Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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June 24-30, 2009 ❖ Volume LIII, Number 24 online at potomacalmanac.com

PotomacPotomac

‘The EndOf an Era’News, page 3

‘The EndOf an Era’News, page 3

River SearchCalled OffNews, page 3

A HomeUnder Siege

News, page 12

School’s Out,MCSL Now

In SessionSports, Page 9

Surrey owner Lyne Morgan and Devereaux Raskauskas had a laugh as they cut the cake to commemorate 56 years of business in Potomac.

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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As a healthcare technician, Helen Seide ofNorth Potomac commutes to work inGermantown everyday. As commutes go it

may not be the longest one out there, but withouther own car Seide has long relied on catching busesor rides from friends to make it. On top of that Seidehas the commuting necessities of a single motherwith busy children.

On Thursday, June 4, Seide went mobile when shereceived a used Toyota Prius hybrid car from the lo-cal non-profit organization Vehicles For Change. Thecar, with 180,000 miles on it, was sold to Seide for$700 which she will pay in installments and has asix-month, 6,000-mile warranty. Once that warrantyexpires, Seide will have access to the organization’spartner garage that will repair her vehicle at a dis-counted rate, said Vehicles For Change presidentMarty Schwartz.

As she stood next to her new car, keys in hand andher daughter Taja’ne waiting in the passenger seat,Seide said that for her the car means “the freedomto not have to rely on someone else.” That it is anenvironmentally friendly gas-electric hybrid will senda positive message to her three daughters.

“Having this hybrid is just another step in doingwhat’s right and setting an example,” she said.

Vehicles For Change was founded in 1999 and sincethen has sold refurbished cars at reduced rates to

Eco-MobileNorth Potomac womanbenefits from donation ofa Toyota Prius hybrid car.

Photo by Aaron Stern/The Almanac

Helen Seide and her daughter Taja’neready to drive home their new hybrid car.

TransformersVehicles For Change is a Maryland-based non-profit that

grant’s high-quality used vehicles to families in need, givingthem the freedom to be more mobile. Thursday’s donation ofa used gas-electric hybrid Toyota Prius marked theorganization’s new efforts to distribute fuel-efficient vehiclesthat will save their users money on gas down the road. Forinformation on Vehicles For Change’s programs visitvehiclesforchange.com.

nearly 3,000 low-income families. The group foundSeide through a partnership with the MontgomeryCounty Housing Opportunities Commission.

“We’ve really seen over the years that cars make abig difference for these families,” said Schwartz.

For Seide the impact will be immediate. This week-end she will drive 13-year-old Taja’ne to Philadel-phia for a basketball tournament.

-— Aaron Stern

People

By Alex Brown

The Almanac

Thousands of 18-year olds graduated fromlocal high schools this month, most of themsigning up for dorm rooms and writing

checks for college; Jewish Day School graduate JoshBrooks, however, enlisted in the Marines. While mostseniors were at beach week, Brooks headed for ba-sic training.

“I don’t think there is really one reason why I joinedthe Marine Corps but it’s probably a mix — ideal-ism, wanting to be a rebel and a desire to test my-self” Brooks said.

Brooks is the only member of his family to everjoin the Marines and he wants to make sure he didsomething that would make a mark. Brooks’ father,David, is a New York Times columnist as well as acommentator on the PBS show “The News Hour withJim Lehrer.”

Both of Brooks’ parents are supportive of Josh’sdecision to join the Marine Corps instead of going tocollege.

Josh’s mother, Sarah, said that the decision was“extremely hard” and it was with “sort of our bless-ing.”

Brooks explains that his father and his job as anationally- syndicated columnist influenced his de-cision to fight for his country.

“I grew up very patriotic”Brooks said.

Since Brooks’ father happensto work with two Ex-Marines,he thinks that may have influ-enced his family to be support-ive of his decision.

Brooks also says he found in-spiration in the book “One Bul-let Away” by Nate Fick. Thebook describes the backgroundof the Marines and success andpride that comes with being a

Marine.Mentioning a key quote that he remembered from

the book “to hold a sword not a pencil,” Brooks said“I plan on staying in the Corps as long as I am doinga job that allows me to be active and to ‘hold thesword.’”

At some point “they put you behind a desk,” hesaid.

Brooks makes it clear he intends to go on an ad-venture before hitting the books again. Brooks is look-ing to expand his horizons and meet people in theworld who can teach him different lessons and val-ues.

“Afterwards, I want to make sure I have gotten aneducation and then I either want to get involved inpolitics or own halfway houses that help people whoare in trouble or going through a rough time,” Brookssaid.

Brooks admits that the Marine training and lifestyle“will be very tough. I hope I learn to deal with anysituation and push my limits.”

For Brooks, Joining the MarinesIt’s basic training,not beach week for him.

Josh Brooks

Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

See Search, Page 5

See The Surrey, Page 5

By Aaron Stern

The Almanac

Three weeks ago Austin Kiplinger wasshocked when he found out that TheSurrey tack and bridle shop was leavingPotomac Village.

“Oh my goodness, that’s an earth-shaking event,”he said after being informed that after 56 years TheSurrey was slated to close its doors in Potomac inlate June.

On Sunday, June 21, Kiplinger was in a bettermood. As he watched Anne Davies standing with herYorkshire terrier Bitsy in front of one of the Surrey’sdisplay cases he had a buyer’s inclination.

“Is Anne Davies part of the deal? I’ll take it,” hejoked.

Davies wasn’t for sale but nearly everything elsein the store was as The Surrey wrapped up morethan half a century in Potomac Village with a fren-zied final weekend of slashed prices and rapidlydwindling inventory. Nearly everything was for salelast weekend — and on sale — even items that hadn’tintended ever to be sold like some of the store’s lightfixtures. Some things, however, were decidedly offlimits.

“And of course people would love our boot scraper— but no,” said 20-year employee Kay Titus of thewell-worn, horse-adorned scraper just inside thestore’s front door. “Neither are the bells,” she said ofthe entrance sleigh bell’s whose jingling has long beenmusic to the ears of the store’s customers. As shespoke, Titus looked out over the store that had beenwell picked over, but was full of longtime customersand friends because as the store readied to shut itsdoors, familiar faces suspiciously began to pour in.Before long the surprise was out and a farewell partywas afoot.

“This is fun to see everybody coming,” said long-time customer Anne Bolen. “It takes the sting out ofit.”

As The Almanac went to press Surrey owner LyneMorgan was close to finalizing an agreement to moveher store to a location in Darnestown. For some ofThe Surrey’s longtime customers who have followedthe migration of the local horse community to partsnorth and west of Potomac that was music to theirears, but to others the move punctuates the changeof Potomac in recent years from an unpretentioushorse community towards a ritzy suburban enclave.

“You can see all the McMansions but it still sort offelt like old Potomac,” said Holly Higgins, who livedin Potomac for more than 30 years before movinginto Washington, D.C. four years ago. Like Kiplinger,Higgins said she was floored when she first heardthe news.

“It was the end of an era. It was really one of thesaddest things in terms of neighborhood and com-munity that I’ve ever heard,” said Higgins.

