Potomac - The Connection Newspapersconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2010/112410/Potomac.pdfcranberry juice, butterflies, the sun, my big brother and my family.” Potomac Nursery School

Potomac Almanac ❖ November 24-30, 2010 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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PERMIT #86

PotomacPotomac

November 24-30, 2010 ❖ Volume XXIV, Number 47

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FuelingShoppersNews, Page 4

Baskets forThe NeedyNews, Page 3

Chamber Presents Annual Awards

News, Page 14

Churchill ToFeature

Balanced OffenseSports, Page 12

FuelingShoppersNews, Page 4

Baskets forThe NeedyNews, Page 3

Churchill ToFeature

Balanced OffenseSports, Page 12

Chamber Presents Annual Awards

News, Page 14

From left: Elena Yeutter, Cristy Yeutter, Diane Boragno andJenifer Luck dish up turkey chili at the Connelly School

holiday bazaar café for hungry shoppers.

From left: Elena Yeutter, Cristy Yeutter, Diane Boragno andJenifer Luck dish up turkey chili at the Connelly School

holiday bazaar café for hungry shoppers.

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ November 24-30, 2010 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com


See Thanksgiving, Page 10

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Thanksgiving is the holiday thatseems to be most focused on food,glorious food. Should we try new

dishes? Should we create grandma’s home-made cranberry sauce? Shall we have twokinds of potatoes, corn soufflé, stuffing,gravy — ooh — all those calories and carbs.Who should come for Thanksgiving dinner— and who should bring what?

But Thanksgiving is more than just about

the food. It is a time for families and friendsto join together to be thankful for all thatwe have. Here are some Thanksgiving cus-toms and foods from around Potomac.

Valerie Gordon, Potomac: “I’ve passedthe gauntlet to my daughter who absolutelyloves Thanksgiving. She has widened thecircle to include friends, friends of friends,neighbors and anyone who has no place togo. Everyone brings something and we alllove it.”

Liz Appelbaum, Chevy Chase: “OnThanksgiving, the first two turkeys out ofthe oven are carved and put into bags whichinclude the trimmings. We then take themto the streets and parks in D.C. and givethem to the homeless who are unable toget to a shelter. I’ve been doing this since Iwas a little girl, and my whole family is in-volved. We feed about 250 people everyThanksgiving.”

Melissa Phillips, Potomac: “Since wehave no family here in Maryland, our chil-

dren get very involved in Thanksgiving.They all share in making the meal. Larsbakes the pies, Annabelle makes the stuff-ing and Franny prepares the smashed po-tatoes. They also have free range to deco-rate our Thanksgiving table anyway theywant!”

Linda Clinch, Potomac: “Every year, myson Tommy and his uncle smoke a turkey, aham, and either salmon or trout. I prepare

See Serving, Page 4

See Learning, Page 4

Traditional and Not So Traditional Potomac Thanksgivings

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Potomac Nursery School students donned theirfeather headbands, chose Native Americannames, gathered around a campfire and held

their first Pow-wow. They even had an American In-dian visit their classroom and teach them the “Friend-ship Dance.” Hunting Buffalo, Leaping Deer, Bloom-ing Flower, Strong Hunter, Little Star, Jumping Fish,Painted Flower, Little Knife and Flying Eagle — someof the names the children selected for their new Na-tive American identities — danced around the camp-fire pretending to hunt, sew moccasins and paddletheir canoes.

For several weeks, teachers at Potomac NurserySchool have been instructing their preschoolers in

the customs and traditions of our country’s first in-habitants. Songs such as “Playing Indian is Such Fun”,“Great Spirit Send the Rain”, “Ki Yi Yi” and “HennaMaya” familiarized them with the language of theNative American while giving them insight into thetrials and joys of tribal lives. The children have beenlearning about kayaks, canoes, bucks, maidens,chiefs, rituals, and dances. They also created a Na-tive American costume, including clay bead neck-laces and paper vests, which they decorated withNative American symbols. John Wigle, a parent, cameto speak to the children about Native American In-dian life. He is a member of the Tuscarora Nation ofNew York State. Dressed in his native costume, heshared stories of the many customs of his tribe andtold them that his Native American name is “He thatis Right Minded.”

Native American life is paired with the study ofThanksgiving each year. The first Thanksgiving isdiscussed and the children learn that the Pilgrims

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Organized chaos is 70 upperschool students gathered inthe Bullis cafeteria at 8:45 ona Saturday morning to bake

180 pies from scratch. Teenagers are slic-ing and peeling apples, stirring the slicedapples into the filling ingredients, rollingout pie crusts and lattice — and finally as-sembling and baking the pies.

These students have dedicated their timeand effort to create a special Thanksgivingfor less fortunate Montgomery County fami-lies. These pies will supplement 75 bounti-ful baskets that Bullis students, parents,faculty and staff have prepared. The extrahomemade pies will complement holidaymeals for additional families.

The baskets contain everything forThanksgiving dinner for a family of six ormore. Traditional Thanksgiving fare suchas sweet potatoes, stuffing mix, cornbread

mix, cranberry sauce, corn, green beans, asupermarket gift card for the turkey — evenan aluminum turkey pan, holiday candles,Thanksgiving table decorations and a dis-posable camera were collected to com-

pletely fill a large laundry basket. “We makesure that every item in the basket is useful,down to the basket itself — a laundry bas

Bullis Students Prepare Thanksgiving BasketsNews

Potomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

They’re serving75 MontgomeryCounty families.

Co-chairs Debbie Friedlander and Patricia Cohen withthe Thanksgiving baskets

Bullis students Colleen Cronin, Alex Joo, CarolineAbushakra and Mary-Clare Stucky dig into the applepie filling.

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Preschoolers Learn about Native American Customs

Luke Bryan, Christian Kim, Katie Pease, Jack Evansand Tessa Merretta enjoy the campfire at PotomacNursery School

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As they celebratethe first Thanksgiving.


News

From Page 3

From Page 3

and Native American Indians had muchto be thankful for. When asked to tell whatthey were grateful for, each child repliedwith a different answer, such as: “the tur-key, the mashed potatoes, my big sister,cranberry juice, butterflies, the sun, my bigbrother and my family.”

Potomac Nursery School at 12300 FallsRoad has been serving Potomac families forover 30 years. Owned by Rebecca Mancuso,the school provides a comprehensive nurs-ery school program and after-care for chil-dren age two to five.

“The focus of the school has changed overthe years,” said Director Joan Mancuso. “Weare now making certain that the childrenare ‘kindergarten ready’ with reading andwriting skills. We have added an interna-tionally-recognized program called ‘Hand-writing Without Tears.’ This program sim-plifies the structure of handwriting — allthe letters are created with four shapes. Wehave also incorporated science and mathinto our curriculum while emphasizing thedevelopment of a well-rounded child.”

Director Joan Mancuso, teacher BarbaraHaas, Esther Stello and music teacher MaryHamilton have taught at Potomac NurserySchool since it first opened. Hamilton, nowretired, returns several times a week to ac-company the children’s singing on the pi-ano and to teach the children new songs.The staff consists of 11 teachers.

“We are planning to expand the programswe offer the community. Since we are lo-cated at the Montgomery SquareCopenhaver Swim Club, we are in negotia-tions to use part of their space for a sum-mer camp,” said Rebecca Mancuso whostarted working at Potomac Nursery Schoolas a camp counselor while in high school.She holds degrees in early childhood edu-cation from the University of Maryland.

ket, not a decorative basket,” saidDebbie Friedlander, Bullis Parent Asso-ciation Community Service co-chair. “Andevery member of our community gets in-volved to help as many families as wecan.”

Bullis School is paired with local fami-lies through Interfaith Works and Mont-gomery Housing Opportunities Commis-sion (HOC). For 14 years, Bullis has pro-vided baskets and supported these agen-cies in their county-wide effort to pro-vide holiday meals to hundreds of fami-lies throughout Montgomery County.Stephanie Semones of HOC is gratefulfor the Bullis School’s assistance. “Wenow have 10,000 low-income families inMontgomery County — over 1,000 morethan in previous years, due to theeconomy. Homelessness has increaseddramatically. Tent cities have sprung upall over our county. These baskets aretruly appreciated by the families who areable to have a wonderful and meaning-ful Thanksgiving due to the efforts of theBullis community.”

