June 19-25, 2019

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Student Board for Potomac Community CenterNews, Page 9

Big Train Baseball Gives Small Town AccessNews, Page 5

Visit the Historic Dentzel

CarouselNews, Page 9

Natashi Anapoloe rides the Dentzel Carousel at Glen Echo. The Carousel is open only until the end of June, 2019,

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Sat-urday & Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. It will close for construc-

tion at the beginning of July and reopen Spring 2020.

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 2019 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

By Rita Beck and Mary Fairbanks

The Potomac Women’s Republi-can Club (PWRC), in recogni-tion of its 60th year serving theircommunity, established the

Potomac Women’s Republican Club - JeanRoesser Scholarship. Jean Roesser (1930-2017) was a longtime resident of Potomacand represented Potomac in both the Mary-land House of Delegates (1987 to 1995) andthe Maryland Senate (1995 to 2003). Sheserved as Secretary of Aging for the Stateof Maryland from 2003-2007. Roesser wasa founding member of the Arts Council,Montgomery County, a member of the WestMontgomery County Citizens Associationand the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club.She served as delegate to the RepublicanParty National Convention in 1996 and asan alternate delegate in 1992. She servedas vice-president of the Maryland Federa-tion of Republican Women and presidentof the Montgomery County Federation ofRepublican Women. She was a member ofthe Potomac Women’s Republican Club.

Each year this scholarship is awarded toa local area, college-bound high school stu-dent. The winner of the 2019 Award of

$1,000, is Thomas S. Wootton High Schoolsenior, Abigail Russ. Abigail’s excellentwriting and research were evident in heressay which was chosen out of many sub-mitted. Participants were asked to respondin 400 to 600 words to the followingprompt: Who do you think had a greatimpact on the colonists’ successful struggleand fight for freedom from the British inthe Revolutionary War and why?

Abigail will be attending the Universityof Maryland, majoring in Journalism.

We congratulate Abigail on her outstand-ing winning essay and wish her the best ofluck in her educational endeavors at theUniversity of Maryland. Go Terps!

Abigail’s WinningEssay:

In 1776, the English colonists were spliton the question of separation from themother country. With the publication ofCommon Sense, Thomas Paine not only in-spired an uprising against the English mon-archy, but also inspired a new idea of per-sonal independence and freedom that aredistinctly American.

Common Sense drove public sentimenttoward revolution. Thomas Paine arguedthat government is a necessary evil in or-der to maintain security, and that heredi-tary monarchy is an insult to the governed.In the 1770s, colonists were angry with theCrown and Parliament for newly imposedtaxes and restrictions on the colonies with-out representation. However, he believedthat the cause should not be based solelyon the argument of taxation, but on theideas of freedom and independence. Hestood against American slavery, both as serfsto the king and Africans in the fields. Hisideas are echoed in the preamble of theDeclaration of Independence that govern-ments derive their authority by the consentof the governed.

During the difficult opening battles of theRevolutionary War, Thomas Paine contin-ued to inspire the young nation. Even be-fore the American people declared indepen-dence, armed conflict had begun. TheAmerican patriots were facing the strongestmilitary force in the world. Paine publisheda series of articles, collectively called theThe American Crisis, which rallied publicopinion to the side of the patriots. In theDecember 1776 article Paine wrote,

The National Park Service (NPS) ispreparing to begin construction ona long-term repair of the sinkhole

near Dead Run on the George WashingtonMemorial Parkway. Following extensive as-sessments of the area and of drainage in-frastructure that is deep underground, en-gineers have determined that the NPS needsto replace a 60-year-old brick drainagestructure and rehabilitate the pipes leadingto that structure.

“We are working with the Federal High-way Administration to fully address thesinkhole and reopen both northbound lanesof the George Washington Memorial Park-way,” Superintendent Charles Cuvelier said.“At this point we are finalizing constructionplans for a long-term fix. Once construc-tion on the long-term fix begins, it is antici-pated to take approximately 10 weeks.”

Since the sinkhole opened in mid-May,engineers and work crews have:

❖ Excavated the sinkhole area and back-filled it using flowable fill (a specialized typeof concrete).

❖ Stabilized the road bed with polyure-thane grout injection.

❖ Repaved the left northbound lane fol-lowing stabilization to reopen it to traffic.

Let it be told to the future world, that inthe depth of winter, when nothing but hopeand virtue could survive, that the city andthe country, alarmed at one common dan-ger, came forth to meet and to repulse it.

In the same article Paine wrote his mostfamous quote, “These are the times that trymen’s souls.” George Washington orderedhis soldiers to read Paine’s article in orderto inspire them to victory at Valley Forge.

Thomas Paine was neither a great stu-dent nor a great soldier, but he was a greatwriter. His simple writing style reverber-ated with the colonists. Paine’s battle crymotivated the country, swayed sentimentsagainst the British crown, and kept up thehopes of a young nation. He had a hugeimpact on our struggle for freedom andhelped shape the freedoms we love today.Paine understood the integral role thatjournalists have in disseminating truthfulinformation in order to help citizens makeinformed decisions. He continues to be animportant figure, inspiring my love of jour-nalism. Our school newspaper, “The Com-mon Sense,” which I am on the editorialboard of, is named after his historically sig-nificant pamphlet, and honors his place asa founder of this great country.

