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November/December 2022 | Volume 19 Issue 6
contents
THE WORK & MONEY ISSUE 70
The Smart Money
Local experts share financial advice for people at all stages of life, whether you’re just launching your career or starting to think about retirement BY BETHANY RODGERS
76
Top Financial Professionals Here’s who the pros in Montgomery County and Upper Northwest D.C. recommend for financial planning advice
80
From flexible schedules to free-lunch Fridays, here’s why it’s great to be employed by these 17 Bethesda-area businesses BY JILL DEVINE
COVER: Illustration by Yunyi Dai
P. 70
Financial wisdom for every age
ILLUSTRATION BY YUNYI DAI
Top Places to Work
12 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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contents P. 108
Cookie recipes from local bakers
FEATURES 118
Taking Her Shot
Building Bridges
The landmark abortion ruling’s impact on Montgomery County is already being felt
Confessions of a hockey mom who got out of the stands and onto a grown-up travel team
Philanthropist of the Year Mimi Brodsky Kress draws on a guiding principle to “repair the world”
BY AMY HALPERN
BY JENNIFER TEPPER
BY CARALEE ADAMS
Life After Dobbs
108
130
Smart Cookies
Now you can make some of our favorite local bakers’ holiday cookie recipes at home (sorry, Santa, there may not be any leftovers) BY ALYSSA LANGER
124
Guide to Giving
We’ve rounded up 59 nonprofits where you can share your time, talents and money Adventures on the ice with the Travelin’ Cluster Pucks
150
Bethesda Interview Pioneering photojournalist Christy Bowe, a Chevy Chase native, chats about covering five presidents— and her gentle scolding from the Dalai Lama BY ROSE HOROWITCH
156
Great Starts
Power up with breakfasts from these new Montgomery County restaurants BY DAVID HAGEDORN
TOP PHOTO BY DEB LINDSEY; BOTTOM PHOTO BY GETTY
102
14 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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There is no map for investing. But there is a beacon. Thematic Investing examines how the world is changing, determines which companies will be advantaged, and invests accordingly. Ours is a unique approach. We invest in where the world is going, not where it has been. To learn more, call Stacy Murchison at 240.497.5008 or visit us online at ChevyChaseTrust.com.
Chevy Chase Trust: Oceans V1 | Bethesda Magazine: Full Page | Trim: 8 X 10.5 | Bleed: 8.25 x 10.75
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contents P. 37
P. 170
Captain Maryland
Midcentury modern perfection in Bethesda
DEPARTMENTS 187 health
20 | TO OUR READERS 22 | CONTRIBUTORS
188 | BE WELL
29 good life
How a Bethesda breastfeeding expert helps moms deal with low milk supply, babies who won’t latch and other nursing challenges
34 | BEST BETS Can’t-miss arts events
37
banter
190 | GUT FEELINGS
46 | BOOK REPORT New books by local authors, and more
Can those as-seen-on-TikTok hacks really improve your digestive health? Four local medical professionals weigh in.
167 home
217 dine
168 | HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS
218 | REVIEW
Update your table for a festive holiday gathering with fabulous local finds
222 | TABLE TALK
243 | GET AWAY
What’s happening on the local food scene
Your cheat sheet for a weekend jaunt
235 etc.
246 | DRIVING RANGE Three cozy retreats where you can relax and recharge
236 | SHOP TALK How a Silver Spring mom created a skin care line to soothe aching feet
238 | WEDDINGS A Silver Spring couple’s Glen Echo wedding featured a six-piece band playing oldies, bags of Fisher’s Popcorn and a late-night stop at the Irish Inn
254 | FLASHBACK Largely forgotten, islands dotting the Potomac are finding some modern-day uses
256 | OUTTAKES
Toya and Jeffeary Miskiri bring New Orleans cooking and style to Silver Spring
An interior designer and architect creates her own perfect home, a variation on the 1956 gem that once stood here
182 | HOME SALES BY THE NUMBERS
P. 168
Great tabletop decor
P. 190
Papaya seeds as magic cure? Probably not.
AD SECTIONS ATTORNEYS PROFILES 52
FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS PROFILES 90
LONG & FOSTER AD SECTION 164
KITCHEN & BATH SHOWCASE 176
SENIOR SERVICES PROFILES 195
PRIVATE SCHOOLS AD SECTION 228
CLOCKWISE: PHOTO BY STUART BROTHERS; PHOTO BY ANGELA NEWTON ROY; COURTESY PHOTO; PHOTO BY GETTY
170 | A RIFF ON RETRO
16 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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18 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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WINNER
READERS’ PICK • BEST BUILDER
YOUR BUILDER FOR LIFE • S A N D Y S P R I N G B U I L D E R S . C O M IMAGES: MICHAEL KRESS PHOTOGRAPHY, C. GAUTHIER PHOTOGRAPHY
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to our readers
FINANCIAL WISDOM FOR EVERY AGE LIKE ANY RESPONSIBLE STRIVERS, my husband and I are com-
mitted to teaching our 5-year-old the fundamentals of financial literacy. He is such an apt pupil, and we are so organized, that he has already mastered one (!) of these three important money lessons: n Under no circumstances are you to put money in your mouth. No, not even the really clean bills from Grandma. n Th e dime may be the smallest, but it’s still worth more than the nickel and the penny. n Theoretically we could buy all those cool Paw Patrol books. But maybe let’s just go to the library instead? Spoiler: We’re still explaining that nickels are worth less than dimes and fending off requests to buy Paw Patrol books. It is our sincere hope that the next generation will improve on the last. We will know he has succeeded if he can master these surefire truths before he’s in his late 40s: n If you want the refund, it’s not enough just to tell Amazon you’re going to return the item. You’re going to have to box it up and take it to Kohl’s or The UPS Store or wherever. n A physical trainer is pricey. If you’re going to work with one, you’ll get a better return on your investment if you heed all her instructions for healthy living outside the gym. n You’ll probably never make time to do the yard sale, and even if you did, it probably wouldn’t be worth it. So just post all those things in a Buy Nothing group or take them to Goodwill. I acknowledge that these instructions are a little more narrowly tailored than the ones you’ll encounter in “The Smart Money” (page 70), our feature on navigating financial questions at different stages of life. Former Bethesda Beat reporter Bethany Rodgers contacted experts (many of them cited in “Top Financial Professionals,” page 76) to glean their insights into inflation, cryptocurrency, prenups, a potential recession, Montgomery County’s housing market and more. As someone who’s not a financial expert herself, Bethany described the experience of talking with the pros as personally helpful and empowering. “I think that anxiety about finances and money, and just
feeling like that’s a complicated world that’s difficult to understand and awkward and anxiety-producing, keeps people from learning about it or financially planning,” she told me. “I learned from myself that fear of money and thinking about money and talking about money is probably my biggest problem. And it probably is for other people.” She also was heartened by the idea that, when it comes to investing and prudent financial decisions, late is truly better than never. “It was really comforting that it’s never too late. No matter when you start planning and thinking about it, you’ve never missed the ‘deadline,’ ” she says. “There’s no point at which it’s too late and it’s not to your advantage to start.” This issue also addresses how to invest your money and time in ways that benefit our whole community. There’s a lot in our annual Guide to Giving (page 130): 59 nonprofits, in fact. That’s just a sampling of the many local organizations that are working to give kids a better chance at life, feed the hungry, shelter the unhoused, provide health care, protect domestic violence victims and much more. I encourage you to take the time to read into these groups to see what dovetails with your skills, interests and passions. These organizations are vetted by the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Catalogue for Philanthropy and the Community Foundation. For inspiration, check out Mimi Brodsky Kress (“Building Bridges,” page 124) and how she applies the mission of “tikkun olam”—“repair the world”—in her support of Habitat for Humanity and local theater artists. If you volunteer or donate money, please tell them Bethesda Magazine sent you.
ANNE TALLENT EXECUTIVE EDITOR
20 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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Where You Lead, They Will Follow S
tudent-parents represent a growing percentage of Montgomery College’s student body. Recognizing this, an anonymous donor established a fund to support student-parents. This gift covers any college related expenses and life needs including child
care, housing assistance, and emergency needs. Please consider joining this donor who recognizes the many benefits of providing not one, but two generations, with the inspiration and help they need to succeed academically and professionally.
To learn how you can support Montgomery College student-parents, please contact Francene Walker at 240-567-7491 or francene.walker@ montgomerycollege.edu.
Tangela Rich Tangela Rich is pursuing her associate’s degree at Montgomery College in secondary education and will then transfer to complete her bachelor’s degree. Her plan is to teach mathematics in Montgomery County Public Schools. At the end of a long school day, Tangela’s son sits with her and, together, they do their homework. Research from the U.S. Department of Education has shown that children whose parents attended college are more likely to attend themselves.
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contributors
SERVES YOU. Support our work by becoming a member today.
YUNYI DAI
LIVES IN: Rockville and Sparrows Point, Maryland
LIVES IN: Pasadena, California
IN THIS ISSUE: Wrote about playing on a travel ice hockey team as an adult. “I never would have imagined that at 45 years old I would be playing in travel ice hockey tournaments and feeling the adrenaline of competition like I did when I played collegiate soccer. It is a welcomed sensation that blends fond memories with new adventures.” WHAT SHE DOES: She is the co-founder of LiveMudita, a consultancy that works with nonprofit and small business clients to grow their revenues, focus on anti-racist learning and communicate their mission. HOW SHE SPENDS HER TIME OFF THE ICE: Chasing after her 2-year-old twin boys and 4-year-old son while keeping up with her other five children (ages 12 to 24), raising backyard chickens, writing a memoir, managing vacation rental properties and helping others plan travel experiences.
bethesdamagazine.com/
membership
IN THIS ISSUE: She created the illustrations for our cover and our story on financial advice during different periods of life. “I had a lot of fun brainstorming ideas that deal with what work and money mean in different stages of life.” WHAT SHE DOES: She is a freelance illustrator. She is passionate about creating editorial illustrations, children’s book illustrations, illustrated GIFs and 3D illustrations. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, Current, articles for NPR Next Generation Radio, and other outlets. ADVENTURE TIME: “Food, traveling, skiing, watching movies and cat spotting are my favorite things to do during the weekends.” THE EARLY DAYS: Her first art tool was Elmer’s Classic Glitter Glue. “I made a great mess out of it.”
COURTESY PHOTOS
OUR NEWSROOM
JENNIFER TEPPER
22 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Anne Tallent MANAGING EDITOR
Kelly Kendall
Readers’ Pick, A Top Vote Getter Best Dentist 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | 2021 Readers’ Pick, Best Dentist 2011
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Kathleen Seiler Neary CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Kelly Martin DESIGNER
Olivia Sadka BETHESDA BEAT ACTING MANAGING EDITOR
Julie Rasicot BETHESDA BEAT SENIOR REPORTER
Caitlynn Peetz BETHESDA BEAT REPORTERS
Ginny Bixby, Steve Bohnel, Akira Kyles, Dan Schere RESTAURANT CRITIC
David Hagedorn CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Eugene L. Meyer, Louis Peck, Carole Sugarman COPY EDITORS
Elisabeth Herschbach, Steve Wilder CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Caralee Adams, Jennifer Barger, Rachel Pomerance Berl, Stephanie Siegel Burke, Dina ElBoghdady, Margaret Engel, Robin L. Flanigan, Christine Koubek Flynn, Dana Gerber, Amy Halpern, Amy Reinink, Bethany Rodgers, Kristen Schott, Mike Unger, Mark Walston, Carolyn Weber PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS
Edgar Artiga, Skip Brown, Goodloe Byron, Laura Chase de Formigny, Erick Gibson, Stacy Zarin Goldberg, Lisa Helfert, James Kegley, Alice Kresse, Deb Lindsey, Liz Lynch, Lindsey Max, Mary Ann Smith, Louis Tinsley, Joseph Tran, Michael Ventura Bethesda Magazine is published six times a year by Z-Pop Media, LLC © 2021-2022 Letters to the editor: Please send letters (with your name, the town you live in and your daytime phone number) to letters@bethesdamagazine.com. Story ideas: Please send ideas for stories to editorial@bethesdamagazine.com. Bethesda Magazine 6116 Executive Blvd., #740 North Bethesda, MD 20852 Phone: 301-718-7787 BethesdaMagazine.com
24 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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The brand new, uniquely sophisticated community of Amalyn is coming to life in the heart of Bethesda! Thoughtfully designed with exquisite homes, sought after amenities, and tranquil green spaces, Amalyn offers a rare opportunity for you to enjoy the convenience of downtown Bethesda while living in tucked-away luxury. Visit us today for a tour and let the next exciting chapter begin at Amalyn. DISTINGUISHED TOWNHOME & SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCES FROM $1.2M AND BEYOND
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Photography, renderings and maps are an artist’s illustration only. Prices and terms are provided by homebuilders. Dues, fees, and assessments may be imposed for the use of some amenities. This material shall not constitute an offer or solicitation in any state where prior registration is required. | Toll Brothers MHBR No. 678. Tri Pointe Homes MHBR No. 57.
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10 IRS Red Flags as IRS Audits Are Expected to Increase
DAVID S. DE JONG Principal Tax Law
With the newly enacted Inflation Reduction Act increasing the budget of the Internal Revenue Service by $80 billion over ten years and the added resources dedicated in substantial part to hiring new personnel, the number of audits by IRS is expected to increase in the coming years and be targeted at upper income individuals.
PUBLISHING
CEO
Scott Copeland PRESIDENT
Sumindi Peiris
Here are ten of the most audit triggering factors on an individual tax return:
VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Jennifer Farkas
Inconsistency with information returns. Use Form 8082 to explain differences with K-1s. In other cases, show the amount on the information return on a support schedule and back out the portion incorrectly reported and provide a brief explanation. Significant business losses. IRS will be looking to see if the activity is a hobby or whether start-up expenses have been deducted rather than capitalized.
DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING OPERATIONS
Amélie Ward ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Arlis Dellapa, Shelley Golinsky, Penny Skarupa, LuAnne Spurrell ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR
Mel Korobkin
High Schedule C income. IRS will seek to determine if all income is reported and if personal expenses are being deducted. Reduce the chances of audit with an S corporation or multi-member LLC.
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF BRAND, AUDIENCE AND PRODUCTS
High home mortgage interest deduction. IRS is looking to spot those deducting interest on more debt than permitted.
ENGAGEMENT & PRODUCT SPECIALIST
High charitable contributions. IRS scrutinizes cash contributions inconsistent with an individual’s income as well as significant property donations which require a complete Form 8283 and often a qualified appraisal. “Tax sheltered” investments. The tax representations made to investors often do not hold up under scrutiny. The current focus is on syndicated conservation easements.
Leigh McDonald AUDIENCE PRODUCER
Elizabeth Moseley James Musial MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER
Ashley Fletcher OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Mary Beth May CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER
Onecia Ribeiro INTERNS
Nataly Osorio, Fernando Vasquez
An unusually large deduction. Consider a brief explanation on a support schedule. Foreign bank accounts. Submit Form 8938 to IRS and the FBAR to Treasury as required.
ADVERTORIAL WRITERS
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Stein Sperling can assist you in your audit, administrative appeal or litigation as well as any other federal or state tax matter.
Ann Cochran, Jim Mahaffie, Betty Siegel ADVERTORIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
ADVERTORIAL EDITOR
Subscription price: $19.95 To subscribe: Go to BethesdaMagazine.com. For customer service: Call 301-718-7787, ext. 205; or send an email to customerservice@bethesdamagazine.com.
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Call 301-718-7787, ext. 219; or send an email to marketing@bethesdamagazine.com. CO-FOUNDERS
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Coming up at Here, the arts are everywhere. Join us for music, dance, and more to make your season warm and bright.
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Your one-stop shop for fabulous finds that make marvelous gifts!
SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR HOPE—IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING
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art. festivals. culture. day trips. hidden gems.
good life
PHOTO COURTESY OF ENCHANT
ALL THAT GLITTERS THE VIBE IS ALL sparkles and Christmas spirit at Enchant, the sprawling, immersive holiday experience that’s taking over Nationals Park for the third year. Four million lights make up a walk-through maze that includes Instagram-worthy scenes around every corner, such as a 100-foot Christmas tree, a glittering light tunnel and traditional holiday motifs that include ornaments, toys and reindeer. Attempting to answer the vexing question of how Santa delivers presents all over the world in just one night, Enchant invites guests to go on a scavenger hunt in the maze in search of gears that belong to a “magic timepiece.” Stamp a “maze passport” as you find the gears and drop off completed passports for a chance to win a visit to a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie set. An ice skating trail ($15) loops through a Christ-
mas light forest. In the winter village you’ll find musical performances and a holiday market featuring local vendors selling gifts and crafts, plus festive snacks and beverages—think s’mores, homemade doughnuts, hot chocolate, spiked apple cider, and specialty cocktails served in a light bulb-shaped cup. Other attractions include photo ops with Santa and kids activities that include crafts, games and story time with Mrs. Claus. Enchant runs Nov. 25 through Jan. 1 at Nationals Park, 1500 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington, D.C., enchantchrist mas.com. Tickets are available online and start at $34 for adults and $18 for children; free for younger than 2. —Stephanie Siegel Burke BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 29
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good life
DIVE IN GET PREPARED TO EXPLORE the exhilarating world under the sea—meeting manta rays, sea turtles, tropical fish—by taking scuba diving lessons in Montgomery County. One Ocean Scuba in Silver Spring’s Kemp Mill neighborhood sells scuba gear and offers training for enthusiasts as young as 10. Three steps are required to become a certified diver: online learning, confined dives in pools, and open water dives. After learning about the gear and hand signals in online learning, which can be done at each student’s own pace, trainees go on a minimum of two dives in local pools and then a minimum of four dives over two days in a lake or other large body of water. Once they’re certified, divers can look forward to an excursion on their next vacation. They also can join co-owner Cindy Rosselle at Dive Against Debris events to clean up waterways. The events are guided by the PADI AWARE Foundation, a nonprofit with the mission to drive local action for global ocean conservation. Rosselle says she and her group of divers have adopted an area in the Susquehanna River in Havre de Grace, Maryland, so they can dive there and pull up trash and debris. One Ocean Scuba’s shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed Sunday. The open water certification course starts at $499; it’s an additional $199 for open water dives for full certification; equipment packages start at $151.95, which includes a mask, fins and a snorkel. 1351 Lamberton Drive, Silver Spring, 240-669-8568, oneoceanscuba.com. —Akira Kyles
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ONE OCEAN SCUBA BY MATTHEW RAKOLA
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good life
BEST BETS
Our picks for things to see and do in November and December BY STEPHANIE SIEGEL BURKE
Nov. 5
TRAIL TO FREEDOM
Nov. 16 through Jan. 8
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $8, Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park, Sandy Spring, woodlawnmanor.org
Based on a book by beloved children’s author Mo Willems, the musical Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience tells the story of Wilbur, who stands out in his community of naked mole rats— where everyone is always naked and proud of it— after he discovers a love of clothing and style. As in the book and the HBO Max animated movie, Wilbur shows the community that it’s OK to be different by being himself. The show, best for ages 4 through 10, includes rock music, singing and tap dance numbers. $12-$39, Imagination Stage, Bethesda, imaginationstage.org
Nov. 19 through Dec. 31
LET IT SNOW
You don’t often get a white Christmas in the Bethesda area, but Winter City Lights, a new walk-through Christmas light experience, promises snow every night of the holiday season. The event, which will spread across an 18-acre site in Olney, includes a 1½-mile hiking trail illuminated with holiday light displays, a 52-foot-tall Christmas tree with a coordinated light and music show, and (faux) snow every night. For extra fees: an eight-lane snow tubing slide, ax throwing, food and drinks (alcoholic and non). Purchase tickets online. Event opens at 5:30 p.m., $39-$48 for adults, discounts for ages 12 and under, and for 65 and older, 4501 Olney Laytonsville Road, Olney, wintercitylights.com
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY OF MONTGOMERY PARKS, M-NCPPC; PHOTO COURTESY OF IMAGINATION STAGE; PHOTO COURTESY OF WINTER CITY LIGHTS
Take a guided hike on the Underground Railroad Experience Trail to mark the end of slavery in Maryland at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park’s Maryland Emancipation Day program. Guided hikes are offered at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the trail, which was designed to preserve the rural landscape and commemorate the community’s history. Maryland abolished slavery on Nov. 1, 1864, a year before the ratification of the 13th Amendment ended it across the country. The hike lasts about 90 minutes and covers approximately 2 miles. Admission to the Woodlawn Museum is included. Appropriate for ages 7 and up. Advance registration is recommended at activemontgomery.org.
THE CLOTHES MAKE THE RODENT
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good life
BEST BETS Nov. 23 through Jan. 1
THE PERFECT STORM William Shakespeare’s drama The Tempest, about a group of people shipwrecked on a magical island where an old man attempts to control them with sorcery, has always incorporated magic and music. But Round House Theatre’s new production ups the quirkiness quotient of the play in this adaptation by playwright Aaron Posner and Teller (of the famous magic duo Penn & Teller). The show replaces Elizabethan tunes with music by songwriter Tom Waits and incorporates mind-bending moves from the dance company Pilobolus and spectacular magic tricks. $46-$81, Round House Theatre, Bethesda, roundhousetheatre.org
A TURKEY RAN AWAY
One of the largest races in Montgomery County, the annual Turkey Chase Charity Race returns as a live event for its 40th anniversary this year, after going virtual during the first two years of the pandemic. But for those who are still apprehensive about running with a crowd, there will be virtual events, too. Participants can choose the in-person 10K run or 2-mile walk on Nov. 24, or virtual events, including runs, walks, bike rides and swims, to be completed between Nov. 21 and Nov. 28. The live events start and end at the YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase. The event raises money for the YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase and the Bethesda Chevy Chase Rotary.
Dec. 19-22
GOING NUTS
8:30 a.m. for 10K, 9 a.m. for 2-mile walk, $50 in advance, $60 race day, YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Bethesda, turkeychase.com
Dec. 9
LOVE SONGS Countless high school students have been asked to compare Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with the musical West Side Story, which it inspired. The National Philharmonic Music Director and National Philharmonic, led by conductor Conductor Piotr Gajewski Piotr Gajewski, gives that old assignment a musical twist in the concert Sarah Chang: West Side Story & Romeo + Juliet. The orchestra presents three musical interpretations of Shakespeare’s tragic love story: Fantasy Overture from Romeo and Juliet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story Suite with violinist Sarah Chang, and Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. 8 p.m., $19-$99, The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda, strathmore.org
The Hip Hop Nutcracker gives the classic Tchaikovsky ballet a new spin—you might even say a head spin—with break dancing and hip-hop choreography set to a remixed score that mashes up the traditional music with a DJ and violinist. In this version, Maria-Clara meets the Nutcracker Prince, a guy who sells nuts out of a grocery cart, on the streets of New York and the pair fight the Mouse King and his gang in a dance battle. Hiphop founding father Kurtis Blow opens the show with a live DJ set. $34-$68, The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda, strathmore.org
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY OF ROUND HOUSE THEATRE; PHOTO COURTESY OF STRATHMORE BY CHERYL MANN; PHOTO BY ELMAN STUDIO
Nov. 24
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banter
A HERO RISES
Meet the retired county firefighter from Kensington gaining fame as Captain Maryland
PHOTO BY STUART BROTHERS PHOTOGRAPHY
BY CHRISTINE ZHU
Clark Rogers salutes the state at National Harbor. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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Kensington first donned a formfitting costume featuring the design and colors of the Maryland state flag. With cans of Old Bay seafood seasoning attached to his belt, he carried a red crab-shaped shield and an oversize mallet fashioned out of cardboard tubes. It was the summer of 2021, and Rogers was unveiling his new superhero persona of Captain Maryland at Awesome Con in Washington, D.C., an annual pop culture convention at which attendees can dress up as their favorite characters. Rogers, 55, says becoming a superhero started out as a joke to make his friends laugh. He’d been doing cosplay—costume play—for many years, he says, and assembled the costume out of pieces that were “readily available.” A couple of months later, he planned on wearing a different costume for Comic Con in Baltimore, but his wife, Ashley, persuaded him to go as Captain Maryland again. Another attendee made a TikTok video of him that went viral and has received almost 800,000 views to date. From there, his fame skyrocketed—he’s since created social media pages and gained a widespread following. Rogers wanted to create an original superhero for fun and says with a laugh that if any state were to have a superhero, it would be Maryland. “If you can’t eat it, you put the flag on it, and if you can eat it, you put Old Bay on it,” Rogers jokes about common attitudes among Marylanders. Given his background, Rogers can lay just about as good a claim as anyone to the Captain Maryland crown— he was born at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, grew up in Chevy Chase and graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. After starting out as a volunteer at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad, he became a career firefighter who worked all over Montgom-
“ The point of the whole thing was to make people smile, make people laugh,” Clark Rogers says.
ery County for 35 years. Rogers retired in September 2020 and now works as a special education paraeducator with Montgomery County Public Schools. He’s lived in Kensington for about 15 years, he says, and marched as Captain Maryland in the town’s Labor Day parade this September, where he met U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, both of Maryland. He’s also planning to make an appearance at the
PHOTO BY STUART BROTHERS PHOTOGRAPHY
OVER A YEAR AGO, Clark Rogers of
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Mayor’s Christmas Parade in Baltimore in December. Rogers says he was approached on Facebook in June by country music star Jimmy Charles, who asked him to appear in the music video for his song “It’s a Maryland Thing, You Wouldn’t Understand.” Charles, an Ocean City native, was singing the national anthem in July at an Orioles game in Baltimore and invited Rogers to come along to film the video that afternoon. During the game, Captain Maryland ran around the stands to hype up the crowd. Reactions to Captain Mar yland vary, Rogers says. Kids are a bit more “reserved” since he isn’t a superhero that they recognize, but adults usually “double up laughing,” and some ask to take a photo when they figure out his superhero persona. “The point of the whole thing
“ It’s surreal that something that started out as a joke has just blown up. I find it amazing and super awesome,” Ashley Rogers says.
was to make people smile, make people laugh,” says Rogers, whose 14-year-old son thinks the Captain Maryland persona is “neat” and would like to portray a sidekick. To make his outfit, Rogers repurposed a cosplay helmet from comic book character Captain America to feature the colors of the Maryland flag and an “M” on the front. Like his mallet, his shield was originally cardboard, but he’s since made a larger one out of a plastic sledding disc. Ashley Rogers, who can sew, says she expected to help when Clark first proposed the idea for the outfit—she thought it was brilliant—but he put together most of it himself. “It’s surreal that something that started out as a joke has just blown up,” she says. “I find it amazing and super awesome.” n
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THE VOICE Tennis star Serena Williams handpicked a Silver Spring teen to bring life to buzzy doll Qai Qai in a new YouTube series BY ROBIN L. FLANIGAN TAIKIRHA MILLER WAS ALMOST done
Taikirha Miller with a Qai Qai doll. Taikirha is voicing the character in a new YouTube series.
“Serena Williams didn’t handpick me for those things.” Taikirha first auditioned for the gig in May, recording songs and a short script with a cellphone in her living room. Then she repeated the process, eventually getting called for two more auditions at her voiceover agent’s recording studio in Virginia. Even though Qai Qai looks young and is marketed to children ages 3 and older, Taikirha didn’t need to alter the way she naturally speaks. “You’d be surprised how many people come up to me and say, ‘She has the cutest little voice,’ ” says her mother, Lisette Bethea-Scott. “At pageants I have to say, ‘Tai, please use your big-girl voice,’ because I want her to sound more mature.”
While Taikirha hasn’t yet met Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion told People magazine, “Everyone needs to find their voice, and I’m happy Qai Qai found hers in Taikirha.” And she asked the doll’s production team to send her best to Taikirha, calling the teen “a great inspiration!” Qai Qai’s title on Instagram is “motivational speaker.” She doles out wisdom and wit on the YouTube show, and encourages girls to explore their potential. Taikirha, who once voiced a commercial for Nike’s Jordan brand alongside basketball players Russell Westbrook and Te’a Cooper, is having fun delivering some sass along with the doll’s no-nonsense counsel: “She gives really good advice, and everything she
PHOTO BY BILLY MONTANA
competing in a national pageant last summer in Tampa, Florida, and was preparing to head home to Silver Spring when she got the news: Tennis star Serena Williams had chosen her to be the voice of Qai Qai in a new YouTube series. It was personal for the retiring legend: Qai Qai is the favorite doll of Olympia, her 5-year-old daughter. “I kind of had a freak-out moment in the lobby, screaming in front of the people there,” recalls Taikirha, 16, a junior at Kensington’s Albert Einstein High School. Qai Qai (pronounced quay-quay) is no ordinary plaything. A best-selling doll on Amazon beloved for her self-confidence, she has more than 3 million followers on social media and her own YouTube channel. The Adventures of Qai Qai, a book authored by Williams, hit shelves in September. Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, talks openly about possible collaborations and tweeted, “The @RealQaiQai Empire is THRIVING.” After the announcement, “Voice of Qai Qai doll” shot to the top of Taikirha’s Twitter bio. Her other identities as an actress, dancer, model—she was named USA National Miss District of Columbia Preteen in 2017—and voiceover artist still stand. But there’s a reason her latest venture quickly zoomed to the head of the line. “Everything I’ve had the opportunity to do is great, and I wouldn’t change any of it at all, but…,” she explains, laughing,
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says, she says with love, but she may be a little bit blunt.” Hoping to spread some of her own lessons learned, Taikirha, who says she has been bullied since second grade, wrote I Am: 30 Day Affirmation Journal for Teens, which she sells on Amazon to help those struggling with self-worth. She also has formed a limited liability company called Tai It Together@; in its early stages, the company plans to focus on anti-bullying messages through the performing arts. In Taikirha’s spare time, she’s been prepping for a high school equivalency exam in October, even though she plans to continue pursuing both an International Baccalaureate diploma and an associate degree through Einstein. The GED certificate is so the actor, who has appeared in indie films and educational videos, can be more competitive soon at
Qai Qai’s official title is “motivational speaker.”
