Potomac - The Connection Newspapershandle mature dialog as well as the vocally de-manding parts,” said Graham. Tickets for the performances are $10 for gen-eral admission seats and

Potomac Almanac ❖ January 6-12, 2010 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Attention Postmaster:

Time sensitive material.

Requested in home 1-7-10

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PAID

Martinsburg, WV

PERMIT #86

January 6-12, 2010 ❖ Volume LIV, Number 1

Potomac

Wintry RoyaltyPage 4

Wootton ToPresent ‘Aida’

News, page 2

My GymMarks 10 YearsNews, Page 2

Fourth GradersHelp Child PatientsNews, Page 3

Looking Back — and AheadSports, Page 9

Omer Tzioni,Sarah Lininger,

and KyleLininger play

king of themountain.

Potomac

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ January 6-12, 2010 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

NewsPotomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

See Party, Page 3

See ‘Aida,’ Page 3

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

In the Terrific Tots class at My Gym, KimberlyEuler follows her 2 1/2 year old daughter Paigeas she happily prances to the trampoline to

bounce. The next adventure they choose to attemptis the high bar where lead teacher Mr. John supportsTitian DeRosa. Paige patiently awaits her turn. Titianswings entirely around the bar and Paige does thesame with Mr. John’s help. Mothers and children thengather on the colorful rug for Circle Time where an-other teacher, Ms. Heather leads them in using a gi-ant colorful slinky for imaginative play. Activitieschange every 10-15 minutes, giving the children andtheir moms — or nannies — lots of quality time to-gether yet teaching the tots pre-gymnastics, fine andgross motor proficiency and introductory sports skills.

An hour later, the Mighty Mites class begins withthree year olds and their moms. They work onstrength, coordination and more advanced gymnas-

tics. Throughout the day, classes continue for elemen-tary school children and finish with Cardio Kids, afitness class for children ages 7 through 13.

Mandy and Paul Lemar purchased My Gym, achildren’s fitness center four years ago. Located atCabin John Shopping Center, the business had al-ready been in operation for six years. “I was a parentwho was extremely impressed by the programs atMy Gym and when we found out it was for sale, wewere excited — and we decided to purchase it,” saidMandy Lemar. “My kids and I loved the classes andhad participated for years. Now we are the luckyowners who have the opportunity to know the fami-lies and form lasting relationships and friendships.We get to see the children as they grow and develop.Many times we will teach every child in a family.The younger siblings just can’t wait to come to MyGym as their older sisters and brothers have.”

The Anniversary Party will be on Jan. 15 from 4 -7

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

The romantic, action-packed rockmusical “Aida” will capture theaudience with its magical, jour-ney back to ancient Egypt and

Nubia. It is the story of two lovers and theobstacles that prevent their love from hap-pening. Songs for “Aida” were written byAlan Menken and Elton John, with lyricsby Tim Rice. The musical is based on theopera of the same name by Giuseppe Verdi.

The Wootton High School Center for theArts will present this musical in the Wootton

Auditorium on Thursday throughSunday.

The play, directed by WoottonDrama teacher, Adam Graham,will feature Jenay McNeil asAida, Jonathan Helwig asRadames, Jordan Smilan-Goldstein as Amneris, JosephHorowitz as Zoser, JefferyPopkin as Mereb, AlexGarretson as Pharaoh, AriHalevy as Amonasro andStephanie Wasser as Nehebka. Forty-sevenadditional students make up the cast.Jacqueline Serratore is the vocal director

and Mel Allard is the chore-ographer. The orchestra willbe led by Carolyn Herman.

Graham designed the set,and stage directors NickHitchens and Casey Dentontook his vision and producedit. “I design the set and drawout the plans. Then I try to con-vey what I want it to look like toNick and Casey. I hope they willunderstand my concept, and thatmy design is the right design for

the performance. I have worked with themon many other sets for Wootton productions

and they have always built exactly what Iimagined. I am so lucky to have Nick andCasey, [also teachers at Wootton] and theyare fortunate to have 25 students who helpwith the lights, sound, building the set and

My Gym To Celebrate Its 10th Anniversary

Paige and Kimberly Euler watch as Ms. Heather demon-strates imaginative slinky play.

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Wootton Students To Perform Musical ‘Aida’Details

Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockvilleis presenting its musical theater production,“Aida” on Thursday, Jan. 7; Friday, Jan. 8; andSaturday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan.10 at 2 p.m. All shows are $12 for reservedseating and $8 for general seating.

The cast of AIDA rehearse a song. Jenay McNeil (Aida) is in the middle. They per-formed this for middle school students from Frost Middle School last Friday, Dec. 18.

Alex Garretson (Pharaoh) and Jordan Smilan-Goldstein(Amneris) trying on costumes for AIDA.

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From Page 2

News

From Page 2

p.m.“It is our chance to thank the Potomac

community for their support for the last 10years,” said Mandy Lemar. “The party is freeand we will have games, special raffles anddiscounts. We hope everyone will come byand celebrate with us.”

My Gym is a franchise begun in Califor-nia. Established in 1983, there are morethan 190 locations worldwide. Curriculumchanges weekly for each class and everyMonday, the equipment is changed as wellas the gym setup.

