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December 12-18, 2018

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online at potomacalmanac.com

HomeLifeStylePage 7

Regional Leaders Launch FirmNews, Page 5

Preparing for Holiday GuestsHomeLifeStyle, Page 7

Stress-free ShoppingHoliday Gifts, Page 3

Stephanie Me-nick, owner of Occasions Gift Store displays

warm and fuzzy Giving Heart

merchandise.

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ December 12-18, 2018 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 9305 KENDALE RD ............... 7 .. 9 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $2,850,000 ... Detached ....... 2.18 ......... 20854 ....... POTOMAC OUTSIDE ....... 10/23/18

2 11400 GLEN RD.................... 4 .. 5 . 2 .... POTOMAC ... $2,250,000 ... Detached ....... 2.00 ......... 20854 ........... SADDLE RIDGE .......... 10/04/18

3 18 BEMAN WOODS CT .......... 4 .. 5 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $1,505,000 ... Detached ....... 0.17 ......... 20854 ................. AVENEL ................ 10/31/18

4 14401 PETTIT WAY ............... 6 .. 6 . 3 .... POTOMAC ... $1,350,000 ... Detached ....... 4.89 ......... 20854 ............. RIVERWOOD ............ 10/29/18

5 11612 TWINING LN .............. 6 .. 5 . 2 .... POTOMAC ... $1,299,000 ... Detached ....... 0.85 ......... 20854 ........ GLEN MILL VILLAGE ....... 10/29/18

6 8819 VICTORY LN ................. 5 .. 4 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $1,270,000 ... Detached ....... 0.46 ......... 20854 .......... BEVERLY FARMS .......... 10/16/18

7 7812 HACKAMORE DR .......... 5 .. 4 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $1,237,500 ... Detached ....... 0.37 ......... 20854 ............. RIVER FALLS ............ 10/24/18

8 9480 TURNBERRY DR ........... 3 .. 3 . 1 .... POTOMAC ... $1,192,000 ... Townhouse .... 0.16 ......... 20854 ................. AVENEL ................ 10/30/18

Copyright 2018 MarketStats for ShowingTime. Source: Bright MLS as of October 31, 2018.

October, 2018 Top SalesIn October 2018, 37 Potomac homes

sold between $2,850,000-$515,000.

1 9305 Kendale Road — $2,850,000

3 18 Beman Woods Court— $1,505,000

8 9480 Turnberry Drive — $1,192,000

7 7812 Hackamore Drive — $1,237,500

2 11400 Glen Road — $2,250,0004 14401 Pettit Way — $1,350,000

5 11612 Twining Lane — $1,299,000

Potomac Almanac ❖ December 12-18, 2018 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Holiday GiftsPotomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

See Toys for Fun, Page 8

By Susan Belford

The Almanac

Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s time to put onyour Santa hats and head toCabin John Mall for holidayshopping. This year, instead

of searching through large departmentstores, jockeying for parking spots, waitingin interminable lines, seeking help fromsales assistants who are just too busy to payattention to your needs — head to close-byCabin John Mall. You won’t have to jostlethrough crowds or fight the traffic. If youneed to fuel up your bellies before shop-ping, there are plenty of new restaurantsand cuisine to select from. But the best newsis that local store owners will give you theirtime and ideas to locate the perfect gift fora loved one, friend, work buddy — or evenfor yourself.

Check out the hottest gift suggestions

from the owners of stores at Cabin JohnMall. Each store stocks a variety of gifts thatare sure to delight all ages from tiny tots tograndma and grandpa.

Occasions is the crème de la crème of giftstores. Owner Stephanie Menick is on topof the trendiest gifts for everyone in yourfamily. Hot items this year for all are Swelland Corkcicle bottles — personalized withnames, initials or sayings. Occasions canquickly personalize many items in the storeto make fun, unique gifts.

Menick discussed some of her favoriteitems: “We have themed socks for the men-in-your-life that feature their interest,whether its sushi, cars, golf, another hobbyor activity. Initial necklaces and notepadsare always in demand as are monogrammedsport bags. The ‘Giving Heart’ items whichfeature ‘A Giftable Hug’ are warm, soft andfuzzy — wonderful for a friend who needsa hug. We have a lot of teacher, grandpar-ent, baby and friend gifts too. And one ofthe most fun for the adults in your family isthe ‘Shiraz on the Shelf’ fashioned after the

Reducing Stress of Holiday ShoppingShop local:No crowds, no traffic.

Photos by Deborah Stevens/The Almanac

Stephanie Menick displays personalized lap-board.A unique gift from Occasions is “Shiraz on the Shelf” a copy of “Elf onthe Shelf” for wine lovers.

More gift ideas from Occasions include warm cuddly pajama pants.

A variety of gift ideas from Occasions.


Business

By Marilyn Campbell

Inspired by a fascination of botanicalart and a desire to pay homage to someof its masters, Bethesda-based interiordesigner Marika Meyer of Marika

Meyer Interiors and Marika Meyer Textileshas launched a new line of upholstery fab-rics called the Flora Collection.

lustrator Matilda Smith, British botanical art-ist Lilian Snelling and children’s author andillustrator Beatrix Potter.

