POTD: Hoops

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Part of a three-part series by Rockville Central friend Mark Pierzchala. He calls the series “Two Things Part of Another Thing.”

Of this one, he says: “Two basketball hoops at College Gardens Elementary School. (Both hoops part of the outdoor play area.)”

Guest Column by Beth and Todd Harrison: A Greener Rockville Starts at Home — Eight Steps to a More Environmentally Responsible Home in 2008 (Pt.1)

Part One of a three-part series by >Rockville Central friends Beth and Todd Harrison:

At the start of each new year, many of us make resolutions — promises about changes that we will make in the coming year. This year, consider committing yourself and your family to a greener Rockville by making a greener home one of your New Year’s resolutions. You can make simple changes in your day-to-day living that will save energy (and money) and reduce your impact on the environment. In this series of three articles, we will share eight simple steps you and your family can take to create a more environmentally responsible home in 2008.

This series will not cover the more obvious things, like driving a more fuel efficient car and recycling, but rather will focus on the little things we can do in and around the house that collectively can make a big difference. We start with two steps related to the outdoors: composting kitchen and yard waste and collecting rain water.

Step #1: Compost Kitchen and Yard Waste

The EPA reports that yard trimmings and food scraps account for 23 percent of all waste generated in the U.S. According to Recycling Revolution, the average American throws out 1,200 pounds of this type of organic waste each year. One simple step for creating a greener home is to compost this waste.

You may already be aware that the City of Rockville collects labeled containers of yard waste from the curbside with our weekly trash collection (click here for details). With a little bit of effort, you can start your own compost pile in your backyard. This provides an easy way to compost kitchen waste and create a natural source of rich, organic matter for your yard or garden. There are many products available that you can purchase to build a compost pile, but we prefer the simple and free option offered by Montgomery County (click here for details). We got two of these free compost bins so we can handle more compost at once.

Something that has made composting kitchen waste easier for us has been to keep a plastic container (with a lid) on top of the refrigerator. We collect anything that does not have animal or dairy products: vegetable scraps, coffee and tea grounds, and even eggshells. Every few days, we empty the indoor container into the compost pile outside. Here is a link to a great article on composting that will help you get started (click here).

Step #2: Collect Rain Water

Stormwater management is a growing issue for Rockville (“Council Approves Stormwater Management Fee”). Stormwater runoff washes pollution into our creeks and streams, but you can help reduce water runoff by installing a rain barrel or creating a rain garden.

There are many different types of rain barrels available on the market. We purchased a sixty-gallon rain barrel that connects to a gutter downspout (like this). It has a spigot that can connect to a water hose. A light rainfall (1/4” or less) is more than enough to fill our rain barrel. During drought periods, watering our garden without using up precious drinking water is a real benefit. Rain gardens also help reduce stormwater runoff but require a bit more work and space. For more information on how to build your own rain barrel or how to create a rain garden, go here.

Next week we will continue the series with additional steps for making a more environmentally responsible home in 2008. If you have any questions or if you want to add additional suggestions from your own experience, please post them in the comments section of this article and we will do our best to follow up.

Got an idea for a Guest Column? Drop us a line and let us know! You can be part of Rockville Central’s growing roster of contributors.

The Kielbasa Factory: For All Your Sausage Needs And Beyond

When I was growing up in Detroit, there was a large Polish population throughout the city, and most especially in a part of town called >Hamtramck. I used to go there a lot because my second favorite punk rock club was located there too. But the whole town was sort of steeped in Polish culture and it was not unusual to see whitebread kids like me listening to the Beer Barrell Polka.

My grandparents, too, had emigrated from Germany long before and often when we visited them down in Indiana we would all pile into the car and take a road trip to Chicago, where the best meat shops were. You can see, I grew up in a culture that appreciated a good lunchmeat and sausage.

While they are getting things in shape to make their own, Chicago — the meat capital of the world — is where Rockville’s own Kielbasa Factory gets its Polish sausages.

