Weekend to Weekend Pick 10/21/10: Swing Band

Photo from the Swing Band website

Rockville’s year-long celebration of our sesquicentennial anniversary is drawing to a close, but there’s still a chance to look back and remember. The Rockville Swing Band and Rockville Singers will celebrate the 150th birthday of Rockville’s incorporation with music. What better way is there? They always mix contemporary jazz big band arrangements with traditional swing charts from the Golden Era for an uplifting afternoon.

Rockville Swing Band
Sunday, October 31, 2010
3 PM
F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville Civic Center Park
Free with a suggested donation of $5

You’ll be home in plenty of time for Trick or Treating!

Halloween Weekend approaches so enjoy all the fall festivities throughout the week, here’s the Complete Halloween Roundup.

Not Your Ordinary Fire Hydrants

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Den 3 Photo

Have you noticed the special fire hydrants around Rockville Town Center? Seven community groups and businesses designed and painted fire hydrants in honor of Rockville’s 150th anniversary.

After City workers coated the hydrants white to form a clean palette, the seven groups went to work during the week of April 26th. The painters and locations are as follows:

• Peerlss Rockville on Maryland Avenue
• Thomas Farm Community Center Totally Teens on Beall Avenue and Gibbs Street
• Rockville Art League on Gibbs Street
• Human Genome Sciences in the Town Square
• National Lutheran Home and Village on Middle Lane
• MOMS Club of Rockville also on Middle Lane
• As I’m Committee Chairman of Cub Scout Pack 928, I’m particularly fond of the design from our Wolf Den #3 on Courthouse Square. Our scouts painted a scout. The leaders, parents and boys enjoyed the experience. Be sure to take a look when you pass the Courthouse!

Den 3 Photo

The hydrants will remain in their decorated state until September, so you have some time to admire them during all the warm summer gatherings in Town Center.

Have you spotted any? Have a favorite? Did you paint one and enjoy the experience?

All Smiles and Roses At Rockville’s 150th Birthday Parties

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James McConkey and Bernd Hinrichs

The festivities began at Glenview Mansion at noon with a greater than expected crowd. Rockville was throwing a party and the best part is always the friends who attend. A 12-member delegation from our Sister City of Pinneberg, Germany made the trip to help us celebrate, continuing one of the oldest enduring friendships in the Sister City program.

Pinneberg created a special Rockville Rose but we’ve had trouble bringing it into the country. The details of this long process are explained by Nate Carrick in his Gazette article. But the Pinneberg delegation didn’t let the lack of live roses stop them from commemorating our Sesquicentennial. They gave us a more lasting gift, a painting of Rockville Roses by Detlef Allenberg.

Burgermeister Kristin Alheit and her son

Pinneberg mayor, Kristen Alheit, emphasized how a rose shows pure lust for life, which she felt symbolized the relationship of our cities. The Rockville Rose is a very special breed with large, dark flowers which grow upright. Of the painting she said, “May this portrait express all that is important to us in the friendship between Rockville and Pinneberg.”

Mayors Phyllis Marcuccio and Kristen Alheit

When she accepted the painting, Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio explained that roses are especially important to her since her mother’s name was Rose and her middle name is Rose, “I am Phyllis Rose.”

Bernd Hinrichs, President of the German American Society of Pinneberg, explained how roses have played a significant role in society since ancient Greece. Symbolizing affection and friendship, roses stand for distinction. In ancient times everyone could be sure that what was said while standing under roses was covered by a veil of secrecy. He added, “I know why men like to give roses to women.”

Then to honor the 25th anniversary of the founding of our Sister City Corporation, our German friends gave us an actual Rockville Rose enclosed in silver, a remarkable gift which will remain mysterious and everlasting.

During the ceremonies, Rotraut Bockstahler, past President of the Rockville Sister City Corporation, explained that Sesquicentennial means six times a quarter of a century. She was glad when she found out and I’m glad to finally know!

Quite a crowd also turned out for the evening festivities in Rockville Town Center. The Rockville Jazz Band warmed up the crowd before the ceremony. People gathered throughout the Square to hear them.

Mary van Balgooy, Executive Director of Peerless Rockville, was an absolute delight as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening with her friendly and bright demeanor which brought the ceremony together.

Dick Stoner detailed the Rockville’s 150 year history but he started by referencing the names previously given to our City: Owens Crossing, Williamsburg, and Montgomery Courthouse. His list of historical facts described things, the roads and buildings. He built upon each 50 year period and created a dynamic picture of Rockville over the years.

Lt. Governor Anthony Brown noted that he saw people in the audience shaking their heads when Mr. Stoner described the three hour trip from Washington to Rockville back in the olden days of horses. But then he noted,”You don’t speak lightly of traffic in Montgomery County.” He declared Rockville a “vibrant, exciting and nationally-recognized place to live.”