“The students are taking this commu-nity service to the next level — we try togive them a 360-degree view of what thebaskets mean to these families and justhow blessed all of us are. We want thestudents to learn that if each personpitches in, wonderful things happen.Look at all these baskets. The youngerstudents cut out turkeys and wrote ‘Be-

lieve’ on them — and then added whatthey believe in, such as ‘pride, honesty,peace, fairness, forgiveness and friend-ship’,” said Friedlander.

Co-chair Patricia Cohen is also pleasedwith the results. “We have been workinghard for weeks, collecting everything forthe baskets. It’s truly a school-wide com-munity service project. It’s a great feel-ing to know that others will be able toenjoy Thanksgiving because of our ef-forts.”

The baskets and freshly baked pies arescheduled to be distributed to HOC cli-ent families on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

Serving 75 Families

Elise Widerlite displays a fin-ished apple pie.

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Music teacher Mary Hamilton hasbeen playing the piano atPotomac Nursery School for over30 years.

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Learning about Thanksgiving

By Colleen Healy

The Almanac

Last weekend, busy shoppers attended the holiday bazaar atConnelly School of the Holy Childin Potomac. Now in its sixth year,

the bazaar included 75 vendors from as faraway as Maine selling monogrammed cloth-ing, jewelry, ceramic pieces, men’s and

women’s clothing, accessories, stationery,original art, hand-painted items, furniture,handbags and more. A white elephant sale,a “Shabby Chic Boutique,” a luncheon caféand bake sale could also be found in roomafter room of vendors selling their wares.

According to the headmistress of theschool, Maureen Appel, the annual bazaaris “traditionally held the weekend beforeThanksgiving. It is a wonderful community

builder; the spirit is contagious. It is a greatactivity for the Potomac community as wellas our alumnae. It is great to see our formerstudents come back with their families.”

Alumnae and parent Colleen ChristmasGardella credits the “army of volunteers”that makes the event such a success. It isalso a school fundraiser; each vendor gives

back 25 percent of their sales to the school.Jennifer Kress feels that “one of the nice

things about the event is that you can getall of your holiday shopping done, get yourthings monogrammed here and leave withit. We are very good to our vendors andprovide them a boxed lunch each day. Theevent is very organized.”

Connelly School Holds 6th Annual Holiday Bazaar

St. Louis-based designer Anjali Kamra displaysher colorful clothing line called Rungolee. Allthe clothing is handmade in India and manypieces have beading and embellishments.

Debbie Whyte of Whyte House Monogramsdisplays her work at the annual holiday bazaarwhich was held last weekend at ConnellySchool of the Holy Child.

Jamie Matthews, left, and Ryan Whyte havebeen best friends since they were 10 years old.This past summer they started their own cloth-ing company, Matthews Whyte East CoastApparel.

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See To Market, Page 7

By Cissy Finley Grant

The Almanac

Gov. Martin O’Malleywas the first Gover-nor to jump on boardof the “Share Our

Strength” campaign, an organiza-tion committed to ending child-hood hunger.

At a recent nationally televised,sell-out crowd event at the Na-tional Press Club, Oscar-winningactor (“Crazy Heart”) Jeff Bridgespraised the Maryland governor forhis initiative, generating such aresponse from the audience, theGovernor was forced to indicate,quiet please, by a swipe with hishand.

In a distributed printout,O’Malley stated, “Step one, in thehow to manual for ending child-hood hunger: Partner with ‘ShareOur Strength’ and the ‘No KidHungry’ campaigns.” Bridgesfounded the “End Hungry Net-work” in 1983, a project he is pas-sionate about, so much so, heteared up when the question wasasked, “What is the greatest chal-lenge you have faced as a famousperson?” Naturally, the answerwas childhood hunger, but it tookhim several seconds and sponta-neous applause from his audienceto get it out.

Bridges became the nationalspokesman on Nov. 10 for the“Share Our Strength” programfounded by Boston’s Bill Shore,also seated at the head table. Thecombined programs aim to endchildhood hunger by 2015. “Thereare 17 million hungry children,nearly one in four, in the UnitedStates,” Bridges stated.

Thanks to O’Malley’s enthusiasmand interest in the hunger project,“Share Our Strength” made an ini-tial investment of $20,000 to the“Partnership to End ChildhoodHunger in Maryland.” It helpedgenerate a 17.4 percent increasein the number of children receiv-ing meals. Furthermore, between2009-10, the Maryland “Share OurStrength” program helped feed35,000 children who otherwisewould have gone without muchneeded nutrition.

There are a number of ways toget involved with this programincluding visiting the websitewww.strength.org or nokidhungry.org or, the old fashionedway, 202-393-2925.

MAYFIELD MARKETTo market, to market, to buy

something big; home again, homeagain, jiggety-jig.

This old nursery rhyme de-scribed a huge event this weekend,at The Connelly School of TheHoly Child.

“It was big,” exclaimed AnneDolen, the school’s director of an-nual giving. She was referring tothe school’s annual Mayfield Mar-ket. By “big” she touted 75 ven-dors who filled the gym and class-rooms, where an array of holidaygifts, home accessories, clothes,jewelry and a cornucopia of stock-ing stuffers will boggle the imagi-nation. “It took over a hundredvolunteers to put it all together,”she said.

Nearly 50 years ago the schoolon Bradley Boulevard in Potomacopened its doors. The first class of

O’Malley Praised forHunger Campaign

Gov. MartinO’Malley (left) and

Oscar- winningactor Jeff Bridges

shared the headtable at the Na-

tional Press Club’ssold-out event

where O’Malley washonored for being

the first U.S. gover-nor to jump on

board of the “ShareOur Strength” to

eliminate childhunger.

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Getting Around


POTOMACALMANAC

www.PotomacAlmanac.com

Newspaper of PotomacA Connection Newspaper

An independent, locally ownedweekly newspaper

delivered to homes and businesses.1606 King Street

Alexandria, Virginia 22314

PUBLISHERMary Kimm

[email protected]

EDITORIALPHONE: 703-821-5050

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EDITORSteven Mauren, 703-778-9415

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SPORTS EDITORJon Roetman,703-224-3015

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ASSOCIATE EDITORSteve Hibbard, 703-778-9412

[email protected]

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERLouise Krafft

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSCissy Finley Grant, Carole Dell,

Kenny Lourie

Art/Design:Geovani Flores, Laurence Foong,

John Heinly, Wayne Shipp,John Smith

Production Manager:Jean Card

ADVERTISINGPHONE: 703-821-5050

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVESDisplay Advertising:

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[email protected] Smith 703-778-9411

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Potomac Almanac is published byConnection Newspapers, L.L.C.

Peter LabovitzPresident/CEO

Mary KimmPublisher/Chief Operating

Officer703-778-9433

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Debbie FunkNational Sales703-778-9444

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[email protected]

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An Award-winning Newspaperin Writing, Photography, Editing,

Graphics and Design

Opinion‘Pink Out’To the Editor:

I can look to my right and left and count onboth hands, relatives and close friends thathave battled breast cancer. I run in races inhonor of the memory of my husband’s mother,a woman I only know through his memories, Idonate every day at the local grocery store forthe month of October in honor of my friendsthat have battled breast cancer and won andmy Aunt who lost.

Most recently on Oct. 29, Istood in the stands with parentsand students at my son’s localhigh school football game, that

night we all wore pink. Our school had imple-mented its first ever “Pink Out Day,” to honorthose we know who have battled the diseaseand those we don’t. The t-shirt were designedby a senior student, and worn by those whowere lucky enough to purchase them beforethey sold out, a week prior to the “Pink OutDay.” The varsity football game that night wasagainst an arch rival, an inter-conference game.My son and his teammates had an air of inten-sity all week, preparing for what would be oneof the most physically and mentally challeng-ing games of their season. As our team took tothe field under the hypnotic Friday night lights,what was most striking was not the obviousexcitement and hype of our players but the pinkthey wore. From athletic tape, to helmet stick-ers, to football gloves and right down to theirshoelaces, every teammate, every son, worepink. It was one of the greatest moments Icould remember as a parent.

The next day became one of my proudest. Iwas talking on the phone to my closest friend,whose son is a friend and teammate of my son.I learned from her that both our boys had writ-ten her initials on their faces before the foot-ball game. My friend is a breast cancer survi-vor. I was speechless and thought about thedozens of things they could have written inlight of this highly competitive game. But inthe end they put a friend, a mom, someoneelse ahead of themselves. Her son experiencedthe uncertainty of a mother battling breastcancer, my son experienced my own non-can-cerous but life-threatening illness. Two friends,bound by something bigger than both of them,but that night they rose above it all.

