Potomac - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/... · 19.12.2016 · advice...

Potomac Almanac ❖ December 21-27, 2016 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Water, Silt andA Canal-Full of IssuesNews, Page 3

So Many Gifts,And So CloseHoliday Gift Guide, Page 2

Helping OthersDeal with LossA+, 0

Water, Silt andA Canal-Full of IssuesNews, Page 3

So Many Gifts,And So CloseHoliday Gift Guide, Page 2

Helping OthersDeal with LossA+, Page 10

December 21-27, 2016

C

alendar, Page 7

❖

R

eal Estate 8

❖

C

lassifieds, Page 11

PotomacPotomac

online at potomacalmanac.com

Pho

to

by D

ebo

rah Stevens/T

he A

lm

anac

Bringing JoyBringing Joy

Page 10

Holiday

Entertainment and

Gift Guide

Inside

Escorted by the CabinJohn Volunteer Fire De-partment, Santa made hisannual rounds througharea neighborhoods,collecting toys for theNational Center for Chil-dren and Families, the U.S.Marines Toys for Tots andthe Children’s NationalMedical Center.

Escorted by the CabinJohn Volunteer Fire De-partment, Santa made hisannual rounds througharea neighborhoods,collecting toys for theNational Center for Chil-dren and Families, the U.S.Marines Toys for Tots andthe Children’s NationalMedical Center.

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ December 21-27, 2016 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See Exploring, Page 6

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Not to bring on a Potomacpanic, but soon all holidayshopping must be finished.This year, instead of driving

to Montgomery or Tysons Corner malls —avoid the hassle of jockeying for a parkingplace, the frustration of searching throughboring department stores and make it easyon yourself. Hustle to two often-forgottenshopping centers located near the SevenLocks and Montrose Road(just off I-270) intersection.No jostling through crowds,waiting in lines, or driving anhour for the same-old gifts.The best news: Local storeowners will give lots of helplocating that one-of-a kindperfect present.

In addition, both PotomacWoods Plaza and ParkPotomac offer restaurantswhere, because you saved somuch time finding your gifts,you can enjoy a lunch, a cock-tail and appetizer or a delec-table meal. Harris Teeter isalso located in Park Potomacfor grocery needs.

IF SHOPPING for thewomen in your life, head tothe contemporary ParkPotomac fashion boutique,Emily Grace which providestrendsetting styles and acces-sories. All the latest designerssuch as Vince, Diane Von Furstenberg, Aliceand Olivia, AG Denim, James Denim, BobiTees, Splendid and Velvet can be found atthis boutique.Best of all, Emily Grace will provide a per-sonal shopper for styling tips, closet con-sultations and creating outfits.

“We have fabulous gifts for women of allages,” said sales consultant Kim Levine.“Come to Emily Grace to shop for the holi-days before our unique present supply getslow. We get new things in every day — butthey often fly off our shelves.”

Levine has worked at the store for manyyears and is an expert in helping to findjust the right gift. “We carry everything fromgorgeous jewelry by local designer Lori

Albert to jeans, jackets, sweaters, hats andgloves. Our sales team provides excellentadvice at pulling together the perfect outfitfor your occasion,” she said. Check this storeout at www.shopemilygrace.com.

NEXT HEAD UP the hill to the “neighbor-hood wine and beer shop.” The Bottle Shop,located in the Potomac Woods Plaza, justadjacent to Park Potomac, offers quality,ambiance and education. Try to come onThursday from 5-8 p.m. for the Craft BeerTasting or on Friday from 5-8 p.m. for awine tasting. Brian Low or one of the otherknowledgeable employees will help pairyour wines with your holiday menus or se-lect that perfect wine or beer for a hostess

gift.The Bottle Shop marks their wines with

the Wine Spectator wine ratings and alsosells their beers and ales as individuals soyou can create an gift of six different craftbrews for that beer lover in the family. Takethem a Flying Dog, Mad Scientist or, believeit or not – a Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Cook-ing Dough Ale. For Christmas, try the St.Bernardus Christmas Ale or a ChristmasProseco (paired with their specialty choco-lates) makes a great gift too. Their websiteis www.mybottleshop.net.

NEED A SPECIAL gift foryour daughter, granddaughter,niece or friend — or for your-self? Or is your pre-teen at-tending a bar/bat mitzvah orcruising this winter or springvacation? On Cloud 9 is a one-stop shopping destination forparty dresses, casual wear,swimsuits, pj’s and hard-to-find special gifts. They carrydresses for infants to adults.

This is the place to look todiscover lots of stockingstuffers including emojis, pil-lows, rhinestone bling stickers,and stuffed animals. Sales con-sultant Marcy Steffes said, “Weare right on top of the latesttrend and we cater to everygirl’s whim.”

Owned by Carol Gowling,the store has long been a pri-mary destination for Potomacmoms and their daughters.

Learn more about this fan-tastic store at www.shoponcloud9.biz.

ANOTHER SHOPPING destination hasonly been in the Potomac Woods Plaza fora little over a year. Ibhana Boutique catersto women of all ages and sizes 2 – 20.

Owner Meena Tharmaratnam said, “I cre-ated the store in 2002 when I returned frommy native India with 100 pashmina shawls.It was the year the pashmina became popu-lar in America. I sold all 100 in the firstweek, and one night I sat and designed mybusiness card and launched Ibhana a fewmonths later.”

Initially, she sold her clothing from herhome, then at boutique fairs and now hasseveral storefronts. Ibhana offers clothing,separates, dresses, pants, tunics, raincoats,and fleecewear for the modern woman look-ing to create a flair and ease of style.

Tharmaratnam carries both Canadian andAmerican lines including Joseph Ribkoff, IC,Samuel Dong, Tianello and Papillon Blanc.

Tharmaratnam is generous with her timeand her store.

She designs scarves for corporate andnon-profit organizations to help them withtheir fundraising and branding. She said,“Over 40 commissioned scarves have been

Holiday Gift Guide

So Many Gifts, And So CloseExploring what’s available in the shops at Potomac Woods Plaza and Park Potomac.

An assortment of wine at TheBottle Shop.

Jeans and All at On Cloud 9. Emojis at On Cloud 9.

Brian Low displays theChristmas Proseco atThe Bottle Shop.

Pair a red wine with somechocolates for the perfectgift.

The purses and wallets fromIbhana.

The window at Ibhana provides alook into the store.

A cape and necklace from Ibhana.

Pho

to

s by D

ebo

rah

Steven

s/T

he A

lm

an

ac


NewsPotomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

By Peggy McEwan

The Almanac

Members of the West Mont-gomery County Citizens As-sociation got a verbal touralong the C&O Canal from

Kevin Brandt, superintendent of the C&ONational Historical Park, Wednesday.

Speaking at the WMCCA meeting Dec. 14,Brandt updated the group on work alongthe canal starting at mile marker zero inGeorgetown and continuing upriver.

“There is a ton of stuff going on startingin Georgetown and moving upstream,”Brandt said. “About two years ago westarted getting calls for the GeorgetownBusiness Improvement District about thecanal boat just sitting there.”

Conversations between the business dis-trict and Brandt’s office sharing ideas aboutimproving the look and usage of the canalhave been ongoing. Georgetown residentseven formed a nonprofit group, GeorgetownHeritage, to work with the park seekinggrants for the improvements both felt nec-essary.

To get water back into the lower part ofthe canal, Locks 3 and 4 will be recon-structed.