Perhaps the most fun part of the ceremony was the winner of the “Rockville in 2060” Essay Contest, Anish Senapati. Mayor Marcuccio gave him the opportunity to read his essay. He pictured flying cars and lots of pollution with tall sky scrapers 200 floors high, then declared the mayor of Rockville “will be me”.

Nancy Floreen, President of the Montgomery County Council thought he would either be Chairman of the Planning Commission or President.We received proclamations from all levels of government and Mayor Marcuccio said it was overwhelming to receive “so many birthday cards”.

Phyllis Marcuccio, John Britton and Mark Pierzchala

IMPACT, a dance troupe from The Finest! moved in energetic unison then a giant birthday cake with our 150th logo was enjoyed by the crowd.

By the end of the night, it was getting a bit chilly. Throughout the day people seemed genuinely happy to see each other. Perhaps after such a long, cold winter we were especially glad to come together as a community for a good time.

The Reverend Jane Wood concluded the formal ceremony by praying, “Practice random acts of kindness, particularly to those less fortunate than yourselves.”

I only hope we will during our next 150 years as a City.

This Month Rockville's 150, So Celebrate! [UPDATED]

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As you might have heard, the City of Rockville turns 150 years old this month. Since the City was incorporated on March 10, 1860, the occasion will be officially commemorated on Wednesday, March 10, 2010.

At 12 noon the Rockville Sister City corporation will join the Mayor of Pinnenberg, Germany, Kristin Alheit, for a very special Rose Presentation at the Glenview Mansion gardens. She will give the Mayor, Council and residents of Rockville a newly developed Rockville Rose. A reception will follow the presentation.

Then at 6:30 PM the Rockville Jazz Band will light up Rockville Town Square followed by a formal ceremony and then anniversary cake. With any luck, we won’t have any snow. If you see me, be sure to say “Hi!”.

Update: Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown will be issuing a proclamation to the City. Also, The Finest! Youth Performance Troupe will be joining the Rockville Jazz Band during the opening entertainment.

When you are in Town Square, think about going to Noodles and Company for dinner. The first 150 people to visit after 4:30 PM will get a coupon for a free dish on their next visit.

Other special events after March 10th:

If you have a bike, join the Millennium Trail Bike Ride on Saturday, March 13 at 10 AM at Glenview Mansion. The ride will go through 10.6 miles of Rockville and loop back to the Mansion. My family is planning on joining the fun. The ride is cancelled if there is rain or snow! The City encourages everyone to ride 150 miles in 2010 for good health.

As she mentioned at the Inauguration, Eileen McGuckian, founder of Peerless Rockville, will be lecturing on Rockville’s history on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 7 PM. Her The Sesquicentennial of Rockville, Local Government at 150 Years will be released on this fine occasion at F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre. She’ll speak about important milestones in Rockville’s history, including Rockville at 50 years old, the Centennial in 1960, and Rockville today.

If you’re part of a community organization which would like to design and paint a fire hydrant around Rockville Town Center for the occasion, the Fire Hydrant Art Project application is due March 24, 2010 and the painting would need to occur in April. Organizations will need to supply the ideas, bright paint colors and volunteers. There will be 20 lucky winners.

Find something you’ll enjoy for our Sesquicentennial celebration.

Free 150th Anniversary Magnets And All The Other Ways To Celebrate

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Special commemorative magnets displaying the Sequessentenial logo are now available for free in Rockville City Hall. At last Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting, staff said they would work on a plan to distribute them from community recreation centers, but right now the only place to grab one is the reception counter on the main floor.

Looking ahead, here’s the current Schedule of Events to celebrate Rockville’s incorporation as a City on March 10, 1860:

January 10 – February 2, 2010
150th Photography Exhibit Glenview Mansion Business Hours

March 10, 2010 – TBD
Official 150th Anniversary Event Rockville Town Center

March 14, 2010 at 7 PM
150th History Lecture and 150th History Publication Release and Signing by Eileen McGuckian at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre

April 17, 2010 at 10 AM
East Rockville Walking Tour East Rockville

May 8, 2010 from 1 to5 PM
Homes and Hospitality Tour of Rockville

June 27, 2010 at 2 PM
Women in Rockville’s History Walking Tour Red Brick Courthouse

October 30, 2010 at 5 PM
Candlelight Cemetery Tour

Other Ways You Can Get Involved for our 150th:

• Plan your own commemorative event.
• Visit a restaurant for a specially-designated meal or drink.
• Plan official 150th anniversary flowers in your garden.
• Design and paint a fire hydrant in Town Center.
• Register for the Memorial Day Parade.
• Attend an event like the photo opening!

As you might have noticed, I’m looking forward to all the special ways we can do something a little different to have a good time and celebrate. The flowers picked by the 150th Task Force are our City’s colors of red and blue and it will be fun to see where they sprout up. I’m sure the restaurants will have very creative Rockville drinks and meals. Who doesn’t want to paint a fire hydrant?

All the details will be updated at www.rockvillemd.gov/events/150