“Many people don’t realize that Beatrix Pot-ter was an accomplished artist and illustrator,”said Meyer. “The study of plants through bo-tanical art is a field that has always fascinatedme. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was theone, if not the only, type of art that was en-couraged for women.”

For more information, visit.www.marikameyertextiles.com.

Botanical Art Inspires New Line of TextilesLocal designer launches the “Flora Collection.”

“Female artists contributed some of the great-est examples of botanicals, detailed and accu-rate, but also beautiful and captivating,” saidMeyer. “This collection is dedicated to thoseincredibly talented women.”

Meyer designed three patterns, which shenamed Matilda, Lilian and Beatrix.

The women for whom the Flora Collectionis named are late 19th-early 20th century il-

Submit civic/community announce-ments at ConnectionNewspapers.com/Calendar. Photos and artwork welcome.Deadline is Thursday at noon, at least twoweeks before event.

SOBER-RIDE FOR THE HOLIDAYSFree Sober Rides. 8 p.m.-4 a.m. daily,

Dec. 14-Jan. 1. Area residents, 21and older, may download Lyft totheir phones, then enter a code in theapp’s “Promo” section to receive a nocost (up to $15) safe ride home(limited quantities available).WRAP’s Holiday SoberRide promocode will be posted atwww.SoberRide.com.

HOLIDAY DONATIONSToy Drive. Through Friday, Dec. 14 at

local Weichert, Realtors offices.Members of the community areinvited to drop off new, unwrappedtoys at the company’s sales offices.The toys will be delivered throughoutthe holidays in conjunction with localcharities that assist financially andphysically disadvantaged children. Tofind a local office, go towww.weichert.com/offices/.

SATURDAY/DEC. 15Addiction Family Support.

Saturdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at SecondChance Addiction Care, 9800 FallsRoad, Suite 7, Potomac. SecondChance Addiction Care, a boutiquesubstance abuse facility, offers freesupport for anyone with a loved onesuffering from addiction. ContactRobert Roth [email protected] or 301-983-5130. Visitwww.secondchancecare.com formore.

Listening Session. 3-4:30 p.m. atBethesda-Chevy Chase High School,4301 East-West Highway, Bethesda.County Executive Marc Elrich hasscheduled additional listeningsessions to provide MontgomeryCounty residents and stakeholdersopportunity to have their voicesheard. Sign language and interpreterservices will be provided uponrequest with notice as far in advanceas possible at 240-777-0311 [email protected].

MONDAY/DEC. 17Listening Session. 7:30-9 p.m. at

Churchill High School, 11300Gainsborough Road, Potomac.County Executive Marc Elrich hasscheduled additional listeningsessions to provide MontgomeryCounty residents and stakeholdersopportunity to have their voicesheard. Sign language and interpreterservices will be provided uponrequest with notice as far in advanceas possible at 240-777-0311 [email protected].

Photo by Angie Seckinger

A new line of textiles bydesigner Marika Meyer wasinspired by her fascinationwith botanical art and thewomen who created it.

Bulletin Board


News

See Area Leaders, Page 11

A team of bipartisan lead-ers from across the re-gion has formed DMVStrategic Advisors LLC,

“to assist the private sector, non-profits, and local governments ad-vance projects and policies alignedwith the overarching goals of ourregion, goals that we helped de-fine and advance over decades ofservice to the region,” accordingto its press release.

Roger Berliner of MontgomeryCounty and Jay Fisette of Arling-ton County lead the firm. Berlinerand Fisette were both awardedwith the region’s highest honor for

“outstanding regional leadership.”Berliner served as president of theMontgomery County Council.Fisette served as chair of the Ar-lington County Board. They arejoined by a team of advisors, allof whom have a track record ofserving the region, including:

❖ Susan Bell, former director ofArlington’s Department of Com-munity Planning, Housing andDevelopment;

❖ Caroline Cunningham, formerfounding president of the Trust forthe National Mall and vice presi

Berliner, Fisette leadDMV Strategic Advisors LLC.

Regional LeadersLaunch Firm

FisetteBerliner Bell

HynesCunningham Harrington


Opinion POTOMACALMANAC

www.PotomacAlmanac.com

Newspaper of PotomacA Connection Newspaper

An independent, locally owned weeklynewspaper delivered

to homes and businesses.

1606 King StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22314

Free digital edition delivered toyour email box. Go to

connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe

EDITOR & PUBLISHERMary Kimm

[email protected]@MaryKimm

EDITORIALPHONE: 703-778-9415

E-MAIL:[email protected]

EDITORSteven Mauren, 703-778-9415

[email protected]

PRODUCTION EDITORJean Card

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSSusan Belford, Carole Dell,

Cissy Finley Grant, Carole Funger,Colleen Healy, Kenny Lourie,Peggy McEwan, Ken Moore

ContributingPhotographers

Harvey Levine, Deborah Stevens

Art/Design:Laurence Foong, John Heinly,

Ali KhalighProduction Manager

Geovani Flores

ADVERTISINGFor advertising information

[email protected]

Display Advertising:Kenny Lourie 301-325-1398

[email protected]

Debbie FunkNational Sales & Real Estate

[email protected]

David GriffinMarketing Assistant

[email protected]

Jerry VernonExecutive Vice President

[email protected]

[email protected]

Potomac Almanac is publishedby Local Media Connection LLC

Five Time First PlaceAward-WinnerPublic Service

MDDC Press Association

Four TimeNewspaper of the Year

An Award-winning Newspaperin Writing, Photography, Editing,

Graphics and Design

The holidays are about giving, andgiving thanks. The holidays areabout children and family. The holi-days are about sharing, about joy.

