currently, bow hunt-

Montgomery County Council’s Public Safety Committee isstudying the distance regulation for bow-hunters fromnearby houses.

County ShootsFor SolutionLong concerns about deer couldshorten safety zone for bow hunters.

ers need to be 150 yards awayfrom houses unless they have writ-ten permission from thehomeowners.

“We will look forward to work-ing with our state delegation onways to improve our change tostate regulations so we have morelatitude and more opportunities touse bow hunting in the countywhich is a very efficient and a safeway to cull the deer population,”said Andrews. “I look forward toworking with all of you as we con-tinue to tackle this serious prob-lem.”

NEARLY A DOZEN Potomac resi-dents attended last month’s Pub-lic Safety committee meeting atCouncil headquarters.

Peggy Dennis, president of theMontgomery County Civic Federa-tion, supported lowering the legaldistance required to permit bowhunting on private property.

“If the regulations were set upwith a much more focused andspecific description of what couldbe done to ensure safety, thatwould make it a lot more effectiveand doable for neighborhoods andindividual property owners to bothget involved and comply with thelaw,” she said.

Because approximately 80 per-cent of the county is private, ef

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learning disabilities.Co-Chairmen of this year’s workshops are Paula

Schuster and Stephanie Schissler, working withMcLean Director of Development Linda Rafferty

“This year, the program will address a wide vari-ety of learning issues that affect all children with orwithout disabilities,” said Schuster. “The program isopen to parents and educators, with different speak-ers and topics from last year. We are offering work-shops that relate to adopted children and their fami-lies, workshops on anxiety in children and adoles-cents as well as sessions to help with college deci-sions.

“All kids learn differently, thus, we are offeringthese parenting workshops to address the manylearning differences. Parents will come away fromthe program with a lot of practical strategies thatthey can immediately put to use.”

Rafferty adds: “The biggest problem is choosingamong the sessions. There are so many excellenttopics, that one wants to attend each one.”

Session topics include: “Homework Helper 101:Getting Your ADHD Child to Complete Homeworkwithout Tears, Tantrums or Time-outs,” “Recogniz-ing and Addressing Anxiety of Children and Adoles-cents,” “College Considerations for LD/ADHD Stu-dents,” “Game Change: Move from ‘Enabling’ to ‘Em-powering’ Your Children to Overcome Obstacles, Dis-cover Their Strengths and Accomplish Their Goals,”Where Dyslexics Thrive — Pixar, SIGGRAPH, WetaWorkshop,” “Is it Adoption, Kid Stuff or SomethingElse” and “Maximizing Your Adopted Child’s Self-Esteem.”

The speakers for the sessions are experts from theD.C. area. They include Janice Goldwater, Dr. StacieIsenberg, Dr. Ruth Spodak, Dr. Kenneth Stefano,Hannah Serota, Sheila Adams Gardner, Dr. JulieLewis and Carol Muleta.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the programwill run until 1:30 p.m. The workshop is compli-

Adjusting

Cecily Kaufman with her children Racheland Ben.

The co-chairs for the Cecily’s AdvocacyWorkshop are Paula Schuster andStephanie Schissler.

Teachers are used to spring fever, when the students all cry, “Can we have classoutside?” One Holy Child class got its wish, when an English teacher put the picnictables to good use for her freshman students. Though one might think it’s some-where in Florida, Connelly School of the Holy Child is in Potomac. The fact that itwas Feb. 1 made it all the sweeter — and work got done as well.

Class Outside

By Montie Martin

The Almanac

Flowers, chocolates andHallmark Cards are stan-dard Valentine’s Day

fare. Unique gifts with a person-alized element, however, are allthe more significant for im-pressing that special someone.

Love songs, for instance,make for unexpected momentsof affection. For the vocallychallenged, the Potomac Har-mony Chorus offers a cappellaquartets who can visit the homeor office and serenade a friendor lover.

“When wives or girlfriendssend quartets to sing at thework place, we find they makesure to notify the secretary sothe whole office listens,” saidJanell Tuttle, a member of theCapital Quartet and assistantdirector of the Potomac Har-mony Chorus. “Men can be sur-prised and embarrassed, theydon’t know quite what to do.”

In the 22 years the project hastaken place, Tuttle has seen hershare of tender moments. “Onetime a boyfriend proposed inthe middle of a song and infront of a crowd. We also sangto a worker at a doggy daycare

center and at least one dog sangalong.”

The gift of words can alsotake a poetic bent. A wellthought love poem could sealthe deal on the Feb. 14 day oflove.

According to Linda Pashtan,Maryland’s former poet laure-ate who lives in Potomac,would-be scribes should con-sider hand written poetry ratherthan typed work for a greaterpersonal connection. The key topoetry, however, is to considerthe masters before writing fromthe heart.

“Buy or borrow a book of po-ems, read an assortment of son-nets, free verse poetry, thenclose the book and forget whatyou’ve read. Think of the oneyou love, and write,” saidPashtan. “As long as the poemdoesn’t begin with Roses areRed you’ll be fine.”

Nonetheless, nothing says“red roses” like red roses. Ac-cording to Barbara Potzick,president of the Potomac Vil-lage Garden Club, red flowersare a must for impressing thatspecial someone. “Roses are it,”said Potzick. “Red flowers rep-resent passion, energy, and thered heart of cupid’s arrow.”

Janell Tuttle, Sara Rasmussen, Martha O’Brien andMary Gleason are singers in the Capital Swing quar-tet, one of six groups that serenade lovers as part ofthe Potomac Harmony Chorus Valentine’s Day ser-vice. The quartets can visit offices and homes in thecapital area. For servicing information visit:potomacharmony.org.

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Not AnotherValentine’s DaySome alternatives to the usual fare.

mentary for McLean School parents and $25 (cashor check) for non-school parents and educators. Theprogram includes a box lunch. To register, go towww.mcleanschool.org/parents/resources/2414/ orcall Rosanne Urick at 240-395-0692. Email with ques-tions to: [email protected].


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dinner and the members were only sup-posed to serve light snacks! However, theimpeachment never went through.”

PROCTOR THEN spoke of his many jobsin Potomac. Most Potomac residents remem-ber him as a mechanic at Mitch & Bill’s, asa bartender at Potomac parties and as agroomsman, trainer, equestrian instructorand honorary member of the Potomac Hunt.He was born in D.C. in 1930.

Proctor explained that he knew everyonein Potomac in the ‘50s and ‘60s. “It was asmall town — and I knew where everyonelived. I used to drive kids home when theywere stuck in Potomac and it was too farfor them to walk.” Proctor worked at Mitch& Bill’s for 45 years from 1951 until his re-tirement in 1995.

One of his loves was horses; he learnedto ride from his uncle Johnny Jackson. Proc-tor rode with the hunt as a groom, and hadthe task of teaching and inculcating the ritesof the hunt into the young equestrians. “Ihad the responsibility of 9 kids at one point.”He continued, “I have been riding with thehunt since 1947. I’ve been thrown a lot oftimes — but never been hurt.” The octoge-narian still rides 3 – 4 times a week and isalso one of the most sought-after dancersat The Hunt Ball. “I just keep dancing allnight.”

The third presenter, Hanson, began rais-

ing Black Angus cattle and purebred Berk-shire swine 71 years ago. His Mt. ProspectFarm is located near the new Travilah El-ementary School. When he was in highschool, he rode his horse to Landon Schoolin Bethesda and paid his own tuition by ex-porting pigs to South America. He was ac-tive in 4-H and was a founder of the Mont-gomery County Agriculture Fair. He startedfox hunting over 80 years ago, and is anhonorary member of The Potomac Hunt aswell as a member of many civic associations.