The Surrey opened 56 years ago at the corner ofFalls and River Roads in what is now the Chevy ChaseBank building before moving to its current locationjust down River Road in 1959. Founded by Alyne“Lyne” Carroll, the store became a social hub for theriding community and Carroll was a fixture at thestore until her death in 2003, when family friendLyne Morgan — who gets her name from Lyne Carroll— took over. Morgan started working at the storewhen she was 14.

Morgan has watched in recent years as stores

By Aaron Stern

The Almanac

The search for two missingmen who disappearedwhile swimming in the

Potomac near Old Angler’s Inn onSunday, June 21 was suspendedon Monday, June 22. Swift waterrescue teams from Cabin JohnPark Volunteer Fire Departmentsearched for the two men for twohours Sunday afternoon after theywere reported missing shortly be-fore 5 p.m. that day. The searchresumed at dawn on Monday withrescue crews searching the Mary-land and Virginia sides of the riverunsuccessfully for signs of the twomen and was called off shortlybefore noon, said Capt. OscarGarcia, a spokesman for Mont-gomery County Fire and Rescue.

The National Park Police wouldcontinue periodic airborne sweepsvia helicopter before reassessingthe situation on Tuesday, June 23,said Sgt. Davis Schlosser, a spokes-person for the National Park Po-lice. Garcia said that swift waterrescue teams would continue tolook for signs of the two men,identified as Asad Nabatzahi andAbdul Doraney, residents ofLeesburg, Va. in their early 20s,during their patrols later this weekbut that the search efforts werenow considered a recovery effort.

Though it is now a considered arecovery as opposed to a rescue,Schlosser said that working in thetwo mens’ chances of survival wasthe warm weather and subse-quently small risk of hypothermiaand the clear skies creating goodvisibility for emergency crews.

Nabatzahi and Doraney weresunbathing with four other men onPurple Horse Beach on the Virginiaside of the river upstream from OldAngler’s Inn on the Maryland sidewhen they got hot and went for aswim, said Garcia. When only fourmade their way back to the shorerescuers were called. Swimming inthe Mather Gorge, the 14-milestretch between Great Falls andKey Bridge, is illegal.

There were initial conflictingreports of bystanders who saidthey saw the two men get out onthe Virginia side of the river, butgiven the large number of visitorsto the park that day and the factthat the two men made no con-tact with family or friends sincetheir disappearance, the reports

were believed to be mistaken, saidGarcia.

THE INCIDENT could poten-tially mark the third and fourthdeaths in the Potomac Gorge thisyear after four consecutive yearswithout drownings. Earlier thisspring a child was swept awaywhile fishing near chain bridge; aman who attempted to save theboy was also swept downriver andtheir bodies were found severaldays later.

There were five accidentaldrownings in the gorge in 2004,after which local authoritiesstepped up their interagency co-operation and increased efforts toalert the public to the dangers ofthe river.

Montgomery County Fire andRescue has primary rescue respon-sibilities on the river, which isMaryland’s jurisdiction to the highwater mark of the Virginia shore-line. The county’s swift water res-cue teams are based out of the twoCabin John stations on River Roadand Falls Road which have firstdue responsibilities from Riley’sLock to the D.C. border, approxi-mately a 12-mile stretch. Addition-ally the National Park Service, theUnited States Park Police, theFairfax (Va.) County Fire and Res-cue Department, District of Co-lumbia Metropolitan Police Harbor

Swift water rescue teamsfrom Cabin John ParkVolunteer Fire Depart-ment searched for twoVirginia men who disap-peared while swimmingon Sunday, June 21. Thesearch was suspended onMonday, June 22 with nosign of the missing men.

Search Called OffTwo missing Leesburg mendisappear while swimming nearOld Angler’s Inn.

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Like much of the localequestrian culturebefore it, The Surreybids Potomac adieu.

‘The End of an Era’The Surrey on its last day of business in Potomac.

Austin Kiplinger talks with Anne Davies,who is holding her Yorkshire terrier Bitsy.Dogs were always welcome at The Surrey.

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Potomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-917-64310 or Potomacalmanac@hotmail.com

See www.potomacalmanac.com

4 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

People

Sometimes adversity is a catalyst for innovation. AskSusan Pereles. Faced with organizing a charity 5Krun in the middle of a global recession on a national

holiday that most people prefer to spend barbecuing thatcoincidentally is the same day of family-friendly county-wide swim meets, thinking outside the box was just thebeginning. Running outside of the box came next.

The ninth annual Autism Speaks 5K Run will be held onSaturday, July 4 in Potomac Village — or anywhere elsethat runners may please. The biggest change this year isthat the run features what Pereles calls a “Run Anywhere”feature where race participants can register to run, solicitsponsors and donors, then run their 5K wherever they likeon July 4. That will help those people out of town for the

holiday or doing whatever else they might be doing thatmorning participate and donate to the Autism Speaks or-ganization that works to increase awareness of autism spec-trum disorders, to fund research into the causes of autismand to prevent and fund treatments for autism.

Last year’s race drew more than 3,000 participants andraised over $250,000. As of Monday, June 22 about 500participants had registered and a little over $100,000 hadbeen pledged, said Pereles, but she expects those numbersto rise sharply in the next week and a half.

Facilitating turnout to the July 4 event will be severallocal swimming pools that agreed to reschedule their Sat-urday morning A-team swim meets to accommodate therace, said Pereles, including Potomac, Seven Locks, Coun-try Glen, Inverness and Eldwick swim clubs.

“It was a very good show of support,” Pereles said.To register for the July 4 Autism Speaks 5K Run and 1-

Mile Walk visit potomac5k.org. To learn more about Au-tism Speaks visit autismspeaks.org.

— Aaron Stern

Annual Fund-Raising 5K Liberated into ‘Run Anywhere’

Photo courtesy of Susan Pereles/Autism Speaks

Team Cayelli came out in force last year toshow their support for Autism Speaks. Teams offriends and family often participate in the racein support of loved ones who suffer from au-tism.

Autism Speaks 5K will kickoffon July 4 in Potomac Village— or anywhere else.

By Kristen McCarthy

The Almanac

After two years of interviewing21famous humor writers, re-searching, drafting, editing andrevising, Mike Sacks finally com-

pleted his first book. After spending hoursin coffee shops meeting with these peopleand learning their stories, his book is nowready.

The book, titled “And Here’s the Kicker”will be available in July. Its focus is humorand provides advice on how to get startedwith writing and how to get hired on a latenight show. “There are ways to go aboutdoing things. I hope this book will helpthose starting out and help people with im-proving their writing and, more so, navi-gating the obstacle of getting hired as awriter on a late night show. These things

were never taught to me,” said Mike Sacksin a phone interview.

The book includes a diverse group of writ-ers. Irving Brecher, who wrote for the MarxBrothers, had his last interview with Sacksbefore he died. Other writers in the bookinclude Larry Wilmore (Daily Show), DanMazer (Ali G and Borat), George Meyer(The Simpsons), Larry Gelbart (Caesar’sHour, M*A*S*H) and Mitch Hurwitz (Ar-rested Development).

“By the time the interview came, I had30 pages of notes and 20 pages of ques-tions. The thing about these interviews isthat they encompass a lot. I had 100 singlespace pages from notes after each inter-view,” said Sacks. He enjoyed being able tocontact writers whose work he had alwaysenjoyed.