Unfortunately, Brandt said, when begin-ning the reconstruction of Lock 3 a contami-

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Potomac is welcoming Sonoran Rose— a new women’s boutique loadedwith clothing, jewelry, accessories,

home décor and gift items — to the retailspace previously occupied by Flora’s Nest.The boutique’s creators are Isabel Chiottiand her daughters Alessandra and Cristinaof Bethesda. “We are a team of fashion-for-ward, trend-setting ladies with a passion forsharing our love of style and beauty,” saidIsabel Chiotti.

The picturesque bungalow is just a fewmiles north of Potomac Village on RiverRoad. This is the first brick and mortar storefor Sonoran Rose; previously they haveshown their wares at holiday boutiqueshows and festivals, at shopping events inprivate homes and on-line. The specialty

ping at Sonoran Rose since it opened. “It’sa country boutique that gives me such awarm feeling,” she said.

Isabel Chiotti explains how they foundthis location: “My daughters and I had beenlooking for the perfect site for our shop butcould not find anything that fit our vision.Driving by one day, I noticed that the Flora’sspace was now available — and we werefortunate to be in the right place at the righttime. I was leaving to go hiking in Sedona,Ariz. — my favorite place in the world —and when I returned we worked out thedetails, and here we are. We are thrilled tohave the opportunity to get to know ourcustomers better, to offer personal shoppingservices and to provide exceptional, one-of-a kind items that have previously notbeen found in our area.”

Alessandra Chiotti is an artist who paintedthe many whimsical animal portraits thatdecorate the walls of the boutique. Her busi-ness is called Quirky Dog Artwork — andshe is available to paint that custom por-

nant was found in the soil and that needsto be removed. So, the lock is being takenapart stone by stone in order to get to thecontaminated soil and mitigate the prob-lem. It will then be reconstructed.

Often, he noted, one thing leads to an-other along the canal, but funding is in placeand the two locks are expected to be fin-ished in the early summer of 2018.

“It’s exciting to think about doing pro-grams down there,” Brandt said.

As Brandt’s report got closer to the sec-tions of the canal and towpath the WMCCAmembers use most often, he got more ques-tions from those at the meeting.

Brandt told about the Locks 5 Through22 Project that he expected to be fundedthis year but which has been held up be-cause, rather than pass a new budget, Con-gress continues to fund existing programsthrough Continuing Resolution. Thatmeans, Brandt said, the project which in-cludes a number of improvements along thecanal in Montgomery County is on hold.

Lock 5 is just above Little Falls, belowGlen Echo Park. Lock 22 is Pennyfield Lock,off River Road. The distance between thetwo is roughly 15 miles.

“We would like to have flowing wateralong this stretch,” Brandt said, “The allu-

Water, Silt and a Canal-Full of IssuesBrandt updatesWMCCA on C&ONational HistoricPark.

Kevin Brandt, superintendent of C & O National Historical Park, talkswith Susanne Lee and Carol Van Dam Falk, president of the West Mont-gomery County Citizens Association after the group’s meeting Dec. 14.

Pho

to

by Peggy M

cEw

an

/T

he A

lm

an

ac

vial fans are so significant we can’t get wa-ter [to flow].”

The discussion of silt in the waterprompted Glen Hills resident Ken Bower toask about the plan Washington SuburbanSanitary Commission proposed to move itsmid-river water intake farther into thePotomac.

“Our objection is they [WSSC] keep ask-ing to go farther and deeper,” Carol VanDam Falk, WMCCA president, said. “But thatdoes not address the problem.”

They need to be reforested in order toreduce erosion.

Brandt said the problem is the streamsleading into the river above the current in-take valve.

“In all our discussions of [the midriverintake] we’ve constantly pushed [WSSC] tofix the silt problem from Watts Branch,”Brandt said, “but we have no authority.”

Brandt said the midriver channel intakeis still in the review process. He said theNational Park Service looks at specific im-pacts the project will have on the canal andmakes recommendations.

“There are some significant impacts of theplan,” he said.

Other concerns expressed by those in at-tendance at the meeting were the proposedcatering facility which will be built behindAnglers Inn, the deer population along thecanal, traffic and parking along MacArthurBlvd. near Angler’s Inn and the loss of treescaused by the Emerald Ash Borer.

Being 184.5 miles long, The C&O Na-tional Historical Park gives Brandt and thecommunities it serves a lot of concerns, butalso provides pleasure to approximately3,150,000 people annually according theNational Park Service website.

Mom and Daughters Launch Sonoran Rose in Potomac

See Mom and Daughters, Page 6

shop opened its doors on Nov. 10 with mer-chandise from local and U.S. vendors andalso many international items from Argen-tina, Great Brittan, France, South Africa,Turkey and Canada.

Potomac’s Susie Redmond has been shop-

Alessandra Chiotti’s “Quirky DogArtwork” decorates the walls ofSonoran Rose.

Boutique shopopened last month.

Isabel and Cristina Chiotti cre-ated Sonoran Rose.

Pho

to

s by D

ebo

rah

Steven

s/T

he A

lm

an

ac


POTOMACALMANAC

www.PotomacAlmanac.com

Newspaper of PotomacA Connection Newspaper

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

to homes and businesses.

1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to

connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

PUBLISHERMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

EDITORIALPHONE: 703-778-9415

E-MAIL:[email protected]

EDITORSteven Mauren, 703-778-9415

[email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITORMike Salmon

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSSusan Belford, Carole Dell,

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

Ken Moore

ContributingPhotographers

Harvey Levine, Deborah Stevens

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager

Geovani Flores

ADVERTISINGFor advertising information

[email protected]

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVESDisplay Advertising:

Kenny Lourie [email protected]

Andrea Smith 703-778-9411Classified Advertising

[email protected]

Debbie FunkNational Sales & real Estate

[email protected]

David GriffinMarketing Assistant

[email protected]

Jerry VernonExecutive Vice President

[email protected]

CIRCULATION: [email protected]

Potomac Almanac is publishedby Local Media Connection LLC

Five Time First PlaceAward-WinnerPublic Service

MDDC Press Association

Four TimeNewspaper of the Year

An Award-winning Newspaperin Writing, Photography, Editing,

Graphics and Design

Opinion

See Urging Regional, Page 11

By The Rev. Mark Michael

Rector, St. Francis Episcopal Church

I fumbled in my wallet for a bill, my fin-gers a little numb from the frosty air. Theman ringing the bell flashed me a smileand waited patiently for me to drop it

into the red kettle. “God bless you, my friend,”he said. I thanked him for what he was doing,grateful he’d given me the chance to blesssomeone else in this special season.

This is my first Christmas in Potomac. It’sonly been a few weeks since my family and Imoved here from Virginia so I could begin serv-ing as the pastor of Saint Francis Church inthe middle of the village. But like many of you,I’ve been dropping money in those kettles foryears. It was a comforting sight to see the ringerand the kettle outside the Giant last Saturday.“The Salvation Army,” I thought to myself,“they’re here, too. They make Christmas feel alittle more like Christmas, and this town feel alittle more like home.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised to see theSalvation Army here in Potomac, as the char-ity operates 25,000 kettle stations around thecountry each year, and thousands more in cit-ies and towns all around the world. They’vebeen ringing bells and people have been toss-ing change in those red pots since 1891, whena local leader in San Francisco decided to hangout a crab pot by the dock to collect change togive a few dozen poor men a Christmas din-ner.

Over $144 million were collected last yearin those kettles, with millions more givenonline. The funds are used to supportChristmastime gifts and meals for 4.5million families, as well as other pro-grams throughout the year. There aremillions of volunteer bell ringers, whoserve in shifts at this busiest time ofthe year, to collect support for somany vulnerable people.