Breast cancer awareness month culminatedin a sharp and insightful way for me on thenext evening, Oct. 30, 2010. We attended animportant local hospital gala to support andhonor that same friend. As I listened to herwelcome speech, followed by moving speechesfrom survivors, I felt so lucky to be part notonly of her life but those around me. Sitting atmy table, I looked to my right and to my left,seeing in each of our faces the pain and sor-row we each have endured. We all are boundby life’s uncertainties but like the local schoolthat brings awareness to the core of its com-munity by implementing a school wide “PinkOut,” to the two friends on the football fieldthat night, together, we will rise above it all.

Letters

Ike’s MisstepTo the Editor:

Question A – to charge ambulance fees inMontgomery County, failed when put to thevoters on election day, a rejection by Countyresidents. Some might think this was a victoryfor the volunteer firefighters of MontgomeryCounty and others might think it was a lossfor the paid firefighters of the same county.And others might agree it was a big loss forthe County Executive that put not only gov-ernment money but government employees topromote the initiative. Obviously, Mr. Leggettfelt strong about his solution for solving someof the budget woes. The people felt otherwise.He felt the fees were the best approach. Couldhe have done better in solving the problem,with less collateral damage — the tremendousbad feelings that have been left in thefirefighters’ workplace.

During these challenging economic times, onewould hope our leadership would seek to maxi-mize the benefits available from synergies withintheir respective organizations rather than plac-ing the two on opposite sides of the playing field.Little is said about the fire that has ignited as aresult of pitting the two segments of the Countyfire rescue services against each other.

The tensions between paid and volunteerfirefighters are not without precedent. Theyhave been there since the creation of the com-bination system that is the Montgomery CountyFire Rescue Services over 20 years ago. Whilevolunteer firefighters fight for their right tovolunteer their time protecting their commu-nity and the residents, the paid firefighters fightfor their job and power, with a growing abhor-rence for their brethren, the volunteers.

Even though these men and women — vol-unteers and paid firefighters — are trained inthe same academy, hold the same certificationsand credentials, and adhere to the same stan-dards — they are not considered equals. Theyrisk their lives equally to save those they serve.Yet, the volunteer service has been left to feelexpendable — fighting for their existence andthe career service has been left to feel thatvolunteers are a threat to their career, not acomplement. Weekends, holidays and nightsare frequently covered by the volunteer ser-vice, representing not only a savings to thecounty, but more comfortable working hoursfor the paid firefighters. The bottom line is,the county is a safer place with the combina-tion system. Meanwhile the war to abolishvolunteers continues to escalate now with thekindling of the ambulance fee initiative.

Historically, tough economic times lead tohigher volunteerism. This would seem to be agood thing, being that less money needs to bespent in places where those volunteers exist.Yet, today we see the opposite scenario. Thecause? A war between brothers and sisters, andin this case, fueled by County leadership.

The recent mid-term elections became whatappears to be the front line for latest ragingbattle between paid and volunteer firefightersin Montgomery County. How did that happen?

Question A was the last question on the bal-lot in Montgomery County in this year’s elec-tion. The question was placed on the ballotafter County volunteers were able to obtainover 30,000 signatures from residents againstambulance billing. The bill was passed into lawby the County Council earlier this year afternumerous prior defeats.

Ike Leggett’s misstep began when he crafted alose-lose strategy, which pitted the alreadytensioned paid firefighters against the volunteerfirefighters. He called upon the fire departmentleadership, and gave them an ultimatum. Ifambulance billing were overturned, the countyexecutive would cut the jobs of paid firefightersto make up for the “lost” revenue as a result.Richie Bowers (the Chief of Montgomery CountyFire Rescue Services) was faced with a difficultdecision. Place his subordinates in the line offire, making them campaign for Question A, orface possible layoffs of his employees.

This was the resulting scene: Driving north-bound on 355 in Rockville you would get asign hung on a fire truck that said “Vote No onQuestion A”, yet if you drove southbound on355 at the same address, at the same time, youwould see a sign that said “Vote Yes on Ques-tion A”. This was the sight at the Rockville Vol-unteer Fire Department the day before the mid-term elections. A public sign of the serious di-vide drawn between the firefighting brotherand sisterhood, citizens who risk their lives toprotect county residents, a fight brought onby their government leadership.

Instead of bringing together the two compo-nents of the combination department, to feedoff of the strengths and weaknesses, to maxi-mize efficient use of resources, creating sav-ings through synergies, Ike created a war be-tween firefighting siblings.

The county predicted about $14 million inexpected revenues from the ambulance feeshad it passed. So what are the options? Re-gardless of one’s stance on the issue, for theapproximately 1 million county residents, thismeans that a mere $14 per resident per yearcould make up for the “lost” revenues that hascreated such irreparable damage between paidand volunteer firefighters. And just maybe, ifgiven the opportunity, the two services couldevaluate the operations and make recommen-dations that would result in safe cost-savingchanges. Who knows more about their servicesthan those in service?

For career firefighters, the rejected initiativemeans uncertainty for the future and theiremployment. Firefighting is the job that sup-ports their families. Volunteer firefighters arenow left facing the intense anger and extremehostility from these firefighters for lobbyingagainst the bill. At the same time, one side isstill fighting for their right and opportunity tovolunteer in their community, the other fortheir job.

It is important to note, the firefighters paidand volunteer will continue to go out and fightfires side by side. Fighting fires is serious busi-ness, firefighting saves lives but it also risksthe lives of those who fight the fire together.Their lives are in each other’s hands, in themidst of this battle. But unlike a war game goneawry, they have no leader to unite them afterthe battle — yet every day they continue torun into the fire together.

Ike’s misstep was creating a war betweenfirefighters — to win a new source of income.Regardless of the outcome election day, thedamage has been done. Our heroes that vol-unteer and get paid to protect the citizens ofMontgomery County are left to pay the priceof a misguided political gamble.

Joel RogozinskiMember of the Rockville

Volunteer Fire Department

Letters to the Editor, The Almanac1606 King St. ❖ Alexandria VA 22314

Call 703-778-9410.E-mail [email protected]

Debbie BerkelhammerPotomac

Write


LET’S TALKReal Estate

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

MICHAEL MATESELong & Foster Realtors

[email protected].

byMichael Matese

Empty Nest BoomAdults born between 1946 and

1964 are redefining the way thatpeople think of retirement thesedays. Gone are the days whenyou reached 65 and stopped beingactive. Today’s population isworking past 65 and enjoyingmore active, more leisure-filledtime.

Instead of the cliché of retir-ing to the front porch or the easychair, they’re using the freedomof becoming empty-nesters tolook into a variety of opportuni-ties, including buying a differenttype of house, one that’s on a golfcourse, or a luxury condominium,or even a loft with a home gym.Now that the kids are grown andoff to college or out of college andon their own, they’re marketingtheir homes and looking forsomething that will reflect theirnew, different lifestyle and find-ing it in many places.

With more than 78 millionbaby boomers living in theUnited States, there’s a large per-centage of them looking forwardto changing or maintaining theiractive lifestyle during the nextphase of their lives. If you’replanning to sell your home in thenear future, definitely take thislively group of potential buyersinto consideration.

From Page 5

seniors graduated in 1965. “TheMayfield Market was a wonderfulhomecoming for alumnae, theirfamilies and the community ingeneral,” Dolen said. The event’sname is derived from a town inMayfield, England, where theschool’s founder lived.

In its seventh year, MayfieldMarket was at capacity with awaiting list for vendors. Frompoinsettias to potpourri there wasno shortage of variety. Members ofthe father’s club were there to helptote bountiful purchases whennecessary. There was also be a caféfor dining for the more than 1,000shoppers.

Co-chairs Jennifer Kress andRachel MacDonald and director ofdevelopment Suzi Montes de Ocawere on hand to witness the suc-cess of their many months of la-bor.

Can you believe it was almost50 years ago when Holy Childopened at 9029Bradley Boule-vard? That’s scary!

TURKEY TROTHere is your chance to work off

those Thanksgiving Day extra calo-ries.

The Potomac Bridle and HikingTrails enthusiasts have planned aday- after- turkey-day, ride andhike, and a chance to explore someof the new Seneca Creek StatePark trails.

“There will be two groups of rid-

ers,” Trails association president,Rex Reed said. This will accommo-date the “slows” and the “fasts.”All are welcome.