California casting calls because she won’t be requiring an on-set tutor. “I want to be able to see myself on TV rather than just hear myself,” she says. “I feel like that would bring a lot more of me to the table.” Bethea-Scott says her daughter’s new managers, Alenah Riffle and Shanelle Gray—signed after the Qai Qai deal was finalized—are well-connected, own a large acting studio in Los Angeles, and remind her of famous mom-to-the-
Kardashians Kris Jenner. Bethea-Scott is excited to see what’s next for Taikirha, who, she says, works hard and does “what she needs to do, no matter how long it takes, because she has always aspired to be in front of the camera.” “It’s a lot to handle,” Taikirha acknowledges, “but with time I’ll understand everything more.” Childhood dreams of studying political science and becoming the first female president remain. That’s been the goal since age 9, and “you always need something to fall back on,” she says. In the meantime, she’s living another kind of dream. “I think they want to take this thing as far as it can go,” says Bethea-Scott, adding that Qai Qai fans have already been asking for more, like a cartoon series or TV show. “So I think she’ll be employed for a minute. For a good minute.” n
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STRENGTH FROM THE STONES Kensington artist Gary Rosenthal aims to inspire cancer patients through glass works BY MARGARET ENGEL
IN A SECOND-FLOOR Howard Avenue studio in Kensington, artist and activist Gary Rosenthal stands in front of a low wooden box that holds dozens of thin sheets of colored glass. At casual glance, this rainbow array is a collection of art supplies. But for Rosenthal, 68, the glass is a tool for healing from illness, for affirming one’s Jewish faith, and for maintaining hope. “Here’s what I’ve always tried to do— make things beautiful while doing good,” Rosenthal says. His four decades of creating Judaica morphed into all kinds of unexpected work along the way, most recently his Glass Ribbon Project, in which small, polished “strength stones” are given to patients to hold
for comfort while they undergo cancer treatment. Rosenthal was inspired to embark on the project in 2012 after several women he knew were diagnosed with breast cancer. The smooth jewel-toned squares, about an inch on each side, also are meant to be given to friends and family as reminders to appreciate and support their loved ones being treated for cancer. Rosenthal began with pink glass for those with breast cancer, but as the open boxes ready for shipping show, the stones have been adopted by those dealing with many types of cancer, like purple for lymphoma and teal for ovarian cancer. In a related
PHOTO BY LOUIS TINSLEY
Gary Rosenthal at the Kensington art studio where he creates strength stones (below) and menorahs (opposite)
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PHOTO BY REUBEN ROSENTHAL
“ Here’s what I’ve always tried to do—make things beautiful while doing good,” Gary Rosenthal says. project, Rosenthal has enlisted hundreds of people across the United States and in India, Poland and Israel, among other countries, to make the simple glass items in groups as good deed projects and for fundraisers. “It’s from Poland to Poughkeepsie,” Rosenthal says. “We’ve had book clubs and soccer teams and family-and-friend support groups for a sick person.” For the past 10 years, Rosenthal has funded the Glass Ribbon Project himself. Then, in 2020, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “That’s the great irony, isn’t it?” he says of his own diagnosis. So now he works constantly with the polished stones and has distributed some to friends and family to support his own cancer journey. Rosenthal had surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and has felt “spectacular” for nearly two years, but says doctors recently found growths in his lungs and scheduled him to resume cancer treatment. As a result, he is looking for a nonprofit to take over the Glass Ribbon Project and also is winding down his Judaica business, the Gary Rosenthal Collection. Rosenthal was always an improbable artist. He grew up in Kenwood Park and graduated from Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda without a compelling career idea. He decided to study industrial labor relations at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, but says he dropped out after a failed romance and took up welding as art after being intrigued by a crafts show at the university’s student union. He eventually returned for his degree, and says he completed an MBA in 1984 at the University of Virginia. When he graduated, a crafts movement was flowering in America, and Rosenthal began creating small sculptures that
focused on hobby and sports themes. An early success came from little metal dancers mounted on marble left over from the construction of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. They were on the shelves for years at the center’s gift shop. He did lacrosse figures for the Baltimore market and sold his wares at shows in malls throughout Montgomery County. “White Flint, Montgomery Mall, Wheaton: I was in those craft shows in the centers of those malls,” he says. One customer asked if Rosenthal could create a menorah, he recalls. He did, and an even bigger career was born. “After the Holocaust, people were afraid to show they were Jewish,” Rosenthal says. “That finally changed, but no one was making Judaica in the 1970s. We filled a huge empty lane, making Judaica that looked like art.” At one point in the late 1990s, Rosenthal had 50 employees, shipping goods to a growing network of stores that sold religious items. All three floors of his current Kensington studio were filled with skilled designers and fabricators. “In the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, those were good years for Jews to be open in their identity,” Rosenthal says. “Antisemitism was very under the rug. It was a 30-year period where it was OK to show you were Jewish.” O n e o f t h e m a ny f a n s of Rosenthal’s work is Alex Shapero, a nonprofit consultant from Washington, D.C. He established MyZuzah, which works with Jewish groups to try to place a mezuzah—a small decorative case inscribed with Torah verses traditionally affixed to the front door—on every Jewish home
in the world. He’s bought mezuzahs from every country he visits, but “I’m a sucker” for Rosenthal pieces, he says, and commissioned Rosenthal to make a custom series of the sculptures for his organization’s use. “His aesthetic is so colorful, creative and playful,” Shapero says. “He’s opened up a lot of eyes with his artwork.” Rosenthal is marrie d to Mar ta Goldsmith, a city planner, and the couple, who have two grown children, have long lived in D.C.’s American University Park neighborhood. His focus now is finding a home for his Glass Ribbon Project. He’s willing to throw in thousands of dollars and art materials. “Every group has its own mission, and it’s difficult getting them to adopt ours,” he says. “But there is such need for comforting ways for people to be supported as they endure cancer. We know these stones help without the awkwardness of not knowing what to say or do. They help people connect when they need it most.” n
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A CLASS OF THEIR OWN Brookhaven Elementary embraces MCPS’s only preschool for visually impaired students BY CAITLYNN PEETZ THE WALLS OF Diana Garcia-Mejia’s pre-
Diana Garcia-Mejia teaches prekindergarten to visually impaired students.
needs. They receive specialized instruction, including lessons in braille, and learn how to adapt to being in a school. While attending Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, less than 5 miles from Brookhaven, Garcia-Mejia became friends with three other students who were all visually impaired (Garcia-Mejia is not). After she graduated in 2013, those friendships inspired her to get a degree in visual disabilities education, and then her master’s in curriculum and instruction in visual disabilities with a specialization in early childhood special education, she says. Both degrees were from Florida State University. Garcia-Mejia wanted to teach preschool specifically because she often heard her friends lament that there were so many skills they wished they had learned earlier in their education, like how to read and write braille. It’s also “the most powerful age group that I can empower and help parents through that grief pro-
cess that happens when you have a child that has low vision,” Garcia-Mejia says. Her classroom is designed for visually impaired children—down to the smallest details. Each cubby in a wooden shelf holds one toy, device or book. That helps the students find what they’re looking for more easily, or even memorize where those items are located. On another shelf, there are buckets of different toys and objects. Each bucket has an example of the object mounted on the outside so the students can feel it and know if it’s what they’re looking for. The few signs and posters on the walls are written in braille and are positioned at heights the students can reach. She frequently incorporates props and uses verbal descriptions that the students may be able to relate to. Maybe she’ll explain that something is smaller than they are, or bigger than a refrigerator. “I once had a student who asked how airplanes don’t fly into walls because he thought walls just went up forever. He
PHOTO BY MICHAEL VENTURA
kindergarten classroom at Brookhaven Elementary School in Rockville are bare. There are no toy bins in the room, no clutter. Colors are neutral, like the deep navy rug in the center of the room where story time is held, and there are few busy patterns. It’s all intentional—Garcia-Mejia’s students wouldn’t be able to see wall decorations, or if they could, the room would feel “cluttered” and likely be more confusing than helpful. That’s because she teaches a full-day class dedicated to prekindergarten students who are blind or have visual impairments. It’s the only class of its kind in Maryland public schools, aside from those offered at The Maryland School for the Blind in Baltimore. As with other preschool classes, some children attend for a year, some two, depending on circumstances. After that, most of Garcia-Mejia’s students are enrolled in general education classes and receive one-on-one assistance from staff members as needed. Her students have varying degrees of blindness—some have partial vision and can see clearly through very narrow tunnels or have extremely blurred eyesight. Others see nothing and cannot even sense when it is light or dark. She has five students this year but says she’s had as many as nine at a time. In her classroom, Garcia-Mejia creates a tiny community of children with similar
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PHOTO BY CAITLYNN PEETZ
An example of whatever each bin holds is mounted on its front so students can feel it.
hadn’t seen it, so he didn’t know ceilings exist,” Garcia-Mejia says. “That’s why using objects and explaining is so important. There are so many things other children learn by seeing, or by seeing other people do and imitating. My students don’t have that ability.” Fnu Pradyumna says his son was in Garcia-Mejia’s class for about 18 months after he was diagnosed at age 2 with a condition that leads to progressive vision loss. In class, Garcia-Mejia
and her two paraprofessionals, Jackie Davis and Marcello Beatley, helped the boy learn to use his hands to identify objects, sizes and shapes, a critical skill for people with visual impairments. They taught him braille, and when his mother showed an interest, Garcia-Mejia set aside time to help her learn it, too. Garcia-Mejia assigned the mother “homework,” which she worked on for hours. Garcia-Mejia then graded it and provided feedback. Now the mom
is proud of her ability to relate to her son and often uses braille in their home, Garcia-Mejia says. “It is people like Diana who are like the light at the end of the tunnel for such families,” Pradyumna says of Garcia-Mejia. “It is after working with her that we realized that our son is in safe hands and that he, too, can lead an independent life and grow into a successful adult.” While Garcia-Mejia helps parents experience the world as their children do, she also is focused on teaching the students that there’s so much they can accomplish. She talks to them about blind celebrities. She tells them about her friends from high school, who now have families and careers of their own. “I want them to know from the start that there’s so much they can do,” she says, “and it’s so much more than what they can’t do.” n
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BOOK REPORT
The world was a “terrible mess” in October 1962, when the Catholic Church opened the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican—commonly known as Vatican II— says Catholic scholar and author George Weigel. In his book To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II (Basic Books, October 2022), Weigel explains how the council wanted to reenergize the church to be of service to a hurting world in the wake of two world wars. “By raising up Christ-centered humanism as an alternative proposal to how we should understand who we are, the Catholic Church was responding to a genuine crisis in world civilization that produced terrible results,” says Weigel, who lives in North Bethesda and is a distinguished senior fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
As an art teacher at Ashburton Elementary School in Bethesda, Jonathan Roth says he listens to and jokes with kids all day long. That helps inform his side gig as a writer and illustrator of children’s books. “Being a teacher is also being a performer—knowing how to entertain them, knowing what makes them laugh, knowing what makes them tick,” says Roth, who lives in Rockville and is the author of Rover and Speck: This Planet Rocks! (Kids Can Press, October 2022), a graphic novel for elementary school kids that blends humor and science to tell the story of two lost planetary explorers who become friends on a Marslike planet. Roth says the next book in the series, coming out in 2023, takes place in a water world, and the third, due out in 2024, is set on a giant planet similar to Jupiter.
Martha Anne Toll has worked as a lawyer, chief executive officer of a social justice philanthropy, and book reviewer. Now, with the release of Three Muses (Regal House Publishing, September 2022), she’s a published novelist. The book is a love story between a prima ballerina and a Holocaust survivor, a relationship that’s complicated by the dancer’s abusive relationship with her choreographer. Toll, who lives in Chevy Chase, hopes the novel will prompt readers to consider: “What can our memory teach us? What do we learn from historical experience? What does it mean to be disciplined? I also wanted to honor the stories that I grew up hearing about the Holocaust and tell it forward,” she says.
In retirement, people with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder may find it hard to follow a schedule or keep their house in order, putting them at risk of social isolation and a shorter life span, says psychologist Kathleen Nadeau, founder and clinical director of the Chesapeake ADHD Learning and Behavioral Health Center in Bethesda. She says Still Distracted After All These Years: Help and Support for Older Adults with ADHD (Hachette Go, October 2022) aims to build public awareness of the condition and be a wake-up call for mental health professionals who often lack training in adult ADHD. “It’s never too late to benefit from diagnosis and treatment,” Nadeau says. “It’s dangerous to leave ADHD untreated in your later years.”
ALL BOOK COVERS FILE PHOTOS
BY CARALEE ADAMS
46 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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DATA PROVIDED BY
READING LIST
Here are the top-selling books in our area. Data is based on books sold at Politics and Prose’s Connecticut Avenue location in Upper Northwest D.C. and online from Sept. 1 to 15, 2022.
Hardcover (Fiction and Nonfiction) 1. Horse, Geraldine Brooks 2. The Marriage Portrait, Maggie O’Farrell 3. Solito, Javier Zamora 4. The Marsh Queen, Virginia Hartman 5. Woman Without Shame, Sandra Cisneros
7. Path Lit By Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe, David Maraniss 8. Carrie Soto Is Back, Taylor Jenkins Reid 9. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin 10. Afterlives, Abdulrazak Gurnah
6. Mercury Pictures Presents, Anthony Marra
Paperback 1. Bookish People, Susan Coll
6. Harlem Shuffle, Colson Whitehead
2. Matrix, Lauren Groff
7. Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro
3. The Personal Librarian, Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
8. Our Country Friends, Gary Shteyngart
4. Oh William! (Amgash Series, No. 3), Elizabeth Strout
9. The Sentence, Louise Erdrich 10. Silverview, John Le Carré
5. All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake, Tiya Miles
1. Me (Moth), Amber McBride
7. Knight Owl, Christopher Denise
2. Shot Clock (Shot Clock Series, No. 1), Caron Butler, Justin A. Reynolds
8. Marvellers (Marvellerverse Series, No. 1), Dhonielle Clayton
3. Odder, Katherine Applegate
9. The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!, Mo Willems
4. Brown Is Warm, Black Is Bright, Sarah L. Thomson 5. The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza, Mac Barnett, Shawn Harris 6. Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Vampire Hunting (Serwa Boateng Series, No. 1), Roseanne A. Brown
10. Spy School Project X (Spy School Series, No. 10), Stuart Gibbs
ALL BOOK COVERS FILE PHOTOS
Children & Young Adult
48 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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Special Advertising Section
culture watch Maryland Lyric Opera
THE YEAR OF VERDI
Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera
November 13 at 7:30 PM and November 15 at 2 PM Combining political intrigue, a love triangle, and a fortune teller’s mysterious prophecy, Un Ballo in Maschera shows Verdi at the height of his powers. A masterwork that survived a notorious battle with censors and endless revisions before its premiere, the opera contains radiant choral writing and some of Verdi’s most passionately expressive melodies. Never has the downfall of a king sounded so exhilarating. The celebrated cast includes Indira Mahajan as Amelia, internationally acclaimed Arturo Chacon-Cruz as Riccardo, and Aleksey Bogdanov as Renato alongside Daryl Freedman, Aitana Sanz, Mike Pitocchi, Adam Cioffari, and many returning MDLO favorites, including Javier Arrey and Mauricio Miranda. WWW.MDLO.ORG
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culture watch REIMAGINE A CLASSICAL MUSICAL
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra A Soldier’s Tale and Romeo And Juliet
The Music Center at Strathmore Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 8 PM Emerge yourself in culture and art through music with a tale as old as time: Love. As you begin to plan your fall outings, the exciting concert at The Music Center at Strathmore is one not to be missed. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra artistic partner, Wordsmith re-tells Stravinsky’s gritty tale of love and temptation from the perspective of a Black American soldier during the Vietnam War as the orchestra plays. The unique poetry style delivery of Wordsmith’s narration is certainly a creative way to tantalize your senses through a sonically stunning experience that encourages listeners to reimagine classical music. For the second half of the program, conductor Rune Bergmann has selected his own suite of music from Prokofiev’s epic ballet, Romeo and Juliet. TICKETS: $35 - $90 WWW.BSOMUSIC.ORG | (410) 783-8000
National Philharmonic
PERFORMANCES FOR ALL AGES!
Broadway’s Brightest Lights November 4 at 8 PM at Strathmore Broadway’s Brightest Lights, conducted by NatPhil Principal Pops Conductor Luke Frazier, brings Broadway stars Megan Hilty, Michael Maliakel, and Luke Hawkins together for a program that will have you dancing in your seat. Berlioz Requiem November 12 at 8 PM – Strathmore NatPhil Chorale Artistic Director Stan Engebretson celebrates his storied tenure with the ensemble with Berlioz’s Requiem, featuring the NatPhil Chorale, Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and tenor Norman Shankle. Sarah Chang: West Side Story & Romeo + Juliet Violinist Sarah Chang joins Maestro Piotr Gajewski and NatPhil for a program of works based on the bard’s most beloved tragedy – Romeo & Juliet. Featuring Tchaikovsky’s Fantasy Overture from Romeo and Juliet, Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet ballet and Bernstein’s West Side Story Suite. Handel’s Messiah December 17 at 8 PM and December 18 at 3 PM – Strathmore Hallelujah! It’s time for to mark the most wonderful time of the year with the NatPhil Orchestra & Chorale’s annual performances of Handel’s Messiah.
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Tickets starting at $19. Kids 7-17 FREE. WWW.NATIONALPHILHARMONIC.ORG | (301) 581-5100.
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culture watch Maryland Youth Ballet
REIMAGINE A CLASSICAL MUSICAL
A FAMILY FUN SHOW!
The Nutcracker Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, Rockville Dec 16, 22 at 7 PM Dec 17, 18, 23, 26 at 1 PM and 5 PM Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience Magical dolls, life-sized mice, dancing snowflakes, and an November 16, 2022 – January 8, 2023 enchanting kingdom of sweets return to stage this holiday Best for ages 4 - 10 season for Maryland Youth Ballet’s full-length production of The Based on the book “Naked Mole Rat Nutcracker. Set to Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, the incredible The Music Center at Strathmore Gets Dressed” by Mo Willems dancing and dazzling costumes bring to life the classic story of Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 8 PM Script and Lyrics by Mo Willems Clara and her Nutcracker Prince. Also presenting our abbreviated Emerge in on culture and art through music with a tale as old as time: Love. Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma version, Theyourself Mini-Nut, Dec 10-11. Directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer As you begin to plan your fall outings, the exciting concert at The Music Center WWW.MARYLANDYOUTHBALLET.ORG at Strathmore is one not to be missed.| Baltimore Symphony Orchestra artistic When clothing suddenly falls from TICKETS@MARYLANDYOUTHBALLET.ORG (301) 608-2232 partner, Wordsmith re-tells Stravinsky’s gritty tale of love and temptationthe from sky,the Wilbur J. Mole Rat stuns perspective of a Black American soldier during the Vietnam War as the orchestra the colony with his decision to get plays. The unique poetry style delivery of Wordsmith’s narration is certainly a dressed! In a community where creative way to tantalize your senses through a sonically stunning experience baring is caring and skin is in, can that encourages listeners to reimagine classical music. For the second half of the Wilbur find the courage to rock to program, conductor Rune Bergmann has selected his own suite of musicthe from rhythm of his own electric guitar? Prokofiev’s epic ballet, Romeo and Juliet. Mo Willem’s beloved picture book explores what can happen when we have the courage TICKETS: $35 - $90 to be ourselves. WWW.BSOMUSIC.ORG | (410) 783-8000
Imagination Stage Baltimore Symphony Orchestra A Soldier’s Tale and Romeo And Juliet
IMAGINATIONSTAGE.ORG (301) 280-1660
Akhmedova Ballet Academy National Philharmonic
PERFORMANCES ALL AGES! AN ENCHANTINGFOR EVENING!
Broadway’s Brightest Lights REALIZE YOUR DREAM AN ENCHANTING EVENING! November 4 at 8 PM at Strathmore Professional Training Program (8-18), Akhmedova Ballet Academy dancers present Broadway’s Brightest Lights, conducted by NatPhil Principal Pops Conductor Studio Company-Apprentice Program “Nutcracker Night” Luke Frazier, brings Broadway stars Megan Hilty, Michael Maliakel, and Luke (18-23) For admission and to audition: December 17 at 7:30pm Hawkins together for a program that will have you dancing in your seat. Contact@AkhmedovaBallet.org Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center Berlioz Requiem WWW.AKHMEDOVABALLET.ORG ABA’s beautiful Nutcracker is a joy November 12 at 8 PM – Strathmore (301) 593-6262 to watch for all ages. Presented by NatPhil Chorale Director Stan Engebretson celebrates his storied SCAN FOR MORE! dedicated dancers Artistic who have received tenure with the ensemble with Berlioz’s Requiem, featuring the NatPhil the finest quality ballet training utilizing Baltimore ArtsofSociety, and tenor Norman Shankle. theChorale, Vaganova method,Choral a system training is consistent, Sarahthat Chang: West Sidechallenging, Story & Romeo + Juliet inspiring and highly successful. Training Violinist Sarah Chang joins Maestro Piotr Gajewski and NatPhil for a program daily under Jacqueline Akhmedova’s of works based on the bard’s most beloved tragedy – Romeo & Juliet. artistic direction, and her professional Featuring Tchaikovsky’s Fantasy Overture from Romeo and Juliet, Prokofiev’s faculty’s careful guidance andBernstein’s support, West Side Story Suite. Romeo & Juliet ballet and students develop the necessary skills to Handel’s Messiah fully discover and realize their greatest December 17 at 8 PM December individual potential. Theand second part of 18 at 3 PM – Strathmore theHallelujah! show consists of contemporary and It’s time for to mark the most wonderful time of the year with the character NatPhil works. Orchestra & Chorale’s annual performances of Handel’s Messiah. GetTickets your tickets online at our or box office on the day of starting at $19. Kidswebsite 7-17 FREE. theWWW.NATIONALPHILHARMONIC.ORG show. | (301) 581-5100.
Creative Voices + Cultural Happenings at CultureSpotMC.com
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JDKATZ, PC Elizabeth’s broad litigation practice includes representing individuals and businesses in complex civil and commercial disputes. She also represents individuals in all aspects of trust and estate litigation and guardianship matters. Named a "Super Lawyer" and selected by The Daily Record as both a "Leading Woman" and "Family Law Power Player," she has a deep commitment to clients, focusing on their distinct concerns and goals. JDKatz, PC 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 500 Bethesda, MD 20814 240-743-5410 elizabeth@jdkatz.com
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Q: How do I protect myself in the event of litigation? A: The best offense is a good defense! A solid written agreement that protects your rights and interests is often your first line of defense. Once it appears that a lawsuit may be imminent or already has been filed, you will want to collect and document evidence that will prove or disprove the events in question. If you are served with court papers, do not ignore them! These documents have strict timelines and failure to respond may place you in legal trouble. It is incredibly important to know your rights in a lawsuit and consulting with a skilled attorney will help you determine whether your best option is to walk away, negotiate or litigate. Litigation may be inevitable, but outcomes are often better when lawyers get involved earlier in the process.
Q: Why should I use JDKatz PC? A: At JDKatz, we are experienced and professional litigators in the areas of civil litigation, business law, trusts and estates, elder law and general litigation matters. Our clients are our priority. We stay connected to their interests and devise creative strategies to best protect those interests. We take a hands-on approach and are completely dedicated to our clients and the outcome of their cases.
HILARY SCHWAB
Elizabeth J. McInturff, Attorney at Law
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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Lloyd A. Malech, Esq. MALECH LAW Lloyd A. Malech graduated from the Rutgers College General Honors Program cum laude. He received his Juris Doctorate from GW University Law School. For over 25 years he has successfully represented individuals in family courts throughout D.C. and Maryland. He has received numerous honors and awards for excellence and distinction in family law.
Q: Why Ask Lloyd?
A: Malech Law cares for each client
A: Family Law, Reenvisioned. Malech Law represents clients with respect, empathy and excellence every day. Knowing the importance of providing information to help families understand the legal process, Lloyd Malech created and produced the “Ask Lloyd” video series. The series is designed to explain family law issues to those seeking counsel, as well as answer viewers' questions. The topics include: divorce, child custody, child support, domestic violence, property distribution, adoption and many other related topics. If you have questions or need support, Ask Lloyd! Malech Law, Family Law Reenvisioned. Representing clients with respect, empathy and excellence every day.
using a team approach. We understand the modern family and respect the integrity of the family dynamic. Our team is expanding, and supports equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our practice. Our expertise is in managing high stake divorces and legal complexities related to family law issues. With years of experience, we can support you from the beginning of the process through completion. We provide assistance during difficult times and understand the unique challenges faced by families. Clients can expect excellence in legal advice, empathetic representation, and a commitment to reaching their goals. Our growing team has the resources and expertise to support the needs of you and your family.
LISA HELFERT
7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 1200 Bethesda, MD 20814 202-441-2107 www.Malechlaw.com
Q: Why Malech Law?
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Jeffrey N. Greenblatt, Attorney at Law JOSEPH GREENWALD & LAAKE, PA Experience matters in complex divorce situations, and Jeff Greenblatt brings more than 40 years of handling complex divorce, custody, visitation, alimony, domestic violence and division of assets cases. A Super Lawyer every year since 2007, Bethesda Magazine features him as one of the top attorneys “you want to represent you when the stakes are high.” Rockville Office 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 975 Rockville, Maryland 20850 Greenbelt Office 6404 Ivy Lane, Suite 400 Greenbelt, Maryland 20770 Direct: 240-399-7894 www.jgllaw.com jgreenblatt@jgllaw.com
TONY J. LEWIS
Q: Should I consult a divorce attorney? A: The answer is not a simple yes or no. It depends on a multitude of factors. If you have been married for a short period of time and there are no children and you have not accumulated any significant assets during the marriage, then, maybe you can wing it. However, that would require you to navigate the judicial system on your own. Even the simplest of cases may be fraught with peril. The safest and most prudent approach is to meet with a knowledgeable guide—an experienced divorce attorney. This is especially true, for example, when: 1. The marriage has spanned a number of years and/or; 2. The custody of a child is in dispute and/or; 3. One or both spouses have started or nurtured a business during the marriage and/or; 4. One or both parties have accumulated valuable assets and/or; 5. A spouse doesn’t know or understand the family finances and/or; 6. One or both parties are so angry that they have lost their ability to be objective and their judgment has become clouded. When one or more of these factors is in play, consulting an experienced divorce attorney makes eminent sense if for no reason other than to educate yourself and find out what your rights are and what you may be entitled to. Knowledge is power. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 55
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STRICKLER, PLATNICK & HATFIELD, P.C. THE MODERN FAMILY LAW FIRM At the “Modern Family Law Firm,” we work for you in every way that matters. Families come to us in different configurations and with different needs. We stay on the cutting edge of family law so that we can skillfully serve you. Sometimes, we are instrumental in cases that shape the law. 1201 Seven Locks Road, Suite 360-7A Potomac, Maryland 20854 240-617-0404 info@modernfamilylawfirm.com www.modernfamilylawfirm.com
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Q: Can you explain the types of child custody in Maryland? A: There are two components to child custody: legal custody and physical custody. Legal custody determines which parent can make important decisions concerning such things as a child’s education, medical care, religion and welfare. Sole legal custody means that one parent may unilaterally make decisions. Joint legal custody requires that both parents make major decisions together. Courts also have the authority to issue orders that are hybrids of these arrangements. Physical or residential custody determines time-sharing arrangements with each parent. Physical custody schedules may impact child support. Ideally, parents are able to work out an arrangement that meets their children’s best interests. However, if parents are unable to do so on their own, the court will get involved.
Q: How is child support determined? A: Maryland has a formula, referred to as the child support guidelines, for the determination of child support where the parents’ combined income is up to $360,000 per year. For families with higher income, the child support determination is more complicated. Calculations consider the income of each parent, the number of children, and the physical custody schedule. Child support orders may also take into account the cost of expenses such as private school, workrelated childcare, health insurance and medical expenses. An experienced family lawyer is invaluable, especially in the resolution of complex or disputed issues pertaining to child custody or support.
TONY J. LEWIS
Geoffrey S. Platnick, Managing Partner
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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McMillan Metro, P.C. Awards & Accolades: Top Attorneys – Bethesda Magazine, Super Lawyers Honorees & Rising Stars – Washington Post Magazine, Washington DC Super Lawyers Magazine, Maryland Super Lawyers Magazine, Best Real Estate Attorney – Potomac Lifestyle Reader’s Choice Awards, Best Arbitration & Mediation Law Firm – Potomac Lifestyle Reader’s Choice Awards
HILARY SCHWAB
7811 Montrose Road, Suite 400 Potomac, MD 20854 301-251-1180 www.mcmillanmetro.com
LEFT TO RIGHT (BACK): PETER CIFERRI, ANDREW FRIEDMAN, JENNIFER MANLEYKAPOOR, HOWARD METRO LEFT TO RIGHT (FRONT): MICHAEL FAERBER, JUDYANN LEE, LEAH MORABITO, ANDREW MILNE, HEATHER SUNDERMAN NOT PICTURED: LARRY JACOBS, ELYSE STRICKLAND, JOSE ESPEJO
Q: There are so many firms to choose from. Why McMillan Metro? A: Since the firm’s founding in 1992, our goal has always been to offer our clients what they really want: fair fees, clear communication, and services that always put their needs first. As we mark our 30th anniversary, we take pride in knowing that we have never lost sight of our clientcentered ethos. We are your hometown lawyer. From your first conversation with any of our attorneys, you will realize that you are talking to an individual, not an institution. Whether you are seeking counsel for your business or individual concerns, you can rest assured that your matters are in capable, considerate hands, from start to finish.
Q: Why does your experience matter for me when I’m hiring your firm? A: We are in practice together because we have unique, complementary personalities. With 13 attorneys spanning more than four decades worth of expertise across a wide variety of practice areas, we are well-suited to provide solutions to your legal matters. We treat every single client with a premier level of dedication and focus, fully committing ourselves to the task at hand. At the same time, we recognize that everyone’s situation is unique, and we tailor our approach to ensure that their specific needs are met, and the best possible outcome achieved for all parties involved.
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SELZER GURVITCH, ATTORNEYS AT LAW Todd is a partner at Selzer Gurvitch, practicing for over 20 years concentrating in estate planning, estate administration, special needs trusts, and tax. He has lectured at the Department of Justice, the Maryland Bar Association, and numerous businesses. He volunteers as a supervising attorney for the Wills for Heroes Foundation. 4416 East West Highway, 4th Floor Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Direct: 301-634-3104 Office: 301-986-9600 tbornstein@sgrwlaw.com www.selzergurvitch.com
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Q: What are the most crucial concerns expressed by your clients? A: When I first began my career over 20 years ago, estate tax avoidance was a primary concern. The estate tax exemptions were relatively low, resulting in most of my clients requiring estate planning to minimize estate tax. In more recent times, the estate tax exemptions have increased, resulting in fewer people being subject to estate tax. While estate tax avoidance remains a concern for many of my clients, other clients are concerned about protecting their families’ assets from creditors. In particular, clients are concerned about leaving assets to their children who may later divorce, which may result in a portion of a family’s wealth being diverted to an ex-son- or daughter-in-law. I have other clients with special needs children who are concerned about the care of their children when my clients are no longer alive. They want to leave their children with sufficient assets to ensure
a high quality of life, while at the same time not affecting their children’s ability to receive public benefits, which may be adversely affected from an inheritance. Estate planning is primarily about providing clients with peace of mind. What brings peace of mind to one client may be quite different than what brings peace of mind to another. It is my job to determine what keeps my clients up at night and to craft an estate plan that addresses their concerns and provides them with peace of mind.
