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Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at potomacalmanac.com
Classified, Page 10
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January 29 - February 4, 2014
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PotomacPotomac
Eight Family AdventuresTo Brighten Winter DaysWinter Fun, Page 3
Cool RideWinter Fun, Page 3
Local Students Perform in‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’Entertainment, Page 2
Local Students Perform in‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’Entertainment, Page 2
Riley and Bob Degemmisenjoy the ice on the canalon Sunday, Jan. 26.
2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
JT Interiorsat
Potomac HouseInvites you to join us.
Wine &ChocolateTasting SoireeSaturday, February 8th
2 p.m.–5 p.m.9906 River Road,
Potomac, MD 20854301-299-0485
facebook.com/jtinteriorspotomac
JT Interiorsat
Potomac HouseInvites you to join us.
Wine &ChocolateTasting SoireeSaturday, February 8th
2 p.m.–5 p.m.9906 River Road,
Potomac, MD 20854301-299-0485
facebook.com/jtinteriorspotomac
By Susan Belford
The Almanac
Everyone loves the story and mu-sical score of the whimsical“Beauty and the Beast” — theTony award- winning Disney
stage production that took Broadway by astorm in 1994. Based on the 1991 film ofthe same name, which was in turn adaptedfrom the French fairy tale by Jeanne-MarieLe Prince de Beaumont, “Beauty and theBeast” tells the story of a prince who is trans-formed into a hideous beast as punishmentfor his cruel and selfish ways, and an ad-venturous young woman named Bellewhom he imprisons in his castle. In orderto become human again, the Beast mustearn Belle’s love before it’s too late.
Bravo@Kat (Kensington Arts Theatre)will present this musical Jan. 31-Feb. 2, atthe Randolph Road Theatre, 4010 RandolphRoad, Silver Spring. The production will beperformed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31,at 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 on Saturday,Feb. 1 and at 1:30 and 4 p.m. on Sunday,Feb. 2. Tickets are $18 on-line and $20 atthe door.
Bravo@Kat is a local theatre program for
young artists - one that attracts talent fromall around the D.C. metropolitan area. Thecast is led by two Beasts – 15-year-old ZachConneen, who will be appearing in episodesof “Modern Family” as a guest star, andEthan Miller who will literally step from onestage to another when Signature Theatre’sproduction of “Gypsy” closes the day before“Beauty and the Beast Jr.” opens. Both per-formers are veterans of Bravo@Kat, andplay opposite Marjorie Long and Leah Fox— two Belles. Ethan, Marjorie and nineother cast members are Potomac residents.
“Disney’s well-deserved reputation for
quality family entertainment is whatprompted Bravo@Kat to present a spectacu-lar double cast of talent for six shows of‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.,’” said ExecutiveProducer Laurie Levy Issembert. “With acast of 51 young artists, featuring studentsin grades 3-9 from all over the metropoli-tan area, award-winning Director/Choreog-rapher Darnell Morris and Music DirectorMayumi Baker Griffie have crafted a showwhose message resonates with the creativesentimentality of the youthful cast. And, asalways, Laurie Levy reaches out to includeingénues in grades 1 and 2 who are just‘breaking into the business.’ They will be
the adorable teacups wishing you to ‘Be OurGuest’ at the cold late January performanceswhen they will warm your heart and leaveyou bubbling with excitement.”
Josie Weinberg, an 8th grade student atHerbert Hoover Middle School, said,“Beauty and the Beast is a classic show thatI’ve loved since I was a little girl. The showteaches us that beauty isn’t all that meetsthe eye and sometimes we have to look be-neath the surface. Bringing the story we allknow and cherish to life on stage is a won-derful experience. Performing with some ofmy best friends makes it even better. Withthis show I’ve been able to expand on myacting skills because I’m playing a charac-ter (Mrs. Potts) who is different from theusual roles I play.”
Ethan Miller, also a student at HooverMiddle School, has been with Bravo@Katsince they began. He said, “I really enjoyworking with the cast and directors of theshow and have learned a lot. A lot of thecast have been in shows together in the past,and we really enjoy spending time togetherand bonding throughout the rehearsal pro-cess.” Through her involvement withBravo@Kat, 5th grader Anna Corbin haslearned “how much work it takes to make awonderful show.”
The parents must also be committed tothe program. “We couldn’t do it without thesupport and volunteerism of the parents,grandparents and families,” said Issembert.
Musical to be presentedby Bravo@Kat.
Local Students Perform in ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’Entertainment
Belle (Leah Fox) receives anenchanted rose from herBeast (Ethan Miller).
Gaston (Sam Nasar) is surrounded by SillyGirls (from left) Mia Blackman, Lydia Levy,Jenna Prosen and Rachel Herman.
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Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Potomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren
703-778-9415 or [email protected]
See www.potomacalmanac.com
Compiled by Ken Moore
The Almanac
WATCH LOCAL THEATREPotomac Theatre Company Spring pro-
duction of “Annie” in the Blair Family Cen-ter for the Arts at the Bullis School, 10601Falls Road. Three weekends of perfor-mances, March 14 - 30, Friday and Satur-day, 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Call 301-299-8571. See www.potomactheatreco.org.
COOL WEEKEND OF JAZZThe Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, annual
event, Feb. 14-17. Hilton Washington D.C./Rockville Hotel and Executive Meeting Cen-ter, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville. The fes-tival provides live musical performances,workshops and seminars. Seewww.midatlanticjazzfestival.org/.
WATCH HORSE SHOWS, INDOORSPotomac Horse Center
14211 Quince Orchard Road, NorthPotomac, 20878
301-208-0200, www.potomachorse.comOr sign up for lessons or trail rides.Watch a horse show indoors:❖ Feb. 9, National Capital Equestrian
League Adult Show❖ Feb. 14, Valentine’s Jumper Schooling
Show❖ March 2, Potomac Horse Center Client
Show❖ March 28, Potomac Horse Center
Evening Dressage Schooling Show
SKATE, PLAY HOCKEYCabin John Regional Park Ice Rink10610 Westlake Drive, 301-765-8620www.montgomeryparks.orgwww.CabinJohnice.comPrivate and group lessons for all ages,
open skating times, hockey clinics for allexperience levels and special events. Openyear round.
