Potomac - connectionarchives.com · one with patience and understand-ing. Lightning walks well on a leash but prefers to stay around the house, or as his foster person likes to say:

Potomac Almanac ❖ August 5-11, 2009 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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August 5-11, 2009 ❖ Volume LIII, Number 30 online at potomacalmanac.com

PotomacPotomacRunningBethesdaBig TrainSports, Page 8

RunningBethesdaBig TrainSports, Page 8

Bethesda Big Traingeneral manager

Jordan Henry, 24,surveys the field before

a recent game. Alongwith the help of 18-

year-old assistantgeneral manager

Bryan Orringer,Henry and the

Big Train set a newattendance recordthis season while

winning theCal Ripken, Sr.

Leaguechampionship.

Settlement ofEasement ViolationsQuestionedNews, page 3

Park BracesFor BeetleInvasion

News, page 3

MasonBattling at

Skins CampSports, Page 8

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ August 5-11, 2009 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Potomac Village Deli Catering

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By Carole Dell

The Almanac

Meet Thunder and Light-ning. For years theywere family pets; a dy-

namic duo that learned to ring abell to go outside and chaseFrisbees. Then, as the failingeconomy hit their Kentucky town,the woman who loved these twosenior Border Collies faced a toughdecision.

Thunder and Lightning are justtwo of the many hundreds of dogsaround the country who have beengiven up by their owners due tothe financial crisis and this trag-edy has placed a stress on over-crowded animal shelters in everycommunity.

After excitedly jumping into thefamily car expecting a nice ride ora fun walk, Thunder and Lightningsoon discovered that it was a one-way journey. It is a tragic sight, theshelter staff relates: owners crying,the dogs looking back at their fam-ily confused and nervous, theirnails scratching the floor as theyresist being led away. Then thedoor closes on life as it was.

They spend their days in a trau-matic state, confined to a crate andsurrounded by similar pets withthe same fate. Dogs given up bytheir owners usually are given justfive days in some animal sheltersand if they are not adopted or res-cued they are euthanized. A road-side stray is allowed extra time forits owner to appear.

This experience is now behindThunder and Lightning. They es-caped euthanasia whenPetConnect Rescue spoke up forthem. The dogs were then drivenfrom Kentucky by a local volun-teer and were taken in by a couplewho will care for them until they

find a permanent home.Lightning is a 40-pound, nine-

year-old purebred Border colliewho is neutered, has had all hisshots, dental care and is housebro-ken. He is in good health. Like allBorder Collies he is very intelligentbut cautious. He did not take wellto losing his family and can besomewhat shy. Lightning needs akind and reassuring environmentwhere he can relax and develop alasting friendship with his newowner. He is loyal and needs some-one with patience and understand-ing. Lightning walks well on aleash but prefers to stay aroundthe house, or as his foster personlikes to say: “he is a couch potato.”

Thunder is an 8-year-old Bordercollie mix, approximately 40pounds and, according to his fos-ter family, is a pure delight to bearound. He is neutered, housebro-ken, has had all his shots, as wellas dental work. He is in greathealth. Thunder loves to play withhis toys in and out of the house.He enjoys his daily walks, loves tofetch and has excellent manners.He can be a little shy aroundstrangers, but if you are lookingfor an older, well-trained pet,Thunder will be a wonderfulfriend. His loving nature neverchanges.

We are looking for someone whois interested in adopting one orboth of these well-trained seniordogs. It is not mandatory that thetwo dogs stay together. A happyand secure home is the most im-portant objective. A single personwho lives alone and is in need ofcompanionship; a nursing homedesiring a resident pet; a singleperson; a family; or possibly a re-tired couple, are all possibilities forgiving Thunder and Lightning an-other chance to thrive. At thisstage in their lives, they just needa secure and loving home.

For more information call CaroleDell at 301-840-9688 or 301-602-0278. Carole Dell is a board mem-ber of PetConnect Rescue.

See www.petconnectrescue.org.

They just want a home:Lightning …

Photos by Carole Dell

The Almanac

… and Thunder.

Needing a HomePets pay price foreconomicdownturn.

The Pet

Connection


News

See Park Braces, Page 4

See Holy Child, Page 9

By Aaron Stern

The Almanac

Visitors to the C&O Canal Na-tional Historical Park thissummer might have noticedpurple, triangular-shaped

boxes hanging from some trees. Theboxes are part of a program run in con-junction with the U.S. Department ofAgriculture to track the spread of theinvasive emerald ash borer beetle, whichhas wreaked havoc throughout the Mid-west and the east coast since its discov-ery in Michigan in 2002.

The metallic green beetles likelycaught a ride to the U.S. on cargoshipped from Asia and since then havewiped out tens of millions of ash trees,according to information from the USDAForest Service. The beetles themselvesare not terribly harmful to trees, but theyuse a D-shaped boring appendage toburrow into the trees and they then laytheir eggs beneath the bark. The realdamage comes when the larvae hatchand begin to feed on tree fluid and bur-row throughout the trees, thereby weak-ening and eventually killing them, saidScott Bell, natural resources manager atthe C&O.

The beetles have no natural predatorsand there is no proven way to combatthem, said Bell.

THE PURPLE BOXES work similarlyto a fly trap. They are sticky inside andscented with a pheromone that is in-tended to draw in the beetles. The parkservice has hung 10 to 15 through thepark — other boxes outside of the parkhave been hung by the MontgomeryCounty Parks Department, Bell said —in areas of significant concentrations ofash trees. The program is in its secondyear and thus far there have yet to beany cases of the beetles turning up.Should that change it would be beyond

Photo courtesy of the Quetico Superior Foundation

Since its discovery in Michigan in 2002 the emerald ash borerbeetle, native to Asia, has spread throughout the Midwest and theeast coast killing tens of millions of ash trees in Michigan Illinois,Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Ontario,Pennsylvania, Quebec, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. TheC&O Canal National Historical Park is working in conjunction withother federal, state, and county authorities to track its progress.

Invasion DetectionThe C&O CanalNational HistoricalPark is bracing forthe arrival of thedestructive emeraldash borer beetle.

A pheromone attracts the emer-ald ash borer beetle into thesepurple boxes’ sticky interior.

By Aaron Stern

The Almanac

When the Connelly School of theHoly Child came before theMontgomery County Planning

Board late last month with a plan to relo-cate several conservation easements on itsproperty on Bradley Boulevard to accom-modate a new synthetic grass playing field,the seating area for the public was filledalmost to capacity with students, parentsand administrators from the all-girls schoolin Potomac. Blue and gold athletic appareldotted the audience and when the one stu-dent testified to the benefits the field wouldprovide to the school’s athletes, cheers arosefrom the crowd.

The PlanningBoard staff ’s reporton the school’s pro-posal outlined thedetails of the plan torevise several conser-vation easements onthe property, elimi-nating 0.29 acres ofcategory I conserva-tion easements andadding 0.5 acres ofnew easementsonsite and another0.21 acres in anoffsite mitigationbank. The report con-cluded that the staffrecommended ap-proving the proposal.