As I drove away, I regretted not having askedthe man with the broad smile why he had takena turn at the kettle. He was clearly enjoyinghimself, swaying a bit to the music comingthrough the loudspeakers, waving to little kidsin shopping carts. Like everybody else, hesurely had dozens of other things he could havebeen doing on a Saturday afternoon in mid-December. But here he was, helping peoplebless the poor. Maybe he’d been through hardtimes once, and someone had reached out toextend him a hand up. Maybe he just foundjoy and fulfillment in being part of somethingso valuable and important, “a bit of the Christ-mas spirit.”

Maybe, too, it was an expression of his faith.Salvation Army bell-ringers come from allwalks of life and profess many faiths, I’m sure.But the army itself is an unashamedly religiousorganization, a church founded to serve peoplewho sadly didn’t feel at home in otherchurches: the destitute and forgotten. There’sstill a bit of military panache about the outfit:brass braids, snappy salutes and the like. But

the organization exists to wage a spiritualbattle, a battle against hunger and indifference,a battle for light over darkness, for love andhope and joy. It relies on God’s help even more

profoundly than the dollars we fishout of our wallets to make a realdifference in the lives of the peopleit serves.

It’s no accident, either, that this aChristmastime project, sometimes still accom-panied by old-fashioned carols played by thosestunning brass bands. For Christians, Christ-mas is above all the time that God chose tobless the world by sending His only Son. Hecame as a poor man, a child born in a stable,part of a family that was dependent on themakeshift hospitality of others. The angels whosang the night of His birth proclaimed that theycame bearing good tidings for all people, thatthe One who was coming would bring peaceon earth and goodwill to all.

He is a gift and the bringer of gifts, this babyborn for us in Bethlehem. And nothing imi-tates His work quite so well as blessing some-one who really needs a sign of love, a reminderthat their life has value, that someone else caresenough to make sure they have something toeat and a warm place to sleep.

Everybody’s always reminding us how manyshopping days are left until Christmas. Butdon’t forget how many days remain at thisblessed season, to share a little hope and joy.Maybe, down in front of the Giant, he’s stillringing that bell.

Blessings in a Special Season

In the Sound

Of the Bells

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’Board of Directors Chairman Roger Berliner urged arealeaders to “replace competition with cooperation andcollaboration” on issues like restoring the Metrorail sys-tem and strengthening the region’s economiccompetitiveness. He addressed an audience of 200 of thearea’s top elected officials and business, civic, and non-profit leaders at the COG annual membership meetingat the Washington Marriott at Metro Center recently.

in the mirror and knowthat our region is collec-tively responsible forMetro’s current state of af-fairs, and more impor-tantly, its future. Time andtime again, regional lead-ers sacrificed thefuture in order to

avoid short term pain. And here weare. As is often said, insanity is do-ing the same thing over and over again andexpecting a different result.

There’s a saying: Be the kind of leader thatyou would like to follow. Paul Wiedefeld is thatkind of leader. No, even in the holiday spirt,he doesn’t walk on water. But Paul Wiedefeldhas a clear vision unclouded by parochial de-mands and, after just one year, an already im-pressive track record of taking on every ob-stacle that stands in the way of restoring thissystem. We cannot fail to take advantage ofhis leadership.

Safety comes first. We didn’t need this week’sdecoupling event to remind us that it is prior-ity 1, 2, and 3. But if this system belongs tothe region, then the region, not the federalgovernment, has to have the capacity to en-sure safe operations. What we have had inplace until now was not capable of achieving

that result. With COG playing a very signifi-cant role, we should be poised to pass legisla-tion in the District, Maryland, and Virginia cre-ating a real Metrorail Safety Commission thatwill have both authority and the responsibilityto ensure that safety remains the highest pri-ority.

If we let the GM do what must be done, wewill be in a better position to address Metro’s

long term funding needs, which wemust do. Our goal this past year hasbeen to lay the foundation for ourregion to coalesce around a respon-

sible plan that we can move forward with intime for the 2018 legislative sessions.

In furtherance of that goal, after a forum wehosted of leading transit operators, we at COGhave insisted that Metro adopt metrics forsafety, reliability, customer satisfaction, andfiscal management. We understand that ac-countability is a predicate to increased finan-cial support, and so does WMATA.

We also need the federal government to rec-ognize its own responsibility, both for wherewe are and where we need to go. We need thefederal government to be a true partner, notan overlord.

As we move forward, we will need to cometogether. COG is doing its part to advance thatoutcome. We have engaged the region’s lead-

Berliner Urges Regional Cooperation

Commentary

On Metrorail and economic competitiveness.

By Roger Berliner

President, County Council

Ladies and gentlemen, regional leadersall, thank you for joining us today. Be-fore reflecting on our progress this year,

and how we can continue to advance our pri-orities in 2017, I wanted to share a fewthoughts about the current state of affairs andwhat it means for our work.

I am not trying to be dramatic when I say toyou that I truly believe this is a watershedmoment for our region. We are being testedand it is by no means an easy test. And it isone of those pass/fail tests. There is no in be-tween. We either rise to the occasion or ourlegacy will be failure. Many are either skepti-cal or cynical or both when it comes to judg-ing our capacity to put the region’s needs aheadof parochial demands.

We must prove them wrong.Metro is us. Not anyone else. We must look


ww

w.lo

stdo

gand

catr

escu

e.or

gA

dopt

/Don

ate/

Volu

ntee

r

Copyright 2016 RealEstate Business Intelligence.Source: MRIS as of December 15, 2016.

In November 2016, 40 Potomac homes sold between $1,400,000-$480,000.

