Enjoying Potomac Day

Volunteering at the C&ONews, Page 5

EnjoyingPotomac Day

News, Pages 2-4

The Potomac Day parade was led

by Grand Marshal Julia Perlman.

October 24-30, 2018

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2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ October 24-30, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See Crowds, Page 4

News

By Peggy McEwan

The Almanac

Roads closed, music playing, peoplegathering …it was time for the 36th

annual Potomac Day parade to be-gin.

And begin it did.At 10:30 Saturday morning, Oct. 20, led

by a Montgomery County motorcycle po-lice officer, followed by Alex Smelson fromBoy Scout Troop 773 at Potomac UnitedMethodist Church, carrying the Americanflag, the parade started down River Road.

As the flag passed the Long & Foster of-fice building Chrissellene Petropoulos sang

the National Anthem. Petropoulos is atrained opera singer who teaches voice les-sons to many Potomac residents.

School groups, politicians, scouts, localbusiness people, sports teams, politicians,local clubs, Friends of the Library and morepoliticians paraded down River Road wav-ing to friends and other spectators, show-ing their pride as Potomac citizens.

With 36 years of history, Potomac Day hasgrown but is still true to its original pur-pose said Adam Greenberg, president ofPotomac Chamber of Commerce, whichsponsors the event every year.

“It is our business community sayingthank you to the community,” Goldbergsaid. “I think it was great, the parade was alittle longer than usual. A lot of that is be-cause it is a political year, that’s always funwith politicians stopping to shake hands.”

And, he added, there were tons of people

PaddingtonBear, whoturns 60 thisyear, was themascot on theFriends of theLibrary,Potomac,Parade entry.

Celebrating PotomacCrowds attend 36th

annual PotomacDay parade.

Bennett Schifferly, 5, and AliceSeymour, 6, wait for the PotomacDay parade to begin on Saturday.

Princess Amelia and Dragon Lukasdressed in costume to watch thePotomac Day Parade.

Photos by

Peggy McEwan

The Almanac

Potomac Almanac ❖ October 24-30, 2018 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Potomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.comNews

The Foreman Family celebrate the selection of Katelyn as“Potomac Youth of the Year.”

Susanne Lee, Citizen ofthe Year. Nonprofit of the Year: KindWorks.

Potomac Community Village.

Cub Scouts Pack 773.

Jakob and Daniel Macholzloved riding on the East-West Tae Kwon Do float.

Anton Riegger and DanielLee enjoy Potomac Daybecause they get togetherwith their friends, love thefree food and the climbingchallenges.

Eli Farrah and granddaugh-ter Maddie love coming toPotomac Day with grandmaDenise and sister Isabelle.Farrah says, “Potomac Dayis fun for the kids and if itis fun for them — it’s funfor us!”

JR and Sanya Shah enjoyPotomac Day. Sanya said,“I’m going to have a uni-corn painted on my face.”She loves the moon bounceand the games.

Brownies Noor Rekhi andAsha Thambi said theyloved marching in theparade. They also enjoyedthe fast rides. They areshown here with Noor’smom, Karishma Rekhi.

Enjoying the amusement rides. Classic cars on display.

Retrospect kept Potomac Day hopping with lively tunes.

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News

Crowds Attend 36th Annual Potomac Day ParadeFrom Page 2

Alex Smelson from Boy Scout Troop 773,Potomac United Methodist Church leadsthe Potomac Day Parade with the Ameri-can flag.

An original fire truck, bought in 1930,from Cabin John Park Volunteer FireDepartment led the department’s line offire and rescue apparatus that endedthe Potomac Day Parade.

at the festival after the parade.Business display booths, rides

and lots of inflatables and an an-tiques car show took up most ofthe parking lots on both sides ofFalls Road. It was probably one ofthe only days in the year residentsdidn’t complain about the lack ofparking.

Janet Bobrow and her daughterAnna stood on the corner of Riverand Falls roads waiting for theparade to begin. They drove downfrom Perry Hall, Md, where theynow live just to be a part of theday and allow Janet Bobrow torelive old memories and sharethem with Anna. “I used to live her20 years ago,” Bobrow said. “I hada lot of memories here.”

Pepe Gaye, assistant manager ofthe BP station at River and Falls,watched the parade as he has since1987. “I like it, it’s just nice to gettogether,” he said. “This is a nicecommunity.”

So too do Potomac ElementarySchool students Sheraz Bashir, afifth grader, his first-grade brotherShazil and their 20-month-old sis-

ter Zara, who watched the paradewith their mother.

The boys had a great time pick-ing up candy thrown from cars,floats and trucks in the parade andtaking them back to show theirmother their growing collection ofgoodies.

Sarah Bashir said the boys havebeen attending the parade all theirlives.