Sacks grew up in Potomac and attendedWinston Churchill High School. He went to

A Kick to the Top Excerpt“If you are a student who

wants to write humor as a ca-reer, or if you’re a humor writerwho wants to improve yourstanding within the industry, orif you’re a reader who’s inter-ested in a bizarre, secretiveoccupation at which few willever succeed and those luckyenough to do so tend to goslightly mad (or, at the veryleast, become horribly de-pressed), this book might be foryou.”

Mike Sacks

Q & AQ: How did you originally become interested in

magazines?Sacks: I sort of fell into it. I originally wanted

to write for late night TV. I thought by writing fora magazine, I would be discovered. I started writ-ing for magazines in college. I made a lot ofcontacts and it worked to this day. Magazines werealways my first interest. I went to Tulane.

Q: What was your first job after college?Sacks: I worked at Kemp Mill Records in Mary-

land. I worked there from when I was 15 to 24years. I worked selling CDs and records. I startedfreelancing at that time. I got published in MadMagazine, National Lampoon Magazine andCracked Magazine. I was trying to support myselfas a writer. Then I worked for an association in D.C.as an editor. Then from there I went to KnightRidder, a wire service. I would edit articles thatwere then distributed across the country. Thenfrom there I went to the Washington Post. Then Iwent to Vanity Fair

Q: What did you do at the Washington Post?Sacks: I was an editor with the syndication sec-

tion at the Washington PostQ: How did you decide to work for Vanity Fair?Sacks: I was working with the Post and I

wanted to move up to New York. I happened to seean ad. A lot of magazines were looking for people.I saw an advertisement that Vanity Fair was hiring.

I sent in a resume and cover letter and was hired.Q: What inspired you to write this book?Sacks: I write humor for magazines such as The

Esquire and The New Yorker. Growing up, I neversaw a book like this. None that had contemporarywriters, as well as providing advice from real writ-ers in the real world and how they managed tonavigate. A lot of them had advice about how theywould do it if they had to do it over again. My per-fect reader would be a student in high schoolskipping math class to go to the library and stum-bling upon this book. I wanted to write. It’s a verymysterious world. There are ways to go about do-ing things. I hope this book will help those startingout and help people with improving their writingand more so navigating the obstacle of gettinghired as a writer on a late night show. These thingswere never taught to me. A lot of these professorsdo not have a real world experience. This is whatwill help you. What to do and what not to do. Justbasic things. When you submit a query to a maga-zine, you shouldn’t have a long cover letter or sendgifts. Things that piss off editors that you think arehelping you.

Q: How were you able to contact these peopleand make the connections? Was this based onwhom you know?

Sacks: What really helped was that I worked forVanity Fair. Through Vanity Fair, I can find pretty

much anyone. I can at least get their contact info.I ended up spending 5 to 10 hours with each per-son. I ended interviewing 40 people and 21 madethe cut.

Q: What was the most challenging thing aboutwriting this book?

Sacks: A tremendous amount of research foreach person I interviewed. I had to read everythingthat I could find that they participated in and ar-ticles about them. For any screenwriter, I wouldwatch their movies and directors comments. By thetime the interview came, I had 30 pages of notesand 20 pages of questions. The thing about theseinterviews is that they encompass a lot. I had 100single space pages from notes after each interview.A lot of the pages that had to be edited down. Ittook a solid two years total.

Q: What was the most rewarding part aboutwriting this book ?

Sacks: Interviewed 94 year old who worked forMarx Brothers. Just being able to interview some-one who wrote for the Marx Brothers made thebook worthwhile. It was his last interview.

Q: What do you believe the future will be likefor journalism and book publishing?

Sacks: I think that we are in a transitional pe-riod. We will look back at this period as a learningexperience. This book may end up on Kindle in fiveyears. But it is interesting to talk to the writers

Tulane University where he majored in En-glish. During college, he was a freelancewriter for Mad Magazine, National Lam-poon magazine and local magazines in NewOrleans. He is now on the editorial staff forVanity Fair in New York City. Sacks alsowrites for The Believer, Esquire, GQ, MAD,Maxim, McSweeney’s, The New Yorker,

Premiere, Radar, Salon, Time, Time OutNew York, Vanity Fair, Vice and Women’sHealth. “I hope that this book will showpeople from Potomac or elsewhere that youdon’t have to be a grad from the HarvardLampoon to be in humor. You don’t have tocome from New York or L.A. It takes hardwork, but you can do it,” said Sacks.

about this too. The way they made a career upto now is not the way they will be making acareer in the future.

Q: Who was the most interesting person thatyou interviewed for this book?

Sacks: The Brits were really sharp. Theyknew American comedy very well. Steven Mer-chant and Dan Mazer. The Brits are funny. Theyknow American humor better than Americans.I could have talked to them forever aboutAmerican humor.

Q: How did you contact these people? Didyou travel to LA and various places to meet withthem?

Sacks: Most of the people were contacted byphone or computer. I would meet with thepeople in a coffee shop who were in New York.

Q: What effects do you hope your book willhave on your readers and the public?

Sacks: I hope that it will show people fromPotomac or elsewhere that you don’t have to bea grad from the Harvard Lampoon to be in hu-mor. You don’t have to come from New York orLA. If you work hard and make connections,you can make a career, even if you are skippingmath class and going to the library. You canmake a career as a writer, even if you aren’tsuch a good student. It takes hard work, but youcan do it.

Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

LET’S TALKReal Estate

byMichael Matese

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

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From Page 3

From Page 3

News

throughout Potomac Villagehave moved out or closed downentirely as rents have soared, onlyto be replaced more often than notby banks and chain franchises.

Late in May Morgan made thedecision to follow suit after beingunable to get the store’s rent low-ered. The recent downturn in theeconomy has taken a toll on thestore, and with the lease comingup for renewal the two sides wereat odds.

“The rumors just flew and thehorse community thought ‘oh mygosh, The Surrey is closing,’” saidDavies. “It’s been a beacon.”

SINCE WORD of the move gotout, Morgan said the outpouringof support from longtime custom-ers and friends has been immenseand moving. Sunday was no dif-ferent as familiar faces celebratedwith champagne and an almondcake baked by the Surrey’sDevereaux Raskauskas and talkedabout the Potomac they remember,a town of two-acre lots markedwith old ramblers and backyardbarns where people could ride intothe Village, hitch their horses andgo about their business; a placewhere the nearest horse show wasa short ride away at a neighbor’shome and trick-or-treating and

Patrol, and District of ColumbiaFire & E.M.S. also assist in water-based rescues, many of which arein response to hikers injured onthe Billy Goat Trail in the C&OCanal National Historical Park.

Garcia said there was no appar-ent reason for the recent uptick infatalities beyond bad luck andpoor choices and he urged thepublic to use extreme caution nearthe Potomac River. While it maylook calm, strong currents andlarge boulders beneath the surfaceof the cold water can quickly in-capacitate swimmers with fatalconsequences.