Naomi Manders, a decades-longtrails member, explained via tele-phone, en route home fromFlorida (“While my husband isdriving,” she emphasized); thatthe trails association approachedMaryland state officials about thestate-owned property on the westside of Seneca Creek a couple ofyears ago. “We wanted to make amultiple use trail from MontevideoRoad to Route 28,” she said. Thatwould run next to Poole’s Storeand also give riders access to thestore where they often stop forBillie Poole’s fabulous barbecuesandwiches and roasted hotdogs.

Behind the store, Potomac BridalTrails members also were grantedpermission by the state to havetrails from the store to a state-owned “parking lot” allowing off-road access for riders.

“It’s a narrow road and cars of-ten zip by,” she said.

Reed was quick to explain thathikers are also welcome at the10:30 a.m., Nov. 26 meet.

He hopes to be among the rid-ers. However, a two-month oldbaby in the household tends tomake it a bit difficult to makeplans. Rex and his wife, Denise,welcomed the arrival of 9lb. 2oz.Katherine Clare, on Sept. 21 atShady Grove Hospital. “I haven’thad much time to do a lot of ridinglately,” he lamented.

SnapshotThis majestic old man came a-callin’ in a back yardon Rock Run Drive, Potomac. Leisurely chewing onazalea bushes, he stopped long enough to have hispicture taken prior to meandering over to freshlyblooming chrysanthemums.

To Market, To Market

Getting Around

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Every year between Christmas andNew Year’s, The Potomac Almanacturns its pages over to the contributionsof local students. We are seekingartwork, photography, poetry, opinions,short stories and reflections. Wewelcome contributions from publicschools, private schools and studentswho are home schooled.

E-mail to: [email protected], or mail (.jpg andtext files on disc only) by Dec. 1, to1606 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314.Please be sure to include thestudent’s name, age, grade, schooland town of residence along witheach submission. For information, call703-778-9410.

Be a Part of CHILDREN’S(& TEENS’) ALMANAC


AAA Antiques Mall

Friday Nov. 26th

Special Discount Day!

8751 Freestate Dr., Laurel, MD 20723 (Rt.1 to Gorman Rd.)

Due to popular demand, Frenzywill continue Sat. and Sun.

11 AM - Midnight 301-483-0047

15th Annual

Entertainment

NOW THROUGH DEC. 20.Holiday Food Collection. To benefit

the Manna Food Center, a nonprofitfood bank providing food to low-income households, food pantries,soup kitchens, group homes, andschools in Montgomery County. Bringnon-perishable food to participatingstores: Safeway, Chicken Out and PNCBank, River and Falls Road in Potomac.Visit www.mannafood.org

NOW THROUGH NOV. 28“The Mikado.” The Potomac Theater

Co. presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s“The Mikado” with a live orchestra.Performances are Fridays, 8 p.m.;Saturdays, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2p.m. In the Blair Family Center for theArts, Bullis School, 10601 Falls Road,Potomac. Call 299-8571. Seewww.potomactheatreco.org.

TUESDAY/NOV. 23Folk Singer Chuck Brodsky. 8 p.m.

Brodsky is a down-to-earth musicalstoryteller. Tickets are $18/door; $15/advance. At the Unitarian UniversalistChurch of Rockville, 100 Welsh ParkDrive, Rockville. Visitwww.FocusMusic.org.

The Magnificent Mazowsze. 8 p.m.Tickets are $30-$65. At the MusicCenter at Strathmore, Concert Hall.2Luck Concepts presents a thrillingdisplay of dazzling movement, vibrantcolor and stunning beauty. Ninetydancers, musicians and singers arearrayed in a seemingly never-endingseries of handmade traditionalcostumes – more than 1,000 in total,one more dramatic and colorful thanthe next. Call 301-581-5108.

NOV. 24 TO JAN. 9“Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman

Smells!” Saturdays and Sundays at1:30 and 4 p.m. Some Saturday 11a.m. performances. Single ticket pricesrange from $10-$22, with group ratesavailable. It’s holiday time in RoomOne and that means drama! TattletaleMay keeps picking on Junie B., andthings get even worse when Junie B.draws May’s name for Secret Santa.She hatches a plan to give May a lumpof coal, while getting an awesomeSqueeze-A-Burp for herself. Will JunieB. have a last-minute change of heartand show her true holiday spirit? Justlike its heroine, the show has laughs,verve and energy to spare! AtImagination Stage 4908 AuburnAvenue, Bethesda, MD. ImaginationStage offers discount ticket packageswith benefits that emphasize theflexibility that parents andgrandparents value, as well assignificant savings. Details are on thewebsite, www.imaginationstage.org.

NOV. 26 THROUGH JAN. 9Holiday Art Show and Sale.

Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6p.m. The exhibition will feature worksby resident artists, instructors andinvited artists and will include glass,ceramics, jewelry, photography,painting, and more. In the PopcornGallery of Glen Echo Park. Call 301-634-2222 or visit glenechopark.org.

FRIDAY/NOV. 26Contra Dance. 7:30 – 11:30 p.m.

Admission is $9. The Friday NightDancers presents Contra dancing aswell as some square dances andwaltzes. There is a Contra dance lessonfrom 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. followed by thecalled dance from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.At the Spanish Ballroom of Glen EchoPark, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., GlenEcho. Email: [email protected].

SATURDAY/NOV. 27Swing Dance. 8 p.m. to midnight.

Admission is $15. Beginner swing

lesson at 8 p.m.; dancing from 9 p.m.to midnight. With the TomCunningham Orchestra. At the SpanishBallroom of Glen Echo, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Email:tomcunningham.com.

O Come Let Us Adore Him: MormonOrchestra & Chorus ofWashington, D.C. 2 and 8 p.m.Tickets are $21 and $25 (Stars $18.90and $22.50). At the Music Center atStrathmore. The Mormon Orchestra &Chorus of Washington, D.C. performtheir new holiday concert “O Come LetUs Adore Him.” The program includesarrangements of traditional carols “TheFirst Noel,” “O Holy Night,” “See Amidthe Winter’s Snow” and more. Call301-581-5100 or visitwww.strathmore.org.

SUNDAY/NOV. 28Contra and Square Dance. 7 to 10:30

p.m. Admission is $12/nonmembers;$9/FSGW members. The FolkloreSociety of Greater Washington presentstraditional American contra dancing.The evening can include squaredances, mixers, waltzes and othercouple dances. All Contras and Squaredances are taught, no partner isnecessary. There is a lesson is at 7p.m., followed by dances with livemusic by Hammer and String from7:30 to 10:30 p.m. In the SpanishBallroom of Glen Echo, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Contact:fsgw.org.

Services of Songs. 9:15 a.m. and 11:15a.m. Musician Dr. Ysaye Barnwell willlead two services of songs. At RiverRoad Unitarian UniversalistCongregation, 6301 River Road,Bethesda. Call 301-229-0400. Or visitwww.rruuc.org.

Ballroom Tea Dance. 3 to 6 p.m.Admission is $12. Join the Hot SocietyOrchestra of Washington for anafternoon of dancing, featuring musicand dances from the 20s, 30s and 40s.Dancers will enjoy foxtrot, two-step,waltz, cha-cha, rumba, swing and morein the Spanish Ballroom. A basic dancelesson at 3 p.m. for all levels isfollowed by dancing to live music from3:30 - 6 p.m. In the Spanish Ballroomat Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.,Glen Echo. Email:[email protected].

MONDAY/NOV. 29Stories from the Attic. 11 a.m. to

12:30 p.m. Tuition is $75 for threesessions (Stars $67.50). At theMansion at Strathmore, Shapiro MusicRoom. Lynn Stearns of the Writer’sCenter helps participants put priceless

family stories on paper, teaching majorelements of writing such as voice,point of view, language, dialogue,setting, structure, plot, pacing andresolution. Each participant will writein class and have opportunities to havework critiqued. Call 301-581-5100 orvisit www.strathmore.org.

Beth Sholom Book Club. 8 p.m. Willreview The Search Committee: A Novelby Rabbi Marc Angel. The book is anengaging debate drawing upon thecurrent conflicts between ultra andmodern Orthodox Jews. It focuses onhow the search committee examinesthe qualifications and ideology of tworabbis for the position of rosh yeshiva.As the committee interviews 10 peoplefrom both positions, an ideologicalbattle ensues. All are welcome. [email protected]. At BethSholom Congregation, 11825 SevenLocks Rd. Potomac.

TUESDAY/NOV. 30Specialty Tea: Hanukkah tea. 1 p.m.

