Fire and Rescue Volunteer Recruiting Station Is First In Country

Newly Opened MCVFRA Recruiting Station

Since 1922, the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association (MCVFRA) has been without a home. If you wanted to volunteer, you could call a hotline or a leader, but there was no central place to learn about the possibility of serving your community through one of the 19 separate, independent, fire and rescue corporations. When potential volunteers visited fire stations, career firefighters weren’t always able to direct them to the right source. All this has changed.

After looking for over two years for an appropriate space, MCVFRA opened a Recruiting Station in the heart of Rockville at 230 North Washington Street. Highly visible in the Town Center and centrally located in the County, the brand new Station acts as its own billboard to the community. In addition to the 1000 square foot Station on street level, the space includes 1500 square feet of offices on the 4th floor.

Executive Director Eric N. Bernard explained the Station is the first in the Country for recruiting volunteers and it’s working:

Our numbers are going up. They’re bucking a national trend. Since Memorial Day we have a couple of people a day stopping by. We’re receiving 10 to 12 applications a week.

The need for volunteers is never ending. Most serve for 3 to 5 years. Changing life situations create a revolving door. Volunteers get married or go to school. There’s always a need and this volunteer job takes a great deal of dedication.

Buddy Sutton and Eric Bernard

Board member Buddy Sutton from Laytonsville is an exception. He credit his 27 years of service to a “willingness to help people”. Many of the men in his family volunteered and he followed their lead. At first he only wanted to drive and serve on the fire truck but then he saw the opportunity to be a line officer. Volunteering can be fulfilling and help develop broader leadership skills:

If you want to be the best, you can do it.

The Cab Inside the Building

The Recruiting Station includes the front cab section of a real fire truck and soon the lights will be working. Two large screens show recruiting videos and fire scenes. Recruits can try on a full set of gear and attach a hose to a fire hydrant. The Station gives a recruit a feel for the job as well as the chance to speak with a volunteer about what it’s really like.

Young recruit

The office space on the upper floor allows for the storage of files and data on the number of volunteer hours logged, which can now be routinely collected. The space was necessary to provide an office for a new Recruitment and Retention Coordinator. MCVFRA received a four-year federal SAFER (Staffing Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant which enabled the Association to hire Jason Goldberg full-time.

Mr. Bernard summed up the meaning of volunteering with MCVFRA:

It’s all about tradition, service and honor.

Over 90% of the volunteer fire and rescue workers live in Montgomery County. These men and women are dedicated to our community because they live in our community. They spend their time helping neighbors when the worst happens.

The “boot camp for volunteers” is a nine-week basic training course with a full graduation ceremony. Held on Friday nights from 6:30 until 11:30 PM, the training covers EMT, driving, trucks, officers … everything.

If you’re interested in volunteering, stop by the Recruitment Station or call the hotline at 301-942-0100. As it says on the banner in the window “Heroes Needed”.

Everyone Meets At The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair

Montgomery County Agricultural Fair

Be prepared to “Barnyard Boogie” during the largest county fair in the State of Maryland. From Friday, August 13th through Saturday, August 21st, 2010, the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair will include all of the time-tested favorites at the fairgrounds in Gaithersburg. You can expect the pig races, animal barns, and home project competitions along with the thrilling carnival rides. Ever since I moved to Montgomery County 18 years ago, I’ve always sought out this community gathering.

As Temperance Blalock told me,

Every year I see at least one person there that I haven’t seen for a long time; it’s one place that almost everyone in the area visits at least once during the fair, so it’s definitely a thing that brings together the community.

Beyond the rides and attractions, the Fair seeks to educate everyone about agriculture and encourage future generations to farm. Although growing up a city girl right outside of New York, I spent many of my summers working at my Uncle Woodrow’s dairy farm. The Fair brings back memories of caring for the cows, pigs, and ducks. I love the smell of the hay even after all those hot days in the barn loft! Since many people don’t have the opportunity to work on a family farm, visiting the Fair is a perfect way to teach kids about the lifestyle. The little ones love the animals so much.

Behind the scenes, the agricultural center helps terminally ill children with a special VIP program. A group of 4-H and FFA members along with staff and volunteers bring the fair to Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. and Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville. Young patients who can’t attend are treated to a fair like atmosphere in the hospital. This program also brings children facing life-threatening illnesses to the Fair to be treated like royalty for a day.

