Saturday, March 30
Classified Advertising March 27, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
Friday, March 29
Neighbor Saves Two Teenagers from Fire
Family displaced; house fire causes $600,000 in damage.
A neighbor’s efforts saved the lives of two teeangers on Willow Green Court, Monday afternoon, Feb. 25, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue reports. “The teens inside narrowly escaped the blaze,” according to Assistant Chief Scott Graham.
Thursday, March 28
Editorial: More Obstacles to Transparency
General Assembly puts more information out of public reach, but other factors also limit access.
The first paragraph of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, passed by the General Assembly in 1968, states that all public records "shall be presumed open." It doesn’t add, “except when we don’t want to,” although that provision does seem to be available in many cases. Individual government entities have a variety of ways of making it hard for the public to access public information.
Column: 14.8 Percent
That is the percentage of diagnosed lung cancer patients who survive beyond five years, according to The National Cancer Institute’s SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2009, in a graph published in the Feb. 26, 2013 Washington Post’s weekly Health & Science section. As a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survivor beginning his fifth year post-diagnosis, charting my prospects in such a cold and impersonal manner is both chilling and arguable. “Chilling” in that facts speak for themselves and are hardly made up of whole cloth, to invoke one of the late Jack Kent Cooke’s more famous quotes. And “arguable” in that charts, statistics, etc., may very well measure the mean, but it sure doesn’t measure the man (this man, anyway). Meaning, from my perspective: sure, the chart is scary as hell, but I’m not sure I’m on it, if you know what I mean? (I know you know what I hope.)
Wednesday, March 27
Norwood Students Head to Odyssey of Mind Finals
Some Potomac-area students were recognized recently for their creative thinking and collaborative abilities when Norwood School in Bethesda hosted Odyssey of the Mind earlier this month.
Potomac Bulletin Board March 27
Information on events taking place in the Potomac area.
Wootton High School Theater To Present ‘Ragtime’
With a cast of 65 members, Wootton High School will perform “Ragtime,” the Tony-award winning musical.
Flourishing After 55
Information on events for people 55 and over.
Potomac Entertainment Calendar March 27
Information on events going on in the Potomac area.
Making New and Old Residents Feel Right at Home
Potomac Area Newcomers’ Club members “are always on the go.”
“I don’t know how I would have survived if it hadn’t been for the Potomac Area Newcomers’ Club (PANC),” said Dottie White of Potomac. “This organization was a lifesaver after I moved here from New Jersey to be closer to my kids.
Team Saij
Bowl-a-thon to support Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research
“We are in a race against time,” said Vicky Singh with a determined look on her face. “It is imperative that we raise as much money as possible to fund promising research to find drugs to treat and cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) — to save children’s lives.
PARTNERSHIP FOR ANIMAL WELFARE 3/27/2013
Pets for Adoption
P0313-623 18x14 Lilly- F, 1 year, 40 lbs., spayed, Plott hound-mix. Lilly is still a puppy at heart and loves to romp and tussle with other dogs. This beauty has a goofy, playful side and is taking quickly to clicker training with treats to learn commands. P0313-624 jasmine Jasmine (Dog) F, 8 months, 50 lbs., spayed, Rottie/Boxer mix- Sweet Jasmine and her sister came from a brood of a back yard breeder’s neglected puppies. She has blossomed in a foster parent’s home and likes other dogs, cats and people. PAW is looking for great dog experienced adopters to help Jasmine be all she can be.
PARTNERSHIP FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
PETS for ADOPTION 3/14/13
PETS for ADOPTION 3/14/13 To learn more about the organization, the pets shown, volunteer, or make a tax-deductible donation please contact PAW at www.paw-rescue.org, call 301-572-4729, or write P.A.W., P.O. Box 1074, Greenbelt, MD 20768.
School Notes
Email announcements to almanac@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Thursday at noon. Photos are welcome. Joy Suslov has been named to the dean’s list at Rider University. Suslov is a music education major in the Westminster Choir College. Daniela Baeza was named to the dean’s list at Eckerd College.
Tuesday, March 26
Fundraising At Beth Sholom
A book sale and Purim carnival was held at Congregation Beth Sholom last month. Proceeds from the events benefit the new library. Photos by Harvey Levine/The Almanac
Gallery Har Shalom Debuts ‘Adding In, Taking Away’
Where creative vision takes shape.
Gallery Har Shalom has opened its exhibit “Adding In, Taking Away” — a showcase of talent by five area artists. Now through April 22, the gallery presents sculpture, woodworking and artwork created with a variety of printmaking techniques.