CABIN JOHN CHIEF JimSeavey, who also heads the swiftwater rescue teams, said that thelong stretch of good fortune on theriver may have resulted in a lackof news coverage and a subse-quently diminished public aware-ness of the Potomac River’s dan-ger. Seavey said that signage warn-ing of the river’s danger is ampleon both sides of the river and isdone in both English and Spanish,

and sometimes in Vietnamese.Even given fair warning, youth

often plays a hand in such situa-tions, said Seavey. In late May lo-cal rescue authorities held an an-nual demonstration for local me-dia of river rescue techniques thatemphasized the river’s danger.Subsequent stories appeared ontelevision, radio and in print warn-ing of the river’s danger, but ex-actly one week later Cabin Johnrescue teams pulled two teens outof the river who had tried to swimacross it near Old Angler’s Inn —nearly the same exact spot themedia demonstration had takenplace.

While there was no indicationthat alcohol was at all involved inthe current situation withNabatzahi and Doraney, more of-ten than not in such situations badjudgment of various kinds is in-volved, said Seavey.

“At some point common sensemust prevail and unfortunately indealing with youth and in somecases dealing with alcohol and[recreational drugs, in some cases]common sense is invariably goingto fly out the window,” said Seavey.

Search Called Off

The Surrey Bids Potomac AdieuChristmas caroling was often doneon horseback. “The memories arevery vivid, still, for the old crowd,”said Karen Kraushaar, a formereditor at The Almanac who grewup sewing pillows and pin cush-ions that she sold on consignmentat The Surrey.

“Old Potomac was horses andpeople,” said Pat Flynn. “NewPotomac is banks .…”

“And banks,” finished KathleenFlynn, Pat Flynn’s wife. “It’s justtotally different now,” she said.

David Phillips, Lyne Morgan’shusband, recalled growing up onSouth Glen Road and having a girl-friend who lived off of BradleyBoulevard some four to five milesaway.

“It was nothing to me to jumpon my horse and ride down there,”Phillips said.

Leonard Proctor moved toPotomac more than 50 years ago— though he now lives inDerwood — and worked at Mitch& Bill’s Exxon — now Texaco —from 1951 to 1995. During muchof that time he could ride up anddown River Road on horseback butthat changed as the area grewmore populated and traffic morecongested.

“Now it’s something else,” Proc-tor said. “I’ve seen a lot of thingshappen around here the last 50-

some years.”Some things remained the same

as horse activity moved out toDarnestown, Poolesville, andDickerson — like the simple fra-grance of the Surrey, described asa mixture of leather, candle wax,and potpourri. “I’ll tell you some-thing, the smell is exactly the sameas it was when I walked in in sec-ond grade,” said Becky Evans, who

grew up in Bethesda but rode inPotomac regularly.

The Surrey was also a placewhere many dropped in not toshop but just to chat and find outabout the goings on around town,said Higgins. Kathleen Flynn al-ways dropped in after visiting thehairdresser — and heard about itif she walked by without stoppingin.

Many of the longtime Surreyfriends who attended Sunday’sfarewell party have moved in re-cent years out towards those ar-eas where riding continues tothrive. For them the Surrey’s relo-cation is good news because itmeans a shorter drive to their fa-vorite store, but still, even in amore convenient location, theysaid something would be missing.

“I think some of the ambianceof Potomac will be missing,” saidDavies.

6 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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NOW THROUGH JULY 3Sculptures by Paula Stern in Bronze, Terracotta & Resin at Waverly Street

Gallery. View Paula Stern’s work at 4600 East West Highway, Bethesda. Call 301-951-9441 www.waverlystreetgallery.com. Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12-6 p.m.

JUNE 24-28Potomac River Ramble. Four-day

paddling event, canoeing and kayakingexpedition featuring riverside camping,catered meals, live music, restorationprojects and environmental education.Experienced river guides will leadparticipants along the MonocacyScenic River , under the MonocacyAqueduct and down the PotomacRiver, ending at McKee-BeshersWildlife Management Area nearPotomac Falls, Va. Sponsored by theInterstate Commission on the PotomacRiver Basin and by River and TrailOutfitters of Knoxville, Md. Visitwww.potomacriver.org or call 301-984-1908.

JUNE 26-28“Don’t Dress for Dinner.” A delicious,

side-splitting farce presented by thePotomac Theatre Company. Fridaysand Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2p.m. At Bullis School, Flair FamilyCenter for the Arts, 10601 Falls Road,Potomac. Adults $20, seniors/students$18. Pre-paid groups of 10 or more:20% off. Reservations: 301 299-8571.

FRIDAY/JUNE 26Diggin’ the Bone Pit. 10-11 a.m. Death

is part of the cycle of life. But whathappens to dead things? Come exploreour ‘bone pit’ to find out. For ages 5-16. Cost is $4. At Locust Grove NatureCenter, 7777 Democracy Blvd.,Bethesda. Register for programs atwww.ParkPASS.org or call 301-765-8660.

Explore Wild Montgomery County.9:30 a.m. to noon. Discover beautifulpublic places close to home. Learnfascinating natural history from ourexperts. All programs are free butrequire registration. For ages 18-up. AtLocust Grove Nature Center, 7777Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. Registerfor programs at www.ParkPASS.org orcall 301-765-8660.

“You’re a Good Man, CharlieBrown” will open Friday, June 26and continue through Saturday, Aug. 8at Adventure Theatre, 7300 MacArthurBlvd, Glen Echo, Md. An AmericanSign Language (ASL) interpretedperformance is Saturday, Aug. 8 at 4p.m. $12 for children, $15 for adults,group discounts available. For tickets:Visit us online atwww.adventuretheatre.org, or call thebox office at 301-634-2270.

SATURDAY/JUNE 27Heritage Days Celebration. Noon to 4

p.m. As part of Montgomery County’sHeritage Days celebration, the SpanishBallroom will feature a display ofpanels that tell the story of Glen EchoPark’s history from the late 1800s to1960. Listen to a brief talk on thehistory of the ballroom, take a freedance lesson, and tour the entire parkwith a National Park Service ranger.The Park’s historic Dentzel carouselwill be open. Call 301-634-2222 orvisit www.glenechopark.org.

Zydeco Dance Party. IntroductoryZydeco Dance lesson from 8-9 p.m.Dancing from 9 p.m. to midnight. Withthe band Yankee Zydeco Company. Atthe Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen EchoPark. $15 admission. Call Michael Hartat 301-762-6730 or Glen Echo Park at301-634-2222, or go towww.DancingbytheBayou.com. GlenEcho Park is located at 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, Md.

SUNDAY/JUNE 28Thrift Shop Half Price Sales. Noon to

4 p.m. The Montgomery County ThriftShop, 7125-27 Wisconsin Ave., inBethesda, will hold two half price saledays on two Sundays – June 14 andJune 28, from noon to 4 p.m.Everything in the shop, with theexception of consignment

merchandise, will be half price. Go towww.MoCoThrift.org.

Slow Blues and Swing Dance. SlowBlues lesson from 7-8:30 p.m. Dancingfrom 8:30-11 p.m. At the SpanishBallroom at Glen Echo Park, Md. Big BoyLittle Band. $17 for workshop and dance;$12 for dance only. Call Donna Barker at301-634-2231 or Glen Echo Park at 301-634-2222; dbarker@glenechopark.org orvisit www.DanceDC.com. The Glen EchoNational Park is located at 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD 20812.

JUNE 30Tuesday in the Park. 11a.m.-noon.

Join a park Naturalist at the CabinJohn Regional Park playground toexplore what’s happening outside. Forages 1-12. At Locust Grove NatureCenter, 7777 Democracy Blvd.,Bethesda. Register for programs atwww.ParkPASS.org or call 301-765-8660.