Hanson shared a story of a huge snowfallin the early ‘40s. He was driving his 1936Ford convertible back from D.C. down thesingle-lane Glen Mill Road. “Back then weknew everybody who lived anywhere near

us. I was driving in the snowstorm — and Ihad to go so slowly that I ran out of gas. Istopped at a home where some new folkshad moved in. I knocked on the door, andwhen they answered, I explained who I wasand asked if I could use their phone to callhome. All of a sudden, I heard a voice say-ing, ‘Our prayers have been answered!’ Iwas surprised, but then the mistress of thehouse came out and said, ‘Finally, a fourthfor bridge! Come on in and we’ll get it setup!’ I stayed there for two nights and playedbridge the entire time! It’s a great way toget to know your neighbors.”

Hanson told of voting at the old Travilahstore, being selected by President Trumanfor the Juvenile Delinquency Commission

and saving Robert Moran’s life when Rob-ert was in a terrible car accident. He alsotouted builders Ray Norton and GeorgeMcConahy for setting the tenor of Potomacby establishing a village of beautiful homeson large lots and building the white fencesthat is a symbol of Potomac.

Another story shared by Hanson was thatGeorge Patton once rode with the PotomacHunt. However, Hanson said, Patton wasnot a gentleman when it came to jumpinghis horse. If a horse balks and refuses tojump, the rider is supposed to pull the horseto the side and let the others behind himgo ahead and take the jump. However,Patton would try jumping his horse againand again, holding up the rest of the pack.Hanson said, “This made me really angry— and I wanted to tell him, but I held mytongue.”

The afternoon gathering was sponsoredby the Potomac Oak Shopping Center, lo-cated at 12944 Travilah Road at the cornerof Glen and Travilah Road.

The center plans to host a free monthlycommunity event to strengthen the bondsof the community. On Feb. 19, they will hostJudy Rose Siebert who will present a semi-nar on “Body, Mind and Spirit” (a move-ment workshop). In the spring and summer,the center will feature outdoor music pro-grams. For information, [email protected] or call DanaSemmes at 240-882-8055.

Long-time Potomac Residents Share Their Stories

Mary CharlotteCrook, BobHanson andLeonardProctor toldstories ofPotomac’spast.


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From Page 3

forts to manage deer populations will needto include private land and encouraging land-owners and hunters to manage deer herds onprivate property, according to the county deerreport.

Petitions have recently been circulated byhomeowners in Potomac neighborhoods ask-ing if homeowners would give hunters permis-sion to hunt on specific properties during thehunting season, mid-September to January.

Linda Rieger, a River Falls resident, told theCouncil subcommittee that there will alwaysbe some homeowners who are against hunt-ing in residential neighborhoods. But she alsosaid she found “an enthusiastic number” en-couraged her in her efforts to allow bow hunt-ing to control the deer population. But onehomeowner threatened legal action if deerwere hunted in their neighborhood, she said.

GILBERT BLOOM ASKED if the Councilcould “free us up and let homeowners be ableto take action on their own.” He advocated forhunting to be permitted year round, or at leaston Sundays. “That’s a 1950s blue law kind ofrestriction,” he said.

Rieger suggested that park and conservationareas be opened to certified bow hunters, andthat builders and developers who are requiredto leave conservation areas on developed landshould also be required to use bow hunters tocull the deer.

The number of deer-vehicle collisions in-creased from 1,930 in 2010 to 2,038 last year,according to the Deer Management WorkGroup.

That number probably underestimates theactual number of collisions by a third to a halfsince not all accidents are reported, said RobGibbs, head of the work group.

“We all know somebody who has hit a deeror who has had a close call,” said Andrews.“Probably multiple people.”

The County’s deer management work grouppublishes an annual report on what to do aboutdeer.

In 2010, 6,887 deer were killed in Montgom-ery County in programs designed to reduce thepopulation, including managed hunts, sharp-

Deer find much to eat in Potomac neighborhoods.

County Shoots for Deer Solution

shooting in county parks and more.The Department of Parks conducts managed

deer hunts in select county parks in the falland winter, supervised by the department’swildlife staff. Parks are closed when hunts aretaking place. Only one is in Potomac, at Block-house Point.

The county began managed hunts in 1996.While the county report gives no estimate of

the current deer population, a report by Mont-gomery County Parks indicates that the num-ber of deer could double every two years with-out some efforts to manage the herds.

The National Park Service does not have anyprogram in place to manage the deer popula-tion, and these large tracts of land in Potomacfuel the deer population in nearby neighbor-hoods.

The Goldmine Tract of the park, at the inter-section of Falls Road and MacArthur Boulevard,is one of the largest contiguous forests in thecounty.

There are no plans to initiate deer manage-

ment programs in C&O Canal National HistoricPark at Great Falls, according to the report,which is blunt in its opinion: “This needs tochange.”

These areas are being impacted by deer over-population, and the effects spill over intonearby communities that have been complain-ing for more than a decade about deer-vehiclecollisions and impacts to property.

“Initiating deer management on NationalPark Service land is a long and onerous pro-cess but that is no reason to ignore a problemthat is negatively impacting the resources thepark was established to protect. Efforts shouldstart as soon as possible,” the report urges.

Brian Carlstrom, deputy superintendent forthe C&O Canal National Historical Park, at-tended last month’s meeting. If the countywanted to partner with the park service, andasked the park system for specific informationto be studied, that could expedite environmen-tal impact studies.

“We can do that,” said Berliner.

ONGOINGThe Potomac Area Newcomers

Club is a group of more than 200women who have moved to thePotomac area from all over theUnited States and around the world.The club offers such activities asbridge, mah jong, book groups, golf,luncheons and museum trips as away to help newcomers as well ascurrent residents to form newfriendships, expand their horizons,and take advantage of theopportunities that are available in theWashington, D.C. area. Check its website at http://www.potomacnewcomers.com

MONDAY/FEB. 13Montgomery County Civic

Federation. 7:45-10 p.m. EdwardBlansitt, Montgomery County’s newInspector General, will present themain program at the next monthlymeeting of the Montgomery County

Civic Federation. Meeting place: theCounty Council Office Building, 100Maryland Avenue, Rockville. Freeparking in adjacent County Garage.Visit www.montgomerycivic.org.

Looking for a job but drawing ablank? Sign up for The CareerGateway. This innovative, intensivejob search training program alreadyhas helped more than 120 job-seekers turbo-charge their resumes,hone their interviewing skills,become networking powerhouses,discover the hidden job market, anddevelop personal job search plans.Unlike other job search trainingworkshops, The Career Gateway!features small classes, a long-termmentor, 30 hours of training overtwo weeks, and take-home materials.The next two sessions begin on Feb.13 and March 12. Each sessionmeets for five days over two weeksduring the day. Space is limited, sosign up now. Call 301-255-4200/4215, visit www.AccessJCA.org, oremail [email protected].

MARCH 29Kindergarten Info Session. 9:30

a.m. At Potomac Elementary School.Do you have an incomingkindergartner for next Fall? Comemeet the Potomac Elementary SchoolPrincipal, teachers, and members ofthe PTA. There will be a shortpresentation about the school and itsextracurricular programs. Also achance to meet other newkindergarten families. Call 301-469-1042.

ONGOINGCANTER-Mid Atlantic to open a

racehorse rehabilitation programwith donations from Delaware Parkand the Delaware ThoroughbredHorsemen’s Association earmarked toserve Delaware Park trainers andowners. To find an ex-race horse,volunteer, or make a donation, visitwww.canterusa.org/midatlantic.

To become a volunteer Bike Patrol onthe C&O Canal, send an e-mail toNorman Liebow [email protected] or 301-714-2218.

