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February 20-26, 2019
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Requested in home 2-21-19
PRSRT STDU.S. Postage
PAIDEaston, MDpermit #322
online at potomacalmanac.com
Page, 5
Adapting ‘Mamma Mia’News, Page 3
Making MemoriesNews, Page 7
Impressive,Not Scary
News, Page 3
Adam, Anya, Zachary Chua gather around the Chinese Lion at the Potomac Library on Saturday, Feb. 16.
2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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Potomac REAL ESTATE Photos by Deb Stevens/The Almanac
Address .............................. BR FB HB ... Postal City .. Sold Price .... Type ....... Lot AC . PostalCode ..... Subdivision ........... Date Sold
1 24 SANDALFOOT CT ............. 4 .. 4 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,100,000 .... Detached ..... 0.15 ........ 20854 .............. AVENEL ................... 12/13/18
2 26 MERCY CT ....................... 5 .. 4 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,060,000 .... Detached ..... 0.46 ........ 20854 ........ MCAULEY PARK ............. 12/10/18
3 11120 FAWSETT RD .............. 4 .. 3 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,050,000 .... Detached ..... 1.29 ........ 20854 ....... FAWCETT FARMS ............ 12/03/18
4 7822 HIDDEN MEADOW TER ... 4 .. 3 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,042,000 .... Townhouse .. 0.10 ........ 20854 .......... RIVER FALLS ............... 12/14/18
5 9200 FALLS CHAPEL WAY ...... 7 .. 5 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,040,000 .... Detached ..... 0.33 ........ 20854 ......... COPENHAVER .............. 12/27/18
6 10425 GLEN RD.................... 5 .. 3 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ..... $950,000 .... Detached ..... 0.93 ........ 20854 ..... GLEN MILL VILLAGE .......... 12/07/18
7 10818 HILLBROOKE LN ......... 5 .. 3 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ..... $935,000 .... Detached ..... 0.17 ........ 20854 .... PINEY GLEN VILLAGE ......... 12/17/18
8 10300 CHAPEL RD ................ 5 .. 4 . 0 ....... POTOMAC ..... $875,000 .... Detached ..... 1.13 ........ 20854 ....... POTOMAC HILLS ............ 12/17/18
Copyright 2018 MarketStats for ShowingTime. Source: Bright MLS as of December 31, 2018.
December, 2018 Sales, 875,000~$1,100,000In December 2018, 42 Potomac homes
sold between $2,700,000-$420,000.
1 24 Sandalfoot Court — $1,100,000
3 11120 Fawsett Road — $1,050,000
4 7822 Hidden Meadow Terrace— $1,042,000
5 9200 Falls Chapel Way— $1,040,000
8 10300 Chapel Road— $875,000
7 10818 Hillbrooke Lane— $935,000
Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
NewsPotomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren
703-778-9415 or [email protected]
See www.potomacalmanac.com
CrowdPleaserMichaelEvangelista andVe Thai as TheLion andMichelleEvangelista inthe Choy WunDance Troupeperform Satur-day, Feb. 16before a crowd atthe PotomacLibrary.
Chloe Yu concentrates on Chi-nese painting as part of thelibrary’s Chinese New YearCelebration.
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By Peggy McEwan
The Almanac
Students at The Connelly School ofthe Holy Child in Potomac willspend the next two weekends singing and dancing to the tunes of
ABBA when they present “Mamma Mia” astheir annual upper school musical.
The opening performance on Feb. 23 willagain be sensory friendly, the fourth yearthe school has opened the show to mem-bers of the autistic and special needs com-munity.
“We always have about 50 or so peopleattend [the special performance] and theshow grows bigger every year,” CaitlinChalke, director of communications at theschool wrote in an email. “Those that comewith their family to enjoy the show are ex-
tremely appreciative of this offering.”The sensory-friendly play has lower sound
level, a brighter auditorium with lights onbut dimmed, a shortened running time, aquiet room for patrons who need a breakand the audience is permitted to talk, walkaround, dance, and come and go from theauditorium, Chalke wrote.
“It’s a little different but worth the effort,”freshman Kelsey Kley, who has the part ofLisa, one of the bride’s friends in the show,said. “It’s really nice to see all the kids’smiling faces.”
Despite the original play’s somewhatrisqué subject matter, director Elsbeth Fagersaid “Mamma Mia” works for the studentsbecause they are using a newer version ofthe script created for young performers.
“This summer [they] came out with anamateur version for younger performers,”
Fager said, “The script is a little different.”Based on the songs of ABBA, a Swedish
pop group of the 1970s, long before holyChild students and many of their parentswere born, “Mamma Mia” tells the story ofa young woman getting married at hermother’s Greek Taverna.
The bride longs to have her father walkher down the aisle at the wedding but shedoes not know who her father is. Thus, be-gins the intrigue of learning his identity.
All this is told using songs from the ABBArepertoire. “We found it to be a great cel-ebration of love, laughter, family and friend-ship,” Fager said.
Holy Child is a small school for girls ingrades 6-12, but that is one of its strengthsaccording to Chalke.
“What’s so great about Holy Child is, sincewe are a small school [325 students] we
encourage all the students to participate,”she said.
The show, including sets and technology,is student run, supported by school faculty,Fager said.
The Feb. 23 performance will be at 11a.m., with face painting, games, and treatsfor families attending beginning at 10 a.m.Admission is free for this special perfor-mance.
Regular performances will be at 7 p.m.Friday, March 1 and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.Saturday, March 2.