According to a recent review in the Washington Post, freelance translator (and Kracow native) Krystyna Ahrens opened her shop in November, and:

[Her] efforts have not gone unnoticed. (The Washington area has been without a Polish deli since Gourmet Polonez in Silver Spring closed several years ago.) On a recent Saturday, her long, narrow shop was mobbed with customers filling hand baskets to overflowing with packages of frozen cheese pierogi and blueberry blintzes as well as traditional-style pickles, cookies and chocolates. “Before, people traveled to New Jersey or Baltimore just for the sausages and bread,” says shopper Kasia Gonzelez, 30, who was born in a small town near Warsaw and now lives in Fairfax. “We’re all excited about the store.”

So am I, but I was not able to get to the store this weekend. I was glad that Council Member Piotr Gajewski, a Polish native, was on hand to help me out. He visited the Kielbasa Factory over the weekend and filed this report:

What a treat to have the only Polish deli and grocery in the Washington area based right here in Rockville. The Kielbasa Factory, located at 1073 Rockville Pike, is what Poles and all others with a taste for the Central European delicacies have been waiting for. I visited the cozy little shop for the first time on Saturday, right before the Redskins game. I expected that perhaps because of my timing, the place would be empty. I could not have been more wrong as the place was full of people, vying for the quickly dwindling deli meats sold from behind the counter. Perhaps the Kielbasa Factory did not expect such brisk success!

While my wife managed to secure some tasty sausage, I examined the great variety of Polish foods available. We ended up also purchasing some frozen mushroom and sauerkraut pierogies, unique Polish chocolates, and blackcurrant juice (I have never before seen this Central European staple in any grocery shop in America). And thanks to the convenient location of the Kielbasa Factory, we made it back home just in time for the football game.

Thank you, Ms. Ahrens, for opening this wonderful shop, and thank you Mr. Gajewski for a fine review!

Saturday Farmers' Market Still in Season

Thanks to >Rockville Central friend, Amy Ellis, for this review.

When Saturday morning rolls around, you will find me at the Rockville Growers Only Farmers’ Market. My weekly trip during the Market’s open season (mid May-October), has become a much loved ritual over my past 7 years in Rockville. One of the pleasures of coming to the market is buying things directly from the people who grow them. Along with delicious produce, baked goods, etc., you get friendly smiles and warm greetings. I think most folks who come to shop here have favorite vendors and I’m no different.

My usual first stop is Unger’s Fruit Farm and I grab whatever is in season. This past Saturday I got some of the last of their peaches (and I will miss them desperately until next year), but there are lots of apples coming in and some tomato varieties are still here, too. Earlier this year we enjoyed cherries, blueberries, blackberries, green beans and onions. The stand is run by Jim and Freida Unger of Hampstead, MD. They also make apple butter and fresh cider in season (coming up!) and occasionally, if we are very lucky and if Jim has time, he makes chocolate fudge- a treat much beloved by my young sons.

Another great place for a treat is Trail Garden (http://www.trailgarden.com/). Eva (a marvelous baker and a very nice lady) uses fresh ingredients and seasonal fruits to create bread and rolls (both sweet and savory), pies, scones, and cookies. Many of these use recipes from her native Sweden and they are all worth sampling. My favorites are Vanilla Cinnamon Sweet Bread (a fantastic part of Sunday morning breakfast), Cardamom Buns, Almond Giffel, and the Cuts (in either Chocolate, Caramel, or Chai flavors- all excellent with a cup of tea or coffee). The Classic Brownies and Triple Chocolate Cookies are what chocoholics dream about… Stop by early for the best selection or use the website to place an order. Eva and her assistants are always friendly and ready to help.

Scenic View has a wide variety of seasonal produce- corn, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, okra, peppers of various colors (sweet or hot), eggplant, sweet melons (cantaloupes, honeydews, and watermelons), berries, pears, apples, and more. They also have honey and cut flowers. I’m looking forward to their pear cider this Fall.

