The 47th annual Potomac Country House Tour, sponsored by St. Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac, will feature four Potomac-area homes on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5-6. The homes will be open for touring from noon-5 p.m. on both days. Tickets are available at outlets throughout Montgomery County. Call 301-365-2055.
Included in the tour are:
* Texas Connection: Owners Cathleen and Randall Howard remodeled a 6-year-old Cape Cod, shingled home to include a log cabin loft for the children and a Will Rogers room in the basement.
* European Country: Located in Rapley Reserve, the appearance is of a 16th-century English country house including a prominent turret and French forecourt accommodating an eclectic mix of French, English and Italian cultures with striking family art deco heirlooms. Home of Donna and Neal Gumbin.
* Political Memories: Memorabilia from past lives and events at the time of President Nixon and a thank-you welded cross delivered by the New York Port Authority Police from the World Trade Center are only a few of the items in homeowners Sherry Turner and Stephen Bull’s collection.
* Colorful Extravaganza: Marilyn Polling’s designer’s touch throughout the house balances colorful modern paintings with Asian antiques. Striking statements in colorful décor will cheer all the tour-goers. Home of the Rheem family.
In addition to the home tour, other activities will be held at the church both days at 11 a.m., including the following:
* Boutiques at St. Francis: Wearables, stationery, home accessories, gourmet foods, floral arrangements and more are shown by local and out-of-state vendors.
* Cottage Shop: Crafts, clothes, toys and decorative accents for home and garden, many crafted by talented parishioners.
* The Bottom Line Silent Auction: Vacations, golf outings, VIP tickets to local sporting events, gift baskets including items for the home and garden and fun things for children. The auction will be held in the Kincaid Library at St. Francis Church. Bidding will close at 4 p.m. on Sunday. A live auction for higher-priced items will occur during a cocktail reception on Friday evening, Oct 4.
* The Luncheon: St. Francis Café will be open to serve a light a la carte buffet lunch on both days from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in St. Francis Hall. Hot and cold entrees will be served along with assorted breads and iced tea.
* Dessert Bar and Goodies to Go: A selection of desserts, coffee, tea and soft drinks to go.
Advance tickets are $15, day-of-tour tickets are $20.
All proceeds benefit St. Francis Community Outreach Programs, some of which include Boys and Girls Homes of Maryland, Community Based Shelter, Companions in Word Mission, the Dwelling Place, For Love of Children (FLOC), MANNA Food Shelter, Martha’s Table, Montgomery Hospice Society, St. Stephen’s (Loaves and Fishes) and Stepping Stones.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded $295,450 grant to Strathmore Hall Foundation. The federal Economic Development Initiative grant will be used for the construction of a concert hall and youth music center in North Bethesda.
The Montgomery County Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is offering a free seminar series, “Winterize Your Home, Inside and Out.” “Winterizing Your Home on the Inside” will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. “Winterizing Your Home on the Outside” will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at the same location, from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
The seminar is designed to provide the average homeowner with information about home improvements, home maintenance and selecting a home improvement contractor. The “Inside” seminar will include such topics as heating and air conditioning systems, windows and water heaters. Topics for the “Outside” seminar will include gutters, roofs and pest control.
The class, limited to Montgomery County residents, is free of charge, but pre-registration is required. To register, call 240-777-3764.
Long and Foster Realtors has annnounced its top sales associates for the month of August.
In the Potomac Village office, Krystyna Litwin was top producer, top lister, top seller and the agent with the most new listings with a sales volume of $7,255,000.
In the Potomac/Cabin John office, Diann Gottron was top producer and top lister with a sales volume of $2,819,500.
In the Bethesda office, Jim Roy was top producer, top lister and the agent with the most new listings with a sales volume of $4,654,700. Ana Contreras was top seller.
In the Bethesda Gateway office, Wendy Banner was the top producer with a sales volume of $8,990,000. Gary Ditto was the top seller and Brad Rozansky was top lister and the agent with the most new listings.
In the North Bethesda/Rockville office, Edmund Ko was top producer with sales of $3,029,381.
The county has unveiled a 3,500-gallon elliptical water tanker for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, which will be assigned to the Rockville-Darnestown Station 31 in North Potomac.
The $250,000 tanker was acquired within a few months — compared to a year or more for most large vehicle purchases — in partnership with the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department which contributed $50,000 and through county efforts to streamline and fast-track the tanker purchase. Fiscal year 2002 end-of-year Fire/Rescue funding was reallocated to the tanker purchase, with the County Executive’s support.
One of the benefits of acquiring the large capacity water tanker will be improved fire protection for homes and businesses in areas where the water supply is limited. This responds to community concerns about areas without fire hydrants. These areas comprise 55-60 percent of the county.
A recent comprehensive water supply study called for the placement of tankers in several non-hydrant areas, including Cabin John Park. Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department recently received a $198,900 federal grant to purchase a water tanker, which will put it years ahead of the recommended schedule of mid-2007.
The county is seeking applicants for the newly-created Department of Permitting Services Advisory Committee. There are currently six vacancies. Two vacancies are for individuals who must be active members of environmental organizations in the county, two are for individuals who must be active in civic organizations in the county and two must be active in land development or related professions.
Members serve three-year terms without compensation. Meetings will be held in Rockville at least four times a year. Apply by Sept. 27.
Applicants are also being sought by the county for the Commission on Common Ownership Communities. Two vacancies are for resident representatives, two vacancies are for professional representatives (attorneys, property managers, investment owners), and two vacancies are for a real estate sales or developer representative.
The commission advises the county on such items as raising public awareness of the rights and obligations of living in common ownership communities and eliminating disputes.
Voting members serve three-year terms without compensation. Meetings are held the first Wednesday evening of the month.
Write by Oct. 18 to County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe St., Rockville, MD 20850.