“I always have fun,” she said.When the parade ended, the fes-

tival began with plenty to do forall ages. There were rides andgames to play, animals to pet,pumpkins to decorate, businessesto learn about, pizza to eat, freesamples from Vie de France andSprinkles, a climbing wall and theantique cars to look at.

Sisters Laila, 6, and Dani, 4, rodethe Mind Winder, which took themoff the ground, spinning and twist-ing through the air.

“It was awesome,” Laila said.“Whenever we wanted to spin wecould go faster.”

Dani agreed. “I couldn’t stoplaughing because it was so muchfun,” she said.

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The ponies are from Madison Fields — a therapeuticriding stable in Dickerson, Md.

Christi Mitchell gets her flu shot from Melissa at GiantPharmacy while sons Chase and Connor look on. Chaseand Connor are the grandsons of Mike Mitchell of Mitchand Bill’s. When asked what they like about Potomac Day,Chase said, “Everything!” Connor said, “The rides.” Theyboth were excited that they get to see grandfather MikeMitchell (owner of Mitch and Bill’s).

Anton Riegger climbs up an inflatable — finding it to bemore difficult than he thought it would be.

The McKonnen sisters saythey love Potomac Daybecause of the big ridesand spinning for prizes.

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A crowd of community leaders and local residents attended the 2018 Potomac Dayfestivities seen here led by Attorney General Brian Frosh, Democratic nominee for Lt.Governor Susie Turnbull, District 15 State Senator Brian Feldman, District 15 StateDelegates Kathleen Dumais and David Fraser Hidalgo, and District 15 Democraticnominee for Delegate Lily Qi.

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See Volunteering, Page 11

News

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Many who volunteer theirtime and services for theC&O Canal Trust and otherorganizations reject recent

press coverage describing the dissatisfactionof several volunteers who feel slighted byNational Park Service staff and made to feelas if their contributions were not important.

The C&O Canal Trust provides more than1,500 volunteers to the C&O Park. They alsoraise funds which support the park — themost visited national park in the U.S.

Here is the Canal Trust’s response letterwhich was sent to volunteers as well asdonors:

“We are contacting you today regardingthe article about the volunteer programs atthe C&O Canal National Historical Park ….

“With ongoing federal budget shortfalls,the C&O Canal’s National Park Service staffis under tremendous pressure to provide anincreasing number of visitors with the pro-grams and amenities they have come toexpect at our national parks. The C&O Ca-nal Trust’s role, with your assistance, is tohelp relieve that pressure by managing pro-grams on behalf of the park and by recruit-

C&O Volunteers: Proud To ServeAs park visitors’ numbers grow, federal park budget declines, volunteers make up difference.

Jennifer Hearn, volunteer quarter-master of Lockhouse 6. Lockhouse 6 and the canal.

ing about 1,500 volunteers each year toundertake a range of preservation andmaintenance projects.

“While the C&O Canal Trust is the non-profit partner of the C&O Canal NationalHistorical Park, we independently operateour own volunteer programs and have a

dedicated staff person who manages therelationships and safety provisions of ourvolunteers. The Trust’s volunteer programshave not experienced the negative feedbackreferenced in the article, but we are takingthese concerns seriously and are using themas an opportunity to reflect on our own pro-

grams and how we can provide truly ben-eficial support for the park as well as mean-ingful experiences for our volunteers.

“As both the C&O Canal Trust and theC&O Canal National Historical Park embarkon new five-year strategic plans this year,


Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGAutumn Adoption Fest. Through

Oct. 25 at Montgomery CountyAnimal Services and AdoptionCenter, 7315 Muncaster Mill Road,Derwood. MCASAC will offer no-costadoptions to encourage the public toadopt homeless pets and make roomat the shelter for new arrivalsneeding placement. After a summerof high animal intakes, largely theresult of multiple hoarding casesinvestigated by the Division,MCASAC has a wide-variety of petsready to go to a new home. Visitwww.montgomerycountmd.gov/asdfor more.

Art Exhibit: “Abstract & TheFigure.” Gallery hours, through Oct.31 at Framer’s Choice Gallery, 402Main St., Gaithersburg. VianBorchert’s collection consists of amelange of recent abstract paintingsalong with abstracted figurativeartwork. Visittheframerschoicegallery.com/ or call301-987-8711.

Art Exhibit: Paintings andSculpture. Through Nov. 3, galleryhours at Gallery B, 7700 WisconsinAve., Suite E, Bethesda. Gallery Bpresents the October exhibit, a groupshow by Nihal Kececi of Gallery NK,featuring work by Nadia Arditti,Claudia Cappelle, Gulten Imamoglu,Nihal Kececi and Eric Westbrook.Visit www.bethesda.org.