What was not men-tioned in the nine-page report was that in reviewing HolyChild’s application earlier this year, the plan-ning staff found that the school had previ-ously violated two existing easements onits property by clearing trees and mowinggrass within their boundaries and by locat-ing portable classroom trailers in a third ex-isting easement on the 12-acre property. Theschool was subsequently issued a citationfor those violations. The staff report alsoneglected to mention a settlement agree-ment between the school and the planningdepartment — reached hours before thehearing — that would absolve the schoolof a potential fine in relation to that cita-tion, requiring instead that the school cre-ate two scholarships for underprivilegedstudents and establish an environmentalawareness curriculum for its students.

THE EXISTENCE of the citation and thesettlement were made public during theJuly 20 hearing when Ginny Barnes, theenvironmental chair of the West Montgom-ery County Citizens Association, testified

that she had previously been told therewould be a public hearing regarding thecitation and that she had learned just thatmorning about the settlement.

Barnes said that her concerns were two-fold. First, that the terms of the settlementwould set a precedent that would encour-age future violators of conservation ease-ments to seek alternative settlements withthe planning department in lieu of monetaryfines and, secondly, that privately negoti-ated settlements ruled out public input.

“While no one can argue with the valueof doing that, I would question what such asettlement of a violation of a forest conser-vation easement has to do with forest con-servation,” Barnes testified. “Such a settle-

ment does not, infact, in my opinion,address the issue ofviolating your ease-ments and I think itsbad precedent for theplanning board to beinvolved in a settle-ment that has reallynothing to do withthe easement viola-tion.”

When Barnes con-cluded her testimony,Planning Board com-missioner AmyPresley said that shewas troubled by thereport’s omissions.

“I am disturbedthat this was not pre-sented to the boardin this staff report as

a compliance [issue], the fact that it’s justpositioned as an amendment,” said Presley.“I think that we owe it to the public to un-derstand the fullness of a proceeding …thinking from a public perspective it wouldhave been appropriate for us to have thatsettlement agreement [made public] first,so that people who are testifying can tes-tify meaningfully as to what they thinkabout the actions that we’ve taken. I wasconfused by the way this staff report wasput together … I just think we’ve nothandled this in a way that was very trans-parent.”

The board went on to approve the school’splan with the advice to staff that in the fu-ture the commissioners be alerted to suchsituations. The following day the planningdepartment released a statement touting aplan that showed “how public agencies canencourage both environmental protectionand broader goals like education.”

JIM HUMPHREY, the planning and land

Settlement QuestionedSchool’s deal with Park and Planning toprovide two scholarships as compensationfor easement violations raises questions.

Potomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-917-6431 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

“While no one canargue with the value ofdoing that, I wouldquestion what such asettlement of aviolation of a forestconservation easementhas to do with forestconservation.”

— Ginny Barnes, environmentalchair, West Montgomery County

Citizens Association


News

Garcia-Perlera ToFace Sentencing

Judge Michael D. Mason will sen-tence Jose Garcia-Perlera, 34, on first-degree murder and 13 other chargeson Thursday, Aug. 13 at 9:30 p.m.Garcia-Perlera broke into the homesof four elderly women between No-vember 2007 and September 2008.He hog-tied and bound each of themduring the home invasions. The firstthree victims survived their attacksand testified against the defendant.However, the final victim, MaryFrances Havenstein, was struck re-peatedly on the head during the in-vasion and died from multiple inju-ries.

A Montgomery County jury delib-erated for less than three hours andconvicted Garcia-Perlera of the fol-lowing counts: one count of first-de-gree murder, four counts of burglaryin the first degree, four counts of falseimprisonment, three counts of rob-bery, one count of robbery with a dan-gerous weapon, and one count of as-sault in the first degree. The hearingis tentatively scheduled for courtroom9 on the eighth floor of the JudicialCenter; check the monitors in thelobby for confirmation.

State’s Attorney John McCarthy andDeputy State’s Attorney John Maloneywill seek a sentence of life withoutthe possibility of parole.

PCC To Close forMaintenance

The Potomac Community Centerwill be closed from Monday, Aug. 10through Saturday, Aug. 22 for main-tenance. Weight room and gym mem-berships at the PCC are good at allMontgomery County Recreation Cen-ters but visitors should remember tobring their access cards to gain ad-mission to facilities. The closest rec-reation centers are the Bauer DriveCenter, at 14625 Bauer Dr. inRockville, the Clara Barton Center at7425 MacArthur Blvd. in Cabin John,and the Leland (Lawton) Center at4301 Willow Lane in Bethesda. Dur-ing its closure the PCC will have newcarpet installed, new paint applied inthe social room, and thoroughlycleaned throughout. The center isslated to close again over the Thanks-giving holiday, during which time thegym floor will be resurfaced, saidLinda Barlock, the director of thePotomac Community Center.

New PlanningBoard Member

The County Council on July 21 se-lected Marye Wells-Harley of SilverSpring to serve a full four-year term

This Week in Potomac

Hopkins & Porter Construction,Inc., a builder based in Potomac,partnered with its associates,

sub-contractors, and suppliers and the Ro-tary Club of Potomac for the 7th year to raisefunds for Habitat for Humanity ofMontgomery County (HFH-MC).

On Saturday, July 25, some 100people gathered for a pre-gamepicnic at Shirley Povich Field inBethesda where Hopkins & Por-ter was also sponsoring theevening’s Bethesda Big Traingame. It was their custom topresent a check during open-ing ceremonies to JohnPaukstis, executive directorof HfH-MD on behalf of allthe contributors. This year,a thunderstorm made itnecessary to call thegame, so, subsequentlyon Wednesday July 29, repre-sentatives from each of the contributinggroups met Paukstis at Normandy FarmRestaurant in Potomac to hand him a checkfor $5,000. The 32 locally based companiesthat participated with Hopkins & Porterwere A A Ontko Plumbing and Heating, AC& R Insulation, Academy Heating & AirConditioning, Alliance Benefits & Compen-sation, Anto’s Custom Cabinetry, BartholowDrywall Company, Consistent Cleaning,Cultured Marble, Custom Carpentry &Renovation, Downs & Associates, FergusonAsset Management, Gardenfield, GiacoloneFlooring, Huron Consulting Company, Irwin

Stone, LeaAllen Design,

Mark GollubC P A PC, MikeG o l d s h o l l , Norco Technolo-gies, Outdoor Illumination, Perrine Plan-ning & Zoning, Polytech Roofing & Siding,Reliable Electric Associates, Richter & As-sociates, Robert G. Brewer Jr., RockvilleWindow & Door, The Rotary Club ofPotomac, Stouffer Bobcat, Sun Services, TWPerry Incorporated, Vallefuoco Contractors,and William Oshinsky, Esquire.

In the seven years that Hopkins & Porterhas been organizing this fundraiser, thegroup has raised more than $44,000 for

Habitat for Humanity of MontgomeryCounty. Hopkins & Porter Construction hasalso volunteered for Big Train since its in-ception, designing, building, maintainingand recently restoring the hand-operatedscore board, bat and helmet storage, thedugout benches, the pitchers’ viewing plat-forms, and the trophy case. In 2007 theyfinished building an on-site radio and TVstudio to broadcast the Big Train games viainternet and cable.