Montgomery County Agricultural Center, Inc., a private, non-profit organization, depends on more than 2,000 volunteers to make the Fair successful. The business community also sponsors programs providing financial relief for the VIP Terminally Ill Program, Senior Citizen’s Day, and the entertainment. Since the first group of people began the Fair in 1945, volunteers make it happen. In 1949 they had a good, old-fashioned barn raising but today volunteers are needed for clerical work in the office, ground maintenance, concession stands, off-season rentals, banquets, and committee service. To become a volunteer, call (301) 926-3100.

Who’s going to the Fair?

Participating at the Fair is a tradition for many Rockvillians. Please let us know in the comments if you are competing, performing or volunteering. We’d love to know!

Animal Exchange

Photo of the 2009 Hermit Crab Races from the Animal Exchange

Every year you can count on Ruth Hanessian’s Hermit Crab Race from the Animal Exchange. Stop by the competition (next to the pig race) on Wednesday, August 18th at 3:30PM. This is serious competition with engraved cups for the fastest and the funniest. If you don’t have a crab, she’ll rent one to you for the competition. One year the Kensington Fire Department came and raced their crabs. Usually the “king and queen” come to the races, and Ruth always likes to see the royal court. This year, as she did last year, she’ll assign a crab to each of the court members.

Ruth also has fond memories which lead her to the Fair each year:

I love the Fair because when you grow up in a no-pet apartment in New York, this is the most wonderful exposure to the real world that I can possibly imagine. As a child, I traveled to my Aunt Mary’s farm and had never seen a ground frog or chickens before the visit. Of course I had to go across the barbed-wire fence. I was so amazed at what animals really are.

Last week my kids and their friends caught crabs while on vacation in Maine and released them by having a race across the beach. Everyone was yelling at the top of their lungs for a winner so I know the hermit crab races will be a highlight of the Fair.

Temperance Blalock

Double Blind Brew

Regular Rockville Central contributor, Temperance Blalock, won first place in the “spice/herb/vegetable” category for her Holiday brew last year and she’s back for the homebrewing competition. She’s submitted 13 batches of Double Blind Brew. When asked about the experience, she explained:

I love the fair so much!! I love the food, the smell of horse manure, the loud noises, the people wandering around in huge packs, the sun beating down during the day, and then the hypnotic lights of the thrill rides in the evening and the night.

And, I LOVE the high of winning a competition. It was so exciting when I won a blue ribbon last year, and now this year it’s not just myself, there are three of us “brewers” now in Double Blind Brewery, and Andy and Lucie are tremendously excited about winning. Actually, the most fun part is receiving back the “notes’ from the professional judges. We learn a lot from those.

She tells us a “closed” brewing was done this past weekend. They’ve already picked the 20 semi-finalists, which will be judged publicly this coming Saturday at the fairgrounds.

Rockville Swing Band

Photo from the Rockville Swing Band

The entertainment schedule packs a big boogie punch with our own Rockville Swing Band taking the stage at 7 PM on Tuesday, August 17th. The Band will perform contemporary jazz big band arrangements as well as traditional swing charts from the Golden Era. The talented members of the band come from all over the DC metro area for weekly rehearsals in the cottage of the Rockville Mansion and this promises to be a real crowd pleaser.

Here’s all the details:

FAIR HOURS (Gates close at 11PM for entry)
Friday August 13th: 3 PM-12 Midnight
Saturday, August 14th – Saturday, August 21st 10 AM-12 Midnight
Animal & barn exhibits, Home Arts, Arts & Crafts and Old Timers not open until Sunday, August 15th at 12 Noon!!

CARNIVAL HOURS
Friday August 13th: 3 PM- 12 Midnight
Saturday, August 14th-Saturday, August 21st: 12 Noon-12 Midnight

How much is this going to cost?

General Admission: $10.00 per person. Children 11 and Under are FREE. Free same-day re-entry is available with hand stamping at the gate

Parking: $5.00 per car. My son’s Boy Scout Troop 447  from Rockville works to park the cars. When you go, please be careful not to run over my son and husband! Please be courteous and pay attention to everyone in the red hats. The Troop has been parking cars for over 40 years and their system works if everyone cooperates!

Free parking at Lake Forest Mall with a free shuttle to the Fairgrounds stop at Lost Knife Road and Odendhal Avenue.

