Check OUT: Restaurant Reviews - Maryland 20878 · Harvey Kaye ―Building ... Paintings of Erlich, Massaro and ... is charged with pursuing its duties with the mission of preserving

Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

We have a Trivia winner! Congratulations to Bob Hughes who correctly answered that Jean Hargett was a 3rd grade teacher at Gaithersburg Elementary School. Look for our next trivia

in December!

Kentlands — Lakelands — Quince Orchard — North Potomac — and Beyond

Maryland 20878® magazine began as Kentlands Dot Us which focused on Kentlands. We rapidly acquired both readers and contributors from Lakelands and added both the Market Square area as well as Lakelands to our coverage areas. As we have now added Gaithersburg city news, we have expanded.

Kentlands is a neo-traditional, or new urbanist, community. The community design is based on the concept that the most pleasant living environments were nineteenth century villages in which homes were grouped around a town center with shops, community buildings, and schools. New urbanism has developed architectural communities going back to this design.

Lakelands is a similar, and neighboring, community built on property which was also once owned by Otis Beal Kent. Lakelands has its own distinct character. Both

New City Council

New KCA

Restaurant Reviews

Editorials―

● Kentlands Boulevard Study

● Local Elections

Features―

● Feature Series: Part VI– Conclusions and Insights

Columns―

● Charles Sullivan—The Skies Are

Clearing ● Grace Macleod's Destination column—Aberdeen, Scotland – The Granite

City

Commentary―

● Marien Helz—Growing Up in

Gaithersburg: Sound ● Harvey Kaye―Building Kentlands

Boulevard

Viewpoints―

● Louis Solomon— I Don't Get It ● Craig Bouquin— Finding the Culprit

Check OUT:

The Mortgage Vault, Inc. Relocating! See Building Sale

Charles Sullivan, Realtor

England Custom Furniture Direct

Inspiration Original Paintworks

Great Novels! Thriller Tales

Tri-State Home Services Heating and Cooling

Floor Stiles

Vasilis Mediterranean Grill

Suburbia Home

Chiropractic

Get your own Domain Name

Word Worth

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Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

communities are within walking distance of restaurants, grocery stores, and shops.

Kentlands and Lakelands were built on the estate of Otis Beall Kent. His mansion is now the cultural arts center for Gaithersburg, Maryland. The barn, which is now the Arts Barn, houses a rich center for community theater and artists' workspace as well as offices and a pleasant shop selling the works of local artists. The former barn loft is now a 99-seat theater for the performing arts. Kentlands is thought to be the largest and most successful neo-traditional project in North America.

Kentlands Dot Us focuses primarily on Kentlands, while KentLakes™ adds Lakelands, and Maryland 20878® is the over-all publication with city news and information for the area covered by the 20877 and 20878 zip codes. We thank our readers and advertisers for their interest which has led to our expansion.

Articles:

● Gaithersburg Jingle Jubilee Features

Tree Lighting and Visit from Santa

● Young Artist and Youth Sports

● Arts Barn Gallery Presents Pastels by Gagnon, Price and Sculptures by

Johnston

● Census Bureau Seeks Part Time

Employees in Gaithersburg Area

● Kentlands Mansion Gallery to

Feature Watercolors

● Sneak Preview of Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival Available

Thanksgiving Weekend

● Gaithersburg Presents the Oil Paintings of Erlich, Massaro and Ulman at Activity Center at Bohrer

Park

● Gaithersburg Community Chorus Presents 20th Anniversary Winter

Concert

● 13th Annual Gaithersburg Holiday

Giving Program

Contact Us about our Current Ad Sales

Gaithersburg News:

● Thanksgiving Day Recycling to be

Picked Up the Following Saturday

● Help Families in Need through City of Gaithersburg Holiday Giving

Program

● City Sponsors Trip to See The Lion

King at Kennedy Center

● City, County Announce Homeownership Assistance Workshop for Displaced

Gaithersburg Residents ● Board of Supervisors of Elections

Certifies Gaithersburg Results

● City Obtains New Vehicles for

Seniors through Federal Grants

● Gaithersburg Adopts Comprehensive Residential Green

Building Code

Maryland 20878® g Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and CitygV. I i .14

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® & Aurora Artisans®LLC © 2007 All rights reserved Disclaimers

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Gaithersburg - Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

Gaithersburg Officials

Gaithersburg operates under the council-manager form of municipal government, with the City Manager being appointed by the City Council. The Mayor and City Council are elected to staggered four-year terms, and the Mayor serves as

Council President.

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Gaithersburg - Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

Council Member HenryF.Marraffa, Jr

Council Member Michael A. Sesma

Council Member Cathy Drzyzgula

Council Member Jud Ashman

Council Member Ryan Speigel

The Mayor and City Council meet the first and third Mondays at 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber, 31 S. Summit Ave. They also conduct work sessions on alternate Mondays and other evenings. For more information please contact the office of the City Manager at 301-258-6310 or [email protected] & Gaithersburg Governance Information

Maryland 20878® g Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City

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Kentlands Dot Us

Kentlands Home Owners Assembly

Trustees:

KCA President Neil Harris

Board Chair Robyn Renas

Board Vice Chair Frank Anderson*

Rachael Hammoudeh Trustee

Joyce Whitman Trustee

Peter Shiner

Trustee

*Anderson Photo by Terry Brennan; used by permission

The Kentlands Citizens Assembly Board of Trustees is the primary decision-making body of the Assembly [the Home Owners' Association].

The Board is responsible for defending and ensuring the continuing integrity and operation of community and advancing the missions and goals of Kentlands as set forth in the Preamble of this Community Charter. The Board is also charged with providing material and moral support for other Community-based organizations formed for the express purpose of providing for the social and cultural enrichment of the Community.

The Board is required to enact legislative provisions appropriate to carrying out its responsibilities. These include provisions establishing rules of conduct for the use, maintenance, and appearance of property in accordance with the Founding Documents and public law. The Board also provides oversight of the administration of the affairs of the Assembly and advice and consent to actions of the President, takes actions on Titleholder's applications for proposed changes in use of property, issues permits for non-conforming uses of real property, establishes rules of procedure consistent with due process and individual rights for the manner in which cases of alleged violations of the Governing documents are processed, and serves as the final appeal authority for decisions of the Board of Code Compliance and the Kentlands Historical Trust.

The Board, as the Assembly's legislative body, may amend the Bylaws and enact Equity and Administrative Resolutions according to the procedures in the Governing Documents. The Board also adopts a budget, levies and collects assessments, appropriates funds, enacts General Resolutions and other motions and resolutions, and takes other actions as necessary in accordance with the powers enumerated in the Governing Documents.

Kentlands Clubhouse

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Kentlands Dot Us

Committees

The Kentlands Historical Trust meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 6 pm at the Clubhouse.

The Board of Code Compliance meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm at the Clubhouse.

Kentlands Historical Trust Board of Code ComplianceCapital Improvements Committee

Environmental Management Committee

Budget & Finance Advisory Committee

The Kentlands Historical Trust works with the Community Architect to maintain the visual integrity of the Community. The Kentlands Historical Trust makes recommendations and decisions on applications for design or visual changes to exteriors of buildings and lots under procedures established by the Board of Trustees. The Kentlands Historical Trust also provides interpretive advice to the Board of Trustees and to the Board of Code Compliance to aid in findings on alleged violations of design standards. The Kentlands Historical Trust is charged with pursuing its duties with the mission of preserving the visual character of Kentlands as it was originally conceived and initially executed. Members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Board of Trustees.

The Board of Code Compliance is charged with investigating and rendering judgments on alleged violations of Community Codes. Judgments may include the determination of appropriate and reasonable punitive measures such as assessing financial damages or temporarily suspending rights to use of certain common property. The Board of Code Compliance is required to make reasonable attempts to resolve cases of alleged violations through non-formal techniques and to informally resolve conflicts between Citizens in cases involving alleged violations of Community Codes.

The Capital Improvements Committee (CHIC) was established in 1998 by the Kentlands Citizens Assembly Board of Trustees to obtain community input and advise the Board on needs and priorities for capital improvements.