News

The Potomac Women’s Republican Club,Jean Roesser Scholarship 2019 Winner

❖ Performed extensive assessments tounderstand the extent of the issue, whichincluded inspecting deep drainage pipes’with a robotic camera.

❖ Reinforced a brick drainage structurethat was failing.

❖ Monitored the area daily for changesin road conditions (none have been ob-served).

❖ Worked with multiple NPS & FederalHighway Administration engineers to de-sign a long-term fix.

❖ Consulted with a variety of construc-tion contractors to ensure work crews willbe able to successfully fix the issue at ap-propriate cost.

When the NPS initially stabilized the sink-hole in mid-May, it was 10-feet deep, 30-feet long and 20-feet wide. The temporarystabilization is allowing vehicles to safelytravel in the left lane. Drivers in the areashould expect to see active construction andworkers near the road.

In order to protect workers and allow driv-ers time to react to the changed lane con-figuration in the area, the NPS has loweredthe speed limit to 40 miles per hour. Driversneed to slow down for their safety and forthe safety of construction personnel.

Photo by Mary Kimm

Traffic backs up on the George Washington Parkway northbound tomerge around a sinkhole on May 21. When the NPS initially stabilizedthe sinkhole in mid-May, it was 10-feet deep, 30-feet long and 20-feetwide. Construction will continue through most of the summer.

Fix Planned for George Washington Parkway

4 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 2019 ❖ 5www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

News

By Alex Hamer

The Almanac

For Bruce Adams, Big Trainhas always been aboutmore than baseball.

Just before the summerof 1994, Adams was asked to coachhis son Hugh’s recreational baseballteam. Having just completed hissecond term on the MontgomeryCounty Council, Adams was awareof the county’s financial strugglesat the time, but was still shockedby the condition of the fields theteam played on.

“I had no idea how bad the fieldswere,” Adams said, “I was reallyembarrassed actually.”

During the summer of 1995,Adams and his wife Peggy Engel setoff with their two kids to see 85different baseball games in 82 dif-ferent stadiums for a book Adamsand Engel were writing, “BaseballVacations: Great Family Trips toMinor League and Classic MajorLeague Ballparks Across America.”The book is still available on Ama-zon.

Adams was particularly inspiredby the Cape Cod and ShenandoahValley summer collegiate baseball leagues,giving him the idea to start a nonprofit col-legiate baseball team in MontgomeryCounty.

“So it wasn’t just like ‘Hey we need a sum-mer college baseball team,” Adams said, “Itwas like, we need to raise money to fix upfields for kids.”

Co-founded in 1998 by Adams and localbusinessman John Ourisman, Bethesda BigTrain play in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Base-ball League. The team has won eight leaguechampionships, including championships ineach of the last three seasons.

Just like in Adams’ original vision, BigTrain is active in giving back to the localcommunity.

Currently, Big Train and their parent com-pany BCC Baseball work together on the“Adopt-A-Field” program, where they putaround $250,000 a year into maintaining16 local fields and parks, general managerDavid Schneider said. At each home game,they highlight a nonprofit of the night, giv-ing them 100 free tickets, a stand to passout promotional material and an opportu-nity to throw the first pitch and address thecrowd pregame.

“For me, Big Train is all about the com-munity. One thing we like to say is the fansare the owners,” Schneider said. “What’s theBig Train experience? It’s coming to a game,seeing all your friends that come to thegames, chatting with the new staff, watch-ing some good baseball and just enjoyingyour time out at the park.”

At Shirley Povich Field, Big Train’s750-seat stadium, the goal is to cre-ate a family-friendly atmospherethat provides entertainment for allages. Tickets cost $9 for an adult,$5 for kids, while children ages 5and under are admitted for free.

““We try and run a minor leaguestyle atmosphere, but really focuson the family-friendly side,” assis-tant general manager Chris Rogerssaid. “We have in between inningactivities, tug of war, mascot race,trivia, t-shirt toss, they’ll go on thefield and play musical chairs withour mascots.”

Big Train’s picnic pavilion hostsa lot of parties, ranging from birth-day parties to corporate outings.Kids from these parties are giventhe opportunity to run onto thefield with the players pregame andstand with them during the na-tional anthem, Rogers said.

For residents in MontgomeryCounty, Big Train represents acloser, cheaper and more intimateatmosphere than going to a Wash-ington Nationals or Frederick Keysgame, Schneider said. When Adamswent on his aforementioned sum-mer baseball tour, after conducting

an interview at Damaschke Field inOneonta, NY, he noticed his son had beentalking to several of the players, somethingthat never would happen at a major leaguegame, but could be replicated at Big Train.

“One of the beauties of all this is that kidshave access to the [Big Train] players,”Adams said.

Big Train manager Sal Colangelo has beenwith the team for all 21 of their seasons,having spent the past 15 as manager. SalColangelo and Big Train rely mainly on col-legiate players out of state, with many oftheir players coming from the University ofSan Francisco, St. Mary’s College (CA) andFlorida Atlantic University. To house theirout of state players, Big Train relies on theirnetwork of about 20 host families.

Through the years, Big Train has seen over150 of their players play professionally, in-cluding 10 former players that were selectedin this year’s MLB draft. Among their MLBalumni are Brian Dozier (Washington Na-tionals) and Hunter Renfroe (San DiegoPadres), both of whom are scheduled toappear at a Big Train game this summer.