MICHAEL VENTURA
Todd J. Bornstein, Esq.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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Kandyce Hall & Lita Rosario-Richardson SHULMAN ROGERS ENTERTAINMENT PRACTICE GROUP
HILARY SCHWAB
Kandyce Hall (Associate) and Lita Rosario-Richardson (Shareholder) join the Shulman Rogers’ Entertainment Practice Group. Rosario-Richardson, Chair of the Entertainment Practice Group, is widely recognized for the legal advice she provides for creators in the arts and entertainment arena and her expertise in copyright recapture. 12505 Park Potomac Ave., 6th Floor Potomac, MD 20854 info@shulmanrogers.com www.shulmanrogers.com 301-231-0931
Q: Can I use famous music in my business’s TV commercial, independent film or video program? A: Licensing music can be very complicated, with some uses requiring multiple approvals from the song and/ or master recording owners. The usual upfront fees range from a few thousand to several hundred thousand dollars, depending on the intended use, with backend and royalties costs possible as well. While it can be done, getting approvals typically takes a few months, so plan accordingly and seek legal assistance early on. Q: As a new musical artist, can I own my master recordings? A: Taylor Swift put owning your masters on all musicians’ minds. It is possible to own your masters, but having legal guidance at the beginning of your career is critical to maintaining ownership rights. Every agreement that you sign should be
reviewed by counsel to make sure you are not giving away your rights unknowingly. Q: What should musical artists, fashion designers and app developers do to protect their brands? A: The best form of brand protection is a federally registered trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). A trademark is a word, phrase, or design that allows consumers to recognize your product or service in the marketplace and distinguish it from others. Obtaining a federally registered trademark provides notice to everyone that you are the owner of the brand and provides authority to prevent others from using a trademark that could be confusingly similar to yours. Shulman Rogers Entertainment Practice Group can assist with securing/protecting your trademark and other intellectual property issues.
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At RLG Law, we practice in the areas of family law, mediation, adoption, employment law, business planning and formation, trusts and estates law, and civil and criminal litigation. We combine experience and compassion to provide effective legal representation with integrity, professionalism and unrivaled commitment to our clients’ best interests. 51 Monroe Place, Suite 1401 Rockville, MD 20850 301-340-1616 www.RLG-Lawyers.com
LEFT TO RIGHT: MARIA H. ATHANASAKIS, GLORIA L. LEE, ANDREW R. ITALIA, ZHIA L. SHEPARDSON, DONNA K. RISMILLER, MARY C. LOMBARDO, MONICA S. GARCIA, ELIZABETH DANQUAHBROBBY AND MAURA L. LYNCH 60
Q: How do clients benefit from working with your firm? A: Our clients benefit from the reputation we have built and from our goal-centric approach. Our reputation is guided by the fundamental principles of integrity, professionalism and results. We employ these principles in all aspects of our representation. With each client, we develop a plan that is custom tailored to help the client achieve his or her desired goals in the most cost-effective way. While some firms market themselves as being aggressive litigators or collaborative peacemakers, we handle all resolution methods. We effectively handle matters involving mediation, alternative dispute models, collaborative methods, litigation and everything in between. At RLG Law, we consider ourselves in partnership with clients. We don’t just tell them what to do, we explain all options and the most likely outcomes. Working in partnership, we map out a plan and create a strategy to achieve our clients’ goals, keeping them informed throughout
the entire process. We are vigilant about staying in communication with clients. Q: When should I see a divorce lawyer? A: The earlier you start planning, the better prepared you and your attorney will be. If you are contemplating a change such as a family separation, you don’t need to wait until you are separated to schedule a consultation or seek advice. We’re often asked if a one-year separation is required to get divorced and many clients are surprised to learn the answer. We encourage anyone contemplating the process to reach out for information and guidance.
HILARY SCHWAB
RLG Law
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David Bulitt JOSEPH GREENWALD & LAAKE PA 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 975 Rockville, Maryland 20850 240-339-7900 dbulitt@jgllaw.com www.jgllaw.com
“I represent my clients the way I'd want someone to represent me. I determine what they want, address their worries and concerns, tell them their options, and advise them of the risks. If I'm unable to resolve the problems out of court, I’m ready to stand up and fight for them." Q: So you and your wife wrote a book together? A: Yes. She is a family therapist. I am a divorce lawyer. We figured out a few years back that we both deal with the same issues when it comes to relationships but from very different vantage points. The book really is a 200-plus page conversation between the two of us. We talk about those issues, and are not shy about expressing opinions that often vary. Q: And you two are doing some public speaking as well? A: Yes. We are doing corporate events, couples retreats, that sort of thing. We talk with folks about what we know. Often it’s a lot about the need to have a solid and happy home base in order to maintain a successful work life. Q: How do you do all that and continue to run your law practice? A: It’s simple. I love being a lawyer. I really enjoy helping folks get through what is often the most difficult time in their lives and move forward to another, hopefully meaningful and fulfilling chapter.
HILARY SCHWAB
Q: What about litigation? A: Look, I am always looking to find ways to resolve issues without court intervention. Whenever possible, folks should not let a stranger make decisions for you and your family. That said, I’m a trial lawyer. I know my way around a courtroom. If that is where a case has to go, then that’s where we go. No one will outwork me, I can assure you of that. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 61
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DEBORAH WEBB, HOWARD SOYPHER, RHIAN MCGRATH & LISA FISHBERG 4340 East-West Highway, Suite 401 Bethesda, MD 20814 Main: 301-298-8401 Direct: 301-298-8405 HSoypher@WSMFamily.com www.WSMFamily.com
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Q: How do I choose the right family law attorney? A: It’s important to have full trust and confidence in your family law attorney. Factors to consider are reputation, experience and knowledge of family law practice in the local jurisdiction and courthouse. Look for an attorney who is compassionate yet direct. You want an attorney with whom you are comfortable working – after all, you will work closely together to identify realistic goals and efficient strategies to meet them. The lawyers of Webb Soypher McGrath are respected leaders in the practice of family law in Montgomery County. Our dynamic group of attorneys provide sound and experienced judgment, combined with creative solutions, designed to help our clients achieve the best outcomes. Our lawyers are often appointed by judges and requested by colleagues to serve as mediators, to represent children, to instruct at continuing legal education programs, and to provide expert witness opinions.
While our primary goal is to help our clients reach a fair and equitable settlement, our experience as trial attorneys serves our clients well for those matters where settlement is not likely, and a trial becomes necessary. We routinely handle cases involving complex marital estates and valuation issues, as well as high conflict and challenging family dynamics. Careful analysis, a thorough understanding of the law, skilled negotiations, knowing our way around the courtroom and being available and responsive to our clients are hallmarks of how we practice law. Trust us to help you protect what matters most.
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Webb Soypher McGrath, LLC
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Jay Holland JOSEPH GREENWALD & LAAKE PA Jay Holland represents individuals and businesses in workplace disputes. Over 33 years, he has litigated and negotiated settlements for thousands of clients facing employment issues. Jay also represents senior-level executives in contract and severance negotiations. He is nationally known for representation of whistleblowers under the federal False Claims Act in cases involving government contract fraud. 6404 Ivy Ln., Suite 400 Greenbelt, MD 20770 240-553-1198 www.jgllaw.com
Q: What does it take to be a whistleblower? A: It takes specific knowledge of the fraud and persistence. I recently settled several cases under the False Claims Act regarding fraud in healthcare. In one, two surgeons blew the whistle on another who owned a medical device company, sold devices to himself and charged the hospital for them. The hospital then charged Medicare for the devices. Consequences were not just monetary; driven by profit, the doctor performed numerous unnecessary surgeries. Medical device and pharmaceutical companies may also violate the False Claims Act by providing trips, expensive outings and meals and paying for advertising for health care providers with the expectation of influencing use of their products.
HEATHER FUENTES
Q: Is what is happening to me in my
workplace sexual harassment, and what can I do about it? A: Under federal and state law, it's unlawful to harass a workplace applicant or employee because of that person's sex. Harassment can include "sexual harassment" or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. Unfortunately, sexual harassment is a recurring issue. Start by reporting the harassment internally, pursuant to your company's policies. The company is required to conduct a thorough investigation. If that doesn’t happen, you can file a complaint with the EEOC or state agency, which can conduct an investigation. You can also file a lawsuit. The law forbids retaliation for reporting discrimination or harassment. You should try and do everything you can with the help of the law to ensure harassment doesn’t happen again. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 63
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Altman & Associates A DIVISION OF FROST LAW ESTATE PLANNING LEGAL TEAM 11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 708 Rockville, MD 20852 301-468-3220 altmanassociates.net Q: How do I protect my assets from my
child's divorce or creditors?
inheritances from creditors, lawsuits, bad marriages and divorces. Placing an inheritance into an irrevocable trust, which has the proper provisions regarding trustees and distributions are one way to protect a child. Identifying in advance where your family may be vulnerable allows us to map out effective strategies to reach your goals. Estate planning is an art, and because every client is different, exact provisions must be carefully considered and drafted.
HILARY SCHWAB
A: One goal of proper estate planning is to protect
John Pontius, Esq. PONTIUS TAX LAW, PLLC Honors and Achievements: Top Attorney, Bethesda Magazine 2021; Rising Stars, MD-DC Super Lawyers; Member of Tax Section Council, Maryland State Bar Association. Offices in Maryland, Washington, DC and Virginia Rockville: 240-599-5185 DC: 202-875-7988 Vienna: 703-903-1669 www.PontiusTaxLaw.com
with complex tax issues? A: I represent individual and business clients with sensitive and serious tax matters before the IRS and state authorities. Areas include FBAR exams, offshore and domestic disclosures, FATCA, FIRPTA, tax planning, unfiled tax returns, tax liens and levies, employment taxes, trust fund recovery penalty, audit exams as well as appeals, penalty abatement, US Tax Court litigation along with defense of tax fraud and tax evasion. FROM LEFT: ATTORNEYS MATTHEW HAGHIRI, JOHN PONTIUS AND ZACHARY JOHNSTON 64
HILARY SCHWAB
Q: What areas have you represented clients
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Paley Rothman “Clients rely on us to identify and address key issues, analyze and interpret complex information and develop solution-oriented strategies that protect their interests and ensure their long-term success,” says Paley Rothman Co-President Jim Hammerschmidt. “Our problem-solving perspective offers favorable results and makes us a leading law firm in Maryland.”
RICHARD GREENHOUSE
4800 Hampden Lane, 6th Floor Bethesda, MD 20814 www.paleyrothman.com info@paleyrothman.com 301-656-7603 LEFT TO RIGHT (BACK): DANIEL HODIN, HAYES EDWARDS, ALAN MARK, TRISH WEAVER, SCOTT MIRSKY, MARK BINSTOCK, JIM HAMMERSCHMIDT (CENTER), DAVID SHAPIRO, JENNIFER POPE, RON DWECK, AMANDA MCGRATH, WAYNE EIG, RICK CLAXTON LEFT TO RIGHT (FRONT): ARNOLD SHERMAN, ROY NIEDERMAYER, PAULA CALIMAFDE, HOPE EASTMAN, JESSICA SUMMERS, MIRANDA J. ROSS, JASE TILLEY, JEFFREY KOLENDER, DEBORAH COHN (STANDING) MICHELLE CHAPIN
Q: Why choose Paley Rothman for your legal needs? A: Paley Rothman is a full-service firm that provides a wide range of legal counsel to businesses and individuals in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and beyond. After 50 years, the firm, which began as a tax and business firm, now employs over 30 high-caliber attorneys in more than 20 practice areas and earned its reputation as one of the area’s leading law firms with some of the region’s top attorneys. Professional and personalized services from award-winning attorneys have been the cornerstone of Paley Rothman’s success. The firm offers a clientfocused feel of a boutique law office while delivering big-firm results. Paley Rothman’s attorneys genuinely care about their clients. “When you walk through our doors, your goals and objectives are our priority,” says Co-President Jim Hammerschmidt. “We listen first and talk through the strategy second.”
Paley Rothman’s diverse workforce allows a collaborative approach when tackling a broad range of cases and issues associated with those cases. With Paley Rothman’s unique mix of attorneys concentrating in areas as disparate as Estate Planning and Litigation, attorneys customize their service to fit your specific needs. By individualizing their approach to fit the client and matter, Paley Rothman’s attorneys can obtain the best results. Since 1972, Paley Rothman has provided sophisticated solutions while cultivating a loyal base of clients by applying the “Paley Perspective,” of thinking outside the box, understanding their clients’ needs and using cutting-edge legal strategies. Contact a Paley Rothman attorney today for assistance in your next legal matter.
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Catelyn Slattery, Esq. Jennifer Fairfax, LLC, FAMILY FORMATION LAW OFFICES 827 Woodside Parkway Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 240-245-7765 Catelyn@jenniferfairfax.com www.jenniferfairfax.com Admitted in Maryland, DC and Virginia
and do you need one? A: When considering adoption to build or expand your family, it is of utmost importance to understand the legal complexity of the process, as adoption is a legal construct. Adoptions come in many different forms, and whether it is the adoption of a relative, a step-child, a newborn infant, older child, or adult, the adoption requires court involvement. An adoption attorney will be your legal advocate, from working with hospitals, agencies, social workers, attorneys for birth parents through handling the court process. An experienced adoption attorney will guide you through each step and assist in securing your parental rights.
HILARY SCHWAB
Q: What is the role of an adoption attorney
T. Ryan Wilson LAW OFFICE OF T. RYAN WILSON Ryan Wilson is committed to giving clients practical advice to help them arrive at the best solutions. He tailors strategies to meet your unique situation and needs. Ryan Wilson was named a Bethesda Magazine Top Attorney in 2021. 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 1100 Silver Spring, MD 20910 240-638-2721 trw@ryanwilsonlaw.com ryanwilsonlaw.com
managing day-to-day activities. She has savings, but we are worried about paying for help in the future. A: It is good that you are thinking about the future. You have options. I can map out those options for you and help you choose the best strategy for your family based on your unique needs and situation. I enjoy helping clients protect what matters most to them. 66
HEATHER FUENTES
Q: My mom is starting to have issues
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Lerch, Early & Brewer, Chtd. DIVORCE/FAMILY LAW TEAM FROM LEFT: ERIN KOPELMAN, ERIK ARENA, DEBORAH REISER AND MAKIA WEAVER
COURTESY PHOTO
7600 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 700 Bethesda, MD 20814 301‑986‑1300 www.lerchearly.com
Q: What should I expect from my divorce attorney? A: If you are going through or are contemplating separation or divorce, you need information. Our attorneys are responsive: they’re excellent listeners, they answer their phones and they include you in the process at every step of the way, so you understand your rights and responsibilities. When working with us, you always know exactly where things stand in your case. Lerch Early clients also benefit from the experience of a boutique family law shop backed by the knowledge and support of a full-service law firm. When a matter involves complex real estate, business, tax, employment, estate or criminal defense issues, our clients benefit from close collaboration between our divorce attorneys and their colleagues in the firm’s other practice areas. Simply put, we are hands-on, technologically capable, and fully involved in every step of the process.
Q: When should I go to court for a divorce? A: Ideally, disputes are resolved amicably, without the need for litigation. Lerch Early attorneys are highly skilled at negotiation, mediation and collaborative law. However, in the case you are unable to come to an amicable resolution, you need attorneys who excel in the courtroom. Lerch Early’s divorce attorneys are prepared and strong advocates before the courts in Maryland and the District.
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The McKeon Law Firm SHELLY D. MCKEON, ESQUIRE AND JESSICA S. KERN, ESQUIRE PARALEGAL TYLER LOUGH AND LEGAL RECEPTIONIST MARY ANN SIMONS Offices in Bethesda & Gaithersburg Main Line: 301-417-9222 DC Line: 202-742-1800 www.mckeonlawfirm.com
divorce settlement? A: First, don’t be pressured into a settlement that you don't understand. You need to be aware of all your options. We answer all your questions, find ways to help rebuild your life and prevent future headaches. Remember, while reaching a divorce settlement is often a goal, litigation never intimidates us and may be your best option to achieve an equitable result. We offer decades of experience with every aspect of family law including complex cases involving businesses, pensions, tracing, multiple properties, custody and visitation; enforcement and modification of prior orders; domestic violence; child and spousal support; prenuptial agreements; and uncontested divorces. We deliver the perspective as well as the experience to help with any family law issue.
TONY J. LEWIS
Q: Can you please explain my options in a
Hostetter Strent LLC HEATHER Q. HOSTETTER, AMY B. STRENT, SHEILA J. KADAGATHUR & RACHEL E. GROSSBERG, PARTNERS 7201 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 675 Bethesda, MD 20814-7213 301-657-0010 www.hostetterstrent.com
A: When rumors surfaced of Adam Levine’s alleged affair with an Instagram model, our office received questions about emotional affairs. An emotional affair is a relationship between non-romantic partners that has the same type of intimacy as romantic partners. Levine said he “may have crossed the line,” but did not cheat on his wife. An emotional affair does not constitute adultery per se. However, it can negatively affect a divorce, particularly if your emotional relationship with your spouse is strained. We deal with divorces precipitated by all sorts of reasons. Our attorneys are versed in collaborative law, mediation, negotiation, as well as litigation. Regardless of what leads you to our office, we build and execute strategies to help you reach your goals. 68
HEATHER FUENTES
Q: How do emotional affairs affect divorce?
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THE $MART
MONEY Local experts share financial advice for people at all stages of life, whether you’re just launching your career or starting to think about retirement BY BETHANY RODGERS | ILLUSTRATIONS BY YUNYI DAI
R
ockville financial planner Howard Perlroth says he’s often struck by how many couples have never discussed some of life’s biggest money decisions. In countless conversations, he’s asked the pair sitting in front of him about who’s going to pay for their child’s college education. “One says, ‘We’re going to pay it all.’ And the other says, ‘[The child] is going to have skin in the game,’ ” says Perlroth of Gartenhaus Wealth Management. “And they say it at the same time, and then they look at each other.” Perlroth and other financial advisers say many people avoid having conversations about money—a tricky, sometimes awkward subject. But it doesn’t have to be scary, they say, if you’re honest about acknowledging your priorities and if you create a plan that fits them. A common misconception is that financial planning is only for the uber-rich. Brad
Sherman says he was raised by a single mom who worked as a teacher in Montgomery County. Because he had to help her financially, he says, conversations about money were normal in his home. Though that background helped put Sherman, a Gaithersburg-based financial adviser, on his career path, he’s since found that many people view wealth management as something that excludes them. “A lot of folks say, ‘Well, you have to have $4 million to talk about money,’ ” says Sherman, of Sherman Wealth Management. That’s not true, he counters—everyone should think about money, regardless of how much they have and what stage of life they’re in. So whether you’re just starting your career, beginning to nest, or settled in and contemplating retirement, here’s advice from some of the area’s top finance professionals to get you thinking.
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Starting Out Is it a good idea to experiment with NFTs? Cryptocurrency? Other investment fads? Short answer: No, says Alvin Carlos of District Capital Management, based in Upper Northwest Washington, D.C. While a buzzy Elon Musk tweet might have made Dogecoin sound like an enticing opportunity, buying it is more akin to speculation than investing, Carlos says. “It’s essentially gambling,” he says. “The crypto coin that you buy most likely has no inherent value. It’s only as valuable as society dictates.” In other words, the currency is a bubble that could pop without warning. And not only is the crypto market unstable on that count, bitcoin and other currencies are rife with manipulation, Carlos says, making them that much riskier to buy into. “So we try to advise clients to stay away from these fads,” he says.
about the pros and cons of each. And if you think you’d never rent in the “suburbs,” Perlroth suggests spending a night or two in a hotel in the area to see if you like it. “Don’t just summarily dismiss [the suburbs] based on predisposed notions if you don’t have an experience of it,” he says. Matt Losak, executive director of the nonprofit Montgomery County Renters Alliance, suggests young people consider roommates or even check out the county’s home-sharing program, which pairs homeowners with potential renters. The program helps renters find affordable housing, Losak says, and also aids empty nesters or other homeowners who have spare rooms and need some extra income. More information is available at hiphomes.org/counseling-and-education/ home-sharing.
The Montgomery County housing market is famously competitive. What should I keep in mind as I search for a rental? Generally, you don’t want to spend more than about 29% of your gross income on housing, Perlroth says. So in the expensive D.C. area, he adds, you might have to look for housing away from the urban centers. He advises talking to friends who live in the city and those who live farther out
Inflation is constantly in the news. How do I cope with it? Most people don’t know where about 8% to 10% of their monthly income is going, Perlroth says. So for starters, he says, you should develop a formal budget and make sure you’re aware of how you’re spending your money. Another idea, Carlos says, is to be sure you’re making the most of credit card
reward programs as you buy your gas or groceries. For restaurant-loving Montgomery County residents in particular, Carlos recommends a card that gives you cash back when you dine out. I’m just getting started in my career. What are the most important budgetary strategies to keep in mind? Sherman says he always starts this conversation by helping people separate their wants from their needs. Paying bills on time is important so you don’t stretch yourself too thin financially, he says, and if you have debt, you also want to understand which expenses could grow based on rising interest rates. For instance, credit cards and some student loans could have variable interest rates, while a mortgage or car payment might be fixed, he says. You also should cancel that Hulu account you might have forgotten about. “People have subscriptions and other things—you hear from our 20- and 30-year-old clients—that they don’t even know they’re still on,” Sherman says. How do I build credit? For one thing, Carlos says, you should never close your oldest credit cards, even if you’re trying to clean out your wallet. “The oldest credit card will contain a lot of your credit history,” he says. “And the longer your credit history is, the better your credit score.” Another smart move is to avoid using more than 10% of your credit limit, he says, because crossing that line could lower your score. If you want to charge more than that amount, you can try requesting a credit limit increase so you can put more on your card without going over the 10% threshold, he adds. If you’re squeamish about credit cards because you or your family have struggled with debt in the past, Carlos says it’s OK to rely largely on a bank card. But in that case, he still advises using credit cards to buy gas or to pay a fixed monthly bill. “If your credit activity is zero, that also dings you on your credit report,” he says.
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Settling In I’m getting married. Should I sign a prenup first? Engaged couples often don’t want to consider that their relationship could one day meet its demise—which can make conversations about prenuptial agreements uncomfortable, says Stephanie Perry, managing partner at the Bethesda firm of Pasternak & Fidis. But it’s smart to decide how you’d divvy up assets in the event of a breakup, she says. Many couples like to specify that the possessions and money they acquire during a marriage be divided during a divorce, but an inheritance or wealth brought into the relationship is off the table, says Perry, who focuses on estate planning and administration. Perry also advises parents to broach the topic of prenups with their adult children before a potential son-in-law or daughterin-law is in the picture so the discussion feels less pointed. “Because if you have the conversation after I’m engaged and it’s about my fiance, it’s not about protecting the family wealth,” she says. “It’s about, ‘You don’t like my fiance.’ ” What should I know about starting a 529 account for my kids? Deborah Gandy, a wealth adviser with Chevy Chase Trust, says a 529 account can be an excellent tool for families to save for their kids’ college education. You can contribute up to $16,000 a year, Gandy says, without triggering the federal gift tax. Maryland is among the states that lets you use 529 accounts to cover K-12 expenses and also contributes matching funds if the yearly household income is below a certain threshold: $112,500 for individuals and $175,000 for married couples. As long as the money is spent for educational purposes, it’s not taxed, Gandy says. “So it’s a really, really good way to set funds aside,” she says. What should first-time homebuyers know before they start looking in this market? Avi Adler, president-elect of the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors
(GCAAR), recommends contacting lenders and having a loan preapproval letter in place before you start looking for a house—especially in this competitive real estate market. You need to be able to move quickly if you find a place you like. It’s also important to do your research in advance before looking to buy in Montgomery County, where the median home sale price was $566,000 in August, according to the association. Even though it’s still a seller’s market overall, each neighborhood is different, Adler says. So it’s a good idea to look around and figure out where houses might be lingering on the market a little longer—and where you might find a better deal. Adler also recommends checking out GCAAR’s guide to homebuyer assistance programs, available online at gcaar.com/resources. Zelda Heller, a Bethesda-based real estate agent for Long & Foster, says townhomes could be a good option for young buyers and are probably a better choice than condos, which can come with steep fees. What factors should I consider before changing jobs? Brian Salcetti, CEO and managing partner at Sandbox Financial Partners in Bethesda, says workers should think about the economic outlook before jumping to a different company. Though the unemployment rate has been low, some experts are predicting a recession. “You hate to be the last one in, and then the economy goes into recession and then your employer has to let some people go,” he says. You should also focus on your job category, Salcetti adds. Is your industry grow-
ing or shrinking? And would your potential job be essential to the employer, or would it be vulnerable to cuts? “Always listen, always look, always be aware of what your value and your worth is,” he says. “But be careful changing jobs if we are on the potential onset of a recession.” Any advice about preparing for a recession? Though people tend to get nervous when their assets plummet during a recession, one of the worst things you can do is sell when stock prices are low, says Jastinder Sohi, a wealth adviser for Chevy Chase Trust. “If you do that, what you now have done is, you’ve converted a paper loss into a real loss,” he says. “You can’t make that back.” On the other hand, if you stay the course, he says, the markets have a chance to rebound, and you may recoup the dip in your portfolio value. Salcetti also suggests beefing up your rainy day fund if you see an economic downturn coming. The amount people should keep in reserve varies based on individual circumstances, but he advises saving enough to cover expenses for between three and six months. And if you’re preparing for hard times, he says, you might want to consider setting aside enough to pay the bills for a year. What’s the best way to build wealth? If you have a 401(k), make sure to put the maximum amount in it, Sohi says. “If the employer is going to give you 75 cents when you put in $1, that’s a great rate of return,” he says. “There’s nothing out in the investment world that is that safe, that would give you that kind of return.”
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Empty Nesting How can I help my kids gain financial independence? Many parents struggle to withdraw financial support from children entering adulthood, says Keith Barberis, director at Barberis Wealth Management, a Bethesda-based firm that operates under the umbrella of Steward Partners Global Advisory in D.C. “They’re accustomed to reaching in their pockets and subsidizing their children, because that’s what they’ve done for 20-some years,” he says. But clients must make this vital transition, both to meet their own financial goals and to help their children become self-sustaining, Barberis says. He’s had clients who have undermined their own retirement plans because they won’t stop diverting money toward their adult kids. Though this can be a challenging shift, Barberis says he encourages clients to broaden their perspective, so it’s not just about them versus their kids. It’s important to recognize that when you continue to support adult children, you might be compromising your long-term ability to provide financially for your kids and other loved ones, he says. And Barberis says his role as a third party can help defuse tense family conversations. He says he tells his clients: “Put the blame on me.”
What’s an obvious budgeting move that gets overlooked? Barberis says many people forget to plan financially for the end of their lives, a period when they might be dealing with significant health care costs or have to pay for some level of day-to-day assistance. But disregarding these potential expenses will impact what people can leave behind to their kids or other loved ones, he notes. And for married couples who haven’t set aside these funds, the care needs of one partner can place a financial burden on the other, he says. It’s a good idea to estimate long-term care expenses for roughly the last three years of life and set goals for saving that amount, Barberis says. He bases that on the federal government’s estimate that women need an average of 3.7 years of long-term care (for instance, in a nursing home or assisted-living facility, or from an in-home caregiver) at the end of their lives, and men need an average of 2.2 years. People should think ahead about how they want to age—whether it’s in their homes or in a care setting—and figure out what that would cost.
Any advice for downsizing in a way that makes financial sense? People with a lot of equity in their homes have more flexibility to explore buying a smaller place when preparing for retirement, Adler says. Like first-time homebuyers, people looking to downsize should educate themselves ahead of time and start planning well before they want to move, he says. If you’re interested in buying a condo, remember to factor in the monthly fees on top of your mortgage. If a condo isn’t affordable, Heller says renting one might be worth a thought. If that’s not an option, consider purchasing a rambler or a one-level home that will allow you to age in place. “You’ve got a lot of things to consider. You’ve got to see your physical condition, your financial condition, proximity to where you need to be,” she says. “Every situation is different.” n Bethany Rodgers is a freelance writer and former Bethesda Beat reporter. She writes about politics and government and, in her spare time, tries to keep plants alive.
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WEALTH PLANNING
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Bethesda Magazine sent a survey to hundreds of financial professionals in Montgomery County and Upper Northwest D.C. asking, “If you had a close friend or relative who needed financial planning advice, and you could not handle the case yourself, to whom would you refer them?” The resulting list represents those who earned the greatest number of endorsements from their peers.
FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS 2022 76
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FAMILY WEALTH SERVICES Keith Barberis Barberis Wealth Management of Steward Partners 7550 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 420 Bethesda, MD 20814 240-800-3447 barberiswealthmanagement.stewardpartners.com
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Larry Fisher Chevy Chase Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1500W Bethesda, MD 20814 240-497-5090 chevychasetrust.com/people/lawrence-p-fisher-ii
FINANCIAL ADVISOR Alvin Carlos District Capital Management 4301 50th St. NW, Suite 300 #2030 Washington, D.C. 20016 571-210-2121 districtcapitalmanagement.com/about-us Laly Kassa Chevy Chase Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1500W Bethesda, MD 20814 240-497-5087 chevychasetrust.com/people/laly-kassa Howard Perlroth Gartenhaus Wealth Management 2400 Research Blvd., Suite 110 Rockville, MD 20850 301-670-5505 ameripriseadvisors.com/howard.perlroth
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Brad Sherman Sherman Wealth Management 9841 Washingtonian Blvd., Suite 200 Gaithersburg, MD 20878 240-428-1622 shermanwealth.com/about/#team
INSURANCE Carolyn Rogers Howard Insurance 6900 Wisconsin Ave., Fifth Floor Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-652-2500 howard-insurance.com/teams/carolyn-rogers
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TOP FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS 2022
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Petya Balevska Ameriprise Financial Services 6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 200 Bethesda, MD 20817 301-263-8514 ameripriseadvisors.com/petya.r.balevska
Stephanie Perry Pasternak & Fidis, P.C. 7101 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1025 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-656-8850 pasternakfidis.com/attorneys/stephanie-perry
Barry Glassman Glassman Wealth Services 11810 Grand Park Ave., Suite 500 North Bethesda, MD 20852 301-371-2900 glassmanwealth.com/person/barry-glassman
Michael Gildenhorn Chevy Chase Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1500W Bethesda, MD 20814 240-497-5094 chevychasetrust.com/people/michael-gildenhorn
Adam Swaim Pasternak & Fidis, P.C. 7101 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1025 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-656-8850 pasternakfidis.com/attorneys/adam-p-swaim
Peter Glassman Wealth Insight Partners 4800 Hampden Lane, Suite 200 Bethesda, MD 20814 703-623-5483 wealthinsightpartners.com/meet-the-team
Craig Pernick Chevy Chase Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1500W Bethesda, MD 20814 240-497-5092 chevychasetrust.com/people/craig-pernick
TRUSTS AND ESTATES Rachel Burke Furey, Doolan & Abell LLP 7600 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 600 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-652-6880 fdalaw.com/lawyers/view.php?profile=4 Michelle Chapin Paley Rothman 4800 Hampden Lane, Sixth Floor Bethesda, MD 20814 301-951-9353 paleyrothman.com/attorneys-at-law/michellechapin Anne Coventry Pasternak & Fidis, P.C. 7101 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1025 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-656-8850 pasternakfidis.com/attorneys/anne-w-coventry
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TRUSTS AND ESTATES; TAX Todd Bornstein Selzer Gurvitch 4416 East West Highway, Fourth Floor Bethesda, MD 20814 301-634-3104 selzergurvitch.com/attorney/todd-bornstein
WEALTH MANAGEMENT Brett Bernstein XML Financial Group One Preserve Parkway, Suite 120 Rockville, MD 20852 301-770-5234 xmlfg.com/team/brett-shane-bernstein-cfp Ben Brown Entelechy 4800 Hampden Lane, Suite 200 Bethesda, MD 20814 202-770-2007 entelechy.co/about Deborah Gandy Chevy Chase Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1500W Bethesda, MD 20814 240-497-5074 chevychasetrust.com/people/deborah-g-gandy
Ashley Hall Chevy Chase Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1500W Bethesda, MD 20814 240-497-5066 chevychasetrust.com/people/ashley-g-hall Ashley Iddings Wealthspire Advisors 12435 Park Potomac Ave., Suite 500 Potomac, MD 20854 301-339-6111 wealthspire.com/our-team/ashley-e-iddings-cimacpwa Colin Kimpel Wealth Insight Partners 4800 Hampden Lane, Suite 200 Bethesda, MD 20814 703-675-4040 wealthinsightpartners.com/meet-the-team Paula Landau Chevy Chase Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1500W Bethesda, MD 20814 240-497-5062 chevychasetrust.com/people/paula-a-landau-cfp Debora May May Barnhard Investments, LLC, the wealth management subsidiary of Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 500 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-986-0600 cbmcpa.com/people/debora-e-may
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Wendy Moyers Chevy Chase Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1500W Bethesda, MD 20814 240-497-5068 chevychasetrust.com/people/wendy-moyers Brian Salcetti Sandbox Financial Partners 6903 Rockledge Drive, Suite 300 Bethesda, MD 20817 301-214-4190 sandboxfp.com/team/sandbox-team Bill Schwartz Wealthspire Advisors 12435 Park Potomac Ave., Suite 500 Potomac, MD 20854 301-339-6110 wealthspire.com/our-team/bill-schwartz-cpa-cfp Aleksandr Seleznev May Barnhard Investments, LLC, the wealth management subsidiary of Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 500 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-986-0600 maybarnhardinvestments.com Jast Sohi Chevy Chase Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1500W Bethesda, MD 20814 240-497-5086 chevychasetrust.com/people/jastinder-sohi Marc Wishkoff Chevy Chase Trust 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1500W Bethesda, MD 20814 240-497-5023 chevychasetrust.com/people/marc-k-wishkoff n
HOWARD PERLROTH, APMA®
Financial Advisor | Chief Operating Officer of Gartenhaus Wealth Management
A financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC
www.AmeripriseAdvisors.com/Howard.Perlroth/profile 2400 Research Blvd | Suite 110 Rockville, MD 20850 Office: 301.670.5505 | Fax: 301.947.9480 howard.perlroth@ampf.com Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2022 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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TOP PLACES TO F
irst there was “The Great Resignation.” Th e n c a m e “Q u i e t Quitting.” Ever since COVID-19 forced companies and employees to reevaluate what an office means, work-life balance seems to be the most popular topic at the watercooler (for those of us who still gather around an actual watercooler). What does a healthy balance look like? The answer, it’s emerging, depends on the employee. We asked the 17 companies listed in Bethesda Magazine’s 2022 Top Places to Work what sets them apart. Earning the top spot this year is Anthony Wilder Design/Build, a full-service custom architecture, construction and interior design firm located in a converted historic firehouse in Cabin John. Anthony Wilder Design/Build’s vision statement—Inspiring
Everyone to Build Their Dreams—applies not only to its swoonworthy construction projects. It applies to every employee as well, according to company President Elizabeth Wilder, who runs the business with husband and founder Anthony Wilder. Although she still prefers in-person collaboration with team members, Elizabeth Wilder says she has learned that people can work effectively from home. Several employees work fully remote or on a mutually agreeable hybrid schedule. “You don’t want to lose a talented team member. If there’s a way to make it work, a good employer will find a way to keep that employee,” Wilder says. During the pandemic shutdowns, local government deemed
PHOTO BY LOUIS TINSLEY
From flexible schedules to free-lunch Fridays, here’s why it’s great to be employed by these 17 Bethesda-area businesses By Jill Devine
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O WORK 2022 Jason Arce, architect at Anthony Wilder Design/ Build, which tops this year’s list
residential construction an essential service, with people in the trades, such as carpenters, simply unable to work remotely. “We shared an enormous sense of pride and connectedness, knowing our people in the field were risking their lives to go out to do their jobs,” Wilder says. “Every person on our team committed themselves to supporting those workers.” It was early in the pandemic that the company developed its North Star statement: Save Lives First; Save Livelihoods Second; Communicate With Transparency and Empathy. “We have each other’s backs here, placing each other’s welfare ahead of making money,” Wilder says. So what makes Anthony Wilder Design/Build such
a wonderful place to work? There’s a lot to love: a location near the river, flexible hours, fun social events and a generous health insurance plan in which the company fully covers both premiums and deductibles. Every employee is eligible for quarterly bonuses. Finally, there’s the transparent practice of open book management, in which everyone regularly attends “huddles” to review the business’s financial situation and offer input. “What the managers know, the rest of the company knows,” says truck driver Sal Jalloh, who joined the business this summer. Even the occasional meetings that last hours are actually a good thing, he says. “Every voice matters when a decision needs to be made about how the company can improve.” BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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Architecture, construction and interior design
Based in Cabin John l 54 employees in the Bethesda area l anthonywilder.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “We have fun, work hard, and design really cool projects. We genuinely care for each other, and it shows. I arrived as a part-time employee who planned to stay only a few months, yet here I am 20 years later.” —Mark VanDeWege, managing partner
with cancer. The day after I had surgery, the company president flew to Michigan in the morning to see me and then flew home that evening.” —VanDeWege
Cool Perks: If you’ve worked your 40 hours by noon on Friday, you can take off … Bonus plan based on company performance … Full health insurance premiums are paid … Free Costco memberships … The office is near the C&O Canal towpath, and a group of staffers likes to bike and run there, cleaning up afterward in the company’s shower facilities.
Office Culture: Think dogs at the desks, and meetings that kick off with music. On annual “fun days,” the whole staff goes to a recreational location, such as the Shenandoah Valley or St. Michaels, for activities and bonding.
Work-Life Balance: “I have worked remotely since I moved to Michigan in 2014. Three years ago, I was diagnosed ABOUT TOP PLACES TO WORK
Office Layout: Open, bright and airy up to the rafters and loft, encouraging maximum collaboration.
The Last Word: “The humanity and caring of the ownership—and their empathy and genuine concern for the wellbeing of their team members—is the reason I stay. Not money, job satisfaction or the fancy T-shirts. They care.” —Britt Cave, carpenter and customer service associate
The list of winners was generated by Best Companies Group (BCG), based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which conducts employee engagement research on over 1 million professionals from 6,000 companies every year. BCG’s proprietary survey methodology determines whether a company makes the “Best” list. In addition to its partnership with Bethesda Magazine, BCG runs over 70 programs worldwide and provides a host of custom research services. For more info, visit bestcompaniesgroup.com. If your company would like to be considered for Bethesda Magazine’s 2023 Top Places to Work list, please visit topplacestoworkbethesda.com.
PHOTO BY LOUIS TINSLEY
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Anthony Wilder Design/Build
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The Monitor Group, LLC
Financial services and wealth management Based in Rockville l 15 employees in the Bethesda area l tmg-llc.net
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “No one is micromanaged.” —Laura Ramos, office manager and marketing specialist Cool Perks: Remote work options (about a third of the team is in the office full time) … Free gym membership … Free snacks, coffee, tea and filtered water … Paid health premiums … Each January, every employee makes a “wish list,” asking for anything that would make their job better. So far, says managing partner Amy Cox, every wish has been granted. Work-Life Balance: You’re encouraged to be out the door by 5—and not to take any work home. “From my first interview, I was told that I should take my lunch break away from my desk so I can decompress.” —Ramos
Mental Health: Employees have access to mental health experts for free or nominal fees. Office Layout: Not your father’s financial firm, by design. The airy space is surrounded by windows, with a mix of modern and traditional art. A funky fuchsia sofa anchors the collaboration area. Office Culture: Everyone toasts birthdays and work milestones, yes— but also Friday happy hours, monthly lunches, and holiday events including Chinese New Year, Halloween, Friendsgiving and December bowling. The Last Word: “I sometimes have to chase people out to go home, because the work can wait until the next day.” —Cox
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Wealthspire Advisors
Financial services and wealth management
Based in Potomac l 530 employees, including 33 in the Bethesda area l wealthspire.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “Many of us have grown up in this organization … We are passionate about learning, growing and sharing our expertise.” —Ashley Iddings, managing director, Potomac office Cool Perks: Beyond the typical medical/dental/vision, Wealthspire offers a plan for up to $20,000 for adoption, donor and surrogacy services and family building benefits … Emergency backup child and elder care … Tuition reimbursement. Work-Life Balance: All employees can put together hybrid and flexible schedules. Office Layout: The space shifts as necessary thanks to the hybrid work schedule, with dedicated desks for those in the office every day, and reservable spots for workers who come in as needed. Office Culture: “The office has a family feel, and everyone is welcoming and supports each other. Leadership’s door is always open, and they continuously ask for feedback and make changes as needed. The environment is safe and judgment-free.” —Kelly Crosby, senior office coordinator, Potomac office The Last Word:
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“ Wealthspire encourages different points of view … We’re given flexibility to get our jobs done.” —Crosby Bregman, Berbert, Schwartz & Gilday Law firm
Based in Bethesda l 74 employees, including 38 in the Bethesda area l bregmanlaw.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “Attorneys and staff strike the essential balance of sophisticated top-rate legal services and family-office-style attention and communication for every client. It starts at the top.” —Adam Moskowitz, attorney Cool Perks: Free-lunch Fridays! Work-Life Balance: “The firm is understanding of family needs and allows for flexibility. I’ve never been made to
feel guilty if I need to be out of the office to care for family issues.” —Kristen D’Angelo, office administrator Mental Health: “My job as office administrator is to take care of our people, so they can take the best care of our clients. Happy, engaged employees make for happy clients.” —D’Angelo Office Layout: Two words: no cubicles. Every employee gets their own office
… The two full kitchens are stocked with free beverages and snacks. Office Culture: “Our firm truly cares about its people. We have frequent staff appreciation events, happy hours, holiday celebrations and community service events.” —D’Angelo The Last Word: “Joining BBS&G was the best decision I ever made.” —Natacha Barry, accounting assistant
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Real estate developer Based in Bethesda l 91 employees, including 79 in the Bethesda area l eya.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “From the top leadership to team members, we all share the same passion—to put the best product out in the market by doing the best work we can and supporting each other.” —Kushal Reddy, assistant project manager Cool Perks: “As a young professional, I’m grateful for the education assistance and for the guidance from top leadership to help plan my near- and long-term career goals.” —Reddy Work-Life Balance: A hybrid work environment with employees coming to the office Tuesday through Thursday allows for much-appreciated flexibility. Mental Health: “The company strongly promotes work-life balance, offering workshops and speakers that focus on mindfulness, diversity, inclusion, executive presence and more.” —Milli Arakawa, chief financial officer Office Layout: An open floor plan encourages collaboration, while quiet spaces and “huddle rooms” offer flexibility. Office Culture: Remember The Office Olympics? EYA does its own version (no word on whether Flonkerton is an event), plus other fun stuff planned by the “Culture Crew,” such as yoga classes, book club meetings, rock climbing and cook-offs.
The Last Word: “Retention rates are very high, and there is a high sense of loyalty to the company.” —Arakawa
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Founders Bank
Commercial community bank
Based in Upper NW Washington, D.C. l 25 employees in the Bethesda area l founders.bank
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “We have a family atmosphere where everyone is aligned to achieve the bank’s goals.” —Colin Duffy, vice president and branch manager Cool Perks: You get your birthday off as a vacation day … Most employees can work remotely. Office Layout: “Office doors are typically open, with a lot of meetings and activity. Laughing and energy can be heard and felt throughout the office, which typically results in multiple employees enjoying lunch together in the kitchen area, collaborating on work ideas.” —Jonathan Higgins, executive vice president and chief banking officer Office Culture: “Company meetings and fun gatherings are organized throughout the year to encourage teamwork.” —Higgins The Last Word:
“ I’ve had former colleagues reach out to me directly about opportunities with Founders Bank. Everyone can see the growth of the company.” —Duffy
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Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell
Tax, accounting and consulting business Based in Bethesda l 156 employees, including 91 in the Bethesda area l cbmcpa.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “Our members work hard, but there is also a strong social and fun element here. Besides great social events, CBM launched its diversity and inclusion group, D-PATH, in 2018 ... Diversity, inclusion and fun are why people love working at CBM.” —Daniel Weaver, president and managing partner Cool Perks: This office knows how to party, with a fall picnic, year-end holiday soiree, annual karaoke event and post-tax season bash. Staffers recently set sail on their second pirate-themed cruise on the Potomac River … Sign up for the softball team, do sun salutations at yoga classes, or join the book club … Flexible schedules and paid parental leave are available. Work-Life Balance: “CBM allows team members to choose whether they work remotely, in the office or on a hybrid schedule with flexible hours … Team members are empowered to build their lives and successful careers simultaneously, according to whatever schedule accommodates both goals.” —Weaver
Mental Health: There’s an Employee Assistance Program, and a $40 monthly physical fitness stipend for use at a gym or wellness facility is also meant to promote mental health. Office Layout: “The office layout allows for fun conversational exchanges—in the kitchen, at the front desk, or in team member offices.” —Weaver Office Culture: “Employees care about each other. We know each other’s family members, pets and favorite sports. We help each other in professional and personal growth.” —Ginger Wu, supervisor The Last Word: “Management welcomes and values input from employees and takes their opinions into consideration.” —Wu
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Stein Sperling Bennett De Jong Driscoll
Law firm Based in Rockville l 132 employees, including 125 in the Bethesda area l steinsperling.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “Employees feel valued. Our suggestions and concerns are always addressed.” —Jill Latterner, paralegal
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Cool Perks: Doughnuts every week, happy hour every month … Halloween, ugly sweater and funniest home video contests … Lunches for Valentine’s Day and Administrative Professionals’ Day, and an International Food Festival … Fun events throughout the year range from bingo (with “amazing prizes,” Latterner says) to catered hatchet-throwing contests.
Consero
Corporate events Based in Bethesda l 92 employees, including 47 in the Bethesda area l consero.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “Our events, while challenging at times, are very rewarding. We work incredibly hard on-site and during the lead-up for these events. That ‘post-event feeling’ never gets old.” —Kerry Rupp, vice president of portfolio operations Cool Perks: Travel (including time off before and after out-of-town events so you can actually sightsee in the city you’re visiting) … Logging off early on Friday afternoons in summer … Virtual cooking classes that let the team bond over Zoom while getting to taste new dishes.
Mental Health: “The firm recently offered a webinar to help those suffering from grief. I attended and found it helpful in my personal life.” —Latterner Office Layout: A beautiful new office in Rockville boasts modern top-of-the-line equipment. The Last Word: “Stein Sperling feels like family.” —Latterner
Work-Life Balance: “Unplugged vacation time is highly encouraged.” —Rupp
FROM LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY OF CONSERO; GETTY IMAGES
Mental Health: “After our events conclude, we have the following day off to rest and recharge.” —Caitlin Cooney, manager of event operations Office Layout: Everyone’s working from home right now, but the doors to the office, just a few steps from Bethesda Row, are always open. “It’s great when those of us who are local can stop by and grab lunch or a happy hour.” —Cooney Office Culture: “Motivating, challenging and creative. It pushes me to work hard and perform well. There is a lot of learning, brainstorming and feedback-giving happening regularly.” —Rupp The Last Word:
“ We have the largest team we have ever had here at Consero. Our weekly all-staff meetings are flooded with employees cheering each other on. People work harder when they are happier.” —Rupp BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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top places to work
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Potomac Law Group
Law firm Virtual l 220 employees, including 27 in the Bethesda area l potomaclaw.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “Most big law firms have a rigid one-size-fits-all approach to productivity goals that requires attorneys to shape their lifestyle to the firm’s needs. PLG offers a literal ‘sliding scale’ approach that enables attorneys to choose a level of productivity that suits their unique personal needs and translates to a better quality of life.” —Gregory Braker, partner Cool Perks: Tasting events, book clubs, happy hours and virtual coffee meetings. Work-Life Balance: “PLG allows people to work at home or in the office as much as they’d like. Working primarily from home has changed my life. I get two or three hours of my life and family time back each day by not commuting, and I save more than $10,000 per year in commuting costs.” —Braker
Performing arts nonprofit Based in Silver Spring l 35 employees in the Bethesda area l roundhousetheatre.org
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “Our leadership focus is on making sure that everyone on our team has a valuable work-life balance, is compensated fairly, and understands that we are invested in their growth, both as employees and as people.” —Ed Zakreski, managing director Cool Perks: The company closes down the first week of every July for “Independence Week” … “No Meetings Fridays.”
Office Culture: From online coffee chats to IRL lunches, management offers a monthly mix of social opportunities.
Work-Life Balance: “Our work during the pandemic proved that we could do so much of what it takes to run Round House from our homes, so we will keep some level of remote work and flexible work schedules moving forward.”—Zakreski Mental Health: The Employee
Assistance Program provides counseling for marital, parental or financial problems, as well as help for specific conditions such as substance abuse, smoking and gambling. Office Culture: “We involved everyone on the board and on the full-time staff in the development of our new strategic plan so that everyone feels a sense of ownership, rather than just being handed down commandments from above. We also ensure that our staff has both initial and ongoing training in anti-racism, anti-bias, and bystander intervention.” —Zakreski The Last Word: “Every person’s job within this company is an important piece of the big picture puzzle.” —Alexandria Moreland, public relations manager
EveryMind
Health and human services nonprofit Based in Rockville l 186 employees, including 109 in the Bethesda area l every-mind.org
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “At a time when stress levels are through the roof in society, EveryMind is performing an indispensable service, which gives meaning and purpose to coming to work every day and inspires us to be our best selves. We aren’t just doing a job, but fulfilling a mission.” —Dipika Cheung, director of hotline operations Cool Perks: Around 50 paid days off a year … Fun staff
events, from fall brewery get-togethers to ’80s-themed parties ... Thoughtful swag like branded pajama pants and insulated coffee mugs. Work-Life Balance: The hybrid work policy has allowed many employees to become new dog owners. “Pet ownership correlates with mental wellness.”—Cheung Mental Health: “As an organization that provides mental health services to the public,
taking care of our own mental health is paramount. We have mental health days in addition to sick leave and vacation days.” —Cheung Office Layout: “The building has an open layout with one central corridor, which provides plenty of opportunities for us to get to know co-workers from other departments. More importantly, it gives us a sense of equity that no matter whether
you are the CEO or the janitor, we walk the same corridor with no one siloed away.” —Cheung The Last Word: “During the beginning of the pandemic, we worked from home with a sense of comfort. Since then, we’ve been working from home twice a week, with three days in the office. This provides a much-needed balance.” —Veronica Gonzalez, senior family case manager
FROM LEFT: PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES; PHOTO COURTESY ROUND HOUSE THEATRE
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AviationManuals
Aviation safety and development Based in Rockville l 50 employees, including 27 in the Bethesda area l aviationmanuals.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “Management treats everyone with respect and as equals. We have an open, welcoming atmosphere. I see this especially at lunch, where members of all teams get together to chat without cliques.” —Kevin Honan, senior adviser, operations manuals and emergency response plans Cool Perks: Vacation time stacks up fast, with four weeks of vacation after five years … Personal health care is 100% covered by the company … Assistance with continuing education … Free snacks and espresso for all. Work-Life Balance: “Management has increased hiring and has invested heavily in new systems to ease workloads … Our substantial vacation policy is separate from our sick leave allowance, which is becoming more rare [at other companies].” —Honan Mental Health: “Our sick time is pretty much a no-questions-asked policy and can be used for mental health days. Our health insurance also covers mental health.” —Honan Office Layout: Tons of natural light, with most seats having a good view from large windows. Office Culture: “Even on days that we don’t have planned company events or activities, many members of our team enjoy spending time together socially outside of work.” —Jessica Feazel, vice president of revenue operations and technology
The Last Word:
“ We often choose to come into the office more days than hybrid schedules require because we like each other’s company, and everyone is stronger when working together.” —Feazel
2022
TOP
Places to Work
Bethesda-based for over 20 years, we are proud to provide marketing and communications expertise to clients building a better world.
We are twice as grateful for our colleagues who made Hatcher one of Bethesda Magazine’s Top Places to Work for the second year in a row.
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Communications and marketing Based in Bethesda l 61 employees in the Bethesda area l thehatchergroup.com
“Hatcher has expanded tremenWhy It’s Great to Work Here: dously but still maintains a sense of community that you often find within startup-level companies. Employees have the freedom to explore new opportunities and challenges that inspire growth while having an entire team behind them.” —Imani Goodall, digital marketing associate Cool Perks: Summerlong half-day Fridays … Flexible working environments (on-site, remote or hybrid). Work-Life Balance: “Leadership goes above and beyond to make sure that you aren’t overwhelmed.” —Goodall Mental Health: “The wellness room at our new office sets Hatcher apart. If you’re having a tough day personally or need a moment to meditate before a client presentation, we have a private, comfortable place to relax.” —Goodall
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Office Layout: “Our new space, right near the Bethesda Metro station, is bright, open and functional. There’s a nice mix of private offices that we can reserve for the day, several different conference rooms to choose from, lounge areas, and a range of open-concept desk options. We are high up enough on the 10th floor that from day Saints certaintemple spots and you can the National Cathedral.” —Michael see both the LatterMershon, senior vice president Office Culture: The company hosts lots of virtual lunches and happy hours. Leadership carves out time for everyone to get to know each other better. The Last Word: “Employees value our open lines of communication, knowing they can express themselves and ask for help when needed. It’s a nurturing environment.” —Goodall
Aldon
Real estate management, development and investment Based in Bethesda l 55 employees in the Bethesda area l aldonishome.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “Aldon blends the innovation of a startup with the foundation of a 75-year-old family-owned company.” —Gina Junio, vice president of human resources Cool Perks: “We’re willing to pivot when we see that employees need specific benefits, like wages on demand or mental health breaks.” —Junio Work-Life Balance: Aldon makes accommodations when employees temporarily need to work remotely. Mental Health: Staffers have gathered several times to discuss work-life balance and how they can support each other through difficulties. Office Layout: Contemporary, fresh office space with lots of glass instead of walls. Office Culture: Have fun while staying productive. The Last Word: “ Management recognized Juneteenth as a paid holiday this year, which I think is very honorable.” —Nikki Wilson, assistant community manager
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Home care agency Based in Chevy Chase l 33 employees in the Bethesda area l capitalcitynurses.com
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “It makes your heart full knowing you are helping people who truly need care.” —Courtney Lai, director of human resources Cool Perks: Discounted tickets for movies and theme parks … Free snacks and drinks in the break room … Team-building lunches and holiday celebrations.
Work-Life Balance: The option for remote work offers employees flexibility. height of the pandemic, the company hosted midday “mindfulness breaks,” with the teams gathering virtually Mental Health: During to practice breathing, workplace stretches and other relaxing techniques. Office Culture: “Our company culture can be summed up in two words: Go Blue! It’s our company cheer, our battle cry and what gets us excited to come to work. Many employees have been with us for 10 years or more, and we truly consider ourselves a family.” —Breanoh Lafayette-Brooks, senior communications specialist The Last Word: “People do a better job when they love what they do. Our employees are our ‘care family,’ because we love the work we do and who we do it with.” —Lafayette-Brooks
The Barker Adoption Foundation
Adoption services Based in Bethesda l 46 employees, including 38 in the Bethesda area l barkeradoptionfoundation.org
Why It’s Great to Work Here: “Everyone works as a team toward a common goal and on a mission we believe in.” —Taylor McLeran, community outreach and recruitment specialist Cool Perks: Work schedules that shift to accommodate continuing education … Free parking in downtown Bethesda. Work-Life Balance: Just two days a week are spent in the office, with employees working the rest from home. Mental Health: “We take mental health seriously, because it is part of the services we provide to adoptees and their families. Barker allows us to be human and allows time off when needed.” —McLeran
Office Layout: Each person has their own office or cubicle, but most people keep their doors open when not in a meeting or on a call. A plentiful supply of laptops and docks makes remote work easy. Office Culture: “Healthy. When we are at the office, we gather to talk and share success stories of placements and adoptions, as well as our own personal successes.”—McLeran The Last Word: “This is a place where you know that ethical practice is prioritized and people genuinely care for you and want the best for you.” —Beverly Clarke, senior director of clinical and support services n
PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES
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The Hatcher Group
Capital City Nurses
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WE’LL MANAGE YOUR TREATMENT PLAN SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON EVERYTHING ELSE No three words are more life-changing than “You have cancer.” But how much your life changes can depend on who’s beside you. With Holy Cross at your side, you’ll have access to all the latest protocols in advanced cancer care, breakthrough treatments, technology, and clinical trials, as well as some of the top medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons. The best part? Comprehensive cancer care is closer than you might think. We’re building a future of better cancer care right here at Holy Cross Health, where we’re beside you every step of the way.
Scan the QR code or visit holycrosshealth.org/cancer to learn more.
Building a Future of Better Cancer Care
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PROFILES
financial professionals SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Financial Professionals PROFILES
"We become a lifelong resource to each client, helping them navigate their finances and investments to best achieve their life goals," says Maria Cornelius. A Bethesda Magazine Best of Bethesda Top Vote Getter in 2021, the firm was also named among 12 Best Financial Advisors in D.C., Maryland and Virginia by Advisory HQ. 6116 Executive Blvd., Suite 500 North Bethesda, MD 20852 301-770-9880 mcornelius@burtwealth.com www.burtwealth.com
Q: Why choose Burt Wealth Advisors? A: Our boutique firm has served the metro area for more than 30 years. We limit our clientele so that we have ample time to spend with each client. We listen carefully, as money is very personal and lots of emotions come into play when talking about financial goals or dealing with the financial markets. All our advisors are Certified Financial Planners (CFPs), which requires education in investments, insurance, taxes and estate planning, as well as continuing education. We’re a team. When you work with a Burt Wealth Advisor, you’re not only being supported by their knowledge, but also the support of all of us. We help with investment management, retirement planning, social security maximization, Medicare filing, LTC planning, coordinating tax planning and estate planning coordination.
For award details, click on: http://www.burtwealth.com/ files/Awards_ List_Metrics_and_Reprint_Matrix_Detailed_ versionJan2021.pdf
Q: How do you measure success? A: The underlying goal with everything we
do is creating peace of mind. We engage all clients in the planning and investment process, empowering them when it comes to finances. All questions are good questions and there are never too many questions. I love seeing the “lightbulb” go off when a client understands an investment concept for the first time. Often, no one has taken the time to explain fundamentals, or they've not felt comfortable enough to ask questions. I'm committed to helping my clients understand why we maintain a diversified portfolio and how their income needs, goals and risk tolerance affect investment allocation. With that comes confidence and empowerment.
HILARY SCHWAB
Burt Wealth Advisors
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PROFILES
financial professionals
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Ameriprise DAVID B. HURWITZ, CFP®, CRPC®, CRPS®, RICP®, APMA®, BFA™, PRIVATE WEALTH ADVISOR, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER
LEFT PHOTOS COURTESY PHOTO; RIGHT PHOTO HILARY SCHWAB
4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 620 Bethesda, MD 20814 david.b.hurwitz@ampf.com
We shape financial solutions for a lifetime Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results. Client experiences may vary. Ameriprise Financial, Inc. and its affiliates do not offer tax or legal advice. Consumers should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding their specific situation. Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value. Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Member FINRA and SIPC.
Q: What type of client do you specialize in? A: Our typical clients are retirees who have accumulated between one million and twenty million in assets. These are intelligent people who want to work with an experienced professional in areas that they are not as knowledgeable in, such as financial planning, tax planning strategies, estate, and investment management. They want a trusted confidant who can help them achieve their goals and reduce the amount of time and stress associated with managing their finances. Our clients prefer to engage with us on an ongoing basis, so they can take periodic time outs to discuss their finances and then return to enjoying retirement.
Q: What makes your client experience unique? A: First and foremost, we listen. We learn about each of our clients—their goals and personal situation, and their personality and communication style. This enables us to personalize our advice and deliver it in the most impactful way. We have a structured process that addresses our clients’ financial and emotional needs, and we always endeavor to make things as easy as possible. Our proactive service model is designed to help our clients cut through the noise while staying informed about the markets, tax planning and estate-tax laws. Our services are delivered by a team of professionals; each having a defined role and areas of specialty. We do all the heavy lifting, and our goal is to unburden our clients and help them make confident financial decisions, so they can get back to living and enjoying their lives.
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PROFILES
financial professionals SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
THE TRUMAN WEALTH MANAGEMENT GROUP OF RBC WEALTH MANAGEMENT Jerry Truman and his team’s passion for helping others is evident in both their work with clients and the community. Jerry and his wife Jamie co-founded Truman Charities—a local group that hosts events for various local and national charities. Since inception, they have raised more than $1.5 million for mostly local organizations.
Q: What made you want to become a professional advisor? A: Jerry: My parents are very giving people and taught me the importance of saving and investing for a rainy day. During my years at St. Joseph’s and DeMatha, I focused on learning as much as I could about business and investing. My passion for investments continued through my years at the University of Maryland and employment at Citizen’s Bank of Maryland. This, along with the satisfaction I saw from my parents’ efforts in the community, laid the groundwork for my career as a Financial Advisor.