Classes are offered for children ages 6weeks through 13 years. The newest addi-tion is a Sports Class for ages 4-7. This classteaches the basic skills required for football,basketball, baseball, tennis and soccer. Ithelps to build a child’s confidence, improveseye-hand coordination and encourages par-ticipation in sports as a lifetime activity.

All the classes are non-competitive, filledwith positive reinforcement and activitieswhich improve the participant’s self-esteem.The children learn team work, sharing andgood listening as well as gymnastics andagility skills, independence and persever-ance. For children with special needs, “Spe-

serving as the stage crew for every produc-tion. We even have one student who is a mas-ter carpenter,” said Graham.

The elaborate costumes for “Aida” are rentedfrom costumer Susie Graham of the CharlesCostume Shop in Frederick, Md. She reads thescript, comes up with the design and makeseach costume. Then she fits the costume to eachactor or actress to make them comfortable andmove on-stage with the performer.

Performing in “Aida” includes extensive sing-ing and dance. “This play is challenging becausethe students had be flexible and open to change.This is not a show where the songs and dancescan exist on their own. They tell a part of thestory. It has been rewarding seeing studentshandle mature dialog as well as the vocally de-manding parts,” said Graham.

Tickets for the performances are $10 for gen-eral admission seats and $15 for reserved seats.The box office will be open during the twohours prior to show time. Tickets can also bepurchased on the Wootton Web page. For moreinformation, call 301-279-8581.

By Colleen Healy

The Almanac

The fourth grade students of St.Raphael School gathered together during the holidays tostuff Christmas stockings full of toys,

videos, coloring books and games for patientsat Shady Grove Adventist Hospital’s pediatric in-tensive care unit. This is the second year thatthe students brought gifts to the PICU.

When asked about the class project, 4thgrader Jamie Mitchell said, “It was fun forour class to do something together thathelps other people. It felt good to me and Ireally liked going to the hospital. I washappy that the children will get toys forChristmas.”

Fellow classmate Emily May enjoyed stuff-ing the stockings as well because “it wasnice for the little kids who had to spendChristmas in the hospital to be happy on

Christmas day.”According to Child Life Specialist Peggy

Brooke, patients range in age from new-borns to teens and being in the hospitalduring the holiday can be an unpleasantexperience. But the nurses in the unit matchthe donated gifts to each child’s age andinterest and then on Christmas morningthey left a wrapped present on each bedfor the children when they awoke. She addsthat oftentimes “families are so apprecia-

Fourth Graders Brighten Christmas for Child Patientstive that someone cared enough to makethe holidays special that they in turn pay itforward and donate gifts because they re-member what it was like when their childwas in the hospital.”

Anyone interested in making donations tothe hospital can contact the Shady GroveAdventist Hospital Foundation Office at 240-826-6570. They also have a “wish list” onlineat http://www.adventisthealthcare.com/SGAH/giving/foundation/needs.aspx

The fourth grade students of St. Raphael School working on the holiday project include:back row standing (left to right) are Kayla Smullen, Schuylar Johns, Marie Grintzias,Megan Witt, Nick Wayland; front row seated (left to right) are Sam Gatica, Emily May,Yasmine Tashman, Jamie Mitchell, Jovan Kouakou.

Peggy Brooke, Child Life Specialist (left) and MarybethGammill, RN, pediatric nurse accept stockings filled withtoys from Jamie Mitchell (left) and Schuylar Johns fortheir pediatric patients at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.

cial Stars” classes are offered for children 31⁄2 to 8 years old.

In addition to classes, My Gym offers half-day camps during school vacations andParent’s Night Out from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Party To Mark 10-Year Anniversary

Students in Terrific Tots class learn agility skills.

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‘Aida’ atWootton

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several times a month. Anotherpopular event was a Black Fri-day Camp held the day afterThanksgiving — to give parentsa chance to shop the sales.


Opinion

At the Almanac, we invite our readers to fill us in, literally. As we begin the New Year, we are remindedthat we need to hear from our read-

ers.As local, weekly newspapers, the Almanac’s

mission is to bring the news you need aboutyour community, to give you the infor-mation you need to enjoy the bestthings in and near your community, toadvocate for community good, to callattention to unmet needs, to provide a forumfor dialogue on local concerns, and to celebrateand record milestones and events in commu-nity and people’s lives.

To succeed at any of that, we need your help.Let us know how we’re doing and let us know

what is going on in your part of the commu-nity. If you have questions or ideas, call us orsend us an e-mail.

We invite you to send letters to the editor orto send an e-mail letting us know about some-thing you especially liked or didn’t like aboutour coverage.

We appreciate readers’ ideas. If you see some-thing that you think might be a story, or some-thing you have a question about, give us a call,or drop us a line.

If you know of a person or an organizationdoing important work, something that might

make a good feature story, we are look-ing for people to feature each week.

We want to know if someone in yourfamily or your community published a

book, became an Eagle Scout, raised moneyfor a good cause, accomplished some feat likerunning a marathon or having art included inan art show.

We publish photos and notes of a variety ofpersonal milestones and community events,including births, engagements, weddings, an-niversaries, awards and obituaries.

We are also interested in events at your

church, mosque, synagogue, community cen-ter, pool, school, club, etc. E-mail us a photoand a note about the event. Be sure to includethe names of all the people who are in a photo,and say when and where the photo was taken.