An amazing 41 percent of the 379 Big Trainalumni who have finished their college ca-reers have gone on to play professional base-ball, according the the 20th Anniversary bro-chure last year. Summer college baseball isa gateway to the major leagues.

For more information on Bethesda BigTrain, their entertainment schedule anddirections to Shirley Povich Field, head towww.bigtrain.org.

Entering their 21st season, Big Train offers atraditional, small town baseball atmosphere.

Family-friendly Baseball Experience atBethesda Big Train

Courtesy of Bethesda Big Train via Facebook

Shirley Povich Field

Big Train and their parent company BCCBaseball work together on the “Adopt-A-Field”program, putting around $250,000 a year into

maintaining 16 local fields and parks.

General manager David Schneider,one of two full time employees atBig Train, handles much of the day-to-day operation

While Bruce Adams can still befound at almost every home gameand doing whatever needs to bedone around the stadium at othertimes.

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6 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

During the summer, Glenda HernándezBaca and her children can be found inthe kitchen measuring and mixing, stir-ring and sautéing. They cook together

as a family, but what the children don’t realize how-ever, is that their mother is helping them maintaintheir math and reading skills.

“You can do math no matterwhat you are doing, and cook-ing is also a great way to domath,” said Hernández Baca,Ph.D. of the School of Educa-tion at Montgomery College.“My kids love to cook with meand they help me with the reci-pes. We engage in reading, or-ganizing and sorting, and dis-cussing and analyzing fractionsand conversions. They are do-ing so much learning but theydo not know it.”

Without regular practice, astudent’s academic skillsdwindle during the summer break. The key to pre-venting that reversal, say educators, is finding cre-ative ways to make learning fun while maintainingthe light-hearted and carefree nature of vacations,camps and trips to the pool.

“The more students practice their academic skillsin the summer, the more prepared they will be forthe next school year and the less review and relearn-

ing they will need to do,” said Hernández Baca. “It isa great way to promote and model of A culture oflearning and growing, no matter the season.”

For students who don’t enjoy reading, opening abook during the summer can feel torturous. Infusereading with drama, suggests Ana Lado, Ph.D., Pro-fessor of Education at Marymount University in Ar-lington, Va. “Pick … books with lots of dialogue andeither lots of active verbs or actionable scenes,” shesaid. “You and the child read the parts as dramati-cally as you can together … totally exaggerating thespoken parts as well as the actions as much as pos-sible.”

“Have them make a video with their favorite scenesin a book,” continued Lado. “It forces them to readfor scenes that have drama and to reread as they

rehearse. It gives them a goaland making a film is a concretegoal. As they read through thebook looking for drama andaction let them put a sticky noteon each good page they find.”

In fact, infusing reading withdrama can change the mindsetof a child who doesn’t enjoyreading. “Some students willbenefit if they watch a movieversion of a classic text likesomething by Jane Austen, forexample, while they are read-ing it,” M.A. Mahoney, Dean ofAcademics and Faculty at theMadeira School in McLean, Va.

“This approach is sometimes the gateway to a life-time of reading pleasure of an author.”

Providing incentives is a strategy that Lado has ex-perienced with her son during visits to her local pool.“At the 30 minutes of swim break, another parenthired my son to read easy books to her child that

And other fun ways topreserve skills duringthe summer.

Cooking, Counting, DramaM.A. Mahoney of Madeira School, left, believes that during the summer, students candevelop a lifetime of reading pleasure.

“The more studentspractice their academicskills in the summer,the more prepared theywill be for the nextschool year.”— Glenda Hernández Baca, PhD of

the School of Education atMontgomery College

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Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 2019 ❖ 7www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

We didn’tinheritthe earthfrom ourparents.We’re bor-rowing itfrom ourchildren.

—Chief Seattle(1788-1866)Suquamish/

Duwamish chief

From Page 6

were below my son’s reading level,” shesaid. “My son was in upper elementarygrades, and he read to a kindergartner. Thebooks were easy for him so he had fun andlearned to ask the younger kids a few ques-tions about what they liked about the book.”

For children who have challenges or dif-ficulties reading, Hernández Baca suggestschoosing short passages that allow them toexplore a subject that piques their curios-ity. “Consider cutting out an article or some-thing shorter about an interest they havesuch as a band, music [or] sports, she said.“This helps to make the learning a lot moremanageable and less intimidating for them.You can also take a longer article and cut itinto smaller pieces or enlarge the font soagain, psychologically, it does not feel asdemanding for the child.”

Everyday conversations can lead to math,science and language learning opportuni-ties. “Often, children will make commentsabout something they are curious aboutsuch as how something grows or why thesky is changing colors, Hernández Baca said.“Maximize that opportunity and tell themwhat great questions they have and lookup information. You could even make it alibrary trip to learn together. This is a won-derful way to show and model that we asparents, are always learning, too.”

Even a short car ride or setting moneygoals can help support math skills, saysHernández Baca. “Talk about how muchmoney a certain toy costs and how muchthey would need to purchase it. Have themcome up with different equations thatwould help them reach that goal and talkabout it. ...

“You can do math no matter what you aredoing,” she continued. “For example, in thecar you can count how many trucks you seeor how many blue cars.”