5425 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 301 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 301-907-2745 Toll-free: 800-234-9562 us.rbcwm.com/trumanwmgroup
Q: What makes our client experience unique? A: Jerry: I’ve always had the propensity to want to help people both professionally and in my community. We built Truman Wealth Management on the same principle. We really love the people we work with—both within RBC and our clients. Our planning process goes beyond investing; we make it our goal to understand our clients’ family dynamics and what is important to them both in the present and future.
HILARY SCHWAB
Jerry Truman, Nicole Seim and Steve Ganan
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PROFILES
financial professionals
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Capital Harvest Wealth Partners GREG PANG, CHIP ROCKEY, NAJ ALTAF, JASON WRIGHT, ROB GOLE & GENE RUCKER Securities and investment advisory services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. (WFS), member FINRA/SIPC. WFS is separately owned and other entities and/ or marketing names, products, or services referenced here are independent of WFS. Please visit our website for additional disclosures.
HILARY SCHWAB
4350 East West Highway, Suite 510 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-471-1576 www.CapHarvest.com
Q: What services do you or your firm provide? A: Our experienced and trusted advisors offer an array of financial services for all different ages and income ranges within the Maryland and Virginia area. You might be new to managing your personal finances, but we’re not. With over 100 years of combined experience, we’ll guide you every step of the way as you embark on your new financial journey. Services include: • Financial Planning • Retirement Planning • Investment and Wealth Management • Asset Transitions and Titling • Estate Planning • Tax and Education Planning • 401(k) and 403(b) Planning
Q: What makes your client experience unique? A: Everyone is unique, so at the heart of our planning process, we focus on getting to know you and what’s most important to you. Our financial planning process begins with carefully listening to the needs and goals of each individual, family and business we serve. We start by reviewing the health and composition of your complete financial picture, along with a thorough analysis of your risk tolerance, current asset allocation, and financial milestone goals. Our in-depth discovery process helps us understand your defining values, priorities and concerns so we can help you invest in what matters most. With this information, we help you make confident decisions about your wealth and tailor a financial plan to your desired current and future outcome. Throughout your life, from one generation to the next, we are here to help you and your family find your financial solution and create a brighter financial future!
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PROFILES
financial professionals SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
PNC offers credentialed practice group leaders with extensive experience in business succession planning, philanthropy, private banking, fiduciary services, corporate executive compensation, wealth preservation planning and risk management and insurance. PNC Private Bank 7200 Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 301-347-3200 | www.PNC.com Hannah.Schlabaugh@pnc.com The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (“PNC”) uses the marketing name PNC Private Bank to provide investment consulting and wealth management, fiduciary services, FDIC-insured banking products and services, and lending of funds to individual clients through PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC Bank”), which is a Member FDIC, and to provide specific fiduciary and agency services through PNC Delaware Trust Company or PNC Ohio Trust Company. PNC does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice unless, with respect to tax advice, PNC Bank has entered into a written tax services agreement. PNC Bank is not registered as a municipal advisor under the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. “PNC” is a registered mark, and “PNC Private Bank” is a service mark, of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Investments: Not FDIC insured. No Bank Guarantee. May Lose Value. ©2021. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Q: What type of client do you
specialize in? A: We work with business owners at all stages of their business lifecycle including doctors, attorneys, corporate executives and more. Our services are best suited for high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals and multi-generational families looking for an industry leading personalized client experience. Whether buying a home or a business, saving for retirement, investing for the future or finding the right credit card, clients work with PNC Private Bank to effectively manage challenges and chart a path toward financial security for generations to come. Q: What makes your client
experience unique? A: Our integrated team approach. We act strategically and collaboratively as a cohesive locally based professional advisory team, working with each client, to provide a higher level of synergy and active oversight of your cherished family
wealth. Every professional is working for you and consistently looking out for your best interests – the fiduciary standard. Our local team is comprised of Certified Financial Planners, Chartered Financial Analysts® and over 100 years of combined professional experience. Our investment approach is completely dependent on your needs. We utilize a goals-based model, looking first at your personal and/or corporate goals and then building a customized portfolio with a wide range of non-proprietary funds and investment solutions to meet those goals Furthermore, we strive for total integration across the entire bank, leveraging commercial banking services for business owners with private wealth management services to ensure both your business, your retirement and your family legacy plans are successful! HILARY SCHWAB
PNC Private Bank
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PROFILES
financial professionals
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Wealthspire Advisors ASHLEY IDDINGS, CIMA®, CPWA® MANAGING DIRECTOR BILL SCHWARTZ, CPA, CFP® MANAGING DIRECTOR Among other accomplishments, our team carries over 25 different professional designations, including a strong representation of CFP® professionals, and we have proudly been included in Barron’s list of Top RIA firms for the past four years.
COURTESY PHOTOS
12435 Park Potomac Ave., Suite 500 Potomac, MD 20854 301-383-8861 www.wealthspire.com
Q: What qualities should a successful advisor have? A: Ashley: While technical skills and expertise are fundamental, the single most essential quality is the ability and willingness to listen and empathize, to create genuine and trusting relationships with both clients and colleagues. Bill: I try to offer many qualities: Being a fiduciary, and realizing my success is entirely based upon my clients' success. Being friendly, but forthright. Being thoughtful. Being calm and rational, the voice of reason. Being part of a greater community by bringing in other professionals to offer their points of view and expertise. I also believe in truly doing what you say you are going to do and caring about the results.
Q: What motivates and inspires you? A: Ashley: It’s all about the satisfaction
of helping people and building strong relationships with clients and colleagues. I’m inspired and motivated by the opportunity to work alongside a great group of talented and motivated individuals who strive to make a difference for our clients and our community. Bill: As a young tax accountant at Arthur Andersen, I helped various clients with tax and financial planning issues. In one circumstance, a client appeared to be significantly under-insured as his young family did not yet have substantial assets. We drove the process of placing life insurance on him, and not six months later, he passed away. Thinking about what may have happened if we had not done so made me realize how important my role was. That started me down the path of being a holistic planner and advisor.
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PROFILES
financial professionals
May Barnhard Investments DEBORA E. MAY, CPA, CFP®, CDFA® ALEKSANDR S. SELEZNEV, MBA, CFP®, CFA MAY BARNHARD INVESTMENTS, LLC, THE WEALTH MANAGEMENT SUBSIDIARY OF COUNCILOR, BUCHANAN & MITCHELL
Debbie, Alex and MBI’s wealth management team deliver expertise in investment management, financial planning, tax and estate planning, retirement planning, education planning, charitable giving, risk management, and cash flow and debt flow management. MBI works with individuals including those experiencing divorce, widows/widowers, and business owners and executives.
Q: What makes your firm unique? A: May Barnhard Investments (MBI)
is one of the few firms throughout the region that provides comprehensive tax, financial planning and discretionary investment management services. The most effective financial decisions require consideration in all three areas and MBI is well-suited to address them. This unique perspective to wealth management also dictates that we don’t rely on a cookiecutter approach. Every client receives a financial plan and an investment policy built from scratch, incorporating variables including the client’s preferences and specific circumstances. We want each client to view us as their long-term “go-to” partner with the expertise to respond to any financial question.
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 500 Bethesda, MD 20814 301-986-0600 aseleznev@cbmcpa.com dmay@cbmcpa.com www.cbmcpa.com www.maybarnhardinvestments.com 96 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
Q: What type of client are you best suited to serve? A: When we find the right type of client, it’s professionally fulfilling to ensure they are on track to achieve their long-term financial goals. MBI focuses on individuals experiencing significant life transitions: those about to get married or divorced, preparing to have children or comfortably retire represent good clients. Due to the industry expertise at our parent company, Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, we also work with well-compensated executives and business owners planning to sell their business or approaching retirement, and who suddenly find themselves with important wealth management needs. Multi-generational planning is a significant part of our approach. When appropriate, we focus on the impacts of our clients’ financial plans on the next generations to ensure optimal outcomes. We know every individual inevitably faces complex financial situations at some point. MBI helps navigate these challenges using a holistic approach.
HILARY SCHWAB
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
PROFILES
financial professionals
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Founders Bank
MICHAEL VENTURA
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP: MARTIN MCCARTHY, CO-FOUNDER, PRESIDENT AND CEO JONATHAN HIGGINS, CO-FOUNDER, EVP, CHIEF BANKING OFFICER GERARD MCLOUGHLIN, CO-FOUNDER, EVP, CHIEF CREDIT OFFICER KAREN GRAU, EVP, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER BOARD OF DIRECTORS: VINCE BURKE, III, CHAIR PATRICK DORTON PINKIE DENT MAYFIELD MARTIN MCCARTHY OBIORA (BO) MENKITI DAVID POLLIN JOHN RYAN, III KELLY SHOOSHAN
Q: What is Founders Bank? A: Founders Bank is a modern version of
what a community bank should be: onepart technology and one-part local bank. The bank is FDIC insured and officially opened for business in April of 2020 with a full-service branch and corporate offices in the Friendship Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founders Bank seeks to build stronger communities by serving businesses, organizations and the professionals that run them throughout the greater Washington area. Experienced bankers offer business loans, real estate loans (owner occupied, investment, construction and development), deposit and treasury management services, as well as consumer loans.
Q: Why do businesses and individuals choose Founders Bank over other banking options? A: Customers choose Founders Bank to enjoy the latest technology, a userfriendly approach to banking and superior customer service provided by local bankers that care about the communities we serve throughout the greater Washington area. The pandemic reminded many businesses and individuals of the importance of having the right banking partner. Founders Bank wants to be your banking partner.
5225 Wisconsin Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20015 202-792-1600 www.founders.bank
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financial professionals
Financial Services Advisory One Church St., Suite 901 Rockville, MD 20850 301-949-7300 www.FSAinvest.com
LEFT TO RIGHT (BACK): RON ROUGH, CFA, CIO, PARTNER JIM JOSEPH, CFP®, PRESIDENT, PARTNER DAVE PETERSEN, CFP®, FOUNDER MYENNOHWEH MCCURRIE, CFP®, ADVISOR LEFT TO RIGHT (FRONT): MIKE ZARRELLI, CFP®, EA, ADVISOR KIM BASENBACK, CFP®, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL PLANNING AARON WESTON, CFP®, ADVISOR
Q: Have you considered an exit strategy for assets within your portfolio? A: Clients come to us in search of finding a financial partner who can help them navigate life as well as the financial markets. They have often worked their entire lives to create a nest egg to support them in retirement, and they want to preserve that nest egg. They are tired of hearing “stay the course, the market will eventually come back.” They want a firm that actually does something versus watching the market reduce the value of their accounts. When market conditions are good, they want to participate. When conditions are not good, they want protection.
Q: What makes us different from other advisory firms? A: For one thing, we are fiduciaries. That means we are required to put your financial interests above our own in every decision we make. Secondly, we have been around 40 years and as a result, we have helped many people go through similar family and financial issues to what you may be experiencing. Finally, our FSA Safety Net® approach to investing is quite unlike most firms. Rather than the typical buy-and-hold approach, we adapt portfolios to the current market conditions. For example, if international investments are not generating gains, we don’t own them. Let the FSA Safety Net® help you rest easy at night. Given the twin threats of inflation and recession that we haven’t seen in our 40 years, now is the time to embrace an active approach that can adapt to what is happening in the markets.
HILARY SCHWAB
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
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financial professionals
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Howard Perlroth, APMA® FINANCIAL ADVISOR, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF GARTENHAUS WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC A FINANCIAL ADVISORY PRACTICE OF AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC A boutique practice that quickly responds to changing markets, we offer 61 years of combined experience with investment approaches uncommonly used for accounts less than $25 million. Ongoing portfolio reviews help make sure portfolios match your goals and risk tolerance. We are nimble to meet client needs and deliver prompt trading in response to market fluctuations. 2400 Research Blvd., Suite 110 Rockville, MD 20850 301-670-5505 howard.perlroth@ampf.com Q: What services do you and your practice provide? A: Comprehensive financial planning, investment
management, and insurance analysis. We also provide advanced portfolio management specializing in alternative correlated assets tied to clients’ financial planning goals. The customized plan determines our client’s target rate of return and risk tolerance.
Q: What size of account do you typically work with? A: $750,000 – $3 million. Q: What do you find most satisfying about your work? A: Receiving hugs from clients. We enjoy seeing our clients
achieve their goals and love receiving pictures from clients as they enjoy life.
Q: What is your biggest challenge? A: Getting clients to understand the need for a financial
plan and how their plan should dictate their rate of return. Approach to investing dives into spending habits which can lead to interesting conversations.
Q: What is your investment approach? A: The rich are getting richer. Instead of complaining,
copy them. We seek return of principal first, then return on principal second.
Q: What makes your client experience unique? A: CURA PERSONALIS (Latin), meaning “care of the whole
person”—not just their money. The majority of our meetings start and end with hugs.
MICHAEL VENTURA
Q: What piece of advice do you most frequently get asked for and what's your answer? A: Can I retire? Most people think retirement is only about finances. We green light retirement once there is a goal and plan in place for your money, mind and body. Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results. Client experiences may vary. Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value. Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. 2022 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.
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PROFILES
financial professionals SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Brian Salcetti, AIF, CIMA CEO, MANAGING PARTNER SANDBOX FINANCIAL PARTNERS 6903 Rockledge Drive, Suite 300 Bethesda, MD 20817 301-214-4190 brian@sandboxfp.com sandboxfp.com Q: What makes your client experience unique?
take initiative. Managing wealth is a marathon, not a sprint. We understand what matters and we take it personally. It's a partnership where Sandbox clients can "live more and worry less." We stand apart because the experience is all about you. What are your family and lifestyle goals? We'll put you in the best position to succeed financially while helping evaluate any blind spots. At Sandbox Financial Partners, we’re an experienced and highly credentialed team who've been frequently recognized for our track record of success. We offer a boutique feel with big firm capabilities, operating as a fiduciary, removing conflicts of interest, and providing advice that's always in your best interest.
HEATHER FUENTES
A: We listen, we understand, we educate and we
Steward Partners Global Advisory KEITH T. BARBERIS, CFP® MANAGING DIRECTOR – PARTNER, WEALTH MANAGER 7550 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 420 Bethesda, MD 20814 240-800-3447 barberiswealthmanagement.stewardpartners.com Q: What makes your client experience unique?
to achieve greatness, is our bedrock in times of uncertainty. We serve families, not clients, and we love them as our own. We nourish, grow and protect their wealth to leave a lasting legacy and pursue dreams. Every person within the family is an individual who deserves to be treated with love and respect. We make sure we consider each person’s unique interests and personal growth. We customize our approach to include each individual voice, because we understand that every person is different. Education is vital. Better-informed individuals make better decisions. Meeting people at their level of financial understanding, we teach as much as we advise, making complex concepts clear and building confidence.
HEATHER FUENTES
A: Family is our foundation. Family inspires us
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financial professionals
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
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LIFE AFTER DOBBS The landmark abortion ruling’s impact on Montgomery County is already being felt BY AMY HALPERN
I
t was a dollar store test kit she took this past August that confirmed 15-year-old Cara’s pregnancy. But with the stakes so high, her grandma decided it was worth splurging on a $7 test from the drugstore just to be sure—even though it would mean $7 less for the family’s monthly expenses until her grandpa’s next disability check arrived. When the second test came back positive, Cara— who asked that her real name not be used—panicked. If she kept the baby, the child would be repeating the same cycle that she had lived: being born to an unwed teenager unready to be a parent. Cara’s grandparents had raised her—and they also supported her mother on their limited means. Would they be stuck raising their great-grandchild, too? Her grandparents told Cara it was her decision. And her
17-year-old boyfriend said he’d back her no matter what, but his financial situation was no better than hers. “I don’t want to bring a baby into this world just to give it a hard life,” Cara says. Even carrying the pregnancy to term—whether she gave up the baby for adoption or not—would mean folks in their small Tennessee town would soon learn of Cara’s indiscretion. “If they all knew, you know, they would look at me different,” she says. Not sure how to proceed, Cara waffled. Then, less than two weeks after learning she was pregnant, she started to bleed, with cramps that made her double over in pain. Her grandparents raced her to the emergency room, where a sonogram revealed significant cervical hemorrhaging—and a beating heart. Doctors told Cara her pregnancy was seven weeks along.
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PHOTO BY NATHAN HOWARD/GETTY IMAGES
The scene outside the Supreme Court in June, after the Dobbs decision was released
The doctors sent her home, still pregnant and more confused than ever. “There could [be] something wrong with the baby already,” and it’s still too early to know, she recalls thinking. A week later, the bleeding had stopped, but Cara decided to get an abortion. By then, though, a “trigger” law banning abortion had gone into effect in Tennessee, making the situation much more complicated and costly than before. Cara and her grandparents figured they would have to travel at least a day’s distance and scrounge together money for gas and lodging. Not to mention the medical costs and Cara’s lost school days. Her grandma’s friend in Maryland offered to let them stay for free if they wanted to drive up for the procedure, which was legal in Maryland. And the friend’s home wasn’t far from the
Potomac Family Planning Center in Rockville. When they called, a staff member said she could get them in quickly, so Cara and her grandparents drove through the night. The clinic also put Cara and her family in touch with an abortion-rights group that ultimately covered the cost of the $520 abortion. The surgery went well—but days later, Cara and her family were still stranded in Maryland, lacking enough money for the long drive home. The clinic gave Cara’s family $100 for expenses, and several organizations offered financial assistance for bus tickets. But none said they could provide the family with gas cards or cash, Cara’s grandma says.
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While Cara rested, her grandparents spent the next few days visiting friends and family, asking for $5 or $10, anything they could put toward returning home. And the clock was ticking. After three days of missed school, Cara would need a doctor’s note, which she refused to get because people would then learn of her situation. “Ninety-nine percent of these people don’t even know why we are here,” Cara’s grandma says. “They think we just up and came for a visit.” THIS PAST JUNE, the U.S. Supreme Court
released its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that rendered abortion a constitutional right for the past half-century. The Dobbs decision turned the abortion issue over to the states. Since the ruling, more than a dozen states—most in the South and Midwest—have banned or restricted abortion access, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights think tank based in New York. Guttmacher has reported that up to 26 states in all were likely to heighten restrictions or implement bans in the wake of the ruling. As one of the nation’s deepest blue states, Maryland isn’t one of them. No new restrictions are being added to the state’s
abortion laws in the wake of the Dobbs decision. And yet the abortion landscape is shifting in ways that affect both Montgomery County and the state more broadly. All 32 state legislators representing Montgomery County supported the Abortion Care Access Act (ACAA), which survived a veto by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and took effect July 1. Del. Ariana Kelly, a Bethesda Democrat, was the bill’s sponsor and says the ACAA is the most comprehensive abortion access law in the nation. The law makes abortion accessible to more low-income Maryland residents by increasing abortion coverage through Medicaid and private insurance, with no copay. It also requires the allocation of $3.5 million in annual funding to provide customized training for practitioners who want to start offering surgical abortions, as well as funding for programs to instruct physicians, midwives, nurse practitioners and physician assistants interested in providing medication abortions. Medication abortions involve taking two prescription pills early in a pregnancy to induce an abortion at home. The protocol now accounts for more than half of all abortions in the U.S., according to Guttmacher. Planned Parenthood reports that medication abortions are 98% effective in
MONTGOMERY COUNTY HAS GONE fur-
ther than most Maryland jurisdictions with its abortion-rights policies. In May,
PHOTO BY ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES
Abortion-rights activists protest outside the Chevy Chase home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh in September.
the first eight weeks of pregnancy and 93% effective at 10 weeks. At the Gaithersburg clinic of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. (PPMW), only medication abortions are offered, according to Anne Cavett, PPMW’s co-director of clinical services. Patients who require a surgical procedure are usually referred to PPMW’s clinic in downtown D.C. “We’re seeing a lot of confusion amongst patients themselves,” and even local patients seeking an abortion aren’t always sure if it’s still legal here, Cavett says. Since Dobbs, people have come from as far as Florida and Louisiana for an abortion and some are scared to return to their own states afterward for fear of being arrested, or they are afraid to tell their primary care doctors, she says. Kelly and others anticipate that within the next few years, the county will see a significant increase in the number of people who come here for an abortion, especially as more states restrict the procedure. And that, Kelly says, will put a strain on the county’s abortion providers unless more are added. Though Montgomery County data shows the county has at least eight abortion providers, 16 of Maryland’s 24 counties have none, Kelly says. “When Texas passed [its] abortion ban, which was really draconian, we started seeing patients in Maryland coming all the way from Texas because there [are] cheap flights on Southwest,” Kelly says. Plus, “We don’t know where places like Pennsylvania will end up…we’re looking at the long game here.” For those traveling from outside the D.C. region, the situation has become so complex that PPMW recently hired a patient navigator to assist with securing transportation, lodging and other needs. “When you are traveling for health care, there are still a ton of other things that go into that,” Cavett says. “It’s become more complicated for patients who are just seeking routine medical care.”
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after the Dobbs decision was leaked, County Executive Marc Elrich and Councilmember Nancy Navarro, both Democrats, announced their support of a supplemental appropriation of $1 million in county funding to increase abortion access. By late summer, the application process for grants was opened to providers. A memo from the county executive’s office states that “preference will be given to programs that prioritize serving to low-income, uninsured, and/or other historically underserved beneficiaries.” In June, the county also banned its employees from traveling on business to 25 states that “restrict access to reproductive health care services.” In announcing the ban, which excludes public-safetyrelated travel and other essential business, Elrich said, “We can make certain Montgomery County does not provide additional revenue to states which are unwelcome to women’s freedom.” Officials here hope the county’s liberal policies on reproductive rights might even lead to a boom in business development. In August, a letter signed by Elrich, Kelly and Democratic Del. Eric Luedtke was sent to 10 corporations headquartered in states that restrict abortion, urging those businesses to relocate here. “Perhaps the single most significant statement you could make in support of those who work for you would be to refuse to continue to locate your company’s headquarters in a state that bans abortions,” the letter reads. N o n e o f th e co r p o r at i o n s h a s responded, according to the county executive’s office. THERE ARE SOME WHO aren’t happy
with the county’s abortion-rights stance. “Everything has changed, and in other ways, for us, nothing has changed,” says Bethesda’s Lisa Tennant, director of Right to Life of Montgomery County. “[County leaders] are willing to support the abortion industry, but they are not willing to support the pregnancy aid centers” that don’t offer abortion, Tennant says. The abortion clinics in the county, she says, “don’t offer free dia-
pers, free baby clothing. It’s so lopsided.” Tennant points out that the three pregnancy aid centers in the county— in Shady Grove, Rockville and Silver Spring—receive no county funding; they are supported solely by volunteers and donations. “Even if you think women should be able to have a legal abortion,” she says, “why wouldn’t you support these places that help the women who don’t want to have an abortion?” On a steamy Saturday afternoon this past August, the 64-year-old Tennant and her family, and about 10 activists, are picketing on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. Tennant’s 22-year-old son, Edward, is holding up a sign that reads: “Honk 4 Life.” Every few minutes, drivers honk their horns, eliciting applause and thumbs-up from the group. The posters that Tennant and her 26-year-old daughter, Emily, are presenting are designed to elicit an even stronger response: sonogram photos of fetuses at various stages of development. Behind the picketers is a nondescript medical office building that is home to the CARE Clinic, short for Clinics for Abortion & Reproductive Excellence. The clinic’s co-founder and medical director, Dr. LeRoy Carhart, has long performed latesecond-trimester and third-trimester abortions, though Kansas-based Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion organization that has tracked his activity for years, says he has recently retired. Carhart, who lives in Nebraska, is currently named as a co-defendant in two lawsuits filed by women who allege that they were seriously injured while having late-stage abortions performed by other doctors at his North Bethesda clinic. One case, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Maryland, involves a Georgia woman who came to the clinic in May 2020 to abort her 23-week-old fetus after learning that the baby likely had Down syndrome. Complications from the procedure resulted in the emergency “removal of her uterus rendering her infertile,” the filing alleges. Neither Carhart nor his attorney responded to requests for
25.9
Number of abortions performed in Maryland per 1,000 women aged 15-44 in 2020; the national average was 14.4 Source: Guttmacher Institute
4
Number of surgical abortion centers licensed in Montgomery County; there are 11 total in the state Source: Maryland Department of Health
8
Number of providers verified to offer abortion services in Montgomery County Source: Montgomery County Council data
93 %
Percentage of U.S. abortions performed during the first 13 weeks of gestation in 2019 Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
59%
Percentage of U.S. abortions obtained by women who already have children Source: Guttmacher Institute
MARYLAND LAW An abortion is legal until fetal viability (around 24-26 weeks); at or after viability, abortion can be performed only if the patient’s life or health is endangered or there is a fetal anomaly. Maryland does not require a counseling session or a waiting period before getting an abortion. The parent of a minor must be notified before an abortion in Maryland; health professionals are allowed to waive parental involvement in limited circumstances.
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life after dobbs
comment from Bethesda Magazine. The county, Tennant says, is “basically supporting an industry that does not need to be supported. If they do not give a million dollars to the abortion industry in Montgomery County, they do not have to worry. The abortion industry will still thrive.” JUST BEFORE SUNSET ON a muggy eve-
ning late this past summer, 13 abortionrights advocates march down a leafy residential street in Chevy Chase. Some wave signs with slogans including, “Reproductive Rights are Human Rights,” and two carry a rainbow banner bearing a fist. The group’s soft chants of, “My body, my choice,” mingle with the sounds of children playing in a backyard nearby. The protesters stop at the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, where a handful of police stand guard on the lawn. The activists repeat their chant for several minutes and then continue toward the home of Chief Justice John Roberts, a few blocks away. When the protesters march past Kavanaugh’s house on their return trip, they change their mantra to: “We won’t go ’til you bring back Roe!” Several neighbors watch from their porches, though most ignore the protesters and the dozen or so police officers who stand sentry at street corners nearby.
Many of the neighbors say they agree with the message, but they are ready for the activists’ parades to end. About half of the yards in the neighborhood sport tasteful white signs that read “Chevy Chasers for Choice” in an elegant black font. The police are there in case picketing gets raucous—which happened during earlier protests, when activists showed up with drums and bullhorns, and shouted obscenities at neighbors who told them to quiet down as they put their children to bed. In June, an armed California man— who was not considered to be among the protesters—was arrested outside Kavanaugh’s house and charged with attempted murder. In a letter to county leaders later that month, Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley wrote that “threatening activity” had increased at justices’ homes, and requested that the county enforce its own ordinances against picketing at private residences. But on this night, there are no drums or bullhorns or angry confrontations. “There are certain neighbors who come out every week and they wave at us from their front porch and cheer us on, and there are also a couple of neighbors who’ve complained about us when it comes to noise, and the police have come out and policed us about it,” says
ON WHAT HAS BECOME a typical week-
day morning at the Potomac Family Planning Center in Rockville, patients are queued up at the check-in desk, waiting for forms they’ll have to fill out. It’s August. A nearby sign reads: “Currently, our wait times are longer than normal.” Among its services, the clinic offers medication abortions up to 10 weeks from a patient’s last menstrual cycle and surgical abortions up to approximately 17 weeks. Allie Harper, the center’s executive administrator, says more out-ofstaters are coming in for abortions since the Dobbs ruling, but the extra volume hasn’t been overwhelming—yet. Harper says one recent patient drove from her home in Georgia to have an abortion after learning that the fetus she was carrying likely had abnormali-
PHOTO BY BILL CLARK/CQ-ROLL CALL, INC VIA GETTY IMAGES
Activists with the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising demonstrate in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in May, after a draft version of the Dobbs opinion was leaked.
Sadie Kuhns, 28, a Virginia resident who has led more than 100 protests across the D.C. region in front of the homes of many of the justices. “We’re not here to harass anybody,” Kuhns says, following tonight’s Kavanaugh-focused protest. “We’re there for one person, so we do our thing and we leave.” Kuhns and other abortion-rights activists began organizing these weekly protests shortly after the draft opinion was leaked. Initally, the goal was to send a message about the unfairness of “six people making decisions about millions of women’s bodies,” Kuhns says in reference to the six conservative justices who voted to overturn Roe, with the high court’s three liberal justices dissenting. After the ruling became official, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a bill protecting abortion rights, but it failed in the Senate. And in September, Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina introduced a bill to ban most abortions after 15 weeks. It, too, has failed to gain traction so far. Now, Kuhns says, the activists’ message is this: “We want to see change, see abortion rights codified. If we start to see that…we’ll stop [the protests]. It’s kind of like an ultimatum targeted at Congress.”
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ties. “It had been a wanted pregnancy,” Harper says. Following the Dobbs decision, Georgia has banned most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually about six weeks. That’s often before many people even know they are pregnant. The patient, Harper says, had an appointment at an abortion clinic in Virginia, but after she arrived there and was given a sonogram, the woman was told her pregnancy was too far advanced for that clinic to perform the surgery. In desperation, the woman found the Rockville clinic online. The patient and her sister, who’d driven with her from Georgia, rushed over. A sonogram showed that the woman was 15 weeks pregnant, which met the clinic’s requirements, but she had to wait two more days until the doctor was available. The clinic gave the sisters contact information for groups that could help
them find a place to stay. The woman’s sister almost lost her job over the delay; the clinic had to call the sister’s employer to explain the situation. For many low-income people, just saving up for an abortion can delay having the procedure by weeks, or even a month, Del. Kelly adds. That’s a particular problem for residents of restrictive states that offer no financial assistance. For example, she says, if someone lives in a state that bans abortions at 10 weeks and only allows medication abortions, “and if you need to work for an extra month or two to save up money to pay for it, you are looking at a 12-week procedure.” FOR CARA AND HER FAMILY , it was a
$250 donation from Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi that finally provided them with enough money to return home. Still, a
procedure that took less than 10 minutes to perform had cost Cara a week of school and hundreds of dollars her family couldn’t spare, including the blown radiator in their car by the VirginiaTennessee border and the express-lane tolls they didn’t realize they’d incurred until days later. “We got home on banana skins,” says her grandmother, who has since received a letter from Cara’s school threatening legal action regarding Cara’s truancy. But her grandmother was grateful for all the help they received, mostly from organizations she’d barely heard of. “I really appreciated it,” she says. “I didn’t think we’d get any help at all.” n Journalist Amy Halpern has worked in print and television news, and as the associate producer of an Emmy Award-winning documentary. She lives in Potomac.