Exhibit: “Places We Find.” ThroughNov. 4, gallery hours at PhotoworksGallery in Glen Echo Park. “PlacesWe Find” features work from SandySugawara and Catiana Garcia Kilroy.The exhibit highlights how commonplaces can become a source ofsurprise and discovery through thephotographer’s lens. Visitglenechophotoworks.org for more.

Teen Writers’ Club. Tuesdaysthrough May 28, 6:30-8 p.m. atPotomac Library, 10101 GlenoldenDrive, Potomac. Teens (13-18) with apassion for writing are invited to jointhe Teen Writers’ Club. Learn andpractice new writing techniques,share your work, and learn how tocritique other works with author Neal

Gillen. Free. [email protected] for more.

Pups on the Patio. 4-7 p.m. everyThursday at Silver, 7150 WoodmontAve., Bethesda. Guests can enjoydrinks, appetizers and dinner withtheir pets outside on Silver’s patio.visit www.eatatsilver.com for more.

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

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

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

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

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].

NOW THRU MAY 28, 2019Teen Writers’ Club. 6:30-8 p.m. Meets at

Potomac Library, 10101 GlenoldenDrive, Potomac. Free. Teens ages 13-18 with a passion for writing areinvited to join in this Teen Writers’Club. Learn new writing techniques,get practice in different writingexercises, share work, and learn howto critique work of others. Localauthor Neal Gillen leads the club,which meets on the 2nd and 4thTuesday of each

Entertainment

Sculptural piece depicting melting glaciers and boilingOceans.

Sculptural CeramicsExhibition of ceramics, now through Nov. 13, noon-6 p.m. at Waverly Street

Gallery, 4600 East West Highway, Bethesda. Free. Kanika Sircar is exhibiting con-temporary sculptural ceramics that reference environmental and climate change.Her forms depict shorelines, waves and boats in surging seas, colors and texts in-terspersed on beautiful surfaces. Email: [email protected] or visitwww.waverlystreetgallery.com/october2018


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Entertainment

The “S” WordFilm screening of The “S”

Word, Oct. 25, 6:30-7:30 p.m. At AFISilver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road,Silver Spring. Cost: $5. In this award-winning documentary, a suicide attemptsurvivor is on a mission to find fellowsurvivors and document their stories ofunguarded courage, insight, pain andhumor. A presentation and Q&A sessionwill follow the screening. Members ofthe community working to fight mentalhealth stigma and to support individu-als with a mental illness will be availableto answer questions and share re-sources. Contact Laura Laskofski [email protected]. Get ticketsat www.every-mind.org/registration-forms/the-s-word/.

Month. Contact: Neal Gillen [email protected].

NOW THRU NOV. 13Exhibition of Ceramics. 12-6 p.m. At

Waverly Street Gallery, 4600 EastWest Highway, Bethesda. Free.Kanika Sircar is exhibitingcontemporary sculptural ceramicsthat reference environmental andclimate change. Her forms depictshorelines, waves and boats insurging seas, colors and textsinterspersed on beautiful surfaces.Email: [email protected] orvisit the websitewww.waverlystreetgallery.com/october2018

TUESDAY-SUNDAY/OCT. 23-28Washington International Horse

Show. At Capital One Arena.America’s favorite horse show returnsfor its 60th Anniversary. Generaladmission starting from $25. Visitwihs.org/tickets.

THURSDAY/OCT. 25Film Screening The “S” Word.

6:30-7:30 p.m. At AFI Silver Theatre,8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring.Cost: $5. In this award-winningdocumentary, a suicide attemptsurvivor is on a mission to find fellowsurvivors and document their storiesof unguarded courage, insight, painand humor. A presentation and Q&Asession will follow the screening.Members of the community workingto fight mental health stigma and tosupport individuals with a mentalillness will be available to answerquestions and share resources.Contact Laura Laskofski [email protected]. Get

tickets at www.every-mind.org/registration-forms/the-s-word/.

SATURDAY/OCT. 27Halloween FunFest and Trunk or

Treat. 6-10 p.m. At St. JamesEpiscopal Church, 11815 Seven LocksRoad, Potomac. Admission $5/eachor $20/family max. Safe, secure andfun for all ages. Haunted Catacombs6-8 p.m.; Trunk or Treat 6-9 p.m.;Costume Parade 7-7:15 p.m.; SpookyOrgan Concert 7:30-7:45 p.m. Call301-762-8040 or visit the websitewww.stjamespotomac.org.

Stand-Up Comedy. 7-8:30 p.m. atCissel-Saxon American Legion Post41, 8110 Fenton Street, SilverSpring. Get in the Halloween spiritwith a night of stand-up comedyfrom some of the most fun comicsaround. Come in costume, enjoy aCandy Corn Cocktail and sit back toenjoy the comedy of HaywoodTurnipseed, Jr., Rose Vineshank,Anthony Oakes and Monica Welham.Prizes will be awarded for the bestcostumes. Cost is $20 VIP tickets(includes reserved seating and acomplimentary Candy CornCocktail); $16 for general admissionin advance / all door tickets will be$20. For more information, visithttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/spooky-comedy-halloween-stand-up-show-at-post-41-tickets-50791276074. Contact Kim at 301-351-2096 [email protected].