The Greater Chesapeake and PotomacBlood Services Region of theAmerican Red Cross is seekingvolunteers to assist its bloodcollections staff at blood drives andblood donor centers. To register fortraining, or for more information, callthe American Red Cross VolunteerOffice at 1-800-272-0094, ext. 1, ore-mail [email protected].

Volunteers are needed to assist sexualassault victims and their familiesthrough the Victim Assistance andSexual Assault Program of theMontgomery County Department ofHealth and Human Services. Toschedule an interview visit http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/vasap or 240-777-1355.

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FEB. 8 TO MARCH 2The Last Jews of Yemen

Photography Exhibit & LectureSeries. Free. Photos depictingJewish life in Yemen. Lecture serieson their history, society andprospects for their future. Photos:Feb. 8 – March 2. Lecture Series,Tuesdays, Feb. 14, 21 and 28 at 7:30p.m. RSVP to [email protected] Congregation B’nai Tzedek

10621 South Glen Rd., Potomac. Call301-299-0225 www.bnaitzedek.org.

THURSDAY/FEB. 9Slow Blues and Swing Dance. 9 to

11:30 p.m. Admission is $8. With DJMike Marcotte and Guests. SlowBlues lesson from 8:15 to 9 p.m.;dancing from 9 to 11:30 p.m. At theBack Room of Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. CallDonna Barker at 301-634-2231 or goto [email protected] orwww.CapitalBlues.org.

Storytime with Potomac Toddlers.10:30 a.m. Stories, songs and rhymesfor toddlers 12-to-36 months andtheir caregivers. No registrationrequired. At Potomac Library inPotomac.

SATURDAY/FEB. 11Duquesne University

Tamburitzans. 7 p.m. Will bring itsunique Eastern European dance, livemusic and authentic costumes to ashow. Tickets are $28 to $36. At theF. Scott Fitzgerald Theater atRockville Civic Center Park, 603Edmonston Drive, Rockville.

Voter Registration Drive. 11 a.m. to1 p.m. At Potomac Library, 10101Glenolden Drive, Potomac. Call 301-765-4083 (TTY). For additionalinformation, contact Dr. GilbertoZelaya at 240-777-8532; or [email protected].

Free Workshop. Listening to YourDog’s Body Language. 1:30 to 3:30p.m. Like any language, “canine” hasits own nuances and gestures. Forexample, at this workshop you willlearn when a wagging tail does notsay “happy”! Speaker: Jules Nye,CPDT-KA; Sit, Stay and Play. Pleaseleave your dog at home. At St. Luke’sEpiscopal Church, 6030 GrosvenorLane, Bethesda. Questions or toregister: [email protected] or call301-983-5913.

Design Seminar. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

How to Fall In Love With Your HouseAgain. All seminars include eitherlunch or supper. You will learn thebasics on how to successfullyremodel, an enterprise which canappear to be both nerve-rattling andmind-boggling. Bring your questionsand plans for your own house, andshare a meal on us where the expertswill personally address yourparticular design concerns. At theOffices of Hopkins & Porter Inc.,12944-C Travilah Rd., Suite 204,Potomac. Call Debbie Ciardo at 301-840-9121, #27.

Extreme Chopin with Pianist BrianGanz. 8 p.m. Ganz will explore thetheme of “Dances and Fantasies” inhis second Chopin recital at theMusic Center at Strathmore. Topurchase tickets visitnationalphilharmonic.org or call(301) 581-5100. At the Music Centerat Strathmore.

SATURDAYS, FEB. 11, 18Guided Tours: “A Walk in Father

Henson’s Footsteps.” Free. Noonto 4 p.m. And Saturday, Feb. 25 fromnoon to 3 p.m. At Josiah HensonSpecial Park, 11420 Old GeorgetownRoad, North Bethesda. Visitwww.JosiahHensonSite.org.

SUNDAY/FEB. 12Rockville Concert Band. 3 p.m.

Tickets not required but $5 donationsuggested. The band is composed ofvolunteer performers. At the F. ScottFitzgerald Theater at Rockville CivicCenter Park, 603 Edmonston Drive,Rockville.

Music for Organ & Brass. 3 p.m.Featuring Donald Sutherland & CStreet Brass. At the Bradley HillsPresbyterian Church, 6601 BradleyBlvd., Bethesda. Suggested donation:$15, $10 students & seniors. Call301-365-2850.

Zydeco Dance Party. 3:30 to 6 p.m.Cost is $18. With Nathan and theZydeco Cha Chas. IntroductoryZydeco Lesson from 3 to 3:30 p.m.;dancing from 3:30 to 6 p.m. At theSpanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. CallMichael Hart at 301-762-6730 or goto www.DancingbytheBayou.com.

The Maryland Dream Act. 10:25a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Rep. Ana SolGutierrez will present “The MarylandDream Act: What it is and what it

See Entertainment, Page 8

TUESDAY/FEB. 14Valentine’s Day Concert. 8 p.m. With Siobhan Quinn and Michael Bowers and

special guest Chatham Street. At the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville,100 Welsh Park Drive, Rockville. Tickets are $18/door; $15/advance atwww.focusmusic.org. Contact David Spitzer at [email protected] or301-275-7459.


in partnership with

Normandie Farm Restaurant

invite you to a

NETWORKING EVENT!Thursday, February 9th, 2012

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

10710 Falls Road

Potomac, MD 20854

Cost: Potomac Chamber Members: $10.00

Non-Members: $15.00

Cash Bar available

NORMANDIE FARM IS GENEROUSLY PROVIDING

HORS D’OUERVES FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT!

To reserve your place and/or for additional information,

Call the Potomac Chamber of Commerce:

301-299-2170

Or reserve your spot online at www.potomacchamber.org

R.S.V.P. by February 6th, 2012

Bring your business cards and plenty of conversation!

If you would like to donate a door prize, please call Jennifer at the Chamber office.

THE POTOMAC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Entertainment

isn’t. What does it do?” Gutierrez hasbeen a District 18 Representative for10 years and was instrumental inlegislating the “Dream Act.” The lawnow faces court action on the methodof gathering signatures for areferendum. Also, there are questionsabout the outcome of the ballot inthe General Election of 2012. AtRRUUC, 6301 River Road, Bethesda.Visit www.rruuc.org or call 301-229-0400.

Potluck Lunch. 11:30 p.m. Free. Allare welcome to bring a dish to share;those not bringing dishes are alsowelcome. At Geneva PresbyterianChurch, 11931 Seven Locks Road,Potomac.

MONDAY/FEB. 13Beth Sholom Book Club. 8:15 p.m.

The Beth Sholom Book Club plans tomeet at Beth Sholom Congregation,11825 Seven Locks Rd., Potomac.The classic Bernard Malamus novel“The Assistant” is scheduled to bereviewed. The novel takes place in aJewish immigrant community andbrings to life the hardships andstruggles that they face as a group aswell as the particular hardships of agrocer and a man of questionablebackground who enters the lives ofthe grocer, his wife and daughter. Allare welcome. Contact Tanya Lampertat [email protected].

Kevin Burke in Concert. 7:30 p.m.Tickets are $18/advance; $22/door.At IMT Rockville, Saint MarkPresbyterian Church, 10701 OldGeorgetown Road, Rockville. Call301-754-3611 and visitwww.imtfolk.org.

TUESDAY/FEB. 14Conference Call Seminar. 7 p.m.

From Page 7

THURSDAY/FEB. 9BSO SuperPops: A BSO Valentine. 8 p.m.

With Tony DeSare on vocals and piano.Tickets range from $28 to $88 and areavailable through the BSO Ticket Office,410-783-8000 or BSOmusic.org. At theMusic Center at Strathmore.