The Environmental Management Committee (EMC) was established in 1998 by the Board of Trustees of the Kentlands Citizens' Assembly. Its purpose is to advise the Board with respect to matters involving the natural environment of Kentlands, emphasizing areas that serve the Kentlands community at large. The natural environment includes vegetation―trees and plants, including ground cover―and wetlands. The areas involved include park settings: common-use paths and trails; tot lots and other functional common-use areas; border areas used to segregate and demarcate activity facilities; median strips with vegetation; and tree preservation areas.

The Kentlands Budget and Finance Committee is responsible for reviewing the community finances and advising the Board of Trustees regarding the financial affairs of the Assembly.

Election Committee

The Kentlands Election Committee is responsible for overseeing the community elections.

Welcoming Committee

The Kentlands Welcoming Committee holds events to welcome new members to the community.

TRASH PICK-UP:

Tuesday & Friday! Please have your bagged trash placed in a container and by the curb (in your alley) for pick-up no later than 7:00 a.m.

RECYCLING

● Recycling pick-up is every Thursday in Kentlands and Lakelands, and residents are to put out recycles by 7 am. If you need a recycling bin please contact the City of Gaithersburg Department of Public Works at 301-258-6370.

● Glass, cans and bottles (both plastic and glass) are to be placed in the green recycling bins.

● Newspapers and magazines may be bundled or placed in brown paper grocery or yard bags (see below).

● Cardboard must be tied in 2' x 3' bundles which are no more that 12" high.

YARD WASTE:

● Sticks and branches must be tied in bundles no more than 6' long, no more than 18" in diameter, and weighing


Kentlands Dot Us

no more than 40 lbs each.

● Yard waste may also be placed in paper yard bags which may be purchased at local grocery and home stores. Paper grocery bags may also be used, but they must be made of the biodegradable brown paper which is the same as the larger yard bags.

Monthly Pickup

There is monthly pick-up of larger items such as refrigerators, washers, and dryers. These are to be put in front of the house with doors removed or firmly secured.

MEMBERSHIP TO THE KENTLANDS CLUBHOUSE:

Membership to the Kentlands Clubhouse is free and open to all Kentlands Residents.

Stop by the Clubhouse with a copy or your settlement documents, lease or valid drivers license with current address and the staff will provide you with the appropriate paperwork for completion. A photo identification/facilities card is required for access to the Clubhouse. For more information please contact 301-948-4290.

EXTERIOR MODIFICATIONS:

If you are planning on making any exterior changes to your home, such as a fence, a new deck or wall, and so on, stop by the Kentlands Clubhouse for a "Design Review Application." All applications must be completed and returned to the Clubhouse before the 20th of the month. Historical Trust meetings are held the 2nd Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. If you have questions please feel free to contact CMC at 301-948-2071.

Kentlands Dot Us [ Kentlands ] [ Arclands ] [ Lakelands ] [ Kentlands ] [ Contact ]

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Columns - Maryland 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™ - Kentlands, Lakelands, and Beyond;

Quarterly

Aberdeen, Scotland – The Granite City

By Graceann Macleod

The first thing you notice when you arrive in Aberdeen is the fresh air. The airport is very small, and so you exit the airplane as you see celebrities do in newsreels – by walking down the stairs to the tarmac - as soon as

that cool, bracing air hits you, you feel restored. The airport is easy to navigate, and before you know it, you’re at the taxi stand waiting for your ride into town.

The cab ride to our accommodations was so peaceful and lovely – after spending several weeks in a very large and crowded city, I was starved for calm traffic and bucolic scenes. There were sheep and cattle grazing on the farms along our route, and I drank it all in like a tonic.

Aberdeen City Centre

Our first stop in the City Centre was The Kirk of St. Nicholas, a church that has been in existence in some form or other

Monthly

The Skies are Clearing

By Charles Sullivan, ABR, CRS, GRI, MBA

Storm clouds are lifting. The sun will rise again in the east come the dawn. The residential real estate market is not crashing.

So many positive signs appear on the horizon in late fall 2007 I cannot help but wonder why the popular press continues to spew gloom-and-doom prognoses of housing woes when in fact much has improved – and is improving – in the last 90 days.

For example, everybody around the DC region is, in fact, working. If 5% unemployment is considered “full employment,” then look at what’s happening in Montgomery County (2.7%), Fairfax County (2.0%), or the grand champion of the working class, Arlington County (1.8%). People have jobs.

Second, mortgage interest rates remain highly affordable. Expect to see fixed-rate, 30-year mortgage money in the 6-6.5% range for a while.

Third, the “liquidity” crisis has passed. Investors are once again buying jumbo mortgages (i.e., those over $417,000). If you applying for a mortgage, shop around until someone says “yes.” Different lenders have different rates, different sources of funds, and different approaches.

Fourth, industry flagships are making constructive efforts to stem the oft-predicted avalanche of foreclosures. Countrywide Home Loans, the nation’s number one lender, flush with a fresh $25 billion (!) influx of capital, has announced it will re-cast up to $16 billion worth of existing mortgages. What this means is that Countrywide will renegotiate loans with existing borrowers to keep these folks in their homes.

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Columns - Maryland 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™ - Kentlands, Lakelands, and Beyond;

since the 12th Century. On top of being an impressive house of worship in its own right, visiting the Kirk when we did offered an even more amazing treat. An archaeological dig took place there very recently, and the site is still open while the finds are being identified and catalogued. There is a window inside the stunning church where you can look down upon centuries of stone and dirt where the excavators are working, and ... click to continue

Quarterly October © 2007 Maryland 20878®

Fifth, FHA loans, the long-time haven of first-time buyers, are hot once again. In the near future, it is highly possible Congress will raise the loan limit from the current $362,790 ceiling in high-cost areas such as Washington, DC. Congress may also allow Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, major buyers of “conventional” mortgages ($417,000 and under), to buy more mortgages AND also ... click to continue

Monthly November © 2007 Maryland 20878®


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Commentary - Maryland 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™ - Kentlands, Lakelands, and Beyond;

Monthly

Growing Up In Gaithersburg

Sound

By Marien Helz

My parents considered making the outside Christmas decorations to be the children’s job. As a result, we had decorations which looked like they were made by children and

probably wouldn’t meet with approval by today’s standards. One such decoration was a painted cardboard cutout of an organist playing church pipes. It was spray painted gold, and I believe that we managed to light it up in some way.

The inspiration for that display was my father’s speaker cabinets on the porch playing holiday music.

In the current era, people have their surround sound with giant TV sets that play movies and make you feel that you are in the jungle or on the plane or with the guns in battle. Geeks have computer sound that can rival a symphony orchestra if they want them to. Tiny precision speakers can be placed all over the house without obtruding into the décor. If you want the best of sound, you go on-line and look up information on the latest and finest equipment. When I was growing up in Gaithersburg, however, that time had not yet come, and the apparatus did not come all packaged.

My father liked good music, and he liked to hear it perfectly, as though he were in the hall in which the musicians were performing. At that time, if you wanted that, you bought the speakers, you bought the amplifiers, you bought the turn table, you bought the diamond

Quarterly

Building Kentlands Boulevard

By Harvey Kaye

The Kentlands Boulevard Study is looking at ways to improve our Business District. We're taking a look back to what it looked like when it was being built.

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needle, and everything else, and then put it all together.

My father had a shop with a drill press and lathe as well as the more mundane electric saws and other equipment. On looking back, I suspect that the reason for the existence of his unusually well-appointed shop was to build speaker cabinets. He would build a speaker cabinet with the latest plan that came in one of the magazines devoted to the madness, and put fabric on it and play music that made any guest think they were in the concert hall. It would be wonderful. For a few months. And then he would discover a resonance. Resonances were bad things, and they were everywhere. They seemed to take up residence in his new speaker cabinets not long after they were set up. Then, of course, a new speaker cabinet would have to be made that would be much better. Much better usually involved much bigger.

Sometimes a new cabinet meant new speakers, but not always. The existing speakers could be recycled into finer and finer cabinets.

My father once pointed out a cartoon in one of his magazines that showed a man who was finally satisfied with his cabinet. The man was sitting inside a house which was inside a gigantic speaker cabinet. The man had a supremely blissful look on his face.

The cartoon was only partly funny to us because we knew that that was where our father was going. Houses at the time tended not to be that large, especially ones that had been built in the forties or fifties. Even though ours was a thirties colonial, it had what most people these days would consider a small living room. The first speaker cabinets fit reasonably into a corner of that room, even though they took up a large part of the area. Finally, the cabinet got so large that the only place my father could find for it was at the base of the stairway. It nearly blocked the pathway up and down the stairs.