A children’s disco party room with facepainting, popcorn, games, and photo boothwill open one hour prior to each perfor-mance.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for stu-dents. The may be purchased atwww.holychild.org/mamma-mia/.
Students rehearse “Mamma Mia” at The Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac for opening performance on Feb. 23.
Holy Child Adapts ‘Mamma Mia’ for All AudiencesOpening performance will be sensory friendly for people with special needs.
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4 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Opinion POTOMACALMANAC
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The Pet Almanac, a twice-yearly spe-cial edition, will publish the lastweek of February, and photos andstories of your pets with you and
your family should be submitted by Friday, Feb.22.
We invite you to send storiesabout your pets, photos of youand your family with your cats,
dogs, llamas, alpacas, ponies, hamsters, snakes,lizards, frogs, rabbits, or whatever other crea-tures share your life with you.
Tell us the story of a special bond between achild and a dog, the story of how you came to
adopt your pet, or examples of amazing featsof your creatures.
Do you volunteer at an animal shelter ortherapeutic riding center or take your pet tovisit people in a nursing home? Does your busi-ness have a managing pet? Is your businessabout pets? Have you helped to train an assis-tance dog? Do you or someone in your familydepend on an assistance dog?
Or take this opportunity to memorialize abeloved pet you have lost.
Just a cute photo is fine too. Our favoritepictures include both pets and humans.
Please tell us a little bit about your creature,
identify everyone in the photo, give a briefdescription what is happening in the photo,and include address and phone number (wewill not publish your address or phone num-ber, just your town name).
Email [email protected] orsubmit online atwww.connectionnewspapers.com/pets.
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Be Part of the Pet Almanac
Editorial
By Elisabeth Waugaman
We are so lucky to live here becausewe have such interesting neighbors.With a suet feeder, we have the con-
stant company of a wide array of featheredfriends — song sparrows with their ribbons ofbrown feathers cascading down their whitechests; red headed house finches; and perky,little wrens, who will happily make their nestsin your mailbox or your flower baskets.Shakespeare admired the tiny wren for its greatcourage. A wren will fuss shrilly and flyintimidatingly close if you approach its nest.
There is the adorable downy woodpecker,not much bigger than a sparrow with its mar-tial black and white plumage and the maleswearing a jaunty little red cap; the madcapflicker with its black bib, polkadots, and redcheeks; and even the majestic punk-rocker,pileated woodpecker, as large as a crow, inblack and white attire, a great streak of blackeyeliner and a red feathered cap tapering offin an awesome spike; the ostentatious flam-ing-red cardinal and his shy bride, the Englishstarling so scintillatingly, beautiful whenyoung. Starlings and house sparrows werebrought to this country by the well-intentionedEugene Schieffelin, who wanted us to have allof Shakespeare’s birds. Sadly, “the best laidschemes o’ mice an’ men/Gang aft a-gley.”
There’s also the lovely, but loathsome,bluejay, so pleasing to the eye, but a devil atheart, whom I never like to see because of hismurderous proclivities. (Better not to know….)Cold weather brings Canadian robins and snowbirds. What an “infinite variety” resides in thataerial world beyond our windows.
This year for the first time since we movedhere in 1985, we have bluebirds. Decades ago,bluebirds faced extinction, but enough peoplerallied to their cause and built nesting boxesfor them that their population has survived.I’ll never forget the beautiful snowy owl, seem-ingly dressed in ermine, who sat on a branchoutside our kitchen window, or the flock ofcedar wax wings, looking like a group ofmasked bandits, who rested for a moment inour backyard while migrating. In warmerweather an arrogant, majestic red-tailed hawkhaunts our backyard watching for chipmunks.Mourning doves sometimes drop by, so aptly
named for if their mate dies, they never takeanother. One year, a mourning dove nested onour kitchen window sill, necessitating the con-struction of a black construction paper barrierso as not to scare the mother away from hernest. To the mother’s great distress, her babywas so homebound that in order to get him toleave the nest, she was forced to stop feedinghim; but he would not leave the nest. Finally,in despair, watching the now big baby ignorehis mother’s calls to see the world, I bangedon the window. The baby, now the size of themother, flew away before realizing what he haddone. “All’s well that ends well.”
The largest bird ever to visit our yard was aheron who noticed we had a small pond, whichI had dug and edged with a rim of uncementedstones. As he liftedone long leg to perchon the edge and ob-serve the goldfish, thestone tilted, shiftinghim rapidly to an awk-ward position requir-ing the opposite wingto rapidly extend tocompensate for theimbalance. With hisweight shifted, thestone evidently shifted again, creating a lurchin the opposite direction at which point the nolonger statuesque heron decided to lift off withthe remnants of his dignity. Like Ichabod Crane,he never returned.
After years of happy goldfish, I finally gaveup after an invasion of goldfish-eating frogs,who arrived from I wonder where. Who knewtiny frogs would grow big enough to eat gold-fish? Or was it a raccoon? Probably not sincethe frogs were undiminished.
THE OTHER DAY on Hackamore Drive, I sawa young peregrine falcon, perhaps the sameone who was pursuing an old crow, on a previ-ous day, followed by another crow attemptingto help his beleaguered friend. What a ruckusthat was. Every now and then, the buzzardslike to alight on the trees behind our house.Although, or perhaps because, they clean upcarrion, they are not the most pleasant of fowlsto keep company with; however, when vulturepopulations tank, there are environmental
problems — such as the spread of disease. Sohats off to the vultures for doing a job nobodyelse wants or even appreciates. On a macabrenote, a group of feeding vultures is called “awake.” And on a humorous note, a bunch ofvultures in trees is called “a committee.”