We also publish notes about news and eventsfrom local businesses. Notes about openings,new employees, anniversaries are welcome.

It is especially important to us to let peopleknow about events ahead of time in our calen-dar of events. We appreciate getting notice atleast two weeks ahead of the event, and weencourage photos. Events for our calendarsshould be free or at nominal cost and open tothe public.

In covering the issues, we strive to provide avoice for our readers. We look forward to hear-ing from you.

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Happy New YearKeep in touch.

Editorial

Contact UsFor the Potomac Almanac, email

[email protected] orcontact editor Steven Mauren [email protected] or call703-917-6431.

POTOMACALMANAC

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Newspaper of PotomacA Connection Newspaper

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delivered to homes and businesses.1606 King Street

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PUBLISHERMary Kimm

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EDITORIALPHONE: 703-821-5050

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EDITORSteven Mauren, 703-778-9415

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STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERSRobbie Hammer, Louise Krafft

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See Letters, Page 8

GenerosityOf ResidentsTo the Editor:

The following is an open letterto the community.

The officers and members of theCabin John Park Volunteer FireDepartment would like to thankthe members of our community fortheir tremendous outpouring ofgenerosity this Holiday Seasonwith this, our 25th year of collect-ing toys from our neighbors dur-ing Santa’s Rounds on the FireTruck.

This year we hit an all-time highwith a total of nearly 1,500 toyscollected and delivered to the sta-tion! This is absolutely amazing,especially as we struggle to climbout of the recession. Your kindnessassisted in the delivery by Santaof over 250 toys to the NationalCenter for Children and Familieson Greentree Road in Bethesda,along with the delivery of 1,250toys to the National Capital RegionToys for Tots Campaign and alsoto the toy cache at the Children’sNational Medical Center.

For those living on streets thatwe missed with our newest versionof Santa’s Sleigh (with the syn-chronized music and Xmas lights),we sincerely apologize for not be-ing able to make it down past yourhome! The blizzard presented uswith overwhelming obstacles inthe 14 days of touring that werescheduled. We promise to do ourbest to make it by your house next

Santa finds a parking space.

The day after the recent snowstorm ends in theInverness Forest community.

Leaf Collection? Doubtful.

Mounds ofStorm’s Residue

Photos by Harvey Levine/The Almanac

Letters to the Editor


•Beautiful efficient Heat

10%*

Early Winter Gas Log Sale-Ready for Immediate Installation!

1/09/10 PA

Free In-Home Professional Estimate!

Pets

Partnership for Animal Welfare (PAW) is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit group.To adopt an animal, volunteer or make a tax-deductible donation,visit www.paw-rescue.org, call 301-572-4729 or write toPAW, P.O. Box 1074, Greenbelt, MD 20768.

Gremlin is a 11/2-year-oldfemale DSH cat.She is a spayedkitty who likesto play andexplore. She’sactive andwould thrivewith an activeplaymate.Gremlin is a bitshy at first, butwhen she likesyou, she warms up. A kind adopter can expect a lick or aplay nip from this nice girl.

Flash is a 2-year-old femaleShepherd mix. At 57 poundsand spayed, she found her-self homeless because of afamily divorce, not due toany fault of her own. She hasenergy and is well-behavedin a car. She also respondswell to leash training. Flashwould make a good joggingbuddy or great family dog fora home without very smallchildren; she could knockthem over by accident.


Calendar

THURSDAY/JAN. 7Thursday Night Blues Dance. 8:15-

11:30 p.m. Admission: $8. Beginner’sworkshop from 8:15-9 p.m. Dancingfrom 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Rotating DJsand instructors. At the Ballroom Annexof Glen Echo Park. Email:[email protected].

JAN. 7, 8, 9, 10“Aida, the Musical.” 7:30 p.m. nightly,

with 2 p.m. matinee on Jan. 10.Tickets are $10. Presented by WoottonHigh School Center for the Arts.Directed by Adam Graham and JackieSerratore, Wootton’s productionfeatures the talents of Jenay McNeil asAida, Jonathan Helwig as Radames,Jordan Smilan-Goldstein as Amneris,Joseph Horowitz as Zoser, JefferyPopkin as Mereb, Alex Garretson asPharaoh, Ari Halevy as Amonasro, andStephanie Wasser as Nehebka. Theleads are well supported by a talentedcast of 25 additional students. Vocaldirection is provided by JacquelineSerratore with choreography bySerratore, Graham, Mel Allard, andtwo student choreographers, ClaireMauro and Allie Myers. At WoottonHigh School, 2100 Wootton Parkway,Rockville. Call 301-279-8581.

FRIDAY/JAN. 8Concert and Peace Vigil. Concert at 8

p.m. and Vigil at 9 p.m. “The ArmedMan: A Mass for Peace,” performed bya massed choir from six Maryland andVirginia choirs. $20 suggesteddonation; proceeds to a local peace-related cause. At the UnitarianUniversalist Church of Rockville, 100Welsh Park Drive (near MontgomeryCollege), Rockville. Call 301-762-7666or visit www.uucr.org.