If you want to go on the rides, the Carnival Mega-Pass one-day ride wristband: $25.00

Wristband discounts:

On Friday, August 13, Opening Day, Carnival Mega-Pass one-day ride wristband
will be $9.95 from 3pm to Midnight.

Monday, August 16 & Wednesday, August 18, Family Day, purchase Carnival Mega-Pass
one-day ride wristband for $15.00 from 12 noon until 5pm, ride until midnight.

Tuesday, August 17, Senior Citizen’s Day, Free admission to all ages 62 and over
from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

You must pay extra for the Grandstand shows including the Rodeo, Tractor Pull, Monster Truck Madness and Demolition Derby. But, you can even ride in a monster truck! Info on discounts is in the brochure.

Meet you at the Fair!

Comcast Free Film Festival To Benefit NIH Charities

Comcast’s 14th annual Film Festival to benefit NIH Charities begins this week: August 13 – 20, 2010 at the Universities at Shady Grove. Funds will benefit the Children’s Inn at NIH, Specialove, and Friends of the Clinical Center (FOCC).

The schedule includes something for everyone:

Friday, August 13 – The Blind Side
Saturday, August 14 – Twilight: New Moon
Sunday, August 15 – Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Monday, August 16 – Jerry McGuire
Tuesday, August 17 – Valentine’s Day
Wednesday, August 18 – Up In The Air
Thursday, August 19 – Julie & Julia
Friday, August 20 – Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Since the movies will be shown for free, you may wonder how the Film Festival will help these organizations. NIH Charities receives proceeds from the restaurants which will open at 6:30 PM before the movies start at 8:15 PM. Since it’s too hot to cook this summer, take a night off to enjoy a movie and treat yourself to something to eat:

Popcorn, candy & soft drinks – fresh popcorn popped served in two sizes – Large (85oz) and Jumbo (130oz.), movie candy, fresh squeezed lemonade, cotton candy, assorted soft drinks and bottled water

Potomac Pizza – Back for the 12th year serving hot, fresh Potomac Pizza, plain & pepperoni, turkey and Italian subs, fresh green and Greek salads, cold soft drinks, and shaved ice.

Baja Fresh – Always the freshest high quality ingredients. Nothing frozen or microwaved. Enjoy the area’s best burritos, quesadillas, guacamole, fresh chips & salsa, and churros for something sweet.

Hard Times Cafe of Bethesda – Yowee! Back for the 11th year. The area’s favorite chili house is back with Cincinnati chili, veggie chili, plus their fresh grilled burgers, fresh grilled burgers, fries and nachos (all with or without chili & cheese), fresh baked corn bread and bottled root beer.

Ben & Jerry’s – Everybody’s favorite ice cream, root beer floats, and frozen ice cream bars. And new for 2008, Fresh Fruit Smoothies!

These organizations help families through difficult times:

The Children’s Inn at NIH helps to keep children together with their families during serious illness, to reduce their stress, and facilitate their healing through mutual support. organization where children with cancer are given a chance to enjoy normal activities-to laugh, run, jump, swim, learn, and make friends.

Special Love enrichs the lives of young cancer patients and their family members through programs offered annually.

The Friends of the Clinical Center helps to relieve patients of financial burdens so they can participate in clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health.

Parking is free at the Universities at Shady Grove. No alcohol, smoking or pets at the Film Fest. Please don’t bring your own food as this is a fundraiser! Lightning or winds over 15 mph will cause a cancellation (check the website).

In case you are wondering, the Film Festival was previously held on the grounds of Strathmore Hall so this is a new location this summer.

Get Out And Volunteer In August

Summer’s here but the need for volunteers never goes on vacation.

Collect Food
The Manna Food Center needs volunteers to help for 2 hour shifts starting at 10 AM through 8 PM at the entrance gates at the 2010 Montgomery County Agricultural Fair from August 13 -21, 2010. Volunteers will collect nonperishable food donations from visitors when they enter the fair grounds. High school students may receive SSL hours for the activity, but if they are under 18 they must attend a volunteer training meeting. Volunteers under 16 must volunteer with an adult. If interested, please email which date and time of day to Kim, kim@mannafood.org.