Home Sales

Address ................................ BR . FB .HB ... Postal City .... Sold Price ... Type ............... Lot AC .PostalCode ................ Subdivision9540 PURCELL DR .......................... 5 ... 5 ... 2 ....... POTOMAC ...... $1,400,000 .... Detached ............. 0.52 ....... 20854 .................... MCAULEY PARK12205 MEADOW CREEK CT ............ 5 ... 5 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ...... $1,375,000 .... Detached ............. 2.01 ....... 20854 .............. PINEY GLEN FARMS11500 RIDGE MIST TER .................. 5 ... 4 ... 2 ....... POTOMAC ...... $1,338,000 .... Detached ............. 0.22 ....... 20854 .................... CLAGETT FARM9412 CRIMSON LEAF TER ............... 4 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ...... $1,212,500 .... Detached ............. 0.53 ....... 20854 ............................... AVENEL10400 SANDRINGHAM CT .............. 5 ... 4 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ...... $1,200,000 .... Detached ............. 0.46 ....... 20854 .... PT ROCKVILLE OUT RES. 39612 BEMAN WOODS WAY ............. 4 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ...... $1,125,000 .... Townhouse .......... 0.12 ....... 20854 ............................... AVENEL9601 SOTWEED DR ........................ 4 ... 4 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ...... $1,100,000 .... Detached ............. 0.41 ....... 20854 ......... MASS AVE HIGHLANDS9105 SHAD LN ............................... 6 ... 5 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ...... $1,075,000 .... Detached ............. 0.51 ....... 20854 ........ LAKE NORMANDY ESTS12404 BACALL LN .......................... 5 ... 4 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ...... $1,006,634 .... Detached ............. 4.31 ....... 20854 ....... STONEY CREEK ESTATES12845 HUNTSMAN WAY ................. 6 ... 4 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ...... $1,000,000 .... Detached ............. 0.25 ....... 20854 .......... POTOMAC COMMONS7709 HIDDEN MEADOW TER .......... 4 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $985,000 .... Townhouse .......... 0.08 ....... 20854 ........................ RIVER FALLS10101 GARY RD ............................. 4 ... 3 ... 0 ....... POTOMAC ......... $938,438 .... Detached ............. 1.38 ....... 20854 .................. POTOMAC HILLS9500 REACH RD ............................ 5 ... 4 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $902,000 .... Detached ............. 0.27 ....... 20854 ........................ FALLSREACH9225 WOODEN BRIDGE RD ............ 4 ... 2 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $900,000 .... Detached ............. 0.24 ....... 20854 .......... POTOMAC COMMONS12532 ANSIN CIRCLE DR ................ 4 ... 4 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $900,000 .... Townhouse .......... 0.03 ....... 20854 ............ WHEEL OF FORTUNE11829 GOYA DR ............................. 5 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $880,000 .... Detached ............. 0.25 ....... 20854 ............ WILLERBURN ACRES11805 HUNTING RIDGE CT ............. 5 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $865,000 .... Detached ............. 0.43 ....... 20854 .......................... GLEN OAKS9000 ROUEN LN ............................ 4 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $865,000 .... Detached ............. 0.38 ....... 20854 ........ LAKE NORMANDY ESTS9476 TURNBERRY DR..................... 4 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $835,000 .... Townhouse .......... 0.09 ....... 20854 ............................... AVENEL7819 ORACLE PL ............................ 4 ... 3 ... 2 ....... POTOMAC ......... $835,000 .... Townhouse .......... 0.05 ....... 20854 ............ BELLS MILL SPRINGS12429 OVER RIDGE RD ................... 5 ... 2 ... 1 ...... ROCKVILLE ........ $830,000 .... Detached ............. 0.29 ....... 20854 ...................... COPENHAVER9829 WILDEN LN ........................... 5 ... 2 ... 2 ....... POTOMAC ......... $813,000 .... Detached ............. 0.23 ....... 20854 ................... BEDFORDSHIRE12 SCOTCH MIST CT ...................... 4 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $805,000 .... Detached ............. 0.31 ....... 20854 ...... POTOMAC WOODS EAST8007 GRAND TETON DR ................. 3 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $800,000 .... Townhouse .......... 0.16 ....... 20854 ............. INVERNESS FOREST12500 PARK POTOMAC AVE#404 S .. 2 ... 2 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $795,000 .... Hi-Rise 9+ Floors .................. 20854 ................... PARK POTOMAC1993 MILBORO DR ........................ 4 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $787,500 .... Detached ............. 0.27 ....... 20854 .............. POTOMAC WOODS9113 BELLS MILL RD ...................... 5 ... 3 ... 0 ....... POTOMAC ......... $785,000 .... Detached ............. 0.33 ....... 20854 ....................... PINE KNOLLS8016 GRAND TETON DR ................. 4 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $775,000 .... Townhouse .......... 0.23 ....... 20854 ............. INVERNESS FOREST8020 LAKENHEATH WAY ................ 4 ... 2 ... 2 ....... POTOMAC ......... $760,000 .... Detached ............. 0.30 ....... 20854 ............. INVERNESS FOREST10712 GREAT ARBOR DR ................ 4 ... 3 ... 0 ....... POTOMAC ......... $730,000 .... Detached ............. 0.30 ....... 20854 ............... RED COAT WOODS12300 STONEY CREEK RD .............. 4 ... 4 ... 0 ...... ROCKVILLE ........ $700,000 .... Detached ............. 2.00 ....... 20854 ....... STONEY CREEK ESTATES5 BIG TREE CT ............................... 4 ... 3 ... 1 ...... ROCKVILLE ........ $698,400 .... Detached ............. 0.26 ....... 20854 ........................ FALLS RIDGE1402 KERSEY LN ............................ 4 ... 2 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $690,000 .... Detached ............. 0.30 ....... 20854 .............. POTOMAC WOODS12022 COLDSTREAM DR ................ 5 ... 4 ... 0 ....... POTOMAC ......... $672,000 .... Detached ............. 0.24 ....... 20854 ................... BEVERLY FARMS10931 WHITERIM DR ..................... 3 ... 2 ... 2 ....... POTOMAC ......... $650,000 .... Townhouse .......... 0.05 ....... 20854 ..... FAWSETT FARMS MANOR9901 GLEN RD ............................... 5 ... 3 ... 0 ....... POTOMAC ......... $647,500 .... Detached ............. 0.34 ....... 20854 .......................... GLEN OAKS1409 STRATTON DR ....................... 3 ... 3 ... 0 ...... ROCKVILLE ........ $600,000 .... Detached ............. 0.24 ....... 20854 .............. POTOMAC WOODS426 WATTS BRANCH PKWY ............ 4 ... 2 ... 2 ...... ROCKVILLE ........ $560,000 .... Detached ............. 0.26 ....... 20854 ........................ FALLSWOOD8173 INVERNESS RIDGE RD ............ 3 ... 2 ... 2 ....... POTOMAC ......... $510,000 .... Townhouse .......... 0.05 ....... 20854 ........ INVERNESS FOREST TH9317 BENTRIDGE AVE .................... 4 ... 2 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ......... $480,000 .... Townhouse .......... 0.04 ....... 20854 ........................ FALLSREACH


Mom and Daughters Launch Sonoran Rose in PotomacFrom Page 3

Some of the items for sale atSonoran Rose.

Soaps andcandles can be

stocking stuffersand hostess gifts.

trait of a beloved pet. Her work can be seenat www.quirkydogartwork.com. “We areconsidering turning the upstairs of thisproperty into an art gallery for local artiststo display their paintings,” said her sisterCristina.

The store displays French soaps, SouthAfrican towels and bags, handbags fromArgentina and Canada, scarves, trendydenim, Zkano socks from Alabama, candlesfrom Love Nature NYC, Hand in HandCharitable soaps and candles, soaps madewith favorite wines from the Napa SoapCompany, Scamp’s Toffee from Pennsylva-nia, trays from Sweden and jewelry createdby Alessandra and Isabel as well as otherjewelry created by local designers. They alsooffer a range of original gifts — and evencarry the gift for puppies — creative doggiecookies.

Potomac’s Melinda Richardson said,

“Flora’s couldn’t have found a nicer replace-ment. I used to be a Flora’s Fanatic — andnow I love coming here. I love their relaxedyet stylish clothes.”

“What began as a mother’s dream to starther own boutique slowly evolved intoSonoran Rose,” said Isabel Chiotti. “Ourjoint passion for fashion, combined withIsabel’s love of retail and Alessandra andCristina’s creative talents, inspired SonoranRose.

“We started Sonoran Rose with the mis-sion of bringing women an easy and uniqueshopping experience. We believe in indi-viduality and that it is possible to dress com-fortably and easily without sacrificing styleor quality. The Sonoran Rose woman is aconfident, easy-going gal with an eco-con-scious and fashion savvy mind. Our aes-thetic is a clean, minimalist look with easyand modern silhouettes.”

Sonoran Rose is open Monday through

Saturday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and on Sun-day from 12-5 p.m., or visit www.sonoran-rose.com.

Pho

to

s by D

ebo

rah

Steven

s/T

he A

lm

an

ac

Holiday Gift Guide

Exploring What’s Available in Nearby ShopsFrom Page 2

Bracelets at Emily Grace.

Tees, hats, vests,and scarves atEmily Grace.Gloves and scarves at Emily Grace. Scarves at Emily Grace.

designed to date for prestigious organiza-tions like The Washington Performing ArtsSociety for their 40th Anniversary, AdventistHealthcare, American Lung Association (ascarf and tie), the MMMF Fund (for theirscholarship program), The Wellness Com-munity (to support their mission of educa-tion and hope for cancer survivors), Char-ity Works, National Women’s Business Cen-ter (for their leadership conference), thePierians (promoting a love and learning ofart), etc.”