The holidays are about being thankful andabout faith and appreciation. The holidays areabout helping those in need.

Potomac is one of the wealthiest communi-ties in the nation. The average annual familyincome in Potomac is $275,715, with 55 per-

cent of married couple families in Potomacearning more than $200,000.

But close to 68,000 people (6.7 percent) inMontgomery County live below the povertylevel. That’s $20,420 for a family of three.

These families may be on the brink ofhomelessness, families who must choose be-tween medical bills, car repair, heat and food.Some of these are children who may not besure that they will have a meal between the

❖ Manna Food Center, 9311 Gaither Road,Gaithersburg, MD 20877, 301-424-1130,www.mannafood.org.

Manna Food Center, the main food bank in Mont-gomery County, strives to eliminate hunger throughfood distribution, education, and advocacy. Mana pro-vides food to 32,000 individuals each year and helpsdistribute rescued food to soup kitchens, food pantriesand emergency shelters county-wide. Nearly everysocial service organization in Montgomery County re-lies on Manna to provide food to their clients.

❖ Mercy Health Clinic,www.mercyhealthclinic.org, 7 Metropolitan Court,Suite 1, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, 240-773-0300

Mercy Health Clinic in Montgomery County is a to-tally free clinic serving the uninsured of thecommunity. It serves around 2,000 patients annuallythrough the efforts of more than 50 volunteer physi-cians and over 100 medical and administrativevolunteers. “At Mercy, we believe that we all benefitwhen everyone in our community has access to healthcare.”

❖ Interfaith Works, www.iworksmc.org, 114West Montgomery Ave., Rockville, MD 20850.

Interfaith Works provides shelter, food, and cloth-ing to low-income and homeless neighbors.

❖ Potomac Community Resources, http://pcr-inc.org/ 9200 Kentsdale Drive, Potomac, MD 20854,301-365-0561.

Potomac Community Resources, Inc. promotes thefull inclusion into community life of teens and adultswith developmental differences by providing over 35therapeutic, recreational, social, educational, and re-spite care programs. Donations to PCR make adifference in the lives of individuals with developmen-tal differences and their families. Eighty-six percent ofevery dollar that is donated goes directly to its pro-grams.

❖ Montgomery County Coalition for theHomeless, www.mcch.net, 600-B East Gude Drive,Rockville, MD 20850, 301-217-0314.

Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless(MCCH), a community-based nonprofit organization,is a leading provider of permanent housing, interme-diate housing, emergency shelter, and supportiveservices for people experiencing homelessness. MCCHprograms serve 1,600 men, women and children eachyear, providing 60 percent of the emergency shelterbeds in the county.

❖ Prekindergarten and Head Start Programs

are seeking donations of new winter coats for boys andgirls in sizes 5, 6, and 7, along with other winter wear,such as hats and gloves. Monetary donations are wel-come. Donations can be sent to Rocking Horse RoadCenter, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141, Rockville, MD20852. For more information, contact Lisa Conlon at240-740-4530.

❖ ArtStream, www.art-stream.org, 8401 Con-necticut Ave. Ste 1230, Chevy Chase, MD 20815,301-565-4567

ArtStream performances feature adult actors withintellectual and developmental disabilities includingautism and other social and behavioral needs. Actors,volunteer mentors and theatre professionals work asa team to create original performances for live audi-ences. Drama and life-skills classes, programs inmilitary hospitals. ArtStream is based in Chevy Chaseand holds programming throughout the region.

❖ Shepherd’s Table, www.shepherdstable.org,8210 Dixon Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-585-6463.

Shepherd’s Table is a nonprofit organization indowntown Silver Spring, supported by volunteers, re-ligious organizations, government, businesses,foundations, and individual donors. Shepherd’s Tableprovides help to people who are homeless or in needby providing basic services, including meals, socialservices, medical support, clothing, and other assis-tance.

❖ Fisher House, www.fisherhouse.org, FisherHouse Foundation, Inc., 12300 Twinbrook Pkwy, Suite410, Rockville, MD 20852, 301-294-8560,[email protected]

The Fisher House program supports members of themilitary and their families when they travel great dis-tances for specialized medical care. Fisher HouseFoundation donates “comfort homes,” built on thegrounds of major military and Veterans medical cen-ters, including Walter Reed in Bethesda. These homesenable family members to be close to a loved one atthe most stressful times.

❖ Friends in Action, www.iworksmc.org/friends-in-action, 114 West Montgomery Ave.,Rockville, MD 20850, 301-762-8682.

