Cougar Team Heads to ‘It’s Academic’ Playoffs

By Pam Schipper

Q uestion: Participation in what high school team will offer you regular TV appear-

ances, travel three to four times per year, and a probable boost in grades and college assessment scores?

If you buzzed in early with an answer, you must be an Academic

Team insider.If you waited for the telling com-

pletion of the question, you may be a bit surprised to learn that this Quince Orchard High School club with the well-deserved brainy rep-utation is also glamorous and fun.

No strangers to appearing on

The Road to Recovery Brings Ty Williams Back Home

By Syl Sobel

T he holiday season is typically a time for families to come home, to reunite in joy and

gratitude, to give thanks for time with loved ones. But for one former Quince Orchard High School foot-ball standout and his family, the joy of coming home for the holidays and the thrill of reuniting were just a little more meaningful than most.

Tyrell Williams, the former Cou-gar star who suffered a serious neck injury in September during the season opener for his Georgetown University football team, came home to Gaithersburg a few days before Christmas. After nine hours of neck and spinal surgery, a week at UPMC Altoona (Pa.) Hospital, and three months of intensive re-habilitation in Atlanta, being back in Gaithersburg “feels great,” Wil-liams said. “I’ve never been away from home for so long—ever.”

Williams had been undergoing daily occupational and physical therapy at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, one of the nation’s top re-habilitation hospitals for spinal cord and brain injuries, since mid-Sep-tember. His mother, Melissa Rand,

stayed in Atlanta during that time, while his father, Terrance Wil-liams, remained in Gaithersburg working and taking care of the family’s younger son.

“The time at Shepherd was amaz-ing,” said Rand, giving thanks to the caring and dedicated staff, but “we’re happy to be home” where life can be a little more normal. For dad Williams, the time away from his son brought “anxiety—I want-

Nalley Fresh Comes to Kentlands

By Pam Schipper

B altimore superior fast-casual dining phenome-non Nalley Fresh plans to

open the last week of January at 261 Kentlands Blvd. in the 1800-square-foot space nextdoor to The Hair Cuttery. Founded in 2011 by Greg Nalley, who had more than 20 years’ of culinary experience at the time, the Nalley Fresh concept grew quickly from three daytime eateries located in office buildings to more com-munity-oriented gathering places with a contemporary natural and culinary industrial décor. The Kentlands location is the seventh Nalley Fresh, and the first outside of the Baltimore metro area.

Reed Krakowitz, general man-ager, said that Nalley Fresh was drawn to Kentlands because “the

area is so community-oriented, and that’s what we love.”

Nalley Fresh has already part-nered with Kentlands Square

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Gaithersburg’s Hometown Newspaper | Serving Kentlands, Lakelands, Quince Orchard Park and More

Vol. 14, No. 2

CourierTheToWN

www.towncourier.com January 15, 2016

n academic team Continued on page 6

n ty williams Continued on page 22

n nalley fresh Continued on page 8

New Landscape Contractor for a New Year

By Sharon Allen Gilder

T he year 2016 rings in Community Land-scape Services (Community) as the new landscape contractor for Kentlands, replac-

ing contracts with Advantage Lawn Care and A.I.R. Lawn Care in an effort to bring the tradi-tional and organic vendors “under one umbrella.” Community was chosen after a lengthy planning and vetting process that began early in the sum-mer of 2015.

For several months, members of the Kentlands Environmental Management Committee and the Turf Working Group met and assembled detailed specifications that comprised the bid package. Denyse Baker, chair of the Turf Working Group, said, “The package that went out for bid was very detailed in terms of the protocols we expected people to use and the attention to detail we want-ed to see in all of our landscaping and turf areas.”

Photo | Alan Kresse

the beauty of Kentlands, captured here on Jan. 10 beneath a double rainbow, is now in the hands of community landscape services, a landscape contractor that will manage organic and conventional protocol public spaces.

n turf contractor Continued on page 8

Photo | Mac Kennedy

terrence williams is glad to have son, ty, back home.

Photo | Submitted

the new nalley fresh at 261 Kentlands Boule-vard lets you personalize bowl, wrap or salad with choices that reflect 15 different cuisines.

Photo | NBC4 Studios

Qohs academic team members logan feingold, natalie rubin and tanay wakhare won against Bishop ireton and mclean high schools on nBc4’s “it’s academic.” the episode will air saturday, Jan. 30, 10:30 a.m. spencer tabit was the team alternate for this competition.

Page 2 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

January 15, 2016 The Town Courier Page 3

Lakelands’ William D. Albright Pens Biography

By Sharon Allen Gilder

M attie Pearl Albright paved the way to have a road named af-ter her in the East Texas City

of Berryville through resilience, tena-cious action, leadership, and a com-mitment to community. Born in 1917, she grew up in an age replete with the racial inequities of the Jim Crow era in Shreveport, Louisiana, and attend-ed a segregated high school. After she moved to California in the 1940s she founded and managed one of the few credit unions established for blacks in Los Angeles, and in the 1970s, after moving to Frankston, Texas, she served on the city council and founded two chambers of commerce in the area.

These are a few of her many achieve-ments. Thanks to her son, Lakelands resident William D. Albright, we can learn more in his recently published bi-ography about his mother, “The Pearl of East Texas.”

Albright traveled many avenues dur-ing his fact-finding journey, gathering newspaper articles, photos, awards and genealogical reports to capture the sto-ry of his mother’s successes as a wife, mother and community leader.

At a book signing on Dec. 21 at The Wine Harvest, Albright explained his inspiration. “I woke up one morning and she crossed my mind. I asked, so how did this woman get a road named after her in East Texas? Somebody needs to tell that story, so I decided

to research and see what I could find out.” On May 6, 2003, the Berryville City Council and mayor officially an-nounced that County Road 4117 would become “Mattie Albright Road.” Al-bright added, “This road that people travel down day in and day out and they don’t know how that happened. I think there are a lot of stories of unsung heroes that never get told.” His mother retired from the Berryville City Coun-cil in June 2003 at the age of 85.

Through anecdotes, personal remi-nisces, ancestral knowledge, and pho-tographs, Albright chronicled the rich-ness of his mother’s life from her early years to her passing in 2006 at the age of 88. He said, “I wanted to know her history, her values, the things that kind of made her tick that she passed down along with my father … and the things passed to her by her mother.” Albright’s research included hiring a genealogist, searches on ancestry.com, and inter-viewing family members and his moth-er’s co-workers.

He said she was a “standout” in every community where she lived. In the early 1940s she resided in wartime Los Angeles, California, with her first hus-band whom she divorced in early 1943. Albright wrote, “They became part of the second large migration of blacks from southern states like Louisiana and Texas to escape racial violence and seek better employment and other opportu-nities in cities like Los Angeles.”

In September 1943 his parents mar-

ried. In 1950 the Albright family moved to the Los Angeles south central community of Watts. Albright wrote, “The neighborhood was a great ‘village to raise a child’ long before this phrase became popular in the United States in the 1980s and ‘90s.” The family joined the Beulah Baptist Church where his mother sang in the choir, led programs to raise money for the church, served as church secretary, and was a member of the Missionary Society. They lived in the Watts area for two-and-a-half decades. In 1974 the family relocated to Frankston, Texas, where his father had been born and raised.

Shape Shifter: Casas Helps Contour Bodies and Opinions About Immigrants

By Ellyn Wexler

C ircumstances beyond Uriel Casas’ control—regardless of how persistent he and others

have been in their efforts to challenge them—limited his choice of liveli-hood. Instead of giving up or surren-dering to depression or anger at the injustice, the 36-year-old, who has a master’s degree from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, has made the best of an untenable situation. He has pursued a career in fitness while fighting for un-documented immigrants like himself.

Casas came to Montgomery Coun-ty from Mexico at age 8 on a limited tourist visa. After learning English quickly and excelling at Watkins Mill Elementary, Ridgeview Middle and Quince Orchard High schools, he was admitted to four-year colleges he couldn’t afford; his immigrant sta-tus made him ineligible for financial aid. Instead, he took classes at Mont-gomery College while working as a personal trainer to finance his higher education.

What has eluded Casas’ grasp is

what means the most to him: U.S. citizenship. And until Nov. 20, Ca-sas kept his illegal status a secret from almost everyone he knew because he feared their reactions. On the one-year anniversary of President Barack Obama’s executive action to widen the eligibility of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) pro-gram, Casas revealed the truth, first

to some 400 friends and supporters, and then in a blog published on The Huffington Post website. Support has been the overwhelming response, al-though he admitted to getting some hate mail. “Mostly everyone has been awesome,” Casas said. “The positive reactions I have received from my cli-ents and friends have literally saved my life.”

Casas’ story of what he calls “im-migration purgatory” is almost un-believable. His nuclear family mem-bers have become citizens through marriage or a job. Unfortunately for Casas, numerous times paths to legal status opened a matter of months too late to help him. In March 2002, his mother’s petition to get him a visa was approved, and his name was add-ed to a wait list that was expected to take a decade. “Thirteen years later, my name has only slightly moved up the list. I’m now projected to be eight years away from receiving a visa,” Ca-sas wrote. “I am on a waiting list that never moves.”

Other opportunities did not pan out

Compiled by Pam Schipper

Calling All Teen WritersQuince Orchard Park resident Lucinda Marshall

invites teens, ages 13 to 18, who love to write to the Maryland Writer’s Association/Gaithersburg Library Teen Writing Club. The group meets on the first and third Wednesday of every month, 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Gaithersburg Library teen lounge. The group, which formed last year, contributed to the Maryland Writer’s Association Teen Anthology, put on a read-ing, introduced writers at the Gaithersburg Book Fes-tival and chalk published fairy tales. Led by writers Lucinda Marshall and Peggy Ruppel, the group in-cludes several Quince Orchard Park teens.

MLK Day of Service PlannedHonor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

by joining thousands of volunteers across America in a Day of Service. On Monday, Jan. 18, Gaithersburg joins with Montgomery Serves and Seneca Creek Community Church to host a morning of service projects to benefit people in our community. Please register in advance for the 9 to 11 a.m. event as space at the church is limited. Montgomery Serves has addi-tional service projects planned at the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center, 1 to 3 p.m., and the Sil-ver Spring Civic Building, 10 a.m. to noon.

Montgomery Serves has extended this national, one-day event to an entire weekend of volunteer opportunities presented at www.montgomeryserves.org/mlk-day-service-2016. You can volunteer with the 2016 Maryland Science Bowl, weed with Montgomery Parks, usher for Rockville Little Theatre and more. Please consider donating to or volunteering to assist with the Manna Food Drive, which will be held at Giant food stores Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 16 and 17.

The weekend of service culminates with Montgom-ery County’s MLK Day Musical Tribute and Celebra-tion, Monday, Jan. 18, 3:30 p.m. at the Strathmore. Tickets are free, but you must register in advance at www.strathmore.org.

Styrofoam Food Service Products BannedOn Jan. 1, Montgomery County Bill 41-14, passed

last year this time, went into effect, banning use of Styrofoam food service products—cups, plates, bowls and take-out containers—within the county. County facilities, agencies, departments and contractors are required to use compostable or recyclable food ser-vice ware by March 31, 2016, and private food service establishments are expected to follow by Jan. 1, 2017.

ArouNDToWN

n BioGraPhy Continued on page 15

n casas Continued on page 10

Photo | Pam Schipper

lucinda marshall and Peggy ruppel lead a group discussion during an august 2015 maryland writer’s association/Gaithersburg library teen writing club meeting.