The summer months are always filled withthe antics of ruby-throated hummingbirds,who can fly like helicopters, straight up anddown, hovering, or even zig-zagging with theirwings a blur, beating so fast they hum, hencetheir name. With a feeder at the window, youcan watch aerial antics that would shame anyother bird or plane. We used to have hordes ofthem. We had one chap so territorial that weput up a feeder on the other side of the houseso the females could eat in peace, only to dis-
cover he was bounc-ing from one side ofthe house to the otherlike a tennis ball overa net. Adding a thirdfeeder, did make hislife a bit more diffi-cult, but not enough.
Walking our rescuedog Benji, I have dis-covered we also havemany four-footed
neighbors less visible than our featheredfriends. I’ve been lucky enough to see a beau-tiful red fox more than once. Because of theirlong fur, we don’t realize how small foxes are— less than 10-20 lbs; but suburban foxes areeven smaller. Foxes supposedly have the mostdiverse diets in the animal world. They eateverything from birdseed, to earthworms, in-sects, fruits, berries, rodents, including rats,and, yes, sadly, birds — but not on the disas-trous scale of cats. A fox’s bark sounds a bitlike a small dog with a cold. I’ve recently no-ticed scat in the neighborhood that suggestswe might now also have coyotes, “a marvel-ous, witty fellow,” in residence. Coyotes areextremely shy and very clever, revered by Na-tive Americans as the trickster. If they havemoved into the neighborhood, this is very badnews for our foxes.
We also have possums. One night, I put anapple pie out to cool on the front steps, opened
Startling, magical moments.Whoo Lives Here?
Walking our rescue dogBenji, I have discovered wealso have many four-footedneighbors less visible thanour feathered friends.
See Joys of Living, Page 6
Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
By Marilyn Campbell
Despite his predilection for visualarts, Allen Carter, an AfricanAmerican boy growing up inpre-civil rights era Arlington,
might not have been granted entrance intosome the nation’s museums due to segre-gation. Still, he persisted, and years laterhe became a lauded artist, distinguishedteacher and mentor to underprivileged chil-dren. And in February — African AmericanHistory Month — his work is being shownin an exhibit, “Big Al Carter: A Retrospec-tive,” at the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art.While his work is part of the permanent col-lections of both the Smithsonian Institutionand the Corcoran Gallery of Art, this is thefirst exhibit of Carter’s work in the Wash-ington, D.C area since his death in 2008.
“Big Al’s family has given us an incred-ible gift by sharing his art, allowing us tocontinue to reflect on his life, his art andhis message for future generations,” saidMarty Schnider, president of Fred SchniderInvestment Group and founder of FredSchnider Gallery of Art.
As a painter, printmaker, sculptor andmuralist, Carter, also known as “Big Al”drew inspiration from his life experiences,
art history and everyday life. He believedthat his life’s purpose was to use art to heal.“Art is my emotion. Art is my memories. Artis my life. I create the essence,” he once said.
“He paints poor people, he paints peoplewho are fishing or people who are havingdinner at the table … his work is very vast,”said Carter’s daughter, Cecilia Carter.
Carter’s exhibit is particularly notewor-thy to some African-American art histori-ans who point to a recent study showingthat just 2.4 percent of all acquisitions andgifts and 7.6 percent of all exhibitions at30 prominent American museums havebeen of work by African American artists.The recent Andrew W. Mellon FoundationArt Museum Staff Demographic Survey of181 art museums in North America foundthat African Americans are greatly under-represented in mainstream art museums asdirectors, curators, conservators and edu-cators. Those who study African Americanart say that solving this dilemma requires ayear-round approach.
“We can’t just focus on it during BlackHistory Month,” said African American arthistorian Crystal Johnson, Ph.D. “These twostatistics go to hand-in-hand and provewhat we already know. We need more Afri-can American students to explore their ar-
tistic talents and we need more students totake chance on a non-mainstream careerand pursue jobs in museum administration.In order to make any changes, we need tohave a seat at the table.”
One such aspiring decision maker is re-cent a George Mason University graduatewho landed a position as the co-curator ofan exhibit at Howard University. “I’d workedwith an exhibition, but I’ve never had thechance to curate before. I was excited and
Carter’s exhibit, which features rarelyseen artwork from his daughters’ privatecollection, runs through March 3 at the FredSchnider Gallery of Art, 888 N. QuincyStreet, Arlington. Several pieces will beavailable for sale.
“The exhibit and his work reflect every-thing that he’s been through, what he’s seen,and what other people have been throughand seen,” said Big Al’s daughter Flora O.Stone, Carter’s daughter.
Promoting and preserving a part of history.Black History Month: A Look at African American Art
President of Fred Schnider Investment Group, LLCand Founder of the Fred Schnider Gallery of Art,Marty Schnider with Allen “Big Al” Carter’s daugh-ters, Cecilia Carter (left) and Flora O. Stone (right)
nervous,” said KourtneyRiles of the exhibitcalled, “An Examinationof Feminist(s) Subjec-tivity in Modern andContemporary AfricanAmerican Art.”
Art plays a vital, butoften overlooked role inAfrican American his-tory, not just duringBlack History Month,but all year long, ad-vises Angela Black, whohas taught art history.“Art is a way of preserv-ing our history,” shesaid. “It tells our storyand we need more pro-fessionally trained art-ists who can do that.”