Another way to practice math is to en-gage children in predictions and estimates,says Hernández Baca. “Asking ‘How long doyou think it will take us to get there?’ or‘How many steps does it take to walk to thecar or to the house?’ You can then break itdown and ask questions such as, ‘Why do

you think mommy had to take fewer steps?’or ‘How many miles an hour would we haveto go if we needed to reduce the trip timeto get here?’

A family vacation can provide an oppor-tunity to practice language and writing.“Keep a vacation journal by printing outyour child’s favorite photos and have themwrite about them,”said Carly Flanigan,Lower School Learning Specialist at St.Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexan-dria, Va

When parents model a positive attitudetoward reading, a child might find it morepleasurable “Have a family book club [and]meet once a month at everyone’s favoriterestaurant,” said Flanigan “Make connec-tions about books you and your child reador listen to. Ask questions about characters,setting and action in the plot … Model yourown connections that you have made tobooks [or] have your child read one of yourfavorite books that you love.”

“Read aloud no matter the age of thechild,” said Elizabeth McConnel, LowerSchool Learning Specialist, also at St.Stephen’s and St. Agnes School. “Make thisa fun family event. Utilize different genresof text including magazines for your child’sreading. Use audio books, Audible, orpodcasts.”

Current events can provide fodder formental stimulation. “I always encouragestudents and families to read an editorialdaily from a news source, and then to dis-cuss it at a family meal,” said Mahoney.“This builds reading comprehension skills,civil discourse skills, and increases famil-iarity with essay construction, not to men-tion making meal time more lively.”

No matter the method, parents must beconsistent and intentional about prioritiz-ing and setting summer learning goals fortheir children, advises Hernández Baca. “Forexample, plan on doing some reading, writ-ing and math regularly and daily,” she said.“Your kids do not need to know your struc-ture or plan, but it will help you stay con-sistent with activities that specifically tar-get learning in reading, writing, math, sci-ence or anything else.”

Cooking, Counting, Drama

8 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 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 10705 ROCK RUN DR ............ 6 .. 5 . 2 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,860,000 .... Detached ..... 1.00 ........ 20854 .......... FAWCETT FARMS ......... 04/15/19

2 11106 SOUTH GLEN RD ........ 6 .. 6 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,800,000 .... Detached ..... 2.09 ........ 20854 ....... POTOMAC OUTSIDE ....... 04/01/19

3 10850 STANMORE DR ........... 6 .. 5 . 2 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,720,000 .... Detached ..... 2.13 ........ 20854 ...... GREAT FALLS ESTATES ..... 04/26/19

4 10508 BRIDLE LN ................. 6 .. 5 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,670,000 .... Detached ..... 0.39 ........ 20854 ............. RIVER FALLS ............ 04/12/19

5 9812 MERIDEN RD ............... 5 .. 6 . 1 ...... ROCKVILLE ... $1,650,000 .... Detached ..... 0.91 ........ 20854 ....... POTOMAC OUTSIDE ....... 04/22/19

6 10505 BIT AND SPUR LN ....... 5 .. 3 . 1 ...... ROCKVILLE ... $1,510,000 .... Detached ..... 2.00 ........ 20854 ........ POTOMAC MANOR ....... 04/26/19

7 10101 ORMOND RD ............. 6 .. 5 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,420,000 .... Detached ..... 0.47 ........ 20854 ........ POTOMAC VILLAGE ....... 04/30/19

8 11302 RIDGE MIST TER ........ 5 .. 4 . 1 ....... POTOMAC ... $1,420,000 .... Detached ..... 0.24 ........ 20854 ........... CLAGETT FARM .......... 04/23/19

Copyright 2019 MarketStats for ShowingTime. Source: Bright MLS as of April 30, 2019.

In April 2019, 55 Potomac homes

sold between $1,860,000-$532,500.

April, 2019 Top Sales

1 10705 Rock Run Drive — $1,860,000

2 11106South Glen

Road— $1,800,000

3 10850Stanmore Drive

— $1,720,000

4 10508 Bridle Lane — $1,670,000

6 10505Bit and Spur Lane— $1,510,000

7 10101Ormond Road— $1,420,000

Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 2019 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Last September, the Friends Advi-sory Board of the Potomac Com-munity Center added an adjunctstudent group to support the

present programs and brainstorm new ac-tivities for the Community Center on FallsRoad. In their first several months thisgroup of eight talented and enthusiastichigh school students have generouslyshared their time and energy with ourCenter. It is hoped that this experiencewill promote understanding of policy andprocedure in government, as well as gain-ing a greater awareness of group dynam-ics and interaction at the workplace. Asthese students take on responsibility anddedicate themselves to service, they willbecome leaders on the college campus andin the community.

It is clear that their support has added tothe success of the Center and the dynamicsof our weekly Club Friday events. Under thedirection of Student Advisory Board mem-bers Luke Sumberg and Adam Horowitz,and with the help of other student mem-bers, they operate the Club Friday snack bar.They served over 4,000 Club Friday mem-bers during the 20 weeks of this year’s pro-gram.

Beth Coffman, Assistant Director forPotomac Community Center, is lead-ing Student Advisory Board members

The remarkable annual Lunar New YearCelebration that attracted a capacity crowdhas become a Community Center event thatbrings families together to enjoy an en-riched cultural tradition. Peter Selikowitz,Center Director, publicly recognized andthanked the student “Friends” for playing acritical volunteer role in the success of theevent.