Photo | Submitted

local trainer and business owner uriel casas fights for undocumented immigrants like himself.

Photo | Sharon Allen Gilder

author william d. albright signs a copy of his recently published biography about his mother, “the Pearl of east texas,” for Kentlands resident simon tulloch.

CorrectionsThe Jan. 1 article on the Quince Orchard retaining wall stat-

ed that 112 Ridgepoint Place was a last-minute addition to the site plan. Wes Burnette, the city’s Permits & Inspections Division chief, said that the final site plan for the development showed the number of units that were constructed. Plan number K-979 was approved by the Planning Commission on June 17, 1992.

The Jan. 1 article on “A Change Gon’ Come,” which opened at the Arts Barn Jan. 8, featured a photo of past production leads Syri Parker and Moyston Henry. Current production leads are Li-nae Bullock as Harriet Tubman and Tyrelle Martin as John Silas Tubman.

Page 4 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

Kentlands Retirees Find Their Places in the Blogosphere

By Ellyn Wexler

B logging has gone from fringe to main-stream in the 21st century, and two Kentlands retirees have embraced it.

At one end of the spectrum, Roy Kelley has been writing since 2007, and at the other, Mike Janus has only just begun.

Kelley, who ended his 20-year career as a RE/MAX realtor two years ago, writes on the ActiveRain network, which hosts blogs for “a couple of hundred thousand members of the real estate industry,” he said. “It’s the most effective networking site for the indus-try.” He knows that industry well; the Uni-versity of Virginia School of Law graduate and member of the Virginia Bar never prac-ticed law. Instead, the summer after school ended, Kelley opened a real estate and insur-ance office in his hometown, Portsmouth, Virginia. For many years, his Tidewater area business included real estate, insurance, building, development and financial services.

Although Kelley has been blogging for about eight years, experience and lifestyle changes have contributed to changing his subject matter. “You start out simply, then develop themes and content,” he said. Guid-ance from ActiveRain blogger and ambassa-dor, realtor Debbie Reynolds of Clarksville, Tennessee, who “provides assistance to new bloggers and gives good advice,” was inval-uable.

Kelley started out focusing on real estate, and then added in his hobby: flower pho-

tography. “My flower photo signature is sort of unique,” he said. He takes pictures on “photowalks” through the Kentlands, where he has lived since 1994, as well as gardens like Brookside in Wheaton, Longwood in Penn-sylvania and Hillwood in the District.

While he still occasionally writes about real estate-related topics, like local market reports, he is more likely to feature events he and his wife Delores attend—a beer tasting in Frederick, a wine tasting at Pinky & Pepe’s or a trip to Colonial Williamsburg. He also has included book recommendations, reci-pes, and items of interest from the City of Gaithersburg.

While entries about local matters may not interest everyone, Kelley said, the flower

photos have widespread appeal. He also posts the photos to about 40 different Facebook groups, “one a day when I have time,” he said. The blog and Facebook are “two dif-ferent worlds,” but many of his ActiveRain followers follow him on Facebook, too. On ActiveRain’s point system, he noted, his blog is ranked number two in the network na-tionally. He attributes his broader network to having been in the business and at blogging longer than most.

Janus, who has lived in the Kentlands since 1995, and downsized to a Colonnade condominium three years ago, initiated his Happy Hour blog in December. It’s one more

n local BloGGers Continued on page 15

309 Main StreetGaithersburg, MD 20878

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©2016 Courier CommunicationsThe Town Courier is an independent newspa-

per published twice a month that provides news and information for the communities of Kentlands, Lakelands and Quince Orchard Park in Gaithersburg, Md. The paper is published by Courier Communica-tions, which is responsible for the form, content and policies of the newspaper. The Town Courier does not espouse any political belief or endorse any product or service in its news coverage. Articles and letters submitted for publication must be signed and may be edited for length or content. The Town Courier is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers Letters to the Editor and Commentary do not necessarily re-flect the views of the staff, management or advertisers of The Town Courier.

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Shopping Center Annexation Discussion PostponedBy Gina Gallucci-White

T he policy discussion on a request to annex the 8.28-acre property of the Potomac Valley Shopping Center into

the city was postponed hours before the start of the Jan. 4 Mayor and City Council meeting.

Mayor Jud Ashman informed the au-dience at the start of the meeting that the annexation discussion was being postponed due to a technical issue.

In an email to The Town Courier the next day, John Schlichting, director of Planning and Code Administration, said the discus-sion was “deferred last night because we are still awaiting final consent from all of the property owners concerning the proposed

sketch plan for the property.”Property owners Darnestown Valley -

WHM LLC and Darnestown Valley Pe-troleum WHM LLC have asked the land be rezoned from the county into the city’s mixed use development. Located at Md. 124 and Md. 28, the property is within the city’s maximum expansion limits as adopted by the city in 2013. If annexed, the only city resource that would be extended to the property is police services.

There are no current plans by the owners for residential use of the property.

Schlichting added, “The applicant is hopeful that it will be rescheduled for the Jan. 19 meeting but we won’t be plac-ing it on the agenda until we receive said consent.”

Photo | Mac Kennedy

local bloggers mike Janus and roy Kelley check out the monday night happy hour at Boulevard tavern.

January 15, 2016 The Town Courier Page 5

VandalismBetween 12/27/15, 10 p.m. and

12/28/15, 6 a.m. property was vandal-ized near the Kentlands Clubhouse. Two dog stations were bent with metal sup-port poles ruined, an outdoor electrical outlet was damaged, Christmas decora-tions were damaged, a sign near the bike racks was damaged, the top of a bollard light between tennis courts #1 and #2 was taken off and the light bulb was bro-ken.

—from “Kentlands Express”

Burglary12/28/2015, 8:23 p.m. A residential

burglary was reported in the 300 block of Market Street West. Sometime between October 2015 and December 2015, an unknown suspect(s) entered the resi-dence and removed property.

—from Gaithersburg Police Department reports

Aggravated Assault12/30/2015, 9 p.m. An aggravated as-

sault was reported at the Lowe’s located at 40 Market Street. The victim and known suspect were involved in a verbal discus-sion that escalated into a physical alter-cation. The suspect was located, placed under arrest and charged accordingly.

—from Gaithersburg Police Department reports

MCP, Montgomery College to Launch Cadet Academy, ProgramA new cadet academy and program is

coming to the area thanks to a part-nership between the Montgomery

County Police Department (MCP) and Montgomery College.

“We are very excited to offer this and partner with the county,” said Kar-en Ambrose, program manager for Montgomery College Workforce Develop-ment & Continuing Education. “This is a wonderful opportunity for anybody who is looking to get into the law enforcement area.”

The department had a cadet program in the late 1960s into the mid-1970s but it was ended after college credits were added to the requirements for becoming a police officer. About two years ago, the department decid-ed to explore reviving the program.

This year, the department is relaunching

the cadet program and adding on an intro-ductory six-week academy from  May 23 to July 1 held at the Montgomery County Public Safety Academy in Gaithersburg. The class runs five days a week, eight hours a day. Those interested must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or a General Education Development equiva-lent, a valid driver’s license and be able to pass a background check.

MCP Officer Demond Johnson said 20 candidates will be chosen for the academy, which will feature driving, criminal law, report writing, physical fitness and team building exercises.  “They will receive the same training that we receive as police offi-cers,” he said. “The only thing is it will be abbreviated. ... We are the only agency in the Maryland, D.C. and Virginia area that has put together a cadet program with a six-

week academy prior to that (program) to actually give these candidates these oppor-tunities to see exactly what it would be like to be in a police academy.”

Those interested may apply online un-til  Jan. 20. “The minimum we would like to get is at least 100 applicants or 150 appli-cants,” Johnson said.

For those who are selected, they will en-roll in the non-credit class through the col-lege’s Workforce Development & Continu-ing Education, which serves about 30,000 students or more a year.

Those who complete the cadet academy may apply to be accepted into the cadet pro-gram where they will receive a stipend or salary of $12,000, pending budget approval. Cadets will be assigned to different sections throughout the department.

Once cadets are 21 years old and have the required college credits, they may apply to become a police officer. “We are actually building an applicant,” Johnson said. “We are building a police officer before they even get (to the officer academy).”

To apply, go to  www.montgomerycountymd.gov/POL/career/cadet.html. For more information, contact Johnson at  240.773.5313  or  demond.johnson@montgomerycountymd.gov.

City Awarded Grant Money Through State Program

The City of Gaithersburg has been awarded a $100,000 grant to go toward construction for the new Olde Towne Park Plaza at the intersection of Summit and Diamond avenues.

The money comes through the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development’s Community Legacy Pro-gram that aims to support projects that en-courage business retention and attraction, home ownership and commercial revitali-zation.

Gaithersburg’s award was one of 55 pro-jects in 19 counties and Baltimore City to receive about $6 million in funding for fis-cal year 2016.

Public Hearing Held for Amendments to Dog Exercise Area

The Mayor and City Council held a public hearing in early January to discuss amending an ordinance to allow non-res-idents use of the city’s dog exercise area.

The amendment will also include add-ing that all dogs must be licensed and detail how non-residents may acquire a member-ship or be a guest of a resident to use the area.

“Hopefully (these changes are) a win-win for everybody,” said Councilmember Michael A. Sesma.

The record will remain open until Jan. 14 with policy discussion for the Mayor and City Council set for Feb. 1. If the amendment passes, the changes will take effect in about three weeks.

Registration Open for La Milla de Mayo

Want to run in the inaugural La Milla de Mayo? Registration is now open for the May 7 event.

Featuring a one-mile road race and two Kids Fun Runs of half- and quarter-mile

lengths, La Milla de Mayo will take place in Olde Towne with a post-race expo held in the plaza in front of the Gaithersburg Community Museum. Hosted by the city and Montgomery County Road Run-ners Club, the event should draw around a thousand runners. A portion of the event proceeds will go toward the Dolores Swoy-er Scholarship Fund.

For those ages 12 and older, the fee is $19. Runners between the ages of 5 and 11 pay a $10 fee. Registering for the Kids Fun Runs is free. To register, go to www.mcrrc.org.

Businesses and organizations may also participate through customizable sponsor-ship packages ranging from $100 to $2,000. The deadline to apply is Feb. 29 through the city’s website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov in the related documents section.

PoLiCeBeaT By Gina Gallucci-White

CiTysCene By Gina Gallucci-White

n Police Blotter Continued on page 18

PoLiCeBLoTTer

1/15Economic and Business Development Committee Annual Breakfast, Kentlands Mansion, 7:30 a.m.

1/19Mayor and City Council Meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.

1/20Planning Commission Meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.

1/27Cultural Arts Advisory Committee Meeting, Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 7:30 p.m.Griffith Park Playground Replacement Community Meeting, City Hall Gallery, 7:30 p.m.

2/1Mayor and City Council Meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.

2/3Planning Commission Meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, 7:30 p.m.

For the latest information on city meet-ings, visit the City of Gaithersburg website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

MEETING CALENDAR

Page 6 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

TV—the QOHS Academic Team has reached “It’s Academic” finals twice since history teacher Josh Schuman took over as coach—this year’s team competed against Bishop Ireton and McLean high schools at the NBC4 Studios in D.C. on Nov. 21. Their win will be televised Saturday, Jan. 30, 10:30 a.m. This win sends them to the playoffs with a March 12 scheduled compe-tition against Walter Johnson and Thomas Jefferson (Va.).