New Study on Adopted Puppy MillDogs. Director of Well-Being Studiesat Best Friends Animal Society, Dr.Frank McMillan will discuss a newstudy on adopted puppy mill dogsand assesses the emotional well-being of animals who have enduredhardship and psychological trauma.Read about the study at http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/pets/dogs/story/2011-10-11/Puppy-mills-leave-lasting-emotional-scars-study-finds/50722874/1.Register at: http://www.meetup.com/puppymill-rescue-dogs. Sponsored by The Puppy MillRescue Dogs Support Group.

WEDNESDAY/FEB. 15

CEO Roundtable. 7:30 to 9a.m. Take advantage of thisunique opportunity to engage inan facilitated discussion centeredaround business developmentwith other CEOs. At the lawoffices of Apatoff, Peters,Ebersohl, 1700 Research Blvd.,Suite 220, Rockville.

THURSDAY/FEB. 16BSO Concert. 8 p.m. Americanconductor James Gaffigan willlead the Baltimore SymphonyOrchestra and French pianist Lisede la Salle in Mozart’s popularand passionate Piano ConcertoNo. 20. At The Music Center atStrathmore. Call the BSO TicketOffice, 410-783-8000 orBSOmusic.org.Slow Blues and SwingDance. 9 to 11:30 p.m.Admission is $8. With DJ MikeMarcotte and Guests. Slow Blueslesson from 8:15 to 9 p.m.;dancing from 9 to 11:30 p.m. Atthe Back Room of Glen EchoPark, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.,

Glen Echo. Call Donna Barker at 301-634-2231 or go [email protected] orwww.CapitalBlues.org.

Potomac Cuddleups Storytime.10:30 a.m. Stories, rhymes and songsfor babies from birth to 11 monthsand their caregivers. No registrationrequired. At the Potomac Library inPotomac.

FEB. 17 AND 18”A Change Gon’ Come.” A creative

telling of the life and struggle ofHarriet Tubman. Tickets are $10 and$15. Friday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m.;Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. At the F.Scott Fitzgerald Theater at RockvilleCivic Center Park, 603 EdmonstonDrive, Rockville.

FEB. 8 TO MARCH 3Gallery B Exhibition.

Gallery B is pleased topresent its February2012 exhibitionfeaturing local artistsShelva Gallman, KevinGonzalez, RichardLevine and SandraJensen-Taubman. Theexhibit will featurelandscape paintingand photography, willbe on display fromFeb. 8 – March 3 atGallery B, located at7700 WisconsinAvenue, Suite E,Bethesda. Theopening reception willbe held on Friday,Feb. 10, from 6-9 p.m.Gallery hours areWednesday –Saturday, 12-6 p.m.Visit http://www.bethesda.org/ orcall 301-215-6660.

SUNDAY/FEB. 12Going Blue in Paris. 2

to 4 p.m. Art andJewelry Exhibitionfeaturing NuriehMozaffari, SarahBarzmehri and BonnieGranek. At Exhibit9Gallery in Potomac.Light refreshmentswill be served. ToRSVP, email Sarah at:

[email protected]

MARCH 3 AND 4Paintings by Ally

Burguieres. Oil andacrylics on canvas. Atthe Yellow BarnGallery at Glen Echo.Call 301-371-5593 orthe artist [email protected].

NOW THROUGH FEB. 27Mirror To The World:

DocumentaryPhotography2012. Free.Photoworks presentsits annual tribute todocumentaryphotography,featuring images thatspan the globe — allfrom a local group ofnot-yet-famousphotographers.Photoworks Galleryopen on Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. and Sundays,1-8 p.m. Exhibitappointmentsavailable, 301-634-2274. At PhotoworksGallery at Glen EchoPark, 7300MacArthur Blvd.,Glen Echo.

NOW TO MARCH 2Chinese Painting

with Tracie Griffith Tso.Subjects include bamboo, horses,cranes, koi, pandas, siamese cats,rabbits, plum blossoms and aselection of birds and insects. Atthe Clinical Center at NIH,Building 10, 9000 Rockville Pike,Bethesda. Display cases arelocated on the ground floor.

MONTH OF FEBRUARYThe Montgomery County Plein

Air Artists will exhibit theirworks at River Road UnitarianUniversalist Congregation(RRUUC), Bethesda, during the

FEB. 7 TO MARCH 323 + 23. Waverly Street Gallery’s 4th Annual

Invitational Show. For the fourth year, the 23member artists of Waverly Street Galleryinvite 23 other artists to exhibit their workalongside the Gallery artists. Reception isFriday, Feb. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. At WaverlyStreet Gallery, 4600 East-West Highway,Bethesda. Call 301-951-9441 or visitwww.waverlystreetgallery.com.

Fine Arts

FEB. 8 TO MARCH 3Gallery B Exhibit. Photographers Shelva

Gallman and Sandra Jensen-Taubman, andpainters Kevin Gonzales and Richard Levine.Gallery hours are Wed. – Sat., 12-6 p.m. Thisexhibition’s opening reception will coincidewith the monthly Bethesda Art Walk onFriday, Feb. 10 from 6-9 p.m. Gallery hoursare Wednesday – Saturday, 12-6 p.m. AtGallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E,Bethesda.

month of February 2012. The term“en Plein air” originated with Monetand refers to the fact that the artworks were painted outdoors. TheMCPAA began in 2004 and its artistsuse varied mediums, including oil,watercolor, acrylics and pastels. Theart show, titled “Preserving OurSense of Place and Time,” will exhibitworks that are available forpurchase. The exhibit is free andopen to the public. River RoadUnitarian Universalist Congregation(RRUUC), is located at 6301 RiverRoad, Bethesda. Call 301-229-0400or visit www.rruuc.org


Home Life StyleValentine’s Day Décor In honor of Cupid’s day, share ideas

for sweetening a home or dining table.

Potomac-basedfloral

designerEvelyn

Kinvillesuggests

looking tonature for

inspirationwhen

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By Marilyn Campbell

The Almanac

Whether planning a dinnerparty for friends, a roman-tic meal for two or a break-fast surprise for children,

local designers say simple accents can cre-ate a festive atmosphere on Valentine’s Day.First on the list of suggestions: originality.

“I feel that things like oversized balloonsand little bears with stuffed hearts havebeen overdone so much that I would maybestay away from those,” said Angela Phelpsof Le Village Marche in Arlington, Va. “Lookfor things that are more creative.”

One way to make guests or family feelspecial is with lightly scented conversationheart candles and soaps. “They’re cute andquirky,” said McLean resident Penelope Bellof the Dandelion Patch in Reston, Vienna,Leesburg, Va., and Washington, D.C. “Iwould put them in a powder room for guestsif you’re having a Valentine’s Day gather-ing. You could display them in a small soapor cylindrical glass vase.”

Designers say subtle home accents can beused to express affection. “You can displayValentine’s-themed glass plates that can beused to hold candy or a little glass heart,”said Judy Philactos of Periwinkle in Wash-ington, D.C. Small glass hearts can begrouped or scattered on an accent table asan expression of love.

red, and it doesn’t always have to be roses.”Floral designer Gerry Rogers of Petal’s

Edge Floral Design in Alexandria, Va. saysfloral options are plentiful. “February is agreat time of year for flowers. We’re start-ing to get a lot of spring flowers back in,”said Rogers “Things like anemone and tu-lips and sometimes even peonies and sweetpea. Gerbera daisies can be a playful or col-orful choice, and orchids are great for some-one who likes something a little more ex-otic.”