In general, women would have objected to that, but my mother was unperturbed by most things. My father took a great deal of pride in her ability to be laid back, and loved telling about how he once had people from other states and countries visiting the lab, and when,



in mid afternoon, they couldn’t decide where they would go to dinner, my father said, “Why don’t we have dinner at my house; I’ll phone my wife.” The visitors were astonished and said that if they phoned in the afternoon and said they were bringing someone home for dinner, their wives would say, “What home?”

So my mother took the speaker cabinets in stride and didn’t seem to even notice when the room was invaded with these giant wooden boxes.

It was during one of these speaker cabinet incarnations that my father decided to move a cabinet out to our opened porch temporarily and share our Christmas music with the neighborhood. I must have been in the third or fourth grade and apparently had developed a strong sense of self consciousness that paraded as social conscience. I was absolutely horrified at our blaring music all over the neighborhood, and I knew that the sound in my father’s speakers could travel quite far and maintain quality. But people might not like it.

My father tried ... click to continue

Monthly November-December © 2007 Maryland 20878®



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Monthly

Finding the Culprit

by Craig Bouquin

Children seem to love fairy tales, and I think I know why. We read them fairy tales, watch fairy movies, and adorn their bedrooms with fairy tale wallpaper. Fairies are generally depicted as beautiful tiny winged creatures that flit around us sprinkling a trail of sparkling magic powder for our benefit and

protection. I think these overrated, dust-spreading vermin are a mischievous lot that enjoy torturing parents.

Fairies exist only to entertain themselves. Nothing makes these sadistic, airborne vipers happier than watching adults squirm under the pressures of parenthood. I blame them for a multitude of difficult times I have had in raising my own children. For example, I think that the last thing a baby experiences just at the instant of birth is one of these flying nuisances sprinkling a bit of magic dust, waving their magic wand, and chanting the spell, “There are toys in your nose.”

This suggestion is embedded in all children, driving an irresistible urge for them to pick their… well… to find these promised toys. My middle daughter was born a great listener with a magnificent memory. I recall having a tough time breaking her of this hypnotic “nose mission” when she was a toddler. I blame the fairies.

She was a perfect little darling with twinkling eyes, beautiful blond hair with natural Shirley Temple curls, the cutest smile, and with her finger always in her nose. She was barely three, and we had been working on this problem with her quite a bit. It was getting pretty frustrating for all of us. It all came to a head one day. I’ll never forget this lesson in

Monthly

I don't get it!

by Louis P. Solomon

This is a peculiar title for a column, but I don't know a better way to state my lack of understanding about a subject that has intrigued me since I was a small boy: what people derive from organized religion.

Let me state my position as quickly as possible to stop people accusing me of being opposed to organized religion: I am not. There are hundreds of millions of people, probably billions of people, who are members and supporters of organized religion. Nothing could survive for millenia without providing its members with emotional support, and it seems to me that organized religion does just that. This appears to be independent of any particular religion, but all of the world's religions appear to have strong, fervent, solid, supporters. The question that I keep on asking myself is: Why? What do people (in general) find in religious rites that provide solace, support, enjoyment, etc., that seems to elude me?

In order to try to analyze this issue, and find an answer that satisfies me, I decided to think about religious observances in terms of rituals. Let me consider a ritual which almost everyone knows, and generally likes: Thanksgiving Day dinners.

What is pleasant and comforting about Thanksgiving Day dinners? Is it the food? The camaraderie? I think that it is the latter. When you go to a family Thanksgiving Day dinner there are many things are part of the ritual. You feel part of the ritual. There is a feeling of meshing with other people, generally those you have known for many years. It is not the food, even though that is part of the ritual. If you could somehow be transported to another place, instantly, and still be served the identical dinner, but with people you had never met or seen before, then I suggest that you would not

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understanding of what other people’s perception of “doing the right thing” might be. That evening I was in the kitchen destroying something for supper. She came toddling past me with her one-eyed mangled dolly tucked under her arm as usual. I said “Hi Rosy” (my little pet name for her).

“Mif Pugeby,” she said (her little way of saying “Hi Daddy” with her finger in her nose). I sighed, disappointed in having to explain once again about better ways to take care of this “problem.” I put down the wet towel and opened the window to let the smoke out.

“Rosy?” I said firmly, “Is your finger in your nose again?” She snapped her hand quickly from her face to behind her back.

“Doe, I’mb dot bicking by dose.” She said with a snork. (My Rosy could paste on the best look of innocence, hands behind her back, twisting her feet, looking everywhere but at me. She was really good.)

“Then why was your hand on your face?”

“I had a itch,” she replied with an assertive nod, confident that she had me fooled.

“Now you go get a tissue, like we talked about before.”

She turned dejectedly, but stopped in her tracks, and through the wafting smoke I could see she put her finger back in her nose. “Rosy! What did I just say?” I barked.

“You said, ‘Get a tissue’.” She said, with building tension in her voice.

“So then, go!” I insisted. She turned and took a few more steps, stopped again, and back the finger goes. “Rosy! What are you doing?” Now I’m hollering. I extinguish the charred remains of dinner in the sink.

I walked over to her, and got down on my knees so I could look her in the eyes. Her lip began to quiver. I knew we were on the edge here. She looked at me with her lip in “full pout.” She had marble size tears clinging to her eyes, head slightly down, looking up at my tense face. (She turned me to mush, but I was trying to be strong.)

“Honey, why do you keep putting your finger in your nose?” I said. Her voice was cracking, and starting to get that, ready-to-cry, high-pitched squeaky tone.

“Cause you said ... click to continue

November © 2007 Maryland 20878®

be content. No, it is not the food; it is the people that you are with, and the preparing, serving, and enjoying the ritual of Thanksgiving Day dinner with them that provides you comfort and enjoyment.

What if your Thanksgiving Day dinner group decided to change part of the ritual? Is that possible? Could it happen? I suggest that it could occur, albeit perhaps with some grumbling. Everyone recognizes that your particular ritual was made and developed, perhaps over the years, by members of your clan. It is man made, and therefore could be altered by men (and women, of course).

Is this ritual of Thanksgiving Day dinner the same as a religious rite? I think that it is not. The characteristics of religious rites are that they are characterized as being God-given, after appropriate interpretation and standardization by those men and women who are ministers of God. (The terms are generic, and do not attempt to delineate or specify any particular religion). So, the concept of changing rituals in organized religion is quite difficult, and sometimes are the cause for permanent divisions to arise in religious communities.

When religious rites are performed, there seems to be a general sense of contentment among the participants that I have observed and which I simply do not understand. I sometimes look at them in surprise, and sometimes envy. Do participants feel this sense of contentment because they are participating as a group in a ritual? Do they feel contentment because they are performing a religious rite? Would they feel the same contentment and satisfaction if they performed this rite by themselves? Does the rite, ostensibly part of the process dictated or revealed by God, give them this sense of contentment or does it require that it be performed with fellow congregants? I simply do not understand what there is about religious observances that make people feel good.

I acknowledge that I personally believe that there is a Supreme Being, certainly with capabilities far beyond human understanding. But, it is not clear that communications have ever occurred between the Supreme Being and human beings on earth. So, the rituals that we use have been developed by humans, believing that they are interpreting the wishes of the Supreme Being. They are entitled to their belief, but they offer no evidence of the truth of that assertion. So, I am stuck with believing in God, but that is as far as I can get.

My wife assures me that I will never understand. She may be right, since she frequently is right about many things, but particularly ...click to continue

November © 2007 Maryland 20878®




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Gaithersburg Jingle Jubilee Features Tree Lighting and Visit from Santa

Join the City of Gaithersburg on Saturday, December 1 at 6 p.m. for Jingle Jubilee, a perfect way to kick-off the upcoming holiday season. Santa Claus will stop by for a visit as the City hosts holiday festivities at the beautifully decorated City Hall Concert Pavilion.

This joyous event, perfect for families and young children, begins with entertainment provided by the Gaithersburg High School

Gaithersburg Announces 5th Annual Young Artist Award Competition

The City of Gaithersburg and the Kentlands Community Foundation announce the 5th Annual Young Artist Award competition and concert.

