This Week in Potomac
<sh>Caught Leaving
<bt>Police arrested Hans Alexander Lawrence, of Columbia, Md., at the front door of a Potomac bank that he had just robbed, according to police reports.
Officers were called to the Chevy Chase Bank in the Cabin John Center at 1:09 p.m. on Oct. 2. While in route, officers learned a robber was inside demanding money and had implied that he had a weapon, according to police reports.
After obtaining the money, Lawrence, 25, of the 5800 block of Stevens Forest Road in Columbia, Md. was arrested by police who were waiting outside the front door. He was charged with robbery and theft over $500 and remains in the Montgomery County Detention Center on a cash bond of $150,000, according to police reports.
<sh>Growing Native
<bt>Volunteers are needed throughout the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watershed to collect native plant seeds.
On Saturday, Oct. 12, the Potomac Watershed Partnership and the Potomac Conservancy will sponsor the second annual Growing Native, a volunteer-led effort to replenish depleted reserves of native tree stock for reforestation projects throughout the region.
Volunteer seed collectors and volunteer collection site coordinators are needed. See www.growingnative.org or contact Rob Carey, Growing Native coordinator, at 703-276-2777, Ext. 207 or e-mail him at coordinator@growingnative.org.
<sh>Deer Hunt
<bt>Park and Planning authorized a managed deer hunt at Blockhouse Point Conservation Park in Potomac from Monday to Friday, Dec. 9-13. Managed hunting was approved to help protect the park's natural ecosystem and to reduce deer impacts.
Hunting activities will be monitored by Park Police and wildlife staff, according to Park and Planning. Participants will be required to pass a state shooting proficiency test. Safety provisions will include the establishment of safety boundaries surrounding all homes and roadways.
Residents around Blockhouse Point Park will be notified of the deer hunt by mail, and signs will be posted throughout the park. The Park will be closed to the public until 1 p.m. daily on the scheduled days of operation in December.
Addition information about the County's Deer Management Program is available at www.mc-mncppc.org/environment/deer, the Park and Planning web site, or by calling 301-949-4149.
<sh>Spaghetti for Special Love'
<bt>The Potomac Civitans will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Special Love, a nonprofit providing activities for children and young adults with cancer, by holding a fund-raising spaghetti dinner on Monday, Oct. 14..
The spaghetti dinner will take place at the Potomac Community Center from 6 to 8 p.m., and the cost is $5.
For information, call Larry Chloupek, 301-594-3992.
<sh>Breast Cancer Fundraiser
<bt>The Walk for Hope breast cancer 5K walk fundraiser will be held Sunday, Oct. 13 at Cabin John Regional Park, at the Tuckerman Lane entrance in Potomac. Registration is 9 a.m.; walk begins at 10 a.m. The event includes food and music and strollers are welcome. A suggested donation of $50 is requested. There are prizes for top fundraisers. Call 301-251-6123.
<sh>Potomac Heritage Trail
<bt>The sixth annual meeting of Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (PHT) advocates will be held on Friday, Oct. 11, from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at Rockwood Manor Park in Potomac. Representatives from local government, citizen groups, state and federal agencies will meet to discuss priorities for the future of the Potomac Heritage Trail. The public is invited to attend.
The PHT advocates are working to further the establishment of a 425-mile network of trails that connects the Potomac River at the Chesapeake Bay to the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania.
The caucus is organized by the Potomac Trail Council. Call Jennifer Burke at 888-2223-4093, e-mail jburke@potomactrail.org, or visit www.potomactrail.org/events/caucus.html.
<sh>Potomac Robberies
<bt>* A cell phone, cash and wallet were taken from a vehicle parked in the garage of a residence on the 14300 block of Nighthawk Way in Potomac between 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 28 and 9:55 a.m. on Sept. 29. Burglars gained access through the garage door.
*Jewelry was taken from a residence on the 9300 block of Kendale Road in Potomac between 7:30 p.m. and 10:56 p.m. on Sept. 28. Burglars broke through the side door.