Pianist Needed
Hebrew Home is looking for an accomplished pianist to perform for residents at Ring House in Rockville, from 4-5 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and/or Sundays. For more information, contact Hedy Peyser, Director of Volunteers at 301-770-8332, or by e-mail at volunteers@hebrew-home.org

Donate School Supplies
If you have extra supplies or can afford to buy some extra when you purchase them for your kids, local organizations need school supplies for their clients. The Volunteer Center tells us that Montgomery County Public Schools has already collected, sorted, and distributed the 24,968 lbs. of school supplies donated by their students at the end of the last school year but more are still needed. Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless and Interfaith Works are looking for new backpacks, and supplies to put in them such as calculators and binders. Help a child start off the school year prepared. It could make a big difference.

Check out past opportunities to help in our Volunteer Section and make our community a better place.

A New Scoop On Volunteer Opportunities

The >Montgomery County Volunteer Center has excellent news about volunteering in America:

The number of Americans who volunteer grew last year at the fastest rate in six years, according to a new report, defying the popular notion that hard economic times suppress civic participation. The recent report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service, says that 63.4 million adult Americans­-nearly 27 percent of the population-volunteered to help charitable causes last year. That’s an increase from 2008 of roughly 1.6 million volunteers, the largest single-year jump since 2003. In total, 2009′s volunteers donated about 8.1 billion hours of service, valued at nearly $169-billion.

One of our main goals for Rockville Central has always been to create a place where people can become more active in our community. During the past few years we’ve tagged some of our posts “What You Can Do” or “volunteer”. We’ve decided to formalize the category, so if you click on the pull down menu for News in the black band above, you’ll now find Volunteer in addition to Business, City issues, Events in Rockville, and Politics.

If you have a community project and need volunteers, email the information to rockvillecentral@gmail.com. We’ll do our best to post your needs. We hope to highlight the ongoing opportunities to help in our community. Also, please let us know if you volunteer!

Here are a couple of immediate needs from the Volunteer Center for students:

Montgomery County Board of Elections:

Needs 2000 (!) school-age students, grades 6-12, to serve as Election Day student aides during the 2010 Gubernatorial Elections.

Students and their guardians must attend mandatory training for students to serve on an Election Day and, if applicable, to receive Student Service Learning (SSL) credits. Students are placed in neighboring precincts according to their home addresses. This initiative combines civic participation and the opportunity to observe democracy in action.

This program is available to all students within a public, private, independent, religious or home-school setting located in MontgomeryCounty. U.S. citizenship is not a pre-requisite to participate. Students with bilingual and American Sign Language skills are encouraged to apply.

Interested parents/guardians can register their student(s) online before the August 6 deadline by visiting the Montgomery County Board of Elections website at www.777vote.org. You can click on Future Vote Program under Student Election Aide Information.

Drive For Supplies

Can you help sort supplies this summer? Middle and high school student volunteers are needed to sort and organize donated school supplies for distribution to local, national, and international programs for children. This is a pre-approved student service learning activity. Sorting will take place in the cafeteria of Richard Montgomery High School Monday and Tuesday, July 19-20, 2010, from 10:00am-2:00pm. (If needed, sorting will continue on Wednesday-Friday, July 21-23 from 10:00am-2:00pm.) The celebration/press conference is on Monday, July 26, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. We need student help on July 26th from 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. loading supplies into cars, then helping to pack up “left over” supplies. No pre-registration or sign-up is necessary. Just show up and sign-in. For students working the full 10am-2pm, bring a bag lunch, including your beverage! If you have questions, contact Karen Crawford, 301-670-1419, Karen_L_Crawford@mcpsmd.org.

Please spread the word about our volunteer initiative!

Stop Hunger Now by Frank Anastasi

On Saturday my son and I took part in a most amazing effort. About 80 people packed 27,500 meals, which will feed starving school children in places like Haiti, in about two hours. How could this be? >Stop Hunger Now has a system that rivals the most efficient assembly line in any auto plant, that’s how. The organization gets volunteers to pack millions of meals it sends all over the world to feed starving school-age children.

Here’s how it happened. One young man arrived at Christ Episcopal Church in a large truck filled with 50 pound bags of rice, granulated soy protein, and dried vegetables this morning. He also had a dozen or so five-gallon pails of chicken flavored multi-vitamins about half the size of a golf ball. And 4,584 small, plastic bags.