Public Skate Sessions through March 30,2014
Mondays 8-10 a.m. Public Skate10:15am-12:15 p.m. Adult Skate12:30-2:30 p.m. Public Skate4:30-6:15 p.m. $5 Public SkateTuesdays 8:00-10 a.m. Cheapskate10:15am-12:15 p.m. Adult Skate12:30-2:30 p.m. Public Skate4:30-6:15 p.m. Public Skate8:15-10:15 p.m. Public SkateWednesdays 8:00-10 a.m. Public Skate10:15-11:15 a.m. Parent & Tot Skate10:30 am-12:30 p.m. Dance12:30-2:30 p.m. Public Skate4:30-6:15 p.m. $5 Public SkateThursdays 8-10 a.m. Cheapskate10:15am-12:15 p.m. Adult Skate12:30-2:30 p.m. Public Skate4:30-6:15 p.m. Public Skate8:15-10:15 p.m. Adult Skate
See Fun Things, Page 4
See Some Ideas, Page 4
By Susan Belford
The Almanac
The temperatures are chilling, thedays are short and dreary, andthe winter doldrums have set in.All the closets have been thor-
oughly cleaned. Too many cookies — forthat waistline — have been baked. Even thechildren are frustrated with being homefrom school and activities for too manydays.
Sick of wet boots, dirty floors and pull-ing on and stripping off snowsuits? Eventhe holiday computer games and toys havebecome tiresome. How to make it throughthese next few dreary months until springbrings sunshine and singing birds?
Here are some alternatives for turningwinter days into special memories. Theseinclude ideas to get the couch potatoes offthe sofa, options for sharing the beauty ofa winter day with the family, and some funactivities that might not have been consid-ered. So go for it. Bundle up with hats andmittens, head out of the house, and takeadvantage of these cold days with some newadventures.
EXPERIENCE the feeling of springtimewhen visiting the Natural History Museum’sButterfly Pavilion. Stroll among live butter-flies and exotic plants in a warm, cozygreenhouse environment. Butterflies ex-plode around you, landing on your heads,arms and shoulders. Just be certain not totake one with you when you leave. Thistropical oasis offers visitors a rare opportu-
nity to get close to a variety of living but-terflies from all over the world. Open 10:15a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets may be purchasedonline before you visit: $6 for adults, $5for children This Smithsonian Museum is
located at 1000 Constitution Avenue, Wash-ington D.C.
VISIT the U.S. Botanic Garden to hikethrough a jungle, learn about the cacti of
the desert or to see beautiful orchids inbloom.
Located just steps for the U.S. Capitol, the
Some ideas for gettingout of the house.
Eight Family Adventures To Brighten WinterWinter Fun
Photo by Deborah Stevens/The Almanac
Youngsters play ice hockey.
Fun in Winter No lack of activities— indoors and out.
Photo by Debbie Stevens/The Almanac
The Potomac Horse Center pro-vides riding lessons to hundreds ofstudents, children and adults, eachweek.
4 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
From Page 3
From Page 3
POTOMACALMANAC
www.PotomacAlmanac.com
Newspaper of PotomacA Connection Newspaper
An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered
to homes and businesses.
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EDITORSteven Mauren, 703-778-9415
SPORTS EDITORJon Roetman,703-224-3015
[email protected]@jonroetman
CONTRIBUTING WRITERSSusan Belford, Carole Dell,
Cissy Finley Grant, Carole Funger,Colleen Healy, Kenny Lourie,
Ken Moore
ContributingPhotographers
Harvey Levine, Deborah Stevens
Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly
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ADVERTISINGFor advertising information
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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVESDisplay Advertising:
Kenny Lourie [email protected]
Andrea Smith 703-778-9411Classified Advertising
Debbie FunkNational Sales & real Estate
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Potomac Almanac is publishedby Local Media Connection LLC
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An Award-winning Newspaperin Writing, Photography, Editing,
Graphics and Design
gardens offer a chance to learnmore about plants and nature. Besure to request the Family FieldJournal to make your visit an edu-cational and fun experience. If youhave a child 9 or older, ask for aJunior Botanist kid’s backpack ofexploration. For more informationsee http://www.usbg.gov/visit#sthash.PWjGAR1B.dpuf. Thegardens are located at 100 Mary-land Ave SW, Washington D.C.Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ad-mission is free.
TAKE A HIKE while learningmore about nature at the LocustGrove Nature Center.
Locust Grove offers quality pro-grams featuring the natural andcultural history of MontgomeryCounty and the surrounding re-gion. Sign up for one of the hikesor educational programs for bothchildren and adults. Some of theirFebruary programs include: TotTime and Preschool “Hide andSeek” outdoor adventure pro-grams, a Full Moon Family Hike,winter story time (includes a hike)and much more. For information,call 301-299-1990 orwww.montgomeryparks.org/nature_centers/locust. LocustGrove Nature Center is located at
Fridays 8-10 a.m. Cheapskate10:15-11:15am Parent & Tot
Skate (except 2/14/14)10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Dance12:30-2:30 p.m. Public Skate4:30-6 p.m. Public Skate8-10 p.m. Public SkateSaturdays 12-2 p.m. Public
Skate4-6 p.m. Public Skate8:30-10:30 p.m. Public SkateSundays 8:30-10 a.m. Public
Skate12:30-2:30 p.m. Family Skate4:30-6:30 p.m. Public Skate
KNOW YOUR COMMUNITYCENTER
11315 Falls Road, Potomac, 240-777-6960
Potomac Community Center isMontgomery County’s busiestcommunity center, with open gymactivities, arts and crafts, exerciseclasses, leisure classes, group sup-port meetings and socials, senioradult activities, sports programs,summer camps, programs for in-dividuals with disabilities,children’s holiday parties, volun-teer opportunities and more. Fa-
cilities include a gymnasium, ex-ercise room, meeting rooms, artroom, lounge area, communityroom and social hall. The outdoorarea includes baseball fields andlighted basketball and tenniscourts. The center offers table ten-nis, billiards and foosball, a gym-nasium, weight room, social room,meeting rooms, and hundreds ofclasses through the Department ofRecreation.
ALL ARTS ON DECKGlen Echo Park7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen
Echowww.glenechopark.org301-634-2222Originally a Chautauqua retreat,
then an amusement park, Glen
Echo National Park now hosts avariety of arts, environmental andhistory programs. Classes are of-fered in pottery, painting, photog-raphy, glass art, silversmithing,textiles and other arts, as well as
Ideas for Getting Out of the House
7777 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda.
LEARN how to create a fun artproject at the Art Explorers Fam-ily Art Studio at Glen Echo Parkon Saturday morning from 10 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Have fun participating in artactivities with your child or chil-dren 10 and under. No preregis-tration is required. The workshopis held each week in the historicCandy Corner and costs $10 perchild. Learn more about this cre-ative Glen Echo program at: http://www.pgip.org.