Hopkins & Porter is celebrating its 33rdyear doing residential remodeling, newhome construction, and handyman repairsthroughout Washington, D. C. and Mont-gomery County.

Construction Community Supports CharityPotomac buildershold 7th annualfundraiser for HabitatFor Humanity.

Gathering for the check presentation are,from left to right, Josh Jeffries of the Rotary

Club of Potomac; Brian Yong of PolyTechRoofing & Siding; John Paukstis, executive

director of Habitat for Humanity of Montgom-ery County, and Guy Semmes, principal of

Hopkins & Porter Construction, Inc.

A cake commemorates the con-

struction community’s support

for Habitat for Humanity.

From Page 3

Park Braces for Ash Borer Beetle Invasionbad news.

“It [would be] horrific news,” said BrianCarlstrom, the deputy superintendent of thepark. “Once they’re loose they’re nearlyimpossible to control.”

If the emerald ash borers do show up, thepark service would combat them by takingdown any ash trees in the immediate vicin-ity of the infected trees, said Bell.

“Its pretty radical in what you have to do,”said Bell.

Concern over the ash borer has promptedthe park to ban visitors from bringing fire-wood into the park, as that would be a po-tential inroad for the beetles to make theirentrance, and Bell said that educating thepublic about the beetle and prevention tac-tics is important.

THE EMERALD ash borers seem to beworking much faster than other invasiveinsects, impacting trees almost as soon asthey enter an area, said Bell. If the spreadof the emerald ash borers continues un-

checked, Bell said it is conceivable that itcould virtually wipe out the ash tree as aspecies much as the chestnut blight fungusvirtually eliminated the American chestnutin the early 20th century.

Educating the public about the beetles isimportant as well, said Bell, but even if thebeetles never show up the C&O Canal Na-tional Historical Park still has plenty of otherinvasive species to combat.

“Insects are one problem but the biggestthing we fight everyday are invasive plants,”Bell said. Of an equal concern to the parkservice as the emerald ash borers — and inaddition to insects like the Asian longhornbeetle and the hemlock wooly adelgid —are plants like garlic mustard, Japanese stiltgrass, English ivy, Japanese honeysuckle,Japanese knot weed and the park serviceand its volunteer affiliate organizationsbattle them every year.

Meanwhile the purple boxes awaiting theemerald ash borers are slated to come downin September, since the insects are mostactive in the summer.

Beetle AlertThe emerald ash borer beetle is an invasive spe-

cies of beetle from Asia that first appeared in theU.S. around 2002. Since then the beetles, whichhave no natural predators in their new habitat,have swept through forests populated with ashtrees leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.The C&O Canal National Historical Park, in con-junction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture,is monitoring throughout the park to see if thebeetle appears here.

Thus far it has not. Should the beetles show up,it would be “horrific news,” said C&O Canal deputysuperintendent Brian Carlstrom.

To learn more about the emerald ash borerbeetle, its impact on the environment and itsspread through the U.S. there are several Web sitesto visit.

Emeraldashborer.info is a site run by theUSDA Forest Service, the Michigan Department ofAgriculture, and several other state agencies andpublic universities.

Ashalert.osu.edu is an informational siteabout the emerald ash borer run by Ohio StateUniversity and Aphis.usda.gov/plant_healthis operated by the U.S. Department of Agricultureand contains information about a wide variety ofinvasive plants and animals and plant diseases thatpose a threat to various habitats.

See This Week, Page 10


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TIME FOR ATRIM!

Whether the architectural styleof your home is traditional orcontemporary, decorative woodfinishing can set your homeapart and increase its perceivedvalue. Architectural ornamenta-tion lends elegance and sophisti-cation to walls, windows, doorsand railings.

Decorative wood moldingcomes in a vast variety of sizesand shapes and can be painted orstained to complement the wallcolor. Elegantly sculpted cornicemolding or classic cove moldingadds dimension at the top of awall and provides a graceful tran-sition between the wall and theceiling line. A wide band of orna-mental frieze molding may beinstalled below the cornice orcrown molding, to add a signa-ture motif to any room. Chairrail molding was traditionallyinstalled horizontally around theroom a little less than three feetfrom the floor, to protect the wallsurface from the backs of chairs.A classic feature of Colonial,Georgian, Queen Anne andEnglish Revival homes, it unifiesa room and makes a plain-look-ing wall more interesting.

Exterior trim can define styleand enhance curb appeal. Forexample, ornamental door hoodsand half timbering, typical ofEnglish Revival homes, can bepainted a beautiful contrastingcolor to emphasize the architec-tural detail of the home.

Discover the wonderful abilityof decorative wood to improveyour home’s market appeal.

POTOMACALMANAC

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STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERSRobbie Hammer, Louise Krafft

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Bethesda Art Walk Is Friday, Aug. 14Patrons can delight in eight downtown Bethesda galleries at the Bethesda Art

Walk. Scheduled for Friday, Aug. 14, the Bethesda Art Walk allows art lovers tovisit downtown Bethesda’s gallery community from 6-9 p.m. on the second Fridayof every month.

Bethesda’s galleries feature painting, sculpture, photography, pottery and mixedmedia. Many galleries change exhibits monthly and hold receptions showcasingthe featured artist in conjunction with the Bethesda Art Walk. Attendees are in-vited to delight in the artwork, enjoy free refreshments and to shop at these galler-ies.

Downtown Bethesda has become one of the most respected gallery communitiesin the Washington, D.C., area. One of the first initiatives produced by the BethesdaArts & Entertainment District, the Bethesda Art Walk has given art patrons, resi-dents and guests the opportunity to explore Bethesda’s galleries during Fridayevenings since June 2002.

The Bethesda Art Walk will continue through 2009, with guided tours returningon Sept. 11 and Oct. 9.

PARTICIPATING GALLERIES AND STUDIOSDiscovery Galleries, Ltd., 4840 Bethesda Ave.,Discovery Too, 7247 Woodmont Ave.Framer McGee’s Gallery, 4936 Hampden LaneGallery Frame Avenue, 4919 Cordell Ave.Orchard Gallery, Art & Framing, 7917 Norfolk Ave.St. Elmo’s Fire Gallery, 4928 St. Elmo Ave.Upstairs Art Studios, 4948 St. Elmo Ave.Washington School of Photography, 4850 Rugby Ave.Call 301-215-6660 or visit www.bethesda.org.

To have community events listed free in The PotomacAlmanac, send e-mail [email protected]. Deadline isThursday at noon for the following week’s paper. Pho-tos and artwork encouraged. Unless otherwise noted,all events are in Potomac. For more information, call703-917-6407.

ONGOINGThe Bethesda Farmers Market will be open

Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. atVeterans Park, corner of Norfold and WoodmontAvenues, through Oct. 31. Visit www.bethesda.orgor 301-215-6660.