6 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
From Page 4
Opinion
See Letters, Page 10
the door, and found myself looking at pos-sum preparing for a bite of tart. Fortunately,he did not faint dead away, which is whathappens when a possum “plays dead” —they literally pass out, look, and smell dead.(Don’t ask.) We have also had moles reveal-ing their presence with tunnels runningthrough the yard, shrews that look like micewith long noses and have conferred theirnames to abrasive women because they (theshrews) make high pitched, twitteringnoises and are very territorial.
IN WARMER WEATHER, bats and larksdip and soar in the twilight, both helpingrid us of noxious insects. I also used to heara bobcat frequently at night in the warmerweather. Its cry is perfect for Halloween.As far as mice are concerned, one year wehad a not so unique experience, I was told,with field mice who had painstakinglymoved piece by pieceabout 5 lbs. of cat kibblefrom our neighbor’s ga-rage into various, nooks,crannies, pipes, andtubes of our car in ourgarage. How hopelessthey must have felt upondiscovering their store“ever lost;” their littlesouls “full of discord and dismay.” Unfortu-nately, I further, inadvertently shocked theworld of field mice one day when theweather was beginning to get cold. I wastrying to get rid of an old, leaky outsidewater hose that I had not used for sometime. When I started to unroll it from thewind-up housing, a small field mouseemerged, carrying her tiniest — about thesize of a third of a raisin — babies. It lookedlike there were 10. They had no fur; theirtiny eyes were not yet open. They werenewbies, no question. They were hangingall around her like a large necklace. Des-perately trying to get them to safety, sheplunged to the ground in an act of adrenalinfueled courage (which we call “hystericalstrength”) that would be the equivalent ofmy jumping from a second story windowclinging to 10 newborns. With lightningspeed, she disappeared under the cementstep close by, having saved all the babiesbut one. Horrified by what I had inadvert-ently done, I ran inside, grabbed a tissue
and a paper cup, ran back outside, put thenewbie inside the cup swaddled by the tis-sue so at least he wouldn’t be on the coldground, and left, hoping that his motherwould retrieve him. When I checked the cupa short while later, the newbie was gone.“Love conquers all.”
We all know about the deer population.But at one point, we even had a deer thatlooked like a cow because of large whitespots on the body. This aberration is theresult of inbreeding. Our befuddling“Cowdeer” seems to have been a brief phe-nomenon — evidently, not the best adapta-tion for natural selection.
One of my funniest mammal experienceswas discovering a small child, about threeyears of age, judging by his size, runningaround in circles holding onto the bird-feeder post causing the bird seed to fly outeverywhere. Wondering how he got into ourbackyard, I suddenly realized I was look-ing, not at a child, but at a very large rac-
coon, who disappearedas soon as I opened thedoor.
There was also themonkey I saw, but wasafraid to mention, whichturned out to have es-caped from his cage at aneighbor’s recently backfrom Africa. And of
course, we all know about the squirrels, wholike to sashay slowly in front of any dog ona leash. Recently I have noticed squirrelsmissing tails or with fur damaged tails. Anew predator?
One story I have never been able to re-solve involves a family desperately in needof marriage counseling and/or childtherapy, who had the most earsplitting quar-rels one would ever want to hear in the at-tic over our heads. Squirrels? Raccoons?Whoever they were, they didn’t return af-ter a wire mesh screen was tightened. Afriend with the same problem bravelyopened the attic loft door just long enoughto fling several boxes of moth balls into theattic before slamming the door shut. Thisact of bravery expelled the unwantedguests, but left the house smelling of naph-thalene for a disquieting period of time. Per-haps, not the best approach to getting ridof unwanted guests in the attic.
When we first moved into River Falls, wehad a constant migration of displaced ani-
mals because of construction in nearbyAvenel. The most surprising was a largeblack snake who was very persistent abouttrying to move in. He would squeeze underthe garage doors and drop through screendoors. We were literally haunted by a large,long, black snake. You never knew wherehe might turn up next. On another occa-sion, I saw a strange sight in the backyardwhich required close examination becausemy mind could not comprehend what myeyes were seeing, which turned out to befrog legs sticking straight out of a snake’smouth. I ran to the garage, returned with abroom, and gave the snake a wallop belowwhere the frog seemed to be lodged. Thenext few seconds are a blur that ended whenI saw the frog blinking in the bright sun-light. The snake was nowhere insight. Theyear we had the terrible drought, many ofus had toads seeking shelter in windowwells, a toad strategy that required varioushuman stratagems to assure they could getout.
ONE AFTERNOON, a gigantic, scary, pre-historic creature lumbered past our houseon a mission. It was the biggest snappingturtle I have ever seen. Probably the big-gest snapping turtle anybody has ever seen.It went straight into the neighbors’ freshlymulched front yard to lay its eggs. Not agood choice. To save her from being runover on Brickyard Road, my son and I, wor-ried the entire time about retaining all ourdigits, managed to get her into a large, pa-per yard disposal bag. It took the two of usto lift the bag, whose bottom threatened togive way at any moment. As we carriedher across the road, her neck seemed to begrowing like a snake coming out of a gi-gantic eggshell, growing at an alarminglyrapid rate like Alice in Wonderland’s neckafter drinking the magic potion. The rapidelongation of the turtle’s neck necessitatedconstant realignment of our fingers alongthe edge of the bag, which started to tear.Fortunately, we made it across the roadbefore the bag gave way. When we droppedit, the ancient snapping turtle slowly exitedand disappeared down the hill to the streamwithout so much as a word of thanks.