SUNDAY/OCT. 28Halloween Walk-a-Thon. 8 a.m. At

the C&O Canal, Great Falls TavernVisitors Center, 11710 MacArthurBlvd., Potomac. Features a 1K and 5KHalloween Walk-a-Thon that helps achild attend school. Edu-Girls workstowards the education of children inIndian slums. It partners with schools

like Vimukti in India to sponsor localgirls who are at risk of dropping out,and persuades their parents to keepthem in school by providing financialsupport through high school andbeyond. Suggested donation $40/adult; $30/additional familymember. Visit www.edugirls.org/

Haunted House Number 13. 4-6p.m. at the Clara Barton CommunityCenter, 7425 MacArthur Blvd., CabinJohn. Halloween harborssuperstitions, one of which is thatthirteen is unlucky. So be wary asyou approach this year’s creepyHaunted House at the Clara BartonCommunity Center. Fortunes will betold, witches and zombies will hauntvisitors’ paths, and games willchallenge their nerve and skill. Allages are welcome, free of charge,though children up to age 12 aremost likely to be spellbound. Littleones may want a hand to hold.Refreshments will be offered, andsmall gifts will be handed out tochildren. Call 240-777-4910 formore.

MONDAY/OCT. 29Live Music: Hanneke Cassel &

Dave Wiesler. 7:30 p.m. at SaintMark Presbyterian Church, 10701Old Georgetown Road, Rockville.Cassel and Wiesler met at PinewoodsScottish Dance camp in 1998 andhave been happily making musictogether since then.Tickets: $20advance, $25 door. Students &Children: $15 advance, $20 door.Visit www.imtfolk.org or call 301-960-3655.

WEDNESDAY/OCT. 31Live Music. 7-11 p.m. at Lahinch

Tavern and Grill, 7747 Tuckerman


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August, 2018 Sales,$1,101,500~$1,280,000

Potomac REAL ESTATE

In July 2018, 54 Potomac homes

sold between $3,500,000-$452,000.

Photos by Deb Stevens/The Almanac

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

1 10641 MACARTHUR BLVD ..... 4 .. 4 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $1,280,000 ... Detached ....... 0.55 ......... 20854 ....... POTOMAC OUTSIDE ....... 08/03/18

2 11710 SMOKETREE RD ......... 5 .. 4 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $1,280,000 ... Detached ....... 0.22 ......... 20854 ......... REGENCY ESTATES ........ 08/10/18

3 7826 STABLE WAY ................ 5 .. 4 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $1,257,000 ... Detached ....... 0.19 ......... 20854 ............. RIVER FALLS ............ 08/23/18

4 12010 WETHERFIELD LN ...... 4 .. 3 . 2 .... POTOMAC ... $1,160,000 ... Detached ....... 2.00 ......... 20854 .......... LAKE POTOMAC .......... 08/29/18

5 9334 SPRINKLEWOOD LN ..... 6 .. 4 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $1,150,000 ... Detached ....... 0.31 ......... 20854 ............. PINE KNOLLS ............ 08/15/18

6 11531 SWAINS LOCK TER ...... 5 .. 4 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $1,110,000 ... Detached ....... 2.11 ......... 20854 ........... SADDLE RIDGE .......... 08/06/18

7 9630 BEMAN WOODS WAY ... 3 .. 3 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $1,105,000 ... Townhouse .... 0.09 ......... 20854 ................. AVENEL ................ 08/01/18

8 11213 BROAD GREEN DR ...... 4 .. 4 . 2 .... POTOMAC ... $1,101,500 ... Detached ....... 0.48 ......... 20854 ........... BEDFORDSHIRE .......... 08/07/18

Copyright 2018 MarketStats for ShowingTime. Source: Bright MLS as of September 15, 2018.

1 10641 MacArthur Boulevard — $1,280,000

3 7826 Stable Way — $1,257,000

2 11710 Smoketree Road— $1,280,000

5 9334Sprinklewood

Lane —$1,150,000

8 11213 Broad Green Drive— $1,101,500

6 11531 Swains Lock Terrace— $1,110,000


Entertainment

“Sunset Over The Water” by Vian Borchert.

Solo Exhibit: ‘Abstract & The Figure’Vian Borchert’s collection consists of a melange of recent abstract paintings along with abstracted figurative artwork. Gal-

lery hours, through Oct. 31 at Framer’s Choice Gallery, 402 Main St., Gaithersburg. Visit theframerschoicegallery.com/ orcall 301-987-8711.