She also hosts fashion shows andfundraising events in the Ibhana store. Formore information about Ibhana, go towww.ibhanaboutique.com.

AFTER SHOPPING, head to FoundingFarmers, Sugo, Amici Miei, ElevationBurger, Zoe’s, Grand Fusion or the WineHarvest for a meal.

Pho

to

s by D

ebo

rah

Steven

s/T

he A

lm

an

ac

www.lostdogandcatrescue.org

lost (adj): 1. unable to find the way.2. not appreciated or understood.

3. no longer owned or knownHelping AnimalsFind Their WaySince 2001

Adopt/Donate/VolunteerVolunteers needed for adoption events, fostering, transportation, adoption center caretaking and more.


�Learn as if youwere to liveforever; live as ifyou were going todie tomorrow.

—John Wooden�LET’S TALKReal Estate

For professional advice on all aspectsof buying and selling real estate, call:

MICHAEL MATESELong & Foster Realtors

[email protected]

by Michael Matese

Real Estate AsAn Investment

Real estate is a cash generatingasset that can only appreciatewith time, given proper care andtoday’s market is a good time tothink about investing. Real estateis like gold or silver; it appreciatesin value, but since it is a tangibleasset, it doesn’t function like abond or a stock that can lose valuein a heartbeat. There are threemain forms of return on invest-ment with real estate: apprecia-tion, cash flow and return ontaxes. Each of these things shouldbe considered before you decide tobecome a real estate investor anda Realtor® can help you withthese decisions.

• Appreciation. Appreciation rep-resents the majority of returns oninvestment. Properties canincrease in value a great deal overtime and if your goal is long term,the land/house will yield greatbenefits later.

• Cash flow represents the mostdirect type of return, since it’s‘put in your pocket right now’money. Investing in real estate isa way to increase your cash flowthat in turn provides workingcapital you need to expand yourinvesting.

• Return on taxes - many inves-tors in the higher tax brackets areless concerned with the cash flowand tend to focus more on the taxadvantages an investment prop-erty can provide.or your home’spurposes, and reach for thesky(light)!

Email community entertainment eventsto [email protected].

DEC. 6-JAN. 7Waverly Street Gallery Holiday

Show. At Waverly Street Gallery,4600 East-West Highway. Mix ofsmall and large pieces includingceramics, glass, photography, multimedia, prints, jewelry, collage, andsculpture. Opening night reception:December 9, 5-9 p.m. 301-951-9441

DEC. 16-JAN. 3Jingle Bowl Partnership with

Feeding America. At BowlmorBethesda, 5353 Westbard Ave. $1from every purchase of a select foodand drink item will go to FeedingAmerica. Bowlmor expects to reachup to $50,000 worth of donationnationwide, doubling the company’sefforts from 2015. www.jingle-bowl.com

FRIDAY/DEC. 16-SUNDAY/JAN. 1WRAP Sober Ride Program. 10

p.m.-6 a.m. each evening as a way tokeep local roads safe from impaireddrivers during this traditionally high-risk, holiday period. Washington-metropolitan area residentscelebrating with alcohol may call thetoll-free SoberRide phone number 1-800-200-TAXI and be afforded a no-

cost (up to $ 30 fare), safe wayhome. (AT&T wireless users can dial#WRAP for the same service.)

THROUGH DEC. 23Christmas at Pemberley. A rolling

world premiere of Lauren Gundersonand Margot Melcon’s “Pride &Prejudice” sequel. Round HouseTheatre, 4545 East-West Highway.Tickets start at $30.RoundHouseTheatre.org or 240-644-1100.

WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY/DEC. 21-23Moscow Ballet’s Russian

Nutcracker. 8 p.m. at The MusicCenter at Strathmore Concert Hall,5301 Tuckerman Lane. CityDancestudents perform in Moscow Ballet’sRussian Nutcracker. Visitwww.strathmore.org.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/DEC. 24-25Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Services. Various times at St. James’Episcopal Church, 11815 Seven LocksRoad

❖ Saturday, Christmas Eve:5 p.m.: Family-friendly ChristmasEve service with Christmas Pageantand Eucharist7:30 p.m.: Candlelight and FestivalService with Holy Eucharist; music byBrass Traditions

10:15 p.m.: Pre-service Music ofCarols and Anthems10:30 p.m.: Candlelight andFestival Service with Holy Eucharist;Music by St. James’ Singers, Ringersand Brass Traditions

❖ Sunday, Christmas Day:10:30 a.m.: Holy Eucharist withorgan and carolsCall 301-762-8040, visitwww.stjamespotomac.org, or [email protected]

THROUGH JAN. 1Brookside’s Garden of Lights.

Various times at 1800 Glenallan Ave.,Wheaton.There will be more thanone million colorful lights shapedinto hand-crafted, original art formsof flowers, animals and other naturalelements. The gardens will be openevery night through Jan. 1, except forDec. 24 and 25. Admission is $25 percar/van Sunday-Thursday and $30per car/van Friday-Saturday.www.montgomeryparks.org/

DEC. 26-JAN. 2Winter Break Camp. 1-4 p.m.

Monday-Friday at My Gym Potomac,11325 Seven Locks Road. Threehours of nonstop fun at My Gymincluding themed games, crafts,gymnastics, sports and snack. $40members, $45 [email protected] 301-983-5300

Holiday Entertainment

Photo contributed

Holiday ShowWaverly Street GalleryHoliday Show, through Jan.7, features a mix of smalland large pieces includingceramics, glass, photogra-phy, multi media, prints,jewelry, collage, and sculp-ture. Waverly Street Gal-lery, 4600 East-West High-way. The opening nightreception is Friday, Dec. 9,5-9 p.m. 301-951-9441

Calendar

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

ONGOING2016 Inaugural Video Art

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

Winter Lights Festival. Through Dec.31, Sunday-Thursday, 6-9 p.m.;Friday-Saturday, 6-10 p.m. at SenecaCreek Park, 11950 Clopper Road,Gaithersburg. Winter Lights is a 3.5-mile drive through a holiday lightshow at Seneca Creek Park with morethan 360 illuminated displays.Additional events include WineUnder the Lights, Run Under theLights, Leashes ’n’ Lights, and, S’MoreLights & Trolley Rides. Visitwww.gaithersburgmd.gov/leisure/special-events/winter-lights-festival.

Jingle Bowl Partnership withFeeding America. Through Jan. 3at Bowlmor Bethesda, 5353 WestbardAve. $1 from every purchase of aselect food and drink item will go toFeeding America. Bowlmor expects toreach up to $50,000 worth ofdonation nationwide, doubling thecompany’s efforts from 2015.www.jingle-bowl.com

Bethesda Film Fest. Deadline forsubmissions Jan. 4. Filmmakerswhose films are selected will receivean honorarium of $500. Youngfilmmakers will receive a $250honorarium. The film festival issponsored by the Bethesda Arts andEntertainment District.www.bethesda.org/bethesda/[email protected].

“Dialogue: A VisualConversation.” Through Jan. 5.Gallery hours at at the Dennis andPhillip Ratner Museum, 10001 OldGeorgetown Road, Bethesda. “AVisual Conversation” is a collection ofvisual arts – paintings, photographs,digital images and more – resultingfrom an unusual collaborationbetween professional artists in theWashington area, and artistsreceiving mental health treatmentfrom Cornerstone Montgomery. Free.Visit www.Personalvisionsgallery.org.