GIVE your child the opportunityto experience a live stage produc-tion.
This area is rich in children’stheater. Get tickets for the produc-tions at Imagination Stage, theKensington Arts Theater (BRAVO@ KAT), Adventure Theater, ThePuppet Company, the KennedyCenter or the National Theatre forwonderful shows for children of allages. Some of the delightful shows
that you can attend now are:“Beauty and the Beast, Jr.” byBRAVO@KAT, “Rumpelstiltskin” atImagination Stage, “Miss Nelsonis Missing” at Adventure Theatre,“Tales of Beatrix Potter” at ThePuppet Company, “Orphie and theBook of Heroes” as well as “Peterand the Wolf” at the Kennedy Cen-ter and Saturday morning pro-grams for children at the NationalTheatre in D.C.
DON your mittens and hats andgo ice skating — indoors or out.
There are lots of places to skate(or to learn to skate) in our areaas well as in D.C. The NationalGallery of Art Sculpture Garden isa particularly scenic D.C. winterexperience. View magnificentworks of sculpture while skatingin the open air and enjoying mu-sic from the state-of-the-art soundsystem.
Cabin John Ice Arena in CabinJohn Park offers indoor ice skat-ing and lessons while the RockvilleTown Center is outdoors and alsoprovides lessons. And this winterfor the first time in many years,the C&O Canal is frozen over —lace up your skates and enjoy thejoys of skating on a natural pond(only with Park Ranger approval).
Some Fun Things To Do in Winter
Two friends, RafePomerance (left) and BurrGray, ex-hockey players, gettogether with an ice hockeypuck on the canal.
May and Kazue Torii at thecanal on Sunday, Jan. 26.
Photo by Mary Kimm/The Almanac
The Tavern at Great Falls inthe C&O National HistoricalPark.
Photo by Harvey Levine
Potomac Theatre Company will perform “Annie” at theBullis School in March. Pictured, cast of last year’s pro-duction of “My Fair Lady,” David Berkenbilt (Col.Pickering), Nan Muntzing (Mrs. Higgins), Phil McLeod(Freddy Gynsford-Hill), Mary Wakefield (Eliza Doolittle),and Ken Kemp (Henry Higgins).
Winter Fun
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See Winter, Page 11
See Fun, Page 7
Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
By Marilyn Campbell
The Almanac
On a frigid winter day,you might find ChefCary Prokos preparing chicken for a
long soak in a red wine marinadefor Coq au vin, standing over acauldron of bouillabaisse to ensurethat his scallops, rockfish andother seafoods are seasoned withhefty proportions of saffron andgarlic to create a hearty soup. Hisgoal is to create meals withenough brawn to stand-up to theravenous, cold-weather inducedappetites of the patrons at hisPotomac restaurant, NormandieFarm.
Prokos and other local culinaryexperts say that it’s possible to sat-isfy cold-weather taste buds thatcrave robust flavors at home aswell. From root vegetables to leanmeat, they say it’s all about eatingsimply and seasonally.
When Prokos is at home, for ex-ample, his menu takes a stillhearty, but more realistic turn. “Mywife Margery and I are busy run-ning the kids to sports practices,music lessons and other activities,”said Prokos, a graduate of the Cu-linary Institute of America. “Whenwe meet back at home for dinner,it has to be easy.ºWe throw some-thing like chicken — everythingfrom legs and thighs to bone-inbreasts — in the crockpot earlier
in the day and it’s ready in theevening.”
Prokos pours in chicken broththen tosses in chopped vegetableslike celery, onions and carrots.Later, he adds orzo. The concoc-tion, he says, is enhanced with anherb like thyme.
“People want food to be easyand choose food out of defaultrather than choosing somethingfabulous. So plan ahead,” saidJanet Zalman, president of theZalman Nutrition Group. She re-cently created a winter meal planfor a Potomac client. A key pieceof advice that she offered: “On abitterly cold, dark night, don’t eata salad and expect to be satisfied.”
Instead, she says, roast veg-etables like cauliflower, Brusselssprouts and carrots. “Toss yourvegetables with olive oil and herbslike thyme, basil or oregano,” saidZalman. “Add a little garlic pow-der, just a touch of salt and roastthem in the oven at 350 [degrees]for 45 minutes.”
“If you don’t like to come homefrom work and chop vegetables,buy them on Sunday and chopthem,” she continued. “Teach yourchildren how to chop.”
For those who crave a crunch,Zalman offers kale chips. “To makekale chips, spray them with oliveoil, add garlic and just a drop ofsalt. Roast them in a 350 degreeoven for 20 minutes.”
WINTER is a time when ChefKristen Robinson, an instructor atThe International Culinary Schoolat The Art Institute of Washington,takes on the ultimate slow food:cassoulet. With its origins in theSouth of France, this meat-stud-ded, white bean-based stew cantake hours or even days to make.Robinson, however, adds ahealthier, speedier twist: “I cookthe white beans and have them onhand,” she said. “Then, when Iwant to make cassoulet, I heatthem up with caramelized onionsand roasted butternut squash andsmall pieces of kale and a nicepiece of chicken.”
Robinson also uses winter’sreadily available citrus. “Oranges,grapefruit, kumquats are in seasonnow,” she said. “A lot of peoplewonder what they can do withcarrots. I roast them with balsamicvinegar, olive and orange peel. Theorange peels seeps into the carrotsand they develops an orange fla-vor, almost like orange juice onyour carrots, but even better.”
Vienna, Va., based ChristineWisnewski an instructor atCulinaria Cooking School says,“The moment the temperaturesstart to drop, I crave hearty food.
Cooking for the Cold Local chefs suggest hearty, bone-sticking recipes.
Winter Food
Photo courtesy of Cary Prokos
Chef Cary Prokos ofNormandie Farm Restau-rant in Potomac createselaborate and hearty mealsfor his patrons, but athome he keeps it simpleand tasty by loading hiscrockpot with vegetablesand herbs.
It can be hard to satisfy that crav-ing while keeping it healthy.”
Soup makes frequent appear-ances on Wisnewski’s dinner tableduring winter. “I try to make a potor two of soup per week,” she said.“They can be hearty and healthy.Seasonally you can add potatoesor sweet potatoes, hearty greenslike kale, corn and white beans,kidney beans or garbanzo beans
for protein. You can have peak pro-duce any time of the year with fro-zen vegetables.”