* Burglars climbed through the front window of a residence on the 7800 block of Scotland Drive in Potomac between noon and 6 p.m. on Sept. 25. Nothing was taken.
<sh>Voter Deadline Nears
<lst>The voter registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Oct. 15, 2002, for the Nov. 5 general election.
Voter registration applications are available from the Elections Office, 751 Twinbrook Parkway, in Rockville. Call 240-777-8500 and leave a message at the 24-hour voter information line at 240-777-VOTE.
Forms are also available at all Montgomery County public libraries, Montgomery College, public high schools, U.S. post offices and county government regional service centers.
<sh>Itching for Vendors
<bt>Vendors are wanted for the Potomac Community Center Indoor Flea Market and Community Yard Sale, which is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The flea market will take place at the Potomac Community Center, 11315 Falls Road. Booths are available to vendors for $25 and tables for $5. To register, call Linda Barlock at 301-983-4471.
<sh>Human Rights
<bt>Montgomery County’s Office of Human Rights is sponsoring a training session for the Network of Neighbors Community Response Program on Thursday, Oct. 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The training session will be held at the University of Maryland at Shady Grove, Building 1, located at 9640 Gudelsky Drive, in Rockville.
The Network of Neighbors program was started in 1977 as a support group of volunteer residents, which offers assistance to victims of hate and violence.
The training will cover issues, such as: hearing first-hand how it feels to be a victim; learning the role of the Police Department in identifying and addressing hate crimes; learning how to assist someone who has been a victim of a hate crime; and learning and practicing listening skills that can be used on a daily basis.
The training session is free and lunch will be provided. To register, call the Office of Human Rights at 240-777-8479, no later than Oct. 7.
<sh>Sept. 11 Memorial
<bt>The design of Montgomery County’s memorial to the events of Sept. 11 will be selected from a public competition.
Both individuals or groups of artists and landscape architects are invited to submit designs for the memorial that should include recognition of the 11 Montgomery County residents who lost their lives during the attacks.
The memorial will be located in Courthouse Square Park in the heart of Rockville on a site donated by the City of Rockville.
A selection committee will review the submissions and identify five semi-finalists to receive the necessary site information from which to develop a site-specific model and a detailed proposal for the memorial. A $1,500 design stipend will be awarded for each proposal and an allocation for travel expenses will be provided.
The five semi-finalists will each present their concept proposal and design to the selection committee that will recommend a finalist. Montgomery County will award the commission and enter into a contract with the finalist.
Submissions must be postmarked by Oct. 21 and semi-finalists will be notified in early November. Proposals will be due in January 2003, and the finalists will be notified in February.
The memorial will be dedicated on Sept. 11, 2003. Call public art consultant Francoise Yohalem at 301-816-0518; fax to 301-816-0343; email to francyo@earthlink.net; or visit www.mcrd.net and click on “Call to Artists.”
<sh>Law Day
<bt>Law Day 2002 for Older Adults — a daylong seminar that will address legal issues impacting the 55+ population — will be held Oct. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Holiday Park Multiservice Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Drive, Wheaton.
Law Day 2002 is presented to acquaint and empower older adults, their adult children and providers of services to mature adults, with their legal rights. Law Day 2002 will feature expert speakers on the following topics: selecting an attorney, probate, understanding Medicare, retirement, wills and trusts, Social Security and SSI, powers of attorney, advanced directives and guardianship, end-of-life care decisions, legal and advocacy issues related to nursing homes and assisted living, long term care insurance and senior scams.
Registration is $23 and includes continental breakfast, box lunch, Law Day 2002 portfolio, information packet and admission to seminars. Space is limited.
To receive a registration brochure, call Holiday Park at 301-468-4448 or the Cooperative Extension Service, 301-590-9638, or log on to http://www.co.mo.md.us/lawday/law.pdf.