Founded by Interfaith Works (formerly CommunityMinistry of Montgomery County) in 1986, Friends InAction recruits and trains a network of people from allfaiths and ethnic backgrounds. Volunteer mentoringteams are linked for one year in a supportive relation-ship to a needy family in their community. The goal

of the program is to help the family identify theirstrengths and develop attainable and manageablegoals that guide them toward financial independenceand personal well being.

❖ Montgomery Countryside Alliance, P.O Box24, Poolesville, MD 20837, 301-461-9831,www.mocoalliance.org, [email protected]

Montgomery Countryside Alliance promotes soundeconomic, land-use and transportation policies thatpreserve the natural environment, open spaces andrural lands in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Re-serve for the benefit of all Washington Metropolitanarea residents.

❖ Spirit Club, 10417-B Metropolitan Ave.Kensington, MD 20895, 03-883-4364, spirit-club.com

Spirit Club Foundation Inc. is a non-profit organi-zation organized to ensure that people with disabilitiesand other health-related challenges have the opportu-nity to exercise and learn about fitness and nutritionin an integrated setting.

❖ MCPAW (Montgomery County Partners for Ani-mal Well-Being) is the non-profit partner of theMontgomery County Animal Services and AdoptionCenter (MCASAC) working through MCASAC to keephomeless pets healthy and happy while awaiting adop-tion.

Goals are: Reduce the number of animals that cometo MCASAC; Pamper, protect and provide for animalsinside MCASAC; Educate and engage the communityin causes for animal welfare. http://www.mcpaw.org/

❖ C&O Canal Trust. www.canaltrust.orgBy giving to the C&O Canal Trust, you will be join-

ing a growing movement of citizens across the countrywho are taking personal responsibility for the futureof “America’s best idea” — our national parks. Givethanks for the C&O Canal you enjoy today, and investin its future.

❖ Potomac Riverkeeper Network works to pro-tect the public’s right to clean water in our rivers andstreams; to stop pollution to promote safe drinkingwater; to protect healthy river habitats; and to enhancepublic use and enjoyment.

3070 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007. 202-888-2037

www.potomacriverkeepernetwork.org❖ Potomac River Conservancy, 8403 Colesville

Road, Suite 805, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-608-1188 potomac.org, seeks to improve the PotomacRiver’s water quality by building an impassioned baseof river advocates to impart change at the local level.

Nonprofits with local mission seek help now and through the year.

Give Locally in Potomacmeals they get in school.

School holidays can bring uncertainty andhunger, a far cry from the celebrations, giftsand plenty that we associate with the holidays.

Hundreds of homeless students attend thepublic schools, and their needs are greater.

But we also list other kinds of nonprofits;find what appeals to you, and pitch in.

— Mary Kimm,

[email protected]

Potomac: Where to Give Locally

The Cabin John Park Vol-unteer Fire Departmentdecorates its Reserve Engine,loads Santa and a few addi-tional volunteers, and heads outinto the community to collectunwrapped holiday gifts forchildren up to the age of 14.

The week before Christmasvolunteers begin wrapping andlabeling all of the gifts and onChristmas Eve they are deliv-

ered to children who otherwisemay not have a joyous holiday.

Visit www.cjpvfd.org/santa totrack Santa making the rounds.

The expected schedule:

The Village, Williamsburg Gardens❖ Saturday, Dec. 15: Congressional

Country Club Estates, West BethesdaPark, Cohasset, Bradley Park, BurningTree Valley, Frenchman’s Creek

❖ Sunday, Dec. 16: Locust Ridge,Oakwood Knolls

❖ Monday, Dec. 17: Alvermar Woods,Potomac Hunt Acres, Tara, PotomacView Estates, Merry Go Round Farms,Beallmount, Lake Potomac, StoneyCreek Farms, Saddle Ridge

❖ Tuesday, Dec. 18: Potomac Village,Camotop, Falconhurst, Bradley Farms,McAuley Park, Kentdale Estates, Bradley

Blvd Estates, Congressional ForestEstates.

❖Wednesday, Dec. 19:Bannockburn, Bannockburn Estates,Al Marah, Wilson Knolls

❖ December 20-22: Makeup nightfor any nights due to inclementweather

❖ Monday, Dec. 24: Wrapped pre-sents are delivered to the NationalCenter for Children and Families andthe Scotland Drive Family Associa-tion.

’Tis the Season

❖ Wednesday, Dec. 12: Seven LocksHills, Burning Tree Estates, Rose HillEstates, Stonehurst Center, Smithfield

❖ Thursday, Dec. 13: CongressionalManor, Carderock Springs, Clewerwall,Glengarry, Carderock, The Palisades

❖ Friday, Dec. 14: Avenel, River RoadEstates, Williamsburg Estates, Concord,


By Marilyn Campbell

Amid the tree-trimming, wreath hangingand stocking stuffing in an effort to deckthe halls in anticipation of holiday guests,there’s one space that can be forgotten:

the humble bathroom. While not as festive as hang-ing garland, a few simple tweaks can transform abathroom from glum to guest ready.