Bulletin Board
Email announcements to almanac@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Thursday at noon. Wednesday/March 20 Open House. 3-7 p.m. Adoptions Together has moved from Silver Spring to 4061 Powder Mill Road, #320, Calverton. Meet staff, learn about expanded programs. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served. RSVP to mdevine@adoptionstogether.org or call 301-422-5105.
This Week in Potomac
This Week in Potomac Mandatory Water Restrictions Could Last a Week When a 54-inch water main in Chevy Chase at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Chevy Chase Lake Drive ruptured Monday evening, March 18, the result was a geyser shooting approximately 30 feet high and the immediate loss of 60 million gallons of water. To ensure continued water supply for all WSSC customers and for fire protection and hospital/medical uses, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) General Manager Jerry N. Johnson Tuesday morning called for mandatory water restrictions for all WSSC customers.
Friday, March 22
Classified Advertising March 20, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
Potomac Home Sales: February, 2013
In February 2013, 23 Potomac homes sold between $1,802,000-$263,000.
Potomac Home Sales: February, 2013
Thursday, March 21
Editorial: Say Yes to Health Coverage
Governor, state panel must accept coverage for 400,000 Virginians without health insurance.
More than 140,000 residents of Fairfax County have no health insurance. That’s more than 13 percent of the slightly more than 1 million people who live in the wealthiest county in the nation. Arlington and Alexandria have similar percentages of uninsured.
Column: Just Wondering
Having never attended medical school (and not really having had the grades or commitment to do so), and having only completed 10th grade biology and freshman year astronomy, and rarely even driven by a medical school growing up, my understanding and/or instincts regarding how a medical professional plans and/or prepares for his day is as foreign to me as sugar-free chocolate (if I’m going down, I’m going down swinging; in truth however, considering the anti-cancer, alkaline diet I’m following, I do need to swing a little less frequently).
The Sound of Music
Enhancing your child’s music education during Music in Our Schools Month and beyond.
From the powerful sounds of a high school band to the soothing melodies sung in a kindergarten music classroom, local music educators are using the month of March to raise awareness of the benefits of learning music.
Wednesday, March 20
Potomac School Notes March 20
School notes for Potomac area natives.
‘The Little Mermaid Jr.’ on Stage
Fish swim in schools and last week’s big catch was Washington Episcopal School’s production of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr.” which was performed by 28 members of the sixth-grade in two casts.
Brownie Troop Participates in H20 Summit
Local Brownie Troop #4843 has worked throughout the year on water conservation and pollution projects.
WMCCA Salutes Brickyard Coalition’s Success
Future of Brickyard site still unclear.
After two years of civic activism, legal action on multiple fronts, political outreach, public education and fundraising through bake sales and barn dances, members of the Brickyard Coalition came to last week’s West Montgomery County Citizens Association to talk about their success.
Who’s Afraid of the Dark?
Learning about oneself on a seven-day, 55-mile trek.
Potomac resident Bridgit Fried, just back from a seven-day trek to the summit of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, is not afraid of the dark. Facing her fear was part and parcel of climbing “Kili,” as it is referred to by hikers, which, at 19,340 feet, is the tallest mountain in Africa and one of the highest mountains in the world.
Thursday, March 14
Classified Advertising March 13, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
The Power of Light
Designed with a bounty of large windows, a new Potomac home pays homage to natural light.
“There are no rooms in this house that don’t have large windows and big natural light.” — James F. Rill, Rill Architects, PC
Decorating for Easter
Easy ideas to welcome spring into your home.
From floral arrangements that burst with pastel blooms to candles that fill one’s home with scents reminiscent of warm weather, local style experts offer suggestions for accents that welcome spring.
The Region’s Best Home Designs
Local contractors get top honors for remodeling projects.
From designing a kitchen with a concave glass tile backsplash to creating a backyard with a fireplace and pool, some local home remodelers were honored recently with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s (NARI) 2013 Regional Contractor of the Year awards for design acumen. Winning projects ran the gamut from historic preservation projects to environmentally conscious conceptions.
Recycle, Reuse, Remodel
Remodeling often affords an opportunity to re-purpose existing materials by donating to those less fortunate. Ask your remodeler if there is a plan or policy for saving materials for re-use rather than sending it to a land fill. Every project is different. And some materials are more easily removed and saved than others. Here are a couple of organizations that accepted used materials.