At times we have had strange animalsightings like that of the aforementionedmonkey. I will never forget the day myneighbor Ellen Kruse knocked on our doorasking me to verify what she was looking
at. I looked out to see what, after googling,I discovered to be a wallaby, not in the bestshape, poor thing. It was starving and wasseen by many trying to get food from gar-bage bins. I called the National Zoo. I wastold that under no circumstance could theyhelp because the animal might have a dis-ease that could wipe out the entire popula-tion of the zoo, I was then told, “You wouldnot believe the number of calls we get likethis. People import wild animals illegally.When the animal gets too big or poses otherproblems, they simply turn them loose.” Herlist included feathered as well as furry for-eigners. This leads me to the stories of themountain lion, or perhaps African lionessgiven the information from the zoo. It wasseen by many in the neighborhood yearsago. One neighbor tooling around at nighton a small motorbike only escaped becausehe was able to flee downhill. A tracker wasunable to catch it. Like the wallaby, it dis-appeared.
We used to have wonderful butterflies —tiny, iridescent, blues flitting about in danc-ing pairs that made the whole gardensparkle, small whites that reminded you ofthe snow, majestic monarchs, black swal-lowtails. Now they are all gone becausepeople spray for fear of mosquitos. Onemorning, I went out into the backyard whenwe still had numerous locust trees that allcame down later during the derecho. Ilooked up to see the sunlight filteringthrough the leaves and what looked likeglittering threads of diamonds runningthrough the tree branches in every direc-tion. Countless spider webs had caught in-finite dew drops that sparkled with rain-bow colors everywhere I turned. The raysof sunlight filtered through leafy shadowsand the dewdrops refracted the colors ofthe rainbow with the magic of a walkingdream thanks to the industrious work ofspiders in the trees. It is a magical momentrequiring the synchronicity of time, light,temperature, and silken threads floating inthe air. A startling, magical moment.
Keep your eyes and ears open for theneighbors who don’t greet you with a ver-bal hello. They will make your life a lot moreinteresting.
The writer is a resident of River Falls since1985. She has written a children’s book, a bookabout women’s names, and has blogged forPsychology Today, Nameberry, The FreelanceHistory Writer, and Atlas Obscura.
I suddenly realized Iwas looking, not at achild, but at a verylarge raccoon ...
Joys of Living Midst the Natural World
Need To StudyHelicopter NoiseTo the Editor
The following is an open letter toGene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General ofthe United States, U.S. GovernmentAccountability Office.Dear Comptroller General Dodaro:
We write to request that theGovernment Accountability Office(GAO) conduct a study of helicop-
ter noise within the Washingtonmetropolitan area. Many of ourconstituents live with the impactsof regular helicopter noise thatinterrupts sleep patterns, causestheir homes to shake and nega-tively impacts their quality of life.While disturbances from helicop-ter noise have been a longstandingproblem for some, others havenoted recent increases in the fre-quency and severity of helicopter
noise in their neighborhoods. Weunderstand that helicopter activ-ity is an essential part of law en-forcement, military and medicaloperations and appreciate thecritical efforts of employees serv-ing in those sectors. However, wealso believe that, through informa-tion collection, analysis and coor-dination, we can identify strate-gies to minimize the negative im-pacts of helicopter activity with-
out impeding the work of theagencies operating helicopterswithin the region.
We have engaged with constitu-ents, federal agencies and localgovernments on the problem ofhelicopter noise in our region. Anumber of questions haveemerged that can only be ad-dressed through a formal study.Among other issues your studymay find relevant, we ask that
your study include an analysis ofthe following issues:
❖ The types of helicopters thatgenerate the most noise and themake of the helicopters flying overthe Washington metropolitanarea;
❖ Current helicopter flight pathswithin the Washington metropoli-tan area, including an analysis of
Letters to the Editor
Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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News
Making MemoriesHarper Leigh, Sloane Averyand Ellis-Marie ColemanJefferson participate in thePotomac Library’s “Make avalentine” craft program onThursday, Feb. 14.
Angela and AllisonZhang hold up theirhandiwork. The craftprogram was part ofthe library’s LibraryLovers’ Month celebra-tion.
Andrew Zhangcreates a heart out
of paper forValentine’s Day.
Photos by
Deborah Stevens
The Almanac
8 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
Lunar New YearCelebrationHeather Lee, WingLau, Jennifer (Cho)Partlow, and CathyChang perform TheRibbon Dance at thePotomac CommunityCenter on Sunday,Feb. 17.
Joyce and Anna Yam are Pandas. The Chinese Lion entertains the audience. Young Ja KIm, Hwa Kyung Yang, and Young MiLee are Korean folk dancers.
Photos by
Deborah Stevens
The Almanac
Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Historical Saratoga Circa 1790Unique historic 2.5 acre Estate includes 3 Bdrms, 3 Baths, and
hosts variety of special features, Original portion: large Parlor,
-
en updated, new Master Bath w/ design accents that mimic
others in home. Carrara marble countertops/SHWR seat, rain
House:
11545 Mary Ball Rd, Lancaster VA
Outdoor: -
evergreen border trees surround 3/4 property; formal boxwood
bed. John Mecke, Realtor® (804)-577-0363
[email protected] HorsleyRealestate.com
Entertainment
Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.
ONGOINGArt Exhibit: Breakout Color.
Through March 2, Wednesday-Saturday, 12-6 p.m. at Gallery B,7700 Wisconsin Ave., Suite E,Bethesda. Gallery B presents itsFebruary exhibition, Breakout Color,featuring work by five painters,Nancy Arons, Sara Becker, JenniferHoward, Christianne King and DavidTerrar. Visit www.bethesda.org.