“Rain” by Vian Borchert.

Lane, Potomac. Free admission. Call240-499-8922 or visitwww.lahinchtavernandgrill.com formore.

THURSDAY/NOV. 1Music Storytime for Toddlers.

10:30 a.m. At Potomac Library,10101 Glenolden Drive,Potomac.Free. They’ll have handdrums, bells, mini guitar, smallspeaker, and other instruments.Children will have the opportunity toplay these instruments and learnimportant basic fundamentals ofmusic. They also will get to move,dance, and participate in a musicalparachute game. Recommended forages 3 through 5. Contact Cindy Gilat 240-777-0690.

FRIDAY/NOV. 2Four Exhibits in Five Galleries

Reception. 6-9 p.m. At Artists &Makers Studios 1, 11810 ParklawnDr., Suite 210, Rockville. Featuringfour exhibits at two locations withA&M1 Parklawn hostingphotographer Roy Sewall in twogalleries with two exhibits “C&OCanal Panoramic Views” and“Mysterra”, and Dan Roncesvalleswith Sara Moline curate “DMV Drop-In: Highlighting the DC Metro SkateScene.” At A&M2 Wilkins painter PatCoates presents her work in “FindingPeace” along with “Hats, MagnificentHats” curated by David Hubbard.These four exhibits will open FirstFriday festivities between 6-9 p.m. onNov. 2 and will showcase residentartists’ open studios for browsing aswell – leading into Open StudioWeekend, 12-5 p.m. Saturday andSunday. Visitwww.artistsandmakersstudios.com.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY/NOV. 2-4Ethnic Food Festival and Bazaar.

Friday 12-8 p.m.; Saturday 11-7p.m.; Sunday 12-4 p.m. At St. MarkOrthodox Church, 7124 River Road,Bethesda. The annual St. MarkOrthodox Church Food Festival &Bazaar is known for its deliciousRussian and other Eastern Europeanfood specialties, such as piroghi,piroshki, halupki, blini, borscht, andmore. Shop for baked goods, jewelry,lip color, pottery, hats, scarves,shawls, and religious items. LuckyDraw room, Grand Raffle table, andguided church tours. Visit the websitehttps://stmarkoca.org/food-festival-

bazaar/

SATURDAY/NOV. 3Dulcimer Music. 12:30-3 p.m. at

Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center,11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac.Live music by the MountainDulcimers of Northern Virginia.Visitors can try playing. Theprograms at Great Falls Tavern arefree, but there is an entrance fee tothe park of $10 per single vehicle(subject to change). Call 301-767-3714 for more.

Pianist Sofya Gulyak. 8 p.m. atWestmoreland Congregational UCC,1 Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda.First woman to win first prize at theLeeds International Pianocompetition performs all-Russianmasterpieces as part of the 2018-19Washington Conservatory ConcertSeries. Free, with donations welcomeat the door. Visitwww.westmorelanducc.org/ formore.

SUNDAY/NOV. 4Friendship Circle Holiday

Boutique. 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. AtBeverly Farms Elementary School,8501 Postoak Road, Potomac. Free toenter. Featuring over 25 vendorsranging from makeup to clothing plusa silent auction. Friendship Circlesupports individuals with specialneeds and their families by providingrecreational, social and educationalprogramming. Additionally,Friendship Circle aims to educatevolunteers and promote an inclusivecommunity that values all individualsregardless of the challenges theyface. All proceeds from vendorregistration and raffle ticket sales willgo to the local Friendship Circlechapter.

Waltz Dance. 3:30-6 p.m. At theSpanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park,7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo.Introductory Waltz Workshop from2:45-3:30 p.m. Featuring the bandTrio con Brio. Admission is $13, $5for full-time students with studentID. No partner required. Call JoanKoury at 202-238-0230 or Glen EchoPark at 301-634-2222, go towww.WaltzTimeDances.org or [email protected].

MONDAY/NOV. 5Songwriting Contest Deadline. The

Bethesda Arts & EntertainmentDistrict announces the fifth annual

Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards.The adjudicated competition isseeking the best local songwritersand will award one talentedsongwriter a Grand Prize of $10,000.The award also includes a youngsongwriter category for which anaspiring songwriter who is youngerthan 18 will have the chance to win$2,500. Additionally, the Grand PrizeWinner will also be awarded 25hours of recording studio time withInnovation Station Music. Visitwww.bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660 for more.

TUESDAY/NOV. 6Read to a Dog. 4:30-5:30 p.m. at

Potomac Library, 10101 GlenoldenDrive, Potomac. Every first and thirdTuesday of the month, school-agechildren, especially beginnerslearning to read and those who wantto improve their confidence inreading skills, are invited to practicereading aloud in short (10-15minute) semi-private sessions with acertified therapy dog. First-come,first-served. No registration required;no younger siblings. Free. Call 240-777-0694.