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” willcontinue through Saturday, Aug. 8 at AdventureTheatre, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, Md. AnAmerican Sign Language (ASL) interpretedperformance is Saturday, Aug. 8 at 4 p.m. $12 forchildren, $15 for adults, group discounts available.For tickets: Visit us online atwww.adventuretheatre.org, or call the box officeat 301-634-2270. Starring in this production is2008 Helen Hayes Award Nominee for Lead Actorin a Musical Andrew Sonntag (Charlie Brown),2004 and 2008 Helen Hayes Award Nominee forFeatured Actress in a Musical Lauren Williams(Sally), and DC (and Adventure Theatre) favoritesKurt Boehm (Snoopy), and Emily Levey (Lucy).

AUG. 5-92009 Legg Mason Tennis Classic. At the William

H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park(16th & Kennedy Streets, NW). To order ticketpackages - including Weeklong Packages rangingfrom $165 - $525, Partial Week Packages rangingfrom $135 - $205, Suites/Corporate Receptionsand Discounted Group Packages — call 202-721-9500, or visit the tournament Web site atwww.leggmasontennisclassic.com. Single sessiontickets, ranging in price from $10-$70 - based onlocation, session date and time - are availablethrough all TicketMaster outlets, 202-397-SEAT(7328), 703-573-SEAT, or 410-547-SEAT and on-line at www.tickemaster.com or the tournamentWeb site.

AUG. 5-15Hair Cuttery Shares a Haircut. Bring your child

into any Hair Cuttery salon from Aug. 1-15 andfor every haircut a child (aged 18 years old oryounger) receives, Hair Cuttery will donate a freehaircut to a disadvantaged child in the community.Visit www.haircuttery.com.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 5Afro-Bop Alliance. 7 p.m. Free Outdoor Summer

Concert at The Music Center at Strathmore.Awarded a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Recordingfor their 2008 CD, Caribbean Jazz Project — AfroBop Alliance featuring Dave Samuels, Afro-BopAlliance is a Latin Jazz septet known formesmerizing polyrhythmic grooves, harmoniccolorings and improvisational lines. Visit

www.strathmore.org or call 301-581-5100 forweather-related delay or cancellation notices ofSummer Outdoor Events.

THURSDAY/AUG. 6Blues Dance. 8:15-9 p.m. beginner workshop.

Dance from 9-11:30 p.m. With rotating deejaysand instructors. At the Ballroom Annex at GlenEcho. $8/admission. Email: [email protected].

FRIDAY/AUG. 7Swing Dance. 8-9 p.m. is the introductory swing

lesson. 9 p.m. to midnight is dancing. With theBoilermaker jazz Band from Pennsylvania. At theBumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. $14 admission.Email: [email protected].

Contra Dance. 7:30-8:15 p.m. is the lesson. 8:30-11:30 p.m. is the dance. Contra dancing as well assome square dances and waltzes. At the SpanishBallroom at Glen Echo. $9 admission. Email:[email protected].

Youth Orchestra of the Americas. 7 p.m. Willperform Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide,Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 withVenezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero, andBeethoven’s Symphony No. 5. At The Music Centerat Strathmore. Tickets: $15 for adults, children arefree. Tickets are available at http://www.wpas.org, or by calling 202-785-9727.

SATURDAY/AUG. 8Ice Cream Shabbat. 9:30 a.m. Families, friends,

and prospective members are invited to join us forour Shabbat morning service followed by adelectable ice-cream Kiddush. Open to thecommunity. At Congregation B’nai Tzedek, 10621South Glen Rd., Potomac; call 301-299-0225.

Swing Dance. 8 p.m.-midnight. Featuring New YorkCity’s Gas House Gorillas. At the Spanish Ballroomat Glen Echo. $15 admission. Go towww.gottaswing.com.

SUNDAY/AUG. 9New England Style Contra and Square Dance.

7-7:30 introductory lesson. 7:30-10:30 p.m.dancing. With the Chance McCoy Band. At theBumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo. $12/nonmembers, $9/members. Contact:www.fsgw.org

TUESDAY/AUG. 11Tuesday in the Park. 11 a.m. to noon. Free. Join a

Park Naturalist at the Cabin John Regional Parkplayground to explore what’s happening outside.For ages 1-12. At Locust Grove Nature Center,7777 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. Register atwww.ParkPASS.org or call 301-765-8660.

WEDNESDAY/AUG. 12The Brilliant Inventions, an indie folk duo from

Atlanta (Eliot Bronson and Josh Lamkin). 8 p.m. atBranded ’72 (formerly O’Brien’s BBQ), 387 E.Gude Dr., in Rockville. $15/general, $12/membersor in advance. Call 301-275-7459 or go towww.focusmusic.org.

THURSDAY/AUG. 13Blues Dance. Beginner workshop 8:15-9 p.m.

Dancing from 9-11:30 p.m. Rotating DJs andinstructors to inspire and challenge you. $8admission. No partner is necessary. At Glen EchoPark, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. ContactEmail: [email protected].

Tribute to Woodstock’s 40th Anniversary. 7:30p.m. The roster of 35 top-notch national and localartists includes Eddie from Ohio, playing favoritesof Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; Tommy Lepsonand Bill Kirchen, performing Joe Cocker andCredence Clearwater Revival respectively; andMargot MacDonald, channeling Jefferson Airplane.Tickets are $19 and $22. Call 301-581-5100 orvisit www.strathmore.org.

FRIDAY/AUG. 14The Bethesda Art Walk. 6-9 p.m. Features 13

galleries and studios that showcase artworkcreated locally, nationally and internationallyincluding painting, photography, sculpture andmixed media. Call 301-215-6660 or visitwww.bethesda.org.

Super Fiesta Latina Party. Lesson from 8:15-9p.m. Dancing from 9 p.m. to midnight. At GlenEcho Park’s ballroom Annex. With teacher and DJFabio Bonini playing the best of Salsa, Bachata,

merengue, Cha-Cha, Reggaeton and more. $15admission. At Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen Echo. Email:[email protected].

Contra Dance. Beginner lesson 7:30-8:15 p.m.Contra dance 8:30-11:30 p.m. $9 admission. Withthe Glen Echo Open Band. At the SpanishBallroom at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen Echo. Contact Email:[email protected].

Swingin’ the Blues. 8 p.m. to midnight. Chooseeither an introductory West Coast Swing lessonwith Ken Roesel or a slow Blues lesson with Mikeand Donna from 8-9 p.m. Dancing to live music byBig Boy Little. $14 admission. At the Bumper CarPavilion at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.,Glen Echo. Contact Email:[email protected]

SATURDAY/AUG. 15Swing Dance. 8 p.m. to midnight. $14 admission.

With Natty Beaux, a combo featuring musiciansfrom Billy Coulter Band, The Junkyard saints,Alexandria Kleztet and Western Bop. At theSpanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen Echo. Email:[email protected]

SUNDAY/AUG. 16Sunday Blues. 7-11 p.m. Mostly Blues Dance with

the ACME Blues Co. Slow Blues lesson 7-8:30 p.m.

Dancing from 8:30-11 p.m. At the SpanishBallroom at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen Echo. Admission $12 dance only/$17lesson & dance. Email:[email protected].