“We beat both of those teams, Walter Johnson and Thomas Jefferson, every time we played them this year,” Schuman said, “but television is a bit of a different game than our non-televised tournaments.”

So how does the team train for a TV com-petition? The answer to this question might also surprise you. They need to switch gears and almost dumb it down.

You see, questions given in televised competitions like “It’s Academic” and “QuizMaster Challenge” (now on a tempo-rary hiatus with MCPS TV), as well as the Montgomery County after-school Beltway League, are shorter and easier than the long, pyramid-style questions that the team focus-es on for national competitions.

Team captain and QOHS senior Natalie Rubin, who began competing as a fresh-man, said that team members have different areas of expertise—science, history, liter-ature, music—but that there is also some overlap. This way, members can help each other out on tough questions.

The team spends the majority of its time running pyramid-style questions and com-

peting in Quiz Bowl Saturday competitions with teams from all across the country. QOHS team members prefer this style of question, Schuman said, because it requires more mastery of pure knowledge. The ear-lier you can answer a pyramid-style ques-tion that begins with the most erudite clues before finally tapering to the obvious, the more likely you are to win.

“We’ll play Roanoke in February,” Schu-man said. “It’s nice to sometimes get outside of the area. We play Richard Montgomery and Thomas Jefferson every week, so this gives us an opportunity to play some oth-er teams—new teams that we don’t know, that we don’t know exactly what the result is going to be.”

Saturday competitions qualify the team for Quiz Bowl Nationals, organized by two governing bodies. The National Academic Quiz Tournaments’ High School National Championship Tournament will be held in Dallas this May, and the Partnership for Ac-ademic Competition Excellence’s 2016 Na-tional Scholastic Championship is scheduled for June in Chicago.

Nationals are big trips involving air flight and three- or four-day stays. Rubin said the team has been to Chicago the past two years, and she is looking forward to seeing Dallas for the first time this year.

“We always have a great time when we travel,” said Schuman. “We have a great time finding great food wherever we go. … We try to make the trips fun experiences.”

And the studying? Well, that’s also fun. “When I started (as a freshman), I studied three or four hours a week,” Rubin said. “It’s great to learn things outside of the class-room that you’re legitimately interested in.”

RCES PTA President Testifies at BOE Hearing

At the first of two public hearings on In-terim Superintendent Larry Bowers’ FY 2017 Recommended Operating Budget on Jan. 7 at the Carver Educational Services Center in Rockville, Rachel Carson Elementary School (RCES) PTA President Paula Ross was among concerned parents, MCPS staff and others who addressed the Board of Education. She asked that the Board allocate funds now to better support RCES, which is the most overcrowded elementary school in the county at 150 percent capacity. “Given our current number of students, and expected increases

in enrollment, our parents and administra-tion continue to worry about the resources available to support our students’ education and educational experience between now and 2021, when some of our population is sched-uled to move to Dufief,” she said.

Pointing out that RCES is larger than 80 percent of middle schools in the county, Ross asked that the Board allocate resources that are commonly extended to middle schools. She asked that the Board consider adding .5 counselor to give RCES two fulltime coun-selors; adding .5 media specialist to bring the total to 1.5 media specialists; adding a health room technician to bring the total to two

technicians; adding an assistant principal in-stead of the current assistant school adminis-trator and creating a leadership team of one principal, two assistant principals, and no assistant school administrators; and adding a second copier in the work room.

Moving UpArea schools are beginning to plan for

next year. Over the next few months, Rachel Carson Elementary will hold monthly Kin-dergarten Open Houses for parents of chil-dren entering kindergarten for the 2016-2017 school year. Principal Lawrence Chep will discuss RCES programs and answer questions,

and parents will be able to visit a kindergar-ten class. This month’s open house is Friday, Jan. 15, 9:15 a.m. Additional open houses are scheduled for Feb. 19 and March 11.

Lakelands Park Middle School will hold an informational meeting for parents of students entering sixth grade next year. The meeting is scheduled for Jan. 26, 7 p.m. in the LPMS cafeteria.

Science and Invention Night ReturnsThis annual event at Rachel Carson Ele-

mentary School enjoys stellar participation year after year. The 11th annual Science and Invention Night will be held on Jan. 27, 7 p.m.

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Diner? Renovations to the former Star Diner space are well underway now at 705 Center

Point Way, but the iconic Star Diner neon sign and Wurlitzer jukebox are not gone—or even very far away. Walk across Market Street West and you’ll find these and other diner memo-rabilia like light fixtures and framed photo-graphs happily ensconced at My Big Finds. Owner Jodi Rapaport said she is thrilled to display these items from a place that meant so much to the community.

Sweet NewsNothing Bundt Cakes is opening its first

Maryland location the week of Jan. 18 at The Shops at Potomac Valley, 12133 Darnestown Road. Ashley Jones Hatcher, franchise oper-ator and director of marketing and operations for the bakery, said, “Everyone in the franchise

is very excited.” With 160 locations across the United States, Nothing Bundt Cakes has only two other locations on the East Coast in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, and Virginia Beach.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Friday, Jan. 29, 8:30 a.m., and 20 percent of sales on this day will be donated to HIPPY USA, a parent-involvement school readiness

program. Sweet activities follow on Saturday, Jan. 30, as the bakery continues to celebrate its grand opening. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., the first 50 customers to make a purchase will receive one free bundtlet, or personal-sized bundt cake, per month for a year, and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., customers are invited to sample Nothing Bundt Cakes’ most popular flavors.

Nothing Bundt Cakes was founded in 1997. Known for their signature cream cheese frost-ing, Nothing Bundt Cakes come in 10 flavors and four sizes. For gluten-free customers, the bakery offers the gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough bundtlet. Visit www.noth-ingbundtcakes.com for more information or contact the Potomac Valley store at (240) 224-7440 or gaithersburg@nothingbundtcakes.com.

shoPTaLk Compiled by Pam Schipper

Photo | Pam Schipper

no longer hanging at 705 center Point way, the star diner neon sign is now for sale nearby at my Big finds, 215 market st. west.

Photo | Submitted

everything Bundt cakes is known for its thick petals of cream cheese frosting.

assignmenTeduCaTion Compiled by Pam Schipper

January 15, 2016 The Town Courier Page 7

Compiled by Pam Schipper

‘A Change Gon’ Come’Through Jan. 24, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., Arts Barn

The Arts Barn welcomes back ANKH Repertory Theatre and The Finest—the innovative companies that collaborated on last summer’s hit production of “The Wiz.” This time, they present a new and riveting drama about the life and times of Harriet Tubman. Drums, singing, dance and film projections are some of the media that transport audiences to the front line of the Underground Railroad to witness the

dire circumstances and choices that Har-riet Tubman and every other slave had to confront in order to escape to freedom. Recommended for ages 12 & up. Tickets are $20 (general); $12 (14 & under). www.gaithersburgmd.gov

‘Seeking the Soul: The Artist’s View of the World and Its Inhabitants’Throughout January, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday, Arts Barn

This exhibit features Alessandra Chiot-

Irish Dancers to Kick Up Heels at the Arts BarnBy Ellyn Wexler

W hen some 40 students present their debut performance at the Arts Barn on Saturday, Jan. 30, the Duffy

School of Irish Dance will have come full cir-cle. Director Erin Duffy Martorano started teaching five preschoolers in the small base-ment dance studio of the O’Hallorans’ Kent-lands home in 2007. For Emily O’Halloran, who was pregnant and mother of a toddler, having her oldest daughter’s class in her house “was a great arrangement for all of us.” After a year, the school relocated; now its studios are in Gaithersburg Square and New Market, and enrollment has grown to about 100.

The Arts Barn program, Martorano said, “will consist of various types of Irish dance, from traditional pieces that have been passed down from teacher to student since the 1800s, to modern solo dances, to competition-style team dancing as well as some more perfor-mance-based pieces.” The show will feature the school’s three world- and seven nation-al-qualifying competitors as well as its re-gional medal winners.

Kentlands residents in the cast are Em-ily McFadden, Lucy Garretson and Claire O’Halloran, all 13-year-old eighth-graders, as well as Claire’s sisters, fourth-grader Ca-dyn, 10, and second-grader Reese, 8. Lucy attends Lakelands Park Middle School, and the others are homeschooled. The five have been Duffy School students for between four

and eight years; the teens attend three to five classes a week, and the younger ones, two to four. In the months preceding a competition, Lucy noted, “class frequency, length, and in-tensity increase.”

“Irish dancing is very fast-paced, and re-quires a lot of stamina and cross-training,” Emily O’Halloran observed. Claire takes bal-let, Cadyn takes street dance, and all three of her daughters enjoy swimming, basketball, soccer, tennis, and gymnastics.

Emily McFadden’s activities include ballet and Tae Kwon Do lessons, morning runs “to build up endurance,” summer swimming and “jump-roping and stretching while watching TV.”

Lucy considers herself athletic because her sole physical activity, Irish dancing, requires intense training and conditioning.

Beyond the hard work involved in lessons, the students perform regularly. “We try to share our passion for dance with our com-munity as much as possible,” Martorano said. They dance as part of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s Stages of Healing program, the Gaithersburg and Washington, D.C., St. Patrick’s Day parades, as well as at local school events and assisted living com-munities.

They also compete, and in December, won the first-place championship for under-15 fig-ure choreography at the Regional Champi-onships in Dallas. Emily and Claire will go to Glasgow, Scotland, to compete in the World

Irish Dancing Championships at the end of March. “This is practically the Olympics of Irish dance,” Emily said. Each competitor dances two rounds, one in soft shoe and one in heavy shoe. The contestants within the top 50 dancers are “recalled” to perform a final round so the judges can determine their final placements.

Their mothers recognize the multiple ben-efits derived from their daughters’ devotion to taking classes, performing and competing.

n arts & entertainment Continued on page 19

n irish dancinG Continued on page 16

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Photos | Submitted

Kentlands residents emily mcfadden, reese, claire and cadyn o’halloran, and lucy Garretson are part of the celtic dance cast performing at the arts Barn on Jan. 30, 3 p.m.

Page 8 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

Bid packages were distributed in Octo-ber. According to Baker, five companies submitted bids for consideration. These were reviewed in November and narrowed to three companies that the committees interviewed in early December. On Dec. 9, the committees made their recommen-dation to the Kentlands Citizens Assembly (KCA) Board, which agreed with their recommendation.

Baker said, “The Environmental Man-agement Committee has been responsible for the overall landscaping contract and with the advent of the organic testing plan, the Turf Working Group was formed to learn, investigate, and gather information to develop a proposal as to how Kentlands

could try out the organic approach. The Turf Working Group was initiated al-most four years ago and we’ve been work-ing very closely with the Environmental Management Committee to get us back to having a single contract to manage all the landscaping for the neighborhood. Mem-bers from both groups as well as Beth Brit-tingham were part of our committee and a representative from the board as well, Glen Palman (KCA secretary).”

Barney Gorin, KCA president, gave his vote of confidence to the committees that performed the due diligence needed to make a selection. “Both our Environmen-tal Management Committee and the Turf Management Working Group did an ex-tremely thorough and even-handed eval-uation of all the proposals. They discussed the pros and cons of each, winnowed the

competitors down based on solid logic, and reached their recommendations with a sol-id rationale.”