Outstanding young musicians, ages 12 to 18 years, are invited to apply. First, second, third, and honorable mention prizes may be awarded in each of four categories: vocal, woodwind/brass, string, and piano. The top prize winners will be presented in concert at the Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road in Gaithersburg.

The competition will be judged on Saturday, January 26, 2008. Participants will be notified of their audition time and place. The Awards Concert will be held at the Arts Barn on Saturday, March 15, 2008.

Applications and general guidelines are available online at www.gaithersburgmd.gov/

Gaithersburg Community Chorus

Presents 20th Anniversary Winter

Concert

The 70-member Gaithersburg Community Chorus invites you to a free concert on Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 7 p.m.

Directed by Hugh Harvey III and accompanied by Mary Lu Hartsell, the Chorus celebrates 20 years of joyful song with such memorable pieces as "Home for the Holidays," "Drey Dreydeleh," "Nuttin’ for Christmas," "Ale Brider," and "Jingle Bell Rock."

The performance will take place at the Watkins Mill High School Auditorium, 10301 Apple Ridge Road in Montgomery Village, Maryland.

Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. This program is presented by the City of Gaithersburg Cultural Arts Advisory Committee and supported by a grant

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Holiday Ensemble. Then Santa will arrive by fire truck, welcomed with songs by the Gaithersburg Elementary School Chorus. Be sure to bring your own camera for memorable holiday photos.

The first 600 children in attendance will receive free jingle bells. Costumed characters and a magnificent tree lighting create a delightful holiday mood. Popcorn and hot apple cider will be served to keep things toasty, but be sure to dress warmly for this winter wonderland.

While at the event, join us in helping to make the holidays brighter for over 500 City families in need by donating to the annual Holiday Giving Program. Representatives will be on hand to collect TARGET gift cards in $5 & $10 denominations and small items for stuffing into family-fun stockings.

Jingle Jubilee will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the City Hall Pavilion, 31 South Summit Avenue. Admission is free.

artsbarn. The deadline for application is Friday, December 7, 2007. For more information contact Suzanne Takahashi at 301-258-6394 or [email protected].

Registration Opens for Winter Youth Sports

The City of Gaithersburg Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture announces its Winter 2007 - 2008 line up of youth and teen sports programs. Registration is going on now for both City of Gaithersburg residents and nonresidents. The last day to register is Friday, November 16.

Basketball programs for youth and teens in grades kindergarten through eight and volleyball programs for teens in grades six through 12 are available. Play starts in December.

The sports programs are held at various facilities throughout the City. For more information please call 301-258-6350 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/sports.

from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. Funding for the Maryland State Arts Council is also provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

The Gaithersburg Community Chorus, which requires no audition to join, is open to anyone high school aged or older. Rehearsals are held on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. September through June. Two annual concerts are presented, with the Chorus performing at various special events throughout the year. For more information please contact Nansie Heimer Wilde at 301-258-6350.



Arts Barn Gallery Presents Pastels by Gagnon, Price and Sculptures by

Johnston

The City of Gaithersburg proudly presents the pastels of Lou Gagnon and Regina Price and the sculptures of Barry Johnston, on display at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The exhibition runs from November 15, 2007 through January 6, 2008, with an artists’ reception on Monday, December 3 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

For over twenty years Lou Gagnon has explored arrangements in color and space through architecture, urban planning, entertainment design, painting, and sculpture. His pastels are inspired by nature. Taking advantage of the pure color, immediacy and flexibility of soft pastels, Gagnon explores color relations and formal arrangements within the landscape format.

Native Washingtonian Regina Price began taking private lessons in pastel after getting married and raising three children, responding to the subject matters and colors of Degas and Mary Cassette. The landscape, in all its glory, has taken on a new perspective in Price’s life, and she finds herself always searching the countryside for new composition ideas. She is a member of the Maryland Pastel Society and the Baltimore Watercolor Society.

Barry Woods Johnston believes

that his job is to visualize and then breathe life into inert clay, bronze and stone. Many of his pieces symbolically incorporate a macro expression often extracted from a micro observation of nature. Johnston is a graduate in architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He served as a Combat Artist in Vietnam in 1968, and later lived in Florence, Italy, studying figure drawing, plaster casting and stone carving. His present studio is in Baltimore, MD. Johnston’s commissioned pieces can be found at the White River Medical Center, Notre Dame College of Baltimore, City Hall in Hampton, VA, and the Lafayette Center in Washington, DC.

Census Bureau Seeks Part Time

Employees in Gaithersburg Area

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting Field Representatives from the Gaithersburg area to conduct household surveys beginning in February, 2008. Field Representatives are permanent, part-time employees with federal government. Candidates must be citizens of the United States, be at least 18 years old (or have a high school diploma or equivalent if under 18), pass a 30-minute test, have a land line telephone, a valid driver’s license, and have the use of a car.

Candidates must be able to work mornings, afternoon and evenings, both during the week and on the weekend, when the residents being surveyed are available. The hours and days depend on when people are home at the selected address. Field Representatives receive paid training and are assigned to a Team Leader who will help them succeed by developing their interviewing skills and techniques. The Representatives then work independently from their homes and are paid for their time and travel expenses to and from their assignments. The salary rate is $11.01 to $15.29 per hour



...continue For viewing hours, please contact Gallery Director Natalya Parris at 301-258-6394

depending on experience and geographic location, with reimbursement of 48.5 cents for each mile driven on official Census business. Night differential is paid for interviewing after 6 p.m.

Interested applicants must register for testing and interviews. For a schedule of Gaithersburg area sessions please contact the recruiting section of the U.S. Census Bureau at 888-722-8995 or visit [email protected].

Kentlands Mansion Gallery to Feature Watercolors of Bouville, Shields and Wright

The City of Gaithersburg announces an exhibit of watercolors by Carol Bouville, Mary Lou Shields and Betty Ruhe Wright at Kentlands Mansion, 320 Kent Square Road in Gaithersburg. The exhibit will run from November 23, 2007 through January 13, 2008. An artists’ reception will be held on Monday, December 3 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Viewing is by appointment only. For more information please call Gallery Director Natalya Parris at 301-258-6394

Carol Bouville began painting upon her return to the United States after living in France for 20 years. Having traveled extensively in Europe, Asian, Africa and South America, Bouville feels that her first-hand observation of other cultures has raised her awareness of form, color and expression. She mostly uses transparent watercolors to enable the layers of color and the white of the paper to show through, resulting in a finished piece with an enchanting play of light.



Mary Lou Shields’ interest in art began with viewing the paintings in her grandmother’s house, having a paint brush put in her hand and five years old, and being told, “You can do that.” Although she paints in other media, she finds watercolor to be the most rewarding because of the ability to glaze color upon color to give a luminous effect, especially in landscapes. Her paintings can be found in private collections in England, Australia, Belgium, and the United States.

The first great influence on Betty Ruhe Wright’s emergence as an artist was her early exposure to art in New York City’s magnificent galleries and museums. In her view, one can be taught art techniques, but one cannot be taught to be a practicing artist. Rather, becoming an artist is a process of self-education through observation, trial and error, experimentation, and constructive criticism. Wright has traveled extensively across six continents, and has studied painting at the internationally famous Art Institute in San Miguel de Allende north of Mexico City, and with a traveling group in the Viareggio-Florence area of Italy.



Sneak Preview of Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival Available Thanksgiving Weekend

Opens for Season November 30

The City of Gaithersburg’s Winter Lights Festival returns for a twelfth season of magical delight, with a sneak preview on Friday and Saturday, November 23 and 24. During the two-day sneak preview the festival will be open from 6 to 10 p.m. Admission is $12 per car. The festival will then be open for the holiday season nightly from November 30 through December 30.

Driving through the enchanted forest setting of Seneca Creek State Park, visitors will enjoy more than 380 illuminated displays and 60 animated vignettes that light up the night. Themed areas along the 3.5 mile drive include Winter Woods, Teddy Bear Land, Victorian Village, the North Pole and much more.

Thousands of people in the D.C. area have made this an annual holiday tradition. Return visitors will be thrilled to find new displays and arrangements that keep the festival fresh and new. Several contests will take place during this year’s event, including a drawing contest for children, a trivia contest for all ages, and a chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree at Lakeforest Shopping Center. Complete contest details will be available in the official Winter Lights Festival program book distributed to all visitors.