Teams of five people used a standing wire rack, a funnel, and various sized plastic cups to fill each bag with the prescribed amounts of the dried food. Runners (and did we run!) shuttled small pails of filled bags from each team to weigh stations, and returned empty pails to the filling teams. Weighers weighed each bag and added or subtracted some rice so each bag met the target weight. Sealers then sealed each bag with a heating press. Packers then packed the sealed bags in boxes ready for shipment. Sustainers replenished each team’s supplies of dried food as they emptied their supply bins filling the bags.

It was the best kind of organized chaos you’ve ever seen! People yelling “Runner!” “Rice!” “Bins! We need more bins!” “Got Soy?” Slip-sliding on spilled rice underfoot. And the best – the SHN guy banging a gong when we’d hit our first thousand meals, then at five thousand, and again and again, on up to the finale. It was crazy, and so much fun.

We started getting organized and receiving instruction on what to do around 10:00 am. By 12:30, the last bags were packed. A little clean up and a lot of shaking of hands, and we were done.

So, think about it. When water is added to the food that goes into each bag and it’s boiled, you have six servings of a pretty tasty chicken-flavored rice and vegetable casserole. So you see, six times 4,584 equals about 27,500 meals! Considering that things like mud cookies (lard mixed with, yes, mud) are a staple of many starving children, it’s easy to see the huge impact that 80 people working feverishly for two hours — and having a blast every minute — will have combating starvation around the world.

You can get in on this action, too. We were told that Christ Episcopal was the first church in Maryland to do this. Want to go next? Look up Stop Hunger Now, or contact me and I will help you find them. Happy Thanksgiving!

Frank Anastasi

Rockville Central encourages readers to submit pieces for consideration on all sorts of things — volunteering, shopping, restaurants, performances, art, cultural events, and more. Rules: it should be in Rockville and it should be a recommendation. Get in touch with us if you would like to submit something! The more voices the better!

Be In the Next Class of Rockville U

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As I had the great pleasure of being in the last class of Rockville University, I’d like to let you know about the next.

Learn everything about Rockville on Wednesdays from October 14 to November 18, 2009 at the Glenview Mansion Cottage from 7 PM to 9 PM, plus two fun field trips on Saturdays. Find the entire schedule here. The six-week course is free but you must be at least 16 years old.

You’ll learn all the facts and figures about Rockville and have a chance to meet our extremely knowledgeable City staff. When the class is completed, you’ll know your way around City Hall. Best of all, you’ll visit the Water Treatment Plant. You’ll never turn on the faucet without thinking about it.

Online registration is now open. Find out how you can be involved around Rockville and make new friends. They’ll only accept the first 25, so register soon.

Volunteer And Join the Party

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This past Friday, September 4, 2009, Rockville’s Annual Volunteer Appreciation Party festively filled the grounds of the Glenview Mansion. The weather cooperated for a perfect evening of music, hors d’Oeuvres, and thanks.

Over 1300 individuals volunteer with the City of Rockville to improve our community.

Mayor Susan Hoffmann thanked everyone for the hours given to our City. She explained the services were invaluable and the City would otherwise have difficulty staffing and funding all the programs offered without the volunteers. She also spoke about how volunteering builds relationships, shares talents, and reaches out to those needing special support. “Again, thank you, thank you, thank you!” concluded Mayor Hoffmann.

As I looked around, it was obvious that the majority of those at the party were seniors. Everyone was having a lovely time. I wasn’t quick enough to grab any of the tasty finger foods but enjoyed meeting other volunteers serving on commissions and at the senior center.

Volunteer

If you would like to join next year’s party, here are the current openings for boards and commissions. These aren’t the only way to volunteer for the City, but here are some real needs from the City’s website:

Animal Matters (one)
The Board mediates petitions; provides written recommendations to the Chief of Police and animal review official as requested; provides education and counseling on responsible ownership, maintenance and treatment of animals; and provides advice and recommendations to the Mayor and Council on matters related to the care, training, maintenance and regulation of animals within the City.

Board of Appeals (two)
This board is comprised of three members and one alternate, who are charged with the responsibility of hearing and deciding all appeals and applications for variances and special exceptions, as provided for in the Zoning Ordinance or other ordinances of the City of Rockville.

Compensation Commission (one)
The Compensation Commission determines the annual compensation for the five elected officials of the City.

Cultural Arts Commission (five)
This eleven-member commission encourages the arts and culture in the city. It recommends to the Mayor and Council appropriate programs, activities, and utilization policies of the City facilities, which will add to the further development of Rockville as a cultural center.