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Smart Cookies Now you can make some of our favorite local bakers’ holiday cookie recipes at home (sorry, Santa, there may not be any leftovers) BY ALYSSA LANGER | PHOTOS BY DEB LINDSEY FOOD STYLING BY NICOLA DAVIS
N
othing says ’tis the season quite like a batch of warm, freshly baked cookies on a cold winter day. Homemade treats serve so many purposes (cookie swap at work, holiday dinner, thank-you gift for the mail carrier) and are universally appreciated. Whether you’re keeping the cookies all to yourself (no judgment!) or gifting them, these recipes shared by some of our favorite local bakeries will set you up for culinary success. From decadent rounds perfect for fall to gluten-free gingerbread and “buttery” vegan cookies, this collection has something for every sweet tooth. We tested each recipe to ensure that these professional-caliber cookies translate to the home kitchen, so you can trust that they’ll work and possibly earn instant-classic status among your recipe clippings. Feel free to make a double or triple batch; you can thank yourself later.
Freelance writer Alyssa Langer is also a registered dietitian nutritionist. She lives in Chevy Chase.
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Peppermint Mocha Crinkle Cookies from Henry’s Sweet Retreat
MAKES 36 COOKIES
Ingredients
Instructions
d 6 ounces butter d 21/3 cups all-purpose flour d 1 cup cocoa powder d 2 teaspoons baking powder d 11/2 teaspoons salt d 2 cups dark brown sugar d 2 teaspoons peppermint extract d 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder d 4 large eggs d 1/4 cup white chocolate chips d 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips d 3/4 cup peppermint chunks (available at Amazon and in some grocery stores, or use crushed candy canes) d 1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling d 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for rolling
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 2. Melt the butter and set aside to cool. 3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 4. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, peppermint extract, espresso powder and eggs. 5. Fold flour mixture into the batter using a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in white chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips and peppermint chunks. 6. In a shallow bowl, mix together powdered sugar and granulated sugar. 7. Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, scoop dough into the sugar mixture. Coat the cookie evenly in the mixture. While coating the cookie in sugar, roll it into a ball with your hands. 8. Place dough balls at least 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets (12 cookies per sheet; bake each tray as you complete it). 9. Bake cookies until puffy and cracks have formed, 8-10 minutes. (Cookies will be soft and look raw between the cracks.) Let cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
“Put a slice of white bread into the container that you are storing your cookies in—it keeps the cookies nice and soft. The cookies absorb the moisture from the bread. It works for all cookies!” —Chandler Raffa, pastry chef
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Cranberry Coin Cookies from Spring Mill Bread Co.
MAKES 48-60 COOKIES
Ingredients
Instructions
d 2 sticks butter (room temperature) d 4 tablespoons powdered sugar d 1/2 teaspoon salt d 2 cups flour d 1 tablespoon vanilla extract d 2 cups dried cranberries (you can substitute any favorite dried or candied fruit) d Crystal sugar, optional d 1 egg, optional
1. C ream butter and sugar with salt. Add flour and mix well. Add vanilla and mix well. 2. S tir in the dried fruit. 3. U sing your hands, shape the dough into 2-inch-diameter logs, each about 12 inches long, on a lightly flour-dusted surface. Chill logs in refrigerator overnight. 4. S lice logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. 5. P lace cookies on a baking sheet. (If you want to add a festive touch, sprinkle with crystal sugar. If you’d like your cookies to shine, you can lightly beat the optional egg and brush it over the dough.) 6. B ake at 300 F for 10-12 minutes, or until you have a nice golden edge.
“We took [my mother] Anne’s original recipe with pecans for our snowballs and decided to experiment with it to make a more festive and colorful cookie. She was thrilled with this new adaptation of her childhood recipe. It’s fun to play with this cookie and try whatever fruits or nuts appeal to you the most.” —Katherine Rurka, owner
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Bernardin Cookies from Potomac Sweets
MAKES 40 COOKIES
Ingredients d 2 cups (16 ounces) almond paste d 1 cup dark brown sugar d 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon d 1/4 teaspoon salt d 3 ounces (1/3 cup) egg whites d 2 teaspoons rice flour d Whole almonds d Granulated sugar
Instructions 1. Mix almond paste, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt using a mixer with paddle attachment. 2. At a slow speed, gradually add half the egg whites and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl, and then mix in the remaining egg whites. Mix in the rice flour. 3. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats. With a pastry bag and medium-size plain tip, pipe cookies into 2-inch ovals on prepared sheets. When done, cover with a damp towel. 4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Press a whole almond into the center of each cookie and finish by sprinkling the entire top with granulated sugar. Let cookies rest for 30 minutes. 5. Bake cookies for 20-25 minutes. Once cooled, cookies can be stored for up to 3 weeks in protective packaging.
“This cookie is mostly found in old classic bakeries and biscuit shops around Brussels, Belgium. It consists of almond paste, dark brown sugar, egg whites, rice flour and cinnamon. When I went through my training as a patissier in Antwerp, Belgium, I was fortunate to make these types of classics— that is why I still believe in offering these types of unique cookies to my customers.” —Gerard Partoens, owner
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Gingerbread Cookies from The Red Bandana Bakery (Gluten-free)
MAKES 12 COOKIES
Ingredients
Instructions
d 1 cup butter (room temperature) d 7 ounces sugar (a little under 1 cup) d 2 eggs d 2 teaspoons vanilla extract d 12 ounces (2 cups) gluten-free flour blend (The Red Bandana Bakery uses a mix of 6 ounces white rice flour, 21/4 ounces brown rice flour, 21/4 ounces potato starch, and 11/2 ounces tapioca starch—a blend it sells in-store, too) d 2 teaspoons xanthan gum d 1 teaspoon baking powder d 1/4 cup ground cinnamon d 2 tablespoons ground ginger
1. Cream together butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment. 2. Add the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla, scraping down the bowl between additions. 3. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add to mixer and mix on low speed for 60 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and mix again until fully combined. 4. Press the dough into flat rounds about 12 inches in diameter and 1-inch thick, then wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes (this will make it easier to work with). 5. Remove dough from the refrigerator, place it between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll it out until 1/3-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes. Transfer shapes to a parchment-lined sheet pan. Chill cookies in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. 6. Preheat oven to 325 F. 7. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cookies are firm and reach an internal temperature of 200 F. Cool completely. Use a royal icing recipe or buy tubes of frosting to decorate.
“The great thing about gluten-free cookies is you can reroll the dough as many times as you need to without worrying about it getting tough or shrinking back on you. This recipe is tender and tasty, better for a cookie than a sturdy gingerbread house.” —Jaimie Mertz, owner
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Snowball Cookies from Sunflower Bakery (Vegan)
MAKES 50 COOKIES
Ingredients d 1 cup vegan butter (room temperature) d 1/3 cup vegan granulated sugar d 1 teaspoon vanilla extract d 1/8 teaspoon almond extract d 1 cup finely chopped pecans d 3 cups all-purpose flour d 1 pound vegan powdered sugar
Instructions
“This classic holiday cookie is commonly known as a Mexican wedding cookie. They melt in your mouth, and the sweetness of the cookie comes from the powdery sugar shell. I actually made this recipe for my kitchen interview at Sunflower Bakery in 2011, and it has been on our holiday menu for over a decade.” —Liz Hutter, chef and culinary director
1. Cream together vegan butter and granulated sugar until incorporated. 2. Add the vanilla, almond extract and pecans, and mix until combined. 3. Add the flour 1 cup at a time on the lowest speed. Mix until smooth and incorporated. 4. Scoop into half-ounce portions (Sunflower Bakery staffers use a metal #70 cookie scoop). Freeze cookie balls until ready to bake. (Frozen, or at least refrigerated, cookie balls work well for baking—they will keep the “snowball” shape. Fresh dough will flatten out a bit and not be as round.) 5. Preheat oven to 350 F (300 F if using a convection oven). Space semi-frozen cookies 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. 6. Bake for 12-14 minutes until very pale golden. 7. Allow to cool for 5-8 minutes on baking sheet. 8. While cookies are still warm (they should be nearly hot), gently toss them in powdered sugar; the sugar will begin to melt and form a paste around the cookies. 9. Place cookies back on the parchmentlined baking sheet, not touching each other. 10. After cookies have completely cooled, toss in powdered sugar again to form a powdery shell. 11. Serve cookies at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.
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Pumpkin White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies from Kaytering by Kay
MAKES 20 COOKIES
Ingredients d 21/4 cups all-purpose flour d 1/2 teaspoon baking powder d 1 teaspoon baking soda d 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon d 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger d 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg d 1/2 teaspoon salt d 1 egg d 3/4 cup pumpkin puree d 11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract d 11/2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature) d 3/4 cup light brown sugar d 3/4 cup granulated sugar d 11/2 cups white chocolate chips d 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (optional)
“My inspiration for this recipe came from my daughter’s love for macadamia nut cookies. I thought that with the holidays around the corner, a great twist to this cookie would be to add pumpkin. This recipe tastes great and is a very simple recipe for anyone ages 2 to 110 to make. The macadamia nut is an optional add-on; the cookie is also amazing without the addition of nuts.” —Kay Guerra, owner and chef
Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 340 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 2. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Whisk together and set aside. 3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Beat until well incorporated. 4. Add dry ingredients 1 cup at a time and mix until the ingredients are well combined and form a dough. Fold in the white chocolate chips and optional macadamia nuts. 5. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop heaps of dough mixture, about 21/2 tablespoons each, 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. 6. Bake until lightly browned on top, about 12-15 minutes. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or fully cooled. n BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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TAKING
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HER SHOT Confessions of a hockey mom who got out of the stands and onto a grown-up travel team BY JENNIFER TEPPER PHOTOS BY CORY ROYSTER
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From left: Jennifer Tepper (the author of this piece), Dawn Albertini and Liz Burton
t’s 6:30 on a Saturday morning in March 2019, and I’m in a Cleveland hotel room trying to shake my 17-year-old son, Connor, awake so we can be at the ice rink an hour before his 8 a.m. game. We drove until midnight to get here and barely unloaded the car before crashing into a deep, albeit short, sleep. After dropping him off, I grab the biggest cup of hot coffee Dunkin’ has to offer in preparation for 75 minutes of rinkside pacing as I watch these boys (who resemble men) hitting, pushing, checking and shaving the ice in their relentless pursuit of the puck. They win. There is triumph on the ice and jubilation in the locker room, then a team lunch. Afterward, another game— a close loss this time—then a stop at the hotel for showers and video-gaming with the entire squad of 15 boys crammed into a room, on the beds, on the floors, in the chairs, shoveling snacks into their mouths, drinking Gatorade, and yelling at their avatars.
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From left: Jennifer Tepper, Kim Marshall, Dawn Albertini, Molly Seiders and Sabrina Woods all skate with the Travelin’ Cluster Pucks.
If I was honest with myself, I also felt some sadness that the cornucopia of emotions that travel sports bestows upon my children would never again be my own. On that count, I was wrong. At the time, I am a 41-year-old Rockville resident and mother of six, and I am envious. I want what they have. If you have kids in travel sports or if you played while growing up, you know this regimen and the time and financial resources required. In exchange, you witness—or maybe experienced for yourself—the joy, teamwork, heartbreak and celebration wrapped into children’s sports experiences. The stacked schedules with friends and teammates, the nonstop adrenaline, and bonding events make these weekends magical. Growing up in Silver Spring, I only
played recreational soccer—the travel teams were for the most elite athletes. I never allowed myself to imagine those road experiences. As a soccer player at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, I delighted in competition. We did travel some—around the state, mostly, and occasionally as far as Indiana. As an adult, I’ve played in coed soccer leagues, and I loved my teammates and the friendships we forged. I ran the lines as an outside midfielder and occasionally played center mid, feeling the turf burns after slide tackles, the sweat dripping down my face, and the sense of achieve-
ment when my 5-foot-1 frame knocked a 6-foot-2 man twice my weight off a header. The adrenaline was real. But it ended after an hour and a half. After the high-fives and handshakes, we went our separate ways. I have cheered on my children and stepchildren, who now number eight. I have gotten caught up in their battles and taken vicarious pride in their skills, whether they contributed to a joyous win or were unable to thwart a heartbreaking loss. But if I was honest with myself, I also felt some sadness that the cornucopia of emotions that travel sports
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bestows upon them would never again be my own. On that count, I was wrong. I am now a Travelin’ Cluster Puck. I wear my hair down in a mane of black locks, windswept when I whoosh across the rink. I vie to muscle out defenders in front of the crease and block the view of the opposing goalie so my teammates can shoot and I can be Heather Thomas (left) fist-bumps Molly Seiders. positioned for a rebound, stick Molly, 52, didn’t pick up hockey until on the ice. And I do this in different cities with an amazing group of she was 40. She stands around 5 feet 4 women who also love to travel and play with an athletic frame and sophisticated ice hockey. salt and pepper hair that she wears at her shoulders. Although she lives in IT WAS CONNOR’S EFFORTS at ice hockey D.C., she travels to Maryland three to that inspired me to get in the game. In five days a week to play on three coed 2015, I joined the Montgomery Youth teams and the Frederick Firestorm Hockey Association’s Hockey Moms women’s travel team. program, geared toward moms of youth After spending much of her life playhockey players, at Rockville Ice Arena. I ing soccer, basketball, volleyball and also signed up for a local coed team, the slow-pitch baseball, Molly found herself wanting to launch a different kind of Washington Whalers. I was on the rink a year ago when I team—a drama-free, all-inclusive envimet up with Molly Seiders. I had briefly ronment with friends who loved playencountered this solid defender when she ing hockey and traveling. She played ice subbed in for the Whalers in 2016. Now hockey in the 2018 Gay Games of Paris, she was leading her own team. Molly is France, then started formulating a plan. the reason I’m a Travelin’ Cluster Puck. “After Paris, I thought to myself, Why The Travelin’ Cluster Pucks extend the not bring the three things I love the most excitement of being on the ice beyond in life together? I can combine travel, one game. Instead, we get long weekends friendships and ice hockey, and focus it to focus on the sport and our friendships. on the bonds we build together on the ice Our skill levels vary—some are complete and on the road,” Molly told me between beginners, just learning how to skate and Travelin’ Cluster Pucks games in Bethlehandle a stick in our 40s and 50s; some hem, Pennsylvania. played hockey in high school or earlier Less than a year later, in May 2019, but are coming back after some time Molly and nine friends from around the away from the rink. Doesn’t matter—we country arrived in Zagreb, Croatia, for all get the same amount of playing time. the Women’s World Hockey Invitational. We are educators and scientists, gov- That’s where the Travelin’ Cluster Pucks, ernment employees and retirees. We are with an average age of 48, made their rink married with and without children, sin- debut, playing women—girls, many of gle, divorced, and empty nesters. We are them, since the teams had an average age from all over the United States. We bond of 15 years old—from Croatia and Ukraine. over the joy of learning from one anothWhy did the U.S. women go so far er’s experiences on the ice and sharing away for their first tournament together? our lives with one another on dry land. For the same reason someone might We commune at hockey tournaments prefer to do a destination wedding: It and in our private Facebook group. sounded like fun. Off the ice, they toured
downtown Zagreb and iconic locations like St. Mark’s Church with women from the Ukrainian and other USA team. On the ice, the Travelin’ Cluster Pucks lost every game. But they achieved one of Molly’s major goals: forging new friendships. Many of the young Ukrainian women and their families are now displaced from their homes, and playing internationally as a women’s Ukrainian hockey team is a farfetched dream. “It’s so difficult to know that these wonderful young women were forced to leave behind their former lives,” Molly says. “We no longer see them on social media and hope they remain safe.” To that end, the Travelin’ Cluster Pucks have rounded up donations to help the women and their families get out of Ukraine. The Travelin’ Cluster Pucks would play together again eight months later, in January 2020. Molly, five women from Maryland, and eight others from all over the United States met up in Nevada for the Las Vegas Women’s Hockey Classic and took home third in their fourteam division. COVID-19 brought most travel to a screeching halt. But in January 2022, with the world opening back up, Molly fielded another team. She took 12 women back to the Las Vegas Women’s Hockey Classic. Kim Marshall, 61, was one of them. She had been playing recreationally around here but always doubted whether hockey was for her and thought about quitting. But at the Vegas tournament, the Travelin’ Cluster Pucks made it to their division’s championship game and lost 6-1. That changed everything for Kim.
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taking her shot “I would never have guessed that seven years after I put on my first pair of hockey skates , I would b e sharing an Airbnb in Las Vegas with four women I didn’t know… and that I would love it, have so much fun and come close to winning a championship,” she says. I had met Kim, a scientist at the National Institutes of Health who lives in Rockville, From left: Liz Burton, Heather Thomas and Janee Potts when we both started playing hockey in 2015 with the Hockey Moms and then joined trip to Reykjavik, Iceland, for its Icelandic the Washington Whalers. Like me, she Invitational, an event that hosts tournaplays offense on the wings. ments for men’s and women’s teams, and Kim grew up in Pittsburgh as a rink the Travelin’ Cluster Pucks’ Facebook rat, watching from the sidelines as her group lit up. Questions and excited combrother played hockey. The sport wasn’t ments like “YES, count me IN!” flooded an option for girls back then. She mar- my feed. Women from all over the counried a Canadian man who played hockey, try saw the post and wanted to join the and they raised their son, Mason, play- team; within two days, more than 30 had signed up to play. ing, too. As women, we were in the minorThen the men—the husbands, boyity on the coed Whalers team. We had friends and teammates of the Travelin’ sons nearly the same age who were travel Cluster Pucks—started asking if Molly hockey players. We both struggled with would organize a team for them to play crossovers (a skating technique), skating in Iceland, too. Molly agreed, and the backward, and using the boards to our men’s edition of the Travelin’ Cluster advantage. Our commonalities gave us Pucks was born. On Sept. 28, we landed in Reykjavik the courage to share our concerns and insecurities, and support each other with with 32 players competing in the womeach improvement. en’s tournament and 26 in the men’s Reflecting on her best moments as event. We fielded four teams and our a Travelin’ Cluster Puck, Kim recalls a own cheerleaders: 16 Travelin’ Cluster key play at a DMV tournament in 2021 Pucks groupies made up of family and in Laurel: “I was the worst player on the friends came along. team, and we had a one-win, one-loss The Travelin’ Cluster Puck teams did record. We were down by one goal in not win during this tournament—hardour final game, but I was able to catch a fought, competitive games ended in ties rebound on my stick and score to tie the or losses. But Iceland deeply affected us. There were two proposals on the trip, one game, which got us into the semifinals. “I’ll always remember that moment.” at the base of a waterfall and another in IN FEBRUARY, A MONTH after the Las
Vegas tournament, my phone began to vibrate nonstop. Molly had announced a
front of the striking church in downtown Reykjavik, the Hallgrímskirkja. And since another team, Ísland, was short players during a few games and invited the Cluster
Pucks to play on their squad, I joined them for their final game against the BC Beauts, where Ísland won 3-1. I was on the ice for two of those goals and contributed by providing centering passes as a left wing. Despite it being my third game that day, I skated my hardest and fastest, trying to keep up with their players, who averaged 15 years younger than ours. I played with “Murphy,” a 31-year-old Icelander who plays on the country’s national women’s ice hockey team. After a shift, she patted me on the back and said, “You’re good,” a compliment I will never forget. This was my third tournament with the Travelin’ Cluster Pucks. My first game with the team was at a Hockey Fights MS tournament in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in May. That’s where I met Sabrina Woods, 45, one of my teammates in Iceland. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, works for the National Transportation Safety Board and formerly served in the U.S. Air Force. She’d been to Iceland before and loved it; this time around, she was looking forward to seeing it in a whole new way. “Now I get to go with about 70 or so of my closest hockey buddies,” she said before the tournament, “and we get to play a few games as well. What’s not to love about that?” Despite the team’s passion for the sport, we’re still relative outliers. Women make up only 3% of the 547,429 amateur ice hockey players registered in this country, according to USA Hockey, the sport’s national governing body. Hockey North America, established in 1980, is the home for adult recreational hockey in the United States and Canada, with leagues in many major cities. According to Jason Nehmer, the former commissioner of the Washington, D.C., chapter, this area saw a significant boom in membership around 2005, when Alex Ovechkin started playing with the Washington Capitals.
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Some ask why I found this trifecta of friendship, travel and sports in ice hockey and not in soccer, especially as I’d been kicking a ball since middle school and didn’t pick up a stick until my late 30s. Ice hockey takes an extraordinary level of commitment, and I respect people who invest this much into it. Equipment costs are significant, and ice time even more expensive. A new pair of soccer cleats, shin guards, socks and a ball might run you $200. In hockey, you’ll spend between $1,000 and $3,000 on a helmet, bag, stick, ice skates, skate guards, tape and a set of pads. The travel tacks on additional costs. Unlike soccer, you cannot show up two minutes before a game, stretch, lace up your cleats and stroll onto the field. In hockey, players arrive at least 20 to 30 minutes before every game to ensure their equipment is on properly, skates sharpened, water bottle filled and stick taped. Players often drive farther to play—in Montgomery County, there are just three arenas suitable for ice hockey games. And ice time is tough to come by—most of my games start between 9 p.m. and 10:50 p.m. on Sundays and weeknights. It also takes dedication and grit because it is a tough sport to learn—the tenacity and perseverance of adults and retirees picking up ice hockey as their new hobby requires a unique type of person. In the adult recreational level of ice hockey teams, there’s a universal and mutual respect of everyone who gets out there. That’s a strong bond understood by those who play, and thanks to the Travelin’ Cluster Pucks, I get to experience this bond globally. The remorse I felt as a bystander at my children’s sports experiences is gone. In its place is a fellowship shared with diverse teammates I now call friends—and with my children, as I, too, am now a travel athlete. n Jennifer Tepper is a freelance writer who lives in Rockville and Sparrows Point, Maryland, as well as New Mexico. She aspires to skate on a team with her son Connor.
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PHOTO CREDIT TK
BUILDING BRIDGES
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Philanthropist of the Year Mimi Brodsky Kress draws on a guiding principle to ‘repair the world,’ from helping construct homes with Habitat for Humanity to producing a #MeToo-themed play
By Caralee Adams
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PHOTO BY JAMES KEGLEY
very spring for the past seven years, Mimi Brodsky Kress has invited a mix of friends, business colleagues and family members to join The Hammer Chicks, her Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland building team. It is one of several groups that participate in Habitat’s annual Women Build event, in which women from all backgrounds come together to work on homes for families in need. Kress often hosts the kickoff party for the teams at the office of her company, Sandy Spring Builders in Bethesda, complete with music, food and prizes. Once on the work site, Kress has rock ’n’ roll music playing. “I’m not building to smooth jazz,” says Kress, 64, a longtime “Deadhead.” “It’s hard work. You’re lifting lumber. It’s not pretending to do construction work. You’re out there sweating.” The women Kress recruits often have no experience with power tools, but many say they are drawn to the cause because of Kress’ enthusiasm and the chance to meet others in her orbit. “I was kind of nervous at the beginning, but if Mimi says something is important to her, it’s important to me,” says Libby Snyder, 29, a private wealth adviser with Rockefeller Capital Wealth in Bethesda who considers Kress a friend and mentor. She says it was empowering to learn how to operate a circular saw, work alongside other women, and see the progress on the house by the end of the day. Snyder was one of a dozen members of The Hammer Chicks who helped raise over $30,000 this year—the highest dollar amount among 48 teams raising money for Habitat. (The team average is about $5,000, according to Habitat.) Unabashedly competitive, Kress encourages her friends to tap into their networks Philanthropist of the Year Mimi Brodsky Kress at a house being built by Habitat for Humanity in Takoma Park
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Kress (top row, third from right) and The Hammer Chicks, her Habitat for Humanity building team
for donations so they will feel invested, and they usually raise the most money. “Not only does [Kress] bring you into these organizations, but she makes you feel like it’s your organization, too, and you want to become a supporter,” Snyder says. Habitat is one of many nonprofits that Kress champions. She’s had leadership positions with the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Montgomery County, Jewish Women International and the Jewish National Fund. She’s also supported the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless and Mary’s Center (a community health center in Washington, D.C.), and helped produce a play written by a North Potomac woman about sexual abuse. Kress, who grew up in North Chevy Chase and now lives in Bethesda, says she learned the Jewish principle of “tikkun olam”—engaging in action to repair the world—from her parents. At 12, she was a volunteer candy striper at a nursing home. By 15, she was recruited by her dad to make cold calls and encourage people to buy Israel bonds to rebuild the
country’s infrastructure after the Yom Kippur War. “It came straight to me, this feeling that I wanted to do more in the community,” Kress says. “And it feels good to be able to help.” For her years of contributions—financially and through hands-on service and connecting others to opportunities— The Community Foundation in Montgomery County has named Kress the 2022 Philanthropist of the Year. “She has this amazing energy. You just feel it when she walks into a room. She’s a doer,” says Anna Hargrave, executive director of The Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports philanthropy in the area. “Some people are great at responding to a crisis. Others are more focused on a longer-term goal. Mimi is one of those people who can do both.” KRESS IS KNOWN AS a trailblazer who
friends say is authentic, takes charge and is deeply committed to several causes. While her professional specialty is overseeing the construction
of high-end homes, she says she is keenly aware of the need for affordable housing. When a client’s home is being renovated or torn down, Kress often arranges for appliances, cabinets and fixtures to be donated to Habitat’s ReStores, where proceeds benefit the organization. In addition to Women Build, she has helped raise money for Habitat’s annual benefit breakfast for 16 years and serves as an informal consultant. “She not only supports us financially, spreads the word about us, but she also gets her hands dirty and is willing to do whatever,” says Jeff Dee, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland. “She’s direct. She will tell you how things are, but you know that she really cares. And if she says she is going to do something, she’s going to do it.” In 2017, Jewish Women International named Kress one of 10 “Women to Watch” from across the United States. She was honored for her dedication to the community and serving as a role model, deftly navigating a male-dominated profession, says Meredith Jacobs, the CEO of JWI, an organization that works to end violence against women and girls. Kress says she likes to find ways to “cross-pollinate” her charitable efforts. Earlier this year, JWI was helping My Sister’s Place, a domestic violence shelter in Washington, D.C., create a children’s library and renovate a playroom. Kress arranged for a playhouse to be delivered from Habitat for Humanity. Jacobs and her 25-year-old daughter, Sofie, had so much fun with The Hammer Chicks earlier this year, using nail guns and framing a wall, that Jacobs was inspired to bring a similar service opportunity to JWI. She invited volunteers to paint and stock new rooms at the women’s shelter. “We were screwing together furniture and decorating the space with women who ranged in age from their 20s to their 70s,” Jacobs says. “It was a remarkable day.”
PHOTO COURTESY MIMI BRODSKY KRESS
building bridges
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KRESS’ PHILANTHROPIC WORK EXTENDS
to the company she co-owns, Sandy Spring Builders. She got into the profession at the suggestion of her dad, who was a builder. After graduating from BethesdaChevy Chase High School and then Colby College in Maine with a degree in American studies, Kress returned to Bethesda. She enrolled in an apprenticeship course in construction and says she loved everything about it—from learning how to read blueprints to bidding jobs and laying a foundation. In 1998, she and longtime friend Phil Leibovitz became partners at Sandy Spring Builders. As CEO of the 28-employee business, Leibovitz is the big-picture sales executive, while Kress is chief operating officer, specializing in administration, contracts and finance.
Kress has organized drives at Sandy Spring Builders’ office to collect items such as school supplies, food and household cleaning products for A Wider Circle and the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless. The company sponsors events at county public schools; contributes to environmental sustainability efforts, such as Bethesda Green; and has restored youth baseball fields, including one in Cabin John Regional Park. It was through Leibovitz that Kress met her husband, Michael. A photographer, he grew up in the area and graduated from Winston Churchill High School. They have been married for 35 years and have two children: Max, 32, who lives in Rockville and volunteers regularly at Habitat for Humanity, and Jenna, 27, of San Jose, California, who
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studied social work in college and now works in the field of restorative justice. Growing up, Jenna says her mother invited her along to volunteer and showed her the value of helping others. “She understands how deeply interconnected we all are and that when some of us are struggling, we are all struggling,” Jenna says of her mother. WHEN DECIDING WHERE TO put her energy, Kress says she looks to support causes that resonate. She has close family members who have struggled with mental health issues, which led her to the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Montgomery County (NAMI MC). Mimi and Michael say they experienced firsthand the value of NAMI MC services in 2011, when they enrolled in a family-to-family
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class taught by others who had loved ones with mental illness. Kress joined the NAMI MC board of directors in the fall of 2012. A few years later she was approached to be board president. Kress initially said she’d serve “in name only,” but soon became heavily involved. “If she’s putting her name on something, if she says she cares about something, she’s going all in,” says NAMI MC Executive Director Stephanie Rosen. In her six-year tenure as board president, which ended in 2021, Kress was instrumental in expanding the reach of the organization, Rosen says. (Kress continues to serve on the board as a member.) NAMI MC added extensive evaluation of its programs and made strategic decisions to connect with underserved communities. The NAMI MC budget has grown from about $250,000 in 2013 to more than $750,000 today, Rosen says. With that, the staff has tripled in size, enabling many more people to be served. The organization’s annual fall gala netted about $25,000 in 2012. In 2019, proceeds topped $200,000, according to Rosen. In the spring, NAMI MC had traditionally participated in the state NAMIWalks fundraiser in Baltimore. Kress helped the local NAMI MC spin off its own walk in Montgomery County in 2018. This year’s walk brought in about
$150,000, including about $20,000 from Kress’ team, Rosen says. For years, Kress was also a volunteer for the NAMI Ending the Silence program, giving presentations in middle schools and high schools to build awareness about mental health issues. “The impact Mimi has had at NAMI is going to reverberate in the community for years,” Rosen says. “She’s helped people accept their illness, get treatment for their illness, and helped health caregivers be better caregivers. That kind of change, it can’t be measured because it not only affects their lives, but their entire family’s lives and then how the community functions.” KRESS SAYS SHE SEES so many needs in
the community and rarely says no when someone asks to meet for advice. In 2018, in the midst of the #MeToo movement, Amanda Moskowitz of North Potomac was writing a play about her experience with sexual abuse when she met Kress at the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless gala. Moskowitz asked to meet about the project over coffee and Kress agreed. “I just was drawn to Amanda, what she’d gone through,” says Kress, who immediately began to offer her theater connections. “It’s hard to hear something like that and not be both empathetic and
want to help her get this out to more people. I felt it was so important what she was trying to do and say.” Th e t w o c o l l a b o r a t e d o n h i ring the cast and crew, and on raising $20,000 for the production of the one-act play, I Am Her. Four performances were held at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., in 2019, each with an audience discussion after the show. “For several people, on a personal level, it was very helpful and cathartic,” Kress says. The play was never just about the performance, Moskowitz adds; it was about the conversations afterward. The experience changed the trajectory of her life, Moskowitz says, and she credits Kress with making it happen. “She has this empathy and intuition about her that you really feel safe and valued and heard,” Moskowitz says. “Mimi approaches everything in her life like that. I’ve watched her interact with her husband, her children, her business partners, her clients and her volunteers. It’s so much a part of who she is that you can’t help but want to be a better version of yourself because she inspires you to do that.” n Caralee Adams is a regular freelance writer for Bethesda Magazine who covers education, health and other topics.