Waverly Street Gallery HolidayShow. Through Jan. 7 at WaverlyStreet Gallery, 4600 East-WestHighway. Mix of small and largepieces including ceramics, glass,photography, multi media, prints,jewelry, collage, and sculpture.Opening night reception: December9, 5-9 p.m. 301-951-9441

Club Friday. Through March 17, 7-9p.m. at Potomac CommunityRecreation Center, 11315 Falls Road,Potomac. Children grades 3-6 areinvited to participate in games,crafts, movies, sports and more.Membership fee is $88. Vsitiwww.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec.

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

CAMPS, CLASSES & WORKSHOPSArt Explorers Open Studio. Every

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

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

WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY/DEC. 21-23Moscow Ballet’s Russian

Nutcracker. 8 p.m. at The MusicCenter at Strathmore Concert Hall,5301 Tuckerman Lane. CityDancestudents perform in Moscow Ballet’sRussian Nutcracker. Visitwww.strathmore.org.

THURSDAY/DEC. 22Bob Stout Concert. 7-11 p.m.at

Margery’s Lounge at NormandieFarm Restaurant, 10710 Falls Road.Sing along or dance the nightaway.301-983-8838 or popovers.com

DECEMBER 27-30Recreation Centers Pool Hours. 9

a.m.-6 p.m. Potomac CommunityRecreation Center, 11315 Falls Road,and North Potomac CommunityRecreation Center, 13850 TravilahRoad,will have modified schedules,closing at 3 p.m. on the eves of theholidays.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 28Potomac Movie Day. 1:30-3:30 p.m.

at Potomac Library, 10101 GlenoldenDrive. Join us for a showing of“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014; PG-13) in honor of Montgomery CountyPublic Library’s upcoming comicconvention “MoComCon.” Visitwww.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/ or 240-777-0690

Teen Writers Club. 6-8 p.m. at thePotomac Library, 10101 GlenoldenDrive. Author Neal Gillen willfacilitate writing fiction, non-fiction,drama, poetry, and more in a fun,relaxed atmosphere. No previouswriting experience needed. We meetthe 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of everymonth. Grades 6-12, free.www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/ or 240-777-0690

Tom Saputo. 7-10:30 p.m. atMargery’s Lounge at NormandieFarm Restaurant, 10710 Falls Road.He brings the piano to life. 301-983-8838 or popovers.com

THURSDAY/DEC. 29Bob Stout Concert. 7-11 p.m.at

Margery’s Lounge at NormandieFarm Restaurant, 10710 Falls Road.Sing along or dance the night away.301-983-8838 or popovers.com

FRIDAY/DEC. 30Tom Saputo. 7-10:30 p.m. at

Margery’s Lounge at NormandieFarm Restaurant, 10710 Falls Road.He brings the piano to life. 301-983-8838 or popovers.com

SUNDAY/JAN. 8Waltz Dance Featuring Audacious.

2:45 p.m. in the Ballroom at GlenEcho Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.Waltzes with a few other coupledances, including Hambo,Schottische, Swing, Tango, andPolka. www.WaltzTimeDances.orgor 301-634-2222

SATURDAY/JAN. 14River Clean Up. 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Fletcher’s Cove, 4940 Canal Road,Washington, D.C. The PotomacConservancy is looking for volunteersto help kick off 2017 by honoringMartin Luther King Jr. with a day ofservice along the river. potomac.org/

MONDAY/JAN. 16MLK Day of Service Volunteer

Fair. 1-3 p.m. at Bethesda NorthMarriott Conference Center, 5701Marinelli Road. Planned projectsinclude packaging food for thehungry, creating blankets for hospice,and cutting patterns to create shoesfor children in Uganda. Most, if notall, will be pre-approved for StudentService Learning hours. 301-822-9200

THURSDAY/JAN. 1955 and Older Basketball. 9:30 a.m.-

noon at the North PotomacRecreation Center 13850 TravilahRoad. This is pick-up basketball, nota league, come as often as possible.240-773-4800

An Acoustic Evening with LyleLovett and John Hiatt. 8 p.m. atthe Strathmore, 5301 TuckermanLane. $55-95 301-0581-5199


De

Lane

rree

Road

oouse

Road

G

d

lah

R ad

esane

Es

SSSe ca Road

own

Road

wn

Dar

d

495

495

eRoad

5

2

6

8

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

1 9460 COPENHAVER DR ...... 5 .. 3 .. 1 ...... ROCKVILLE ..... $825,000 ... Detached ....... 0.27 ......... 20854 ............ COPENHAVER ........... 10/21/16

2 10608 FARMBROOKE LN .... 4 .. 2 .. 1 ....... POTOMAC ..... $820,000 ... Detached ....... 0.22 ......... 20854 ....... PINEY GLEN VILLAGE ...... 10/27/16

3 9805 WILDEN LN ............... 5 .. 3 .. 1 ...... ROCKVILLE ..... $770,000 ... Detached ....... 0.23 ......... 20854 ........... BEDFORDSHIRE .......... 10/20/16

4 9021 PADDOCK LN ............ 4 .. 2 .. 1 ....... POTOMAC ..... $737,000 ... Detached ....... 0.24 ......... 20854 ...... POTOMAC COMMONS ..... 10/27/16

5 11417 BEECHGROVE LN .... 4 .. 4 .. 0 ...... ROCKVILLE ..... $710,000 ... Detached ....... 0.26 ......... 20854 ........... BEDFORDSHIRE .......... 10/19/16

6 11601 GEORGETOWNE CT . 5 .. 2 .. 1 ....... POTOMAC ..... $700,000 ... Detached ....... 0.27 ......... 20854 ......... REGENCY ESTATES ........ 10/17/16

7 9621 FALLS RD .................. 3 .. 1 .. 0 ....... POTOMAC ..... $665,000 ... Detached ....... 0.23 ......... 20854 ....... POTOMAC OUTSIDE ....... 10/11/16

8 11819 KIM PL .................... 4 .. 3 .. 0 ....... POTOMAC ..... $657,000 ... Detached ....... 0.53 ......... 20854 ......... REGENCY ESTATES ........ 10/03/16

Copyright 2016 RealEstate Business Intelligence. Source: MRIS as of November 15, 2016.

Photos by Deb Stevens/The Almanac

In October 2016, 37 Potomac homes

sold between $3,775,000-$410,000.

Potomac REAL ESTATEOctober, 2016 Sales,$657,000~$825,000

2 10608 Farmbrooke Lane —$820,000

3 9805 Wilden Lane — $770,000

7 9621 Falls Road — $665,000

8 11819 Kim Place —$657,000

6 11601 Georgetowne Court —$700,000

4 9021 Paddock Lane — $737,000


News

CongratulationsHoover Middle Schoolartists who entered thisyear’s national PTAReflections art contestwere congratulated at aschool award ceremonyDec. 16. Potomac Alma-nac writer Colleen Healyserved as literature judgethis year, along withpainter Yolanda Prinsloofor visual arts, andphotographer Dan Grossfor photography andfilm. Dance and musiccomposition entries werealso sent on to thecounty level of judging.P

ho

to

C

on

tributed

An International LifeHrand (Randy) Kurkjian, a consultant to developingnations for more than 30 years, including two years asPeace Corps country director in Yemen, spoke on “MyContributions to My Adopted Country” at a PotomacCommunity Village event at the Potomac Library onDec. 6. Sitting next to Kurkjian is PCV Vice PresidentJill Phillips.