$26 reservation required. At theMansion at Strathmore. Enjoytraditional music and food for the firstHanukkah tea. Call 301-581-5194.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 1Food Glorious Food Art Show. 6:30

to 9:30 p.m. Art on Display from Dec.1 through Feb. 6. Presented by ZenithCommunity Arts Foundation to benefitthe Capital Area Food Bank. At acalendar launch celebration and silentauction on the Terrace Level atEmbassy Suites Hotel, Chevy ChasePavilion, 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW,Chevy Chase. To purchase tickets, call202-783-8005.

DEC. 2 AND DEC. 3Greens Sale and Holiday Boutique.

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A huge selection ofspecially designed quality greens todecorate inside and outside your homewill be available. Holiday Boutiqueoffers gifts for everyone on your list.Boutique items include: children’s gifts,clothing, jewelry, specialty foods aswell as home & garden accessories.There will be a Bake Sale & Café onthe premises. At Landon School, 6101Wilson Lane, Bethesda.

THURSDAY/DEC. 2Brandeis National Committee Talk.

10:30 a.m. Paula Matuskey, Interim Sr.Vice-President for Academic andStudent Services, will discuss AbrahamLincoln’s challenges as well as theresults of the newest mid-term

See Entertainment, Page 9

Max Glick (Justin) and Lauren Stanford star in “AmberBrown is Not a Crayon.”

SATURDAY/DEC. 4“Amber Brown is Not a Crayon.” 11 a.m. This musical is about a feisty little girl

who wonders what to do when her best friend is about to move away. Ticketsare $7/regular; $6/seniors/students. At the Robert E. Parilla Performing ArtsCenter, Montgomery College, 51 Mannakee Street, Rockville. Call 240-567-5301.To order tickets online, visit Web site at www.montgomerycollege.edu/PAC

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32nd

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Shop for qualityarts & crafts offered by morethan 90 juried artisans

33rd Annual Holiday Arts & Crafts Show

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Potomac Village Deli Catering

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner Catering

301•299•5770www.potomacvillagedeli.com

Home of Your

Corporate & Residential

Catering Headquarters

Serving theCommunity

for over35 Years

From Page 8

Entertainment

elections. Cost is $12. At Temple BethAmi, 14330 Travila Road, Rockville.Call 301-598-6952 or [email protected].

Slow Blues and Swing Dance. 9 to11:30 p.m. Admission is $8. Slow blueslesson from 8:15 to 9 p.m.; dancingfrom 9 to 11:30 p.m. With DJ MikeMarcotte and guests. At the Back Roomof Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen Echo. Call Donna Barker at301-634-2231 or go [email protected] orwww.CapitalBlues.org.

The 2010 Kenny G Holiday Show. 8p.m. Tickets $38-$125 (Stars price$34.20–$112.50). Grammy winnerKenny G brings a mellow holidayconcert featuring favorites from hisbest-selling albums, including “TheGreatest Holiday Classics” and“Miracles,” which, in addition to beingKenny’s first album to hit number oneon the Billboard Top 200 chart,became the best-selling holiday albumof all time. Co-presented with AMProductions. At the Music Center atStrathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane,North Bethesda. Visitwww.strathmore.org or call 301-581-5100.

FRIDAY/DEC. 3Blues and Swing Dance. 9 p.m. to

midnight. Admission is $15. Swinglesson from 8-9 p.m.; dancing from 9p.m. to midnight. With the bandMeschyia Lake from New Orleans, andwith instructors Donna Barker andMike Marcotte. At the Bumper CarPavilion at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo. Go towww.CapitalBlues.org or call DonnaBarker at 301-634-2231.

SATURDAY/DEC. 4Swing Dance. 9 p.m. to midnight.

Admission is $18. Swing dance lessonfrom 8 to 9 p.m.; dancing from 9 p.m.

to midnight. This event is part of theBamBLOOZled Blues ExchangeWeekend of music and dancing,including all-day dance workshops onSaturday and Sunday. With instructorsDonna Barker and Mike Marcotte andwith the band Shemekia Copeland. Atthe Spanish Ballroom at Glen EchoPark, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., GlenEcho. Go to www.CapitalBlues.org orcall Donna Barker at 301-634-2231.

DEC. 4 THROUGH 12.“The Nutcracker.” Presented annually

since 1974 by the Rockville CivicBallet, under the direction of ClaudiaMangan, the show is a communityfavorite. Performances are Saturdays,Dec. 4 and 11 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.;Sundays, Dec. 5 and 12 at 2 p.m. Atthe F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater,Rockville Civic Center Park, 603Edmonston Drive, Rockville. Ticketsare $16/adults; $12/children (12 yearsand younger), and $12/seniors. Grouprates available. For tickets call the boxoffice at 240-314-8690 between 2 and7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, orvisit www.rockvillemd.gov/arts.

SATURDAY/DEC. 4Pianist Michael Adcock. 8 p.m. Free.

Concert by pianist Michael Adcock whoperforms works by composersincluding Schubert, Ravel, Scriabin,and Granados, and pieces including“The Alcotts” from the Concord, Mass.1840-1860 Sonata of Charles Ives andListz’s Sonetto 104 del Petrarca fromAnnées de Pèlerinage, Italie. AtWestmoreland Congregational UCCChurch, One Westmoreland Circle, atMassachusetts and Western Avenues,the boundary of D.C. and Bethesda.

German Christmas Bazaar. 11:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Enjoy coffee andhomemade cake, as well as traditionalGerman Food. German woodenChristmas ornaments from theErzgebirge, a variety of EuropeanChristmas decorations, and Christmasgifts. German meat products andSwiss-baked goods. Many activities foryour children. Come and enjoy aEuropean afternoon with deliciousfood and Christmas gifts. At theGerman School, 8617 Chateau Drive,Potomac.

DEC. 11-12“Handel’s Messiah.” Performed by the

National Philharmonic Chorale. Saturday,Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m.The concert will feature the NationalPhilharmonic’s nearly 200 voice all-volunteer Chorale, as well as soloistsAudrey Elizabeth Luna (soprano); YvetteSmith (mezzo-soprano); Don Bernardini(tenor); and Christòpheren Nomura(baritone). At the Music Center atStrathmore. Visit nationalphilharmonic.orgor call the box office at 301-581-5100.Tickets are $32-$79; kids 7-17 are free.

Conductor StanEngebretson

NOV. 24 THROUGH JAN. 9“Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman

Smells!” Based on the book seriesby Barbara Park. Tickets are $10-22and group rates are available.Performances are Saturday andSunday at 1:30 and 4 p.m., withextra 11 a.m. performances on Dec.18 and Jan. 8 and HolidayWeekday performances overThanksgiving and Christmas weeks.Visit website,www.imaginationstage.org, or call301-280-1660. At ImaginationStage, 4908 Auburn Ave.,Bethesda.

NOW THROUGH NOV. 28“The Happy Elf.” Based on the song

by Harry Connick Jr. and book byLauren Gunderson and AndrewFishman. Tony Award winnerMichael Rupert (Legally Blonde,Ragtime, Sweet Charity) will jointhe cast of The Happy Elf asNorbert, the tightly-wound head ofthe Naughty and Nice Department.Tickets are $20/adults, $15 forstudents and children. Studentmatinee tickets are $10. Tickets canbe purchased by calling 240-567-5301 or online atwww.montgomerycollege.edu/pac.At Montgomery College’s Robert E.Parilla Performing Arts Center, 51Mannakee Street, Rockville. Visitwww.adventuretheatre.org or callAmanda Russell at 301-634-2267.

NOV. 26 THROUGH DEC. 31“The Nutcracker.” Presented by the

Puppet Co. Playhouse. Show timesare Thursdays and Fridays at 10and 11:30 a.m.; Saturdays and

Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.Exceptions: Nov. 26 and Dec. 26 –31, at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Noperformances Dec. 24 and 25.Tickets are $10 Adults and Children.Group rates available. Forreservations: 301-634-5380 or visitwww.thepuppetco.org.

NOV. 26 THROUGH DEC. 29“Nutcracker Fantasy.” 10 a.m.

Presented by The Puppet Co.Playhouse. “Tiny Tots @ 10” isdesigned for young children ages 0-4. Show dates: Friday, Nov. 26 at 10a.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 1, 15 and29; Saturday, Nov. 27 and Dec. 4,11 and 18; Sunday, Dec. 19 and 26.Dec. 15 performances at 10 and11:30 a.m. Ticket: $5 adults andchildren. Visit www.thepuppetco.org. Call 301-634-5380.