THURSDAY/JULY 2Slow Blues and Swing Dance. Lesson

8:30-9 p.m. and Dancing from 9-11:30p.m. Capital Blues hosts Slow Bluesand Swing Dancing in the Back Room(East Addition) at Glen Echo Park.With DJ Mike Marcotte and Guests.Call Donna Barker at 301-634-2231 orgo to info@CapitalBlues.org orwww.CapitalBlues.org. The BackRoom entrance is located on the farleft side of the Spanish Ballroom. TheGlen Echo National Park is at 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, MD20812.

SATURDAY, JULY 4Potomac 5K Run. 8 a.m. The ninth

annual Autism Speaks Potomac 5KRun, 1-Mile Walk will benefit AutismSpeaks. Last year, 104 teams helpedraise $250,000. Specifics: 7:30 a.m.Pre-race warm-up (with professionaltrainer Fred Foster); 8 a.m. 5K roadrace; 8:05 a.m. 1 mile walk. Starts atPotomac Library at the intersection ofRiver and Falls Roads in Potomac, Md.Entry fee is $30 in advance, $40 on theday. Children ages 14 and under is$15. Packet Pick-Up will take place onFriday July 3 from 4 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.at the Potomac United MethodistChurch (intersection of Falls and SouthGlen Road). Online registration andfund-raising tools are available at:www.potomac5K.org.

Fireworks Display. Germantown Glorywill be held at the SoccerPlex in theSouth Germantown Recreational Park,18041 Central Park Circle. A concertby Bobby and the Believers will beginat 7 p.m., with fireworks atapproximately 9:30 p.m. Call 240-777-6820.

Fireworks Display. Mid-County

Sparkles will be held at Albert EinsteinHigh School, 11135 Newport Road,Kensington. Call 240-777-8115.

SUNDAY/JULY 5Waltz Dance. 3:30-6 p.m. At the

Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park.Introductory Waltz Workshop 3-3:30p.m. Dance from 3:30-6 p.m. The bandRhapsody will perform. Call JoanKoury at 202-238-0230 or Glen EchoPark at 301-634-2222, go towww.WaltzTimeDances.org or e-mailinfo@WaltzTimeDances.org. The GlenEcho National Park is located at 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo.

Medicinal Plant Walk. 10-11:30 a.m.At River Center at Lockhouse 8, C&OCanal National Historical Park, 7906Riverside Ave. Cabin John, Md.

JULY 6 TO AUG. 15“Pirates! A Boy at Sea.” At

Imagination Stage. Performances onSaturdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. 4p.m. Some Saturday 11 a.m.performances as well. Tickets from$10-$21. Visit http://www.imaginationstage.org.

TUESDAY, JULY 7“Magic Toy Shop.” 10 a.m. and 11:30

a.m. At the Puppet Co. Playhouse. $5/adults and children. Running time is30 minutes. At Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Call 301-634-5380.

Northwest Boychoir of Seattle. Fortysingers ages 9-14. At 7:30 p.m. A 90-minute concert featuring sacredfavorites as well as secular andpatriotic songs. There is a free-willoffering to benefit CommunityMinistries of Rockville. Under thedirection of Joseph Crnko. At ChristEpiscopal Church, 107 SouthWashington St., Rockville. Go towww.nwchoirs.org/

SATURDAY/JULY 11Pianist Michael Adcock. 3 p.m.

Presented by the WashingtonConservatory of Music as part of thegrand opening celebration and openhouse of The Washington Conservatoryat Glen Echo Park. Adcock will performmusic by Spanish, South American,and Spanish-influenced composers.Glen Echo Park is located at 7300MacArthur Boulevard in Bethesda,near the intersection of MacArthurBlvd. and Goldsboro Rd. TheWashington Conservatory at Glen EchoPark is in the South Arcade of the Park(by Adventure Theatre.) Call 301-320-2770 andwww.washingtonconservatory.org

Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Schools Notes

To have an item listed mail toalmanac@connectionnewspapers.com.Deadline is Thursday at noon for the fol-lowing week’s paper.

Paulina Nicole Curto ofPotomac graduated from StonehillCollege with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Alexander M. Gormley graduatedsumma cum laude from the Universityof Maryland School of Law. He wasranked fifth in a class of 242. Prior tothis, he worked for two years at M&TBank.

James F. X. Gormley graduatedfrom the University of Maryland at Col-lege Park with degrees in Education andHistory. He is teaching history to sev-enth- and eighth-graders at RedlandMiddle School in Rockville. Also, he iscoaching JV lacrosse and is the assistanthead lacrosse coach at Magruder HighSchool.

The following local residents gradu-ated from Connecticut College at the91st commencement ceremony May 17.

❖ Allison Rachel Weiss ofPotomac was awarded a Bachelor ofArts degree. Weiss was awarded a de-gree with distinction in government andgraduated cum laude.

❖ Florent Mathieu Abaziou ofPotomac was awarded a Bachelor ofArts degree. Abaziou was awarded adegree with distinction in French.

Sonia Tabriz, a Potomac residentand a junior at American University,participated in the Inaugural School ofPublic Affairs Undergraduate ResearchSymposium. She is currently majoring inlaw and society and psychology. Thedaughter of Maria Gholizadeh and

Sattar Tabriz graduated from WinstonChurchill High School in 2005.

Urania Dagalakis of Potomac,daughter of Dr. Nicholas G Dagalakisand Artemis K Dagalakis of Potomac,was named to the Honor List of OxfordCollege, the two-year liberal arts divi-sion of Emory University located inOxford, Ga., for the 2009 spring semes-ter.

The Holton-Arms School an-nounced the creation of the first-everonline school dedicated to secondaryeducation for girls, The Online Schoolfor Girls. Developed by a consortium ofindependent all-girls’ schools includingHarpeth Hall School (Tenn.), Holton-Arms School, Laurel School (Ohio), andWestover School (Conn.), the Schoolwill begin offering pilot classes in the2009-2010 school year.

Villanova University studentswith established outstanding academicrecords are honored by the dean of eachcollege. To qualify for the Dean’s List inthe College of Engineering, one must bea matriculated full-time student andearn a semester grade point average of3.25.

The following local residents are onthe Dean List in the College of Engineer-ing for the 2009 spring semester:

❖ Daniel Kelly of Potomac, Col-lege of Engineering

❖ James Kruse of Potomac, Col-lege of Engineering

Montgomery County PublicSchools is now on Twitter, wherenews, information, and emergency mes-sages are posted for those who chooseto follow the school system, using thispopular messaging service.

The brief messages and links postedon Twitter can be viewed online onmany of today’s cell or smart phone de-vices. To follow MCPS on Twitter, youmust first sign up for a free account,then visit www.twitter.com/mcps andclick on the Follow button.

Allison Beatley from Potomac hasbeen named to the Dean’s List for the2008-2009 academic year in the Collegeof Nursing at Villanova University(Villanova, Pa.). Beatley is a freshman.