World’s Fanciest Rummage Sale Coming April 7
Rumor has it that the “world’s fanciest” rummage sale will feature some of the crystal light fixtures and other items recently replaced in the remodeling of the Ritz-Carlton Tysons.
‘How to Fall in Love’
Hopkins & Porter, Inc. will be offering "How to Fall in Love with Your Home Again,” a free design and remodeling seminar on Thursday, March 21, 6-8 p.m. This seminar will include a complimentary supper with opportunity to discuss one's own project with professional staff.
Wednesday, March 13
Column: Writing What Four
As far as anniversaries go–and I hope this one “goes” a lot further; acknowledging, dare I say celebrating my four-year survival anniversary from “terminal” stage IV (inoperable, metastasized) non-small cell lung cancer, a diagnosis I initially received on Feb. 27, 2009, along with a “13-month to two-year prognosis” from my oncologist, is certainly column-worthy.
Editorial: Hybrid Hijinks
Discouraging innovation in high-tech Virginia.
Consider this as a possible scenario (although perhaps we should have saved this for April 1): Fewer people are smoking, and many of those who do are smoking less. Virginia’s cigarette tax, the lowest of any state at 30 cents a pack, is a declining revenue source. Higher cigarette taxes are proven to reduce smoking. Under current logic in the commonwealth, there would be two courses of action to raise revenue: a) cut the cigarette tax, and b) charge non-smokers a fee to make up the difference and to compensate for the fact that they don’t pay cigarette taxes.
Megan Dominy and Bradley Foster Smith in Imagination Stage’s “From Here to There.”
‘From Here to There’ Imagination Stage brings Natasha Holmes, director and cofounder of Tell Tale Hearts Children’s Touring Theatre Company, all the way from the United Kingdom to mount a new production of “From Here to There” as part of the My First Imagination Stage season.
Bulletin Board 3/13/2013
Email announcements to almanac@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Thursday at noon. Saturday/March 16 Dog Adopter Workshop. 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at Your Dog’s Friend Training Center, 12221 Parklawn Drive. Learn how to deal with common issues, prevent problems and more. Free. Leave dog at home. Visit www.yourdogsfriend.info or 301-983-5913 to register.
Fun
Club Friday at Community Center
Elementary and middle school students attended Club Friday’s Open House on March 1. The program features a moon bounce, obstacle course, DJ music, bingo, raffle, art project, snack bar and games. The Potomac Community Center is located at 11315 Falls Road. Call 240-777-6960.
This Week in Potomac 3/13/2013
Future School Sites
Future School Sites There are currently 13 future school sites owned by the Board of Education, including the 20-acres of property on Brickyard Road. On Tuesday, March 12, after the Almanac’s presstime, the board was scheduled to discuss and vote on a new business item called “Guidelines for Leasing, Licensing, or Using MCPA Property That is Being Held as a Future School Site.”
Homegrown Maggie Rose Visits Her Roots
Rising Nashville star from Potomac.
The stage at the freshly renovated Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club was rockin’ with country music Friday and Saturday, March 8 and 9 as Potomac’s own, 24- year-old Margaret Rose Durante, professionally known as Maggie Rose, commanded the stage with her six-piece band during her return engagement to her Maryland roots. “I’ve known Maggie since she was a kid,” said club owner Rick Brown.
Cooperative Effort Strengthens Play
Holy Child produces “Beauty and the Beast.”
More than 90 students participated in the cast and crew for “Beauty and the Beast,” presented March 1 and 2 by The Connelly School of the Holy Child. The result was “incredible and amazing,” said director Elsbeth Reaves Fager.
Funding ‘Second Chances’ for Animals
MCPAW supports county’s Animal Services and Adoption Center
"Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions, they pass no criticisms,” stated writer George Elliot. MCPAW (Montgomery County Partners for Animal Well-Being) is doing everything in their power to be certain that as many “agreeable friends” as possible have another opportunity to find loving homes.
The Man Behind Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club
Bethesda’s new venue for music lovers and dancers opened its doors to sell-out crowds on March 1. The Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club is bringing first-rate music of all genres to the heart of Bethesda.
Friday, March 8
Classified Advertising March 6, 2013
Read the latest ads here!
Thursday, March 7
Mental Health Counseling Professors Honored
Cultural sensitivity at the heart of their work.
Fred Bemak and his wife Rita Chi-Ying Chung, who are both professors at George Mason University in Fairfax, recall being in Haiti shortly after the catastrophic earthquake of 2010. They were there to provide mental health counseling to those traumatized by the natural disaster.