NOW THROUGH JAN. 2Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Performances on Saturdays andSundays, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.Additional performances are listed atadventuretheatre.org. Tickets $15,general admission. Call 301-634-2270or visit: adventuretheatre.org. AtAdventure Theatre, 7300 MacArthurBlvd, Glen Echo.

Theater


Opinion

From Page 3

ThanksgivingTraditions

turnips and rutabagas, creamed spin-ach and brussel sprouts. For eachThanksgiving, I try to make a new kindof stuffing. The worst part of Thanks-giving — right after the very last dishis washed, the counters are scrubbedand we finally sit down — my sonsdecide it is time to have a turkey sand-wich with trimmings. So all the foodcomes out again!”

Lee Sargent, Potomac: “My daugh-ter is the queen of mashed potatoes!She makes pounds of them. We alwayshave sweet potatoes with marshmal-lows, and I make a cornbread, apple,cranberry and sausage stuffing. As akid, my mom owned a florist shop, somy brothers and sisters and I allworked every holiday making flowerarrangements and delivering them.Now we make our own arrangements.We also had to polish the silver theentire week before Thanksgiving! Ilove to make roasted brussel sproutsin balsamic vinegar. They are just likeeating candy. I also love to make thedesserts, including apple pie, pecanpie, and a pumpkin spice caramelcake!”

Fiona Carson, Bethesda (originallyfrom Great Britain): “We celebrateThanksgiving by having family andneighbors in for a traditional dinner.The one non-American menu item Ihave added to our dinner is breadsauce. It is made with milk, breadcrumbs, garlic, onions, cloves andcream. Everyone in England eats it.We love it with our turkey — wouldnot think of eating turkey withoutbread sauce!”

John McDaniel, Head Pro, PotomacTennis Club: “I’m spending Thanksgiv-ing relaxing! I work seven days aweek, so I’ll enjoy having the day offto rest and eat turkey!”

Julie Alter, Potomac: My familywants all the same dishes that we havehad for the past 30 years! I haveadopted my mother-in-law’s recipes,such as broccoli and cheese casserole,corn soufflé, and her Italian stuffing— its’ a ground beef stuffing with tur-key and garlic. Every time I try a newrecipe, the whole family freaks.”

Ted Pogorelc Head Golf Pro,Bethesda Country Club: “We went toLondon one Thanksgiving to visit fam-ily. We wanted to make a traditionalThanksgiving dinner, so we finallyfound a turkey hanging from a nooseat a specialty meat store. It was ex-pensive — but most importantly, it stillhad the feathers! We had to figure outhow to pluck it before we roasted it.”

JANETTE GILMANHoover Middle School PTA PresidentWhat will you give thanks for thisThanksgiving?

I am thankful for family and friends, and forhealth, happiness, and laughter. I am thankful thatmy children are able to benefit from the outstand-ing public schools we have in Potomac. And, I amthankful for the support and efforts of parents,teachers, staff, and administrators at HooverMiddle School who make it a great place to learnand who support the efforts of Hoover PTA.

What are you thankful for living and/orworking in Potomac?

I am thankful to be part of a community thatcares about education, that understands that par-ent involvement makes a difference for every child,and that recognizes how blessed we in Potomac areand that it is our responsibility to share those bless-ings with others and to inspire our children to dothe same.

What advice would you give to someonelooking for more special things to bethankful for in Potomac?

I would encourage parents to become involvedin and join their school’s PTA, PTSA, or PTO inPotomac. No matter what a parent’s interest, tal-ent, or available free time, their participation willreap rewards for their child, their school, and them-selves. I also would encourage empty-nesters tolook to our public schools and PTA/PTSAs for vol-unteer opportunities. In these tough budget times,adult volunteers are needed even more in ourschools.

LOUIS TENENBAUMWhat will you give thanks for thisThanksgiving?

My children’s health and happiness, the sun ev-ery morning and the beauty around me, my friendsand family

What are you thankful for living and/orworking in Potomac?

The beauty and proximity of the river, the canaland other natural beauty as well as the culture andbeauty of Washington and environs.

What advice would you give to someonelooking for more special things to bethankful for in Potomac?

This is a village. Meeting and greeting peoplewho smile. Substantial shopping and business youcan ride your bike to .... Giant, Safeway, the Coop,River Falls Seafood, the Post Office, the banks,Starbucks and the court yard, the drug stores ....pretty much all you need on a daily basis and close

enough (but far enough) to everything else fromDC- K street, the mall, Bethesda, Tysons.

JANE MARTENSWhat advice would you give to someonelooking for more special things to bethankful for in Potomac?

Slow down and look around you. The naturalbeauty that surrounds us is astonishing. No mat-ter how bad our day was or what challenges weface, we come home to a place that speaks to thenatural rhythm of life and nurtures our souls if wepause long enough to listen. This is an incrediblegift that we all-too-often take for granted.

GRACE JANELLE SHERFY STRASZHEIMWhat are you thankful for living and/orworking in Potomac?

My favorite part of the community of Potomac— for which I am thankful on Thanksgiving andevery day — is the unbelievable access to nature.Our community has a staggering abundance of hik-

Reflections on Being Thankful

I am thankful for the good friends that I have in the Potomac VillageGarden Club. They all know how to give back to the community. This isa picture of our president, Julie Perlman receiving the Golden TrowelAward from Montgomery County for almost 10 years of landscapingwork at the Potomac Village Library. From left: Dianne Gregg, MargaretVogel, Myra Wormald, Julie Perlman, Estelle Woodcock and Carol Embry.

— Linda Rieger

The GracefulPotomac

By Erin Donohoe

Our Lady of Mercy School

I am a third-grader at Our Ladyof Mercy in Potomac. SinceThanksgiving is coming up Iwould like to share some things Iam thankful for.

As a third grade class, we had the oppor-tunity to learn about the Master Plan. It iswritten to protect all the plants, animals andscenery in Potomac. It tries not to allow toomany highways or houses. It tells peoplethey need to protect the Potomac River, C& O Canal and the Chesapeake Bay. It keepsour environment special.

The Potomac Community isspecial. There are private andpublic schools in Potomac. Theschools in Potomac help our com-munity. At our school we learnhow to keep our environmentclean and have our Walk for theHomeless. I am also thankful forour great teachers and friendsthat teach us new things every-

day.There are many things to do in Potomac.

I am thankful for all the stores and restau-rants that allow kids and adults to try dif-ferent foods. I play on sports teams and doother activities here. I am thankful for allthe friends I have met doing these funthings. I’m thankful for Potomac being sospecial.

Letters on Giving Thanks

What I AmGrateful For

By Andy Strauss-Reis

I am thankful for all my teachers whohave taught me so much cool stuff.

Thank you to:Mrs. Li for teaching me Chinese and Math.Mrs. Pasquillwho taught me to enjoy read-

ing.Mrs. Prokos who showed me how to do a

personal narrative.Mrs. Cetlin who helped me understand

American symbols.Mrs. Wang who taught me to about

graphs and measuring.

See Letters, Page 14

ing and riding trails that network throughout thearea. In particular, we have the C&O Canal andGreat Falls Park in our own backyards!

We also have three very significant stream wa-tersheds that traverse our community in broadswaths on their way to the Potomac River — CabinJohn, Watts Branch and Muddy Branch. All arelaced with easily accessible hiking trails in themidst of wonderful woods, These place are “thegreat places” of Potomac — our community’s mostelegant “mansions” — all with their doors wideopen to use by all of us.

Also, through the efforts of two local trail orga-nizations, the Potomac Bridle & Hiking TrailAssociation and EPIC (Equine Partners in Conser-vation), our community has a significant,additional “public easement trails” through ourneighborhoods which affords further hiker andequine further access to our abundant woods andstreams. (FYI — these organizations provide trailmap information on their websites —www.phbta.org and www.EPIC.org.)