The delegates from MontgomeryCounty’s District 15, Brian J. Feldman,Kathleen M. Dumais and Craig L. Riceare pleased to announce the recipientsfor the 2009-2010 Delegates Scholar-ships. In collaboration with theMontgomery County Public SchoolsEducational Foundation, DelegatesFeldman, Dumais and Rice are able tofund up to $ 3,200 to each successfulcandidate. The local recipients are asfollows:

❖ Kathryn Byrne of North Potomac❖ Cyrus Garmestani of Potomac;❖ Samuel Kui of North Potomac;❖ Kiancarlos Linares of Potomac;❖ Stephanie Linares of Potomac;❖ Erin McCauley of North

Potomac;❖ Arman Troncone of Potomac;

The following students recentlygraduated from the College of Williamand Mary.

❖ Marina Falcone from Potomacwith a Bachelor of Arts degree

❖ John Roche from Potomac witha BBA degree

❖ Christine Liow from NorthPotomac with a Bachelor of Science de-gree

Local artist Mia van Zelst won the First Place Awardfor Excellence in Clay at the 27th Biennial Exhibition of theCreative Crafts Council.

The exhibition of clay, fiber, glass and enamel artwork runsthrough July 11 at the Mansion at Strathmore in Bethesda,Md. Her winning entry, “Having All My Ducks in a Row,” is a7-piece display of high-fire stoneware duck forms finished ina buttery yellow semi-matte glaze.

Images of San Miguel de Allende by photographerDuncan Whitaker, now through June 28, River Road Unitar-ian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Road, Bethesda,Md. Call 703-790-1835.

Washington Printmakers at the Ratner Museumwill have a reception on Sunday, July 12 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.at 10001 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda. Featured artistsinclude: Barbara Bickley, Deron DeCesare, Jenny Freestone,Mike Hagan, Pauline Jakobsberg, Fleming Jeffries, TrudiLudwig Johnson, Tonia Matthews, Margaret Adams Parker,Lee Newman, Terry Svat, Victoria Vogl, Max-Karl Winkler,and Ellen Verdon Winkler. Gallery hours are Sun. 10 a.m. -4:30 p.m., and Mon. - Thurs. 12 noon - 4 p.m.

Strathmore Fine Art presents the Washington premiereof Rubber Bullets and Feather Fountain, seven modern artsculptures by Daniel Wurtzel, from June 24 to Aug. 13. TheRubber Bullets are three sculptures over seven feet tall, plusthree sculptures that are four feet 10 inches tall with butter-flies suspended inside solid, clear, flexible, platinum basedsilicone rubber.

Held in the Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike,North Bethesda. The Mansion at Strathmore is located one-half mile north of the Capital Beltway and immediatelyadjacent to the Grosvenor-Strathmore station on Metro’s RedLine. There is no charge for admission to The Mansion atStrathmore. Gallery hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursdayand Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.;and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Call 301-581-5200 or visitwww.strathmore.org.

Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery announces the opening ofthe juried show “Antiquities” on July 7. The artists are inspiredby ancient motifs and have interpreted them in the creation

of modern pieces. Jewelry, sculpture, clothing, and wallpieces are some of the items that will be exhibited. The showwill close on Aug. 9. The gallery is located in Studio 18 of theTorpedo Factory Art Center at 105 North Union Street in OldTown Alexandria on the waterfront. The gallery is open dailyfrom 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Thursdays when it is openuntil 9 p.m. Free admission.

Fine Art

High-fire stoneware by Mia van Zelst

8 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Schools

How to top a blowoutfifth-grade graduationparty at the Potomac

Community Center? Put the partyto work. That was Marlo Sims’ so-lution. Sims, a Beverly Farms El-ementary School parent, decidedto put together a graduation partyfor the graduates but in doing sothought it would be a good ideafor the students to learn aboutcharity. So on Tuesday, June 16,Beverly Farms students and fami-lies packed the Potomac Commu-nity Center — all of the graduateswere invited and nearly allshowed, said Sims — and throught-shirt sales and suggested dona-tions, Sims and other parentsraised more than $600 that wasgiven to two local charities, AutismSpeaks and United Cerebral Palsyof the U.S.. Those charities werechosen because there are studentsin the fifth grade class who battlethose disabilities, said Sims.

“This is really an opportunity toteach the kids [about philan-thropy] … that was really my per-sonal goal,” said Sims. “We shouldbe always trying to give back atthe same time, particularly in the

area that we’re fortunate to raiseour kids in.”

The party was a blast too, withhomemade decorations, a DJ, and

Partying for a Reason

Photo courtesy of Marlo Sims

Beverly Farms fifth-grade graduates partied last week atthe Potomac Community Center and raised more than$600 to donate to Autism Speaks and United CerebralPalsy of the U.S.

90-some 10 and 11-year-olds cel-ebrating the start of summer andthe end of elementary school.

— Aaron Stern

Health & Fitness

If you do not get The Potomac Almanac delivered to your home…

FIRST CLASS MAILEDSUBSCRIPTIONS are now available for thefirst time with timely postal carrier delivery: $30 for sixmonths. Help us meet the costs of providing first-rate communityjournalism on newsprint to your household.

Call 703-917-6480 or e-mail circulation@connectionnewspapers.com

Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Sports

By Mark Giannotto

The Almanac

To get a sense of how ingrainedthe beginning of the Montgomery County Swim League(MCSL) season has become in

the eyes of children around the area, oneonly had to look to the assistant coachesduring last Saturday morning’s openingweekend matchup between Division Cneighbors Potomac Glen and Seven Locks.

Potomac Glen’s 22-year-old assistant, DanLucenti, had been swimming for the Gatorssince he was 10 years old so “as soon as Igraduated from the team, I became acoach.”

Robert Linnoila, a 19-year-old Churchillgrad who will be a junior at Boston Univer-sity in the fall, first learned how to swim asa four-year-old in the “winkies” program atSeven Locks and has been a part of the swimteam ever since. So it only made sense tojoin the coaching ranks.

Swimmers can’t get enough of the MCSL,now beginning its 51st year in existence with89 teams throughout the county.

“I became a coach just because it’s a lotof fun,” said Linnoila. “It’s competitiveenough, but it’s still a good time. It’s a goodtransition being an older kid to an assistantcoach because you have this general respon-sibility to lead everybody.”

And though Saturday’s meet between thetwo teams was called early thanks to thun-der and lightning — it was resumed Mon-day night with Potomac Glen beating SevenLocks, 437-340 — nothing could dampenthe spirit conjured up by the enthusiasm andbuzz associated with another summer filledwith swimming.

“The rain just kind of pumped me up evenmore,” said 14-year-old Churchill studentTodd Erickson of Potomac Glen.

“The opening of the pool and swim team,that’s the kick off to summer,” said 15-year-old Wootton student Julia Anderson ofPotomac Glen. “There’s just so much teamspirit and you feel connected with people,since you don’t normally see them in thesummer outside of school.”

IN AN AREA that has be-come known for its swim-ming thanks to the Olym-pic-level exploits of severalarea athletes from competi-tive winter club programs— Montgomery County-based Rockville Montgom-ery Swim Club (RMSC)and Curl Burke are the No.1 and 2 ranked club teams,respectively, in the entirecountry, not to mention theNorth Baltimore AquaticClub that producedMichael Phelps — the be-ginning of summer bringsout the quirky celebrations,wild costumes, funnycheers, and even creativeface paint displays.