Pho

to

by Sh

eila M

oldo

ver

Email announcements to [email protected]. Deadline isThursday at noon. Photos are welcome.

Hannah Chenok, a graduate ofWalt Whitman High School, andLauren Rosenbauer, a graduate ofWinston Churchill High School, havebeen inducted into the national Phi EtaSigma honor society this year at ColgateUniversity.

Mohit Bisbey of Potomac, a seventhgrade student at Randolph-Macon Acad-emy Middle School, has earned a spot

on the principal’s list for the first aca-demic quarter of the 2016-17 schoolyear.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Schoolquizbowl team in Potomac finished firstat Mustang Invitational in early Decem-ber. The team qualified for the NationalScholastic Championship on June 10and 11 in Chicago, where St. Andrew’sEpiscopal School quizbowlers wouldcompete against more than 90 otherhigh school teams from around thecountry and the world.

School Notes

Email announcements to [email protected]. Include date,time, location, description and contact forevent: phone, email and/or website. Pho-tos and artwork welcome. Deadline isThursday at noon, at least two weeks be-fore event.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDEDVolunteers are needed to assist sexual

assault, domestic violencevictims, and their familiesthrough the Victim Assistance andSexual Assault Program (VASAP) ofthe Montgomery County Departmentof Health and Human Services.Interviews are currently beingconducted for a December 2016training session. 240-777-1355 orwww.montgomerycountymd.gov/vasap.

DONATE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTSDonations are being accepted for

InterPLAY, a nonprofit organizationof adult musicians who havecognitive disabilities. They arementored by professional andamateur musicians, high schoolseniors, and others. The orchestraperforms year-round at Strathmore(check www.interplayOrchestra.org).Whitman High School junior LucasPolack is in charge of this project,and he in need of guitars, violas,cellos, basses, flutes, clarinets,marimbas, electronic keyboards andpercussion instruments. However, alldonations are greatly appreciated.Contact [email protected] or 240-506-4390.

LATE DECEMBERNew traffic pattern on Little Falls

Parkway at Capital Crescent

Trail. Later this month, parks staffwill implement a new traffic patternto improve safety at and near theBethesda intersection of Little FallsParkway and the Capital CrescentTrail. Specifically, vehicular traffic onLittle Falls Parkway will merge fromtwo lanes to one in each direction,the speed limit will be reduced from35 to 25, and additional signsalerting motorists of pedestrians andbicyclists will be installed.www.montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/capital-crescent-trail/

FRIDAY/DEC. 30Deadline to Serve on County

Boards. Montgomery County’sWestern Montgomery CountyCitizens Advisory Board is seekingapplicants to fill two residentvacancies. The 19-member Boardrepresents the residential andbusiness communities of Bethesda,Cabin John, Chevy Chase, FriendshipHeights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,North Bethesda, Potomac andRockville. The Board advises theDirector of the Bethesda-Chevy ChaseRegional Services Center, the CountyExecutive, and the County Council oncommunity needs and priorities suchas transportation, human services,environmental, public safety, andother issues of local importance.

Bulletin Board


Potomac Village Deli Catering

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner Catering

301•299•5770www.potomacvillagedeli.com

Home of YourCorporate & ResidentialCatering Headquarters

Serving theCommunity

for over35 Years

By Marilyn Campbell

The Almanac

The holiday season is bittersweet forJeanne Rorke. The days leading up toChristmas are filled with memories of herparents. Her mother committed suicide

when Rorke was 12, and her father died on Christ-mas Eve eight years ago.

“No one really helped me through the grievingprocess,” said Rorke, recalling her mother’s death.“My family was like, ‘Don’t talk about it.’ … MyChristmases have always been kind of sad … eventhough I put on a happy face for my family.”

Roarke joined about two dozen others at a work-shop on handling grief during the holidays called,“Facing the Empty Chair: Surviving the Holidays af-ter Losing a Loved One” at St.Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Alex-andria, Va. From those who arepreparing to celebrate a firstChristmas without a loved one tothose who’ve been grieving fordecades, participants shared expe-riences, supported each other andgained tools for surviving the sea-son while facing the reality of theempty chair in which their lovedone once sat.

“The holidays can be time oflonging for those who’ve lostsomeone,” said Carey Gauzens, alicensed clinical social worker atthe Center for Pastoral Counselingof Virginia in McLean, Va. “Theholidays are a time when you re-flect on family, and it’s hard forsomeone who’s aware that thatperson isn’t there.”

At the workshop, Gauzens clari-fied some of the misinformationsurrounding grief, especially dur-ing the holidays. “First and most important, is thatnormal grieving is really hard for most people. Somepeople believe the myth that grief lasts only for afew months, but it’s hard to measure your healingbecause it’s an up and down process, not a smooth,straight line.”

THROUGHOUT the process, and particularly dur-ing the holidays, being able to tap into a source ofstrength other than oneself is a factor that Gauzenunderscores: “It’s important to have a support group,friends, a therapist.”

Finding someone who is also grieving can be par-ticularly helpful. For example, when Beverly Bell’shusband died nine years ago following an extendedillness, she found strength and comfort in a friend-ship with another widow.

“[We] had a wonderful relationship … for severalyears following my husband’s death,” said Bell, whoattended the workshop. “We had a regular lunch dateand also shared a number of holidays. She also dieda couple of years ago, and I realized that I am par-ticularly missing her presence.”

Earlier this year, Bell’s brother died as well. “I foundmyself re-experiencing many of the feelings I hadhad when my husband died, [but feeling] particu-larly helpless to comfort my sister-in-law,” she said.“Perhaps [my] presence is the most important thingI can … offer my sister-in-law.”

Some of the workshop attendees wanted to learn

how to better support others. “I am a member of theCommunity of Hope International, a group of laypastoral caregivers whose ministry is to visit thosewho are experiencing sickness, trauma, tragedy orloss of a loved one,” said Caroline McCormack, oneof the participants. “I wanted to have a better un-derstanding of the grieving process, so I might be amore compassionate listener.”

She and Bell learned that process is different foreveryone. “My husband’s death was preceded by along illness. My brother’s death was sudden,” saidBell. “I wondered if something about the timing madea difference in how we experience and cope withgrief. I learned that it really does not.”

“... We all experience grief in different ways and itcan show up at unexpected times and places and sowe need to be gentle with ourselves and find ways

that we can express our grief inways that feel healing and safe forus,” added Reverend ElizabethRees, associate rector, St. Aidan’sEpiscopal Church.

This is a point Gauzens tried tounderscore: Grieving is an indi-vidual process and there is no one-size-fits-all method for coping.Even people who are grieving forthe same person can experience itdifferently and have differentneeds. “For example, one personmight want to talk about the loss,but others might not,” she said.“It’s important to be sensitive tofamily members who grieve differ-ently and compromise so that eachperson feels emotionally safe.”

Cultivating self-awareness andknowing what is normal to expectwhile one is grieving is important.“Sometimes the symptoms are sointense it makes people feel likethey’re going crazy and frightens

them sometimes,” said Gauzens. “They might cry atthe drop of a hat, get angry or feel unable to controltheir emotions. There could become deeply distractedor confused like get lost going someplace they knowwell.

“Give yourself permission to make careful decisionsabout how you’ll spend your time,” she added. “It’shelpful to discern within yourself what feels right.Decide whether to maintain holiday traditions or dosomething completely different.”

Avoiding all festive, social activities might do moreharm than good, however. “A person who’s grievingmight end up isolating because they won’t go toplaces they once went to with the person they’ve lost,”said Gauzens. Instead, Gauzens suggests planning“something to look forward to after the holiday toreward yourself for getting through the holidays.”She also stressed the need for self-care, includingexercising, eating healthy and staying hydrated. “It’simportant to minimize your use of mood alteringsubstances like alcohol,” said Gauzens. “It’s tempt-ing to try to numb the pain, but it comes back.”