FOR BULK and substance,Wisnewski suggests tossing in bar-ley or farro.
Winter also is a time whenWisnewski recreates the comfortfood staple: potpie.
“I am a huge fan of chicken pot
pie,” she said. “I avoid the bottomcrust and top it with home madebiscuits. You can cut caloriesthere.” She also makes a lightsauce for her potpies and avoidsheavy cream.
“It is not a question that whenyou hunker down in cold weatherthat you crave heartier food,” saidWisnewski. “It’s just about keep-ing it delicious and healthy.”
LET’S TALKReal Estate
For professional advice on all aspectsof buying and selling real estate, call:
MICHAEL MATESELong & Foster Realtors
by Michael Matese
Selling YourHome in a
Slow MarketIn today’s market, Realtors® and sellersare paying more attention to the impor-tance of “thinking outside the box”. Thereal estate market of the 21st century ischallenging and changing at the pace oftechnology—in other words, at warp speed!Gone are the days of simply popping a “ForSale” sign in the yard, creating an MLS list-ing and placing an advertisement in theSunday papers. Though that’s tradition—and those methods of home sale are cer-tainly still necessary and vital—they’re sim-ply not enough to make your home distinctin the real estate market of today. SavvyRealtors® and sellers know that it takesmore—much more—to successfully close ona home and maximize on the home’s worth.Today’s buyer is looking for more than justa place to hang their hat—they’re lookingfor a property that reflects their lives, theirvalues and their lifestyle. It’s as muchabout where your grill will be during thesummer months and what kind of gardenyou’ll put in come springtime as it is abouthaving four walls four walls and a roof.Home staging is a perfect jumping-off point.Most buyers can’t imagine themselves in aspace while it’s full of the things that makeyour house a home—so step one in selling,especially in a slow market, is de-clutteringall the spaces and storing all the home deco-rations that make it look like “yours”.Likewise, keeping the counters clear andthe spaces clean and tidy make a world ofdifference. Next, have a Kodak momentwith your house—glossy print magazines,social media and virtual tours are wheremost home buyers start looking. If they fallin love with a picture of your house, you’vegot a better chance of them making an offeronce they see it in person. There’s a num-ber of ways to make the most of a slow mar-ket and sell your home for its maximumvalue—sit down with your Realtor® andstart drawing up your plan for success!
E-mail: [email protected]
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6 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News
See Toy-buying, Page 7
By Carole Funger
The Almanac
After 20 years inPotomac, the specialtytoy store, ToysUnique, will be closing
in March, leaving a hole in thehearts of area residents of all ages.Since it opened in 1994, the neigh-borhood shop has been supplyinglocals with a variety of high qual-ity classic toys expertly selected byits owner and displayed in an old-time setting. Toys Unique is notjust any business, but a nostalgicwalk back in time to an era whentoyshops still elicited a sense of joyand communities were formedaround shaping childhood experi-ences of wonder.
Toys Unique is the brainchild ofJarunee Chantraparnik, known byall her long-standing customers asJa-Roon-ee. She came to the Wash-ington area from Bangkok, Thai-land in the 1970s after complet-ing her undergraduate studies onthe West Coast. For many years sheheaded up a new technology
group for the former Riggs Na-tional Bank. Then, after a stintwith the Montgomery County gov-ernment where she was in chargeof a computing information cen-ter, she decided it was time to tryher hand at a new business ven-ture. She ran into a friend of hers,the CEO of Mellon Bank at thetime, and they talked about thefact that there was no toy store inPotomac Village.
Chantraparnik had previouslyhelped a colleague in a toy shopand had some experience. Sheloved books of all sorts and was in-terested in providing a place whereparents and children could findmore discerning examples thanwere currently available at the bigretail chains. She began looking inPotomac for a store to rent andsoon after found a space shethought would be small enough forher to manage by herself.
She was 48 then, and not inter-ested in carrying a lot of overhead.“You might say the move was atotal departure from my formerwork environment,” she said with
a laugh. “Especially since I rarelycarry anything computer-relatedin my store.”
She leased the space on FallsRoad in the Village and opened forbusiness on March 15, 1994, nam-ing her store Toys Unique to de-fine her mission and pay homageto her major in French studies. Herfirst objective was to assemble avariety of quality products includ-ing toys, books, crafts, puzzles andhobbies that weren’t readily avail-able at the larger stores. She wassaddened to find that many storesno longer carried hobby sets,though there still seemed to bestrong demand for specialty itemssuch as rocket parts among chil-dren and grown-ups alike.
“Grown children and parentslove to reminisce about theiryounger days of shooting off rock-ets and things like that,” she said,adding, “Toys, hobbies andprojects need to be fun and in theprocess of playing with them, youlearn something.”
When it came to girls, she fo-cused on offering crafts, dolls,dollhouses, puzzles and games,with the requisite number of trin-kets, princesses and pink accesso-ries thrown in to suit her custom-ers’ tastes. There were even a fewBarbies. “I tried to cover everyone,from infants to older children,” shesaid. For adolescents, she incorpo-rated swimming pool bags, beachtowels, headbands and bracelets,adding meticulously over the yearsto the growing inventory of items.
AFTER TWO DECADES spentworking seven days a week,Chantraparnik built many long-term relationships with her cus-tomers. “There are so many sto-ries I could tell,” she said. She re-
called one of the first families toshop at her store, a young couplewith four girls and one boy. Theybecame so close over the years thatshe even attended their bar andbat-mitzvahs. “Part of running thestore for me has been to watch thechildren grow up,” she said. “Icould write a book about it. It’s amulti-layered experience.”
Part of that experience is that itis not unusual for former clients,children, parents and grandpar-ents to look her up at the store toshare news of important events intheir lives. Recently, a woman whoChantraparnik had not seen inyears came in to announce she hadjust had her first grandchild. Inanother instance, a young manstopped by, accompanied by ayoung lady. He asked her, “Do youremember me?” Chantraparnikcould immediately recall him bythe type of things his mom (now agood friend) used to buy. She re-membered that as a boy he lovedlistening to Jim Weiss’ gospel mu-sic and wouldn’t go to sleep with-out it. The boy, now grown, intro-duced her to his fiancée.
Chantraparnik’s eyes wateredover as she told the story of howan older child came into the storeone day and handed her $10. Thechild said, “When I was little andshort on a dollar or so, you said itwas OK. I’ve been meaning to stopby for years to repay you for yourkindness.”