Winter Lights is open Sunday through Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. The Festival is closed on December 25. Cash-only admission is $10 per car Sunday through Thursday and $12 per car Friday and Saturday. Two dollar discount coupons valid Monday through Thursday only are available at nearby Lakeforest Shopping Center.

Back by popular demand this year are open trolley rides through the festival, a great way to see the lights from



a whole new perspective. Rides are available on Monday, December 3 and December 10 at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. The fee is $5 per person. Seating is limited, and is available on a first come, first served basis.

In the spirit of the holidays, proceeds from the 2007 festival will benefit local charities, including Gaithersburg Help, the Friends of Seneca Creek State Park, Friends of Wells/Robertson House, Inc., Gaithersburg Community Volunteer Soup Kitchen, and the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

This year’s festival is sponsored in part by Comcast, The Gazette, Lakeforest, MIX 107.3 FM, OBA Bank, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, The Beacon Newspaper, Giant Food, Hughes Network System, Insight Magazine, MedImmune, Sandy Spring Bank, and Washington Parent.

Seneca Creek State Park is located at 11950 Clopper Road, a few miles west of the intersection with I-270. For more information and group admission rates please call 301-258-6350 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/winterlights.

Gaithersburg Presents the Oil Paintings of Erlich, Massaro and Ulman at Activity Center at Bohrer Park

The City of Gaithersburg presents the oil paintings of three local artists at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Avenue, from October 25 to December 9, 2007. Viewing hours are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Born in Haifa, Israel in 1944, Ron Samuel Erlich was artistically influenced by the ancient Greek, Roman and Ottoman vestiges of his home city, surrounded by a tapestry of European modernism. His formal training began at age 10 under the tutelage of Alexander Yusin, a graduate of the Russian Academy of Arts in Moscow and a master of Russian and French Impressionism. Erlich furthered his studies with Ralph Soyer at the Art Students League in New York. He currently lives in Maryland with his wife, Therese, and son Jacob. Erlich has also written a novel, The Lovers, which synthesizes his philosophy of life and art.

Sheryl Massaro began painting and drawing three years ago following the death of her mother. Not willing to discard the many paints, canvases, books and other resources her artist-mother had left behind, Massaro used them to study composition under painter Howard Cohen at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. She has developed a technique of using sponges that focuses on creating a variety of textures and light-infused depth of color. A native of Rockville, Massaro has lived in the Kentlands and Lakelands neighborhoods since 1991. She is also a poet and has residencies at the Yaddo (New York) and St. Peter’s (Canada) artists’ and writers’ colonies.

Dr. Kadri Ulman is a retired surgeon who practiced medicine in Rochester, New York, but who now lives with his wife in the Kentlands to be nearer to children and grandchildren. He is a self-taught artist who has been interested in drawing and painting since he was a child. While in the practice of medicine Ulman returned to his childhood hobby of painting landscapes and flower arrangements in vivid oil colors. He participated in art shows and sold several of his paintings while a member of a local art club in Rochester.



For more information, please call Gallery Director Natalya Parris at 301-258-6394 or visit online at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

Maryland 20878® g Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City—V I i 9.2

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Announcement - Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

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Announcement - Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

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News - Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

Thanksgiving Day Recycling to be Picked

Up the Following Saturday

The City of Gaithersburg announces that the collection of recycled materials for residents whose regular recycling day is Thursday, November 22, 2007 will take place the FOLLOWING Saturday, November 24, 2007. This includes newspaper, mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, and commingled materials, as well as brush, branches, grass clippings, leaves and other yard trimmings, picked up by the City’s recycling contractor.

Regular trash and garbage collection for City residents is handled by private contractors. Please contact your HOA or your private contractor regarding the holiday collection schedule for these materials.

For more information please contact the City’s Department of Public Works, Parks Maintenance and Engineering at 301-258-6370

Help Families in Need through City of Gaithersburg Holiday Giving

Program

With the goal of providing a happy holiday season to hundreds of needy families, the City of Gaithersburg is once again coordinating a Holiday Giving Program. Businesses, congregations, individuals and other groups are invited to help by providing food store gift cards, monetary contributions and toy store gift cards. The City anticipates serving about 500 City of Gaithersburg families, including approximately 1,000 children.

For the Thanksgiving holiday, food store gift cards are needed in $10 and $20 denominations, or you can make a monetary donation which will be used to purchase gift cards for distribution to referred residents. Donations needed for the December holiday giving program include Target gift cards in $5 and $10 denominations and/or monetary donations which will be used to purchase gift cards and stocking stuffers.

Referrals for the Thanksgiving and December Holiday Giving program come to the City’s Human Services office from area schools and nonprofit counselors. For more information please contact Maureen Herndon in the City’s Human Services office at 301-258-6395 x2321 or send financial/gift card contributions to Gaithersburg Holiday Giving Program, c/o Human Services, 31 South Summit Ave.,

City Sponsors Trip to See The Lion King at Kennedy Center

Give the gift of live Broadway theatre this holiday season by treating yourself, family or friends to see The Lion King at the Kennedy Center on Sunday, June 29, 2008. The City of Gaithersburg has a limited number of tickets for the 7:30 p.m. performance, so early reservation is recommended.

The bus departs at 5 p.m. from the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Avenue, and will return to Gaithersburg at approximately 11:30 p.m. Tickets for residents go on sale November 5, 2007. The cost is $105. Tickets for nonresidents go on sale November 12 and cost $120. The price includes the theatre ticket and transportation.

The Lion King is a dramatic adventure story that explores the circle of life: growing up, journeys, parent-child relations, responsibility, stewardship and the connectedness of all things. Based on Disney’s animated movie, this Tony-award winning theatrical production features music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, including the Academy, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-winning song, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”

For more information and to register please call 301-258-6350 or use RecXpress online at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

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Gaithersburg, MD 20877.

City, County Announce

Homeownership Assistance Workshop

for Displaced Gaithersburg

Residents

On Saturday, November 17, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. the City of Gaithersburg and the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County will be conducting a workshop to explain the new Gaithersburg Homeownership Assistance Program for displaced City residents. It will be held at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg. Information will be provided in both English and Spanish. To register, please contact the Housing Opportunities Commission at 240-773-9391 or the City of Gaithersburg at 301-258-6310.

The Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council approved a homeowner assistance program for tenants of multi-family residential communities displaced by redevelopment earlier this summer. The program is currently available to former residents of West Deer Park Apartments and to current residents of Broadstone Apartments on West Deer Park Road, Ty-Gwynn Apartments,

Board of Supervisors of Elections Certifies Gaithersburg Results

On November 7 the Gaithersburg Board of Supervisors of Elections officially certified the winners of the Gaithersburg City Council election as Cathy C. Drzyzgula, Jud Ashman and Ryan Spiegel. The newly-elected officials will be sworn in at a special Mayor and Council Meeting on November 7, 2007 and will serve four year terms.

After taking authorized provisional ballots into consideration, the total number of ballots cast in the November 6 election increased from 3,562 to 3,579. The voter turnout percentage was officially 14.6%.

Cathy Drzyzgula received 2,431 votes (or 68% of those voting); Jud Ashman received 2,256 votes (63%) and Ryan Spiegel received 2,102 votes (58%). Also running for City Council were Ahmed Ali, who received 923 votes (26%), Shawn Ali, who received 464 votes (13%), Wilson Lee Faris, who received 988 votes (28%), and Carlos Solis, who received 1,005 votes (28%).

Detailed results by polling place will be available on the election page of the City’s website in the near future.

For more information please contact the

City Obtains New Vehicles for Seniors through Federal Grants

Patrons of the Gaithersburg Upcounty Senior Center will now be transported to and from the Center in two brand new 15-passenger paratransit vans, delivered to the City of Gaithersburg on October 5, 2007. These vehicles replace an aging, 24-passenger bus that has been taken out of service.

Senator Barbara Mikulski and Congressman Chris VanHollen were instrumental in helping the City of Gaithersburg secure $112,000 in federal funds to purchase the vehicles, both of which are equipped with wheelchair lifts. Because of their smaller size, the vehicles do not require that the driver have a commercial driver’s license, making it easier and more efficient for staff to operate. The vehicles are powered by biodiesel fuel, making them environmentally efficient as well.