Changing customs can make holidays less painful,says Dr. Linda Gulyn, Ph.D., professor of psychology,Marymount University in Arlington, Va. “I like tobreak with traditions that are familiar and that re-mind us of the loved one we lost,” she said. “Some-times it’s good to shake it up and start a new tradi-tion, so you’re looking forward instead of behindyou.”

Holiday Grief Workshop helpsothers deal with loss.

Carey Gauzens of the theCenter for Pastoral Coun-seling of Virginia inMcLean, Va., led a work-shop on grieving during theholidays at St. Aidan’sEpiscopal Church in Alex-andria, Va.


ClassifiedClassifiedZone 5: Potomac

Ad Deadline: Monday Noon • 301-778-9411

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

Home & GardenHome & GardenCONTRACTORS.compotomacalmanac.com

Zone 5: Potomac

Ad Deadline: Monday Noon • 703-778-9411

EmploymentEmploymentZone 5: Potomac

Ad Deadline: Tuesday 11 a.m. • 301-778-9411

GGAARRDDEENNEERR

Energetic gardener, Speaks French & English. Summer Cleanup, weeding, planting,

edging, mulching, maintenance. Excellent Potomac references.

301-980-8258

LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING

EducationalInternships

Unusual opportunity tolearn many aspects of thenewspaper business.Internships available inreporting, photography,research, graphics.Opportunities for students,and for adults consideringchange of career. Unpaid.E-mail [email protected]

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

I Have Ca, Ca,Ca, Cancer

Here I am thinking, believing, writing thatI’m Mr. Well-Adjusted cancer patient and all ittook was one conversation in a restaurant theother night at the Connection Christmas partyto prove that I’m not. It was a casual, festiveatmosphere with everybody enjoying foodand drink. I was sitting in a booth with mywife, Dina, my co-worker, David, and hismother Sherry, who I had never met before,who was in-town visiting her sons and plan-ning a drive downtown to see the NationalChristmas Tree. We were all exchanging pleas-antries and getting on quite well when Iremembered that David’s mother is a nurse. Ithought she would be the perfect person toask about my oncology nurse. But to give thequestion some context, I thought I had to tellher I had cancer. And when I did, I couldbarely get the word out. After I stammered Iasked, if there was any professional rea-son/advisory explaining why I haven’t heardback from my long-time (seven years) oncol-ogy nurse who, I had learned four weeks ear-lier at my last infusion when he wasn’t there totend to me, retired early. He didn’t exactlyleave me adrift but a month later, he still has-n’t returned my cellphone message (an emailto his Verizon account bounced back and hehasn’t posted anything current on Facebook).

Obviously he’s entitled. Nevertheless, I’mperplexed. We were buddies. We wereextremely compatible: sports, humor, from theNortheast, same age, Jewish and both spoke alittle Yiddish. Heck, I had even been to hishouse for a Super Bowl party; plus we’vebeen out to lunch a couple of times after myinfusion, met locally for a medical follow up(not exactly a house call but he did come tome), and as I may have written in a previouscolumn, he likely saved my life when Ishowed up at the Infusion Center with an oxy-gen level of 85. (Subsequent to that reading,he went into high gear making the necessaryarrangements to get me transferred to on-siteurgent care and ultimately “ambulanced” toHoly Cross Hospital in Silver Spring where Ispent the next week. Though he didn’t visitme; he later explained that he rarely visitedpatients, he did call to check on me.) Theshort story is: our relationship went beyondpatient-nurse. I wouldn’t say I looked forwardto my infusions, but because of him, I didn’tdread them either.

It’s not as if he has to do anything for meor acknowledge me or even stay in contactwith me. He has his own life; he’s made achange and presumably, his oncology patientsare not part of it. I can understand that. In themedical specialty field, oncology is one of, ifnot the most, emotionally demanding/wrenching: patients with whom you’ve devel-oped a relationship often die. I can imaginehow there’s only so much loss of life one cantake. However, I thought our relationshipwent beyond that, in spite of the challengingdemands that dealing with a “terminal”patient can exact.

Oddly enough, I’m not taking it personally.My feelings are not hurt, really. Until I knowmore of the circumstances surrounding hisretirement (health, family, lifestyle, etc.), I’mnot begrudging him at all. Moreover, he does-n’t owe me an explanation. His retiring is notabout me. It’s about him and because of that,I want to know why he decided to leave andwhether we can still stay in touch. So far, wehaven’t; he hasn’t.

There’s no doubt that he’s been an impor-tant part of my cancer-patient life, and in away, I thought — through my personality andsurvival, important to him also. Perhaps I was,professionally. Personally, I thought so as well.I just haven’t heard any evidence of it in thelast month. Still, I will always be grateful forhis care and concern.

New PresidentPotomac resident Roger Berliner (right) was unanimously selectedas the new president of the Montgomery County Council on Dec. 6.Hans Riemer was unanimously selected as vice president. They willserve one-year terms.

Pho

to

C

on

tributed

Urging Regional CooperationFrom Page 4

Opinion

ership, working with WMATA, to identifyboth the real need and the best path toachieve dedicated funding. The work of thisgroup will result in a report this spring.

In my view, we do not have the luxury ofhaving competing plans. It will be challeng-ing enough to secure victory, but it will bealmost impossible if we are fractured. Onlyby being united can we secure Metro’s fu-ture. We have time, but not an unlimitedamount. It is my hope that in the monthsahead, our business community and otherstakeholders will join with COG and to-gether we will march forward.

Our destinies are linked. And that in-cludes our economic destiny. We know thatour region’s economy has been too depen-dent upon federal government spending.And now that future is — as Senator-electVan Hollen knows all too well — uncertain.We also know that we have been very com-petitive in our relationship with one anotherin this region. And while competition hasits place, it can also be destructive.

We need to replace competition with co-operation and collaboration. Rather thanmove assets around, or even try to land thebig fish, we need to focus on growing whatwe have. Every economic analysis reachesthe same conclusion — growing what youhave gives each of us our best return oninvestment. The Global Cities Initiative thatCOG played an instrumental role in launch-

ing this year is precisely that. Let’s worktogether to help our small to mid-size com-panies realize their export potential andgrow their business ... and our tax base.

Those two issues — Metro and growingour regional economy — have been yourboard of directors’ priorities this year.

But fortunately, COG has done much morethis year. And that is a tribute to the greatteam of professionals at COG, a team so ablyled by our executive director, Chuck Bean.Ladies and gentlemen that is an applauseline. Under their collective leadership, wesecured $58 million in federal grants fortransit initiatives throughout the region.And that is but one example of what theinstitution achieved this year. The list goeson and on, and is there on our website.

Now let me conclude as I began. Thoseof us who have been entrusted with the re-sponsibility of leading our local govern-ments in this incredible region must stepup our game. As Bruce Katz of the BrookingsInstitution said to us in this very room afew years back, local governments are nowat the top of the government pyramid now.It’s on us. Look around the room. Look atthe quality of people in this room. I knowwe can do this, together.

Thank you board colleagues for the in-credible privilege of serving as your chairthis year and I wish Mr. McDuffie the verybest as he leads us forward next year.

God bless, and Happy Holidays.

Potomac - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/... · 19.12.2016 · advice...

Documents

Transcript of Potomac - Ellington CMSconnection.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/... · 19.12.2016 · advice...