Baker noted, “The factors that were very important to both the Turf Working Group and the Environmental Manage-ment Committee as well as the members of the board that were on our selection group were the fact that the new land-scaper would have to manage both the organic portion and the conventional por-tion of the contract.” She added that it was very important to have a contractor who demonstrated knowledge in both methods of landscape maintenance and also had ex-perience in managing a large community.

Community Landscape Services offered such knowledge and more. The company owns The Farm at Broad Run, an organic farm in Virginia where, Baker said, “They grow not only produce but they also have a nursery. So, as part of the contract, we would have access to sourcing our plant-ings, the flowers and shrubs, and things around the neighborhood from their farm.”

Beth Brittingham, Kentlands general manager, noted that in addition to Com-munity’s experience with both organic and traditional approaches, their staff would be on the property five days per week. Bak-er added, “The company provides what they call a concierge-level service so they will have someone on our property every

day of the week, Monday through Friday, blowing, trimming, weeding … so if there is ever something that needs special atten-tion, Beth will always have someone she can call and they’ll be right there.”

Brittingham said she sees Community’s size as a plus for Kentlands. “I’m used to having a landscape vendor on a property this large five days a week. I didn’t have any experience with the model that some-body’s only here two days a week. I’ll be honest and say in all fairness to Advantage, they did make an effort if something ma-jor happened to have somebody swing by or come back through the property. Com-munity is large enough that they have an arborist on staff, they have a horticulturist on staff, and they have landscape designers on staff. They’re not subbing anything out. Did we get some of those services from Ad-vantage over the years? Yes, we did. This is just a bigger company, and they bring more tools and expertise we felt to the table.”

Baker added, “Community also demon-strated to us a great deal of attention to de-tail in terms of the appearance of the whole property … so not just the turf areas but the plantings, the walls, the brick sidewalks. … They made a lot of observations about are-as they felt they could help us improve the appearance of in the neighborhood and we appreciated that as well.”

neighbor Fleet Feet Sports, providing food for the store’s Merry Mix & Mingle Dec. 4 benefit event. Maggie McDermott, spokesperson for Nalley Fresh, said that the restaurant plans to work with Fleet Feet again during this winter’s Ton of Fun Weight Loss Challenge by offering food and nutritional guidance. “We have a nu-tritionist on staff,” she explained, “and a nutrition calculator on our website.”

Powered by Nutritionix, Nalley Fresh’s calculator lets you assess your meal in two ways—through an interactive nutrition menu or by building your meal, selecting salad, wrap or bowl, and then greens, pro-tein, cheese, toppings and dressing. Made with fresh ingredients—Krakowitz shared that all 25 dressings are house-made and protein choices change daily—each meal can be customized per your nutritional needs through the calculator.

This sounds really healthy, but McDer-mott said Nalley Fresh is not just after a scientifically rigorous approach to eating. “The beauty of Nalley Fresh is that peo-ple have the latitude to create according to their own definition of healthy,” she said. “We are delicious, fun, fresh and healthy.”

And what isn’t fun about choosing from among 15 different cuisines? “Here we have Southwest to Mediterranean to Indi-an to Korean to completely vegan to all the way out California spa,” said McDermott.

Ingredients are fresh and all natural. “When possible, we do work with local partners. We get farm to table, local and organic when we can,” said McDermott, adding that sometimes this increases the price exponentially.

Nalley Fresh is determined to be a viable option for everyone, she emphasized.

Base price is $8.50 per meal, and there is no limit to the toppings you can add to salad, bowl or wrap. Meals are not weighed after you make your selections. Occasion-ally there is an extra charge for a special protein like fish.

Founder Greg Nalley, who partnered with Phil and Brad Hoag in 2012 before opening locations in Timonium, Canton and Baltimore’s Pratt Street, is also exec-utive chef. The leadership team plans to open another Nalley Fresh location in Co-lumbia next month, as well as three more in Owings Mill, White Marsh and Bel Air by the end of 2016, shared McDermott.

For more information, visit www.nal-leyfresh.com and check www.facebook.com/NalleyFresh for a definite Kentlands location opening date.

n turf ContraCtor from page 1

n nalley freSh from page 1

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nalley fresh, 261 Kentlands Boulevard, opens the last week in January.

January 15, 2016 The Town Courier Page 9

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Page 10 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

either, including the age cutoff for DACA that would have allowed him a work permit. “I am a prime candidate for the expansion of the law. If DACA’s expansion passes, my purgatory ends,” he said. “My attorney tells me that I am the unluckiest case he has ever seen.” Like the samurai he has revered since childhood, Casas remains steadfast in his in-tegrity; he refuses measures like a fraudulent marriage for the sake of citizenship.

Fortunately, Casas has been able to par-lay his experiences in fitness into a career. In high school, he played football and lift-ed weights, later earning certification from well-known football coach-trainer Joe Phil-bin. His pre-med studies and bachelor’s de-gree in kinesiology as well as internships in physical therapy practices “helped me under-stand how the body functions, and served me well.” He honed his skills with jobs at Fitness First’s Flower Hill and Bethesda clubs, and in his own personal training businesses.

Since July 2013, Casas has been teach-ing his Fitsu company classes out of the American Tae Kwon Do Academy (Amer-ican TKD) on Kentlands’ Market Street. Among his 10 weekly, one-hour classes, are MMA Fitness, which incorporates Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai kickboxing, wrestling, and boxing drills and techniques; HIIT, a functional training class that uses tools like battling ropes, TRX and kettlebells; and Prehab, which consists of small muscle ex-ercises, foam rolling, and stretching. In the temperate weather, there is also Speed and Conditioning, an outdoors class that uses

sport-specific athletic training drills to im-prove cardio and conditioning. Despite the high intensity, he said, the focus is on func-tional movement and proper technique rath-er than power. Casas also trains about 20 pri-vate clients in the Chevy Chase and Potomac areas, including some high-profile ones like sportswriter, columnist and talk show host Tony Kornheiser and T.W. Perry chairman Ed Quinn Jr. Both men, he said, support him in his citizenship efforts.

In addition to his paid work, Casas gives back to the community. He offers a free self-defense seminar about once a month; the next one is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Fri-day, Feb. 5 at American TKD. He also holds the seminars at his high school alma mater, Fleet Feet, MedImmune and the Universi-ty of Maryland; helps the Quince Orchard football team receivers during the summer; and works with youth at Fairhaven Unit-ed Methodist Church and underprivileged Latino children at Casa Chirilagua in Alex-andria, Virginia.

By divulging his secret online in Novem-ber, Casas has become a public figure who, despite endless roadblocks, is committed to continuing to fight for a solution for himself and others in his situation. He is proud of being “a debt-free, well-educated, intelli-gent immigrant—the reverse of what some politicians and people perceive as reality,” he wrote. “You never hear our stories because we live in fear of getting thrown out of our homes. We are not numbers or aliens. We are your friends and your neighbors. We also help drive the economy, enrich the Amer-ican culture, and build foundations in our nation’s youth.”

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The Art of SummerBy Pam Schipper

S ummer equals freedom for school-age kids, and what better way to cel-ebrate the broad expanse of poten-

tial-filled days than enroll in a camp that nurtures self-expression? Fortunately, the Gaithersburg area has a variety of camps that run the gamut from the visual to per-forming arts.

Art Palooza at the BarnThis summer at the Arts Barn offers new

camps in addition to many tried-and-true

favorites like Go Green and Broadway Boot Camp. “We’re keeping it consistent and also blossoming into new stuff,” said Ian Brown-Gorrell, class and camp coor-dinator at the Arts Barn.

It’s an explosion of creativity, and there’s something for every sort of artist.

Exciting is the On Your Toes Improv Camp for kids ages 10 to 14 led by local comedian Mason Trappio. “Campers will learn how to take a word and turn it into a hilarious skit,” Brown-Gorrell said.

Also new is the Cartooning Craze camp for kids ages 8 to 14 led by Brian Mason. “Kids will create their own comic books and then paint the comics with water-colors,” Brown-Gorrell explained. Camp-ers will have a comic book to take home.

Bridging art mediums is the new Paint and Print Fairytales Camp for kids ages 7 to 11. Led by Sue Kay and Megan Ellis, this camp will explore a fairytale through print-making projects and painting.

The Fashion Camp that was new last year is getting a makeover. Kids ages 8 to

12 will enjoy this summer’s more theatri-cal flair, said Brown-Gorrell. They’ll work with specialty and recycled materials to create hats, jewelry and clothing. It all cul-minates in a fashion show on the Arts Barn lobby runway.

Another big change will delight young thespians. The musical theater camp now runs for two weeks. “This is a more in-tense summer experience for kids,” said

n arts camPs Continued on page 13

SUMMER CAMPS

FREE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP OR 50% OFF LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

with class registration by January 31, 2016. New members only.

Photo | Submitted

fun and creativity go hand in hand at P.e.a.s. summer camp on little Quarry road.

Summer Camps

and Schools

Photo | Submitted

fashion camp, that debuted at the arts Barn last summer, returns with more style and flair.

Page 12 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

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January 15, 2016 The Town Courier Page 13

Brown-Gorrell. This summer’s production will be “Annie The Musical,” open to kids ages 9 to 14.

Arts Barn summer camps begin June 22 with two mini-camps, Exploring the World of Art and Artsy Vacation camps, and continue through Aug. 19. All 27 camps will be taught by professional art-ists, and they will be supported in the class-room by high school student volunteers.

Dance MBTFrom ballet to rhythm and groove, the

Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and Academy (MBT) at 220 Perry Parkway has summer programs to suit a wide variety of ages and dancers. “The summer is an opportunity for students to explore something that they don’t have time to do during the school year,” said Paula Ross, MBT executive di-rector.

Little ones are welcomed with Intro to Dance Camp, a 1.5-hour drop-off session of dance, crafts and games for three- and four-year-olds, the half-day Once Upon a Time ballet camp for four-, five- and six-year-olds, and the half-day Rhythm and Groove camp, presenting a variety of mu-sic and dance styles for boys and girls ages three to seven.

For older dancers ages seven to 11, there’s the Junior Ballet Intensive that also explores a variety of dance styles including jazz, modern and hip hop, and Week of Ballets that introduces a different ballet each day. “Students study one ballet a day and learn dance variations,” Ross explained of Week of Ballets. At the end of the camp session, students put on a show for friends and fam-ily. This is the first year that Week of Bal-lets will be offered to younger students ages seven to 11, in addition to the older 11- to 18-year-old group.

“I am most excited about the Junior Dance Adventure,” said Ross. This full-day camp for students ages seven to 11 “covers a variety of dance disciplines and music. … It’s great for students interested in ex-ploring dance, and we have added an extra week (to the camp) this year.”

Serious ballet students will enjoy Pre-Pointe Workshop, Ballet Bootcamp - Tone & Stretch, and Summer Ballet Intensive that brings in guest instructors. These teachers “come from all over the country,” Ross said. “They’re here for a week and teach one or more disciplines. Students get the opportunity to have different instructors and experience different teaching styles.”

Last summer, MBT enrolled 267 camp-ers and 131 students in evening classes. “We have a great summer program that’s fun and robust and caters to every level of experience—from beginners and those in-terested in trying something new to the se-rious student,” Ross said.

Come see all that MBT has to offer at a studio open house on June 5. You can take free sample classes in many dance styles and explore what you might like to take for the summer. Look for a schedule of sample classes to be posted on the MBT website,

mbtdance.org, in late spring.