Contra Dance. 7:30-11:30 p.m.Admission: $9. Contra dance lessonfrom 7:30-8:15 p.m. Called dance tolive music from 8:30-11:30 p.m. Withthe Glen Echo Open Band. At theSpanish Ballroom of Glen Echo Park.Email: [email protected]

SATURDAY/JAN. 9Bizet’s Carmen. 8 p.m. With the

National Philharmonic. Mezzo-sopranoKendall Gladen brings to life themanipulative and magnetic personalityof Carmen in this concert performance.Free pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m. atthe Education Center. At the MusicCenter at Strathmore, 5301 TuckermanLane, North Bethesda. Go towww.Strathmore.org or call 301-581-5100.

Used Book Sale. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mosthardback books and large paperbacksare $1; regular paperbacks are $.50. Atthe Potomac Library, 10101 GlenoldenDrive, Potomac. Call 240-777-0690.

The Crimestoppers. 8:30 p.m. to 12:30a.m. Performing at the Pony ExpressBar & Grill, 9600 Newbridge Drive,Potomac.

Swing Dance. 8 p.m. to midnight. Withlive music by Blue Sky 5+2. Beginningswing dance lesson from 8-9 p.m.Dancing from 9 p.m. to midnight. Atthe Spanish Ballroom of Glen EchoPark. Email: [email protected]

Why Don’t My Kids Listen to Me?Free workshop for all parents ofchildren ages 2 1⁄2 to 18 presented bythe Parent Encouragement Program. 3-4:30 p.m. at the PEP Office, 10100Connecticut Ave., Kensington. Pre-register by calling 301-929-8824.www.PEPparent.org.

Three-D Thread Sculptures. 10 a.m.to noon. Free. Eileen Doughty, one ofthis year’s two Conant Grant recipients,will lecture on her investigations intocreating sculptures formed with thread

and a sewing machine. At St. JamesEpiscopal Church, 11815 Seven LocksRoad, Potomac. Sponsored by thePotomac Fiber Arts Guild. Go towww.potomacfiberartsguild.org.

Feast of the Epiphany andSpaghetti Supper. 5 p.m.Intergenerational service is designedfor all ages. It begins in darkness,features a children’s sermon and

special music, and concludes with thelighting of hundreds of candles. Aspaghetti dinner will be offered by theyouth group as a fund-raiser for theirsummer mission trip to a workcamp inBuffalo, NY. To be held at St. James’Episcopal Church, 11815 Seven LocksRd., Potomac; call 301-762-8040;[email protected];www.stjamespotomac.org

SUNDAY/JAN. 10U.S. Navy Band Chamber Recital.

2:30 p.m. Free. At Glenview Mansion,603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville. Call202-433-2525, or visitwww.navyband.navy.mil.

Poetry and Prose Open Mic. 2 p.m.Sign-up for readers starts at 1:30 p.m.At The Writer’s Center, 4508 WalshStreet, Bethesda. Call 301-654-8664.www.writer.org.

Contra and Square Dance. 7-10:30p.m. $12/$9 admission. The FolkloreSociety of Greater Washington presentstraditional American contra dancing.The evening can include squaredances, mixers, waltzes and othercouple dances. There is a lesson is at 7p.m., followed by dances called byShawn Brenneman for Nightwatchfrom 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. At the SpanishBallroom at Glen Echo Park.

Cajun/Zydeco Dance. 3-6 p.m.Dancing by the Bayou presents aCajun/Zydeco dance with live music.Dance lesson at 3 p.m. with Michaeland Sharon is followed by dancingfrom 3:30 - 6 p.m. At the SpanishBallroom of Glen Echo Park. ContactEmail:[email protected]

Rock, Paper and Scissors. Amultimedia exhibit of stone sculpturesby Irma Spencer, paintings by MarshaGoldfine, and paper sculptures byRenate Chernoff. Artist’s receptionfrom 1-3 p.m. on Jan. 10 At Har

Shalom Synagogue, 11510 Falls Road,Potomac. Exhibit runs from Jan. 5-Feb.24, 2010. Call 301-299-7087.

Preventing Unwanted Behavior inDogs, Cats & Birds. 1-3 p.m. Howto reduce unwanted behaviors in dogs,cats and birds by providing a morespecies-friendly environment andenriching it with appropriate items andtoys. Free but register at:www.yourdogsfriend.info or 301-983-5913. At Potomac Community Center,11315 Falls Rd., Potomac.

Genealogy Fest. 1 p.m. Schmooze; 1:30p.m. business meeting andannouncements, followed by program.There will be “area” desks available,each supported by an expert in aparticular area of research, to answerquestions. Sponsored by the JewishGenealogy Society of GreaterWashington. At Congregation Beth El,8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda.Send questions [email protected] or visitwww.jewishgen.org/jgsgw.

MONDAY/JAN. 11Beth Sholom Book Club. 8 p.m. Will

be reviewing Ariel Sabar’s “My Father’sParadise.” This non-fiction book isSabar’s quest to reconcile an ancientpast with his own life today — and toknit his father’s story to his own. Allare welcome. Beth SholomCongregation and Talmud Torah islocated at 11825 Seven Locks Rd.Potomac. Email Tanya [email protected].

TUESDAY/JAN. 12Hungry for Music. 8 p.m. A concert of

folk/Americana solo acts to benefitHungry for Music, a group thatprovides musical instruments to youngmusicians. Will include Doug Alan

See Calendar, Page 7

SATURDAY/JAN. 9Pianist Alexander Paley Performs.