“Hands-down, the easiest way to spruce up a bath-room with little or no expense is to de-clutter,” saidAnne M. Walker of Anne Walker Design. “You’ll beamazed how beautiful your bathroom looks if youclear away all of the items sitting on the countertopand around the room.”

To help with that effort, Walker suggests investingorganizational items such as Lucite or bamboo traysand drawer inserts so that personal items can be keptout of sight.

For those with a budget and time to allow for it,Walker suggests a fresh coat of paint or new wallpa-per. “That can make a huge visual impact in a bath-room,” she said. “Since the space is so small, and it’sa room where you don’t spend long periods of time,you can have fun with interesting colors and pat-terns.”

Also think about painting just one wall as an ac-cent or the ceiling,” said Todd Martz of Home onCameron in Alexandria. “[Add a new] mirror, suchas a decorative or colorfully framed mirror or onethat runs from floor to ceiling, for a fresh look.”

He also suggests updating a bathroom’s lightingto make the space feel bright and airy.

Another practical tip that Walker offers is a good,old-fashioned scrub-down. “Clean like you’ve nevercleaned before, she said. “Use a surface cleaner withbleach, like Krud Kutter, which is my personal favor-ite, a strong brush, and your elbow grease to removedust, grime and dirt from tile grout, caulk, and cor-

ners of the room.”Among the more mundane tasks is to visually in-

spect the bathroom’s grout to check for cracks andstubborn, unsightly mold. Re-grouting might be nec-essary, says Chuck Khiel, vice president of Fred HomeImprovement. “When making a repair, it is very im-portant to remove all of the cracked grout in the jointso that the full edge of the tile is exposed,” he said.“The new grout can then bond to the full thicknessof the tile edge. Simply smearing a thin layer of newgrout over old grout will not work.”

Once the room is sparkling clean and totallydecluttered, Walker suggests adding display on acountertop or in a shower niche. “A vase full of bam-boo, pretty soaps in a rattan basket or a Lucite trayfilled with beautiful guest towels are just a few sug-gestions for fresh objects that will lend an air of tran-quility to your bathroom.”

For guests who might cringe at the thought ofshared guests towels, Martz suggests adding a trayof disposable hand towels. He also encourages en-gaging one’s sense of smell by, “adding some scentedcandles like those by Rigaud’s Cypres and Cythere.”

Another simple fix is to buy fresh new bath linens,says Walker. “No matter how hard you try, towelsand shower curtains get dingy over time,” she said.“There are so many places to buy lovely linens, andmany of them are very low cost.”

With the right accessories, even the most modestspaces can be made to feel like a spa, suggests Walker,recalling a bathroom in which she added added aTurkish towel, striped shower curtain which becametransformative. “Even though the bathroom, itself,is modest, the beautiful shower curtain makes it feellike a resort,” she said. “By adding just a couple ofcolorful accessories on the countertop, it pulls thewhole room together.

Installing new fixtures such as a shower head canquickly transform a bathroom from outdated to up-dated. “There are many types of shower heads onthe market these days,” said “Some offer a variety ofwater streams and different features, [and] mostmanufacturers make it so that changing a showerhead is fairly simply.”

Sprucing-up a bathroomwithout a renovation.

Preparing for Holiday Guests

HomeLifeStyle

Photo courtesy of Anne Walker

Potomac designer Anne Walker usedThibaut wallpaper to make the room a“fabulous, joyful place to visit,” she said.

Todd Martz of Home on Cameron in OldTown Alexandria suggests adding a decora-tive mirrors for a quick bathroom update.

Photo by Home on Cameron


From Page 3

Holiday Gifts

See Reducing Stress, Page 10

popular ‘Elf on the Shelf.’ The wine glass magi-cally is filled each morning when you find it in itsnew spot. We also carry fuzzy fleece sweatshirts andpants for cuddling up on the couch — perfect forstaying warm in this cold weather.”

Brian Mack has owned the Toy Castle for 39 Christ-mases. This iconic store has provided high-qualitytoys for birthday parties, holidays and special occa-sions since 1979. Mack has seen all types of toys goin and out of favor.

“There is no real hot toy this year, but toys thataccelerate STEM programs, games, mermaids, PeppaPig and llamas are popular,” Mack said. “Gravitrax isa marble-run on steroids with all sorts of accessoriesthat can be added. Girls love our Squishables in theshapes of macaroons, lattes, peanut butter and jelly— we even have an avocado. Kids and parents stillenjoy playing games together and Connect 4 Shotsis flying off the shelves. We offer a huge variety oftoys, crafts, science kits, Legos — and complimen-tary gift wrapping too. Parents love to bring their

kids here to pick out toys and games for their wishlists — we are the one place where kids can actuallysee and examine all the toys on the market, ask ques-tions and make decisions about what they would likefor gifts.”