To add your Realtor represented Open Houseto these weekly listings, please call 703-821-5050

OPEN HOUSE LISTINGSWill Return after the Holidays

Quality, tradition and a little dose of magic

OPEN HOUSE:Thursday, December 2

Pre-K – 2nd Grade • Before & After Care Programs7300 River Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20817p: 301.365.4355 f: 301.469.8611 www.theprimarydayschool.org

Home Sales

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POTOMAC ....... $815,000 ... Semi-Detached0.10 ........ EAST GATE OF POTOMAC11152 POWDER HORN DR .......... 4 ... 2 ... 2 ..... POTOMAC ....... $790,000 ... Detached ....... 0.41 .........................WILLOWBROOK7811 IVYMOUNT TER .................. 4 ... 2 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $785,000 ... Detached ....... 0.22 ................ WILLERBURN ACRES9329 COPENHAVER DR ................ 5 ... 3 ... 0 ..... POTOMAC ....... $750,000 ... Detached ....... 0.26 ............................ COPENHAVER12500 PARK POTOMAC AVE#202N .... 2 ... 2 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $745,900 ... Hi-Rise 9+ Floors .............. PARK POTOMAC PLACE10406 FLOWERFIELD WAY .......... 4 ... 3 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $729,000 ... Townhouse .... 0.05 ........................ POTOMAC GLEN11403 DURYEA DR ....................... 4 ... 3 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $714,000 ... Detached ....... 0.47 .................................. OLDFIELD9 COLD SPRING CT ...................... 5 ... 3 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $680,000 ... Detached ....... 0.36 ............................ COPENHAVER8808 STONEHAVEN CT ................ 4 ... 3 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $650,000 ... Detached ....... 0.18 .................... HIGHLAND STONE11915 DEVILWOOD DR ................ 4 ... 2 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $640,000 ... Detached ....... 0.24 ............................REGENT PARK9 RICHVIEW CT ............................ 5 ... 4 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $600,000 ... Detached ....... 0.27 .......................... HORIZON HILL1378 CANTERBURY WAY ............. 4 ... 2 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $599,000 ... Detached ....... 0.23 ................... POTOMAC WOODS1996 LANCASHIRE DR ................. 6 ... 3 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $555,000 ... Detached ....... 0.21 ................... POTOMAC WOODS8010 INVERNESS RIDGE RD ........ 3 ... 2 ... 2 ..... POTOMAC ....... $485,000 ... Townhouse .... 0.08 ............ INVERNESS FOREST TH7859 MUIRFIELD CT .................... 3 ... 2 ... 2 ..... POTOMAC ....... $434,000 ... Townhouse .... 0.05 .................. INVERNESS NORTH10606 MUIRFIELD DR .................. 3 ... 3 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $427,000 ... Townhouse .... 0.03 .................. INVERNESS NORTH7844 HEATHERTON LN #40 ........ 3 ... 2 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $379,900 ... Townhouse .............................. INVERNESS KNOLLS12069 GATEWATER DR ................ 3 ... 1 ... 1 ..... POTOMAC ....... $375,000 ... Townhouse .... 0.03 .............................. FALLSBERRY7810 CODDLE HARBOR LN #31 ...... 2 ... 1 ... 0 ..... POTOMAC ....... $277,000 ... Garden 1-4 Floors ................... INVERNESS KNOLLS

October 2010

$2,375,000 ~ $277,000

Copyright 2010 Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.For more information on MRIS, visit www.mris.com.

To search for a home online, visit www.HomesDatabase.com.


SportsPotomac Almanac Sports Editor Jon Roetman

703-224-3015 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

Whitman GirlsCross CountryWins States

The Whitman girls cross countryteam captured the 4A state champion-ship on Nov. 13 at Hereford HighSchool. The Vikings scored 70 points,14 better than second-place Northwest.

Whitman junior Anna Ryba won theindividual state championship with atime of 19 minutes, 16 seconds —17seconds faster than her nearest com-petitor. Whitman junior AlexandraPhillips placed fifth (19:53), juniorCaroline Guiot finished eighth (20:11),sophomore Caroline Elmendorf was21st (21:03) and senior Cara Bennett

against Urbana.

Bullis BasketballThe Bullis basketball team will host a

scrimmage against Wootton at 1 p.m.on Nov. 24. The Bulldogs will opentheir season on the road against FlintHill at 6 p.m. on Nov. 30.

The girls basketball will travel toPaint Branch for a scrimmage on Nov.27. Bullis will open its season at homeagainst St. Andrew’s at 6 p.m. on Nov.30.

Whitman WrestlingThe Whitman wrestling team will

open its season at home againstKennedy on Dec. 8.

finished 42nd (21:37).Wootton finished sixth at the meet, led

by junior Karen Cohen’s 18th-place finish(20:52).

Churchill BoysCross Country TakeSecond at States

The Churchill boys cross country teamplaced second at the 4A state meet onNov. 13 at Hereford High School. TheBulldogs finished with 86 points, 12behind state champion Walter Johnson.

Churchill junior Will Conway finishedfourth with a time of 16 minutes, 36seconds. Junior Zach Weinstein wasseventh (16:44) and senior Justin

Sports Briefs

During a scrimmage at LandonSchool on Saturday, the Woottonboys basketball team struggled

with the full-court pressure applied by out-of-state opponent T.C. Williams. One Patriothad a 3-point attempt swatted away andanother received a lecture from head coachChris Bohlen for not chasing down a looseball headed out of bounds.

Wootton is an inexperienced team headed

into the 2010-11 season. The Patriots havenine first-year varsity athletes — eight jun-iors and one sophomore — on the rosterwho will need to help fill the scoring andrebounding void left with the graduationof Jack Weiss and Freddy Vance. Howquickly the newcomers adapt to the paceof the game will likely determine Wootton’slevel of success, Bohlen said. On this day,the coach said the Patriots were too uptight.

“We seemed a little tentative today, a littleafraid to make a mistake,” he said. “We’vegot to completely try to cut that out of ourheads. You want kids out there — not mak-ing mistakes — but you want them to feelconfident that they’re going to learn fromtheir mistakes and they’re going to keepplaying.”

Wootton returns two starters: 6-foot-4seniors Connor Tendall and James

Inexperienced Wootton in Search of ConfidencePatriots looking to fill scoring, rebounding voids. Wallerstedt. The duo, along with 6-foot-2

senior Kyle Welty, will be the team’s primaryscorers.

Taariq Elliott, John Gillick, Eddie Tsao,Chad Rudden, Willis Ibeh, Nicolas Texier,Benjy Sokobin, Denell Hammond, KyleWeissenberger, Brad Sternberg, JeremySchlafstein and Andrew Craig complete theroster.

Wootton will open its season at homeagainst Paint Branch on Dec. 7.

— Jon Roetman

By Jon Roetman

The Almanac

During his first two seasons asChurchill head boys basketballcoach, Matt Miller had at leastone primary scorer he could

rely on to produce.Two seasons ago, it was Chase Hicks av-

eraging 21 points and Elijah Gore 15. Lastyear, senior transfer Jake Eskin scored 18points per contest. Each season ended witha double-digit win total and Churchill ad-vancing to the regional quarterfinals.

This year, it appears no Bulldog is headand shoulders above the rest at the offen-sive end. Churchill figures to have a morebalanced scoring output, from a team withnine returning athletes. Whether spreadingthe wealth will translate to at least 10 winsor playoff success is yet to be seen.

“It’s early, but things have been lookingpositive,” Miller said. “I’ve got a lot of re-

duce points for the Bulldogs. Lewis is receiv-ing Division III looks, according to Miller, andis one of the team’s best shooters.

“Will’s got a good overall game,” Millersaid. “He’s probably our best passing guardand one of our best ball handlers. His big-gest attribute is he can shoot the ball.”

Junior Christian Bonaparte (6-1) wasgroomed as the point guard of the futurelast season and will be part of a ball-han-dling committee to start the season. Millersaid junior Sam Edens (6-3) can play anyposition on the floor. Six-foot-6 junior Tho-mas Geenen was the team’s leadingrebounder last season.

“My expectations this year are we get outand defend every possession and reboundand see what happens,” Miller said. “Wehave the ability to be competitive with any-one. I don’t know what that will translateto” in terms of wins and losses.

Juniors Paapa Nyanin (6-5), Kyle Edwards(6-5), Louis Rothstein (6-5) and Quan Gill(6-4) add size to the Churchill roster. Jun-ior guard Cameron Moshyedi (5-8), juniorforward George Nichols (6-1) and sopho-more guard Dominique Williams (6-0) com-plete the roster.

Churchill opens the season at homeagainst Kennedy on Dec. 7.

turners. Guys are grasping on to what we’redoing earlier than last year. I’d say it took agood month for the guys to get comfort-able playing varsity basketball last year.They’re basketball IQ has grown over the

course of the time we’ve had them.”Churchill will rely on a trio of scorers to get

the job done. Senior guards Will Lewis (6 feet1) and Jordan Bass (5-11) and senior forwardJesse Simon (6-2) will be looked upon to pro-

Experienced Churchill to Feature Balanced OffenseBulldogs have ninereturning athletes butno dominant scorer.