Environment Commission (one)
The purpose of this commission is to recommend policies and programs to the Mayor & Council relating to the environment; core to this mission is promoting a sustainable community through initiatives relating to natural resource management and development, energy efficiency, watershed stewardship and protection, pollution prevention, and public education.

Historic District Commission (one)
The Historic District Commission was created by the Mayor and Council in 1966 for the purpose of recommending the boundaries of districts that are deemed to be of historic or architectural value to the city of Rockville and with reviewing applications for construction or alterations in the historic districts.

Human Services Advisory Commission (three)
This Commission provides advice and guidance to the Mayor and Council on human service needs in Rockville and how best to address them.

Planning Commission (one)
This commission is charged with formulating a Master Plan for the City of Rockville and revising the plan when necessary. The commission also reviews and makes recommendations to the Mayor and Council on all applications for map and text amendments; reviews and makes recommendations to the Board of Appeals on all variance and special exception applications; reviews and decides applications for use permits; reviews and approves all subdivision plans; and initiates and conducts such other planning studies and functions as are necessary in the overall planning operation of the City.

Personnel Appeals Board (one)
The Board is charged, in accordance with the requirements of the Personnel Regulations, with hearing appeals filed by employees of the City of Rockville in cases of dismissal action taken by the City Manager for disciplinary reasons.

Recreation and Parks Board (one, youth applicant encouraged)
The Board is charged with encouraging the development of desirable recreation and park facilities in the City and recommending those programs for young people and adults that suitably reflect the needs of the citizens.

Rockville Seniors Inc. (one)

Sign Review Board (one)
This Board is comprised of three members and one alternate appointed by the Mayor subject to confirmation of the Council for three-year terms. The Board reviews applications for sign permits and may grant modifications from sign regulations where applicable.

Traffic and Transportation (three)
The purpose of the body is to advise the Council and the Planning Commission on all traffic matters in the City and to make appropriate recommendations.

Rockville Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors (one)
The Rockville Scholarship Foundation provides scholarship assistance to students from the Rockville community with funding from the Rockville Chamber of Commerce, corporations, individuals, civic organizations, and Montgomery College.

Prepare For The Weekend Of Service

Most >Rockville Central readers know that there is a big push going on to make this Inauguration Weekend one that highlights a call to service.

Montgomery County has established “Yes Montgomery Can” as a way for people to connect to service opportunities this weekend. (Warning: that link has irritating sound you can’t turn off.)

In particular, we encourage readers to donate food to Manna Food Center, the largest food bank in the county and located right here in Our Fair City. Just take your food items to the Giant on Rockville Pike (next to Flagship Car Wash) between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm on Saturday or Sunday.

(Here’s the food most needed: peanut butter, tuna fish, canned fruit, baby formula, baby food,shelf-stable milk, cereal and oatmeal, rice, canned and dried beans, tomato sauce, pasta, macaroni and cheese, and canned soup.)

In addition, please consider volunteering to help out. You can sign up easily here. (No sound at this link.) Many of our neighbors will be going door to door, canvassing to raise funds to match an anonymous gift.

Can You Cook A Chicken?

>Thanks to a wonderful outpouring of support, all the chickens have been picked up! Thanks to all of you who helped with this effort! Cindy

This may seem like a strange question.

Last month I started working for the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH) and we have an urgent request. The Montgomery County Men’s Emergency Shelter just received a donation of 150 whole frozen chickens! Each chicken will provide 4 to 5 meals for our residents. Here’s the problem … we have no way to cook them at the shelter!

We need help! We need volunteers to swing by the men’s shelter at 600-B East Gude Drive in Rockville, pick up a chicken (or multiple chickens!), cook and slice the bird at home, and bring the prepared chicken back to the shelter. You could even add a side item or two to round out the meal.

Please call the shelter directly at (301) 545-5025 to arrange pick-up of the frozen chicken(s). Problems? Call Darrell Butler at (240) 418-1406.

Just a little bit of your time and your culinary expertise will make you the Top Chef for a neighbor in need.

Rockville U Is For U

Since I believe that there is always more to learn, I enrolled in >Rockville University. After being involved with issues throughout the years, I always felt like I’d learned about Rockville the hard way. This class crams everything you could possibly need to know into six weeks.