The Power of P.E.A.S.Tucked behind 144 Little Quarry Road

is a two-story studio that year-round and especially in the summer is home to in-spired and kid-driven art. “It’s all about process,” said Nannette Horan, founder and director of P.E.A.S. or Positive Energy Art Studio. “What differentiates us (from other studios) is that kids get to be part of the idea-making time. They come up with the projects.”

n artS CaMPS from page 11

n arts camPs Continued on page 14

Summer Camps and Schools

Photo | Submitted

come see all that metropolitan Ballet theatre has to offer this summer at a studio open house on June 5.

Page 14 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

Horan, who is an art teacher at Rachel Carson Elementary, brings in other pro-fessional art teachers to enrich her camps and keeps camp groups small at 10 students. “Summer is pretty intense,” she explained. “Kids can learn in one week during the sum-mer what takes several months at school. … Ideas carry over day to day, and that really helps. It’s kind of magical in the summer.”

Campers have time before or after lunch to play games and run around. “I really be-lieve in kids’ playtime,” Horan said. “They

need a safe place to explore, get out there and have fun.”

Last year, P.E.A.S. explored Big Questions in art. Camp sessions run weekly Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information on this year’s summer camps, visit www.positiveenergyartstudio.com.

Stafford Summer StockSteeped in mystique, the words “summer

stock” conjure up images of classic plays per-formed outdoors in the New England coun-tryside. You might be pleased to learn that local thespians can have this same great sum-mer stock experience close to home at 216 Main Street in Stafford Studio.

The Stafford Studio Summer Stock Theat-er Institute offers a four-week program of monologue, scene study, character devel-opment and costume design, culminating in the final production of a play. Stafford Studio founder and director Cheryl Stafford said that the play will be determined after the group assembles, but it may be one by Shakespeare, adapted for modern audiences.

The institute, which runs July 5 through 31, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, is open to those age 7 through adult. For more information, visit www.stafford-studiomusic.com.

Two Left Feet ComboCamps at the 217 Market St. West dance

studio combine a variety of dance styles, mu-sic and art, all with any eye toward encour-aging creativity and development. Founded in 2003, Two Left Feet has been offering summer camp for 13 years.

Magical Summer Camp for children ages 3 to 6 features dance, music, singing and arts and crafts. Executive Dance Director Christina Vidovich said that little ones learn a variety of dance styles from ballet, tap and jazz to pop and enjoy music popular with their age group. Arts and crafts are built around daily themes like Princess Dress-Up Day and Tutu Tuesday. In the past, campers have made tiaras and wands, and every year they make a special camp t-shirt and a pic-ture frame to hold their camp photo. Camps conclude Friday with a show for parents. Magical Summer Camp runs June 20-July 1, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon. Camps can accommodate up to 20 children, and the teacher-student ratio is 1:6.

Broadway Summer Camp for ages 7 to 14 combines dance, drama, arts and crafts. “The kids create the script,” explained Vidovich. “On the first day of camp, we discuss what kind of story do we want to tell?” Teach-ers guide students in the creative process and music selection. Campers have a variety of dance styles at their disposal, everything from poms and hip hop to lyrical ballet. Older campers create props for the show that is performed for parents on the final day of camp.

Another exciting feature of this camp is its daily lunch at a Kentlands restaurant. “We include lunch in the cost of camp,” said Vidovich. “We go to different restaurants in Kentlands and kids get exposure to different types of cuisines. We encourage them to try new things.”

Broadway Summer Camp runs Aug. 1 through 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more infor-mation on Two Left Feet summer camps, visit www.twoleftfeetdance.com.

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Summer Camps and Schoolsn artS CaMPS from page 13

Photo | Submitted

Visit www.positiveenergyartstudio.com for information on this summer’s camp sessions.

January 15, 2016 The Town Courier Page 15

Albright said his father would tell him and his brother Gerald, “’You can’t do nothing, you have to do something.’ Mom was a big believer in this doctrine.” Everywhere she lived she initiated programs, was an avid volunteer, a mentor, and civic-minded citi-zen. Albright said, “She achieved all of this while raising and nurturing a family.” In 1994, at age 77, she became the first pres-ident of the Berryville Chamber of Com-merce.

In the biography, Albright quotes Joe

Tindel, former owner of the Frankston Cit-izen newspaper who first met his mother in the mid-1970s. “Mattie was very forth-right in everything she pursued. She never equivocated and was very resolute. … She was always forward-looking and constantly wanting to improve the conditions of peo-ple and the community at-large.”

In an excerpt from a review about Al-bright’s biography, Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County wrote, “With a con-fident, compassionate, collaborative, and community-minded spirit, she (Mattie) demonstrated how a smart, assertive, and professional African-American woman

could provide leadership in her communi-ty, whether in largely black post-war Watts or largely white late 20th century East Tex-as. The book is especially timely in the light of increasingly complex racial challenges.”

Continuing his mother’s convictions to lead and make a difference, Albright, a retired human resources executive who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in business adminis-tration, has received numerous leadership awards including the Black Engineer of the Year for Diversity Leadership Award and the HR Leadership Award of the Greater Washington, D.C. area.

His commitment to sharing the layers of

his mother’s life was a three-year process from the initial spark of the idea to publish-ing. “When I finally got the physical book in my hands, I can’t describe the feeling, I just couldn’t believe it,” he recalled.

His wife, Lydia Thomas, added, “He was really dedicated to getting it done. … I ac-tually enjoyed the process myself. She was a phenomenal person and deserved this, and he was finding out things he didn’t know. I’m really proud of him.”

For more information, visit Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or outskirtspress.com/bookstore/details/9781478749363.

component of the satisfying life he has cob-bled together since retiring from his career as a federal prison administrator in 2010. He continues to do some part-time consulting, and has added delivering The Town Courier, driving for Uber, teaching at UMUC, work-ing out at LA Fitness and travel to the mix.

He chose happy hours as his subject for several reasons. First, he said, “I love happy hours. Not just for the cheap food and drink, although that is the main attraction, but for me, it’s the other factors. It’s the right time of day, a transition from work to home. For some, a winding down. For others, a start-ing up. No pressure. Just folks stopping in for some libations before carrying on in their busy lives.”

Secondly, after looking for information on the Internet, Janus said, “I realized there was

a dearth of consolidated information on the subject,” no one place to find details about times and offerings—not on Google or Yelp (which only indicates that a happy hour exists) or even the restaurants’ own websites—“kind of counter-productive to getting people to take advantage of them.” People he has talked to in the community, he said, “seem pre-dis-posed to attend happy hours, (but) they seem to know little about what’s available around our friendly New Urbanist, walkable neigh-borhood.” Janus and his wife Cathy and their friends frequently take advantage of happy hours; it was the friends outside that “in-the-know” circle that encouraged him to blog. “It’s a great idea,” he agreed. “And no one else has done it.”

Janus found information on the Internet on how to establish a blog or website, which was well within his grasp. “I’ve always been a tinkerer with computer stuff, not IT-re-lated … familiar though not a profession-

al,” he said. As head of the committee that is working with neighborhood professional Rob Garretson on developing the Colonnade community’s website software, Janus had a source for advice.

The site now includes the details of five Kentlands restaurant happy hours; once this community is completed, he will move on to Downtown Crown. “I’m really happy with it so far, and people seem to like it,” Janus said, although the project is only in its “semi-be-ta testing stage … a commonly used term for data-driven testing.” As such, he uses Google analytics to find out the number, frequency and length of time people visit the blog, and thus strategizes on how to get people to re-turn; he also plans to learn to use links to and from Google+ and Facebook.

Based on a blog by a chef-and-publicist couple from Italy (La Tavola Marche) that he reads faithfully, Janus is certain he will add more photographs to his blog. “It’s easy to do,

and a definite plus,” he said. Also, “at some point in the future,” he may want to get ad-vertisers on the site, “make this Web thing into a business.” He has considered another exciting possibility: “As a frequent business and personal traveler, I realize this model can be used everywhere.” But, he said, “One step at a time.”

Both Kelley and Janus have found a new area of engagement for their talents and inter-ests. “Blogging can be discovered by anyone,” Kelley said. “You can convey personal opin-ions or professional information, and develop a following. I encourage people to get into the world of blogging for your own pleasure and/or your business.” While Janus can enjoy his happy hours year-round, Kelley looks for-ward to spring when he can resume his relax-ing photowalks, and get some exercise, too.

Kelley’s blog is at activerain.com/blogsview/4734985/kentlands-photowalk; Janus’ blog is at www.thejanusgroup.website.

n loCal BloGGerS from page 4

n BioGraPhy from page 3

Page 16 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

Sooky McFadden watched Emily struggle “to become more intentional about how to achieve her goals in dance” and witnessed her successes when “she refused to give up.”

Emily O’Halloran appreciates “how much it has taught my girls about hard work and persistence, for all of the memories that my girls and I make when we travel together, and for all of the friendships and camaraderie.”

Cara Garretson noted that beyond the fit-ness advantages, Lucy is “learning the impor-tance of hard work, commitment, working as a team, supporting her friends, and persever-ance.”

The students see the value of their hard work, too. Claire has found satisfaction in the challenges “of getting better and better and … learning new things.” Seeing other dancers at the competitions, she said, “inspires me to try new jumps or steps and to come up with my own new ideas. As a musician, I always have rhythms stuck in my head, and dancing helps me use them.”

For Emily, it is all about the life lessons. She understands there will “be days when I lose, when nothing goes my way, and when I feel like the world is against me. But, I re-member that for as many bad days, there are will be 100 more good days. One bad dance or competition is not the end of the world and does not define who I am,” she said. “I have also learned that if I want something, in dance or in life, I have to discipline myself and work for it. Nothing worth having comes easy.” When she succeeds, she added, “there is no better feeling than realizing that all my hard work, all my struggles and all my sweat

in dance have paid off.”Irish dance is on the girls’ future agendas as

well. Emily, who attended Riverdance sum-mer camp, hopes to tour with Riverdance. “It has always been my dream to be a part of a professional dance show,” she said.

Content with Irish dance as a hobby now, Lucy wants “to pursue it professionally as a performer or teacher—or both.”

Claire wishes “to be in a show and/or be a teacher. Touring with other dancers would allow me to travel around the country and world.”

Although Cadyn aspires to be a scientist, she loves performing, reaching her goals—when the hard work becomes “totally worth it”—and thinking of new designs for dance dresses. She also can see herself “working with my sisters teaching other people how to Irish dance.”

Reese, who enjoys the workout and the friendships, wants to be like the teachers who inspire her. “They make us work hard so we can do well,” she said

Lucy best summed up the sentiments of her fellow students and their moms. “The entire Irish dance community itself is so welcoming and supportive. All the friends I’ve made and the skills I’ve learned are things to be cher-ished forever.”

The Duffy School of Irish Dance performance, Celtic Dance, will begin at 3 p.m. Jan. 30 in the Arts Barn, followed by a World Traveler Tea at 4 p.m. in the Kentlands Mansion. Kristy King, the mansion’s community facility manager, said the tea will feature finger sandwiches, fruits, desserts, as-sorted teas and lemonade amid travel-inspired décor. Tickets—$8 for the show, $20 for both show and tea—are available online.