Contra and Square Dance. 7-10:30 p.m. Focus onNew England style contra dances, including squaredances, country mixers, waltzes and other coupledances. Newcomers’ welcome lesson at 7 p.m.Dancing from 7:30-10:30 p.m. At the Bumper CarPavilion at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd.,Glen Echo. Admission $12 nonmembers/$9 FSGWmembers. Contact: contact: www.fsgw.org.

Waltz Dance. 3-6 p.m. Beginning waltz lesson 3-3:30 p.m. Dancing from 3:30-6 p.m. to the musicof Addison Bleufonte. $8 admission. At theSpanish Ballroom at Glen Echo park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Email:[email protected]

Cajun/Zydeco Dance. 3-6 p.m. Cajun/Zydecodance with live music. Dance lesson 3-3:30 p.m.followed by dancing from 3:30-6 p.m. At theBumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. Email:[email protected]

Canoeing 101. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Have a great day onthe water on the Potomac River while learning thebasics of canoeing. Outfitter Byron Bradley willoffer a hands-on learning experience with somebasic canoe skills needed to navigate the river.Must RSVP to [email protected] by Aug. 14.River Center at Lockhouse 8, C&O Canal NationalHistorical Park, 7906 Riverside Ave. Cabin John.

Calendar

Free AcousticConcerts in August

Carl M. Freeman Companies and CaribouCoffee are hosting a Free Acoustic ConcertSeries at Rock Creek Village Center the first,second and third Wednesdays and Fridays inAugust. The Acoustic Concert Series will behosted each night from 6:30–8:30 p.m. on theCaribou Coffee Patio located at 5562 NorbeckRoad, Rockville. The Acoustic Concert Seriesperformance schedule includes:

❖ Aug. 5: Jack, Denise & Neal, ClassicRock/Originals

❖ Aug. 7: Open Mic Night, Songwriters As-sociation of Washington

❖ Aug. 12: Slow Jim Duo, Modern/ClassicRock

❖ Aug. 14: Open Mic Night, SongwritersAssociation of Washington

❖ Aug. 19: The Jeff Carmella Band, Jazz &Originals

❖ Aug. 21: Bill Otis, Classic RockIn the event of inclement weather, the con-

certs will be held inside Caribou Coffee. Call240-779-8000.


WASHINGTON FOUNTAIN PEN SUPER SHOWLARGEST PEN EVENT IN THE WORLD, RIGHT HERE ONCE A YEAR

For more information: http://www.pencentral.com/penshow

The largest selection of Vintage and Modern Writing Instruments in the World.

2009 THEME PEN: DELTA CHARLES DARWIN EVOLUTION CO-SPONSOR: PEN WORLD

AUGUST 9TH - 10TH 10:00am - 5:00pm

SHERATON PREMIERE at TYSON’S CORNERLargest fountain pen show in the world. Meet over 200 dealers, and over 2000 collectors fromaround the world. Buy/sell/trade fountain pens, calligraphy supplies, ballpoints, desk sets, inkwellsand related items. Retailers will display the largest selection of writing instruments in the world.

• Free educational seminars • Supplies available • Opened bottles of over 250 inksfor testing and evaluation • Expert on-site repairs and free pen appraisals.

• Daily admission $7, free parking. (I-495, Exit 47-A, 2 miles on left.)

To have an item listed mail [email protected] is Thursday at noon for the fol-lowing week’s paper.

Students have been named inthe second round of college-sponsoredNational Merit Scholarships, among 51winners in Maryland of scholarshipssponsored by colleges and universitiesthroughout the nation. Each sponsorcollege selected scholarship winnersfrom among finalists in the 2009 Na-tional Merit Scholarship Program whoplan to attend their institution.

This announcement brings the total ofMerit Scholarship winners in Montgom-ery County Public Schools (MCPS) forthe 2008–2009 school year to 71 stu-dents.

Listed by school, the latest MCPS win-ners and their sponsoring schools are:

❖ Winston Churchill HighSchool: Michael H. Weston-Dawkes,Vanderbilt University; Rani Y. Woo,University of Maryland;

❖ Walt Whitman High School:William S. Sisco, Northwestern Univer-sity;

❖ Wootton High School: RuiZhong, Emory University;

The following Potomac resi-dents were named to the dean’s list inthe College of Liberal Arts and Sciencesat Villanova University for the 2009spring semester:

❖ Brett Gallagher; Potomac, senior;❖ Julia Hernandez; Potomac, senior;❖ Madeline Jordan; North Potomac,

senior.

Peter Wawrzusin of Potomacmade the dean’s list at The Catholic

University of America for the spring2009 semester. Peter received the clas-sification of “Dean’s List withDistinction”. He earned a 3.880 GPA,which placed him in the top 10 percentof grade point averages among all Artsand Sciences undergraduates for thissemester. Peter is majoring in econom-ics and minoring in Spanish.

Anna Piper of Potomac made thedean’s list at Berklee College of Musicfor the spring semester.

Anna Goodman, a graduate ofWinston Churchill High School, hasbeen named to the dean’s list for thespring semester at The College ofWooster. Goodman, a sophomore an-thropology major from Potomac,achieved a grade point average of 3.65or above.

Elizabeth Gitelman of NorthPotomac earned a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Chemistry from FrostburgState University in May. She was alsonamed to the dean’s list at Frostburg,with the distinction of a 4.0 grade pointaverage.

Alexandra De Cores fromPotomac was named to the dean’s listat Frostburg State University.

Heidi Allen of Potomac earned aBachelor of Science degree in Elemen-tary Education from Frostburg StateUniversity in May.

Colleen Meghan O’Donnellof Potomac made the Presidents List,achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA for the sec-ond semester at Miami University.

Schools

Julie Cheng, a junior at RichardMontgomery High School, was namedYouth Entrepreneur of the Year for theGreater Washington Region by Ernst &Young and Junior Achievement of theNational Capital Area. Julie, who is 17,was honored for founding Create withCare, a non-profit organization thatteaches youth to create friendship brace-lets, origami, and other ornaments anddonates its crafts to children undergoingtreatment in local hospitals.

Air Force Airman Jonathan C.Meade graduated from basic militarytraining at Lackland Air Force Base, SanAntonio, Texas. He is the son of Peggy andClifford Meade of Pleasant Meadow Drive,North Potomac. Meade is a 2006 gradu-ate of Quince Orchard High School

People Notes

Natalie S. Lopez-Barnard hasgraduated from the Army ROTC (Re-serve Officer Training Corps) Leader’sTraining Course at Fort Knox, Ky. She isthe daughter of Roberto Lopez-Aparicioand Bonnie G. Barnard-Lopez of S.Chelsea Lane, Bethesda. The cadet is a2006 graduate of the Connelly School ofthe Holy Child, Potomac.

Air Force Airman Jonathan C.Meade has arrived for duty at Dover AirForce Base, Del. Meade is an air trans-portation apprentice with four years ofmilitary service. He is the son of PeggyMeade of Pleasant Meadow Drive, NorthPotomac, Md. The airman is a 2006graduate of Quince Orchard HighSchool, Gaithersburg, Md.

Mark Richardson, CR, Co-Chairmanof Case Design/Remodeling Inc. ofBethesda, was recently honored in the31st Annual Awards Competition of theAmerican Society of Business PublicationEditors. Richardson received a GoldAward for his regularly contributed col-umn in Remodeling magazine, a leadingremodeling industry publication.