PHOTO BY JAMES KEGLEY
“[Mimi] has this empathy and intuition about her that you really feel safe and valued and heard,” Amanda Moskowitz says.
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GUIDE
TO GIVING
We’ve rounded up 59 nonprofits where you can share your time, talents and money Photos by Jimell Greene
ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS that follow have been recommended by either The Community Foundation in Montgomery County, the Catalogue for Philanthropy or the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County. The nonprofits provided a description of their work and ideas for ways to help. If an organization offers Student Service Learning hours SSL or internships I , we noted that under volunteer opportunities. For more local nonprofits vetted by these organizations, visit BethesdaMagazine.com.
Give a Child a Chance Advancing Black Lives in Education (ABLE) (advancingblacklives.org) is committed to supporting Black children in recognizing and using their educational talents and abilities to reach their highest academic potential; providing research-based academic interventions that support the reinforcement, growth and sustainability of educational success for Black children; and empower-
ing Black parents to effectively advocate for schools to address the educational needs of their children. HEADQUARTERED: Bethesda SERVES: Maryland
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $300 funds cultural Black history field trip experiences. • $200-$1,000 funds technology resources (refurbished laptops, hot spots, academic technology, etc.).
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Ongoing: Help with special events; virtually read stories to young students; provide office support as needed.
The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence (bandbcoalition.org) strives to ensure that all students, particularly Black and brown students, have equitable access to the resources and opportunities they need to
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thrive. The Coalition brings Black and brown parents into direct conversation with key decision-makers so their needs are heard and understood. HEADQUARTERED: Montgomery County SERVES: Montgomery County
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $500 trains three parents to speak up for academic supports their children need. • $1,000 supports a community gathering across racial lines to foster collective action and hold decision-makers accountable for the success of all students.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
in their ability to succeed—even in the face of significant challenges. The organization’s programs teach teenage girls to value their education and their relationships, and speak up for their needs. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $250 allows a parent to attend workshops on supporting their teen daughter academically and emotionally. • $1,500 underwrites the costs for a Crittenton teen for an entire year. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
cal emotional support, counseling and other wraparound services. HEADQUARTERED: Gaithersburg SERVES: Montgomery County
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $50 exposes two youths to local theater, including admission, snacks and transportation. • $500 trains community members to cofacilitate nonclinical emotional support groups, helping neighbors and families cope with anxiety, stress and grief exacerbated by the pandemic. SSL
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Ongoing: Support informational sessions and community forums both virtual and in person.
• One day: Help with supply drives for students. • Ongoing: Serve as an executive adviser or board member.
Community Bridges (communitybridges-md.
Horizons Greater Washington
org) empowers girls from diverse backgrounds in elementary, middle and high schools to become exceptional students, positive leaders and healthy young women. Each year the organization supports more than 500 girls at 21 public schools in discovering their unique identity, voice and potential through leadership development, college and career readiness, family support and mentoring. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Montgomery County
(horizonsgreaterwashington.org) prepares students from families with low incomes to succeed by building academic and life skills outside the traditional school year. The organization fosters a joyful and supportive environment that inspires young minds and enhances a love of learning. Horizons is a nine-year program that serves nearly 400 students annually at three sites. HEADQUARTERED: Washington, D.C. SERVES: Metro region
KID Museum (kid-museum.org) is a center for maker learning, designed to inspire the next generation to be creative leaders, inventors and changemakers. Through hands-on programs, young people are challenged to be active makers, building agency, confidence and creative problem-solving skills. KID Museum aims to make 50% of all programming available to young people who do not have the ability to pay, so that all kids have the chance to be makers. HEADQUARTERED: Bethesda SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
• $229 covers the cost of transportation for one student. • $577 provides swim instruction for eight students.
• $100 supports a full day of maker camp for a child in need. • $500 supports a semester of after-school programming for one child.
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• $250 covers the annual activity fees for 10 girls in the program. • $1,600 sponsors one girl for the year. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Become a volunteer for food/ supply delivery. • Monthly: Mentor a high school/middle school girl.
Crittenton Services of Greater Washington (crittentonservices.org) helps 600 teenage girls annually achieve academic success, make healthy choices and chart their own bright futures. Through proven curricula, Crittenton helps teenage girls believe
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Weekly: Serve as a guest speaker, classroom volunteer or tutor.
Identity (identity-youth.org) works with Latino and other historically underserved youths and their families, benefiting more than 50,000 residents annually at school, in the community and on playing fields. Identity helps youths develop social and emotional skills, do better in school, and get ready for work, providing case management, nonclini-
• Occasional: Help with the yearly backpack drive, sports tournaments and other events during school holidays.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Mentor middle school students participating in KID Museum’s invention challenge.
Latino Student Fund (latinostudentfund. org) provides opportunities to build a strong academic foundation for underserved pre-K to 12th grade students in the region. By providing year-round out-of-school-time programs to low-income at-risk students and their families, the Latino Student Fund in-
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Chanelle Broughton Community Bridges
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rowing up in North Carolina, Chanelle Broughton had a mentor through her church who gave her advice about becoming a teacher. She says the woman was personable and helped her secure a summer job at a child care center, and the two remain in touch. That experience prompted Broughton, 37, to become a mentor herself through Community Bridges, a nonprofit organization in Silver Spring. “She showed me what my life could be,” Broughton says of her mentor as a teenager. “I thought I could be that for someone else.” Last year, Broughton, who lives in Silver Spring and was trained by the organization to become a mentor, was paired with Taata Otop. She is 14 and a freshman at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring and came to the U.S. from Cameroon five years ago. The mentoring opportunity is an extension of Community Bridges’ after-school program, which operates in 21 Montgomery County Public Schools, serving more than 500 girls from diverse backgrounds each year. The students are required to participate in the after-school program for an academic year, attending weekly sessions before applying for the mentor program. “I love the fact that Community Bridges is all about empowering girls,” says Broughton, who works at Sandy Spring Friends School in Sandy Spring as assistant head of the lower school and director of the preschool. Broughton and Taata first met at a mentoring group outing to Homestead Farm in Poolesville, picking pumpkins and eating caramel apples. “We hit it off,” Broughton says. “We connected not just about school, but about life.” Over the past year, they’ve gotten together about once a week—going to Starbucks, taking walks, running errands and volunteering together. Broughton shared one of her favorite hobbies with Taata: making candles. Although the program didn’t require it, the two continued to get together over the summer. “She’s fun, outgoing and smart,” Taata says of Broughton. Each mentor pair meets on their own and also as part of the larger group of all mentors
and girls (48 pairs last school year). Each month, the women and girls discuss topics covered in the after-school program such as identity, body image and mental health. The program promotes education and focuses on career and college readiness. “Mentors are not quite a friend and they’re not a family member. They are in between,” says Eryn Downey, mentor and volunteer program manager at Community Bridges. “They are another person to advocate. The mentor can connect them with resources, internships or volunteer opportunities to help them envision their future and achieve their goals.” Community Bridges hosted a visit to American University with the mentors and
Volunteer Spotlight
mentees last spring. Taata is interested in fashion design or journalism and has her eye on studying in New York. Broughton says the mentoring experience has given her purpose. She says she’s enjoyed seeing Taata, who is reserved, come out of her shell. “I try to encourage her to speak up and use her voice,” Broughton says. Although the program only requires a oneyear commitment, Broughton says she plans to continue to mentor Taata, always. Taata says being with Broughton has inspired her: “I learned it’s good to be yourself. She’s a role model.” —Caralee Adams
Mentor Chanelle Broughton (right) with Taata Otop at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton
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creases levels of educational attainment in the community. HEADQUARTERED: Washington, D.C. SERVES: Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Washington, D.C.
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $250 funds mentoring for high school recent arrivals. • $500 funds one week of summer college prep. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day or ongoing: Volunteer for Saturday morning one-on-one tutoring with a K-12th grade student; serve as a mentor or college prep tutor.
So What Else (sowhatelse.org) provides food security, access to basic necessities, and high-quality out-of-school-time programs in literacy, athletics and the visual and performing arts. The organization aims to inspire youths to give back by creating volunteer opportunities. So What Else’s Project Change program engages youths in producing original musical theater through a free summer camp while developing their skills to support socialemotional health. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 pays for meals for a family of six for an entire week. • $500 funds a theater arts program for 50 students at a Title I school. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Support the after-school program. • Ongoing: Help in the food pantry.
Feed the Hungry BlackRock Center for the Arts/Upcounty Consolidation Hub (theupcountyhub.org) was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. BlackRock Center for the Arts, working with community partners and volunteers, transformed
its art gallery into the Upcounty Consolidation Hub. Staff began managing arts programs virtually while working side by side with partners to serve the community. The Hub provides food, infant and adult diapers, toiletries and other essential items to some 750 families weekly. A family coping with COVID-19 receives a kit containing face masks, thermometers, soups, Tylenol, Gatorade and other items. A virtual visual arts class, BlackRock in a Box, is designed for children in grades 3-8. HEADQUARTERED: Germantown SERVES: Montgomery County
• One day: Host a food and funds drive.
Mid County Consolidation Hub at Hughes United Methodist Church
• $100 provides art supplies for one child. • $500 provides food, formula and other essentials for four families.
(hughesumc.org/mid-county-hub) is a consolidation hub that helps local residents, particularly low-income families, single mothers, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness and seniors. The Hub distributes diapers, formula, nonperishable foods, produce, prepared meals, and rent and bill assistance. Partnerships with the county government and other local nonprofits enable the Hub to efficiently connect clients with other vital resources. HEADQUARTERED: Wheaton SERVES: Mid-Montgomery County
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
• Ongoing: Help in the box office or be an usher.
• $500 pays for culturally appropriate summer lunches for 100 kids. • $1,000 helps one family per month with rent and utilities.
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
Manna Food Center (mannafood.org) works to end hunger through food distribution, nutrition education and advocacy to reduce poverty across Montgomery County. Last year, Manna distributed 3.6 million pounds of food to individuals, children, seniors and the working poor. Manna values partnerships with community groups, businesses and farms to address immediate needs and create sustainable healthy communities. HEADQUARTERED: Gaithersburg and Silver Spring SERVES: Montgomery County WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 supports one Manna truck’s daily food rescue, enabling distribution of quality proteins and fresh vegetables to participants. • $500 purchases 417 pounds of fresh produce from local farmers through Manna’s Farm to Food Bank program. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Prepare food boxes and sort canned goods.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Help pack or distribute food onsite or deliver bags of food to seniors.
Montgomery County Food Council (mocofoodcouncil.org) leads over 2,000 partners in collective impact education and advocacy initiatives to cultivate a more resilient, sustainable and equitable local food system. They improve access for 100,000plus people at risk for hunger, support 100-plus MoCo Made farms and food and beverage entrepreneurs, and address food system impacts on natural resources. HEADQUARTERED: Bethesda SERVES: Montgomery County
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $50 supports one convening of the Gardening Subcommittee, whose efforts expand community gardening access in the county. • $250 funds Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application help to one Montgomery County household,
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including prescreening eligibility determination and application completion. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Participate in a hunger awareness media campaign. • Ongoing: Serve as a community food resource navigator.
• $500 provides fuel to pick up food donations to supply groceries for 700 families a month. SSL
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Ongoing: Sort, pack and distribute groceries; plan fundraising events; grant-writing; photography/videography; website updates.
SERVES: Montgomery County and Prince George’s County WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $250 covers the cost of prescription medication for eight clients. • $1,000 covers the cost of food for 280 meals. SSL
Rainbow Community Development Center (rainbowcdc.org) seeks to build better lives for those in need through safety net services: emergency food pantry, eviction prevention, prevention of utility cutoff and temporary emergency shelter. The food pantry is its largest program. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Montgomery County
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $50 provides a two-week supply of groceries for a family of seven.
Shepherd’s Table (shepherdstable.org) serves more than 2,500 individuals experiencing homelessness, food insecurity or poverty in the county every year by providing nutritious meals, clothing, a mailing address, prescription assistance, information and referrals, case management and other social services. Its eye clinic provides vision screenings, prescription eyeglasses and treatment for glaucoma and cataracts for the uninsured. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One Day: Make sandwiches, baked goods or casseroles at home or serve meals on-site.
Put a Roof Over Someone’s Head Bethesda Cares (bethesdacares.org) works to prevent, ease and end homelessness throughout Montgomery County. For some clients, homelessness is a difficult but transitory state, while for others, living on the streets is
Everyone can use a helping hand. For more than three decades, Mary's Center has provided the highest quality of care to all who walk through our doors: the young, elderly, sick, and thousands of families throughout the region – regardless of their ability to pay. Stand with us as we work to rebuild stronger, healthier communities during these challenging times.
Transform a Life Today
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Volunteer Spotlight
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s a volunteer food security advocate with the Montgomery County Food Council, Camila Pinares connects low-income residents with resources, including nonprofit and government programs. The 20-year-old Montgomery College student educates people about the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, and helps them apply. She focuses her outreach on Latino communities. Fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese, Pinares works to help narrow the “SNAP gap”—the difference between those who are
Camila Pinares Montgomery County Food Council
eligible to receive benefits and those who actually get them, says Allison Schnitzer, director of Food Access Initiatives with the food council. Schnitzer says Pinares’ volunteerism is particularly valuable because most of the eligible individuals who don’t receive SNAP in Montgomery County don’t speak English. Pinares left Peru with her family in 2016 and now lives in Aspen Hill. She says she knows firsthand how difficult it can be to find available resources, as information often isn’t shared in Spanish. When Pinares had a baby two years ago, she learned how to apply
Camila Pinares at the Montgomery County Food Council’s offices in Bethesda
for benefits and became a SNAP recipient with the help of training from the food council and Maryland Hunger Solutions. Now, she says, she’s volunteering to help others avoid the mistakes she made. “I was one of the misinformed people,” Pinares says. “Now if I need something, I know where to go; I know what to do. I know how to advocate for others. I want more young moms like me to have that as an advantage, too.” Pinares regularly goes to shopping centers to hand out flyers containing information about the SNAP program. She has created a bilingual Facebook page to inform residents about available resources in the community. Once they’re interested in applying, Pinares helps individuals upload the necessary documents to qualify for the program online. She recently helped a mother of two who was pregnant and had just arrived in this country to connect with nonprofits and obtain clothing, diapers and food for her family. Since its establishment in 2012, the nonprofit Montgomery County Food Council has brought together businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and residents to promote improvements to the local food system. This network has four working groups that address food recovery and access, food economy, food education and environmental impact. Working to improve the overall system, Pinares also serves on the food council’s Food Security Community Advisory Board. She is completing her second year with the 15-member group, which provides feedback on the various programs and services in the county related to food insecurity. Pinares has shared her personal experience and perspective on policies with government officials. During the 2021 state legislative session, she testified in support of Maryland’s Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program. “Camila is so passionate, motivated, determined and energetic. She is a fighter for her community for people to get the benefits that they need,” Schnitzer says. Pinares aspires to be a surgeon and wants to provide low-income patients with affordable health care. —Caralee Adams
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guide to giving a way of life. Through street outreach and a drop-in center, staff work to build clients’ trust. Many clients then choose to join the daily meal program, use the showers and clothing closet, and access counseling and, ultimately, assistance with housing placement. Once housing is secured, a specialist connects clients to social services and works to ensure a successful transition. For people who have housing but could lose it because of financial crises, small grants (sent directly to landlords or utility providers) prevent eviction. HEADQUARTERED: Bethesda SERVES: Montgomery County
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 provides winter coats, blankets and gloves for five clients. • $500 provides rent or utilities for three clients.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: • Ongoing: Serve or prepare lunch for clients Monday through Friday.
• Ongoing: Serve or prepare dinner for clients on Sunday.
The Dwelling Place (tdp-inc.org) provides fully furnished housing and support services to help families achieve and maintain selfsufficiency. Lacking job skills, employment track records, and financial education, and often experiencing mental/behavioral and chronic health disabilities, many low-income, single-parent families find that homelessness is not the start of a struggle, but the continuation of one. Through The Dwelling Place, families live in one of 10 units, and a case manager works with them to develop a plan for reducing debt, increasing income, and achieving employment and housing. Partnerships bring job search support, credit counseling, holiday assistance, life skills classes, tutoring for kids and advocacy with their schools. HEADQUARTERED: Montgomery Village
SERVES: Montgomery County WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 provides household cleaning supplies for four families. • $500 provides new mattresses for two children. SSL
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Ongoing: Serve as program volunteer and helper.
Housing Unlimited (housingunlimited.org) owns 76 homes, providing independent housing for 210 adults with psychiatric disabilities. Rents are based on each tenant’s income and are capped both to provide security and encourage employment. Residents remain free to make their own decisions regarding therapy and medical care. A tenants’ council strengthens leadership and organizational skills and ensures that tenants have a voice in their day-to-day lives. The current waitlist for this program is two years.
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guide to giving HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Montgomery County WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 provides subsidies for tenants’ council social events. • $500 provides kitchen supplies for a new home. SSL
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Ongoing: Serve as a program volunteer, helping with everything from office work to lawn care.
Improve Someone’s Health Care for Your Health (care4yourhealth.org) strives to provide multicultural health care to elders that supports life changes, enhances enjoyment and promotes aging in place. In addition to organizing immunization events in the community, the organization provides primary care in office and at home plus hospital at home services. It is expanding toward holistic delivery of health services, with grief counseling, social assistance and podiatry. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Montgomery County WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $80 sponsors a primary care visit for the homeless. • $120 sponsors a home visit by a nurse practitioner. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Host a drive to help bring resources to isolated seniors. • Ongoing: Fundraising
Hope Connections for Cancer Support (hopeconnectionsforcancer.org) provides free programs of support, education and hope for people with cancer and their loved ones. Hospital support groups focus on those under clinical care or just out of treatment, but as survival rates for cancer improve, more people need emotional support long after treatment is complete. At Hope Connections for Cancer Support, support groups for individuals with cancer and their caregivers are available for as long as the participant requires. Educational workshops, stress reduction programs, and mind-body activities like yoga, Pilates
and meditation, along with social gatherings around celebrations like Cinco de Mayo or the Super Bowl, are a lifeline. HEADQUARTERED: Bethesda SERVES: Montgomery County
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 provides one Pilates session to mitigate the side effects of treatment. • $500 provides one monthly support group for 10 people.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: • Ongoing: Serve in the office supporting the team. • Ongoing: Organize and sell merchandise in the boutique.
Mary’s Center (maryscenter.org) provides health care, education, workforce development and social services to approximately 60,000 people annually to build healthier and stronger communities. Mary’s Center embraces culturally diverse communities to provide them with the highest quality of care, regardless of their ability to pay. HEADQUARTERED: Washington, D.C. SERVES: Metro region WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $300 covers the cost of two medical visits for a participant. • $1,000 provides school-based counseling to a student in need of mental health support. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Collect new toys or participate in a holiday toy drive with your friends and family.
National Alliance on Mental Illness Montgomery County (NAMI MC) (namimc.org) provides comprehensive support, education, advocacy and public awareness to promote recovery so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Montgomery County and surrounding areas
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $500 brings mental health support groups to the community through NAMI MC’s Connection Recovery and NAMI Family Support Groups.
• $1,000 supports NAMI MC’s Family-toFamily, NAMI Basics and NAMI Peer-to-Peer classes offered in English and Spanish. I
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Ongoing: Facilitate a mental health support group, class or presentation. • Ongoing: Form a NAMIWalks Montgomery County team.
Help Someone Build Skills and Find a Job CareerCatchers (careercatchers.org) provides personalized employment and job-skills counseling to the area’s most vulnerable residents. CareerCatchers serves between 700 and 800 county residents a year. Of clients seen intensively, 70% find new/better jobs within six months (the annual value of new jobs in 2021 was $8.5 million) and 85% participate in training and receive post-job placement support. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Metro region WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $500 prepares a client for work with a resume, Individual Employment Plan, training, job applications, networking and interview skills. • $1,000 covers ongoing services for a client, from intake to starting a new job. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Ongoing: Grant writing; present at workshop(s); teach computer skills; or tutor ESOL, GED, etc.
Literacy Council of Montgomery County (LCMC) (lcmcmd.org) provides one-on-one basic literacy and English as a second language (ESL) tutoring and classes. More than 130,000 residents of Montgomery County are “limited English proficient,” making tasks like completing a job application or writing a note to their child’s teacher nearly impossible. Over the past 54 years, LCMC has helped make those tasks easier for more than 20,000 adult learners. LCMC provides cost-effective instruction to foreign-born and native-born students who have limited flexibility in their schedules, may not be comfortable in large classes, or may simply need to learn at their own pace.
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Marcela Cámpoli Care for Your Health
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t Care for Your Health (C4YH), Marcela Cámpoli provides behind-the-scenes support to help the agency reach out efficiently to older people so they can age in place. The 48-year-old Rockville resident has volunteered on the organization’s board of directors since 2009 and became its president in 2014. The nonprofit offers affordable health care and support services primarily to elderly low-income Latino residents at its Silver Spring clinic, as well as through mobile programs and home visits.
“I believe in community health,” Cámpoli says. “The current health system is overwhelmed by bureaucracy and overridden by high-cost services. Having micro-practices that are flexible to serve the community is critical for a system that is sometimes inaccessible to many.” Cámpoli, who moved from Argentina to the U.S. 16 years ago, says the C4YH model reminds her of how rural doctors in her home country would go to patients to provide treatment with little support staff
Marcela Cámpoli at a Care for Your Health mobile clinic in Germantown
Volunteer Spotlight
and few resources. With a bachelor’s degree in business administration, a master’s in health administration and a doctorate in health economics, Cámpoli shares her knowledge with C4YH— particularly on quality improvement and management. She works full time as director of the Institute for Credentialing Research and Quality Management at the American Credentialing Center of the American Nurses Association in Silver Spring. Dr. Anna Maria Izquierdo-Porrera, executive director of C4YH, says she has relied on Cámpoli as a sounding board for new ideas and a consultant on the organization’s operations. “She’s helped us pay attention to quality,” Izquierdo-Porrera says. “When you try to build a system that will treat you really well, regardless of whether you have money or not, having someone with that expertise is essential.” Cámpoli has helped C4YH build its infrastructure, track its services, review workflows and improve efficiency, IzquierdoPorrera says. She also has conducted risk assessments and done strategic planning with the nonprofit. Since C4YH began in 2008, it has evolved in response to community needs. Support has expanded for individuals with dementia, and considerations are underway to provide adult day care, Izquierdo-Porrera says. Through the coronavirus pandemic, it has been running mobile clinics to provide COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, using bilingual volunteers to help build trust with Latino communities to improve vaccination rates. Cámpoli says she shares Izquierdo-Porrera’s vision to provide multicultural care to people in need and says she would encourage others to look for ways to give of their time. “The important thing in volunteering for any type of organization is finding your own voice in that volunteer work,” Cámpoli says. “I would not say that volunteering is easy. I would not say that it’s not demanding. However, it’s the way you serve beyond what you do every day to help others.” —Caralee Adams
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guide to giving It also offers conversation classes and workplace literacy courses. Over 30 classes at six sites will reach nearly 1,700 adults next year. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Montgomery County • $100 provides online books for five students.
for systemic change in local courts, and share promising new court practices. Today, because of CW’s efforts, more survivors are protected from contact with their abusers in court; more children have safe court-supervised visits with their noncustodial parent; and fewer abusers have access to guns. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Montgomery County
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
• Ongoing: Be a tutor for the GED program. • Ongoing: Serve as an ESL teacher assistant.
• $100 provides transportation to court for 10 individuals. • $250 provides training for 10 volunteers to become court monitors.
Red Wiggler Community Farm
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
(redwiggler.org) is a certified organic farm where people with and without developmental disabilities come together to work, learn and grow healthy food. The farm distributes half of harvests to various partner organizations serving neighbors in need, while the other half is sold through the Community Supported Agriculture program. In this way, growers with developmental disabilities have a chance to help others while earning a paycheck. HEADQUARTERED: Germantown SERVES: Montgomery County
• Ongoing: Serve as a volunteer court observer.
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $250 provides five deliveries of fresh vegetables to area group homes for adults with disabilities. • $1,000 provides ergonomic hand tools for growers and volunteers. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day or weekly: Participate in on-farm education and volunteer opportunities.
Help Domestic Violence Victims Court Watch Montgomery (courtwatchmontgomery.org) is focused on helping domestic violence victims. After years of abuse, many victims take a brave step: They come to local courts to seek legal protection. Too often, they experience inadequate safety measures, inappropriate demeanor by court staff, and insufficiently trained judges. Court Watch works to change that. Its volunteers collect data about what is actually happening in civil and criminal domestic violence courtrooms in Montgomery County, use the data to advocate
Support People With Disabilities Main Street Connect Inc. (mainstreetconnect.org) provides affordable, inclusive housing and community engagement. Adults with disabilities are underserved when they reach the “cliff” at age 21 and lose services that confer independence and bring meaning into their lives. Main Street has developed an inclusive apartment complex and community center adjacent to Rockville’s town center. Of Main Street’s 70 apartments, 25% are set aside for adults with disabilities. The 10,000-square-foot community center includes a fitness center, teaching kitchen, multimedia room and a classroom, all to engage residents and community members. More than 20 weekly social, educational, cultural, therapeutic and wellness programs are offered through various membership tiers to serve all ages, interests and abilities. (Main Street’s founder and executive director, Jillian Copeland, owns Bethesda Magazine with her husband, Scott.) HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Montgomery County
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 provides financial aid for a monthly virtual membership. • $500 provides financial aid for a six-month membership. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Join and promote Soulfull Satuday events.
• Ongoing weekly: Greet residents and members, and support daily programs.
Potomac Community Resources (PCR) (pcr-inc.org) promotes the inclusion of teens and adults with developmental differences into community life through social/recreational and respite care programs, public policy advocacy, and the James M. Sullivan Memorial House, home to women with developmental differences. PCR steps in when people with developmental and intellectual differences “age out” at 21 of school system services. PCR provides therapeutic programs in arts, fitness and communications with full inclusion. A respite care program provides therapeutic activities and nursing support for medically fragile people with profound disabilities, while social clubs unite adults from around the region and help prevent loneliness. Support is also there both for caregivers and families whose children are transitioning to adulthood. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Montgomery County
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 provides supplies for the Wednesday art program. • $500 provides five music and fitness videos for PCR members. SSL
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Ongoing: Serve as program volunteer and helper.
Help Someone Succeed in College CollegeTracks (collegetracksusa.org) empowers first-generation-to-college students and students from immigrant and low-income households in Montgomery County, helping them bridge systemic opportunity gaps to get to and through postsecondary education and on a career pathway. CollegeTracks believes that every student deserves a pathway to prosperity, and that education will help build a brighter future for Montgomery County. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: MCPS high school students and alums WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $250 helps one high school senior submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (two hours of support).
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• $1,500 provides one year of postsecondary admissions and financial advising for a high school senior (99% are accepted into college/postsecondary education).
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: • Weekly: Help students navigate the postsecondary admissions and financial aid processes, and build networks.
Future Link (futurelinkmd.org) seeks to close the social justice gap by empowering first-generation-to-college, low-income young adults through career exploration programs, internships, mentoring, academic advising and scholarships. Future Link’s intensive individualized program emphasizes persistence in postsecondary education; teaches workplace, self-advocacy and decision-making skills; and equips students with a concrete plan to enable self-sufficiency through a meaningful career. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Montgomery County
At The Monitor Group, LLC, we have the client—and only the client—in mind.
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $500 provides tuition for one Montgomery College class toward a degree or certification. • $1,000 provides career planners for 50 Future Link students. I
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Weekly: Help a student with career planning and exploration. • Ongoing: Mentor a young adult.
Generation Hope (generationhope.org) ensures that all student parents have the opportunities to succeed and experience economic mobility by engaging education and policy partners to drive systemic change and providing direct support to teen parents in college as well as their children through holistic two-generation programming. HEADQUARTERED: Washington, D.C. SERVES: Metro region WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 provides culturally relevant, ageappropriate children’s books to build a family’s home library. • $1,000 ensures that eight scholars can participate in career readiness programming. I
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Resume review; career shadowing; child care volunteer. • Ongoing: Mentor; tutor scholars.
We are an INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES and WEALTH MANAGEMENT FIRM serving families and business owners seeking financial confidence. We believe education, collaborative planning solutions and excellent customer service help you work towards your financial goals. In an ever-changing economic environment, we are the team of advisors you can trust.
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guide to giving Offer a Safety Net to Those in Need
Help Build Communities
Arts for the Aging (artsfortheaging.org) engages older adults and caregivers with diverse abilities and backgrounds in health improvement and life enhancement through regular participation in the multidisciplinary arts. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Metro region
Interfaith Works (iworksmc.org), founded in 1972, has a mission to support neighbors in need by providing vital services and a pathway to greater stability. IW’s 130 staff and 7,000 volunteers provide emergency shelter, supportive housing, essential needs and employment programs to more than 35,000 Montgomery County residents each year. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Montgomery County
IMPACT Silver Spring (impactsilverspring.
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
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• $100 provides job-specific clothing, including uniforms, steel-toed boots and slip-resistant shoes, for a recently employed client. • $1,000 helps two families avoid being evicted from their homes.
• $150 ensures language justice by providing interpretation for multilingual community events. • $500 provides supplies for one raised vegetable bed for a family of four in one of IMPACT’s community gardens.
• One day: Provide Spanish translation for heART Kit instructions and other workshop materials. Must be fluent in written Spanish and English, with demonstrated success on previous translation projects. • Weekly: Give behind-the-scenes tech support for the virtual workshop series.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Ongoing: Sort/organize donated clothes and goods; gardening/landscaping; organize/deliver meals to shelter clients; provide administrative support.
org) aims to achieve a racially and economically equitable Montgomery County through building and sustaining community-based, equity-focused spaces where people and organizations can take collaborative action. IMPACT believes that achieving true equity requires transformation at the personal/interpersonal, neighborhood and systems levels. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Montgomery County
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• As needed: Teach English as a second language (ESL) classes. • As needed: Volunteer as a youth soccer coach (minimum age 18).