ColdwellBankerHomes.com86,000 Agents | 3,000 Offices on 6 Continents | 109-Year Legacy

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The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International and the Previews logo are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 11467MA_11/15

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TIME FOR A NEW START?There’s never been a better time for a career in real estate

JOIN OUR CAREER NIGHTThursday, January 21

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n iriSh DanCinG from page 7

600 South Frederick Avenue, Suite 401Gaithersburg, MD 20877 (Intersection of Frederick and Deer Park)

Greenpasture Church invites you to our inspiring weekly services.

Sunday ServiceSundays • 11AM

Prevailing Prayer and Faith ServiceWednesdays • 7PM

Prayer VigilFirst Fridays • 10PM

240-449-5885info@greenpasturechurch.org

Dr. Jimmy Ibikunle, Senior Pastor

God at Work. Answers for You. Victory Assured!

January 15, 2016 The Town Courier Page 17

The Revenant (R) *****Between them, the two

movies opening in the past two weeks set a collective record for blood-shedding. Both are quality films, just not for everybody. The plot of “The Revenant” was bor-rowed from a novel by the same name, and the novel was based on a true story of the pursuit of revenge dur-ing the 19th century.

Briefly, Hugh Glass, a scout, is abandoned by his men, some of whom are military, and partially buried in the woods after being mauled by a female grizzly bear. In the film, villain John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) leads the survivors of a blizzard away from Glass, tell-ing them he’s done for anyway. The captain of the military, Andrew Hardy (Domhnall Gleeson), orders a proper burial in a military fashion. Hardy barely throws dirt over Glass’ body, kills his son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), and convinces a hapless non-com, Bridger (Will Poulter), to leave with him. Bridger is unconvinced that he’s doing the right thing but follows orders.

The chase is over 156 minutes later, and Glass has somehow survived the bear attack, being shot at by Indians, blizzards, a cascading ride while seriously wounded down a raging river and over at least two waterfalls, a dive with his ill-fated horse off a cliff into a pine tree and injuries so serious that an Indian who saves him tells him, “Your body is rotten. You

need to heal.” Throughout the ordeal, Glass is kept alive by images of his wife, an Indi-an killed in a raid on her village by French troops.

Sounds horribly bloody, right? Well, it is—except that it is also surpassingly beautiful as Glass makes his way through various depths of Canadian snow, ice, rivers, trees and all the various forms of winter, protected from the worst of the elements by a huge bearskin coat. You will also note a canteen with a unique design on it that proves to be important in the sorting out of the story at the end.

In a film so grim and relentless it might be surmised that there is no humor. There was a very funny, though ironic moment near the end when one of Glass’ rescuers, holding on to this wreck of a person, asks Glass what hap-pened. Glass can’t tell him yet but assures him, “I ain’t afraid to die any more. I done it al-ready.”

A moody score accompanies the action and the settings, and DiCaprio racks up enough scenes for a sure Oscar nomination. Audiences may be exhausted by the relentless action and the very real concern that Glass et al might not make it to the final reel. The story is probably already a classic of survival films and will give your mind plenty to chew on after it’s over.

The Hateful Eight (R) ****There are many problems with Quentin

Tarantino films, of which this is the eighth. The primary reason for them is the fact that, going in, Tarantino has taught audiences to look for wonderfully creative camera an-gles and plots, but also usually intense vio-

lence and blood-drenching. The violence and blood attract audiences but may repel poten-tial filmgoers, and so it is with this film.

Tarantino sets up the violence with such care that when the violence emerges, as it does, it almost comes as a relief—we know it is a Tarantino film and we either walk out or give him lots of room in which to create his magic. This film is beautifully filmed: Set in a violent Wyoming, most of the film takes place in a blizzard. That makes just getting around to the barn and the outhouse—anyplace—difficult and blurs some of the action so we’re not sure who is doing what with whom. It also allows chilling indoor scenes in which the cast has to act in robes and winter coats because the snow is coming through chinks in the logs. It also makes a constant pot of coffee necessary, a vital plot point later in the film.

Briefly, Kirk Russell is John Ruth, bounty hunter, nicknamed “The Hangman” because he takes all his prisoners alive. His prisoner in this case is Daisy Domergue ( Jennifer Jason Leigh), a murderess. Ruth brings this foul-mouthed, violent, sarcastic felon into the cab-in of an alleged friend of his only to find a sorry group of hard cases: Sheriff Chris Man-nix (Walter Goggins), Bob (Demian Bichir), hangman Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), writer Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), and aging Confederate General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern). Any of them can be dangerous and they all are, in one way or another. Samuel L. Jackson as Major Marquis Warren rounds out the gang and really heads the cast. But which one is a gang member looking to free Daisy and kill the rest, and which are actual

characters willing to help Ruth? Finding that out takes up most of the film until, with the deaths of a couple of suspects (from “holes” as they describe it in Texas) and a couple from poisoned coffee, the script devolves into a pure mystery.

Samuel Jackson, with the premature exit of Kirk Russell, becomes the ostensible de-tective and begins to unravel who is who. Gunplay ensues and the blood starts to spatter in big globs. All this while we are treated to breathtaking scenes of a mountain winter in a blizzard as Tarantino, old-fashioned in many ways, fixes his camera in place and lets char-acters enter and leave the scene rather than have hand-held, wobbly images of the action. The effect heightens the suspense because something can always be happening out of camera range and usually does.

The film, after unwrapping most of the plot, pursues a different tack at the end, tak-ing us back four hours and introducing new characters and more blood. I think Taranti-no is some kind of genius, but I also think he is often a sick puppy. His films certainly grab audiences and the pictures are gorgeous. All the acting is top-drawer—they all can die well—and the action superbly choreographed.

This film is certainly not for the squeamish. If you have heard of the legends concerning Tarantino’s violence and bloodshed, this may not be for you. If you do go, don’t be sur-prised if you come out with grudging admira-tion for Tarantino’s skills and those of his big cast. The “R” rating should protect your kids. Let them grow into some emotional distance before seeing it.

mikeaT The moVies

By Mike Cuthbert

Page 18 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

Travel Talk

W hen I was a child, my moth-er’s strictest rule

for me was “Never talk to strangers.” Many years later, I not only uncon-sciously ignored that rule, but talking to strangers became an essential part of my travel experiences. I found that memories of all the literary and historic sites in England that I’d looked forward to seeing had fad-ed, but I had retained almost total recall of the conversation I’d carried on with a

daughter of the Empire (“Daddy was an officer in India”) and an elderly fellow pas-senger on a London-bound train.

When the three of us had originally boarded, the rather stout lady had struggled to stow her luggage in the overhead com-partment. The older man jumped up from the seat opposite mine. “May I help you, Madame,” he announced without waiting for her answer and took the suitcase from her. Even for him the weight of the case made it difficult to lift it high enough to reach the shelf.

“Oh, thank you so much,” she said, a little out of breath. She removed a hand-kerchief from her purse, wiped her fore-head, and seeing that the seat beside me was empty and I was smiling at her, she sat down.

We began talking in awkward formali-ties. After we had run out of things to say about the weather, we cautiously proceed-ed to a more personal level. I found out that during World War II the man was in the Royal Air Force and was in the ground crews that maintained Spitfires, the leg-endary fighter planes whose heroic pilots had won the Battle of Britain. .I was filled with admiration for him and told him so. He reminded me that he hadn’t flown Spit-fires—just worked on them. I assured him that his job was critical, too. He looked pleased and seemed to relax.

Eventually, the matron beside me brought up a detail about her life in India. I told her I’d love to hear more because about all I knew about that country was what I’d learned from Rumer Godden’s novels. The former Air Force mechanic and I became absorbed in her conversation as the train sped past small villages and fields divided by low stone walls. Occasionally we caught a flash of shining water—a stream or even a bit of the English Channel.

Somehow I found out that I could buy tea for us several cars ahead of ours. When I returned with a tray of teacups, a tea-pot, and all the fixings, including biscuits (cookies to us Yanks), the elderly pair were simply delighted. “Good show!” Sud-denly, we became a cozy, comfy group of friends having afternoon tea in a parlor,

At the end of our journey, as we prepared to leave each other, the man stood up, leaned over and kissed me on my cheek. The daughter of the Empire invited me to stay with her in London. I’m told that this was a rare treat for an American stranger.

Another time, in another place thousands of miles west of England, I was sitting with a friend on an adobe wall in the Millicent Rogers Museum just outside Taos, New Mexico. We were listening to a famous Native American flute player. Outside, the sky was a velvety navy blue with stars that looked close enough to pluck for a bou-

quet. The air was clear, cool and scented with chamisa.

I became aware of a Pueblo Indian el-der seated on a bench opposite us. She had a light blue rebozo (scarf ) wound around her head. Her hands were quietly resting on her lap, and she was unabashedly stud-ying me.

I asked her, “Wouldn’t you like to join us over here? We came to hear the flute player and we can see him from here …”

She answered quietly, “I’m fine, thanks. I like to look at you when we’re talking.”

My friend said she had to leave. I joined the woman on the bench. I learned that the flutist was her foster grandson … that he’d invited her to come to his performance at the museum. There was also an exhibit of Pueblo artists’ work that she wanted to see. I sat with her for the rest of the pro-gram. Occasionally she told me about her grandson and her connection with him. I was afraid to break the spell of this mag-ical evening if I talked too much. I just listened. After an hour or so, I began to feel that there was a tenuous, precious bond developing between us.

Nettie and I became friends. We only saw each other when I visited Taos each summer for a number of years. I cher-ished all that she shared with me about her world. I might never have known her if I hadn’t first spoken to her.

SentencingFormer National Institutes of Stand-

ards and Technology (NIST) police of-ficer Christopher Bartley was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt Jan. 7. The former federal officer and U.S. Army veteran will serve three-and-a-half years in prison for attempting to manufacture methamphetamine at NIST beginning March 1.

—from news reports

Schaeffer’s Piano Co., Inc.Est 1901

NEW • USEDRENTALS TOO!Tuning • Repair

Refinishing

105 N Stone Street Ave.Rockville, Md 20850

301.424.1144www.schaefferspiano.com

We’ve Moved!Visit us at our new location!

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einkElectronic Ink 703.669.5502

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nora’sCorner

By Nora Caplan

from page 5

PoLiCeBLoTTer

January 15, 2016 The Town Courier Page 19

tia (mixed media), Dareya Cohen ( jew-elry), Sue Kay (watercolor), Yolanda Prinsloo (oil), and Edward Solow (pho-tography). All are invited to a free Art-ist Reception on Jan. 12, 7-8:30 p.m. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

Third Annual Art League of Germantown (ALOG) ExhibitThrough March 20, call 301.258.6425 for viewing hours, Kentlands Mansion

This exhibit features art in many me-dia by members of ALOG. All are wel-come at a free Artist Reception on Jan. 12, 7-8:30 p.m. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

Winter Waltz BallJan. 15, 7-10 p.m., Kentlands Mansion & Two Left Feet Dance Studio

The weather outside may be frightful, but the party will be delightful! Follow-ing the enthusiastic response to last spring’s Tango Party, dancers of all levels—novice to master—can again kick up their heels at an elegant evening of ballroom and Latin dance fun at Kentlands Mansion. They will learn the waltz, a smooth, grace-ful dance characterized by long, flowing movements, turns, rises and falls. Instruc-tors from Two Left Feet will teach, demon-strate other dances and answer questions on proper technique. Dancers can enjoy free non-alcoholic refreshments or indulge at the cash bar. Tickets are $30 per person.