8 p.m. Complete Chopin Preludesand Waltzes. Free. Paley will usher inthe 200th anniversary year of thebirth of composer Frédéric Chopinwith a concert of the completeChopin Preludes and Waltzes. AtWestmoreland Congregational UCCChurch, One Westmoreland Circle, atMassachusetts and Western Avenues,the boundary of D.C. and Bethesda.


LET’S TALKReal Estate

For professional advice on allaspects of buying and sellingreal estate, call:

MICHAEL MATESEWashington Fine

[email protected]

CHALLENGES OFA CHANGING

MARKETMany regions of the country areexperiencing a transition in realestate trends. What are theimplications for sellers?

Firstly it is essential that youprice your home accurately fromthe outset. Consult with yourreal estate professional to deter-mine a competitive price foryour home.

Sellers can also gain an advan-tage by improving the home’sappeal for the prospective buyer.This could include offeringincentives, or you could give thewalls a fresh coat of paint in aneutral color, creating the lookof a “new home”. You could also consideroffering to pay some of the non-recurring closing costs (forexample the loan appraisal orloan points) which could be amajor motivation to cash-poorbuyers.

Having a home inspection anddoing those urgent repairsbefore your home is listed, is agood idea so buyers don’tbecome discouraged if they haveto wait for repairs. Ask your realestate professional to advise youabout staging your home toshow well.

byMichael Matese

YOGA CLASSES IN POTOMAC

Kula Yoga Hamsa Yoga

St. James Episcopal

Church

11815 Seven Locks Road

Monday - Friday

9:30am

St. Andrews

Episcopal School

8804 Postoak Road

Mon & Wed 6:30 & 8:00pm

Thurs 6:30pm

Sat 9:00am

For more information please contact:

Nancy Steinberg

240-994-5092

[email protected]

www.Kulayogaclass.com

Shanthi [email protected]

www.hamsa-yoga.com

For Weekend &Evening Classes

For Daytime

Classes

Potomac Village Deli Catering

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner Catering

301•299•5770www.potomacvillagedeli.com

Home of YourCorporate & ResidentialCatering Headquarters

Serving theCommunity

for over35 Years

From Page 6

Calendar

SATURDAY/JAN. 16American Balalaika Symphony. 8 p.m. Presents “From the Cities to the Steppes:

Music of Old Russia.” Under the artistic direction of Peter Trofimenko. At theMusic Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Go towww.Strathmore.org or call 301-581-5100.

Wilcox, David LaFleur, Michelle Swan andJerry Bresee. Presented by FocusRockville. Tickets are $18/door; $15/advance. Go to www.FocusMusic.org.At the Unitarian Universalist Church ofRockville, 100 Welsh Park Drive,Rockville. Contact David Spitzer [email protected] or 301-275-7459.

Why Don’t My Kids Listen to Me?Free workshop for all parents ofchildren ages 2 1⁄2 to 18 presented bythe Parent Encouragement Program.7:30-9 p.m. at the RenaissanceChildren’s Art Center, 12116Darnestown Rd., North Potomac. Pre-register by calling 301-929-8824.www.PEPparent.org.

THURSDAY/JAN. 14Blues Dance. 8:15 - 11:30 p.m.

Admission: $8. Beginner workshopruns from 8:15 - 9 p.m. Dancing from9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Rotating DJs. Atthe Ballroom Annex of Glen Echo Park.Email: [email protected]

Parenting with a Plan. Free workshopfor all parents of infants and toddlers.Presented by the ParentEncouragement Program. 7:30-9:00p.m. at the PEP Office, 10100Connecticut Ave., Kensington. Call301-929-8824. www.PEPparent.org.

Poetry Out Loud. 4 p.m. Ten schoolwinners will compete and three will benamed first, second, and third placecounty winners and move on to theregional competition in February. The

public is invited to attend. Free. RSVPby Jan. 10 to The Writer’s Center [email protected] or 301-654-8664. At The Writer’s Center, 4508Walsh Street, Bethesda.

FRIDAY/JAN. 15Super Fiesta Latina Party. 8:15 p.m. -

Midnight. Admission: $15. Hosted byFabio and Jennifer Bonini. Beginnerlesson from 8:15 - 9 p.m. for Salsabeginners and up. The lesson isfollowed by dancing from 9 p.m. tomidnight with teacher and DJ FabioBonini playing the best of Salsa,Bachata, Merengue, Cha-Cha,Reggaeton. At the Ballroom Annex atGlen Echo Park. Email:[email protected].


Programs for kids 4 months to 12 years old.Parent/Child * Gymnastics * Dance * Sports Skills

Parties * Camps * Parents’ Survival NightsTRY A FREE CLASS!