Penny Heltzer, a long-time AdvisoryBoard member, selected students based onprevious volunteer and work experience.She focused on qualities that demon-strated their perceptive and compassion-ate interaction with children and adultsin challenging situations. We are fortunatethat each member of our student group iscaring, creative and determined to helpmake our programs successful. TheFriends Advisory Board is very proud ofthe Student Advisory initiative and plansto open positions as our current studentsgraduate. If you are a high school studentwho wishes to be considered for selectionto continue this tradition or have ques-tions about the Student Advisory Boardor the Friends Advisory Board to thePotomac Community Center, please con-tact either Penny Heltzer atacentmo@gmail.com or Friends AdvisoryBoard President Pam Yerg atjeyclan@verizon.net.

Julia Greenberg and Abbey Zheng inthe development of a Facebook pres-ence. Residents can now easily keep

track of Potomac Community Center’scalendar of events and even add theirown input.

The historic Dentzel Carousel at GlenEcho is open only until the end ofJune this year because it will close

for construction for major repairs that be-gin in July.

The historic Dentzel carousel has oper-ated in Glen Echo Park since 1921.

Installed at Glen Echo Park in 1921, thecanopy and the carved figures were madeby the Dentzel Carousel Company ofGermantown, Pennsylvania. It is a classicexample of hand woodcarving popular dur-ing the early 1900s. From 1983 through2003, the carousel was fully restored – in-cluding each animal. The carousel is listedon the National Register of Historic Places.

The Carousel at Glen Echo is open untilthe end of June, Wednesday, Thursday andFriday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Saturday andSunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The cost is $1.25 per ride; all riders mustpurchase a ticket. Payment by cash is pre-ferred, but please note that there is no ATMonsite at the Park. Payment by credit card isnow also accepted in the Carousel ticket boothwith a $5 minimum charge for credit cardsales.

In 2019 the carousel will have a short-ened season due to major repairs that willbegin in July. It will close at the end of Juneand re-open in spring 2020.

Photo contributed

Top row: Beth Coffman, Assistant Director of Potomac Community Cen-ter; Luke Sumberg; Peter Selikowitz, Director of Potomac CommunityCenter; Adam Horowitz; Andrew Chan. Bottom row: Sydney Rodman;Macafie Bobo; Abbey Zheng, Julia Greenberg, Jordyn Reicin

New Student Board at Potomac Community Center

Dentzel Carousel at GlenEcho to Close for RepairsVisit the Carousel now because the carouselwill be closed for construction fromJuly through September. It will reopen inSpring 2020.

Christian andJames Lowe onCarousel Dayat Glen Echo.Ride it in Mayand Junebecause in2019, thecarousel willbe closed forconstructionfrom Julythrough Sep-tember. It willreopen inSpring 2020.

Photo by

Deborah Stevens

News

10 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Heritage Days 2019Join Heritage Montgomery in celebrating the 22nd annual Heritage Days with a weekend packed with fun, family-friendly,

free events all across the county. Visit 38 parks, museums, and historic sites all open with free admission highlighting localhistory, culture, and outdoor recreation. Explore historic houses, schools, churches, railroad stations, banks, and mills. Seean 1899 observatory, trolleys and trains, unique farms, art exhibits, archaeology sites, and community museums; or stop bythe grand opening of a newly restored 1830 C&O Canal lockhouse.Learn about African American and Quaker history, envi-ronmental conservation efforts, farming and farm history, Native American culture, and discover more stories of local historyand culture than you’ve ever imagined. And enjoy live music, games and crafts, children’s activities, storytelling, live ani-mals, food and drink, and more. Saturday-Sunday, June 29-30, noon-4 p.m. at 40 sites throughout Montgomery County. Visitwww.heritagemontgomery.org/events/heritage-days/.

Submit entertainment announcementsat www.connectionnewspapers.com/Cal-endar/. The deadline is noon on Friday.Photos/artwork encouraged.

ONGOINGBicycle Pump Track. Through June

26, open dawn-dusk in Elm StreetPark, Bethesda. Adults and childrencan take turns on the track to learnhow to ride on a pump track or tosimply fine tune their bicycle skills.Call 301-215-6660 or visitwww.bethesda.org.

Summer Read and Learn Begins.This year’s theme for TheMontgomery County Public Libraries’(MCPL) 2019 Summer Read andLearn Program is “A Universe ofStories,” encouraging children of allages to dream big, believe inthemselves, and create their ownstories. Children from newborn to 12years old and teens, 13-17 years ofage, are invited to sign up online orat any branch. Participants who readand/or take part in fun learningactivities can earn prizes (whilesupplies last); vouchers to a Friendsof the Library, Montgomery County(FOLMC) bookstore; or raffle entries.www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/

THURSDAY/JUNE 20Feed Your Senses. 10:30 a.m. at

Potomac Library, 10101 GlenoldenDrive, Potomac. The teen 4-H RoyalCourt will share a story, songs, asimple craft, and information aboutthe Annual Montgomery CountyAgricultural Fair; possibly even havea chance to meet a farm animal.Designed for families with childrenages 3-8, families with children of allages are welcome. A summertimeprogram for children and families.

Free. Call 240-777-0690.Thursday Night Concerts: The

Back Pages Band (60s/70sTribute). 7 p.m. at Veterans Plaza,One Veterans Place, Silver Spring.The concert series returns with a fullline-up, featuring touring artists andlocal favorites. From Motown to rockto Oldies, the popular summerconcert series has music foreveryone. No concert July 4. Free.www.silverspringdowntown.com/summer-concert-series or call 240-777-0311.