The Churchill boys basketball team prepares for the 2010-2011 seasonwith “Midnight Madness” on Nov. 19.

Pho

to

by Sara Lew

is

Rheingold finished 13th (17:08). SeniorAlex Kim was 34th (17:38) and juniorSushen Thiyagarajan finished 37th(17:39).

Whitman BasketballThe Whitman boys basketball team will

open its season at Watkins Mills at 7 p.m.on Dec. 7. The girls basketball will hostWatkins Mill at 7 p.m.

Wootton GirlsBasketball

The Wootton girls basketball team willopen its season on the road againstClarksburg at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 29. ThePatriots’ first home game is Dec. 10


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From Page 10

News

Dr. Fagen and Ms. Borra who taught mehow to make friends.

Mr. Pinto and Mrs. Landau for teachingme Hebrew and Judaic Studies.

My many teachers at Escuela Argentinaand tutors for teaching me Spanish.

Mrs. Firestone for helping me speak Chi-nese.

Mom, Dad, and my brothers Eli andParker for teaching me about what a familymeans.

Why I’m GratefulBy Eli Strauss-Reis

My name is Eli Strauss-Reis and I am in5th grade in the Chinese Immersion Pro-gram at Potomac Elementary School. I amgrateful for the special learning opportuni-ties around Potomac and especially thank-

ful for all the schools that teach foreign lan-guages.

On Saturdays I go to Escuela Argentina.It is special because it is involved with thegovernment of Argentina and uses the samebooks Argentinean kids use. Also, with somany Spanish-speakers around, it is fun tosurprise them when we can talk.

I just started Hebrew, but I can tell youthat it’s fun to learn and easy to read onceyou get the hang of the letters and vowels.

I attend Chinese school on Sunday. Weuse books that teach Chinese writing andreading. The kids talk in a conversationwithout hesitation. I also am lucky to at-tend Chinese Immersion at my publicschool, which teaches math and science inChinese, as well as Chinese reading, writ-ing, and conversation. Our class will go toChina this Spring Break! I’m so excited!Wouldn’t you be?

I don’t know if you can get opportunitieslike this everywhere, but since we live in a

Letters on Giving Thanks

place with all these language schools andexcellent teachers, take advantage of them!

The Master PlanBy Rachel Illig

Our Lady of Mercy

School

I am grateful forPotomac’s Master Plan.This plan will save a lotof animals, trees,bushes and habitats.I’m glad this masterplan is a part ofPotomac. I feel like we can make a differ-ence. I hope the community will keep thisMaster Plan for a long, long time. I love thetrees and nature found in Potomac, for ex-ample the Potomac River. I can’t believe howbeautiful all the scenery is in Potomac andthat is why I am grateful for the Master Plan.

The four people honored by thePotomac Chamber of Commerceon Thursday evening, Nov. 19,were different in many, many

ways. But, in addition to being Potomacresidents, they all had one thing in com-mon: They all attended Winston ChurchillHigh School.

About 80 people attended the awards din-ner last Thursday, Nov. 18, at NormandieFarm restaurant.

Chamber honorsCitizen, BusinessPerson and Youth ofthe year at annualawards dinner.

People ofThe Year

One of two students honored withthe Youth of the Year award,Churchill senior and Almanaccolumnist Danielle Collins is withher mother, Stacy, and RandiCherner.

Randy Schools from the Children’sInn at NIH, with Adam Greenberg,chamber president and JenniferMatheson. The Children’s Charitiesof NIH were beneficiaries of thisyear’s Potomac Day fundraising.

Jennifer Matheson, chamber secre-tary, presents the Business Personof the Year award to Guy Semmes.Semmes was honored for manycontributions to the community,including serving as president ofthe Potomac Rotary Club, support-ing Habitat for Humanity, SaintFrancis Church, the Bethesda BigTrain, and more. His remodelingand building company, Hopkinsand Porter, has won many awards,including the top design awardfrom the National Association ofthe Remodeling Industry.

Andy Alderdice of the chamberBoard of Directors and DanielleCollins, Youth of the Year. Danielleco-founded Peer-to-Peer tutors atChurchill. She has also volunteeredin many community service activi-ties in Potomac, and is studentcolumnist for the Almanac.

Jennifer Matheson, chamber secre-tary, and Benjamin Kramer, Youthof the Year. Ben aspires to be thenation’s first Jewish president,although he would also like toserve in the U.S. Senate, Mathesonsaid, in giving him the award.

Dr. Naveed Naz, Citizen of the Year,and Fred Goldman, who chairedthe chamber’s awards committee.Naz, a Potomac native andChurchill graduate, serves as asurgeon in the U.S. Army, and wasdeployed in Iraq where he treatedhundreds of injured soldiers. Hewas awarded the Bronze Star andthe Combat Medical Badge.

Who says you can never go home again?Somebody does. Well, in spite of the well-worn admonition, I did in fact go home again.In mid October, I received an invite/offer frommy best friend, Cary, that I absolutely couldn’trefuse: fly up to Boston for a visit and to attendthe NBA’s opening night, marquis match up,between the Boston Celtics and the new-lookMiami Heat; eighth row, top of the key. Itdidn’t take me long to say “Yes.” Actually, ittook me about a day. I needed to be certainthe tentative Sunday afternoon departure,Wednesday morning return itinerary I wasconsidering, didn’t adversely affect/impactwhat routine I maintain here in Maryland:chemotherapy/pre-chemotherapy lab workevery three weeks, Connection Newspaperdeadlines, spouse and/or family obligationsand any previously scheduled miscellaneousappointments/commitments, medical or other-wise. Obviously I wanted to go north, but Iwanted to be able to go with minimal hassle,all parties and issues concerned. Once satisfiedthat all was indeed manageable, on-line I wentand the airline reservations were made.

The trip was pretty much about me, for me,to accommodate me; as it was intended to be,per Cary’s insistence: tickets for the Celtic’sgame (duh!), Italian food in the North End – ofBoston; a visit – and Chinese food with – mymost important cousins, Ronnie, Gil and theirdaughter, Jayne (a semi-tradition); Bostonpizza from Cary’s favorite local place, freshcut-up fruit from Whole Foods for a healthybreakfast for me every morning (my diet);chocolate from Cary’s candy store/warehouse;access to a computer to facilitate any work-related issues that might arise while I was outof town; and experiencing the kind of warmth,compassion, hospitality, kindness, generosity,love and understanding provided by my oldestfriend (and his wife, Mindy and their threeboys) and by my dearest cousins, at a time inmy life when I needed it most. I don’t think Ican string together enough superlatives toaccurately describe all the feelings that I felt.Special – beyond words, is as simple as I cansay it.

That being said, there was a feeling gnaw-ing at me throughout my three-day stay. Thefeeling that, though I was indeed home again,was this trip, in fact, given my diagnosis/ prog-nosis, the last time I would be home, see mybest friend, visit with my closest cousins, eatmy favorite foods, go to all the familiar places,etc? After all, I may not be getting any health-ier. Was this visit, all about me as it was – andplanned to be so by Cary, Mindy and theLipmans, sort of a final-type wish come truefor me, à la The Make-A-Wish Foundation,coincidentally the very charitable organizationto which Cary’s parents made contributions inmy parent’s memory when each of them died(Cary’s father and my mother knew each otheras children and grew up in the same Dorcester,Mass. neighborhood 75 years ago)? The feelingdidn’t exactly keep me from sleeping at nightbut I couldn’t stop thinking about it when Iwas awake – doing anything/everything that Iwanted to do but, being in Maryland, amunable to do.

I wouldn’t say the feeling ever passed, butthree days sure passed quickly. Now that I’mhome, and remembering and writing about it,perhaps getting my “Make-A-Wish”-type emo-tions/thoughts down on paper will get it out ofmy head and out of my mind as well. I hopeso. I don’t want to ever forget the weekend,though; I would like to forget part of whatmade it so special – for me: my cancerdiagnosis.

As Cary was dropping me off at LoganAirport, the last thing he said was, “Let’s dothis again next year!” “That would be great,” Isaid, as I hugged him back.

I can live with that, and look forward to it,too.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

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Documents

Potomac - The Connection Newspapersconnectionarchives.com/PDF/2010/112410/Potomac.pdfcranberry juice, butterflies, the sun, my big brother and my family.” Potomac Nursery School