Photography Exhibit: “Place andDisplacement.” Through March 3,gallery hours at Photoworks in GlenEcho Park at 7300 MacArthur Blvd,Glen Echo. Featuring photos byAndrew Currie and Patricia Howardand curated by Fabian GoncalvesBorrega. Visitwww.glenechophotoworks.org
THURSDAY/FEB. 21Renaissance’s Art Start Class.
10:30 a.m. at Potomac Library,10101 Glenolden Drive, Potomac.This one-hour, packed class willinclude guided instructions for adrawing and creating a craft using anon-toxic polymer clay. Renaissance’sArt Start classes help developchildren’s imaginations and creativityalong with working on small motorskills and hand/eye coordination.Free. Registration required. CallCindy Gil at 240-777-0690.
The Doctor Is In. 7-9 p.m. at thePotomac Community Center, 11315Falls Road, Potomac. MontgomeryCounty residents may not want toreturn to the practice of medicineoffered in the 1880’s, but they will beentertained and informed whenClarence Hickey as Dr. EdwardStonestreet “makes a house call” toattendees at Potomac CommunityVillage’s monthly meeting andreflects on his life and historic times.For more information, to volunteer orget volunteer help, contact 240-221-1370, [email protected] orcheck outwww.PotomacCommunityVillage.org.
Poetry Contest Deadline.TheGaithersburg Book Festival will becelebrating its 10th anniversary, andis hosting a poetry contest for high-schoolers in D.C., Maryland andVirginia. To participate in the poetrycontest, students must be enrolled ingrades 9-12 at a public or privateschool, or be in a homeschoolprogram, for the 2018-19 schoolyear. First- and second-place winnersreceive $250 and $100, respectively.This contest replaces the previousshort story contest. Details can befound in the Festival website atgaithersburgbookfestival.org/gbf-programs/poetry-contest. The
deadline for submissions is Feb. 21,2019. Visitwww.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.
FRIDAY/FEB. 22Washington Conservatory
Concert. At WestmorelandCongregational UCC, 1Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda. Theconcert features pianist Jaewon Leeperforming favorite sonatas byBeethoven (Sonata No. 8, op.13“Pathetique;” Sonata No. 26, op. 81a“Les Adieux;” and Sonata No. 23,op.57 “Appassionata”). Admission bydonation, with all proceeds going tothe performer. Call 301-320-2770 orvisit washingtonconservatory.org.
SATURDAY/FEB. 23Family Bingo and Potluck Night.
5:30 p.m. at St. James’ EpiscopalChurch, Parish Hall, 11815 SevenLocks Road, Potomac. Join St. James’for a family-friendly night of bingowith white elephant prizes. St. Jameswill provide a potluck dinner anddrinks, free-will offering accepted. Tobring a dish to share call 301-762-8040 or email [email protected].
Play in a Day. 8 p.m. at ImaginationStage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda.Six professional area theatrecompanies will write, direct, rehearseand perform original plays based onsimilar themes in only 24 hours. Theplays will be presented at the 15thannual Play In A Day, produced bythe Bethesda Urban Partnership andBethesda Arts & EntertainmentDistrict. The event kicks off Friday,Feb. 22 when playwrights anddirectors come together to receivetheir assigned themes and props.Playwrights then work through the
night to create their 10-minutemasterpieces. As the sun comes up,rehearsals begin as teams of directorsand actors prepare anxiously to makethe 8 p.m. performance deadline onSaturday, Feb. 23. Participatingtheatre companies include:Adventure Theatre MTC (Glen Echo,MD); Flying V (Bethesda, MD);Happenstance Theater (Rockville,MD); Imagination Stage (Bethesda,MD); The Keegan Theatre(Washington, D.C.) and RorschachTheatre (Washington, D.C.). Ticketsare $15 at www.bethesda.org and atthe door at 7 p.m.
National Philharmonic presents“The Debut.” 8 p.m. at The MusicCenter at Strathmore’s Concert Hall.The National Philharmonic celebratescomposer Leonard Bernstein’scentennial with “The Debut,”featuring pictured three-timeGrammy-award winning cellist ZuillBailey and Grammy-nominatedviolinist Roberto Díaz. Conducted byPiotr Gajewski, the orchestra willperform Robert Schumann’s ManfredOverture; Miklós Rózsa’s Theme,Variations and Finale, Op. 13;Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote; andRichard Wagner’s Prelude to DieMeistersinger. Tickets are $32-$84;young people 7-17 are free. Visitwww.nationalphilharmonic.org orcall 301-581-5100.
SATURDAY/MARCH 2Conservatory Concerts Series. 8
p.m. at WestmorelandCongregational UCC, 1Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda.Cellist Tobias Werner and pianistRead Gainsford will perform SamuelBarber’s Sonata in C Minor, Op. 6and Rachmaninoff’s Sonata in GMinor, Op. 19. Guests are invited to
attend Wine & Words after theconcert for complimentary beveragesand an informal Q & A with theartists. Free, suggested donation of$20. Families are welcome at allconcerts. Call 301-320-2770 or orvisit washingtonconservatory.org.
FRIDAY/MARCH 8Family Bingo Night. 7-9 p.m. At
Clara Barton Community Center,7425 MacArthur Blvd., in CabinJohn. Admission is free. Bingo cardsare $5 each. Pizza slices and drinkswill be on sale. Local celebrity callers– State Del. Marc Korman and formerDistrict 1 County CouncilmemberRoger Berliner – will call numbersand keep the action moving. Call240-777-4910.