Ask any swimmer andthey’ll say their love for thesport was born in the sum-mer, in less-pressurized at-mospheres like the MCSL.Because, most importantly,summer swim season reunites a family ofsorts, the kind that has been built on a ritualof swimming fast, wildly encouraging team-mates, and having fun each weekend overthe course of several years.

“Meets like these remind me of why Istarted swimming, why I got into swim-ming, and how I started doing it a lot in thewinter,” said Serge Gould, a swimmer atWhitman who holds several Seven LocksPool records. “A lot of other swim meets arereally competitive and not so much fun. Thisis just really fun. Youmeet so many other kids,but the big difference isthe amount of fun thatyou have.”

“Self improvement isthe main goal,” saidLinnoila of his coachinggoals. “It’s not so muchthat we want to win, wewant people to do betterthan before and that’s the

Area coaches and swimmerswelcome beginning of new season.

School’s Out, MCSL Now in Session

Eighteen-year-old SarahOlson of

Seven Locks(left) uses a

marker towrite a giant“Z” on team-

mate OdinSoevik for the

“Z Man”cheer, a Seven

Lockstradition.

The Potomac Glen team kneels down in anticipation of a cheer during halftime.

Photo by Noah Goetzel/The Almanac

Potomac Glen erupts in a cheer during halftime of last Saturday’s opening weekendswim meet against Seven Locks.

Pho

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Potomac Almanac Sports Editor Mark Giannotto

703-917-6409 or mgiannotto@connectionnewspapers.com

See www.potomacalmanac.com

fun of swimming, seeing yourself get bet-ter.”

IT DOESN’T HURT having choreographedcheers like Seven Locks’ “Z Man” cheer inwhich 15-year-old Odin Soevik had a giant“Z” painted on his chest and ran around thepool with a towel draped around himselfas a cape before doing a flip off the divingboard.

Or when Lucenti stood atop a lifeguardchair, exhorting his team to get loud while

leading cheers at halftime. Even the end ofone’s age eligibility can’t tarnish the genu-ine excitement the opening of the summerswim season creates.

“I miss the swimming the most, althoughI’m glad I’m not swimming anymore,” saidLucenti. “Now these kids are faster than Iwas.”

To have swim team results published in print oronline as part of the Potomac Almanac, contactsports editor Mark Giannotto atmgiannotto@connection newspapers.com.

10 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

People

By Stephanie Spernak

The Almanac

Anthony Pitch, 70, historian and long-time Potomac resident, has writtena new book about Abraham Lincoln

titled, “They Have Killed Papa Dead! TheRoad to Ford’s Theater, Abraham Lincoln’sMurder, and the Rage for Vengeance.”

According to Pitch, Lincoln’s assassinationis the saddest event in American history.“Here you had a President,” Pitch said, “whowas an extraordinary human being, a rareman of compassion, wisdom, judgment, andhumor, brutally cut down by a young mega-lomaniac.” Despite thousands of books de-voted to Lincoln’s iconic journey from logcabin to White House, Pitch was convincedthat a more intimate story about the emo-tional aftermath of the assassination re-mained to be told. So Pitch began whatwould be a nine-year effort to find his storyamong the private communications ofLincoln’s contemporaries, in primarysources such as letters to family members,diaries, and journals.

Pitch did most of his research in the

manuscript collections archived at the Li-brary of Congress on Capitol Hill, a publicresource he described as a “pot of gold.”Since his home in Potomac is relatively closeto the library, he said he enjoyed the luxuryof easily going back and forth as many timesas he needed. He said his new book con-tains 1,900 footnotes that document everyassertion.

About five or six years into it, Pitch saidhe began to feel burned out, and consid-ered quitting the project. But, when hisdaughter, who is not a history buff, read hisunfinished manuscript and told him thestory was so sad it made her cry, Pitch saidhe was then motivated to finish the book.

Pitch said touching the personal effectsof the long dead “is a solemn experience, itbrings a connection, like visiting a gravesite.”

“When I held the actual, black-edge invi-tation to Lincoln’s lying-in-state, Pitch said,“I felt as if I was there in the Capitol Ro-tunda.” He also believes that handwritingstyle prompts additional insights about thewriter, an extra dimension that future his-torians working in a digital world are likely

to miss out on.Pitch was born in what is now Zimbabwe,

Africa, and later moved with his family toEngland. He traces his interest in history tohis formative years spent at the oldestschool in England, the King’s School, inCanterbury, dating from 597 A.D. In suchwell-preserved and ancient surroundings,Pitch said, “You grow up with history in yourblood.”

PITCH IS THE AUTHOR of seven otherbooks, including “The Burning of Washing-ton: The British Invasion of 1814,” a recipi-ent of the Maryland Historical Society An-nual Book Prize and selection of the His-tory Book Club. He operates a private his-tory tour guide service and is a frequentspeaker at area events. Formerly a journal-ist in England, Africa, and Israel, he cameto the U.S. in the early 1980s to serve assenior editor for the U.S. News & WorldReport. He writes during his free time.

Pitch will be signing his books on Satur-day, June 27, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at theNational Museum of American History, 2ndfloor, 14th Street and Constitution Ave., NW.

By Noah Goetzel

The Almanac

Lisa Reichmann, Open Half Marathonco-chairperson for team USA in theupcoming Maccabiah Games, hosted

a send-off party on June 22 for all competi-tors in the Gaithersburg area participatingin the upcoming quadrennial event.

The celebration featured many Potomacathletes who will compete in the July 13-23 Maccabiah Games scheduled to be heldin several Israeli cities. Included in the fes-tivities were Class of ’09 Churchill alumniGary Raizon and Marc Youngentob. Afterwinning the Maryland State Golf Champi-onship as part of Churchill’s golf team thispast fall, they will go against other interna-tional teams in the juniors golf tournamentat their first Maccabiah Games.

“After playing for Greater Washington’sgolf team in the JCC Maccabi games from2004-2007, I have always enjoyed travel-ing around the country and meeting newpeople,” Raizon, 18, said. “The best part ofmy Maccabi Games experience was theopening ceremonies in front of hugecrowds, so I can’t wait to represent my coun-try for an even more significant event.”

The Maccabiah Games is Israel’s versionof the Olympics and is expected to host5,300 athletes from around the world alongwith another 2,000 Israeli athletes duringits 18th gathering this summer. According

to Maccabiusa.com, the Maccabiah Gamesis the largest sports event in the world asidefrom the Olympics and World Cup. Thissummer’s event features participants from60 countries playing 28 different sports.

“It is a fascinating, but nerve-racking ex-perience that I’m sure I will never forget,”said Sophie Jacobson, 17, a rising senior atChurchill who will run the 400-, 800-, 1500-and 3000-meter races for the Juniors Trackand Field Championship. “I want to helpmy team get a gold medal and record mypersonal best time in the 800.”

JACOBSON RUNS track and cross-coun-try during the school year, but has beentraining every day over the summer to in-crease her mileage. Physician Michael April,51, will also participate in his first everMaccabiah Games when he plays catcherin the Men’s Open Fast Pitch Softball Cham-pionships in Jerusalem this July.

A former Johns Hopkins baseball player,April says he trains year-round by running,lifting weights, playing for a local league,

and coaching Churchill’s girls’ softball teamsix days a week. However, April says he hasupped his training since pursuing a spot onthe USA Maccabiah team by travelingaround the country and participating invarious try-outs and tournaments.