THURSDAY/NOV. 8Intelligent Lives Film. 7-9 p.m. At

Bullis School, 10601 Falls Road,Potomac, in the Blair Family Centerfor the Arts. Main Street will host ascreening of Dan Habib’s new film,Intelligent Lives, which follows thelives of three adults with intellectualdisabilities and challenges commonperceptions of intelligence. Cost:$25. Groups of 11 or more pay $20per ticket. Contact [email protected] to request grouprate. Visit the website: https://mainstreetconnect.org/event/intelligent-lives/

SUNDAY/NOV. 18Waltz Dance. 3:30-6 p.m. At Spanish

Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo.Introductory Waltz Workshop from3:30-6 p.m. Featuring the ensembleFyre playing a mix of folk waltzeswith a few other couple dances,including Hambo, Schottische,Swing, Tango, and Polka. Admissionis $13, $5 for full-time students withstudent ID. No partner required. CallJoan Koury at 202-238-0230 or go towww.WaltzTimeDances.org or [email protected].


Opinion POTOMACALMANAC

www.PotomacAlmanac.com

Newspaper of PotomacA Connection Newspaper

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

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1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to

connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

EDITOR & PUBLISHERMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

EDITORIALPHONE: 703-778-9415

E-MAIL:[email protected]

EDITORSteven Mauren, 703-778-9415

[email protected]

PRODUCTION EDITORJean Card

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERSSusan Belford, Carole Dell,

Cissy Finley Grant, Carole Funger,Colleen Healy, Kenny Lourie,Peggy McEwan, Ken Moore

ContributingPhotographers

Harvey Levine, Deborah Stevens

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager

Geovani Flores

ADVERTISINGFor advertising information

[email protected]

Display Advertising:Kenny Lourie 301-325-1398

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Debbie FunkNational Sales & Real Estate

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David GriffinMarketing Assistant

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Potomac Almanac is publishedby Local Media Connection LLC

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Graphics and Design

By Carole Funger

The Almanac

As we all know, fall arrives slowly herein Maryland. Just when you thinkthe temperatures have cooled, theyshoot up again along with the state’s

oppressive humidity. Finally, though, therecomes a morning when the air has turned crispand the colors more vivid. That’s when I throwon a jacket and go outdoors to smell the leaves.

Aside from the beautiful show, I take plea-sure in all the small details of the season: the

delicate remains of thetooth-edged brown oak,the fiery red maple formedlike a palm and the heart-

shaped yellow linden. I love how the leavesfloat on the pungent air, fluttering down toweave crazy quilts on the still-warm soil. Asthey crackle beneath my feet, I savor theirearthy aromas; fragrant cinnamon, orangespice and the powerful scent of dry foliageroasting in the autumn sun.

What is it about fall that summons up ourdeepest memories? How can one whiff of adecaying oak stir my reflection, catapulting meback into the giant leaf piles of my youth?

I think that the answer lies not only in fall’scolors, but also in something less tangible – itssmell. Harder to pinpoint than hearing or see-ing, the experience of smelling opens pathways

to a deep-seated awareness that sleeps insideall of us. This awareness, once awakened, re-calls the child we once used to be.

Floating upward through the annals of time,

the distinctive aroma of autumn leaves recon-nects us to this child, reminding us of our owncolorful story, our unique pathway through lifeand our timeless link to the natural world.

Youngsters enjoy playing in leaves.

Get Out and Smell the Leaves

Outdoors

Edu-Girls, a Washington-based non-profit, is holding a 1K and 5K Hallow-

een Walk-a-thon at the C&O Ca-nal on Oct. 28. Parents are invitedto bring their children and tod-dlers for a Fun Run near the ca-nal.

Anand Seth, the founder of Edu-Girls, and a long-time resident ofPotomac, started the organizationafter retiring from the World Bank:“A few years ago, I read a 2010UNESCO report which stated thatgirls living in poverty are the mostdifficult to reach section amongthe 80 million children not inschool. When I read about Malalabeing shot for wanting to go toschool in her own hometown, Ibegan to wonder whether accessto education for economically dis-advantaged girls in developingcountries had really improved?That year, I visited my family’shometown in Jaipur, India, and I

Registration for the HalloweenWalk-a-thon opens at 8 a.m., Oct.28, at the Great Falls Tavern Visi-tors Center. 11710 MacArthurBoulevard. The walk starts at 9

Help Girls in India Attend School

Halloween Walk-a-thon at the C&O Canal on Oct. 28 willraise funds for Edu-Girls.