The American Society of Business Pub-lication Editors competition recognizesthe hard work and commitment of busi-ness and professional magazine,newsletter, and web editors and design-ers.

Wachovia Bank, N.A., a Wells FargoCompany, announced that it has namedthree experienced retail bank leaders ascommunity bank presidents for theGreater Washington, D.C. region.

Community bank presidents overseeretail store locations for a defined geog-raphy. They also partner closely withcommunity leaders to bring Wachovia’scommunity resources — including philan-thropy and employee volunteerism — to

benefit their designated regions.The three community bank presidents

are:❖ Erik Kodjanian, Greater Washing-

ton, D.C. North. Kodjanian, who oversees47 stores from Washington, D.C. to Mont-gomery County, formerly served as retailbank director for Greater Washington,D.C. An area banker since 1990,Kodjanian joined Wachovia in 1998.

❖ Joe Prezioso, Greater Washing-ton, D.C. West. Prezioso, who oversees47 stores from Purcellville to Alexan-dria, also served as retail bank directorfor Washington, D.C. prior to his ap-pointment to community bankpresident. Prezioso joined Wachovia in1997. In addition to serving the Wash-ington, D.C. market, he also managedretail banking in Wachovia’s Texas ex-pansion market.

❖ Michelle Wright, Greater Wash-ington, D.C. South. Wright, who oversees40 stores in Fairfax County, Prince Will-iam County and Prince George’s County,Md., formerly served as Wachovia’s retailbanking director for Arizona.

Business Notes

PART-TIME ORFREELANCEREPORTER NEEDEDGeneral assignment reporter tocover Potomac, writing news,business, feature stories andmore. We will consider a part-time reporter who would write aset number of stories per week,or freelance, paid by the story.Ability to provide digital photosto accompany stories alsorequired. Low pay, but fascinat-ing beat and rare opportunity towork in journalism. Aspiringreporters without published clipscan apply for a 4-6 week intern-ship (unpaid). Please email coverletter, resume, three clips and afew story ideas to Mary Kimm,at [email protected].


Sports

See Mason Battling, Page 10

At this point, three years into hisNFL career, Potomac nativeMarcus Mason is used to the com-

petition. He’s found the best way to takeon others for the opportunity to back upWashington Redskins running backClinton Portis is to embrace it.

So as he watched Sunday from thesidelines and saw Anthony Alridge andDominick Dorsey, his prime competitorsfor the few remaining roster spots at thisyear’s Redskins training camp inAshburn, Va., break off big runs in prac-tice, Mason simply strapped on his hel-met and went back to work.

“They’re here for a reason, they’regonna make plays,” said Mason, now inhis third season in the NFL. “But I’mgonna make plays, too, that’s just how itis sometimes. No running back out here

is gonna lose yards every time. It’s reallyjust about having fun.”

Born and raised in the Scotland neigh-borhood off Seven Locks Road, Mason be-came a local legend at Georgetown Prep,breaking state rushing records. After a suc-cessful college career split between Illinoisand Youngstown State, Mason signed withthe Redskins as an undrafted free agent in2007. He made the team out of camp thatyear, but was mostly relegated to practicesquad duty.

In 2008, he was back with the Redskinsfor training camp, and despite leading theleague in preseason rushing yards, was re-leased. He ended up spending parts of the2008 regular season with the Ravens andJets.

Now back in familiar territory, Mason rel

Mason Battling at Skins CampSee Running, Page 10

Photo by Craig Sterbutzel/The Almanac

Potomac native Marcus Mason is beginning his third training campwith the Washington Redskins.

By Mark Giannotto

The Connection

He calls the hoursleading up to aBethesda Big Traingame “mayhem,”

and last Sunday July 26 in theteam’s regular-season finale wasno different for general managerJordan Henry and his assistantGM, 18-year-old Bryan Orringer.

In a span of three hours, theyhad been at the beck and call oftwo different picnics and a groupof non-profits, set up a pregameautograph session with Big Trainplayers, ensured the concessionstand was stocked properly, foundcontestants for in-between inningsgames, realized there was no op-posing team in sight with 45 min-utes before the first pitch, andeven played along with a practi-cal joke by helping change theintro music of Ryan Mulligan to“The Climb” by Miley Cyrus.

And yet, perhaps their most dif-ficult job of the night involvedsomething he had little controlover. In the third inning, the batof Big Train first baseman MikeCilenza flew out of his hands af-ter a swing-and-miss, soared overprotective netting, and landedright on the forehead of a middle-aged woman.

With blood dripping out of her

head, Henry had to act fast, run-ning to the section the bat landed,and radioed up to Orringer in thepress box to call paramedics im-mediately. Because whether it’sschmoozing with customers, nego-tiating sponsor-ships, or even firstaid, it’s all part ofthe job descriptionfor this tandem,the lone paid em-ployees for themost successfulcollegiate woodenbat franchise in theWashington, D.C.area.

“It’s just a lot ofstuff going on atonce,” said Henryduring one of his few moments ofdown time on this night. “Imag-ine running a minor league base-ball with just two paid employees.”

WHEN OWNER Bruce Adamsfirst started the Big Train back in1998, he filled the role that wouldgenerally be considered generalmanager, lining up sponsorshipsand ensuring the day-to-day op-erations ran smoothly.

But after transitioning into a jobworking for county executiveIsaiah Leggett, he made room inthe team’s budget to bring on afull-time employee. Henry, a 24-

year-old Bethesda-Chevy Chasegraduate who played baseball atColby College, is the third personto hold the job since Adams let thereins go, and judging from his firstyear on the job, may be the mostsuccessful.

On the field and off it, the BigTrain set franchise records this sea-son, winning 31 games during theregular season, capturing the CalRipken, Sr. League regular seasonand playoff championships, all

while shattering at-tendance marks asmore than 15,000people — with fivegames drawingmore than 1,000fans — showed upto Shirley PovichField this past sum-mer.

Throw in the factthat sponsorshipswere up 75 percentthis season duringthe worst economic

climate since the Great Depres-sion, and it’s no wonder Henry andthe Big Train are the envy of thearea’s bevy of collegiate woodenbat teams.

“Jordan is extraordinary,” saidAdams. “He’s really just hit theground running and his learningcurve has been unbelievable.”

“A lot of the things we’ve donethis year are new,” said Henry, whowas working for google advertis-ing before coming back to thebaseball diamond. “Some end upbeing disasters, but Bruce knowswhat’s best so we’ve tried to learnfrom that.”

The operation wouldn’t be com-plete, though, without Orringer,who graduated from Wootton thispast spring and will head to Uni-

versity of Maryland in a matter ofweeks. He joined the Big Trainthree summers ago after an intern

The Summer Job That Keeps on HittingLocals Jordan Henry and BryanOrringer spent their summersrunning the Bethesda Big Train.

Potomac Almanac Sports Editor Mark Giannotto

703-917-6409 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

Photo by Harvey Levine/The Almanac

Big Train GM Jordan Henry points at the whiteboard inhis office that shows all the promotions planned through-out the season.