Next door to the Toy Castle is Hall of Fame Cardsand Collectibles. This store is a shopping Mecca forsports gifts for fans of any age. It is packed with sportsmemorabilia including old and new baseball, foot-ball and basketball cards, albums to help organizethem, sports banners for favorite teams, sports jer-seys, and warm pajama pants with team insignias,wallets, blankets and buttons. Owner Peter Averinossaid his most popular items are: “Anything Capitals— for sure! We also sell lots of Washington D.C. teamclothing for the Nats, Terps, Hoyas and yes – evenfor the Redskins!”

Cell Fixx in the Cabin John Mall provides an ex-tremely necessary service for all — cell phone re-pair. They repair screens, provide batteries, sell newand used phones, cell phone and iPad cases and pre-paid cell phone plans — without a contract. Hot itemsfor your techies this year are wireless chargers and

Toys for Fun, Learning

Get your avocado Squishable atToy Castle.

Brian Mack, owner of Toy Castle displays popular game Connect 4 Shots.Gravitrax from Toy Castle is a“marble run on steroids.”

“All the rage” toys from Toy Castle.

Games are still loved because they bring parents andadults together, says Brian Mack.




OUR LADY OF MERCY CATHOLIC CHURCH

Rev. William D. Byrne, Pastor9200 Kentsdale Drive

Potomac, Maryland 20854301-365-1415 www.olom.org

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH US

ADDITIONAL MASS INFORMATION

December 26 through December 28, 2018

and December 31, 2018

9:00 am no 7:00 am or 8:30 am Mass

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

New Year’s Day, Mary, Mother of God

9:00 am

no 7:00 am or 8:30 am Mass

Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24Prelude music begins one half-hour before each Mass

4:00 pm Cherub & Children’s Choir/Flute (Church)

4:00 pm Piano/Cantor (McAuley Hall)

6:00 pm Cantor/Hand Bells

8:00 pm Choir/Strings/Trumpet/Flute

10:00 pm Schola/Strings/Trumpet/Flute

Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25

9:00 am Choir

11:00 am Vocal Quartet

5:00 pm

Holiday Entertainment

National Philharmonic Singers

Holiday ConcertThe National Philharmonic Singers present a Christmas by Candlelight concert,

featuring a range of Renaissance to Contemporary music styles for choir with or-gan and a cappella. A wide variety of familiar holiday music is also planned,including Carols for All to Sing, as well as favorites such as Silent Night. Saturday,Dec. 15, 8 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 107 South Washington St., Rockville.A free-will offering benefits the Community Ministries of Rockville. Visitwww.christchurchrockville.org or nationalphilharmonic.org for more.

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

ONGOINGFour Exhibits in Five Galleries at

Two Locations. Through Dec. 22,allery hours at Artists & MakersStudios 1, 11810 Parklawn Drive,Suite 210, Rockville and Artists &Makers Studios 2, 12276 WilkinsAve., Rockville. A&M1 Parklawn ishosting a solo for artist Liz Lescault –Chimerical; selected works of RobertYi; and Inspired by Frida curated byDavid Amorosa featuring juriedartists along with David’s Fridas atboth Rockville locations. At Wilkinsenjoy a dual exhibit Places toWander: Paintings by Ken Bachmanand Tom Semmes – graduates of theCompass Atelier in the main gallery,and an additional merge gallery filledwith more Inspired by Frida. Visitwww.artistsandmakersstudios.com.

Art Exhibit: A Burning WinterDance. Through Dec. 29, galleryhours at Gallery B, 7700 WisconsinAve., Suite E, Bethesda. Gallery Bpresents its December exhibition, ABurning Winter Dance, featuring nineBe Dot Gallery artists from thegreater Frederick area. Visitwww.bethesda.org.

FRIDAY/DEC. 1455+ Active Adults Holiday

Luncheon. Noon-1:30 at PotomacCommunity Recreation Center,11315 Falls Road, Potomac. Lunchincludes soup, salads, sandwichesand beverages. There will be a rafflewith prizes and live entertainmentprovided by Frank Sinatra tributeartist Steve Flynn-”Flynnatra.” Spaceis limited to 100 people. Pre-registration is required to attend thisevent. Register in person at theCommunity Center or online atActiveMONTGOMERY.org underactivity 61093. $10 per person. Call240-777-6960.

Reception: A Burning WinterDance. 6-8 p.m. at Gallery B, 7700Wisconsin Ave., Suite E, Bethesda.Gallery B presents its Decemberexhibition, A Burning Winter Dance,featuring nine Be Dot Gallery artistsfrom the greater Frederick areathrough Dec. 29. Visitwww.bethesda.org.

Reception: Recovered Memory. 6-8p.m. at Photoworks at Glen EchoPark. Photoworks hosts the first soloexhibition of work from Frank VanRiper’s bestselling book, “RecoveredMemory: New York & Paris 1960-1980.” The exhibition opens with areception, lecture and book signing.The show runs through Jan. 20,2019. Visit glenechophotoworks.org.

DEC. 14-JAN. 20Photography Exhibit: Recovered

Memory. Saturdays, 1-4 p.m.;Sundays, 1-8 p.m. at Photoworks atGlen Echo Park. Photoworks hoststhe first solo exhibition of work fromFrank Van Riper’s bestselling book,“Recovered Memory: New York &Paris 1960-1980.” Visitwww.glenechophotoworks.org.