FRIDAY/JUNE 21Family Fun Party. 6-7 p.m. at My

Gym Potomac, 11325 Seven LocksRoad, Potomac. Let’s CelebrateSummer. Fun games, activities and asummer treat for kids. $10 members,$15 non-members. Visitwww.mygym.com/potomac/eventsor call 301-983-5300.

SATURDAY/JUNE 22Suds & Soles 5K. 7:30 p.m. at

Rockville Town Center. TheMontgomery County Road RunnersClub and the City of Rockville areteaming up to present the Suds &Soles 5K. The 5K course onneighborhood roads begins and endsin Rockville Town Center. The race isopen to adults, youth and children,and, new this year, features a tieredpricing structure. Visitwww.rockvillemd.gov/sudsandsolesto register.

“A Night of 1000 Laughs.” 8 p.m. atCissel-Saxon American Legion Post41, 8110 Fenton St. (the blue awningoff Fenton Street Parking Lot), SilverSpring. This special edition of Stand-Up Silver Spring, called “A Night of1000 Laughs,” features Reese Waters,Katherine Jessup and Liz Barlow. Aportion of every ticket price will go toA Wider Circle, as part of their majorJune fundraiser. $16-$22. Visitwww.improbablecomedy.com.

SUNDAY/JUNE 23Memoir-Writing Workshop. 1-5

p.m. at Congregation Beth El ofMontgomery County ,8215 OldGeorgetown Road, Bethesda. Writer/editor Gina Roitman will explorebeginning the writing process, reviewdifferent ways to tell stories, and dowriting exercises. $30 in advance,$36 at the door. call 301-580-2215.www.genafterdc.com

Bob Sima at Focus Rockville. 7:30p.m. at Tikvat Israel Congregation,2200 Baltimore Road Rockville. BobSima has the gift of creating musicthat defines, recalls, heals andinspires everyday life. He isaccompanied by Shannon Plummer.Tickets are $18 in advance atwww.focusmusic.org/buy-tickets andfor members, $20 at the door.

MONDAY/JUNE 24Blast Off to Reading. 11 a.m. at

Potomac Library, 10101 GlenoldenDrive, Potomac. An interactivemusical performance connected tothe 2019 summer reading theme of“A Universe of Stories,” featuringsongs about space, reading andbooks. The program will get everyoneinvolved through singing, movement,lyrics-on-the-spot, sign language andvisual aspects such as puppets. Free.Call 240-777-0690.

Learn Basic Knitting. 4:30 p.m. atPotomac Library, 10101 GlenoldenDrive, Potomac. Knitting is a greatway to relax and spend your time.Bring your own needlecrafts or useour limited supplies. For ages 8 andup. All skill levels welcome! Meetsonce a month. No registrationrequired. Call 240-777-0694.

THURSDAY/JUNE 27Thursday Night Concerts: Josh

Christina (Rockabilly). 7 p.m. atVeterans Plaza, One Veterans Place,Silver Spring. The concert seriesreturns with a full line-up, featuringtouring artists and local favorites. Noconcert July 4. Free. Visitwww.silverspringdowntown.com/summer-concert-series or call 240-

777-0311.Potomac Community Village

Meeting. 7 p.m. at Potomac UnitedMethodist Church, 9908 South GlenRoad, Potomac. Program featuresformer Washington Post journalistBob Levey, sharing the highlights ofhis 36 years at The Post, 23 of them

examining life in the nation’s capitalin “Bob Levey’s Washington.”Members and guests welcome. Forinformation, to volunteer or getvolunteer help, call 240-221-1370 orvisitwww.PotomacCommunityVillage.org.

SATURDAY/JUNE 29SummerFest & Independence Day

Fireworks. 5-11:30 p.m. at BohrerPark at Summit Hall Farm,Gaithersburg. Celebrate America’sindependence at SummerFest,Gaithersburg’s illuminating summerfestival on the grounds of BohrerPark at Summit Hall Farm. The freeevent with live music and food leadsto spectacular fireworks andSummerGlo After Party. Visitwww.gaithersburgmd.gov/recreation/special-events/summerfest or call 301-258-6350.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/JUNE 29-30Heritage Days 2019. Noon-4 p.m. at

40 sites throughout MontgomeryCounty. Join Heritage Montgomeryin celebrating the 22nd annualHeritage Days with a weekendpacked with fun, family-friendly, freeevents all across the county. Visit 38parks, museums, and historic sites allopen with free admissionhighlighting local history, culture,and outdoor recreation. Explorehistoric houses, schools, churches,railroad stations, banks, and mills.See an 1899 observatory, trolleys andtrains, unique farms, art exhibits,archaeology sites, and communitymuseums; or stop by the grandopening of a newly restored 1830C&O Canal lockhouse.Learn aboutAfrican American and Quakerhistory, environmental conservationefforts, farming and farm history,Native American culture, anddiscover more stories of local historyand culture than you’ve everimagined. And enjoy live music,games and crafts, children’sactivities, storytelling, live animals,food and drink, and more. Visitwww.heritagemontgomery.org/events/heritage-days/.