Our class graduated last Wednesday at a wonderful dinner in Glenview Mansion with City Manager Scott Ullery, Mayor Susan Hoffmann, and Council Members Gajewski and Marcuccio. The class included a long-time resident of more than 40 years along with newcomers of less than a year.

You may not need to know how many street lights stand in Rockville or how many arrests were made for burglary, but the whole Rockville University experience will make you feel more connected. Places, names, and faces will be familiar. When you turn on the tap, you’ll picture exactly where that water has traveled since it left the Potomac River. You’ll know why the police reach out to our community and how inspection services protects you (even when they constantly tell you “no”). When you study the population trends and learn about zoning with the planning department, you’ll picture the Rockville of the future. If you have ever wondered about something in Rockville, you can find out more by enrolling in Rockville University.

Much to my surprise, I developed a strong interest and appreciation for our Public Works Department. We are all getting new water meters with global positioning system (gps) coordinates that can be read with laptop computers from vehicles. Currently, they have to open the covers in our sidewalks and read the meters, impossible with ice or snow. The only way you can tour the water treatment plant is by enrolling in Rockville University and the visit is a highlight of the course. Our water is tested constantly to maintain its quality, day and night. When Rockville develops further, we will need additional infrastructure at the plant to handle the increased demand for water. However, the property isn’t big enough to accommodate expansion. These are the types of long range decisions facing our City as we grow.

Mary Hillstrom, one of my classmates, wrote her final assignment on visiting a Human Services Advisory Commission meeting.

I heard great compassion as the commissioners discussed how to support citizens in need. I was impressed that Rockville provides and supports so many services. Sitting in on this Commission meeting, as well as attending Rockville University, transformed my impression of the city government from a huge anonymous entity to a collection of caring individuals, similar to me. My image of the commission members went from “Commissioners,” with a capital C, to citizens and neighbors – regular everyday people. The city became human-size in my mind. Now I can see myself volunteering for a Rockville commission or joining my neighborhood association or getting involved in some other aspect of Rockville city life. I’m excited. Watch out Rockville, here I come!

For my project I ventured into East Rockville and discovered a treasure trove of history with Phyllis Marcuccio as my guide. Since I am interested in development and history, I compared the West End to East Rockville. Did you know that the modern day sanitation system was first implemented in Rockville? Do you know which building is the oldest standing structure in Rockville?

Rockville University can teach you the ins and outs of our City government. I’m fully loaded with maps, information guides, and the latest facts about Rockville. Personally, I would go to Rockville University every few years just to keep up with the new trends and initiatives.

My thanks to all of our expert city staff who took the time to meet with us in the evenings and weekends at Rockville University.

Beall Needs Running Volunteers

>Rockville Central friend Kari Keaton sent this along:

For the third year, the Beall PTA will be sponsoring a recess running club for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders at Beall Elementary. The initial goal of the running club is to help the kids train for the DARCARS Young Run, which will be held this year on Sunday, October 19. The emphasis of the club is on having fun while participating in a healthy activity.

Running club will begin on Wednesday, September 17 and be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday until October 20. After the DARCARS Young Run, Running club will be held every Friday until the end of the school year. It will be held from Noon – 1:30 pm. Volunteers are needed to help check in the runners, mark the laps that they run, make sure the runners have water to drink, and check out the runners. It can be very hectic when 40 kids arrive all at once and are eager to get started with their run. It is also hectic at the end because we need to get them back to class in a timely manner.

If you are interested in helping with running club, please contact Kari Keaton. You can work as much or as little as you want. Even if you can only work a half an hour, you can be very helpful, especially if that half hour is during the busiest time which is usually 3rd grade recess (noon – 12:30 pm).

Thanks Kari!

If the PTA’s or administrations of other schools in Our Fair City need volunteers or have important announcements to make, please send them along to Rockville Central and we can help get the word out.

Serenading Rockville’s “Unsung Heroes”

>Councilmember Piotr Gajewski presided over the City’s annual presentation of its Good Neighbor Awards tonight. Glenview Mansion was as decked out as the award recipients on this balmy summer evening when honorees, friends, family and their neighbors gathered for a reception and awards ceremony. The crowd cheered for the men and women who improve the quality of life in their communities in big and small ways – from advice and guidance to community activism to leaf raking and snow shoveling for neighbors in need to “creating, managing and implementing memorable community events with good humor and hard work” to reaching out to new neighbors with generosity and kindness “that makes more people willing to move out of our comfort zones” to a network of ten families who together provided food, flowers, clothing, cards, and entertainment for a neighbor who had become wheelchair bound.