Potomac-based floral designer EvelynKinville suggests looking to nature for in-spiration. “You can create an arrangementthat looks like you went out for a walk in awoodsy area and found some nice vines andgrasses,” said Kinville of Behnke’s Florist inPotomac. “You can mix those with roses orhydrangeas. These arrangements make niceaccents for end tables or coffee tables.”

There is an abundance of choices for evenfor the youngest celebrants. “Valentine’s-themed cupcake liners are nice for chil-dren,” said Phelps. The cupcakes can bedisplayed on a wide-rimmed, footed cakeplate and tied with a colorful ribbon.

Some designers say no Valentine’s Day iscomplete without candy, and it is possibleto get creative with sweets. “There areheart-shaped candies made from marzipanor coated with a red-hued, white chocolateshell and filled with Calvados or raspberryganache,” said Philactos.

Phelps recommends Valentine-themedvintage postcards, which can be used formore than correspondence. “[These] glit-tering greetings are fun for decorating aswell.”

Philactos strings lace-trimmed, heart-shaped Valentine’s Day cards to make a gar-land that can be hung on a mantle to addburst of color. She also loops a ribbonthrough the cards and hangs them on ametal photo tree to create a Cupid-worthyaccent piece.

Decorative candles can create an air ofromance or festivity. “I’ve used pink, lightlyscented bubbled glass candles,” said Phelps.“If you put three or four of those together, Ithink they look really, really nice.”

When it comes to the table, Phelps sug-gests moving beyond red. “I think if you aredecorating a table for a romantic dinner, youcan never go wrong with candles or freshflowers,” said Phelps. “You can do a whitetheme with little bits of red. [Valentine’s Daytable settings] don’t always have to be all

Remodeling: An Opportunity To Follow One’s PassionAdding that personal touch.

The homeowners’ team loyalties were reflected in this Potomac hometheater renovation by BOWA.

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By Joshua Baker

Special to the Almanac

Having remodeled thousands ofprojects over the past 25 years,our clients’ reactions tell us that

some of the most successful projects oftenaddress a specific passion or interest. Folksseem to be spending more and more timeat home not only working, but also enrich-ing their lives through personal interests.To that end, today’s remodeling design of-ten includes developing new areas for pur-suing a variety of passions. Here are somelocal examples:

A breakfast room addition was carefullyplanned to also function as a bird watchingarea. The foundation was specially designedto allow the existing trees to remain in closeproximity, and great care was taken to pre-serve the surroundings during construction.A professional arborist was engaged tomanage the health of the trees in the sixmonths prior to construction to ensure theaddition had an almost treehouse feel.

There are a wide range of car enthusiastseach with his (or her) own specifications.Some garage additions, whether attachedor detached, are effectively museums. Onesuch addition was designed as an antiquecar barn, including four-inch thick, roughwood floors, and individual bays for each

piece of art. Other garage projects are fo-cused on automobile maintenance and re-pair. These often have automatic lifts, simi-lar to your local repair shop, which allowfor easy access and even provide additionalstorage. One Great Falls garage was de-signed and built so that a father couldshare his knowledge and interest in carswith his sons.

Sports fanaticism often drives remodel-ing design. Sometimes, modestly designedtrophy areas for displaying family victo-ries are included. Other times, wholerooms pay homage to (most often out oftown) favorite college or professionalsports teams. Real stadium seats, paintedmurals of favorite scenes, and customflooring made to look like ball fields areall a part of the fun.

Are salt-water aquariums your thing?While they aren’t for everyone due to thesignificant maintenance, technology andinvestment required, some homeownersfind the colors and peaceful setting capti-vating. For one local enthusiast we in-stalled a 7,000-gallon live coral reef. Theweight of the aquarium required the floorbe reinforced with steel beams, a cranewas needed to set the glass tank, and aseparate control/filter room was added.

Many designs incorporate a trend to-wards enjoying and collecting wine. A very

efficient and relatively inexpensive ap-proach is to purchase specialized wine re-frigerators. These vary in size from smallunder-counter units, appropriate for akitchen or bar area, to large full-size unitsmost often installed in unfinished areas ofthe basement. For the wine aficionados,fully conditioned wine rooms with custom-made wood racking for storage have be-come common in luxury homes. And for areally nice touch, these rooms are designedto include a tasting area or even full-sizedining areas, similar to many stylish res-taurants.

Art collections, whether pop or classical,

often drive remodeling design decisions. Forexample, hallways are widened to create gal-leries and sophisticated specialty lighting isinstalled, based upon the type of art work,natural light etc. One such project in GreatFalls involved creating a generous gallery tofeature original antique movie posters.

So the questions remains, what’s your pas-sion? By working closely with an experienceddesign build remodeler who has access to awhole host of specialty designers and experts,your dreams of an at-home museum, sanctu-ary, tasting room, etc. may well be withinreach.

Joshua Baker is founder of Bowa Builders.


For an Open House Listing Form,call Deb Funk at 703-778-9444 or e-mail

[email protected] listings due by Monday at 3 P.M.

Call Specific Agents to Confirm Dates & Times.

When you visit one of these Open Houses, tell the Realtor you saw it in thisConnection Newspaper. For more real estate listings and open houses, visit

www.ConnectionNewspapers.com & click the Real Estate links on the right side.

OPENHOUSES

IN POTOMACFEBRUARY 11 & 12

9229 Bentridge Avenue, Potomac 20854$1,149,000 • Open Sunday 1-4 p.m.

Leslie Friedson, Long & Foster,301-455-4506

Bethesda (20817)8703 Irvington Ave.......................$1,649,000..Sat/Sun 1-4....Autumn Ambrose ...Potomac Heritage........240-687-1104

Potomac (20854)11309 Willowbrook Dr.....................$997,500........Sun 1-4..Maureen Cullinane.........Long & Foster........202-966-1400

11406 Falls Rd..............................$1,149,000........Sun 1-4........Leslie Friedson.........Long & Foster........301-455-4506

11432 Potomac Crest Dr.................$849,900........Sun 1-4........Leslie Friedson.........Long & Foster........301-455-4506

9229 Bentridge Ave ......................$1,149,000........Sun 1-4........Leslie Friedson.........Long & Foster........301-455-4506

North Potomac (20878)12626 Lloydminster Dr....................$625,000........Sun 1-4..........Alexa Kempel ..Washington Fine Prop..240-678-4561

Rockville (20852)10401 Grosvenor Pl, Unit 1125.......$285,000........Sun 1-4........Pam Costianes.........Long & Foster........301-980-0085

10715 Hampton Mill Ter #200.........$369,000........Sun 1-4...........Melissa Caro..................Wiechert........301-656-2500

11750 Old Georgetown Rd #2318...$391,335 .......Sat 11-6..............Bob Lucido..........................Toll........410-979-6024





5821 Inman Pk Cir #310..................$358,900........Sun 1-4 ..........Merry Sloane ..................RE/MAX........301-774-5900

Home Life Style

By Mike Denker

And Todd McPhee

Special to the Almanac

Legend has it that civilization began withhot water. Most of us could not imagine alife without that hot wake-up stuff in themorning. My grandfather heated hot wa-

ter in a big pot on the wood stove for the weeklybath on Saturday evening. Lots of folks used to dothat.

Today we have technologically advanced waterheaters, so knowing something about the highly com-plicated maze of water heater choices may help youwhen the time comes to replace your water heater.Unfortunately we are so wedded to hot water that

we typically make quick decisionsbased on short term economy andnot knowledge, because we wantour hot water now!