NOW ENROLLING FOR WINTER/SPRINGCALL OR REGISTER ONLINE TO HOLD YOUR SPOT!

www.thelittlegym.com/potomacmd

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301-294-4840

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Learning aboutCookie Sales

Cadette Girl Scout Troop 1137recently hosted about 60 youngerGirl Scouts for a Cookie Rally. Asthey rotated through five activitystations, the younger Girl Scoutslearned everything they needed toknow to have a successful GirlScout cookie sale. The Girl Scoutcookie order period continuesthrough mid-January, and thengirls will be selling outside localretailers in late February and earlyMarch. Sixty cents from the saleof each box of Girl Scout cookiesgoes directly to the troop, to sup-port programs, field trips andother activities for the girls.

year!We also humbly offer a tip of the

hat to the customers who came tothe River Road Station and pur-chased a Christmas tree from ourdepartment. We realize that therewere some issues with a few treesthis year and if yours was one, wewould like to offer our deepestregrets! This was the first year thatthe Tree Farm actually sent theowner down from Quebec, during

our active sales, to inspect issuesthat we were finding with thetrees. We shall take whatever stepsare necessary to provide a cure tothe problems experienced prior tonext year.

Finally, some of our neighborswere caught off guard and henceangered by the presence of solici-tors that were representing theLadies Auxiliary of the Cabin JohnPark Volunteer Fire Department intheir annual door to door cam-paign, a “Portrait Fund Drive.” We

regret any possible issues that thisfund-raiser has caused you or yourfamily. We do endorse and encour-age this program as our needs forfunding have climbed to an all-time high in order to operate thedepartment.

Our department, staffed by 80local volunteers working in coop-eration with 50 career personnelprovided by the county govern-ment, expends 95 per cent of alldonations and fund drive moniescollected directly towards fire res-cue operations. To do this, we relyon three primary fund-raisingmethods during the year: Our An-nual Fund Drive Mailer, ChristmasTree Sales and the Auxiliary’s Por-trait Fund Drive. From thesesources, we require over $150,000annually to remain viable in serv-ing the community. That fund-rais-ing does not even begin to includethe nearly $3,000,000 that willsoon be required for the total re-build of the Falls Road Substation!

We appreciate and do not takefor granted the relationship thatwe have with the community. Wecontinuously work to grow ouroutreach through a multitude ofprograms, such as: the Fourth ofJuly Parades, Potomac Days par-ticipation, the Susan Komen Walkassistance, the A.T.&T. Golf Tour-nament coverage, Santa Roundsalong with many, many other pro-grams in the neighborhood.

We hope that you will continueto support your local volunteer firerescue department as we continueour best efforts to provide youwith world class fire, rescue andEMS service.

Our officers and members wouldlike to wish all of our neighbors inthe Cabin John Park Volunteer FireDepartment protection area ahealthy, happy and safe New Year!

James L. Hunter,President

James P. Seavey, Sr.,Fire Chief

Photos from GS Troop 1137

The Cookie Rally participants complete puzzles madefrom photos of each Girl Scout cookie variety.

From Page 4

Letters to the Editor

Community


See Looking Back, Page 11

See Sports Briefs, Page 11

Sports

What happened in the fall:The boys soccer team wonthe state championship despite entering the playoffs

as a No. 12 seed. Whitman defeated Urbana,1-0, on Nov. 20 on a goal by Jonny Mehrez.The Vikings posted four shutouts in sixpostseason games.

Head coach Dave Greene said the teamnever doubted itself.

The playoff run was “not unexpected atall,” he said in the Nov. 18 edition of theAlmanac. “Did we think we were gonna getto this point? We didn’t think in those terms.

We basically were playing onegame at a time because if we gotahead of ourselves, we did notconcentrate on the opponent athand. We didn’t get too excitedone way or another. If we lost,

we didn’t get too upset. When we won, wedidn’t get too excited.”

Whitman entered the postseason with thefifth-best record in Montgomery County, butonly the top four finishers receive a seedbased on their record, making Whitman’sNo. 12 seed misleading.

Scott Gerfen and Dominick Yin were twoof Whitman’s senior leaders.

The football team lost to Paint Branch inthe opening round of the state playoffs. TheVikings went 8-2 during the regular seasonto secure a playoff berth, winning six of theirfinal seven regular season games.

Throughout the season, Whitman usuallyfound a way to win close games. Nine ofthe Vikings 11 contests were decided by 13points or fewer, including seven by sixpoints or fewer. Whitman was 6-3 in gamesdecided by 13 points or less and 5-2 in con-tests decided by six points or less.

The golf team spent most of the seasonfinishing first or second in tournaments. Thegirls soccer team advanced to the semifi-nals of the 4A West playoff bracket beforelosing to Churchill.

What’s next: The boys basketball team,which started 5-1, travel to face Bethesda-Chevy Chase at 7 p.m. Jan. 8. The girls bas-ketball team, which started 5-2, travels totake on BCC at 5:15 p.m. Jan. 8.

ChurchillWhat happened in the fall: The girls soc-

cer team went undefeated in the regularseason, capturing its first division title 12years. The Bulldogs earned the No. 1 seedin the 4A West playoff bracket but lost toBethesda Chevy Chase in the regional final.

The football team started 7-0 under first-year head coach Joe Allen, but lost its finalthree games and missed the playoffs.Sherwood, the 2008 state champion,snapped the Bulldogs’ win streak, 17-0, onOct. 23. After that, Churchill was upset byBethesda-Chevy Chase, Allen’s former team,20-13, and lost the regular season finale toWhitman, 28-24.

During Churchill’s 7-0 start the teamfound ways to pull out close games. Onlyonce did the Bulldogs win by more than 14points and only twice by more than 10.