SOBER-RIDE FOR HALLOWEENFree Sober Rides. Saturday, Oct. 27,

10 p.m. through Sunday, Oct. 28, 4a.m. Area residents, 21 and older,may download Lyft to their phones,then enter a code in the app’s“Promo” section to receive a no cost(up to $15) safe ride home. WRAP’sHalloween SoberRide promo code

will be posted at 5 p.m. on Oct. 27 onwww.SoberRide.com. The SoberRidecode is valid for the first 1,500 Lyftusers who enter the code.

TUESDAY/OCT. 30Preserving and Restoring Sight. 10

a.m.-noon at Leisure WorldClubhouse Two, 3300 North LeisureWorld Blvd., Silver Spring. Join Wai

Wong, MD, PhD, Senior RetinaResearcher at National Eye Institute(NEI) at the National Institute ofHealth (NIH) as he discusses theimpact of regenerative medicine andthe progress in preserving andrestoring sight. Dr. Suleiman Alibhai,Director, Low Vision Learning Centerwill discuss new technologies thatcompliment medical research. Visit e-

clubhouse.org/sites/leisureworld formore.

WEDNESDAY/NOV. 14West Montgomery County Citizens

Association. Second Wednesday,7:15-9 p.m. at Potomac CommunityCenter, 11315 Falls Road. Attend thegeneral meeting. Seewww.wmcca.org.

Bulletin Board

went to see a local school for girls,Vimukti, which was reputed to bea pioneer in this area. I felt Iwanted to do something, howeversmall, to help these children stayin school and that’s how Edu-Girlscame into existence.”

Edu-Girls works towards theeducation of children in Indianslums, specifically girls, who, with-out their support, would bepushed into leaving school to con-tribute to the family income, orinto early marriage. It partnerswith schools like Vimukti in Indiato sponsor local girls who are atrisk of dropping out, and per-suades their parents to keep themin school by providing financialsupport through high school andbeyond.

To date, 650 girls have success-fully completed high school andthere is a 100 percent pass rate;92 percent of funds raised gostraight to sponsor a girl.

a.m. Suggested donation is $40 foran adult, $30 for additional fam-ily member; $30 for students. Chil-dren under 12 are free.

Visit www.edugirls.org/.


News

Inside Lockhouse 6 with its 1950s furnishings and Eisenhower plate.

Volunteering at C&OFrom Page 5

we will continue to work independently toensure the Trust’s volunteer programs op-erate safely and effectively. We will alsowork with our National Park Service part-ners to identify new roles the Trust can playto help alleviate burdens placed on parkvolunteers and staff.

“We are very grateful to you and all whocare for the C&O Canal and its five millionannual visitors through volunteerism andfinancial support.”

Canal Trust volunteers such as JenniferHearn and Donald Street feel exactly theopposite from the cited volunteers in thenewspaper last month. Don and his wifeLinda Bergofsky are volunteer quartermas-ters at the Edwards Ferry lock, outside ofPoolesville, and Hearn is a volunteer quar-termaster at Lockhouse 6.

Street said, “I found the [newspaper] ar-ticle to be puzzling based on our own expe-rience. The article was definitely a littleunnerving because I don’t know anyonewho has had problems with feeling disre-spect for our services. I have never had adisagreement with anyone from the Na-tional Park Service. They have always beenmore than helpful and friendly.”

Hearn has been keeping a watchful eyeon Lockhouse 6 for years. She makes cer-tain it is always tidy, the entrance code ischanged and the special little lockkeeper’scottage along the C&O Canal is ready forthe next Canal Quarter’s renter. The homeis just a stone’s throw from her home inBrookmont. Her pride in her volunteer po-sition is apparent as soon as one meets her.“This home was built in the 1830s and re-built in 1848 after a flood. It now has 18inch walls. It is furnished in with ‘50s fur-niture in honor of Supreme Court JusticeWilliam O. Douglas, who saved the Canalfrom being made into a superhighway. Thislock house is truly a treasure – and I’m sohappy to share it with visitors,” she said.

Hearn commented that there are morethan 1,500 volunteers working with theC&O Canal Trust. “If volunteers are reallyunhappy, I don’t think they would continuetheir service to the park. I personally havealways felt totally supported by the NPSstaff and found them to be most apprecia-tive for my time and efforts. NPS has beendelightful in removing trash, taking homeitems for recycling, mending trails and tak-ing care of this beautiful park. I am person-ally sad to see such an article. All of us whovolunteer were disturbed by the article be-cause it seemed to address the feelings of

only a few volunteers and not the entiregroup. I know many volunteers who lovecaring for our national park,” she said.

Heidi Glatfelter Schlag, director of mar-keting and communications for the C&OTrust states that while visitation to the C&ONational Park has risen substantially from4 million in 2010 to almost 5 million in2017, the National Park Service staff hasdropped from 108 in 2010 to 70 in 2018.The NPS budget has dropped from $10.5million to $9.5 million.