Column: E-male
My oncologist is a man. He has e-mail. He works for an HMO that encourages/advertises its connectivity and responsiveness – electronically, to its members. If I want to get medical answers in a reasonable amount of time – save for an emergency, typing, “mousing” and clicking is the recommended methodology. No more phone calls, preferably. Though pressing keys on a keyboard rather than pressing buttons on a phone might have felt counter-intuitive at first as a means of receiving prompt replies, it has proven over these past few years to be a fairly reliable and predictable information loop. Not in minutes necessarily, but more often than not during the same day – and almost always by the very next day. In fact, I’ve received e-mails from my oncologist as late as 9:18 p.m. (time-stamped) after a sometime-during-the-day e-mail had been sent.
Wednesday, March 6
Pets for Adoption 2/28/13
To learn more about the organization, the pets shown, volunteer, or make a much-needed, tax-deductible donation contact Partnership for Animal Welfare at www.paw-rescue.org, call 301-572-4729, or write P.A.W., P.O. Box 1074, Greenbelt, MD 20768
Potomac School Notes March 6
School notes for Potomac natives.
Hatten Inducted Into Mid-Atlantic Tennis Association Hall of Fame
Bethesda Country Club’s director of tennis honored.
Every Bethesda Country Club tennis player knows the welcoming smile and hearty “Good Morning” from Director of Tennis Frank Hatten.
Third-graders Present Black Facts Museum
Thirty-six prominent historical African Americans, including Frederick Douglas, Phyllis Wheatley, Augusta Savage, and Jesse Owens appeared at Washington Episcopal School recently, as the third grade class portrayed them in their annual Black Facts Museum.
Callers Create Sense of Urgency in Scam
Local residents victimized after being told loved ones have been injured.
The scammers create a sense of urgency. They convince victims to wire money to various locations.
Potomac Rotary Unveils Murals
Art honors Dr. John Sever.
The Potomac Rotary Club unveiled commissioned murals on Feb. 20 to be installed at the Children’s National Medical Center in honor of Dr. John L. Sever, a founder of the Polio Plus effort of Rotary International to eradicate polio throughout the world.
Potomac Bulletin Board March 6
Bulletin board for the Potomac area.
Potomac Entertainment Calendar March 6
Entertainment calendar for the Potomac area.
Glen Hills Area Sewer Study Calendar
March 18: Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), 7:30 p.m.
Column: Brickyard Road School Site Update
It has taken two years, but the Brickyard Community has prevailed in its mission to stop the proposed soccerplex at the Brickyard school site.
Column: Citizens Prevail on Brickyard
Just two years ago, at West Montgomery County Citizens Association’s March 2011 meeting, we learned that there was to be a commercial soccer complex on Brickyard Road’s 20 acres owned by the Board of Education as a future school site and used as an organic farm for the past thirty years.
At One Hundred Years, She’s Going Strong
Ada DeFranceaux recalls old Potomac friends and the good times they shared.
“He always called me CHEE-ILE,” Ada DeFranceaux said. The youngest of 12 children, she was referring to one of her older brothers who, at the time, was working in Washington.
Music Accompanies Art Opening
The opening of The Art Gallery of Potomac’s March 2 exhibit included a duet performance by Jacqueline Niemat and Jose Cueto. Niemat, who is from Potomac, has made a name for herself as one of the premiere recitalist in the Washington / Baltimore area.
Potomac Theatre Company Summons ‘Blithe Spirit’
Show opens Friday night.
This month the Potomac Theatre Company presents Noel Coward's comedy “Blithe Spirit.” The play premiered in 1941 in London and was adapted into an Oscar-winning 1945 film starring Rex Harrison. The play begins with a séance where novelist Charles Condomine hopes to gather material for his next book. During the séance the medium accidentally summons the spirit of his first wife, Elvira. Charles is the only one who can see her, and she makes things very difficult on Charles' marriage to his second wife, Ruth.
Fourth Presbyterian Hosts Spelling Bee
For the fifth year in a row, The Fourth Presbyterian School hosted the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee for Montgomery County on Saturday, March 2. The bee is sponsored by The Meakem Group and was held at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda.
Tuesday, March 5
Churchill Boys’ Basketball Wins Quarterfinal Match-up
Bulldogs reach region semifinals for third consecutive year.
Churchill will host Quince Orchard tonight in the 4A West semifinals.