“He’s really justhit the groundrunning and hislearning curvehas beenunbelievable.”— Owner Bruce Adams


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News

From Page 3

Holy Child Settlement Questioneduse chair for the Montgomery County Civic Federa-tion, said that transparency at the MontgomeryCounty Planning Board when it comes to violationsof site plans has been lacking in recent years, andthat he was disturbed to learn of the settlementreached privately with Holy Child.

“It is unpleasant, distasteful for me to find thatthe planning department allowed for this resolutionof the violation to be kept private,” Humphrey said.“I just don’t think it’s acceptable that these thingscan be hidden away from us.”

Valerie Berton, a spokesperson for the PlanningBoard, said that the commissioners had been briefedon the settlement in a session closed to the publicprior to the public hearing but that she did not knowif all of the commissioners were present at that meet-ing and that privacy was one of the terms of the settle-ment made at the request of the school’s attorney,Barbara Sears of Linowes & Blocher, LLP.

Under the provisions of the Forest ConservationLaw, fines assessed for violations of the forestcoservation law are applied to programs executedunder the terms of the law such as tree plantings,removal of invasive plant species, and contractingprivate inspectors to expedite reviews, said MarkPfefferle, the acting director of environmental plan-ning.

Those fines can be assessed at $9.55/sq. ft. of theviolation area and the planning department was con-sidering a fine in the neighborhood of $250,000.

In a telephone interview with The Almanac, plan-

ning director Rollin Stanley said that the settlementagreement was reached in part because the planningcommission was wary of a potential legal battle withthe Holy Child, which maintains that the trees thatwere illegally cleared from the original easementson the property were done so only after they weredamaged or killed in a storm event in 2003 and sub-sequently presented a safety hazard. Stanley said itwas impossible to verify the veracity, or otherwise,of such a claim.

Realizing that collecting such a fine would be costlyand time consuming, Stanley said he began to thinkof a creative solution.

“Yeah I could use the money … but it was a grayarea,” said Stanley. “What we suggested to the schoolwas how could we turn this into a positive for every-body.”

Once proposed, the agreement took less than fiveminutes to be agreed upon by both sides, Stanleysaid.

Though Barnes questioned at last month’s hearingwhether reaching agreements such as this one waswithin the jurisdiction of the planning department,Stanley said he had no doubt that the agency is withinits rights in doing so.

“Absolutely, that’s what I’m supposed to do,” hesaid. When asked if he worried whether this agree-ment would set a precedent that would encouragefuture violators of the Forest Conservation Law topush for creative resolutions in lieu of paymentsStanley said he wasn’t worried at all.

“I hope they do that,” Stanley said.

Layla is a 1-year-old femaleLab mix. At 45 pounds, sheis a striking beauty with asoft, luxurious and unusualcolored fur coat that com-pliments her great person-ality. She loves people andcats, learns quickly andknows many commands.Layla will reward any kindadopting family with loveand affection.

Partnership for Animal Welfare (PAW)is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit group.To adopt an animal, volunteer or make atax-deductible donation, visit www.paw-rescue.org, call 301-572-4729 or write toPAW, P.O. Box 1074, Greenbelt, MD20768.

Pet of the Week

Layla

To have an item listed free in ThePotomac Almanac, e-mail [email protected] is Thursday at noon for the fol-lowing week’s paper. Photos encouraged.If you have any questions, call 703-917-6407.

The Seven Locks BaptistChurch, 11845 Seven Locks Road,Potomac, holds weekly prayer meet-ings, Wednesday in the sanctuary at6:45 p.m. Call 301-279-9388.

First Church of Christ, Scientistholds testimony meetings everyWednesday at 7:30 p.m. at 100 NelsonSt. Rockville. Free child care and park-

Faith Notes

ing is provided. Call 301-762-8222.

Rockville Presbyterian Churchwelcomes all Presbyterians for SundaySchool, worship service, refreshmentsand fellowship after worship. They alsoprovide comfort and solace with spiri-tual support and organized funeralservices. Located at 215 West Montgom-ery Ave., Rockville. Call 301-762-3363.

Shalem Institute offers a guidedmid-day Prayer Peace Circle, onWednesdays from noon-12:45 p.m. inthe Shalem Meditation Room & Library,5430 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 140,Bethesda. Visit www.shalem.org.

FULLTIMESPORTSWRITERNEEDEDCover highschool and com-munity sports insuburbanWashington DCfor award-win-ning chain ofweeklies. Coverevents, writefeatures andparticipate inproject report-ing and writing.Job requirespassion forsports, energy,ability to findinteresting sto-ries, strongwriting andreporting skills.Must have dem-onstrated abilityto make dead-line. Sportswriter covers alarge beatincluding multi-ple sports perseason acrossmany highschools. Sendcover letter,resume andthree clips toMary Kimm,Publisher andEditor,ConnectionNewspapers,[email protected]


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SEEKING REPORTERJoin our group of 17 award-winningweeklies in the suburbs of Washington, DC;we’re looking for an experienced, energetic,prolific reporter to cover severalcommunities, including Potomac, Md.,eastern Loudoun County, plus some generalassignment reporting. (Yes, this is a difficultjob.) Cover events, write features, news,crime, politics and in-depth stories,participate in project reporting and writing.Job requires passion for people, ability tomulti-task, lots of energy, strong reportingand writing skills. Send cover letter, resumeand three clips to Mary Kimm, Publisherand Editor, Connection Newspapers,[email protected]

InternshipsAvailable

Unusual opportunity tolearn many aspects of thenewspaper business.Internships available inreporting, photography,research, graphics.Opportunities for students,and for adults consideringchange of career. Unpaid.Email [email protected]

21 Announcements 21 Announcements

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FULL TIME SPORTSWRITER NEEDEDCover high school and communitysports in suburban Washington DCfor award-winning chain of weeklies.Cover events, write features and par-ticipate in project reporting and writ-ing. Job requires passion for sports,energy, ability to find interesting sto-ries, strong writing and reportingskills. Must have demonstrated abilityto make deadline. Sports writer cov-ers a large beat including multiplesports per season across many highschools. Send cover letter, resume andthree clips to Mary Kimm, Publisherand Editor, Connection Newspapers,[email protected]


Recently I read in The Washington PostSports section of the death of Sue Burns,58, part owner of The San FranciscoGiants. (As much as I’m trying not to thinkabout death, I do find myself spending abit more time perusing the Obituary sec-tion, although Ms. Burns’ mention wasfound in the sports section.) The descrip-tion as to the cause of her death was fairlyordinary and typical, I would imagine,unless you’re a current and/or former can-cer patient and in my case, a writer with adifferent, perhaps unique, perspective.

It read “Sue Burns ... died of complica-tions of cancer.” My initial reaction wassadness: that a woman so young, presuma-bly with so much to live for (a part ownerof a professional baseball team) died at age58. Then Kenny the writer, the one withcancer reacted: Died of complicationsfrom cancer! How else do you die fromcancer? The way you’re supposed to? Howis that, exactly? I’d like to know. I sort ofhave an interest in the answer/outcome.Moreover, so far as my first seven monthsas a known cancer patient are considered,how does one not have complicationsfrom cancer? That’s all cancer is, a series ofcomplications. The complications are notseparate and apart from the cancer, that isthe cancer doing its cancerous thing. Tosay one died from complications of canceris akin to asking Mrs. Lincoln how she likedthe play, aside from the assassination thatis.