Robin Zanotti, president of the C&O Ca-nal Trust, said, “The NPS is feeling the painof decreasing resources with increasing parkusage. Referenced in the article is the bud-get. The only way to meet the needs isthrough the use of our many volunteers whogladly donate their time, talents and energybecause they love the park — and being inthe park. The Canal Trust manages its ownvolunteers through training, teaching safety,rules and regulations and how to do theirjobs. The NPS could never provide the per-sonnel to do everything in this 184.5 milepark. Thus, they must rely on the volun-teers and supervise them as much as theycan. Of course there are other volunteersbesides Canal Trust volunteers — NPS, C&OCanal Association, Appalachian Trail Con-servancy and more. The crux of the prob-lem is the discrepancy between the num-ber of park rangers and the number of vol-unteers and how to provide supervision forthem. However, the only way to manage itis to maintain a line of communication be-tween the various groups. We feel we dothis well and when asked, our volunteersstate that they feel they can always reachand talk to a park ranger — and that theyare courteous and respectful in all ways.”

Many feel that the article was addressingthe frustration of volunteers from organi-zations other than the Canal Trust. One Ap-palachian Trail Conservancy volunteer saidshe never felt ignored – in fact she was con-cerned that she was over-protected by theNPS.

National Park Service SuperintendentKevin Brandt said, “The C&O Canal NationalHistorical Park has a rich history of award-winning volunteer programs that engage asmany as 3,400 volunteers annually in theimportant work of caring for this vast re-source. We are at a point where it makesgood sense to assess our volunteer struc-ture and the staff resources required toproperly manage it, specifically the train-ing and supervision of so many capable vol-unteers.”

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

There I was, Wednesday evening, Oct. 17, around 6:30, sitting on my living room couch, club sandwich in hand, preparing for the League Championship Series game 5 between my Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros when as I’ve done a thousand times before, grabbed the remote to turn on the television. Pressing the usual button, I was distressed to see no picture and hear no sound. Having experienced this kind of disappointment numerous times before, I didn’t panic yet. I went about the diagnostic

I checked my remote to see if the batteries

pointed the remote back at the television, but still no response.. Next, as I have been prompted previously under similar circumstances (“Your X-1 platform ... .”), I pulled the plug and waited 30-plus seconds before reconnecting. Thirty seconds later, I re-plugged and still my television

check the status of my computer since they’re “cableized” together. The lights on my modem

one of my desk top icons and was met with the

my worst suspicion. For the moment, 90 minutes before game time, I was out of service (heck, I was out of luck). Finally, I called my cable pro-

I was met with the equally dreaded pre-recorded message: “There has been a service interruption in your area. Service is expected to be restored tomorrow afternoon.” “TOMORROW AFTER-NOON? THE GAME IS TONIGHT!” That was the exclamation I can print. What came next was not particularly complimentary.

For the next hour or so I puttered and mut-tered and did nothing to improve my circum-stances. At 9:30 pm I called my brother to get a score. (He lives in Washington, DC and has a

phone, a k a “stupid phone”). Unfortunately, he had left his cell phone in another room and didn’t hear my call. Frustrated, I swore yet again and trudged upstairs to go to bed. After getting into my “jammies,” I laid down in bed and rolled onto my left side to set the alarm on my clock radio when it hit me (not the clock radio); the baseball game is being broadcast on the radio! And so I scrolled the dial on the clock radio until I heard ESPN radio broadcasters John Shambee and Jessica Mendoza calling the game. If I can’t watch the game, I can certainly listen to it. And so I did, just like I did as a “little-leaguer” all those many years ago listening to Ken Coleman and Ned Martin of the “Boston Red Sox radio network” while living on Athelstane Road in Newton Centre, Ma. Except this time, I wasn’t clutching a transistor radio. I was hands free, listening.

For the next nearly three hours, I laid in bed and listened. Most of the broadcast I heard and some of it I missed as occasionally I fell asleep. But for a time I was transported back in time sort of, before cable television proliferated when the games were broadcast almost exclusively on radio and baseball was seen through the eyes of those sitting in the “Catbird seat,” to quote the legendary Red Barber. Listening to how they described what they saw during the game was how many of my generation - and the preceding generation, fell in love with baseball: “How about that!” to quote the late, great, Mel Allen.

It was a late night, but happily, for me and Red Sox Nation, the Sox won and will now be

since 2013. Game one will be Tuesday night, Oct. 23. I can’t imagine that there will be a repeat non-performance from my cable provider, but if there is, and I am forced to go to plan “B”, radio, I will do so. The circumstances got us a

wouldn’t get us a win in game one, too. After all, it’s not only the ballplayers that are superstitious.

Resorting to Radio


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