THURSDAY/JULY 419th Annual Autism Speaks 5K. 8-

10 a.m. at Potomac Library, 10101Glenolden Drive, Potomac. Start theFourth of July holiday at the 19thAnnual Autism Speaks 5K Run - 1Mile Walk. Autism Speaks isdedicated to promoting solutions,across the spectrum and throughoutthe lifespan, for the needs ofindividuals with autism and theirfamilies through advocacy andsupport. Learn more and register atwww.AutismSpeaks5k.org.

Rockville’s Independence DayCelebration. 7 p.m. at Mattie J.T.Stepanek Park, 1800 Piccard Drive,Rockville. Rockville’s IndependenceDay Celebration is celebrating itsfifth year at Mattie J.T. StepanekPark in King Farm. The evening kicksoff with live music by TheNighthawks, followed by remarksfrom the Mayor and Council, theNational Anthem with the fireworksbeginning at 9:15. Bring a blanket orchairs for great viewing from thepark. Visit www.rockvillemd.gov/663/Independence-Day for more.

FRIDAY/JULY 5Casual Concerts at Glen Echo. 7:30

p.m. at Washington Conservatory ofMusic at Glen Echo Park, 7300MacArthur Blvd., Bethesda. HaskellSmall, piano, with a family programfeaturing original compositionsincluding “Haunted Child.” Eachconcert date will correspond with anArt Walk in the Park, an evening ofopen studios and artist talksorganized by the Glen Echo ParkPartnership for Arts and Culture.Admission is free, and donations arewelcome at the door. Visitwashingtonconservatory.org or call301-634-2250.

Entertainment

Live Music at Focus RockvilleBob Sima has the gift of creating music that defines, recalls, heals and inspires

everyday life. He is accompanied by Shannon Plummer. Sunday, June 23, 7:30 p.m.at Tikvat Israel Congregation, 2200 Baltimore Road Rockville. Tickets are $18 inadvance at www.focusmusic.org/buy-tickets and for members, $20 at the door.

Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 2019 ❖ 11www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

After a second successful week of navigating government and private sector websites, I have reached the promised, albeit familiar land: only worrying about the fact that I have non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV. Oh well. What else is new?

Nothing much thankfully so I can continue to try and live the Vulcan philosophy: “Live long and prosper.” (Although, I could never manipu-

Dina, can however, with ease but she’s not a logical person).

I have to be a logical person. If I am to endure the ups and downs and all-

arounds of a “terminal” cancer diagnosis, I have to think as unemotionally as possible about any news or assessments I may receive.

Cancer is too insidious to give it any help

anecdotal evidence exists, providing cancer as inhospitable an environment as possible is said to help.

And aside from maintaining a positive atti-tude and a good sense of humor, keeping cancer things – good or bad, in some kind of perspec-tive/context, is a trek worth taking. One should be reminded of the never-say-die mantra of the 1978 NBA World Champion Washington Bullets: “It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.”

In addition, all us cancer survivors should remember the famous words of Bluto (John Belushi) from 1980’s “Animal House” when he implored his fellow Delta Fraternity brothers: “What? Over? Did you say over? Nothing is over until we decide it is. Was it over when the Ger-mans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! ...”

And not that cancer survivors can control our disease any more than the Germans can control this mistaken narrative, funny and famous though it is, but we have to try and laugh – and joke, because it sure beats the alternative. Con-trol? ‘Hell no!’

And now that I’ve completed the arduous and tedious – for me – tasks of the last two weeks, I feel as if I’ve taken back some control.

Cancer, schmancer. I’ve survived the multi-step process required

of the Virginia Employment Commission, the

-

Besides me, and anybody who knows me: Who says I can’t step my way through this morass of websites, user names, passwords, mouse clicks

miracle if there ever was one. Now life can return to abnormal. But it’s an

‘abnormal’ with which I’m totally familiar.

-han upon her early return to the 4077th from her honeymoon hearing her awkwardly describe a mishap in the shower: “There’s nothing new

For a long-time cancer survivor, there’s noth-ing new, really. One’s life is likely to be more of the same, only different. And I can live with same – or the different – because after a decade, I’ve been there and pretty much done that.

Now I can add: succeeded in navigating

1997’s “Good Will Hunting”) thought impossible to do. No more do I have to worry about what I need to do, but rather I can bask in the glow of what I’ve done.

us cancer patients need to do: reinforce our

(failures). As many of us attempt to take all this cancer stuff in stride, the truth of it is we’re often

to quote the late Ken Beatrice, on which “you wouldn’t want to live.”

A Few Weaks Off, Finally

News

Each year, Heritage Montgomery hostsHeritage Days on the last weekendof June. Sponsored by Heritage

Montgomery since 2004, this free festivalhighlights historic, cultural, and outdoorrecreation sites offering special programsincluding exhibits & demonstrations, livemusic, activities for children, and more.Heritage Days is the perfect chance to en-joy many small sites that are not regularlyopen to the public.www.heritagemontgomery.org/events/heri-tage-days/

HERITAGE DAYS 2019Both June 29 & 30 – 12 noon to 4pmJoin Heritage Montgomery in celebrating the

22nd annual Heritage Days with a weekend packedwith fun, family-friendly, free events all across thecounty.

Explore historic houses, schools, churches, rail-road stations, banks, and mills. See an 1899observatory, trolleys and trains, unusual farms, artexhibits, archaeology sites, and community muse-ums; or stop by the grand opening of a newlyrestored 1830 C&O Canal lockhouse.