Diamond Court Apartments and Deer Park Apartments on East Diamond Avenue. All of these apartment complexes are scheduled for demolition in the coming months to make way for redevelopment projects.

The approved assistance program provides zero-percent loans of up to $20,000 for eligible residents so that they can pay for down payments and closing costs when they purchase a home. The program will be administered on behalf of the City by the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County.

City staff in the Division of Community Development are working with the Housing Opportunities Commission on education and outreach initiatives to ensure that eligible residents are aware of the assistance opportunities. For more information about the program please contact the City of Gaithersburg at 301-258-6310 or visit the City’s website.

City Manager’s Office at 301-258-6310

The new vehicles will be used to transport seniors to and from their homes to the Gaithersburg Upcounty Senior Center, and to take them on excursions. Nearly 800 seniors are registered members of the Center, which has been in operation since 1990. The Center offers a variety of classes, trips, special events, activities and a lunch program for senior citizens 55 years of age and older.

For more information please contact Senior Center Director Grace Whipple at 301-258-6380.

g g

Gaithersburg Adopts Comprehensive Residential Green Building Code

At their meeting on October 15, 2007 the Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council adopted a comprehensive ordinance designed to ensure that future residential developments and redevelopments in Gaithersburg adhere to green building standards that will help safeguard our environment for future generations. The ordinance amends Chapter 5 of the City Code entitled "Buildings" to include in Article II, entitled "The International Residential Code (2003)," a new section R326 "Gaithersburg Green Residential Criteria."

The ordinance includes provisions for energy performance, healthy living environments, waste reduction and recycling, and homeowner education. It includes efficiency requirements for heating, cooling, hot water, lighting, ductwork, building envelope, windows and appliances, with the intention that homes built to these standards be 20 to 30% more efficient than a standard home.

Also included are standards to protect occupants from exposure to building contaminants. These standards are derived from the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package Specifications and Green Communities Criteria.



The new criteria requires the development and implementation of a Construction, Demolition and Landclearing (CDL) waste management plan with the goal of diverting a minimum of 50% (by weight) of CDL waste from the landfill by one or a combination of activities including salvage, reuse, source-separated CDL recycling, or co-mingled recycling.

Builders will also be required to provide an owner’s manual and orientation to educate homeowners about the green features of their residence and the operation and maintenance of key features and equipment related to optimizing home performance.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system has been widely adopted by private and public sectors for commercial development. In fact, Gaithersburg’s Youth Center at Robertson Park achieved LEED certification just this past year, and in April of 2007 the Mayor and Council approved a resolution to ensure that all future municipal buildings achieve at least Silver LEED certification.

However, there is currently not one sustainable standard that dominates the residential sector. The International Code Council (ICC) is in the process of developing a national model residential green building code but a draft is not expected until 2009.

Given the amount of approved residential development pending in the City of Gaithersburg, the City’s Environmental Affairs Committee felt that it was appropriate for Gaithersburg to consider adopting an interim residential building code until a national standard is developed that may be considered for adoption by the City.

Gaithersburg’s commitment to environmental stewardship was demonstrated when City leaders joined 307 other cities nationwide in signing the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement in 2006.

Gaithersburg pledged to think globally and act locally by striving to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming pollution. Residential and commercial green building requirements are significant steps in these efforts. Other initiatives already in place include LEED designs for two new municipal buildings, the new youth center in Olde Towne and the aquatic center on Route 28, the promotion of the use of wind energy, an urban forestry program that has earned Gaithersburg a Tree City USA designation for 18 consecutive years, and a municipal equipment fleet that uses biodiesel fuel.

For more information please contact the Environmental Affairs Office at 301-258-6310 or e-mail [email protected].


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Macleod - Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

Graceann Maciolek Macleod's Past Columns

We are pleased to present columns by Graceann Macleod. She is a writer whose greatest loves are her husband David, her cat Spike of dubious intelligence, silent and early sound cinema, and road trips (usually to silent film events or historic sites).

Graceann Macleod is the recipient of the Apex Award of Excellence for her column "Scents Memory" which appeared in Word Worth in May 2006.

Graceann Macleod's past columns are available here in Adobe files. Click on the links below to access the Adobe files. If you do

not have Adobe on your computer, you can download a free copy here:

● St. Simons Island – Going Coastal April 2005 [Quarterly] ● Stepping Into the Past – Gettysburg July 2005 [Quarterly] ● The New Orleans I Remember October 2005 [Quarterly] ● St. Simons Island – The First Visit January 2006 [Quarterly] ● ‘Wonderful People Out There in the Dark’ April 2006 [Quarterly] ● Travel Then and Now July 2006 [Quarterly] ● Mackinac Island–Of Lilacs and Long Ago October 2006 [Quarterly] in columns● HOO-RAY For Hollywood! January 2007 [Quarterly] in columns● Two Weeks in London; What a Whirl! April 2007 [Quarterly] in columns● Milwaukee – Friendly Folks on a Great Lake July 2007 [Quarterly] in columns

...continued from the columns page:

then across to the outer walls of the Kirk. Past and present come together in a most visceral way here. Outside the Kirk is the cemetery, with impressive entrances, beautiful greenery and places to sit and relax. Since the grounds are in the heart of the bustling business district, this is a nice place for the local office workers to catch their breath and have lunch before going back to the rat race.

Next on the agenda was Provost Skene’s House. This home, the oldest standing residence in Aberdeen, dates from the 17th Century. Sir George Skene of Rubislaw was a wealthy merchant who was Provost from 1676 to 1685. Most of the building now houses the Municipal Museum, though several rooms are maintained as they would have been in the Provost’s time. What fascinated me about this residence was the discovery of murals depicting the life of Christ, which were only discovered when a false ceiling was taken down in order to do some maintenance. Imagining them hidden away for so many years (which is probably what saved them from light and smoke damage) was fascinating to contemplate. Upper floors contain continuously-changing exhibits that document the history of Aberdeen. When we were there, there was a section devoted to the dig at Kirk of St. Nicholas.

From here we shopped our way up the main street, people-watching and eating (a local pastry item

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known, variously, as a rowie, buttery or Aberdeen roll – a tasty treat that can be eaten either as a sweet or a “savoury,” depending on your mood). We had to constantly remind ourselves to look up at the granite architecture that gives the City its name, and I took pictures when something was particularly striking. We stopped at the lovely Union Bridge, designed by architect William Kelly and distinguished by a row of leopards (or “Kelly’s Cats”) along the rail. At one end of the Bridge is a very impressive statue of King Edward VII.

Glorious Gardens

Later, we hopped on a bus and headed out to Duthie Park and Winter Gardens, home to Europe’s largest indoor garden collection, featuring gorgeous, colorful flowers, beautiful statuary, and even a rescued portion of the Union Bridge where I could sit with Kelly’s Cats. Inside were turtles, fish, and even a bird or two that had managed to get through the doors with the tourists. We wandered the property, snapping photos and enjoying views for a good long time. We must have been there for almost two hours. Even though there were other visitors there that day, it was relatively quiet compared to the City Centre, and I appreciated the peaceful experience. The Park and Gardens are very popular with betrothed couples, and I can understand why. What a lovely place to exchange vows (though I imagine on a sunny day it would be quite warm in the area set aside for weddings).

Aberdeen Beach

Finally, we visited the seaside in hopes that I might get to see some dolphins enjoying the surf. I was annoyed to discover that, although I didn’t see any, the next day’s local newspaper featured snapshots of them happily playing in the waves for another amateur shutterbug. I think they waited for him just to spite me. Aberdeen Beach does hold many other treasures, however. There are delicious restaurants, from chains that would be familiar to any American to more local fare, and lots of shops and attractions. This is a very family-friendly area, with a Funfair (amusement park) miniature golf, an ice rink and a video game arcade, so when the kids get tired of all the history, or when you get tired of the kids, you can give them some cash and send them on their way. We attempted a stroll on the large beach, but it was a brisk day, even for June, and we didn’t get to stay for very long, I’m sorry to say. However, knowing that I collect seashells, my fiancé was in fact able to find one for me. This was rather a neat trick, because most of the shells that I saw on Aberdeen Beach had been given quite a beating by the North Sea.



Tips:

If you wish to see things that are outside the City Limits, you should be prepared to rent a car for your visit – this will not be my last visit to Aberdeen, and my future articles will concentrate on some of the outlying Estates and Castles. I understand that they can be reached by certain kinds of public transport, but I don’t imagine, based on the amount of walking from the main gates to the actual Estates, that it would be an easy trip.