Today we have hot water heating devices that areessentially automatic. And like most of the mechani-cal things in our lives we don’t know how they workor, God forbid, how to repair or replace them. Wespend a lot of money heating water in our houses,and most of us would say it is worth it. After spaceheating and cooling, water heating is the next bigconsumer of energy in our homes. It does pay tokeep informed about this issue if you watch yourpennies. Since the cost of energy has risen and thepolitics of where energy comes from is constantly inthe headlines, the pressure is on to improve and in-novate and save energy dollars. At the same timethe choices for consumers have multiplied and makeit more confusing. In general the more energy effi-cient a water heater is, the more expensive it is interms of up front costs. I recommend that you buythe most energy efficient heater you can afford ifyou plan to stay in your home.

In Israel, almost every home uses the sun to heattheir water. The U.S. with lots of energy sources lagsway behind using this free heat source. The U.S.would save billions in energy costs if everyone hada solar water heater on their roof. If you are con-cerned with green energy usage, this is almost a nobrainer. I suspect that in time most homes in theU.S. will have these solar hot water heaters whichdo not pollute. I will save a deeper discussion ofgreen solar energy systems for a future column.

Most folks have a big white tank water heater intheir utility room. These are either powered by elec-tricity, natural gas, propane gas or now, much lesscommonly, by fuel oil. If your home is heated by hotwater then you have a “boiler” that may also be pro-viding your hot water. The big white tanks, what-ever their fuel type, have a metal tank inside sur-rounded by insulation. In older models there waslots of heat loss — wasted energy as the tank sitsfull of hot water, and you are away or not using it.As the cost of energy has risen, American corpora-tions that manufacture our hot water heaters beganto add lots more insulation. Every year our whitetanks have grown “fatter’ as more insulation has beenadded. Do-it-yourself home owners have also beenencouraged to wrap their tanks with a second layerof insulation blanket.

Of the fuels that power our hot water heaters, elec-tricity is the most expensive, but initially these elec-tric hot water heaters are the cheapest to install sincethey do not require any sort of chimney. Natural gasis the least expensive fuel, followed by propane gasand then fuel oil, all of which have combustion tak-ing place inside the heater and thus require a chim-

Getting into Hot Water Again

MikeDenker,left,andToddMcPhee

Home Work

ney. The most modern and efficient of these no longerrequire a vertical chimney and can be vented hori-zontally with the aid of a small fan through a plasticpipe that penetrates the side wall of the home. Thesesouped-up tank heaters also pull their combustionair from the outside instead of using air from the in-side of the house which saves energy dollars. A highlyevolved electric water heater on the market, whichthe manufacturer says is extremely efficient, has aminiature heat pump built on the top of the whitetank.

There is another new hot water heater on the mar-ket these days: the tankless heater. These have beenused for years in Europe and Asia where energy costshave always been higher than the U.S. Instead ofhaving a tank full of hot water waiting for you to useit, even while you might be away on vacation, tanklessor “on demand water heaters” heat the water as it iscalled for. They are more efficient than tank heaters,they typically last longer, but they cost more to buy,and they can be more expensive to install. One of thethings people love about them is that they never runout of hot water. If you have teenagers who take theirshowers before you, this might be a reason to buy atankless heater. All gas fired hot water heaters usedto have pilot lights that burned perpetually to lightthe gas when ever it was called for. These are nowbeing replaced by automatic sparking devices. Thisalone saves serious money over the years.

The average life of a big white heater tank is 10-15years. Some go at 9 years and some last for 20 years.If you are handy you should open the drain at thebottom of your water heater periodically and let outthe cruddy mineral water that settles there and maycorrode the tank and lessen its overall efficiency.There are helpful descriptions of why and how to dothis on the internet. There is also an anode rod inyour tank that has a sacrificial part to play. Instead ofthe water in your tank slowly corroding away thetank metal, the anode rod is eaten away instead. Thistoo takes a simple replacement.

Lastly, if your hot water heater is providing waterthat is too hot to the touch at the tap, you may bewasting fuel when you mix it with cold water. Onecan adjust the temperature setting on your hot waterheater, and it doesn’t doesn’t take an engineer’s knowhow to do that. Go to your hot water heater with aflashlight and a screw driver and perhaps a knee pad.Of course there is another way to look at water thatis too hot. If you perpetually run out of hot water,before replacing the unit, raise the temperature set-ting, so that by diluting it you can stretch the totalvolume of hot water. Any way you look at it, havinghot water at hand is a simple but significant pleasureof civilized life that one often takes for granted untilit isn’t there.

Michael Porter Denker is one of the founders of the Hopkinsand Porter; Todd McPhee, is a 10-year veteran of the residen-tial construction industry who heads Hopkins & Porter’sHandymen Division.


© Google Map data

1 10204 Riverwood Drive,Potomac — $2,150,000

2 9021 Brickyard Road, Potomac — $1,995,000

4 11513 Lake Potomac Drive,Potomac — $1,400,000

5 10320 Holly Hill Place, Potomac — $1,350,0007 12500 Park Potomac Avenue

#1005N, Potomac — $1,305,000

6

3

4

5

7

2

1

Photos by Deb Stevens/The Almanac

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

1 10204 RIVERWOOD DR ............ 7 .. 6 .. 2 ..... POTOMAC .... $2,150,000 .... Detached .... 2.21 ......... 20854 .... POTOMAC OUTSIDE ....... 12/23/11

2 9021 BRICKYARD RD ................ 5 .. 5 .. 2 ..... POTOMAC .... $1,995,000 .... Detached .... 2.00 ......... 20854 ....... POTOMAC FALLS ......... 12/16/11

3 10400 DEMOCRACY BLVD ........ 5 .. 6 .. 1 ..... POTOMAC .... $1,650,000 .... Detached .... 2.65 ......... 20854 ............ POTOMAC .............. 12/02/11

4 11513 LAKE POTOMAC DR ....... 5 .. 6 .. 1 ..... POTOMAC .... $1,400,000 .... Detached .... 2.00 ......... 20854 ....... LAKE POTOMAC .......... 12/15/11

5 10320 HOLLY HILL PL ............... 5 .. 4 .. 2 ..... POTOMAC .... $1,350,000 .... Detached .... 0.57 ......... 20854 ........... BLENHEIM .............. 12/29/11

6 9200 FALLS BRIDGE LN ............. 6 .. 4 .. 1 ..... POTOMAC .... $1,316,231 .... Detached .... 2.17 ......... 20854 .... POTOMAC OUTSIDE ....... 12/09/11

7 12500 PARK POTOMAC AVE#1005N 2 .. 2 .. 1 ..... POTOMAC .... $1,305,000 .... Penthouse .................... 20854 ....... PARK POTOMAC .......... 12/09/11

Source: MRIS, Inc. For more information on MRIS, visit www.mris.com

Potomac REAL ESTATE

Top Sales inDecember 2011

In December 2011, 37 Potomac homes

sold between $2,150,000-$349,990.


SportsPotomac Almanac Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-224-3015 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

By Jon Roetman

The Almanac

Whitman girls’ basket-ball coach Pete Kenahsat at a desk andopened the team’s

scorebook after a Feb. 3 contestagainst Springbrook. Two days earlier,the Vikings shot 3 for 28 in the firsthalf against Richard Montgomery enroute to a 54-40 loss. Forty-eight hourslater, Whitman’s offensive effortagainst the talented Blue Devils leftthe scorebook littered with ink.

Four Vikings reached double figuresand six scored at least seven points asWhitman produced its second-great-est offensive output of the season dur-ing a 75-64 victory at WWHS.

The Vikings had scored 44 or fewerpoints in four of their last five gamesbefore unloading against the BlueDevils’ man-to-man defense. Whitmanscored 24 points in the second quar-ter and led 38-33 at halftime, nearlymatching in 16 minutes what took 32to produce against Richard Montgom-ery.