OVER THE YEARS,Chantraparnik’s customers havetaken on an active role in shapingher collection. “They advise me onwhat to buy and they broaden myawareness as to what’s on trend,”she said. Take, for instance, thecase of Yomega Yoyos, a leading
yoyo manufacturer, and all therage with young boys. Many of heryoungest customers pressed her tostock them, informing her theywere the coolest things around. “Isold a lot of yoyos based on theirvery astute marketing advice,” shesaid with a smile.
The Rainbow Loom, a kit thatmakes colorful rubber bands intobracelets, came highly recom-mended by her young female con-tingent. A tween-age girl and hermother encouraged Chantraparnikto look into the popular product,which at the time was availableonly on line. She ended up contact-ing the supplier and began sellingthe item in her store. The loomlater went viral on the web, but notbefore Chantraparnik had stockedup on a generous supply. Comesummer, thanks to her junior mar-keting advisors, she was uniquelypositioned to take the lead on allsummer camp purchases.
There was one rough period forthe tiny store; that was the yearImaginarium, the Toys R Us sub-sidiary, opened across the street.Toys Unique struggled, but manycustomers stood behind the storeand were very supportive. Ulti-mately, Imaginarium closed down.By focusing on her customers andmaking sure she meets their needs,Chantraparnik has been fortunateto maintain her business. Thoughshe doesn’t carry a large inventory,she tries to offer choices and value.
“We are a destination. We servethe community and neighbor-hoods. People know what the storecarries and they know they’ll beable to find most of what theyneed,” she said.
Twenty years have seen a lot of
Toy-buying changes with the times.
Singular Among Stores, Toys Unique To Close in March
Jarunee Chantraparnik
Customers (from left) Teeda Izadi, KyleAnderson-Boozer and Neeve Izadi in frontof the Lego section.
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Combos available Monday thru Friday, 11am–4pm.Additional charge for priced condiments.
Good for dine-in and carryout only.Not valid with other offers.
Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Winter Fun & Entertainment
Email community entertainment eventsto [email protected] is Thursday at noon. Photos andartwork encouraged.
ONGOINGArt Exhibition. Classes are taught
year-round for beginner,intermediate and advanced students.Fridays 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturdays 10a.m.-4 p.m., and Sundays noon-4p.m. At Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd. Call 301-634-2273or visitwww.artglasscenteratglenecho.org.
Glassworks. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.Glassworks is the area’s first glassschool. Classes are taught year-roundfor both new and advanced students.At Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthurBlvd. Call 301-634-2280 or visitwww.innervisionglassworks.com.
Photoworks. A resource for bothstudent and professionalphotographers to develop theirtalents through classes, workshops,and exhibitions. Open Saturdays 1-4p.m., Sundays 1-8 p.m., and duringall scheduled classes and workshops.At Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthurBlvd. Call 301-634-2274 or visitwww.glenechophotoworks.org.
Art Exhibit. See “so much depends”Jan. 10-Feb. 18 in PhotoworksGallery at Glen Echo, 7300MacArthur Blvd. Photography byGurujeet Khalsa explores locationsranging from Belize to the PacificNorthwest. Hours are 1-4 p.m. onSaturdays and 1-8 p.m. on Sundays.Free. Visitwww.glenechophotoworks.org or301-634-2274.
Art Exhibit. See “Evidence ofCivilization” Through Feb. 24 at HarShalom, 11510 Falls Road. Seephotographs, paintings, ceramics andmore. Free. 301-299-7087.
Theater Performance. See “MissNelson is Missing” at AdventureTheatre at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd. Based on thechildren’s book “Miss Nelson isMissing” by Harry G. Allard, Jr.Through March 9. Tickets can bepurchased at www.adventuretheatr-mtc.og or 301-634-2270.
Theater Performance. See “TheTales of Beatrix Potter” in the PuppetCo. Playhouse at Glen Echo Park,7300 MacArthur Blvd. Performancesare Thursdays and Fridays at 10 a.m.or 11:30 a.m.; Saturdays andSundays at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.Runs Jan. 17-Feb. 9. $10. Visitwww.thepuppetco.org or 301-634-5380.
Drop in Art Activities. EverySaturday from 9:30 a.m.-noon in theCandy Corner Studio at Glen EchoPark, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., parentsand children can explore a new artform or theme. $10/child, parentcombo. Drop-in only. Visitwww.pgip.org for more.
Theater Performance. From Feb. 5-March 16, see “Rumpelstiltskin” atImagination Stage, 4908 AuburnAve., Bethesda. Showtimes areSaturdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m.and 4 p.m. and are appropriate forchildren age 5-10. ASL interpretedperformance on Feb. 23 at 4 p.m.Tickets start at $10. Visitwww.imaginationstage.org or 301-280-1660 for tickets.
Theater Performance. See “InsideOut” at Imagination Stage, 4908Auburn Ave., Bethesda. Runs March1-April 6. Performances areTuesdays-Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and11:45 a.m., and Saturdays-Sundaysat 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Interactiveshow is appropriate for children ages1-5. Tickets are $10-12 with a $5 lapseat for children under 12 months.Tickets can be purchased atwww.imaginationstage.org, at thebox office or 301-280-1660.
THURSDAY/JAN. 30Contra Techno Dance. 7:30 p.m.
lessons start; 8:30 -11:30 p.m.dancing at Spanish Ballroom at GlenEcho, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., GlenEcho. DJ Brian Hamshar will spin themusic. $8/adult; $6/FSGW member,youth or student. Visit www.fsgw.orgfor more.
Blues Dance. 8:15 p.m. lessons start,dancing from 9-11:30 p.m. in theBallroom Annex, 7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen Echo. $8. Capital Bluespresents the dances. Visitwww.capitalblues.org for more.
FRIDAY/JAN. 31Contra Dance. 7:30 p.m. lessons start;
8:30 -11:30 p.m. dancing at SpanishBallroom at Glen Echo, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo.Sharktones provides music. $10/adult; $5/17 and under. Visitwww.fridaynightdance.org for more.
SATURDAY/FEB. 1Free Guided Tour. Noon-4 p.m. at
Josiah Henson Park, 11420 OldGeorgetown Road, North Bethesda.Take a free one-hour guided tour ofthe park and retrace the footsteps ofReverend Josiah Henson from hisenslavement to his escape. Visitwww.historyintheparks.org for more.
Music Performance. 8 p.m. atWestmoreland Congregational UCCChurch, 1 Westmoreland Circle,Bethesda. Hear music by the CezannePiano Trio. Free. Donations accepted.
Swing Dance. 8 p.m.-midnight atSpanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300MacArthur Blvd. Features music byCandye Kane. $18. Visitwww.glenechopark.org for more.