Aberdeen has wildly variable weather, and was quite chilly when I was last there (in June). We had wind, rain and nippy temperatures which required me to add to my wardrobe for warmth. Watch the weather and take an extra sweater to be safe.

Take time to sit in the Kirkyard or the Gardens and listen to the local accents as you have a rowie or read your tour book. Scottish voices (and the Aberdeen people) are delightful.

Links to Explore:

● General Information about Aberdeen: http://www.agtb.org/aberdeen-scotland.htm● Kirk of St. Nicholas Information: http://www.aberdeentoday.co.uk/landmark7.htm● Information on the Dig: http://www.kirk-of-st-nicholas.org.uk/archaeological/● Provost Skene’s House: http://www.aagm.co.uk/code/emuseum.asp?page=buildings_provost_skene● Rowie Recipe: http://www.scottishrecipes.co.uk/butteries.htm● Union Bridge and Kelly’s Cats: http://www.aberdeenarchitects.org/WilliamKelly.htm● Duthie Park and Winter Gardens: http://www.scottishrecipes.co.uk/duthiepark.htm● Boardwalk Aberdeen (Seaside Attractions): http://www.boardwalkaberdeen.com/


Columnists write on topics of their own choice, and their views do not necessarily reflect those of Kentlands Dot Us. If you would like to write for Kentlands Dot Us, contact us at [email protected]


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Charles Sullivan - Maryland 20878 - Real Estate Columns for Maryland and Washington D. C.

Charles Sullivan

We are pleased to present columns by Charles Sullivan, ABR, CRS, GRI, MBA. These columns are a “must read” for anyone thinking of buying or selling in Maryland or D.C.

Charles Sullivan, real estate consultant and founder of the Sullivan Team, is licensed to serve clients in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Keller Williams, Charles worked for Fortune 500 companies such as MCI, Giant Food, Centel, and Contel.

Charles resides in Gaithersburg with his wife, Shelly, who is also licensed and part of the Sullivan Team, and their three sons, Frank, Edward, and Steven. All three boys help the team with marketing and promotional campaigns.

Charles Sullivan's past columns are available here in Adobe files. Click on the links below to access the Adobe files. If you do not have Adobe on your computer, you can download a free copy here:

Archived Columns:

1. Taxes on Out-of-State Property Sellers January 2005 2. Best Gift Ever–Real Estate Taxes February 2005 3. Seller Mistakes to Avoid in a Hot Market March 2005 4. Buyer Mistakes to Avoid in a Hot Market April 2005 5. Crazy Days in DC Real Estate May 2005 6. The Importance of Time June 2005 7. New Law on Capital Gains Withholding July 2005 8. Is the Housing “Bubble” Ready to Burst? August 2005 9. Homes I Would Buy September 2005

10. Tell Before You Sell October 2005 11. Twelve Rules of the Game November 2005 12. Santa's Been Good to Kentlands December 2005 13. Kentlands at 14: Aging Well January 2006 14. Truths, Half Truths, and Outright Baloney February 2006 15. Mature Kentlands March 2006 16. The Forward Observer April 2006 17. Rules of the Road May 2006 18. How Do I Price My Home? June 2006 19. So You Want to Sell Too? July 2006 20. The Future is Ours to See August 2006 21. Summertime Views September 2006 22. Ducks on the Pond October 2006 23. The Golden Age November 2006 24. I Told that Girl my Prospects Were Good December 2006 in Columns25. Tea Leaves January 2007 in Columns

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Charles Sullivan - Maryland 20878 - Real Estate Columns for Maryland and Washington D. C.

26. Surprise, Surprise February 2007 in Columns27. Tossing the Rulebook March 2007 in Columns28. All Real Estate is Local April 2007 in Columns29. “Let Me Count the Ways” May 2007 in Columns30. Petty Tyrannies June 2007 in Columns31. “The Nuts” July 2007 in Columns32. Lazy Days, Crazy Days August 2007 in Columns33. Mythbuilding September 2007 in Columns34. “Just the Facts, Ma’am” October 2007 in Columns

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raise the conventional loan limit beyond $417,000.

Congress may also continue the 2007 practice of permitting borrowers to deduct mortgage insurance (which mostly helps borrowers with incomes of $100,000 or less).

We can see both business and legislative communities taking concrete steps to ensure the average American’s ability to buy and sell a home at the time of their choosing shall be restored. More importantly, these same communities are simultaneously enacting steps to ensure the root causes – lending mortgage money to people with no cash and bad credit – will no longer threaten the health of the entire residential housing industry.

The next few months may see flat or even slightly softer prices. Long term, however, the Washington DC area remains a fine place to live and to work. Montgomery County south of Clarksburg is “sold out.” Relatively few new housing units will be built as a result of infill development (or re-development of existing residential tracts). Folks moving to Montgomery County or those wanting to start their own wealth-creation chain need to live somewhere. They will earn sufficient dollars to pay sizable monthly mortgages. They don’t want to live in Frederick. So with finite supply, increasing demand over time, and abundant economic purchasing power, the long-term health for closer-in Washington DC housing stock is positive.

If you are a buyer, act now. Deals may be available in the next six months that will seem like screaming bargains in 10 years. If you are seller and don’t feel you are able to get “your” price in 2007, remain in the property or rent it out for the next 12-24 months.


Columnists write on topics of their own choice, and their views do not necessarily reflect those of Maryland 20878®. If you would like to write for Maryland 20878®®, contact us at [email protected]


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Helz - Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

Marien Helz's Past Columns

Marien Helz is originally from Gaithersburg and began writing the Growing Up in Gaithersburg column for an HOA paper in 2003.

She published fiction in college, and later, four books of poetry under her married name and decided to continue publishing prose under the pen Helz and poetry with the pen Perry.

She holds a Master's degree in English and American literature from the University of Iowa, a Master of Fine of Arts degree from the world renowned Iowa Writers' Workshop [the only organization to receive the National Humanities Medal, presented by the U.S. government in 2003], a Master's degree from

the University of Buffalo Reading Specialist Program, and a PhD in English Research from the University of Buffalo.

She splits her time between Kentlands and a classic village in the Buffalo-Niagara region of Western New York state where she is a college professor–a profession she began at the age of twenty-two. She lives with her husband, Franklyn (Lyn) Perry, and their Belgian Malinois Shepherd and is devoted to her four children, a daughter, a son, a son-in-law, and a daughter-in-law.

Marien Helz's past columns are available here in Adobe files. Click on the links below to access the Adobe files. If you do not have Adobe on your computer, you can download a free copy here:

1. Happening September 2005 2. Wedding October 2005 3. Figurine November 2005 4. Gifts and Giving December 2005

5. Names January 2006 6. Moving to Gaithersburg. February 2006 7. Children and Safety. March 2006 8. Grave Danger―for Jonathan April 2006 9. Sugarloaf Mountain. May 2006

10. Gardening. June 2006 11. Mothers. July 2006 12. Fathers. August 2006 13. Real Class―True Grace September 2006 14. Harvest and Halloween. October 2006 15. Trouble. November 2006 16. Santa Claus. December 2006 in Commentary

Winner of the 2007 Grand Award for Writing

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The Apex judges say this about Helz's work: "Marvelously told stories of growing up—poignant, and written with passion and clarity. Vignettes are filled with beautifully detailed word pictures. A storyteller's tour de force."

17. Treasures. January 2007 in Commentary18. Paperboy. February 2007 in Commentary19. The Final Snow and The Follies. March 2007 in Commentary20. Renewal. April 2007 in Commentary21. Scouting. May 2007 in Commentary22. Trains. June 2007 in Commentary23. Woods. July 2007 in Commentary24. Dogs and I’m-so-Fine-the-Law-Doesn’t-Apply-to-Me People August 2007 in Commentary25. Magic Soil. September 2007 in Commentary26. Mean Teachers. October 2007 in Commentary

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to console me, but played his music as he had planned for half an hour from about 7:30 to 8:00 in the evening. It could be heard from our home on the corner of Maryland and Highland Avenues all the way up to Frederick Pike.