“We were confident against theirman-to-man defense that we could getsome things done,” said Kenah, whoseVikings have each had to make 115shots during recent practices in anattempt boost offensive production. “Ithink making a couple shots early justlet us go. … I think a part of it wasthe quality of the looks. Not as manylooks were contested and part of thatwas [due to] the ball movement andthe penetration.”

Senior guard Rachel Sisco torchedSpringbrook inside and out, attackingthe basket and knocking down a pairof 3-pointers on her way to a team-high 17 points. With Whitman lead

Junior forward AndrewCastagnetti led Whitman with 16points during a loss toSpringbrook on Feb. 3.

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Whitman Boys LoseTo Springbrook

The Whitman boys’ basketball teamtrailed by 18 at halftime and lost toSpringbrook 62-34 on Feb. 3 at WWHS.

Andrew Castagnetti led the Vikingswith 16 points. Jake Harrison finishedwith six points.

Whitman (4-14) will travel to faceGaithersburg at 5:15 p.m. on Friday, Feb.10.

Clarksburg SnapsChurchill Boys’Win Streak

The Churchill boys’ basketball teamlost to Clarksburg 47-45 on Feb. 3, snap-ping the Bulldogs’ eight-game win streakand dropping their record to 14-4.

After clinching back-to-back division titleswith a victory against Richard Montgom-ery on Jan. 30, Churchill beat WalterJohnson 50-37 on Feb. 1. Sam Edens scoreda career-high 24 points for the Bulldogs.Thomas Geenen grabbed 12 rebounds.

Churchill will host Northwood at 5:15p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Churchill GirlsBounce Back

Two days after losing to Walter Johnson48-41, the Churchill girls’ basketball teamdefeated Clarksburg 52-30 on Feb. 3.

The win improved Churchill’s record to15-3. Through 18 games, the Bulldogs wereranked No. 20 in the Washington Post’s top20.

Churchill will host Northwood at 7 p.m.on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Sports Briefs

See Vikings, Page 13

Whitman senior Rachel Sisco scored a team-high 17points in a win against Springbrook on Feb. 3.

Whitman junior Brittany Fleck scored 11 points — allin the second half — against Springbrook on Feb. 3.

Whitman Girls Bust Out of Offensive SlumpAfter recentstruggles, Vikingsscore 75 in winagainst Springbrook.

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“We were confidentagainst their man-to-mandefense that we could getsome things done. I thinkmaking a couple shotsearly just let us go.”

— Whitman girls’ basketball coachPete Kenah


Sports

From Page 12

ing 50-49 entering the fourth quarter, Sisco openedthe final period with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer from the right wing.

No. 5 also contributed to a defensive effort thatforced 31 Springbrook turnovers.

“I think we really came in thinking we were goingto win,” Sisco said. “We prepare so much for everygame, we really felt like we prepared much morethan Springbrook. We really knew the team well andthat we really knew that we could stop everythingthey had.”

Junior forward Dani Okon also contributed at bothends of the floor, most notably during a high-octanesecond quarter. Okon scored six of her nine points inthe quarter and led an aggressive, full-court defensethat forced nine turnovers in the period.

“She’s just a demon on our 1-2-2 press,” Kenahsaid. “The deflections, they got us easy looks. … Herability in the second quarter to get us easy layupsreally helped our confidence.”

Junior guard Kim Durante, who entered the con-test averaging 3 points per game, came off the benchto score 14. Durante received an inbounds pass un-der the basket, scored and was fouled with 1:35 re-maining in the second quarter. She would convertthe three-point play, giving the Vikings a 38-29 lead— their largest of the first half.

Whitman led by three with five minutes to play

when Durante buried a 3-pointer from the right cor-ner. The Vikings led by at least four points the re-mainder of the contest.

SENIOR FORWARD Kristina Feldesman scored 13points for Whitman and junior guard Brittany Fleckadded 11. Fleck scored all 11 points in the secondhalf, including multiple clutch jumpers.

“We never gave up with our shooting and our de-fense,” Fleck said. “I think that was big. We neverlost our confidence.”

Five-foot-9 junior post Linn Bumpers scored sevenpoints and grabbed seven rebounds while battlinginside against a Springbrook team with superior size.

“That kid’s just tough as nails — love her to death,”Kenah said. “She comes to practice and it’s always ina sleeveless jersey. She is proud of her guns or herpipes or whatever she’s calling [her arms] this week.It’s just who she is. But what was so neat was in thefirst quarter there was that toughness, [but] the skillcame. There were some layups around the rim thatshe was able to make that really, really helped us.”

Whitman improved to 11-7 while Springbrook fellto 12-6. The Blue Devils received a 26-point effortfrom Capree Garner and outrebounded Whitman 42-31, but it wasn’t enough.

Said Kenah: “I just think that it’s going to help ourswagger and our confidence moving forward.”

Whitman will travel to face defending state cham-pion Gaithersburg at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10.

Vikings Score 75 Against Springbrook

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The chemotherapy juice, that is. Going for-ward now, every three weeks until I’ve com-pleted six infusions, finishing sometime aroundmid May barring any foreseen – and previouslyexperienced blips (meaning delays): levels,counts, readings, etc., that would compel myoncologist to stop the treatment and awaitresults of a retest. If past is at all prologue, inevi-tably, one of the required pre-chemotherapyblood and urine labs will indicate that my bodyneeds a little “R and R:” recuperation andregeneration of something or other that the che-motherapy destroyed on its way to attacking andhopefully shrinking the tumors. As a result, I willbe off schedule to allow my body to settle backto reasonably abnormal (given the severity of thetreatment, “normal” is hardly in play anymore).However, it’s a process – of fits and starts – onewith which I’m familiar so I’m not too con-cerned about it. Otherwise, I’ll be reclining in aBarcalounger at The Infusion Center watchingthe I.V. drip its cancer-fighting poison into myarm.

However, since this six-time infusion is arepeat performance, I wonder if “reasonablynormal” is somehow more problematic the sec-ond time around. My oncologist agreed with ourdecision to re-start because he said/ recom-mended it by saying: “Since it worked so wellthe first time, we’ll probably just do the samething.” “Worked so well” means the tumorsshrank and my body tolerated the treatment (nota guarantee, however; one time, I witnessedanother chemotherapy patient have a seizurebecause his body couldn’t handle the drug withwhich he was being infused so they had to stophis treatment). So I’m not taking anything forgranted. Nor am I particularly eager or excited. Iam however, cautiously optimistic that onceagain I can survive the ordeal, and make no mis-take about it, chemotherapy can be an ordeal.

Certainly knowing what to expect is a bighelp. Originally, the anxiety of all the treatments,all the appointments, all the pills and all thepotential side effects; not to mention the emo-tional disruptions an out-of-the-blue terminaldiagnosis can cause, created a sense of forebod-ing and negativity that took a little (make that alot) of time and effort to navigate. But we did,and as we prepare to climb this emotional andphysical (not literal) mountain once again, theexperience we gained from the initial treatmentthree years ago has led to significantly less stressfor this round (round two).

As with round one, there are no guarantees. Iwill be “CT-Scanned” in mid February – aftertwo infusions, to assess the effect of the first twochemotherapy treatments. No doubt, waiting forthose results will be stressful. However, I’m notsure if indications after only two infusions aresignificant – good or bad, it’s simply prudent atthat juncture. Still, we will be hanging on theoncologist’s every word, every inflection onevery syllable, when he tells us the results – try-ing to interpret and discern the true meaning ofhis doctor-speak. Having endured this processmany times over the past three years certainlywill help us now. However, given the seriousnessand life-changing (you’ll note I didn’t say “life-ending”) nature of the conversation, there’s onlyso much one can do to prepare. It’s really moreabout bracing yourself. It’s a difficult and emo-tional moment, almost akin to an out-of-bodyexperience, if there is such a thing.