What’s next: The Churchill boys basket-ball team, which started 3-3, travels to takeon Northwest at 7 p.m. Jan. 7. The Bull-dogs’ leading scorer, senior Jake Eskin,transferred from Northwest prior to the2009-10 school year. Churchill will needmore consistent scoring from players otherthan Eskin in order to be successful.

The girls basketball team, which started4-1, travels to take on Northwest at 5:15p.m. Jan. 7.

WoottonWhat happened in the fall: Jessie Rubin

won the individual state championship forthe girls cross country team, which finished

Whitman Boys Soccer Opens 2009-10 in StyleVikings football team findsways to win close games.

Photo by Harvey Levine/The Almanac

Diego Romero and the Whitman boys soccer team were state championsin 2009.

Potomac Almanac Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-224-3015 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

2009-

2010

Churchill Boys DropHeartbreaker inTourney Final

The Churchill boys basketball team lost to Charles E.Smith Jewish Day School, 52-50, in overtime of theBobby Miller Bulldog Classic championship game Dec.30 at CHS.

CESJDS scored on a put-back with two seconds re-maining in the extra period. Churchill led 46-38 withfour minutes remaining in the fourth quarter but couldn’tput CESJDS away. The loss dropped the Bulldogs’ recordto 3-3.

“It was obviously a disappointing outcome for us,”Churchill coach Matt Miller said in an e-mail. “We battled

all night but we didn’t do a lot of little things right and itcame back to bite us in the end. … I know we will getbetter and rebound from this — our guys are resilient kids.”

Will Lewis scored a team-high 16 points, including four3-pointers. Jake Eskin finished with 14 points. Both play-ers were named to the all-tournament team.

Churchill defeated Bel Air 79-54 in the opening roundDec. 29. Each Bulldog scored during the game.

Eskin led Churchill with 16 points. Kyle Edwards andLewis each scored 10 points for the Bulldogs. Jordan Bassfinished with nine points, Christian Bonaparte added sevenand George Nichols, Alex Askinazi and Sam Edens eachscored six. Michael Ely and Tom DiFato each finished withfour points and Thomas Geenen added one.

“Sure, there are always positives when you win one gameand lose the other with two seconds remaining in over-

time,” Miller said. “Offensively, we really shared the ballwell in the first game and I think everyone scored, whichis a first for us this season. I thought we generally shotit better this week than we had been. I was pleased tosee Will Lewis regain his shooting touch from the pe-rimeter.”

Churchill faced Bethesda-Chevy Chase on Tuesday. Re-sults were not available before the Almanac’s deadline.The Bulldogs travel to face Northwest at 7 p.m. Thurs-day.

Churchill Girls Lose TwoThe Churchill girls basketball team lost a pair of games

Sports Briefs


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Sports

From Page 9

Looking Back and Ahead

Photo by

Harvey Levine

The Almanac

Churchill’s MattRisk, right, at-tempts to run

through Whitman’sJeff Gruen on Nov.

6. Whitman de-feated Churchill,

28-24, in the regu-lar season finale.

fourth. The boys team placedeighth at the 4A West regionals.

The girls soccer team de-feated Paint Branch, 6-0, in theopening round of the playoffsbefore losing to Bethesda-Chevy Chase. The boys soccerteam lost to Whitman in theopening round of the state play-offs. The volleyball team went12-4 and lost to Paint Branchin the second round of the play-offs.

The football team went 2-8with wins over Springbrook(35-34) and Bethesda-ChevyChase (45-7).

What’s next: The boys basket-ball team, which started 2-3,will travel to face Churchill at7 p.m. Jan. 8. Jack Weis is theteam’s top perimeter shooterand offensive threat. The girlsbasketball team, which started4-3, will host Churchill at 7 p.m.Jan. 8. The Patriots won fourstraight games after an 0-2start.

BullisWhat happened in the fall:

The girls soccer team won theISL tournament, finishing 12-5-2.

The football team finished 2-8 after a 2-0 start. The boys soc-cer team went 6-8-3, includinga three-game winning streakagainst Georgetown Prep, St.Albans and The Heights. Thefield hockey team finished 12-3-1, losing in the ISL tourna-ment. The Bulldogs won 11 oftheir first 12 games.

What’s next: The girls basket-ball team, which started 3-3,hosts National Cathedral at 6p.m. Jan. 7. The boys basketballteam will travel to face TheHeights at 6 p.m. Jan. 8.

Sports Briefs

From Page 9

during a holiday tournament at CHS, dropping the Bulldogs’record to 4-2. Churchill lost to Yorktown, 52-36, on Dec. 30 andfell to Robinson, 49-37, on Dec. 29.

Churchill faced Bethesda-Chevy Chase on Tuesday. Results werenot available before the Almanac’s deadline. The Bulldogs travelto face Northwest at 5:15 p.m. Thursday.

Whitman Boys SplitHoliday Contests

The Whitman boys basketball team lost to Landon, 73-63, onDec. 30 and defeated St. Anne’s-Belfield, 61-58, on Dec. 29 dur-ing a holiday tournament at Landon. The Vikings’ record movedto 5-2.