We made the cardboard organist the next year after it was inevitable that playing the music would become a tradition when cars slowed down in front of our house, and then a man knocked on the door and grabbed my father’s hand and said, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”



Monthly November-December © 2007 Maryland 20878®

Columnists write on topics of their own choice, and their views do not necessarily reflect those of Maryland 20878®. If you would like to write for Maryland 20878®, contact us.


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Columnists - Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

Guest Columnists

Columns are available here in Adobe files. Click on the links below to access the Adobe files. If you do not have Adobe on your computer, you can download a free copy here:

Erin Pickett and her husband and daughter have lived in Lakelands for three years and lived in the Kentlands for two years prior to that with her in-laws who still reside there. They have a golden retriever who “is three going on two.”

She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers and a Master’s from the behavioral neuroscience program at American University.

After commuting to work leading to long hours away from home, and then getting a “work from home” job, Ms Pickett is now a stay-at-home-Mom spending her time doing “crazy radical things like counted cross

stitch, learning how to make bread from scratch, struggling to keep up with the laundry, practicing the multiplication tables with my daughter….” Update: Erin's family now includes a set of boy and girl twins born in 2006—which is why she hasn't been able to write for us recently.

● For Want of a Mother, the Village Was Lost October 2005 ● But Everybody's Doing It! November 2005 ● This Ain't No Walnut Grove December 2005

Shari Kersch is a Registered Nurse with twenty-four years of experience, primarily in long term care. She is also a licensed massage therapist, combining her nursing skills with the healing effects of massage. She is the mother of a twenty-year-old daughter, and ten-year-old twin boys.

● Second In Command June 2006● “Artistic” Tendency March 2007 in Viewpoints

Kevin Nielsen's column "West Virginia" appeared in the August 2006 issue. Nielsen enjoys writing and loves West Virginia even though he does not currently live there.

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● West Virginia August 2006

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Michele Hiczewski has a degree in Commercial Art, but her life's profession has been in the office supply industry. She has been a purchasing agent at an office supply company since 1985, and has also worked retail, customer service and outside sales positions within the industry. Her other interests include yoga, music, animals, and occasionally riding a Harley Davidson.

● CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

● T.V. Topics

● The Most Wonderful Time

Lauren Kingsland is familiar to many MD 20878 residents and visitors as “the quilt lady” at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. There she creates functional and art quilts for clients and for exhibition and also teaches. Her book “The Extraordianry T-shirt Quilt - A Scrapbook You Can Sleep Under” is based on her years of creating heirlooms and teaching techniques which she has developed herself.

● The Road Home May 2007 in Viewpoints

● The Oktoberfest Peace Quilt May 2007 in Viewpoints

Craig Bouquin lives with his wife of 25 years, and three daughters ages 20, 18, and 16. He is a Design Draftsman in the defense industry.

“Writing humorous articles is enjoyable because it’s so completely counter to my day to day stress and the serious nature of my work. I try to write about subjects and events we all can appreciate, some hilarious and slapstick, some boring and mundane. I always look for a lesson and try to find the humor in any situation.”

● The Puppy and the ‘Vette October 2007 in Viewpoints


not to pick my nose.”



“But you keep putting your finger back there, why?”

“Cause you said use a tissue.” This got really frustrating.

“Look, if you are not going to pick your nose, and you are going to use a tissue, then why do you need to stick your finger back in your nose?”

She started to cry, and she pulled her hand out from behind her back with the untidy entity in question proudly displayed on the end of her finger. Her tiny, pitiful voice bravely stammered through the tears, “You said, don’t pick my nose, so I was putting it back!”

I was stunned to silence. I stared back at her, motionless. I was panic stricken with the instantaneous understanding of her logic, and my lack of understanding that she was trying desperately to “do the right thing.” The next five seconds lasted forever. I tried to disappear, and go back through time to try this all over again, but that didn’t work. I tried to think of something to say, but my mind was full of static. The wisdom of age and sense of fatherhood I had taken for granted were gone, replaced with a great emptiness. I was mentally disabled. I belonged in a hospital, not here destroying the life of this innocent, beautiful child.

The shrill sound of the smoke alarm pulled me back to reality. My poor confused little girl was looking at me as if I “wasn’t right in the head.” “You OK Daddy?”

I blurted out something like “Mif Pugeby!” and ran to stop the screaming alarm. I dragged a chair to reach the ceiling. Just then my wife and two other daughters walked in the door.

“Hi, we’re home! –What’s burning?” “Mommy!” My little Rosy hollered, and ran to her. “Hi sweetie—have you been crying?” “Daddy made me cry” “Mom! There is a rock in the sink.” “What did you do to her?” “He made me put a boogie in my nose.” “It’s not a rock, it’s something nasty.” “Daddy’s brain is broken.” “It smells really bad.” “You made her do what?” “The burner is going on the stove, and there’s a wet towel on it.” “Mommy, what’s Mif Pugeby?”…

“You don’t understand!” I remember yelling. This is where my mind has chosen to block out the rest of that day.

I do recall an odd, surreal dream I had that night though. I woke up in a sweat from a sound sleep. I remember the sensation of being irritated by a swarm of gnats, buzzing relentlessly around me, whacking my head with tiny sticks that left a trail of sparkles. I could hear the faint sound of them laughing and laughing.

Monthly © 2007 Maryland 20878®




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Solomon - Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

Louis Solomon's Past Columns

We are pleased to present viewpoint columns by Louis P. Solomon.

Most of Louis Solomon's career was spent in the military-industrial community working on anti-submarine systems. He has also taught at the university level and founded the firm, Planning Systems. His current interests include co-authoring books of fiction and non-fiction. Solomon holds an MS degree in Aero/Astro from MIT and a BA and PhD in Engineering from UCLA.

Solomon is an avid amateur small boat sailor and cruises his sailboat, Dream Maker, on the Chesapeake Bay and up and down the East Coast. He lives in the Kentlands with his wife, Leslie Marks.

Louis Solomon's past columns are available here in Adobe files. Click on the links below to access the Adobe files. If you do not have Adobe on your computer, you can download a free copy here:

1. The Birth of a Column June 2005 2. Concepts of Responsibility and Courtesy July 2005 3. Living with Gusto August 2005 4. The Rise and Fall of Organizations September 2005 5. The Real Issue in Dealing with Katrina October 2005 6. Some Comments on the Supreme Court November 2005 7. Confusion: Mine December 2005 8. Working as Catharsis January 2006 9. Government Eavesdropping February 2006

10. Government Eavesdropping―How They Do It March 2006 11. The Coming Catastrophe―Our Helplessness and Our Response April 2006 12. The National Anthem May 2006 13. Alternative Power Sources with Dick Van Orden June 2006 14. The Energy Problem with Dick Van Orden July 2006 15. Nuclear Power (Fission) with Dick Van Orden August 2006 16. Hydrogen and its Uses with Dick Van Orden September 2006 17. Fuel Cells with Dick Van Orden October 2006 18. The Ultimate Automobile with Dick Van Orden November 200619. Nuclear Power (Fusion) with Dick Van Orden December 2006 in Viewpoints20. Global Warming: True or False? with Dick Van Orden January 2007 in Viewpoints21. A Potential Partial Solution to our Oil ... with Dick Van Orden February 2007 in Viewpoints22. Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) with Dick Van Orden March 2007 in Viewpoints23. To the Hilt April 2007 in Viewpoints24. A Bittersweet Trip May 2007 in Viewpoints25. Musings on Old Age June 2007 in Viewpoints26. The Language Corps and the National Security Education Program July 2007 in Viewpoints

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Solomon - Maryland 20878 - Kentlands, Lakelands, MD 20877 & 20878 - A magazine of Archetypal Towns and Villages of Country and City™

27. The Language Corps—Reprise August 2007 in Viewpoints28. The Michael Vick Incident September 2007 in Viewpoints29. Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns Grow October 2007 in Viewpoints


about things that involve human beings.

I am, as already stated, a strong supporter of any function that provides solace in times of need, guidance, and a sense of contentment to people all over the world. This has gone on for millenia, and will continue. I am sometimes envious that these religious rituals provide such support to my fellow human beings, and not to me. I wish that I understood why my fellow human beings feel that way, and why I do not. In effect, I don't get it!


Columnists write on topics of their own choice, and their views do not necessarily reflect those of Maryland 20878®. If you would like to write for Maryland 20878®, contact us at [email protected]


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