“I value all of the friendships I have madewith my teammates and look forward tomeeting new Jewish athletes and strength-ening my Jewish ties when I visit Israel forthe first time,” April said.

April may consider competing in the PanAmerican Games or Maccabi Australia In-ternational Games in the future, but at 51he considers himself fortunate to competein this summer’s games.

Other Potomac residents participating inthe Maccabiah Games are April’s wife, Linda(men’s open softball manager), DanielGrunfeld (men’s open basketball), JashuaHafkin (open swimming), Yahly Levy (jun-iors swimming), Jonathan Missner (masterstennis), Harris Rosenblatt (masters tennis),and Amanda Saber (women’s open fieldhockey).

Bringing Area Athletes to IsraelEleven Potomacresidents to representU.S. in Jewish athleticcompetition.

From left toright: GaryRaizon, HarrisRosenblatt, MarcYoungentob,Yahly Levy,SophieJacobson, andMichael Aprilwill representthe Potomacarea as membersof Team USA inthe upcomingMaccabiahGames in Israel.

Potomac Author Writes New Lincoln Book

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If I ever felt like Robert Di Niro (whichwould be never), it was recently when myco-worker, Winslow, called me skinny. Shecouldn’t have been talking to me, couldshe? But since it was she and I speaking onthe telephone (and it wasn’t a conferencecall), it had to be me. Granted, I’ve lostweight, chemotherapy has an affect ofdoing that, but skinny?

If there’s an adjective, disparaging orotherwise, that I haven’t been called in myentire life, it’s skinny. In fact, growing up,my nicknames (most often given to me bymy older brother, Richard) almost exclu-sively had to do with my girth. Other thanbeing called by my first and middle initials,K.B., I was called a variety of synonyms forfat: Fatso, Goodyear Blimp, Endicott “Chub”(after a former Massachusetts Governor,Endicott “Chub” Peabody; he wasn’t skinnyeither) and my personal least favorite, cor-pulent. Look it up in the diction-ary/thesaurus, my brother did; it means fat.

So for me to react, literally, when any-one calls me skinny, is beyond any sense ofreality or proportion I’ve ever known. It’ssimply not relevant, accurate, possible, etc.However, as a cancer patient, survivingthrough six days of six-hours of chemother-apy (every three weeks) over the course of15 weeks, give or take, will, as many of youmight already know, dampen your eatingenthusiasm, you might say. Food begins tomatter less, sort of. Its unique taste disap-pears or worse, changes. Food you used tolove now inspires zero interest. Food younever thought to eat becomes food you tol-erate because it tastes no different (noworse) than the food you formerly loved butnow only ingest as a matter of need/routine.And so, the passion for food is gone. Thelust for food is gone. The desire to eatdiminishes as the taste and flavor of foodlikewise diminishes.

Combine this disappointing change inyour senses with the depressingly lowenergy level you’re progressively strugglingto maintain — a direct result of the chemo-therapy destroying your red blood cells (inits battle to destroy the cancer cells) andcausing anemia in the process, and yourinterest in food; physically, mentally, emo-tionally becomes practically nil. And unlessyou’re incredibly diligent or disciplined, theresult is, you lose weight. It’s not exactly anideal scenario for a chemo/cancer patientsince your body needs sustenance/energy tofight/destroy the cancer but the demands onyour body during this time can be over-whelming. As such, forces beyond yourcontrol (or so it seems) make it extremelydifficult to maintain your weight.

And so I’ve lost weight. But skinny? 215pounds is not skinny. Sure, it’s 20 poundsthat I’ve lost in the last three months, andperhaps 40 that I’ve lost in the last 30months (due to a pre-diabetes diagnosis inSept. ‘06), but 215 is a long way fromskinny (especially so if I told you my lack-of-height). Heck, it’s even a long way from theweight I’ve listed on my driver’s license.

And though I’m hardly a shell of my for-mer self, I can certainly appreciate andrespect the perspective of friends and familymembers who’ve seen the changes, I’m notexactly shriveling up to nothing.

But neither am I “around” 250 poundsanymore.

Such is life as a chemo/cancer patient. Ijust hope its cheating death as well.

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

Skinny!?By KENNETH B. LOURIE

12 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 24-30, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

On-l ine orderingnow avai lable!

20% off your firston-line order!

By Aaron Stern

The Almanac

Two years ago Jerzy Lamot, ahomebuilder by trade, built hisdream home on Falls Road less

than a quarter east of the Potomac Com-munity Center. The inside of the 4,500square-foot home is spacious and well ap-pointed and in back of the home a sprawl-ing deck overlooks a serenely landscapedbackyard.

But in the front of the home cars keepcrashing through Lamot’s split rail fence andon to his lawn.

Five times in two years of living in hishome cars have failed to negotiate the bendin Falls Road along which Lamot’s home sitsand have plowed through the ceramic imi-tation wood fence that lines the length ofLamot’s yard. Just after 5 a.m. on Sunday,May 31 Lamot was awakened by a loudexploding sound. Outside it was raining andat first Lamot thought a transformer hadblown but he immediately saw his home stillhad power. He looked through his bedroom

window and saw a taxi sitting on his lawn,surrounded by bits of fencing.

The good news was that the taxi hadtaken out a smaller portion of the fence thanthe last car that rammed through it. Thebad news was that the last car to plowthrough Lamot’s fence had done so just fiveweeks prior. That time more than half of thefence sustained damage and 10 small Lelandcypress trees had to be replaced, Lamot said.

“He had to have been doing at least 80miles per hour to do the damage that hedid,” Lamot said of the April incident. “Youcan see a lot of people just flying throughthis stretch. There’s nothing you can do,”Lamot said.

ALL FIVE of the crashes occurred underwet road conditions and four of the fiveoccurred at night. Lamot said he has hadtrouble expressing his concerns to officialsfor the Maryland State Highway Adminis-tration, which maintains Falls Road.

Lamot said that over the last year he hashad trouble expressing his concerns to offi-cials for the Maryland State Highway Ad-

ministration, which maintains Falls Road,but State Highway’s spokesman ChuckGischlar said the agency has begun a 60-day evaluation of that stretch of the roadand that that new signage and road strip-ing could be options for getting drivers ap-proaching that bend in the road to slowdown. Gischlar said all components of thestudy should be complete by mid-August.

Andy Alderdice, a Realtor with W.C. &A.N. Miller Realtors in Potomac said thatpeople who live along busy roads can takecertain defensive measures like putting re-

flectors on their fences or installing steel orstone fences. The best approach though,said Alderdice, is not to buy on busy roads.

That solution isn’t an option for Lamotnow, and Lamot said he doesn’t like thedefensive options because they would riskinjuring or killing errant drivers. For nowthe best he can do is to continue hagglingwith the insurance company for the Wash-ington, D.C.-based Midway Cab Associationto repair his damaged fence, the price ofwhich Lamot said has been estimated at$2,800.

A Home Under SiegeIn two years, five cars have crashedthrough the fence in the front yardof Jerzy Lamot’s Falls Road home.

News

Photo courtesy of Jerzy Lamot

Jerzy Lamot’s Falls Road home has had five cars crash through it in twoyears. The most recent involved a taxi cab at 5 a.m. on Sunday, May 31.