The 2008 Recipients include: Wilma Bell of Lincoln Park, Marshall Fisher of College Gardens, Chas Hausheer of East Rockville, Joseph McClane of Cambridge Walk II, Paul O’Brien of College Gardens, Shari Perry of College Gardens, Andreas Vassilas of Twinbrook, James Wilburn of Lincoln Park, and Jack and Priscilla Baublitz, Michael and Jeanine Hartnett, Haywood and Lorraine Hughes, George and Roberta Margolies, Jim and Mary Martin, Jesse and Mary Meneses, Dave and Anne McBain, Gerry McDonald, Gram and Diane Paules, Mildred Shields, and Lois Wilson all of College Gardens who were honored together for their support of an ill neighbor. Rockville Central’s founder Brad Rourke was also honored for launching Rockville Central.

If you know someone who makes your neighborhood a better place, you can nominate them next year through the City Manager’s Department.

Earn a Bike or Donate a Bike

Students who are in the 1st to 5th grades at a public or private elementary school> located in Rockville can earn a free bike for being trustworthy, earnest, respectful, responsible, involved, fair, industrious, and caring. All of these characteristics are the basis of being a good citizen. As a Cub Scout leader, I appreciate this program because these ideals mirror the core values we teach our boys.

All the students have to do is six (or more) good deeds then return a fully-completed form to the City of Rockville by May 5, 2008. Since only the first 50 students to complete the forms correctly will receive bikes, don’t wait. The acts must be verified by a responsible adult such as a parent, grandparent, teacher, coach or guardian. Two deeds must be certified by a non-family member. Kids can do such things as pick up trash, get good grades, help an elderly person, or return a lost item. Winners will receive a bike, helmet, new lock, and safety instructions, as well as a certificate for participating which will be awarded at the Mayor and Council meeting televised on May 12th.

Since Rockville is a true biking community with trails throughout and around the City (one even goes right in front of my house on Monroe Street), this program helps kids take advantage of the bike ways and stay fit.

Do you have a bike that you don’t use? You can donate it to Bikes for the World. My husband and I once did. In addition to their work in the DC Metro area and in Rockville, this non-profit organization makes a tremendous difference in the lives of people all over the world by giving them bikes for transportation.

Ritchie Park Students Learn to Act

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How can we teach children to care enough to serve others? The Ritchie Park Elementary School PTA has a Community Service Committee, chaired by Rori Kochman and Sharon Mayl, that endeavors to provide the opportunities to make it possible.

Last night RPES students and their families came together with a burst of energy to make 300 lunches for the homeless in the Men’s Emergency Shelter and Stepping Stone. Each grade was assigned a food item and the students gladly made their donations earlier in the week. This generous outpouring was supplemented by a donation from Bloom.

The All Purpose Room was a combination of many production lines in order to get the job done. As soon as they arrived, the parents were enlisted to make the meat and cheese sandwiches. Meanwhile the kids were busy decorating cards that said “Have a Sunny Day!” to include with each lunch. Finally, the students could grab paper bags, walk around the room and fill each one with a drink, two snacks, fruit, and a sandwich, plus a special donation of Girl Scout cookies from the first graders.

As if this wasn’t enough of a feat, the children also assembled gift boxes for the kids at Children’s Hospital. At January’s “Music and Dance Night” admission was free, but students could donate money or toys for this project. Large bags were decorated with colorful stickers and happy messages, then they were filled to overflowing with toys to brighten the patients’ days.

When asked why they were participating, all of the kids from the youngest to the oldest responded that they were “helping people”. They were “helping the homeless” and “giving food to people who don’t have any food”. Everyone was in high spirits as they explained it was “fun”.

Each of the public elementary schools has their own version of the “character counts” program. At Ritchie Park they are called “Proud Panthers” when they show responsibility, respect, caring, cooperation, honesty, and moral courage. Seeing the kids in action with a true understanding of what they were accomplishing, made it very evident that their education went beyond simply saying these traits. They were learning by doing with many “Proud Parents” to help.

For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by
doing them. -Aristotle, Greek Philosopher