SUNDAY/FEB.2Tiny Tots. 10 a.m. at The Puppet Co.
Playhouse at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. See“Mother Goose Caboose,” suitable forchildren up to 4 years. Shows are 30minutes. $5/person. Visitwww.thepuppetco.org for tickets.
Waltz Dance. 2:45-6 p.m. in theSpanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300MacArthur Blvd. Dance to live musicby Karen Collins & the BlackroadsBand. $10. Visitwww.waltztimedances.org for more.
Argentine Tango. 6:30-11 p.m. atBackroom Annex, 7300 MacArthurBlvd. DJ Rene Davila will mix themusic. $15/person; $10/dance only.Visit www.glenechopark.org formore.
Contra Dance. 7 p.m. lessons start;7:30 -10:30 p.m. dancing in theSpanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. TheSharktones provides music. $13/nonmember; $10/member; $5/age17 and under. Visitwww.glenechopark.org for more.
WEDNESDAY/FEB. 5Tiny Tots. 10 a.m. at The Puppet Co.
Playhouse at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. See“Teddy Bear’s Picnic,” suitable forchildren up to 4 years. Shows are 30minutes. $5/person. Visitwww.thepuppetco.org for tickets.
THURSDAY/FEB. 6Olympic Skate. 4:30-6:15 p.m. at
Cabin John Ice Rink, 10610 WestlakeDrive, Rockville. Enjoy skating,raffles, games, specials and more.$6.50 includes skate rental. Visitwww.cabinjohnice.com for more.
Blues Dance. 8:15 p.m. lessons start,dancing from 9-11:30 p.m. in theBack Room Annex, 7300 MacArthurBlvd., Glen Echo. $8. Capital Bluespresents the dances. Visitwww.capitalblues.org for more.
From Page 4
in dance, writing and music. Dancing in the Span-ish Ballroom is a popular social event.
Also at Glen Echo, Adventure Theatre(adventuretheatre-mtc.org, 301-634-2270) is one ofthe area’s longest running children’s theater compa-nies, and the Puppet Co. Playhouse(www.thepuppetco.org, 301-634-5380) offers showsas well as was for children to be involved.
CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEARChinese New Year is Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 and is
the year of the Horse. Exhibits and weekend eventsat Lake Forest Mall Jan. 27- Feb. 9, www.visitshoplakeforest.com
VISIT THE RIVER CENTERPotomac Conservancy’s River Center at Lock 8,
7906 Riverside Drive, www.potomac.orgOff Clara Barton Parkway between Cabin John and
Carderock exitsPotomac Conservancy operates environmental
awareness programs out of Lockhouse 8 along theC&O Canal.
Canal Stewards Cleanup, Saturday, Feb. 8, andSunday, March 9, 2014, 10 a.m. to noon; This clean-up event is part of the Canal Steward Program, en-gaging volunteers to be caretakers of a site withinthe C&O Canal National Historical Park. Call 301-608-1188 ext. 215.
Fun Things To Do in WinterEXPLORE WINTER NATURE
Locust Grove Nature CenterCabin John Regional Park, 7777 Democracy Bou-
levard, 301-765-8660, www.locustgrovenature.orgLocust Groves offers a variety of nature activities,
indoors and outdoors, throughout the winter and restof the year.
VISIT GREAT FALLSGreat Falls Tavern Visitor Center11710 MacArthur Blvd.301-767-3714Open year round, seven days per week from 9 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m.www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/greatfallstavernvisitorcenter.htmThe Historic Great Falls Tavern has stood at Lock
20 on the C&O Canal since 1831, and now serves asthe visitor center at the Great Falls section of thepark. Soon after the canal’s ground breaking in 1828construction began on the original lockhouse. In re-sponse to travelers’ requests for shelter and a meal,the locktender here at Great Falls, W.W. Fenlon, askedthe Canal Company to build the three-story northwing for a hotel, which opened in 1831. As the inn’sfirst proprietor Mr. Fenlon presided over lively en-tertainment like fishing parties, dances and socialevents in the “ballroom,” in addition to good din-ners and a place to sleep.
Easy access to the Great Falls overlook, one of thearea’s most incredible views of the Potomac River.
Activities offered year round.
NETWORKING EVENT!Wednesday, February 5, 2014 • 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
10710 Falls Road • Potomac, MD 20854
Cost: Potomac Chamber Members: $10.00 • Non-Members: $15.00Cash Bar available
NORMANDIE FARM IS GENEROUSLY PROVIDINGHORS D’OEUVRES FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT!
To reserve your place and/or for additional information,Call the Potomac Chamber of Commerce:
301-299-2170Or reserve your spot online at www.potomacchamber.org
R.S.V.P. by January 31, 2014
Bring your business cards andplenty of conversation!
If you would like to donate a door prize,please call Jennifer at the Chamber office.
THE POTOMAC CHAMBER OF COMMERCEin partnership with
Normandie Farm Restaurantinvites you to a
8 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
In November 2013, 34 Potomac homes
sold between $2,800,000-$490,000.
2
5
6
4
1
3
© Google Map data
Photos by Deb Stevens/The Almanac
Address ................................ BR . FB .HB ... Postal City .. Sold Price .... Type ....... Lot AC . PostalCode ..... Subdivision ...... Date Sold
1 1735 GLASTONBERRY RD ........ 5 ... 3 ... 1 ...... ROCKVILLE ..... $690,000 .... Detached ..... 0.18 ........ 20854 ........ HORIZON HILL ........ 11/22/13
2 8109 WHITES FORD WAY ......... 4 ... 3 ... 0 ....... POTOMAC ...... $661,000 .... Detached ..... 0.21 ........ 20854 ......... REGENT PARK ........ 11/22/13
3 7832 HEATHERTON LN ............ 3 ... 2 ... 2 ....... POTOMAC ...... $565,000 .... Townhouse .. 0.05 ........ 20854 .... INVERNESS KNOLLS .... 11/18/13
4 8178 INVERNESS RIDGE RD ..... 3 ... 2 ... 2 ....... POTOMAC ...... $529,000 .... Attach/Row Hse0.06 ..... 20854 .. INVERNESS FOREST TH . 11/12/13
5 7705 HEATHERTON LN ............ 3 ... 3 ... 1 ...... ROCKVILLE ..... $516,500 .... Townhouse .. 0.05 ........ 20854 .... INVERNESS KNOLLS .... 11/04/13
6 13616 HAYWORTH DR ............. 3 ... 3 ... 1 ....... POTOMAC ...... $490,000 .... Townhouse .. 0.04 ........ 20854 .... PINEY GLEN VILLAGE ... 11/15/13
Copyright 2013 RealEstate Business Intelligence. Source: MRIS as of December 13, 2013.