Perhaps I’m too close to the reportedcause of Ms. Burns’ death, however, to bean objective reader. Perhaps I’m too sensi-tive to the situation: someone dying intheir 50s from cancer. But maybe not.Maybe I’ve just become knowledgeableenough, after my own diagnosis, to noticewhen a buyer is not being aware or in thiscase, when a cause of death is being com-plicated unnecessarily.

As a salesman, one of the most time-honored and respected adages for successis to “k.i.s.s.” – keep it simple, stupid. Sotoo might that advice apply to a reportedcause of death. Cancer, in and of itself, is asufficient cause of death; it need not beexpounded upon for any kind of effect ornewsworthiness. “Cancer” kills, it doesn’trequire a further explanation.

I realize that the reporting of Ms.Burns’ death, located in the sports sectionwithin a six-column-inch box with otheritems of the day rather than in the obituarysection (where it also may have appeared,but I never got that far), was likely notintended to be anything more than a sim-ple statement of the semi-facts.Nevertheless, it seemed to minimize can-cer as enough of a cause of death.

For those of us fighting this dreadeddisease, and for the millions who have pre-ceded us, it’s more than enough. Cancermay not be for the weak of heart, and if itwas, it wouldn’t be a complication, itwould be one of cancer’s insidious tenta-cles reaching out to inflict its unique brandof pain. Death comes to us all.Unfortunately, for cancer patients, it maycome a bit sooner. And if it does, it ain’tfrom no stinkin’ complication; it’s from thecancer, the mother of all complications.

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

Time ForA Rant

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

Sports

From Page 8

Running the Bethesda Big Train

Photo by Harvey Levine/The Almanac

Big Train GM Jordan Henry (right)describes assistant general man-ager Bryan Orringer (left) as a“marketing brainchild.” Teamowner Bruce Adams calls Henry“extraordinary” since taking overas GM this summer.

ship with the Nationals piqued his inter-est in the world of sports management. Byessentially giving up his summers the pastthree years, Orringer worked his way up theBig Train totem pole, separating himselffrom the 20-40 other volunteers that helpout each year.

“You have to have such a hands-on rolehere,” Orringer said. “Not many other placeswould give that to an 18-year-old.”

Described as a “marketing brainchild” byHenry, Orringer handles all of the game dayoperations from the press box, coordinat-ing music and between innings entertain-ment. The two arrive at the ballpark around11 a.m. during the summer and sometimeswon’t leave until well after midnight, onceOrringer has updated the team’s Web siteand Henry has sent out a daily newsletterto fans’ inboxes.

Like most summer jobs for college-agedstudents, Henry and Orringer’s gig involveslong hours and less than ideal pay. But forAdams, a Potomac native who has lived inthe area his whole life, the experiencegained is worth much more in the long run.

“It’s a question of being a bigger fish in asmall pond and that’s what this is,” he said.“You could go work just out of college, workfor the Nationals or Orioles, and be prettyfar down on the pecking order. And here,you’re talking to the manager about playerrecruitment, you’re raising money through

sponsorships, you’re setting up the enter-tainment, you’re calling the shots. So I thinkthis kind of operation, while it isn’t a ca-

reer, it’s a fabulous stepping stone.”

HENRY AND ORRINGER have made themost of it and both plan on coming backfor next season. They began together thispast February, throwing a bunch of themeideas onto a white board in hopes of luringpotential sponsors.

That led to some highly successful — andwidely attended nights — as in June whenthe Big Train had “Green Night” and con-vinced former Georgetown basketball starJeff Green to come sign autographs and theGreene Turtle restaurant chain to sponsorthe whole thing. There was also “Hallow-een in the Summer,” “Carnival Night,” ormost recently “D.C. Sports Journalists All-Star Night” three weeks ago, which drewthe first-ever 1,000-plus crowd on aWednesday ever — a total shock for Henry.

But now, with one summer in the bag,Henry has gotten used to the fact that noteverything can go as planned. Even thoughhe’ll be taking a well-earned vacation in thecoming weeks, he’s already talking aboutnext season and the Big Train’s NovemberAuction night that helps raise $40-50,000a year to help improve area youth baseballfields.

“You can’t beat this, working at a base-ball field,” said Henry. “And it’s great learn-ing because it’s really running a businessfirst and a baseball team second.”

Mason Battling at Skins CampFrom Page 8

ishes the home cooking. He’s living withhis girlfriend in Fairfax, Va., but said hemakes frequent visits back to Potomac tosee his family.

“Walking to the locker room [after prac-tice], a lot of people yell, ‘GeorgetownPrep,’” said Mason with a smile. “They stillremember me.”

Mason thinks this year will be differentunder second-year coach Jim Zorn, since

he knows the playbook having spent train-ing camp with the team a year ago. Portisand his primary back-up Ladell Betts areguaranteed spots when the Redskins mustcut down to the 53-man roster that willbegin the regular season. And Zorn said thisweekend, “it’s gonna be hard to unseat”third-string running back Rock Cartwrightbecause of his prowess on special teams.

That leaves Mason, Alridge, and Dorsey,to compete for one spot. Alridge and Dorsey

are small, speedy backs that the teambrought in to compete for jobs as kickoffand punt returners. The 215-pound Masonis a classic between the tackles runningback. All three, though, have dreams ofplaying on Sundays — not that it has de-terred Mason.

“My goal is a little more than just makingthe team,” he said. “I made the team be-fore. Now I’m trying to get on the field.”

— Mark Giannotto

From Page 4

This Week in Potomac

on the Montgomery County Planning Board.ºThe appoint-ment was confirmed by County Executive Isiah Leggettand last week she heard her first cases as a commissioneron the board. Wells-Harley is the first African-Americanfemale to serve on the planning agency.

Wells-Harley, a Democrat, retired in 2007 from the Mary-land-National Capitol Park and Planning Commission asdirector of Parks and Recreation for the Prince George’sCounty. She had worked for the agency for 42 years —the last six as the director of parks and recreation. In thatposition, she was responsible for planning, developing andimplementing a comprehensive park and recreation pro-gram for Prince George’s County. She is a graduate ofWinston-Salem State University in North Carolina.

Cameras for County Police CarsThe County Council last week approved acceptance of a fed-

eral grant that will sigificantly fund a pilot program to placecameras in Montgomery County Police patrol cars.

The council voted 7-0 to accept an Edward Byrne MemorialJustice Assistance Grant that would provide $628,861 toward apilot program that would place digital video cameras in approxi-mately 100 Montgomery County Police patrol cars.

The Police Department has further applied for two additionalgrants that could total $1.34 million to continue implementa-tion of the program. The long-term goal is to have cameras inall 800 County police patrol vehicles.

It is projected that the first camera installations will begin inSeptember and that all patrol cars may have cameras withinthree years.


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