Babysitting is available, too! Drop your children, ages four and up, at the nearby Two Left Feet Dance Studio for a “Kids Night Out” party while you waltz at the mansion. Call 240.632.2345 for kids party details and pricing. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

Main Street Farmers MarketJan. 16, 23 & 30, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Main Street Pavilion

Products available for purchase include a vast assortment of fruits and vegetables, jams and jellies, various herbs, cut flowers, and potted plants, baked goods,

dog treats, meat, eggs, and honey. www.gaithersburgmd.gov

‘Undertow’Jan. 17, 7 p.m., Arts Barn

Kentlands Film Society screens the film “Undertow.” This Spanish film with Eng-lish subtitles is set in a small town on the coast of Peru. Miguel, a happily married fisherman, falls in love with a male artist. Tickets are $9, available starting at 6:15 p.m. Jan. 17 or in advance by contacting kentlandsfilmsociety@gmail.com.

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz OctetJan. 22, 8 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts

Son of big-band leader and Afro Cu-ban jazz musician Chico O’Farrill, Gram-my Award-winning pianist and composer Arturo O’Farrill was born in Mexico and raised in New York City. Growing up, Arturo was inspired by his father’s mu-sic but cast a wider net when finding his niche—Afro Latin Jazz, a genre to which he’s made extraordinary contributions. He is the winner of the 2003 Latin Jazz USA Outstanding Achievement Award and is a Steinway Artist. Tickets are $30-$44. www.blackrockcenter.org

Kentlands Acoustic JamJan. 26 & Feb. 2, 6 p.m., Kentlands Clubhouse

Bring your acoustic instrument and voice to join in the jam session, or just lis-ten. Free. www.reverbnation.com/kent-landsacousticjam

Celtic Dance & World Traveler TeaJan. 30, 3-5 p.m., Kentlands Mansion

Experience the excitement and pageant-ry of Celtic dancing with a performance by Duffy School of Irish Dance at the Arts Barn. Afterward, indulge in a delicious tea at Kentlands Mansion, featuring small sandwiches, baked sweets, fruit, lemonade and tea. Tickets for just the Celtic Dance are $8 per person; a combined Celtic Dance and Family Tea ticket is $20 per person.

I’ve Got You Under My Skin(s)

M y dad was the best armchair quarterback who

ever lived. As a kid, I was sure they could hear him on the sidelines as he barked orders at the tel-evision, bellowing keen analysis at the top of his lungs from the Lazy Boy. Sonny Jurgensen and George Allen took the brunt of the verbal lashing but there was love behind every word.

You see, the Redskins have been vexing from Day 1.

We fans are a weary tribe indeed. We’ve

praised the Hogs. We’ve made Snyder voodoo dolls. We’ve purchased the RGIII jersey and bought into the hype. We’ve reminisced about our Super Bowl win back in the day. We’ve seen the revolving door of coaches spit out the well-intended like a watery wad of chew. We’ve memo-rialized the lumbering frame of Riggins on our basement walls, in the hopes of re-surgence. We’ve prayed. We’ve pounded our fists. We’ve vowed to quit to no avail.

Because this franchise stole our hearts decades ago and we never quite got them back again.

Over the years we stood by—desolate—as they broke those hearts into Humpty Dumpty-sized pieces that a king’s ransom

in free agency couldn’t put back together again.

Football love is tough love, people.Back before concussion protocol or

throwing flags for play review, this team was good. Gritty and good. We weren’t flashy like Namath or a well-oiled ma-chine like Montana and Rice but we got the job done. Dallas always had our num-ber, but each time we took the field there was hope.

Recently, though, we had gone from hopeful to hopeless one agonizing loss at a time. Tickets hit bargain basement pric-es. RGIII jerseys hit the clearance racks. I heard my despair echoed in Jurgensen’s be-leaguered voice on the radio play-by-play each week. We were suddenly the Chica-go Cubs of the NFL, forever cursed and chasing that elusive trophy.

The Burgundy and Gold army was shrouded in black to match the dark cloud that had descended over our team. But a funny thing happened on the way down—Kirk Cousins showed up. This was a new team that looked a lot like the teams of yesteryear. With no superstar, franchise player in sight we went back to the basics of teamwork and tenacity. Behind Cous-ins, we strung together a series of ugly wins to land atop the division.

Throwing caution to the wind, we life-

long devotees fell in love all over again. We swooned as Cousins executed the big-gest comeback in franchise history over the Buccaneers. We blushed with pride when we knocked out Philly at home to end their season.

Reunited, and it feels so good.Our hero even had a catch phrase and

was the darling of Sports Center. The an-alysts all agreed, Washington could beat Green Bay in the first round of the play-offs. As a result, ticket prices soared as those Redskins became an expensive date but so, so worth it.

Or not.The bloom officially came off the rose

during the second half. Green Bay stepped up their defense as ours virtually disap-peared. Our short, second honeymoon crashed and burned before our very eyes, complete with the horror of instant replay to add insult to injury.

Like all jilted lovers, I sat in disbelief when I realized it was over. Had the last two months of pure devotion meant noth-ing to these Skins?

I will make promises to myself over the next seven months, vowing to keep a healthy distance. But, who am I kidding? The Redskins will always be my first love.

How can you not like that?

firsTPerson

By Maureen Stiles

Meet Debi Rosen, The Gaithersburg Town Courier’s Advertising Manager.

With 25+ years in the advertising business, Debi knows the local business beat better than anyone in town. It doesn’t matter if your company is small or large, results matter in this tough economic climate. With a keen eye for detail and personal attention, Debi is your source for making your business known to our loyal readers.

About The Town Courier: • Direct mail delivery to 7,500 homes plus

rack distribution in high traffi c locations throughout Gaithersburg.

• Dedicated and loyal readers, giving each edition long shelf life.

• Unmatched local coverage of news that matters to Gaithersburg families.

• The Gaithersburg Town Courier is delivered to homes and businesses in Kentlands, Lakelands, Quince Orchard Park, The Orchards, Orchard Hills and Washingtonian Woods

Debi Rosen301.455.5721 ads@towncourier.com

Advertise your business in the NEXT ISSUE and

Get RESULTS!

from page 7

arTs& enTerTainmenT

Page 20 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

QO Basketball: Still Winning While Fighting Injuries and Tough Opponents

By Syl Sobel

T he young, undersized, and injury-de-pleted Quince Orchard boys’ basket-ball team continues to find ways to win

and, at 9-1, has emerged as one of the top teams in the county. Meanwhile, the even younger girls’ basketball players, fighting injuries of their own and battling a tough schedule, have established themselves at 6-4 as a team to watch.

The boys opened 2016 with a gritty 51-48 victory over always tough Gaithersburg last Friday night. The Cougars took a 12-point halftime lead, but Gaithersburg turned up the defensive pressure in the final quarter, went on 12-2 run, and came within a point with 1:22 left. But two Matthew Kelly free throws and a Daniel Dorsey putback gave QO its winning margin.

“Really gutsy win,” said coach Paul Foringer. He said the team was tired in the final quarter because that was its first game in 10 days.

Yielding to defensive pressure and physical play, however, was responsible for QO’s only loss this season to another top team, Bethes-da-Chevy Chase (B-CC).

“We’re letting defensive pressure speed us up,” Foringer said. “We need to relax and play at our speed.”

QO is also missing two of its best front-court players in Rayshawn Murrel and Doc Bonner, both injured. “We’re missing some

toughness,” Foringer said.That’s left the inside load on sophomore

Dorsey, who at 6-2, is fighting taller op-ponents each night. He responded against Gaithersburg with 11 points and “played well on defense,” said Foringer.

QO needs inside scoring to complement its guard-centric attack led by juniors John-ny Fierstein (15 points) and Kelly, and sen-ior point guard Damon Daniel. The Cou-gars have also gotten good performances from their bench with Mitch Czworka, Jack Faraone, Tre Sewell, Colin Crews, and Ulric Ayivi-Fandalor all making contributions in various games this season.

“Some of our guys on the bench are start-ing to get better and that’s helping,” Foringer said. “Everybody seems to be just improv-ing as each day goes by, and I’m starting to feel more comfortable playing more bench guys.”

The girls topped Gaithersburg 41-36 on Friday night, hitting seven three-pointers to nail down the win. Giulia Sanmartin hit three (9 points), and sophomores Jor-dan Odom (9 points) and Maggie Regan (8 points) each had two.

“They did a good job limiting Jordan,” said coach Chris Campbell, referring to Gaithersburg’s defense on Odom, the team’s leading scorer at 15 points per game, but Regan, the team’s top three-point shooter, and Sanmartin picked up the slack.

QO has struggled with injuries, as fresh-man Teresa Shelton just returned for her third game after a concussion, junior Sarah Gleason just played her fourth game, and junior Angel Murphy has been out with a foot injury.

Good inside play from senior Emily Baumgartner and junior Danni Lehner have

helped the team weather the injuries. Leh-ner, averaging 9.5 rebounds per game, has had several double-doubles.

“We are slowly getting there,” said Camp-bell, pointing out that three of the team’s four losses have been to very good teams in B-CC, Paint Branch, and Tuscarora from Virginia during a holiday tournament.

SporTS

Northwest Girls Look to Compete for State TitleBy Jennifer Beekman

J ust 10 years ago, Montgomery Coun-ty’s top swimming and diving programs were almost exclusively concentrated in

the Bethesda/Potomac/Rockville areas. But depth across the region has grown to the point that there are three legitimate state title con-tenders within the county’s “second tier” of teams. And none of them reside in that orig-inal core area.

The Northwest High School girls are on the list. From ninth place at the season-ending state championship meet in 2012 and 2013, the Jaguars finished fourth last year—sixth at the prestigious Washington Metropolitan In-terscholastic Swimming and Diving Champi-onships—and have their sights set on the Top 3 or better this winter.

Similar to the county trend, it is increased depth surrounding the core group of juniors that has helped take Northwest to new heights in recent years, and could elevate the Jaguars even more this season. And while the North-west boys and Quince Orchard’s boys’ and girls’ teams might not be in championship contention as overall teams, there’s no short-age of individual talent among those groups as well. As has been the case with the Northwest girls, those championship-caliber athletes could become the driving force behind these

teams’ evolution, not just this year but in the future.

Here is a look at what 2016 might have in store for the Northwest and Quince Orchard swimming and diving programs.

Northwest girls: Last winter, current jun-ior Jaycee Yegher won Northwest’s first-ever Metros title, setting a Montgomery County Public Schools record in the 100-yard breast-stroke (1 minute, 4.02 seconds) along the way. And she was only one of three then-sopho-mores who placed in the top 20 of individual scoring at the meet that, per times recorded, perennially ranks as one of the country’s fast-est high school competitions. Yegher, who coach Amy Mason said is close to becom-ing the first-ever Jaguar to qualify for U.S. Olympic Trials (she is close to the 100-me-ter breaststroke mark) and Dylan Gribble and Sydney Knapp, who each picked up two Top 3 individual finishes at last year’s state meet, provide a versatile center for Mason to build her lineups around. Their strength, she add-ed, has pushed teammates, such as senior Sa-mantha Bischoff (13th in 500-yard freestyle at states), to put in the work during the offseason in order to become more impactful. The ad-dition of two talented freshmen, Regan Tait and Katelyn Tat, should add valuable points as well, not to mention bolster relays.