Sales in November,2013, $400s~$600s
Potomac REAL ESTATEPotomac REAL ESTATE
1 1735 Glastonberry Road — $690,000
2 8109 Whites Ford Way — $661,000
3 7832 Heatherton Lane —$565,000
4 8178 Inverness Ridge Road— $529,000
5 7705 Heatherton Lane —$516,500
6 13616 Hayworth Drive —$490,000
Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
O’Dell,Fossen Wed
Emily Jo O’Dell and AndrewGeorge Fossen were united inmarriage on Saturday, June 1,2013 at four o’clock in the after-noon at All Saints Church inChevy Chase, Md. The ceremonywas officiated by The Rev. DeanMiller of The Falls Church Angli-can. Dinner and dancingimmediately followed at OldAngler’s Inn in Potomac with en-tertainment provided by the DocDikeman Big Band. Followingtheir honeymoon in Europe, thecouple resides in Falls Church.
Pho
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From Page 6
changes occur since she arrived.“We are missing retail stores andpushing people away to the shop-ping malls,” she said. She remem-bers gift shops, a children’s cloth-ing store and a “charming bookstore,” among other Potomac Vil-lage shops that have long sincedisappeared. She noted that thesteep overhead makes it hard forsmall businesses to survive.
“Toys Unique is I, me and my-self, seven days a week,” she said.
These days, Chantraparnik seesseveral major factors shapingtrends in the market for toys. First,today’s parents have different pur-chasing habits, preferring mainlyto shop on-line in lieu of going tostores. Second, children are shop-ping on the Internet, too, and theyare choosing different types of toysthan they used to. She observed,for instance, that when her storefirst opened, boys adored modeltrains sets and cars. Nowadaysthey are rarely interested. Kits alsohave disappeared almost entirely.Assembling pieces of track orbuilding ship models no longerseems attractive. “Some things
never change, though,” she addedon a more positive note. “For in-stance, boys ages 2-4 still love in-dividual wooden trains and Tho-mas the Tank. And Lego buildingblocks is a brilliant invention thatwill never go out of style.”
Girls on the other hand, are stillvery much interested in crafts andprojects as well as making things.Chantraparnik sees all thesechoices as partly to do with fam-ily influences. “In my opinion, itis important to encourage settingaside one day a week for a familygame,” she said. “Some of my cus-tomers are currently doing that. Aboard game that everyone can playenhances participation in the fam-ily.” She sees this as especially im-portant in an era when childrenare more into electronics, whichis an activity primarily focused onthe individual. “There are greatalternatives on the web, too, shesaid. “The key is to make all op-tions work together so children getto use all parts of their brains.”
With March fast approaching,Chantraparnik looks forward toslowing down a little after work-ing so hard for so many years. Sheplans to spend more time in her
garden (photos of which aretucked behind some toys on thewall) and enjoying a good cup oftea. Perhaps most excited of allabout her retirement is her hus-band, a retired executive withSodexo. Over the years he hasnever failed to lend a hand at thestore when needed and to driveher to and from work seven daysa week for two decades. “He isperhaps the happiest of all,” she
said with a laugh.The sale is currently scheduled
to begin the last three weeks inFebruary, starting Feb. 6 or 7.
Chantraparnik will also be do-nating toys to various organiza-tions, including the Children’s Innat NIH. Toys Unique is located at9812 Falls Road in Potomac. Call301-983-3160 for hours of opera-tion or stop by and to say goodbyeto a venerable Potomac institution.
Toy-buying Changes with the Times
People
Peter andGrace Kimm ofPotomac weremarried onJan. 23, 1954at Good Shep-herd Church inBrooklyn, N.Y.
Peter and GraceKimm celebratedtheir 60th wed-ding anniversaryat the Restaurantat PatowmackFarm inLovettsville, Va.on Saturday, Jan.18, 2014.Pictured: Graceand Peter Kimm,Emily Smith,ChristopherKimm, VirginiaFowler, MaryKimm and KenMoore.
60th WeddingAnniversary
For Peter andGrace Kimm
10 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
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If tomorrow were never to come, it would not be worth living today.
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Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Since March 6, 2009, nearly five yearsnow, save for nine months when I was takingan oral chemotherapy medication at home,every three weeks I have been infused withsome sort of chemotherapy drug. In that time,I have certainly become familiar and fairlywell-known to the various staff at The InfusionCenter. What follows is the most recentexchange with the receptionist in Oncology, asbest as I can recall it.
Receptionist: “Hello, Mr. Lourie. How areyou”?
Me: “Lovely. Happy to be here.”Receptionist: “That’s nice.”Me: “Actually, I’m not happy to be here. I
mean I’d rather not be here. But since I’mhere, it’s better that I’m here than not here, asin unable to get here because I’m not hereanymore.”
Receptionist: “I understand.”Me: “Really? Because I’m not sure I under-
stand. I know what I’m thinking, but…What Imean to say is that I don’t want to be cominghere to the Infusion Center, because thatmeans I’m being treated for cancer. But if I dohave cancer, I guess I’m happy to be still alive,in order to be able to get here for treatment.”
Receptionist: “I understand.”Me: “I think I’m confused. I don’t want to
be coming here because I have cancer. I’drather not be coming here at all. But since Ihave cancer, I suppose I’m glad I’m able to stillget here. I think I’m going around in circles.”
Receptionist: “No, you’re fine. I under-stand completely.”
Me: “Really. ‘Cause I’m not sure I do. Itseems like I’m talking to myself, repeatingmyself. I’m a writer and often I use double-entendres in my column, which seems sort ofwhat I’m doing here. Although I’m not intend-ing it. I was more realizing/thinking aloud as towhy I was here, whether I wanted to be hereand the reasons why I was fortunate – so tospeak, to even still be here and/or how unfor-tunate I was to be here being treated for ter-minal lung cancer – as opposed to beinghealthy and not needing to be here. I feel as ifI’m rambling here. Am I making any sense?”
Receptionist: “Not to worry. (Smiling,laughing.) I do understand exactly what you’resaying.”
Me: “I’m not sure I do. Maybe I should juststop talking and sit down and wait for Ron (myoncology nurse) to come and get me.”
Receptionist: “Ron’s running late. He’sstuck in traffic. He’ll be here soon.”