Whitman held a 38-21 halftime lead against SAB and held on.The Vikings’ Evan Cook equaled his career high with 19 pointsagainst SAB and Charlie Waugh added 16.

Whitman faced Wootton on Tuesday. Results were not availablebefore the Almanac’s deadline. The Vikings host Walter Johnsonat 7 p.m. Thursday.

Whitman Girls Go 1-1The Whitman girls basketball team defeated Surrattsville, 62-

40, on Dec. 29 and lost to Seton Keough, 62-44, on Dec. 28, mov-ing the team’s record to 5-2.

Wootton Boys Go .500Over Holidays

The Wootton boys basketball team lost to McLean, 71-60, onDec. 30 and defeated The Heights, 72-50, on Dec. 29, moving thePatriots’ record to 3-4.

Wootton faced Whitman on Tuesday. Results were not availablebefore the Almanac’s deadline. The Patriots will take on RichardMontgomery at 7 p.m. Thursday.

One up, One DownFor Wootton Girls

Gabby Flinchum averaged 13 points and Jess Welch 12.5 as theWootton girls basketball team went 1-1 during a holiday tourna-ment at Sherwood.

Wootton lost to Sherwood, 43-36, on Dec. 29 and defeated Res-ervoir, 67-41, on Dec. 30. Flinchum scored a team-high 17 pointsagainst Reservoir and Welch added 15. Welch led the way with 10points against Sherwood and Flinchum added nine.

Wootton faced Whitman on Tuesday. Results were not availablebefore the Almanac’s deadline. The Patriots travel to take onBethesda-Chevy Chase at 7 p.m. Friday.

Bullis Boys Lose ThreeThe Bullis boys basketball team lost a trio of games to close the

2009 calendar year. The Bulldogs lost to Archbishop Molloy (60-46, Dec. 30), Deep Run (60-58, Dec. 29) and Calvert Hall (65-50,Dec. 28).

Bullis hosted Georgetown Prep on Tuesday. Results were notavailable before the Almanac’s deadline. The Bulldogs travel toface The Heights at 6 p.m. Friday.

Bullis Girls Defeat North CountyThe Bullis girls basketball team beat North County, 56-40, on

Dec. 29.Bullis faced Georgetown Prep on Tuesday. Results were not avail-

able before the Almanac’s deadline. The Bulldogs host NationalCathedral at 6 p.m. Thursday.

I imagine the confession I’m about tomake likely will get me banned from futuresimilar cultural events (good!). But, since I’msitting here (here being the NationalCathedral in Washington, D.C.) semi listen-ing to their Choir & Baroque Orchestra, Ihave to do something, even if some mightconsider writing on the very programdescribing the music, musicians, conductorand author to which I’m listening (I didn’tsay subjected; after all, it was with my con-sent that I agreed to this outing) a defama-tion of my character (or lack there of) and adefacing of sacred text. Nevertheless, asPopeye the Sailor Man said so famously,“I’yam what I’yam.” And what I am not, ashas been proven by this musical interlude is,a fan of George Frederick Handel’s Messiah,(God forgive me) “arguably the most widelyshared musical experience in our culture.Each year the oratorio is sung by tens andperhaps hundreds of thousands of people.”And it is “mid nave” that I find myself not soenthralled on Sunday, Dec. 6.

And though the National Cathedral is anelegant and magnificent environment forthis most traditional of presentations, I amnot sure if my eyes and ears can truly appre-ciate its suitability. However, as I am writing(and then pausing and thinking about whatto write next) I have to admit, the musicand words (many of which I can’t actuallydiscern) do provide a soothing backdrop,conducive almost, to this creative process. Idon’t imagine, though, that the cognoscenteof this music appreciate it for its inoffen-sive/barely noticeable/backdrop-type whitenoise as I do.

I mean, the Cathedral is nearly full, at$54 a ticket – not exactly a cheap thrill (andin a challenging, shall we say, economy toboot). Apparently, these many listeners puttheir money where their ears are. It’s onlypeople/non-patrons of the arts like me whodon’t know any better and can’t process themelodies sufficiently to find joy in “themthar” notes and we’re nearly two-thirds(“Part The Second”) through this holiday tra-dition. (The extremely famous “Hallelujah!”chorus is close, I’m told.)

Let me be clear, none of this commen-tary has anything at all to do with the amaz-ingly talented musicians, soloists, conduc-tors and choir performing this evening. Noris it a reflection of the courteous and patientstaff ushering (voluntarily no doubt) thehundreds of ticket-holding Handel enthusi-asts to their assigned seats. It’s more aboutan experience I have now shared with manybefore me, and heard much about, that Iofficially “don’t get.” I wouldn’t say attend-ing this event was worth the money wespent (like The Allman Brothers concert Isaw in October was) but in an odd way, I dofeel better having experienced it.

Would I go back? No. Do I regret havinggone? No. Am I planning my next culturalsoiree? Absolutely not! For me, enjoyingsuch fare is an “achoired” taste. A tastewhich I have not yet acquired. (I did find agreat parking space on Wisconsin Ave.directly across from the Cathedral, though.)

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

Can’tHandel ItBy KENNETH B. LOURIE


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Potomac - The Connection Newspapershandle mature dialog as well as the vocally de-manding parts,” said Graham. Tickets for the performances are $10 for gen-eral admission seats and