Concert: Bethesda SongwritingContest Finalists. 7:30 p.m. atBethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club,7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda. Thefifth annual Bernard/EbbSongwriting Awards, produced by theBethesda Arts & EntertainmentDistrict, features a live concertperformed by the competitionfinalists. Tickets begin at $15 atwww.bethesda.org.
MARCH 8-APRIL 14Photography Exhibit: “Visions,
Reflections.” Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.;Sundays, 1-8 p.m. at Photoworks, atGlen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthurBlvd, Glen Echo. Photoworkspresents “Visions, Reflections” byRoberto Frenandez Ibanez. Three ofthe four selected series do withoutthe camera as an instrument to createimages. They convey the artist’sconcern for the coexistence ofhumans with nature, the knowledgederived from observing it, and the
use of the photographic medium as amaterial that not only changes whenit is exposed to light, but can betransformed, tuned, and textured bytechniques and laboratory processes.Visit www.glenechophotoworks.org.
SATURDAY/MARCH 9Opening Reception: “Visions,
Reflections.” 5-7 p.m. atPhotoworks, at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo.Photoworks presents “Visions,Reflections” by Roberto FrenandezIbanez. Three of the four selectedseries do without the camera as aninstrument to create images. Theyconvey the artist’s concern for thecoexistence of humans with nature,the knowledge derived fromobserving it, and the use of thephotographic medium as a materialthat not only changes when it isexposed to light, but can betransformed, tuned, and textured bytechniques and laboratory processes.Visit www.glenechophotoworks.org.
FRIDAY/MARCH 15Washington Conservatory
Concert. 7 p.m. At WestmorelandCongregational UCC Church, 1Westmoreland Circle, Bethesda. Theconcert features WashingtonConservatory Faculty Spotlight onsoloists and ensembles. Call 301-320-2770.
DANCINGWeekly International Folkdancing.
Thursdays, 7:30-11 p.m. at Church ofthe Redeemer, 6201 DunrobbinDrive, Bethesda. Circle and linedances from Eastern Europe. Lessonat 7:30, followed by requests. GlenEcho Folkdancers welcome beginnersof all ages; no partner needed. Wearcomfortable shoes. $7. Call 301-466-3018 or visitwww.dancingplanetproductions.com.
Thang Ta. Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m. atSutradhar Institute of Dance andRelated Arts, 1525 Forest Glen Road,Silver Spring. Learn the ancient art ofthe sword and spear. $25. Visitwww.dancesidra.org.
Weekly Blues Dance. Thursdays8:15-11:30 p.m. in the Back RoomAnnex at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd. Capital Bluespresents rotating DJs and instructorswith beginner workshop 8:15-9 p.m.,no partner necessary. $8 for all.capitalblues.org
Weekly Swing Dance. Saturdays, 8p.m.-midnight. The DC LindyExchange presents a swing dancewith live music in the SpanishBallroom, Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo.Beginner swing dance lesson at 8p.m., followed by dancing. Admission$16-$18, age 17 and under $12. Visitwww.glenechopark.org.
ConservatoryConcerts Series
Cellist Tobias Werner and pianistRead Gainsford will perform SamuelBarber’s Sonata in C Minor, Op. 6 andRachmaninoff’s Sonata in G Minor, Op.19. Both artists are members of thePressenda Chamber Players, the En-semble in Residence at theConservatory. Guests are invited to at-tend Wine & Words after the concert forcomplimentary beverages and an infor-mal Q & A with the artists. Saturday,March 2, 8 p.m. at Westmoreland Con-gregational UCC, 1 WestmorelandCircle, Bethesda. Free, suggested dona-tion of $20. Families are welcome at allconcerts. Call 301-320-2770 or or visitwashingtonconservatory.org for more.
Read Gainsford and Tobias Werner
10 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
At least that was my intention when I sat down to write this column. I was planning on highlighting a couple of my pet peeves: One was about people who back into parking spac-es, an all-too common practice (which does not make perfect) that irks me no end and often in-conveniences me while idling in my car waiting for the driver to crane his neck and coordinate
space, all while blocking my passage. The second peeve also involves cars, but this
action has potentially far more dangerous con-sequences: Drivers who, while motoring along, completely ignore my car’s blinkers/indicator lights – WHEN THEY’RE FLASHING.
I was taught that when driving a vehicle and needing to turn/switch lanes, I was to indicate that to other drivers by using my blinkers, look into my mirrors and then move right or left accordingly. Moreover, when I observed those
respect their intentions and give them a wide berth. I was not to speed up and interfere with their indications. Unfortunately, the exact oppo-site often happens.
Though I am still respectful when drivers
many of my driving brethren see those lights, they react much the same way as a bull does when he sees red: they SPEED UP, and in their vehicle’s acceleration, they put me and my pas-sengers at risk. If it has happened once – which it has – it has happened a thousand times.
Unfortunately, neither of these car-related “misbehaviors” has been able to block out one of my key cancer anniversaries: Feb. 20, 2009, and as such, I will now be returning to the scene of the semi crime. And though I am not Billy Shears 20 years after the band taught me how to play, I am a lung cancer survivor who 10 years ago on Feb. 20 learned that I had cancer. That was the day when my primary care physician called me at work, about noon-ish on a Thursday to discuss the results of my previous week’s surgical biopsy.