The sweet smelling soaps and lotions at Bubbles ‘n Bees (http://www.bnbsoaps.com/) are a nonedible pleasure. There’s a scent for everyone (the lilac smells just like Springtime to me) and the Minty Foot Cream moisturizer is soothing and a great way to pamper yourself a little. Tammy Taylor can answer any questions you might have about the products and help you find the scent you are looking for.

The location for the Farmer’s Market this year is the Jury Parking Lot at the corner of Monroe and Jefferson not far from the Courthouse and Council Office Building. One small downside to the Market is the tight parking situation when it’s crowded. I wish that people would be more considerate of each other by adhering to the one-way convention (counterclockwise) in the parking lot, and both pedestrians and drivers could do a better job watching out for one another. I usually park in an adjacent lot and walk a short distance to the Market to avoid some of the difficulty. Hopefully the anticipated move to Rockville Town Center will alleviate some of the parking woes.

There are lots of other vendors at the Market that I haven’t mentioned. You can see most of them listed at the City’s Market website (www.rockvillemd.gov/events/farmers.htm). A number of other growers sell fresh produce (some organic), herbs, heirloom tomatoes, cut flowers, potted plants. This year a group of Amish farmers has been selling meat and cheeses. Please share your favorite vendors and your experiences at the Farmer’s Market in the Comments section below.

Walk-In Movies In Rockville!

>Thanks to Rockville Central reader Mark D. Parker for this charming story:

Growing up in Bowie, I remember my parents and all six kids piling into the station wagon and heading to the drive-in movie theatre in Palmer Park several times each summer. My siblings and I anticipated those outings, and we always had a great time. With the passing of the drive-in movie era, I never thought I’d get to relive those days. But thanks to our neighbor, Jonathan Ege, I was able to not only relive them; I was also able to share the experience with my wife and kids.

Jonathan, a talented local artist, decided to recreate the drive-in movie experience this summer by showing movies in his back yard. He purchased a DVD/projector from eBay, and his wife, Crissy, made the 10 foot screen with material purchased from Michael’s. The premiere was planned during the week of the 30th year anniversary of Star Wars. So, naturally, he opted to screen Star Wars at his new outdoor theatre. The whole neighborhood was invited, and about 20 neighbors brought chairs, blankets, munchies and drinks to the 8:30 viewing. The weather was perfect — too cool for the bugs, but warm enough for short sleeves. As darkness fell on the Ege backyard, we were treated to an old Mickey Mouse cartoon, which the kids loved. With the aroma of Jonathan’s popcorn wafting in the air, the feature began around 9:15, and for the next 2 hours, we watched one of the best flicks of all time, surrounded by good friends and neighbors. Needless to say, it was a smash hit!!

The Ege Walk-In Movie House subsequently screened four more films during the summer. Each time, I fondly recalled the drive-in movie experience of my youth. And as I would walk back home with kids in tow, I was so thankful to live in such a wonderful neighborhood. Thanks so much Jon and Crissy!!

In Defense of Rockville; Thanks Bill Hickman!

You might have missed a letter to the editor in Saturday’s Washington Post. Bill Hickman, a fan of >Rockville, rose to the defense of our fair city (Rockville Rocks All Year Long). Bill didn’t agree with a Post writer’s suggestion that The Fantastic Four movie was “as grim as February in Rockville.” Damn right, Bill.

Bill pointed out many cool attributes of Rockville in the dead of winter, like Upper Watts Branch Forest Preserve; music at Strathmore; taking in a Maryland Nighthawks basketball game; and artwork on display at Glenview Mansion.

I’d like to add that a visit to any snowy slope in town , mobbed by out-of-school kids and parents alike, would tell even a casual observer that February in Rockville is far from grim. Not to mention Cub Scout Pack 928′s Blue & Gold Banquet, where more than 100 scouts, family and local celebrities dine on a Rockville restaurant’s fabulous barbecue at a local church hall. We could go on and on, couldn’t we?

Thanks, Bill. And Washington Post beware - we won’t let such slander go unanswered!