Me (to myself): Great (chagrined.) I sup-pose I should probably stop pacing then andjust sit down and try to relax. I’m here. I’mchecked in. Besides, I have to be ready for myblood pressure check. If my vitals (and/or labresults, appearance, etc.) are not normal, pro-tocols will prevent any infusion today (whichhas happened to me twice; very disappoint-ing, especially considering that you think yourlife depends on receiving the treatment thatday). If the patient doesn’t pass muster, how-ever, the oncology nurse has no choice: therewill be, to invoke the “Soup Nazi” from “Sei-nfeld”: “No chemo for you.”
Fortunately, for this infusion, I have onceagain managed to “Pass the audition,” as JohnLennon so famously joked at the end of thelive roof-top version of The Beatles’ song “GetBack” at the end of the “Let It Be” album.
Life goes on though – for me, thank God!,despite my confusion. Thanks to the staff forcontinuing to take me in stride.
Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.
By KENNETH B. LOURIE
Confused andthen Infused
Sports
By Jon Roetman
The Almanac
Quince Orchard, a team with a1-12 record, was within strik-ing distance in the third quar-ter when a pair of Whitman
youngsters decided to put the game away.First, it was sophomore guard Marie
Hatch scoring three consecutive buckets forthe Vikings. Later in the period, freshmanguard Abby Meyers knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner.
Hatch scored and was fouled early in thefourth quarter. She converted the three-point play to give Whitman a 14-point ad-vantage. Meyers scored less than 30 sec-onds later and Hatch followed with a 3-pointer, giving the Vikings a commandinglead.
The Whitman girls’ basketball team de-feated Quince Orchard 60-32 on Jan. 23.Hatch finished with 15 points and Meyersadded 14, accounting for nearly half ofWhitman’s points. The Vikings extendedtheir winning streak to 11 games and im-proved their record to 12-2, with their onlylosses coming against private schools GoodCounsel and Bishop McNamara.
Whitman beat Gaithersburg for the 4AWest region championship last season be-fore losing by one point to Baltimore Poly-technic in the state semifinals. The Vikingshave five seniors and three juniors on theirroster. Lately, however, a sophomore whomissed significant time last season with ashoulder injury and a lanky freshman whois all knees and elbows running down thecourt have powered Whitman’s offense.
Hatch’s talent was evident last season, butshe missed two-thirds of her freshman cam-paign with an injury to her left, non-shoot-ing shoulder. When she was on the court,Hatch held back, deferring to her elderteammates. She re-injured her left shoul-der during the spring and was forced to sitout after undergoing surgery.
“For [Hatch],” Whitman head coach PeteKenah said, “… we had to ask her to domore on offense because she would defer.”
This season, Hatch has been more aggres-sive with the ball in her hands. While herperimeter shot isn’t where it was a year ago,the 5-foot-10 Hatch is attacking the basketand said she’s improved with her left handdue to physical therapy.
“I think being a freshman, I didn’t wantto overstep my boundaries or anything,”Hatch said. “I felt like I should just stayback.”
Meyers has taken a different approach.The 5-foot-9 freshman drives to the rim inan aggressive manor and doesn’t shy awayfrom contact on the floor.
“With her, it proves [being] aggressive is
just a lot better,” Hatch said. “As time wenton, I’ve just gotten more aggressive and re-alized it’s just overall better for the team.”
Meyers scored six second-quarter pointsagainst Quince Orchard while driving to therim.
“That has nothing to do with coaching,”Kenah said. “She absolutely always hadthat. … Abby’s fearless. She’s a warrior andshe really gets after it.”
Meyers said a competitive family environ-ment helped mold her mentality on thecourt.
“When I was young, I loved fighting withmy sisters,” Meyers said. “I was very aggres-sive. I was called ‘Muscles’ in my family. …It’s always fighting in our house over spe-cific things. I guess [that’s where] I get thataggressiveness.”
Through 14 games, Hatch is averaging10.5 points per contest. Meyers is averag-ing 6.6, but scored in double figures in threeof Whitman’s last four games, including a15-point effort against Blair on Jan. 10.While each player is talented, Kenah saidthe attitude of the older Vikings helps cre-ate a successful environment.
“It says a lot about the upperclassmen that
they’re willing to defer,” Kenah said. “It’sOK not getting the spotlight. There’s nightswere it’s not Marie and Abby’s night andthey’re really happy for the upperclassmen.We put a lot of time and effort into teamchemistry and I think it says a lot that theycan be OK. I think those two combined for29 [against Quince Orchard]. People weresharing the ball and they wanted them todo well.”
Whitman faced Poolesville on Tuesday,after The Almanac’s deadline. The Vikingswill host Churchill at 7 p.m. on Tuesday,Feb. 4. If Whitman is going to return to thestate tournament, Hatch and Meyers willlikely have significant roles in the Vikings’journey. While they’re light on varsity ex-perience, don’t expect either to play — oranswer a reporter’s questions — like young-sters.
“We’re definitely hoping for states, butright now we have a lot to work on,” Hatchsaid. “We’ve won a lot of games but we stillhave a lot to improve on. Some of the games… we should have played better and wejust managed to get away with a win, sowe need to go back and keep practicinghard.”
Sophomore, freshmanlead Whitman girls’basketball to win.
Hatch, Meyers Spark Vikings
Whitman girls’ basketball coachPete Kenah said Marie Hatch ismore aggressive as a sophomorethan she was as a freshman.
Freshman guard Abby Meyers isone of the Whitman girls’ basket-ball team’s top offensive threats.
Photos by Harvey Levine/The Almanac
From Page 4
TAKE your tots to the Cabin John KidsShows on the first and third Friday ofevery month.
Cabin John Mall hosts educational andinteresting shows for the pre-school setevery other Friday from 10:30 – 11:30.Bring your child to see Lucky Stars Pup-pets, Kidsinger Jim, Rocknoceros, Shakeyour Sillies with Tracey Eldridge andmore fun shows. After the show, havelunch in one of the many restaurants or
treat your child to yummy yogurt at Or-ange Leaf Yogurt. For information, go towww. www.shopcabinjohn.com.
HEAD to the C&O Canal Towpath for apeaceful walk.
Even if the weather is chilly, bundleup the family and take an enjoyable walkdown the C&O Canal towpath. This is awonderful way to enjoy the beauty of awinter day while getting some healthyexercise and observing the wildlife andskaters, too.
Winter Fun: Getting Out of the House
12 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ January 29 - February 4, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