After declining the offer to come to his
he did: the growth was malignant. Dumbfound-ed, I asked for further details, which he politely deferred to an oncologist (a specialty with which I was totally unfamiliar), with whom, while we spoke on the phone, my primary care physician scheduled a Team Lourie appoint-ment for the following Thursday.
which had been going on since I showed up at the Emergency Room on Jan. 1, 2009 complain-ing of pain in my right side, an inability to take
With an inconclusive X-Ray to not corrob-orate, an otherwise healthy patient with no family history of anything relevant – especially cancer, the doctor was perplexed. Fifty days later I learned I had cancer. And so I remember that day/date, a day which will go down in infamy, so to speak – in my family anyway.
The intervening days, as I have written about recently, were spent investigating the cause of my original symptoms. Eventually all test results led to one conclusion: non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV.
Meaning metastatic and inoperable, mean-ing “terminal.” It was Feb. 20 when I learned my fate. (The following Thursday, Feb. 27, is another anniversary; that’s when we met my
life would never be the same, or last nearly as long.)
But yet here I am, alive and reasonably well, writing about nonsense, mostly, instead of cancer, for this week, anyway. Good therapy for sure, and a nice change of pace.
EnoughAbout Cancer
From Page 6
News
which neighborhoods are most impacted byhelicopter noise;
❖ The frequency of flights over neighbor-hoods, including information on eachagency operating helicopters, the times offlight and flight altitude;
❖ The number of flights that occur dur-ing the day and at night;
❖ The altitude at which helicopters cur-rently fly within the Washington metropoli-tan area today compared to the altitude atwhich helicopters operated within theWashington metropolitan area in the past;
❖ Potential causes of the increase in theseverity and frequency of helicopter noisein the Washington metropolitan area;
❖ The degree of coordination that cur-rently exists among the various governmentand non-governmental entities operatinghelicopters in the Washington metropolitanarea regarding flight paths, altitudes andother pertinent considerations; and
❖ Viable options for noise mitigation,potentially including modifications to cur-rent training practices that would reducethe number of training hours that must becompleted in the Washington metropolitanarea and modifications to night trainingtimes so that pilots do not fly when mostresidents are sleeping.
We appreciate your attention to this mat-ter and ask that you respond to our requestfor a study within 30 days of the date ofthis letter.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, DonBeyer, Jamie Raskin, Anthony
Brown, David TroneMembers of Congress
AddressingAlzheimer’sTo the Editor:
The Alzheimer’s Association estimatesthere are more than five million Americansliving with Alzheimer’s disease and morethan 16 million Alzheimer’s caregivers. Asthe Alzheimer’s Ambassador to U.S. Sen.Chris Van Hollen, it is my honor to repre-sent them. In Maryland, at least 294,000caregivers provide more than 334,000,000total hours of unpaid care to 110,000 of ourresidents who live with Alzheimer’s.
That is why we at the Alzheimer’s Asso-ciation are enormously grateful to SenatorVan Hollen and his colleagues in Congressfor passing the Building Our Largest Demen-tia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’sAct at the end of 2018. BOLD will alloweffective Alzheimer’s public health interven-tions to be implemented across the countrywhile establishing Centers of Excellence toexpand and promote innovative and effec-tive Alzheimer’s interventions. State andlocal health departments will receive vitalfunding to carry out the Public Health RoadMap, including promoting early detectionand diagnosis, reducing risk, and prevent-ing avoidable hospitalizations.
I lost my mother to younger-onsetAlzheimer’s disease in 2002, and our fam-ily would’ve benefited greatly had theseopportunities been available to us then. Wehave much work to do to find an effectivetreatment and eventually a cure, but in themeantime it becomes more and more im-portant that Congress continue to act inpassing the necessary legislation – such asBOLD – that gives those living withAlzheimer’s disease and their caregivers allthe support they need and deserve. Thankyou, Senator Van Hollen, for once againshowing your great allegiance and supportto this important cause.
Visit alz.org/nca to learn how you can getinvolved in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.
Sue WronskyPotomac
County health officials recentlyreleased the first Report onMaternal and Infant Health forMontgomery County.
The report includes information and dataon maternal and infant health topics in thecounty and identifies the Department ofHealth and Human Services (DHHS) rolein providing education and services to re-duce adverse pregnancy-related outcomesand improve maternal and infant healthamong county residents.
“Maternal and Infant Health in Montgom-ery County, Maryland, 2008-2017” high-lights where the county stands in compari-son to the state and the nation on maternaland infant health topics.
The data can is used to establish evidence-based, innovative practices; policy analysis;drive practice innovation; policy analysis;preventative methods; health promotionmessages; and planning activities related topublic health. The information brings atten-tion to areas of success and weakness, whichcan be analyzed by stakeholders to design
appropriate programming and interventionsto address gaps in outcomes.
MAIN FINDINGS of the report include:❖ The county’s population has become
more diverse over time; the non-HispanicBlack and Hispanic populations have in-creased while the non-Hispanic White popu-lation has decreased.
❖ The county performs better on mostmaternal and infant health indicators thanMaryland and the U.S.
❖ Non-Hispanic Blacks have higher per-centages of preterm and low-weight birthsthan other population subgroups.
❖ Non-Hispanic Blacks have higher ratesof infant and fetal death than other popu-lation subgroups.
❖ Though there is a decreasing trend ofsevere maternal morbidity (e.g. severelycomplicated pregnancies and deliveries) inthe county, non-Hispanic Blacks and His-panics experienced 60 percent and 46 per-cent greater risks respectively than theirnon-Hispanic White counterpart.
Health Outcomes: Great Disparities
Letters to the Editor
Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
12 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ February 20-26, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