“I think that core group of juniors made

everyone step up their game,” Mason said. “It helps because they’re all diversified, too. Dy-lan can swim just about any stroke you ask her to swim. Jaycee, the same thing. She’ll fill in, in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle, which is out of her comfort zone, but she’s more than willing to do it. And Sydney can swim any distance in the freestyle. They’re good but they’re also well-rounded team players, which makes everyone understand the importance of swimming events that aren’t their best.”

Northwest boys: The Jaguar boys should move up from their 14th-place finish at states a year ago, Mason said. Returning top scor-ers, sophomore Noah Garvey and junior Nick Fitzwilliam who finished in the Top 15 of two individual events apiece at last year’s state meet, will continue to lead Northwest’s charge. But the addition of freshman Colby Chung, a talented butterfly swimmer, and the improvement of some returning athletes will help fill some lineup holes that cost the Jaguars a year ago.

Quince Orchard girls: Two years ago as a freshman, current junior Maddy Zarchin broke one of Quince Orchard’s longest-stand-ing all-time records—26 years—in the 100-yard butterfly. Her reliability, coach Todd Garner said, is invaluable. Last year she finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly and eighth in the 500-yard freestyle at Metros and second in

the butterfly and fourth in the 200 freestyle at states. Freshmen Emily Mann, who has been around the Cougars program for years watch-ing her older siblings, and Hannah Harnois, as well as improved sophomore Lindsey Heath, will provide Zarchin with some needed sup-port and help fill out relays.

Quince Orchard boys: A year ago, current sophomore Eli Fouts was the only freshman in the top 30 of individual scoring at Metros. His 37 points—second in the 100 breaststroke, ninth in 200 individual medley—were good for 12th and just 11 points off the leader. But while he established himself as one of the Washington, D.C., area’s top talents, one per-son alone cannot win a swim meet. Although, if permitted, Fouts probably could race and contend in every event, coach Todd Garner said. Diego Morales, a talented butterfly and freestyle swimmer, and Jacob Lindner, a sprint freestyler and individual medley swimmer, should help Quince Orchard be more com-petitive across the board. Junior diver Joseph Canova, who finished second at Metros a year ago, also provides the Cougars with valuable points not every team is privy to.

“It helps to have really strong kids, but it’s also really exciting to see those second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-place kids,” Garner said.

Photo | Mauricio Sanmartin

(l to r) Jordan odom and alexa sanmartin play defense against rockville on dec. 18.

January 15, 2016 The Town Courier Page 21

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Bocce, Corollary Sports a Learning Experience for EveryoneBy Jennifer Beekman

I n 2010, Montgomery County Public Schools announced its Corollary Sports Program in an effort to present students,

both with and without disabilities, more op-portunities to pursue competitive athletics. And while many might assume it’s the for-mer who benefit most from these full-fledged varsity teams, which are subject to the same treatment as sports like football and basket-ball, Quince Orchard High School senior bocce co-captain Alexander Cohn said par-ticipating in corollary sports provides unique learning experiences for everyone involved.

“I definitely think (students without dis-abilities) are learning as much, if not more (than students with disabilities),” said Cohn, a second-year bocce player who has also par-ticipated in team handball and allied softball. “You learn teamwork and accountability. And it helps you to understand people a lot more. I’m a much more open person now. I don’t assume as much about people; I wait to hear their story. I think it just opens up everyone’s eyes and gives everyone a differ-ent perspective. Even people around me saw I was a better person after one season of (cor-ollary sports).”

MCPS offers one corollary sport per sea-son: team handball in the fall, unified bocce in the winter and allied softball in the spring. An important goal of the program, accord-ing to the MCPS website, is for the corollary teams to be comprised of approximately 50 percent students with disabilities and 50 per-cent without.

This, junior co-captain Turner Thackston

said, helps student-athletes cultivate what might otherwise be unlikely friendships. So-cial media has made it easier for teammates to continue to communicate outside of school and once they’ve graduated, Thackston add-ed.

“I think perspective is one way to put it but another way to put it is (students with-out disabilities) become more empathetic and understanding and realize that you can have great relationships with kids who are not like you,” coach Gregory Benas said. “I see it at practice every day and at games and in school. And these friendships keeping growing.”

In bocce’s inaugural season six years ago, there were just seven teams.

These days that number is up to 25. And, while Cohn and Benas agreed the team’s suc-

cess is not measured in wins and trophies, Quince Orchard, the 2013 state tournament champion, has established itself as one of the county’s and state’s best teams.

Special Olympics Maryland sponsors a state championship at the end of the season, for which only the top teams from each dis-trict tournament qualify. As of a year ago, the participating public school systems were Montgomery, Allegany, Baltimore City, Charles, Frederick, Garrett, Prince George’s and Washington counties.

After an undefeated 2014-15 regular sea-son, the Cougars fell in the county final a year ago and failed to medal in the state tour-nament. The previous winter, they followed up their 2013 state title with a third-place showing at the 2014 season-ending champi-onship.

Quince Orchard is currently 1-2 but as the Cougars learned last winter, Cohn and Thackston said, regular season records don’t necessarily translate into postseason success. And all teams qualify for the county tour-nament.

“We found that since we were undefeated, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re going to win the county championships,” Benas said. “So, we’re just going to play every game and then when, hopefully, it comes down to playoff time, the ball is rolling straight and true.”

Because, Benas added, bocce, a rather stra-tegic sport, can also be quite unpredictable. It’s a game of inches. And, sometimes, the ball seems to have a mind of its own.

“Bocce is the grand equalizer,” Benas said.

“It’s a sport that no matter how good you are, the other team can beat you. We were unde-feated in the regular season (last year) but the ball didn’t roll for us in playoffs. And that’s bocce.”

The object of the game is, essentially, for teams to roll their bocce balls closer to what’s referred to as the pallino ball—a smaller ball that is thrown first—than their opponent.

The Cougars spend practices setting up a variety of scenarios, Benas said, in order to best prepare themselves for whatever situa-tion may arise come game day.

“It’s a very strategy-based game,” Cohn said. “You have to get a big ball closest to a small little ball that could be anywhere from 10 to 30 feet away from you. It’s, do you want to knock the person’s ball out? Do you want to try and secure one point? Or go for two more if you have the chance? It’s taught everyone on this team how to strategize and how to problem solve.”

And, Cohn and Thackston agreed, skills learned through bocce and corollary sports are transferrable to everyday life.

“I’ve learned to make more friendships and to be a leader,” Thackston said. “It’s taught me good sportsmanship and to be a good learner and to not get in trouble. … You need to focus and not be distracted. You have to pay attention and not goof off and try to par-ticipate and practice. This helps me in class.”

Though he’s the teacher, Benas said there are times he feels like his student-athletes are the ones giving him the lessons because “it’s so uplifting to see how they work together and appreciate the other teams.”

Photo | Submitted

turner thackston is junior co-captain of the varsity bocce team, a corollary sports program at Quince orchard high school.

Page 22 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

ed to be there.” Now that Ty is home, “it’s good to see him every day.”

The family shared their recollections of the injury that still has Williams unable to walk.

“I remember everything actually,” Ty said. “I didn’t lose consciousness or anything. It wasn’t that big of a hit. It just was like, I guess you could call it the perfect storm. I had hit him, and it felt like it took me forever to fall. … I fell face down. I couldn’t push myself over. I couldn’t roll over. They finally rolled me over on my back and I got movement back into my arms, but everywhere neck and below was just like intense tingling, and I couldn’t even figure out the position of my legs.”

Williams said he wasn’t as scared as he might have been, because he had taken anat-omy in high school and knew what was hap-pening to him.

His father, however, was fearing the worst. While Rand rode in the ambulance to the hospital with her son, Williams followed in another car with Ty’s grandfather “not know-ing what was going on. … It was terrifying.”

Williams has made great progress in his recovery so far, with his ultimate goal be-ing to walk again. Indeed, the message that comes through in talking with Williams and his family is not whether he will walk again, but when.

“I’m way ahead,” Ty said. “When I left (Shepherd), they said for my level injury I was way farther ahead than a lot of people who had the same level injury. … It’s still

fresh. It takes two years to fully heal. … I was pretty paralyzed from the neck down and I’ve gotten a lot of that back. Just a matter of time honestly.”

In the meantime, Williams will prepare for another homecoming. He returns to George-town this week to continue his junior year.

Williams will live in accessible housing in a centrally located dorm on campus. Wil-liams, a government major, will take three classes—“just taking it easy” he said, in his typically modest way. In addition, he will continue his strength training at Georgetown University Hospital and at National Rehabil-itation Hospital and continue stretching on his own.

“It will heal when it heals,” he said. “Can’t rush that.” In the meantime, “I take control of what I can. I can work on my arms and

stuff like that and the legs will be when they come back, too.”

And at least for a while, Ty will continue to have his steady companion for the past four months—his mom. Georgetown has ar-ranged for Rand to stay in an adjacent room near her son. She will help arrange his liv-ing and rehab situation and train a caregiver who will work with Ty for two hours every morning.

“It’s still the two of us,” Rand said. “We were there for each other. We said that from the very beginning.” She said she plans to stay for a week, noting that Ty is pretty self-sufficient, but admitted that she may be tempted to stay longer.

For Williams, an elite athlete who starred as a running back and linebacker at QO, competed in two state championship games, played varsity basketball, and ran track, one of his hardest adjustments is not being able to play competitive sports. He understands that he can’t play collegiate sports again, but would like some day to play in informal games, “just doing anything upright hon-estly.” He also plans to help the Georgetown football coaches next fall.

But with the single-mindedness that char-acterized his play on the gridiron, Williams again focused on his goal. “Immediately my deal is I just want to be as independent as pos-sible and get to the walking when they decide I can get to the walking.”

William and his family have been over-whelmed by the support they’ve received since his injury, starting with the care and treatment at UPMC Altoona (Pa.) Hospi-tal, the St. Francis University football team and community (some of whom still check in regularly with Williams and his family), the rehabilitation team at Shepherd, and the entire Georgia football community. He has also received autographed merchandise and visits from numerous professional and college athletic teams, as well as a visit from George-town alum and former Atlanta Hawk basket-ball player Dikembe Mutombo.

They are especially thankful for the sup-port from the Georgetown University and Quince Orchard communities. “They’ve been great,” Williams said of his Hoya foot-ball coaches and teammates, especially in helping to arrange Williams’ schedule, hous-ing accommodations, and medical needs.

And of the Quince Orchard community, Terrance said, “I want to thank them for their support.” He said seeing the name “Ty” and his number “2” painted on the Cougardome field was especially moving for him, and the community’s support throughout a fundrais-ing campaign “was amazing.”

“It wasn’t just a one-time thing,” Ty added. “People didn’t just check in the first week and drop me off. It was constant. Week to week, day to day. It helps.”

And that’s what Ty Williams wants people to know—that their support has helped his recovery. “It all really helps. That’s the main message. It helps you get through it. especial-ly when you’re so far away for the first time, and obviously not by choice.”

Ty Williams has more homecomings ahead. He plans to return to the Georgetown field. Some day, he will also return to the Cougardome. And notwithstanding all of the memorable runs of his Cougar career and all of the yardage he’s traversed over that turf, that first trip on his own power to midfield to turn to the crowd and say thanks will be the one that means the most.

n ty williaMS from page 1

January 15, 2016 The Town Courier Page 23

Page 24 The Town Courier January 15, 2016

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