SATURDAY/DEC. 15Bop Goes the Weasel - Jingle Bell

Jazz for Kids. 11 a.m. at PotomacLibrary, 10101 Glenolden Drive,Potomac. Christiana Drapkin will singand lead the audience in singingalong with other related activities.There will be a guitarist, bassist, andcool drummer. There will be secularholiday and winter songs, originaltunes for easy sing-along, Jazzyversions of children’s songs like OldMacDonald, musical group exercises,plus Jazz Standards and happy Blues

that get children engaged with themusic. Bring jingle bells if available.No registration required. Free.Contact Cindy Gil at 240-777-0690.

SUNDAY/DEC. 16Annual Artisan Women’s

Marketplace. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. atSilver Spring Civic Center, 1 VeteransPlace, Silver Spring. The 6th AnnualArtisan-Women’s Marketplaceincludes 40+ local women artisansand food vendors who offer a\selection of beautiful crafts, jewelry,food gifts, and fine art. Marketplacevendors are women from the GreaterDC Metro area who have receivedtraining, support, and mentorshipfrom Empowered WomenInternational (EWI), and the LatinoEconomic Development Center(LEDC). Visit ewint.org to register.

Vivaldi’s Gloria. 4 p.m. at PotomacPresbyterian Church, 10301 RiverRoad, Potomac. Gloria in excelsisDeo, shortened to Gloria, is anancient text that dates to as early asthe 2nd century, and is part of theCatholic Mass. It can be recited orsung to music, and there arehundreds of melodies and musicalsettings of the text. This is consideredVivaldi’s “extended” musicalreflection on the text. Visitwww.potomacpresbyterian.org/.

WEDNESDAY/DEC. 19Recycled Magazine Holiday Trees.

4:30-5:30 p.m. at Potomac Library,10101 Glenolden Drive, Potomac.Get in the holiday spirit and learnhow to make holiday trees fromrecycled magazines. All supplies willbe provided. Open to teens andchildren 8 years of age and older.Children under 8 must beaccompanied by an adult. Free. Call240-777-0690.

SATURDAY/DEC. 22Holiday Market. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at

Artists & Makers Studios 1, 11810Parklawn Drive, Suite 210, Rockvilleand Artists & Makers Studios 2,12276 Wilkins Ave., Rockville. Aholiday market will round outfestivities at both locations withFrida-themed art and merchandise.Visit artistsandmakersstudios.com.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY/DEC. 22-23Handel’s Messiah. Saturday, 8 p.m.;

Sunday, 3 p.m. at the Music Centerat Strathmore, 5301 TuckermanLane, North Bethesda. The NationalPhilharmonic Orchestra and Choraleperform Handel’s beloved oratorio,the Messiah. Led by Artistic DirectorStan Engebretson, the concert willfeature the Philharmonic’s nearly 200voice all-volunteer Chorale, as wellas soloists Suzanne Karpov(soprano); Magdalena Wór (mezzo-soprano); Mathew Smith (tenor);and Trevor Scheunemann (bass).Tickets start at $34 and are free foryoung people age 7-17. Visitwww.nationalphilharmonic.org orcall 301-581-5100.

MONDAY/DEC. 24Family Movie. 10:30 a.m. at Potomac

Library, 10101 Glenolden Drive,Potomac. Lights... Camera... Action!Come to the Potomac Library and seewhat’s playing. Bring a snack. Noregistration is needed. Free. Call 240-777-0690.

THURSDAY/DEC. 27Fun with Playdough! (STEAM). 2

p.m. at Potomac Library, 10101Glenolden Drive, Potomac. Expandthe ability to imagine and create andhave fun all at once using playdough.Children will learn how to form acharacter with playdough. For ages 8years and above, younger childrenwill require supervision with parent/caregiver. Registration is required.Free. Contact Cindy Gil at 240-777-0690.


From Page 8

Holiday Gifts

See Offering Service, Page 11

video game cassettes.Another long-time Potomac store in Cabin

John Mall is Shoe Train. Like Toy Castle,this business was also founded in 1979 andis approaching its 40th anniversary of fit-ting children in comfortable shoes. They area one-of –a-kind shoe store providing ex-pert foot-measurement and the right shoes,slippers, boots and sports shoes. MarinaFradlin is the owner.

Store Manager Ken Neufeld has been withShoe Train for 28 years and most of the staffhas been there just as long. “We have par-ents who drive down from PA, Philadelphia,Northern Virginia and even further for ourservice and expertise,” Neufeld said. “Wefit kids with serious foot problems and alsoare trained in working with children withspecial needs — we will even open up the

Fashion Accessories fromShoe Train are in demand.

Keep your child’s feet cozyand warm with slippers fromShoe Train.

Baby and teens (and even adults)love their Uggs from Shoe Train

Store Manager of Shoe Train KenNeufeld with Assistant ManagerLayla Jelani.