And after three years of being treated for,and living with, a terminal diagnosis (stage IVlung cancer; there is no stage V), I sort of recog-nize the various crossroads when I approachthem. All you can do is whatever you need todo to get through it. At that moment, there areno rules; it’s just instinct and self-preservation.Be true to yourself. It’s your life (or death, to behonest); go live it, in health and especially insickness.

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quoted in numerous publications and hasappeared on CNN Financial News, CNN’sLou Dobbs Tonight and the Nightly BusinessReport. She is a graduate of Duke Univer-sity and the European Community Law Pro-gram at King’s College, London, England.

“Business ethics encompasses honesty, in-tegrity and corporate responsibility,” saidMartens. “Companies often find it difficultto understand a different cultural context.We help them create programs that tran-scend national boundaries. Some of the glo-bally challenging areas we work on with in-ternational companies are conflicts of in-terest, privacy issues, discrimination, sexualharassment, gender equity, gifts and enter-tainment. These areas may be viewed dif-ferently in a foreign environment from theculture and regulations that we have in theU.S.”

She continued: “For example, when is agift acceptable - and when is it a bribe? Howdoes a corporation maintain standards – butnot be offensive? In the Middle East, if awealthy sheik gives a businessman an ex-pensive watch, it may be an insult to di-rectly refuse it. The gift is simply a token ofappreciation and a gesture of good will to-wards a business relationship. We help com-

News

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

If you had the opportunity to design anew urban plan for Potomac Village,what would you change?

Twelve junior and senior students fromthe Connelly School of the Holy Child weregiven this challenge Tuesday morning, Jan.24, during a surprise “mini-mester” day.After an explanation of what city planningis all about by teacher Cindy Kahan, the girlswere assigned to “dream big with no con-straints.” They envisioned creative ways toimprove the River and Falls crossroads area— and to make Potomac a better place tolive, work and play.

The “mini-mester” day was a new con-cept at Holy Child. Upon arrival at schoollast week, upper-level students were sur-prised that classes were cancelled. In theirplace were “mini-mester” courses on topicsdesigned to spark interest or fulfill passions.Teachers had been given the opportunityto plan and teach their dream courses, re-sulting in workshops that mixed the arts andscience, hobbies and travel, mythology andmodern life.

According to Kathy Ely, director of com-munications, “A stroll around the halls onthis special day provided amazing mo-ments: Jane Austen fans living the life ofthe Bennetts, from high tea to whist andformal dancing; art history coming to lifeas fans and haters debated whether mod-

ern art sculptures or Dali’s psychedelicpaintings are, in fact, good art; 16-year-olds still negotiating allowances while get-ting their heads around stock exchangesand compound interest — and girls get-ting to know themselves by delving intopersonality trait testing. There was Paris,the night sky, “storm stories” and evenknitting.”

Students were surprised but positiveabout the classes and opportunities. Onestudent who opted to learn “FoundationalTheology” said, “I liked that the class wasfree response, not as structured as regularclasses.” One junior loved the Jane Austen“tea party” and “An Introduction to YourPersonality.” The young women who chosethe “Designing Better Communities” chal-lenge were first briefed on the concepts ofsmart growth and environmentally friendlyurbanization by Kahan who earned her

master’s degree in urban planning. Theywere told to list the strengths, weaknessesand problems in the Village. The studentswere particularly concerned about the traf-fic and lack of pedestrian and/or bicycletrails.

They developed the idea of a central plazain the middle of the River/Falls Road inter-section with the traffic diverted around theplaza by round-abouts. They added walk-ing and bicycle paths around the perimeter.The student planners envisioned all kindsof activities in the village plaza, includinga farmer’s market, play-ground, outdoorconcerts and gatherings for the community.They also felt the Village needs higher den-sity housing to accommodate lower in-comes, seniors who wish to downsize yetremain in the community and the youngerfirst-time buyer. They also planned moreoutdoor cafes and a variety of boutiques —

and they were unanimous that Starbucksmust remain.

The young women also discussed the his-torical perspective of Potomac. They felt thehome at the corner of River and Falls whichcurrently houses W & A.N. Miller Real Es-tate could be turned into a Potomac histori-cal museum. Other historical homes andplaces in Potomac could be identified andhighlighted in the museum. Other plansincluded closing the plaza area on week-ends and diverting traffic outside the cross-roads area. Several of the girls told Kahanthat, after the seminar, they viewed theirenvironment differently — that they nowrealize that urban change can take placethrough community channels.

Next year, Holy Child plans to expandtheir “mini-mester” concept by offeringweek-long or even multi-week courses dur-ing the semester break.

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Ethics is a familiar topic in the news— from charges that a politicalcandidate has ethics violations tothe savings and loan crisis in the

1990s to the very current banking and mort-gage financial break-down. The establish-ment of business ethics came into its ownarena in the late 1980s, both within majorcorporations as well as in academia.

Lori Tansey Martens saw a need to helpmultinational corporations understand thenew environment of business ethics as theyexpanded to new international frontiers,particularly in extremely different culturessuch as China, former Soviet block coun-tries and Southeast Asia. The Potomac resi-dent founded the International BusinessEthics Institute (IBEI) in 1994. It was thefirst organization “dedicated to

transnationalism in the field of applied busi-ness ethics.”

“When I founded the company, we werepioneers in a brand-new industry,” saidMartens. “Businesses needed help. Manycompanies did not have a code of ethics.Global businesses had an even more diffi-cult time establishing ethics because of dif-fering cultural issues and customs.

“Business practices varied greatly fromBeijing to Berlin, from Santiago to Shang-hai. We came in on the ground floor of theethics industry and, through trial and er-ror, developed methods to disseminateknowledge, good practices and integrityprograms in business ethics. At the time,many companies were expanding their glo-bal presence. The Berlin Wall had comedown, China was opening up to foreign in-vestment and the world was becomingsmaller due to easier travel and communi-cation.”

Martens’ experience was gained at Proc-tor and Gamble and at D.C.’s Ethics ResourceCenter, where she served as director of Ad-visory Services. At the center, she launchedthe first National Business Ethics Survey,which has become a leading benchmarksurvey in the ethics field. Martens has been

panies find ways tomaintain their valuesand standards interna-tionally without causingoffense in other cul-tures.”

IBEI assists corporations in establishingcodes of conduct, training their employees,evaluating the effectiveness of their overallethics program and providing a plan for fur-ther action. They are specialists in globalorganizational integrity and ethics pro-grams. As Martens explains, “Ethics is nowbeing confused with compliance — and it’sbecome too focused on laws and attorneys.Ethical standards are about doing what’sright — a set of values which govern a cor-poration beyond mere legal compliance. Forexample, Enron and WorldCom were viewedprimarily as ethics scandals, but those com-panies flagrantly broke the law. On the otherhand, the 2008 banking/mortgage/financialbreakdown was at its heart a failure of eth-ics. Laws may not have been broken, butthe results have been catastrophic.

IBEI is headquartered at 1776 I Street NW,Washington DC 20006. To find out moreabout the company, see www.business-ethics.org or call 202-296-6936.

Teachers presenttheir dream courses.

‘Mini-Mester’ Day Challenges Holy Child Students

Students who redesigned Potomac Village are AnnaSmith, Frances Agage, Ally Vassos and Haley Williams.

Staff members Chris Boragno and Shannon Vandemonstrate self-defense techniques.

Helping Businesses Navigate Ethics GloballyLori Tansey Martens’focus is oninternational ethics.

Martens

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