Learn about African American and Quaker his-tory, environmental conservation efforts, farmingand farm history, Native American culture. And allthe while, enjoy live music, games and crafts,children’s activities, storytelling, live animals, foodand drink.

All the details and a map can be found in ourHeritage Days 2019 brochure. https://www.heritagemontgomery.org/wp-content/up-loads/2019/05/HD19-brochure-for-web.pdf

If you would like more information, or to requesta copy of the brochure in the mail, please email usat info@heritagemontgomery.org or call 301-515-0753.

Program Changes for Heritage DaysSee www.heritagemontgomery.org/events/heri-tage-days/Sandy Spring Museum will be open on Saturday,June 29 and NOT Sunday, due to a schedulingconflict.Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station – A walkingtour to the historic spring after which Silver Springwas named will be led by Silver Spring HistoricalSociety president, Jerry McCoy. The tour will be-gin and end at the historic railroad station; 10amto 12 noon.

Sample Heritage Days ToursFor details on each location, click on the HeritageDays 2019 Brochure link https://www.heritagemontgomery.org/wp-content/up-loads/2019/05/HD19-brochure-for-web.pdf .

PARK DISCOVERIESWoodend Nature Sanctuary – home to theAudubon Naturalist Society, Chevy Chase (Sat.)Thomas Harper Cabin at Brookside Nature Center,Wheaton (Sat. & Sun.)Glen Echo Park along the C&O Canal, Glen Echo(Sun.)Woodlawn Museum at Woodlawn Manor CulturalPark, Sandy Spring (Sat. & Sun.)Hyattstown Mill Arts Project in Little Bennett Re-gional Park, Clarksburg (Sat. & Sun.)Button Farm Living History Center in Seneca CreekState Park, Germantown (Sat. & Sun.)Grusendorf 1855 Log House in Seneca Creek StatePark, Gaithersburg (Sat.)Black Rock Mill in Seneca State Creek Park,Darnestown – open house for new interpretivepanels at the remains of the 1815 mill (Sun.)Izaak Walton League Conservation, Poolesville – awealth of outdoor activities (Sat. & Sun.)Swains Lockhouse in the C&O Canal National His-torical Park, Potomac – grand opening of newlyrehabilitated early-1900s lockhouse (Sat.)

ROCKVILLE / GAITHERSBURGBeall-Dawson House, Rockville – (Sat. & Sun.)Red Brick Courthouse, Rockville – performance byNative American dancers and drummers (Sat.)Gaithersburg Community Museum, Gaithersburg(Sat.)Gaithersburg International Latitude Observatory,

Clarksburg 1909 2-Room School-house.

Meander County Heritage June 29-30

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Gaithersburg celebrates its 120th birthday (Sun.)

HISTORY ON THE RAILSNational Capital Trolley Museum, Colesville (Sat.& Sun.)Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station, Silver Spring– hands-on activities at this 1945 RR station (Sat.)Gaithersburg Community Museum, Gaithersburg –in an 1884 railroad complex (Sat.)Germantown Bank, Germantown – with walkingtours of this early-1900s railroad town (Sat.)FARMING & MILLSThomas Mill, Brookeville – archaeology of historicBrookeville (Sat.)Hyattstown Mill Arts Project, Clarksburg –Sugarloaf Revisited art exhibit celebrates HMAP’s20th anniversary (Sat. & Sun.)Agricultural History Farm Park, Derwood (Sat.)Button Farm Living History Center, Germantown(Sat. & Sun.)King Barn Dairy MOOseum, Boyds (Sat.)Black Rock Mill, Darnestown (Sun.)Rocklands Farm Winery, Poolesville (Sat. & Sun.)Soleado Lavender Farm, Dickerson (Sat. & Sun.)

SCHOOLHOUSESSmithville School Museum, Silver Spring – 1920sRosenwald school for African American students(Sat.)Clarksburg Schoolhouse, Clarksburg (Sat.)Boyds Negro School, Boyds (Sat.)Seneca Schoolhouse Museum, Poolesville (Sat. &Sun.) – experience an 1880s school day

AFRICAN AMERICAN andQUAKER HISTORYThomas Harper Cabin, Wheaton (Sat. & Sun.)Smithville School Museum, Silver Spring (Sat.)Woodlawn Museum, Sandy Spring (Sat. & Sun.)Sandy Spring Friends Meeting House, SandySpring (Sat.)Sandy Spring Slave Museum, Sandy Spring (Sat.)Brookeville Academy, Brookeville (Sat. & Sun.)Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park,Olney (Sat.)Boyds Negro School, Boyds (Sat.)Button Farm Living History Center, Germantown(Sat. & Sun.)St. Paul Community Church, Poolesville (Sat.)Warren Historic Site, Dickerson (Sat.)

AROUND THE AGRICULTURAL RESERVEHyattstown Mill Arts Project, Clarksburg (Sat. &Sun.)Soleado Lavender Farm, Dickerson (Sat. & Sun.)White’s Ferry, Dickerson (Sat. & Sun.)Sculpture Garden at Alden Farm, Beallsville (Sat.& Sun.)John Poole House, Poolesville (Sat. & Sun.)Old Town Hall Bank Museum, Poolesville (Sat. &Sun.)Rocklands Farm Winery, Poolesville (Sat. & Sun.)

12 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ June 19-25, 2019 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com