Banners from your favorite college or team sport hang high at Hall ofFame Cards and Collectibles

Get your favorite team’s pajamapants on – Find them in with everyteam logo at Hall of Fame Cardsand Collectibles

Reducing Stress of Holiday Shopping

Cell Fixx provides all your cell phone and iPad needsYour favorite Caps Fan would love a banner touting the Stanley CupChampions from Hall of Fame Cards and Collectibles.



From Page 5

From Page 10

Holiday Gifts

Offering Service and Expertise

dent for Partnership, Greater WashingtonBoard of Trade;

❖ David Harrington, former state sena-tor and Prince George’s Countycouncilmember, and current Prince George’sCounty Chamber of Commerce president;

❖ Thomas Himler, former deputy chiefadministrative officer for Prince George’sCounty;

❖ Mary Hynes, former Arlington CountyBoard member;

❖ Tom Rust, former Virginia delegate andmayor of Herndon;

❖ Bob Sweeney, founder and presidentof the DC 2024 Olympic bid and the GreaterWashington Sports Alliance;

❖ Harry Wingo, former senior policycounsel for Google and former presidentand CEO of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.

According to Berliner and Fisette: “Whatsets our firm apart is that we know this re-gion and we know how to get things done.We know how to successfully engage themultiple levers required to make positivechange happen. And we are committed todoing so for our extraordinary region.”

The firm also offers services to its clientsthrough its Strategic Partners, two nationalfirms with expertise in the areas of trans-formative leadership and affordable hous-ing: Healthy Companies and EnterpriseCommunity Partners, Inc.

See www://dmvstrategicadvisors.com.

Area Leaders Launch Firm

Rust Himler

Wingo Wingo

Photo by Deborah Stevens/The Almanac

Boots of every kind from Shoe Train.

shop early if a child has difficulty withother shoppers, noise, etc. People come herefor our huge selection, children’s orthoticsand our UGGS that fit baby through teens.Customers appreciate the obvious pleasurewe get from a satisfied customer. Most ofour customers come back every time theirchild needs new shoes.”

Shoe Train is one of the few stores that

carries Stride Rite shoes for children, abrand that is known for their high-qualityshoes. For babies, they sell all sizes in “FirstWalkers.” Also on display are numerousaccessories including shoelaces of everycolor, sandals and flip flops, sunglasses andhair bows. One outstanding service theyprovide is asking customers to return gen-tly worn shoes and then they are donatedby Shoe Train to children without shoes inSierra Leone and Haiti.

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

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

As a follow up to last week’s column: “Scared to …,” let me provide a bit more context for the fear and anxiety I wrote about; as well as some history for you readers to appreciate the emotional challenges some of us cancer patients experience.

It all began with the initial Team Lourie meet-ing on Feb. 27, 2009 when we met my oncologist

After exchanging pleasantries, such as they could be, I was examined by my oncologist in an adjacent room. After he completed his exam, we

the results of my most recent medical history

at the Emergency Room complaining of shortness of breath.

Subsequently, there were two sets of X-Rays, one CT scan, one P.E.T. scan and then a surgical

nearly eight weeks to the day that I learned my di-agnosis: non-small cell lung cancer, stage IV. And so my oncologist began to talk. I’m semi-quoting, but clearly remembering the substance:

I can treat you, but I can’t cure you. Your prog-nosis is 13 months to two years. The percentage of patients who live beyond two years is 2 percent. Could you be the one who lives beyond two years? Absolutely. This is extremely serious. You should begin chemotherapy as soon as possible. Next week if possible.

Then our questions began – after we gathered our composure that is. I mean, hearing these words directed at you is as surreal as it gets, and with limited knowledge on the subject and the

-versation.

This is as much as I remember hearing that day. Could there have been more? I’m sure. Unfortu-nately, we were ill-prepared for the occasion.

Though there were three of us: my wife, Dina, my brother, Richard, and myself – collectively, what went in all of our ears went out in different directions.

What was said, what was heard, what was understood, what was remembered, was all a jumble. No one thought to take notes or bring in a recording device, two suggestions which have been subsequently made and that I now pass on to you.

My oncologist answered our questions about surgery, radiation, treatment, drugs, side effects,

He then attempted to describe what my life would be like going forward, offering no guaran-tees of anything particularly hopeful, which now explains the reasons for these two columns: death and progression from dying/symptoms getting worse. He used a staircase as an example.

My health would steadily decline, as if walking

symptoms manifested (down a couple of steps), he could stabilize me there by trying new treatment. But he could never bring my health back to its previous place. Then after a while the new treat-ment would become unsuccessful (down a few more steps), and again, he could stabilize me but he couldn’t bring me back. And on and on until … . I think I can remember another visual he offered: playing with a yo-yo as I descended the stairs; down, down, down.

Amazingly, this has not happened to me de-

ago. HOWEVER, per my understanding of my

condition (I wasn’t diagnosed as “terminal” for nothing), I anticipate stepping down at some point. And any time – every time – I experience symptoms uncharacteristic of my semi-normal ex-istence, I ALWAYS wonder if this is the beginning of my end.

And as much as I want to stay one step ahead, it’s hard for me (practically impossible) to not think that when new symptoms occur, cancer is stepping up its attack.

Still Scared to …

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