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $50 creates one heART Kit—a custom visual, tactile and literary art-making kit that helps bridge the digital divide. • $500 covers video production of a monthlong program series. I
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Arts on the Block (artsontheblock.com) is a team-centered, studio-based initiative that emphasizes social inclusion, emotional development and professional achievement. Its signature effort, The Apprentice Program, engages disconnected, ethnically diverse, low-to-middle-income youths (ages 15-21) in entrepreneurial arts-based workforce training. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Montgomery County
Sheppard Pratt (sheppardpratt.org) provides support programs to more than 70,000 people annually throughout Maryland. Its local office, formerly known as Family Services, offers programs aimed to improve the quality of life for families: special education services, child development programs, preventative and early interventions, emergency assistance, mental health and substance abuse services, and support for domestic violence survivors. HEADQUARTERED: Towson SERVES: Maryland, including Montgomery and Prince George’s counties
AmaZing Theatre Co. (amazingtheatre. org), which is nestled in a historic district, provides workshops to encourage actors and playwrights, and produces socially significant plays based on current and historical events that affect the lives of Americans, particularly in Black/African American communities. HEADQUARTERED: Ashton/Sandy Spring SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
ArtStream (art-stream.org) offers perfor-
• $500 provides aid and shelter to a woman and her children fleeing domestic violence and human trafficking. • $1,000 provides safe environments for youths to prevent gang involvement and support recovery from substance abuse.
• $125 supports the tuition for a six-week acting workshop for a child or adult. • $5,000 underwrites the cost of theater productions to keep ticket prices affordable.
mance opportunities to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities—including autism—through classes and theater companies. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Metro region
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One time: Volunteer at a special event.
Support the Arts and Humanities
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Assist with special events. • Monthly: Help manage AmaZing Theatre’s social media presence.
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 provides mosaic supplies for 10 students. • $500 provides a workshop on resume writing and training for 25 students. SSL
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Ongoing: Serve as a mentor for a youth.
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 pays for a Super Social Saturday
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Meredith Griggs Court Watch Montgomery
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o make sure judges in Montgomery County support victims of domestic violence, a small nonprofit has trained volunteers to watch the court hearings—very carefully. Court Watch Montgomery caught the eye of Meredith Griggs when she was looking for a meaningful way to volunteer in late 2021. She spent her career in international development as a trainer at the World Bank and also with the International Monetary Fund. “As a longtime teacher and trainer, I really know that monitoring matters and evaluation matters,” says Griggs, 73, who lives in Cabin John.
On behalf of Court Watch, Griggs spends at least two mornings a month sitting in civil domestic violence courtrooms in Rockville as an objective observer. She carefully fills out a two-page form on each case, checking boxes to see if the judge follows various procedures to protect the victim’s safety. Some procedures are considered best practices around the country—for instance, not releasing victims and abusers from the courtroom at the same time, but rather staggering the exits to reduce the chances of a violent confrontation. Others are mandated by law, such as requiring the defendant to
Meredith Griggs at the Montgomery County District Court building in Rockville
Volunteer Spotlight
relinquish all firearms when a protective order is issued, according to Leslie Hawes, executive director of Court Watch Montgomery. The information collected by Griggs and other volunteers is entered into a database. Court Watch staff members then analyze the data and publish reports to recommend improvements in the court system. “I think their model is so good,” Griggs says of the organization, which provided her with extensive training. “Over time, the rigor of Court Watch has made a real difference. The data they collect is respected, and the reports they write have influence.” The organization relies heavily on volunteers to fulfill its mission and is looking for more people to supplement its roster, says Amy Cass, volunteer coordinator for Court Watch. Because of the technical nature of the work and training, volunteers are asked to sign up for at least six months. “We typically attract intellectually curious and compassionate court monitors and data entry volunteers who have a respect for data collection and a penchant for social justice issues,” Cass says. “Court Watch is a unique kind of opportunity, and it does take some commitment of time. We are asking a lot of people to sit on a hard bench in court for three hours, but it is very worthwhile.” Griggs says she’s been fortunate in her life and likes to be involved in the community helping others. “As the saying goes: To whom much is given, much is expected,” Griggs says. “Everybody can do something, no matter how small it is. No matter what it is.” Griggs has lived all over the world and is fluent in Spanish. She was a Fulbright junior lecturer in Romania and worked in Colombia. After retiring, she did a stint with the Peace Corps in Ecuador from ages 62 to 64. Working with Court Watch has given her a new insight and respect for those in the justice system, she says. “As an older, retired person, you can get set in your ways. It’s good to get out there,” Griggs says. “I’m learning so much. It’s opened up a whole new world.” —Caralee Adams
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guide to giving workshop for two students to build communication skills and make new friends. • $500 supports 15 actors with disabilities as they create an original musical theater show to be performed onstage. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Help with theater load-in or load-out. • Weekly: Mentor actors with disabilities as they create an original show or participate in a performing arts class.
CityDance (citydance.net) is a nonprofit dance institution dedicated to developing the next generation of dance artists and innovators. With studio locations across the D.C. region, CityDance trains young dancers for professional careers, nurturing talent and achievement through dance. HEADQUARTERED: Washington, D.C. SERVES: Metro region (including campuses in North Bethesda and Silver Spring)
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $50 sponsors a dancer to take a professional guest artist master class. • $250 supports the production costs for performances. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Usher at a dance performance. • Monthlong: Support the marketing team with grassroots efforts.
CREATE Arts Center (createartscenter.org) engages diverse communities with meaningful, accessible and equitable art education programs, and arts-based mental health services with licensed art therapists. For 35 years, CREATE has worked to level the playing field by ensuring that everyone has access to innovative art therapies and approaches to learning through the arts.
HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Metro region WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $75 provides materials for the Teen Mentorship & Portfolio Program. • $250 pays for a student in a semester of
smARTkids, a free after-school program for children from low-income households. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Weekly: Help staff with administrative and studio tasks. • Weekly: Assist teaching artists with weekly art classes.
GB Youth Media (GBYM) (youthmediamd.org) provides fine and media arts classes for middle and high school students, and promotes media arts careers. All classes and events are free. GBYM promotes youth voices and students’ completed artworks and films at the annual Montgomery County Youth Media Festival. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Silver Spring and approximately a 5-mile radius
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $300 supports hiring two teaching artists to teach one 1½-hour filmmaking class for up to 35 students. • $500 covers 20% of the annual art and film supplies budget. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Visit a GBYM class and talk about your career in law, journalism, arts, film or advocacy. • Weekly: Assist staff managing the studio on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings.
Imagination Stage (imaginationstage.org) empowers all young people to discover their voice and identity through performing arts education and professional theater. HEADQUARTERED: Bethesda SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $250 provides a scholarship to one student for a weeklong summer camp. • $2,500 provides a 10-session in-school residency for an underresourced school. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• None at this time.
InterAct Story Theater (interactstory.com) is a touring educational theater company that
brings interactive arts-based learning opportunities to children and families in schools and communities throughout the area. HEADQUARTERED: Wheaton SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $150 supports a virtual or in-person early childhood drama-based literacy workshop for one classroom. • $350 supports virtual or in-person playbuilding workshops for a grade level (65 to 90 children). SSL
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Provide support for events (ushering, translation, etc.). • Weekly: Help with administrative, fundraising or event support.
interPLAY Orchestra (interplayorchestra.org) presents up to three concerts each season at the Music Center at Strathmore, featuring everything from Bartok concertos to Brazilian jazz. Alongside renowned musicians from nationally recognized orchestras and jazz ensembles, members play drums, bells and tambourines— and most have moderate to severe cognitive, intellectual or physical disabilities. Reading music is not required, and most musicians learn their parts through intense listening, repetition and mastering one note at a time. HEADQUARTERED: Bethesda SERVES: Montgomery County WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 provides sheet music or CDs for two orchestra members. • $500 provides instruments for two orchestra members.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: • Ongoing: Serve as a “Bandaide” volunteer, supporting orchestra members while playing.
Kalanidhi Dance (kalanidhi.org) inspires appreciation for Kuchipudi dance through artistic excellence, creative performances, high-quality educational programs, and collaborations. More than 20,000 people have attended Kalanidhi’s live and virtual performances, Salon and Dancing Stories programs. Kalanidhi has a worldwide reach of
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over 10 million viewers through social media performances. HEADQUARTERED: Bethesda SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 gives the gift of a merit-based scholarship for a student preparing for a solo dance debut. • $500 pays for artists/performers to provide free Salon and Dancing Stories performances (serves 1,500 participants). SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Help with special events at Kalanidhi Dance. • Weekly: Assist staff with administrative and pre-event tasks.
Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and Academy (MBT) (mbtdance.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing arts opportunities and professional training to dancers of all ages and backgrounds in
a positive environment. MBT is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion to develop well-rounded dancers who have a strong sense of identity and appreciation for arts and culture. Committed to bringing arts to the community, MBT serves over 9,000 people annually through performances and outreach programming. HEADQUARTERED: Montgomery County SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $100 helps support the free ticket giveaway program. • $1,000 supports one student’s annual tuition. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Usher a performance. • Weekly: Participate in grassroots marketing events.
Montgomery Community Media (MCM) (mymcmedia.org) produces unique content that educates, entertains and inspires those
who live and work in Montgomery County. MCM is the only independent nonprofit organization providing access to public media (public access television and broadband) directly to Montgomery County’s more than 1 million residents as well as local nonprofits, associations and businesses. MCM is also a community media center, offering media training, affordable production services, studio space and more. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Montgomery County
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $75 helps sponsor the production of one news article. • $150 helps fund MCM’s internship program for aspiring young journalists. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Help with a special event at MCM’s offices. • Weekly: Provide data entry and research support.
THE SECRET TO AGING AT HOME…WITH A SMILE If you’re looking for personal care or companion care for a loved one aging at home, look no further. Montcordia provides incomparable home care that’s sure to bring a smile to mom’s or dad’s face. Choosing the wrong home care partner can only lead to aggravation and frustration. That’s why discriminating families in Montgomery County choose Montcordia Premium Home Care Services. AVAILABILITY IS LIMITED Call our Senior Care Specialist today for a private consultation: Jill Berkman 301-691-4250.
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guide to giving
Montgomery Symphony Orchestra (MSO) (msomd.org) provides musical
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
• $45 covers one rehearsal space rental. • $500 buys printed programs for one concert.
community, and educates, learns from, supports and inspires a more inclusive generation of theater-makers. Olney Theatre cultivates the creativity of the community by producing and presenting family-friendly musicals, reimagined classics, thought-provoking new plays, jazz concerts, poetry slams and more. It also enriches learning for thousands of students through performances and workshops at Olney Theatre and in schools across the nation. HEADQUARTERED: Olney SERVES: Metro region
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
• One day: Help MSO with setup and teardown on concert days (four concerts per year). • Weekly: Join the MSO (musicians at most skill levels welcome).
• $75 allows five students to attend a free matinee. • $500 supports artist fees for free community performances.
and camps for students of all ages, skill levels and abilities, and provides discounts and scholarships to ensure accessibility for all. VisArts’ contemporary art galleries feature emerging to midcareer artists from around the world and supports artists through paid fellowships and residencies, stipends and studio space. VisAbility Art Lab provides studio and career support and guidance for neurodiverse artists. VisArts’ free public art programs include partnerships with other nonprofits, installations, workshops, online classes and the annual Rockville Arts Festival. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Metro region
programs of the highest quality for the community and gives local amateur and volunteer professional musicians the opportunity to play and grow. HEADQUARTERED: Takoma Park SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS:
New Orchestra of Washington (NOW) (neworchestraofwashington.org) strives to build a world in which transformative musical experiences are available and accessible to all. Artistic Director Alejandro HernandezValdez from Mexico and Executive Director Grace Cho from South Korea founded NOW guided by six values: Collaboration, Representation, Education, Advocacy, Technology and Experimentation (CREATE), and the belief that music connects people and brings communities closer. HEADQUARTERED: Rockville SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $200 supports a musician visit to an MCPS school to work with students in K-12 music programs. • $1,000 supports a small ensemble concert at a Montgomery County playground.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: • Day of event: Volunteer as an usher for a community concert. • Prior to event: Help print and collate programs.
Olney Theatre Center for the Arts (olneytheatre.org) produces and curates performances for the diverse audiences in the
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Support community celebrations like SummerFest. • Yearlong: Serve as an usher to help welcome audiences.
Sandy Spring Museum (sandyspring museum.org) is a catalyst for community building by allowing opportunities for community-driven creative engagement in educational programs and a range of cultural arts. HEADQUARTERED: Sandy Spring SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $250 underwrites one History Happy Hour. • $1,000 underwrites the use of the museum for community events like open mics, bluegrass jams and summer beer gardens. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Help with special events. • Weekly: Serve as a front desk receptionist.
Sutradhar Institute of Dance & Related Arts (dancesidra.org) offers classes in classical Indian dance, martial arts (Thang-Ta), vinyasa yoga, storytelling and visual arts. Along with an annual summer program, the institute hosts workshops and panel discussions, and is creating an extensive archive on dance. HEADQUARTERED: Silver Spring SERVES: Metro region
• $100 helps fund scholarships for deserving children. • $500 aids in the creation of the dance archive. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• One day: Assist with an event or in maintaining the meditation gardens. • Weekly: Help the director and associate director in the office and in class.
VisArts (visartscenter.org) offers art classes
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $250 covers supplies for free public art programs. • $750 provides camp scholarships for one child. SSL
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• Weekly: Help with administrative tasks, camps and the galleries.
The Writer’s Center (writer.org) supports writers and anyone who wants to write. The organization offers 300 writing workshops every year in all genres and for all experience levels, as well as dozens of free literary events, both virtual and in person. HEADQUARTERED: Bethesda SERVES: Metro region WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $50 provides a scholarship for a writer to attend a one-session workshop.
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Jay Tipnis
Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and Academy
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few years ago, the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and Academy in Gaithersburg was looking for parent volunteers to perform in a few scenes in the annual production of The Nutcracker. Jay Tipnis, now 44, had no dance experience, but he signed up and learned the role of a party parent. He’s been volunteering at MBT ever since. Tipnis’ daughter, Leia, started taking classes at the dance organization about six years ago. “My wife had taken her to see The Nutcracker at Metropolitan Ballet Theatre a couple of years before, and she was just so
thrilled watching that and seeing the beauty of the production,” says Tipnis, who lives in North Potomac. Leia was 4 at the time, so she had to wait three years until she was old enough to join the Youth Program at MBT, a nonprofit with locations in Clarksburg and Gatithersburg that’s been teaching students how to dance since 1989. Now 12, Leia takes classes in different styles of dance up to five times a week. Tipnis’ contribution as a volunteer varies for each production. Sometimes he plays a character on stage. Other times he helps
Jay Tipnis at Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and Academy’s Clarksburg location
Volunteer Spotlight
guide dancers backstage or moves props, like he did for Alice in Wonderland one year. He says there’s “almost an electric atmosphere” backstage before shows as excited dancers get ready to perform. During last year’s production of The Nutcracker, Tipnis was responsible for staying on beat while moving a dolly that held a dancing platform for Mother Ginger as children popped out from underneath her dress. “It is a lot harder than it looks to make that dress dance and stay in rhythm with everyone,” he says with a laugh. He also creates promotional materials for shows, helping with photography and videography, and creating advertisements for the MBT website, YouTube and Vimeo. He’s an operational researcher working on various programs for the Department of Defense in Virginia, with no film background, so he’s been learning as he goes. Performances haven’t always been recorded at MBT, but Tipnis is working to change that. “I’ve been making an effort to do that not only for the school, but for the students as well as their families,” he says. “Jay does such a wonderful job catching the action behind [the scenes],” Academy and Development Manager Noline Edmond says. “The end product always exceeds our expectations.” The time commitment is usually a couple of hours each week, Tipnis says, but the biggest commitment is during dress rehearsals and performance weekends. Tipnis says his parents immigrated to the United States from India in the 1970s and bonded with others through community theater, so that was a big part of his life growing up—he acted in some shows and helped out backstage in others, similar to his volunteer work at MBT today. It feels like he’s carrying on a family tradition by experiencing something similar with his daughter, he says. He says the “family atmosphere” that MBT generates for every production is what stands out to him the most. “It’s a chance for us to bond with something that our kids feel very passionate about,” he says. —Christine Zhu
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Other ways to
SHARING MONTGOMERY FUND
GIVE
thecommunityfoundation.org Established more than 25 years ago, the Montgomery County office of the Greater Washington Community Foundation was created to make it easier for county residents and businesses to give to the causes most dear to their hearts, anywhere in the world. The Community Foundation also pools contributions from hundreds of people through Sharing Montgomery, a fund that supports programs serving our low-income neighbors. The Community Foundation’s staff and donor-led committees conduct a rigorous annual vetting process that evaluates each applicant for strong leadership, fiscal management and program excellence. With a gift to Sharing Montgomery, a donor can touch the lives of thousands of neighbors today, while also working to build more equitable, just and enriching communities where all residents can live, work and thrive.
CATALOGUE FOR PHILANTHROPY
• $150 covers the honorarium to bring a nationally renowned author to a free public event. I
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
• None at this time.
Young Artists of America (YAA) (yaa.org) offers transformative musical theater education and performance opportunities to a diverse group of students, grades 4-12, throughout Greater Washington, D.C. Students perform with a full symphonic youth orchestra in state-of-the-art venues like The Music Center at Strathmore. YAA’s Summer Performing Arts Intensives (both day and overnight camps) help students find their voice. HEADQUARTERED: North Bethesda SERVES: Metro region
WHAT A DONATION BUYS: • $50 provides one student with a musical score. • $250 pays for one orchestra student’s tuition.
cfp-dc.org
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Catalogue for Philanthropy believes in the power of small nonprofits to spark big change. Every day, Catalogue for Philanthropy works to create a more equitable, more just D.C. region, creating equity of access for small local nonprofits—access to donors, networks, information and relationships—elevating their voice and impact, empowering them, and working with them to strengthen communities. Catalogue for Philanthropy programs raise visibility for 400-plus local nonprofits, as well as build their capacity through professional development and collaboration work. All programming is specially tailored to the day-to-day realities of small nonprofits working toward positive change in the Greater Washington region. With a gift to Catalogue for Philanthropy, a donor can help lift up local nonprofits working to make a difference close to home.
• One day: Help with a YAA special event. • Weekly: Provide administrative support.
ARTS AND HUMANITIES COUNCIL OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY (AHCMC) creativemoco.com AHCMC is a nonprofit organization that cultivates and supports excellence and equity in the arts and humanities, expands access to cultural expression, and contributes to the economic vitality of Montgomery County’s multifaceted creative sector. As Maryland’s largest and most active government-designated local arts agency, AHCMC provides leadership, capacity-building support, and professional development resources to Montgomery County’s vibrant arts and humanities community. Donations to AHCMC support programs that provide emergency assistance, grants and promotional services to the diverse array of artists, practitioners and cultural nonprofits that call Montgomery County home; bring arts education to Montgomery County Public Schools classrooms; and uplift individuals and organizations across the local arts and cultural industries.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
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Tammy Gruner Durbin 35
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Timeless I see myself as your trusted advisor in real estate. Each client is unique, and I treat each transaction as if it were my own. As such, I lead with empathy and provide my clients with every resource needed throughout their real estate transaction – from readying a home for the market, navigating transactional challenges or negotiating for the best price and terms. My fulfillment and end goal of each transaction is to put a smile on my client’s face from giving them the results they deserve. Tammy Gruner Durbin, Realtor® Vice President M: 301.996.8334 O: 301.304.8444 tammy.grunerdurbin@compass.com Compass is a licensed real estate brokerage that abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Compass is licensed as Compass Real Estate in DC and as Compass in Virginia and Maryland. 7200 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 100 & 920, Bethesda, MD 20814
The Halem Group Now, more than ever, you need an experienced, knowledgeable real estate expert on your side. In an ever-changing market, it pays to work with an agent who stays on top of market activity and advocates for you through market shifts. Margie Halem is that person--- now more than ever. Accomplishments & Certifications: · Top 1% Agents Nationwide · Accredited Stager · Certified Senior Specialist · Ranked Among Wall Street Journal’s Top Agents · Washingtonian Magazine, 2022 Top Realtor Recipient · 2010 - 2021 Top Vote Recipient, Best of Bethesda Magazine
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Compass is a licensed real estate brokerage that abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Compass is licensed as Compass Real Estate in DC an as Compass in Virginia and Maryland. 7200 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 500, Bethesda, MD 20814 | 301.304.8444
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interview
A CONVERSATION WITH
CHRISTY BOWE The pioneering photojournalist, a Chevy Chase native, chats about covering five presidential administrations—and getting a gentle scolding from the Dalai Lama BY ROSE HOROWITCH
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ABOVE PHOTO BY JOSEPH TRAN; ALL OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTY BOWE
hen Christy Bowe was a fledgling photographer with scarcely more than ribboncutting gigs under her belt, she attended a National Press Club event to build up her portfolio. In the 350-seat auditorium, she went for the front row. And when another woman entered and told Bowe she wanted her seat, Bowe refused to cede her spot. Bowe didn’t know she was speaking to Sarah McClendon, one of the first female members of the National Press Club and a reporter well known for stumping presidents with tough questions. Bowe realized her mistake when Henry Kissinger, the guest of honor at the 1996 event, greeted McClendon with a bear hug and a twirl. Still, McClendon liked that Bowe “wasn’t backing down to her,” Bowe says. A few days later, Bowe sent McClendon a photo she had snapped of her and Kissinger, along with a note thanking her for helping women advance in the industry. Soon after, McClendon offered to hire Bowe as the photographer for her eponymous news service. So began a nearly 30-year career that would span five presidential administrations, three impeachments, and interactions with everyone from Princess Diana to Sean Connery. Most recently, Bowe, 67, wrote Eyes That Speak, a book about her years covering politics in Washington, D.C. She continues to work as a photojournalist for ImageCatcher News Service, the agency she founded in 2000. Bowe grew up in Chevy Chase and describes herself as a “third-generation
Above: Christy Bowe at her Chevy Chase home. From left: Bowe at the U.S. Capitol dome, where she was photographing the John McCain viewing; with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and journalists Helen Thomas and Christiane Amanpour at a National Press Club event in 2008; with Laura and George W. Bush in 2008, at the last White House Christmas Party before “43” left office BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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interview How did Sarah McClendon and (longtime White House reporter) Helen Thomas inspire you as female journalists in a male-dominated field? They really taught me how to not back down from something that you want. If you’ve got something that you want to say or something that you want to know, don’t let somebody deflect you from that, because that certainly happens a lot in politics, where somebody will ask a question and they’ll get an answer that’s nowhere close to what the question was about, and then the opportunity is gone. [McClendon] was the voice of the little people. We would often ride in cabs, and she would always insist on sitting in the front seat with the cabdriver. One day, she was talking to the cabdriver and he was taking us to the White House for a press conference with President Clinton. And so she goes, ‘If you could ask the president of the United States anything, what would that be?’ And he had a question about immigration and his family. And 45 minutes later, Sarah was asking that cabdriver’s question to the president of the United States.
Bowe photographed Queen Elizabeth II in 2007.
What was it like to be a female pioneer in this field with a lot of guys? Let me tell you, you don’t see the gentlemanly, ‘After you, ma’am.’ You ain’t going to see that. I would say there’s no special access. Now I’m proud to say that there are more women photographers. What sets me apart is that I’ve covered five U.S. presidents. One of the takeaways that I have learned during the course of my career with all the different presidents is that no matter what, they’re all human beings, and people need to be more aware of that. Yes, they signed up for this job, and yes, it can be brutal. But sometimes it goes a little bit over the top. I noticed, espe-
cially in my chapter on the three presidents coming out of the Oval Office together, with Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, I could see up close that they were kind of in a boys’ club. Nobody on earth but each other knows what that job is like. People can be nicer, I think, from even something as simple as Joe Biden where he fell off his bike. People were like, ‘He’s old, he doesn’t know what he’s doing, he’s senile.’ How many of us has that happened to, where you fall off your bike? It’s happened to everybody. So give him a break, that’s what I’m saying. I’m not saying don’t report news. I’m saying there’s a way to do it.
What do you have to understand to try to capture a person in a photo? I always make it a point to try to have my pictures be different from the person standing right next to me that’s shooting the exact same thing. Whenever I go into a room, whether it’s the Oval Office or the East Room, I try to always look around and see who else is in the room. You really yield some wonderful results from the moments before or after [the event] you were there to photograph. [In my book, there’s] a picture of Presidents Clinton and Obama being buddies; they’re laughing and they got their hand on each other’s shoulder and I think Obama’s slapping him on the back. That kind of thing to me was every bit as significant, maybe more so, than President Obama putting the Medal of Freedom around Clinton’s neck. I tend to go for the moments before or after to try to capture the relationships between people and to see the range of emotions. How do you get around the fact that they’re really trying to only show you one perfect, buttoned-up side, to capture the emotions and the reality? Some times are easier than others. I know there’s one picture in my book that is from the Obama administration, where he had the parents of children that had been killed at Sandy Hook [Elementary School in Connecticut] there in the room. All these different parents and relatives and families, and the president started
PHOTO BY CHRISTY BOWE
Washingtonian.” After getting kicked out of Catholic high school for talking back to a teacher, she says, she graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and took classes at Montgomery College. She got hooked on photography as a teenager, when she took a road trip with friends from Bethesda to Texas, shooting landscapes along the way. When she got the printed pictures back, Bowe thought, This is not what I saw. The pictures showed a “bunch of flat land,” she says, but were missing the depth she’d observed in the scenery. She became interested in cultivating a photographic point of view that she could share with an audience. Bowe began taking photography classes in college and got behind the camera for Montgomery County’s public information office before McClendon hired her. We spoke to her over Zoom in August. This interview has been edited and condensed.
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ABOUT
CHRISTY BOWE AGE: 67 LIVES IN: Chevy Chase CAREER: Credentialed photojournalist at UPI and McClendon News service, 1996-2000; founded her own agency, ImageCatcher News Service, in 2000 PETS: Two dogs, a cat and a cockatiel FUN FACT: She earned a black belt in taekwondo in 1990.
crying because he was just so frustrated about gun laws. It was just visceral. I was crying. Usually I stay pretty separate, but the emotion was so raw in that room. That was easy to get the picture across that I wanted to because the moment was so fueled with sorrow and grief.
What were the personalities of the presidents that you’ve covered and their different ways of relating to the press and to people in their administrations? President [George W.] Bush was my favorite president to cover. He was very genuine, and he would kid around with me, which I really enjoyed because there weren’t many women still photographers back then. He’d always say to me something like, ‘How are the guys treating you today?’ Or a lot of times when the staffers would get us out of the Oval Office, they would say, ‘Thank you very much.’ And this one day, I happened to be the only woman still photographer there. And so the handler from the White House said, ‘Gentlemen, thank you very much.’ And President Bush stops and he goes, ‘Hey, wait a minute,’ and he points to me and he goes, ‘There’s a lady here.’ So I said to him, ‘Thank you for noticing, Mr. President.’
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interview After the speech ended, people started marching up towards the Capitol. In the beginning part of that were the Proud Boys. One of them started yelling derogatory things about me being the media. I kept firing as they came towards me to maybe 15 or 20 yards away, and then I jumped behind a tree and let them go past. And that’s the centerfold picture in my book. They had walkie-talkies on them, and then things started getting more militaristic and you could feel the whole mood start to shift.
For print journalism, there’s a real pressure to not share your political views. What is your outlook and approach in terms of neutrality as a photojournalist? As you will notice in my book, I am extremely neutral there, extremely bipartisan. And I make a point of doing that no matter how crazy the situation is that I’m in; I try to focus more on technical aspects of it. Then, if I start feeling resentment or feel like I’m starting to place judgment, I try to focus more on my craft, and try to squash my having an opinion about something.
On another note, what was your experience photographing Queen Elizabeth II? I’m very honored to have been 15 yards away from her. [It] crossed my mind that wow, her face is on money. We [photographers] talked amongst ourselves about the whole intrigue about her purse, which always fascinated me. My friend told me that she uses that to signal to people around her, that if she moves her purse a certain way, then that means give us privacy. Just the slightest tap, and that movement would say get this person out of here, or give us some private time.
Can you talk a bit about your experience covering the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol? I was not even going to go downtown that day until I heard on the radio and the TV [that] they were saying don’t go downtown, work from home if you possibly can, it’s going to be a potentially dangerous situation. And in my world, that means what time do we leave? So I grabbed my cameras right away and ran down there and I thought, Let me be positioned at the Capitol so people are coming towards me, and I’m not caught up in the crowd where I can’t get an overview of them coming. And so I did exactly that. People were holding their phones and having Trump’s speech on speakerphone. So all these people had their phones on speakerphone, and you could hear his voice everywhere, which was kind of surreal.
In your book, you talked a lot about different experiences with famous figures like the Dalai Lama and Princess Diana. Did any of those particularly stand out? With the Dalai Lama, he had just received a Congressional Gold Medal at the Capitol, and a bunch of us were trying to get pictures of him outside when he was going to make a speech. I ended up being shoved by some other photographers behind me into the photographer in front of me. She turned around and yelled to me and said, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ Then the Dalai Lama came over to the end of the stage and leaned down and he started shaking his finger, and he goes, ‘You two stop fighting.’ He was laughing. Maybe an hour later, he had moved to a different stage and I caught his eye. I did the ‘namaste’ stance of putting your hands together, and said, ‘Namaste,’ meaning, sorry about that incident earlier. He knew exactly what I was talking about and he just laughed and posed for me. n Freelance writer Rose Horowitch is a senior at Yale University and a Bethesda resident.
A 2010 photograph by Bowe of Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush
PHOTO BY CHRISTY BOWE
How has the media landscape changed since you started? Now everything is instant. It’s breaking news 24/7. It’s good and bad. Now when we are taking pictures of the president, those images are going around the world as he’s speaking. And it’s all about people saying their opinion about what’s going on. I feel that people tend to watch the stations and listen to the people that think like they do. And that’s what’s causing the division, because you’re hearing something from people that think like you do.
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POWER UP WITH DELICIOUS BREAKFASTS FROM THESE SIX NEW MONTGOMERY COUNTY RESTAURANTS
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hen we think of going out for breakfast, reliable options include diners, fast-food restaurants and delis, but they don’t necessarily offer much in terms of ambiance or something out of the ordinary. Fortunately for us early risers, breakfast is trending, and these six new restaurants are dishing up sumptuous sammies, bountiful bowls, tantalizing toasts and so much more. By David Hagedorn Photos by Joseph Tran
Maman
7140 Bethesda Lane, Bethesda | 301-656-1526 | mamannyc.com
Everything about Maman, a New York City-based bakery and cafe that opened at Bethesda Row in June, is designed for oohs and aahs. It starts at the entrance, where a thicket of faux greenery and white flowers is intertwined in vines above the windows, a motif repeated inside the 2,600-square-foot space. Dome pendants fashioned from twigs hang over rustic farm tables outfitted with Shaker chairs and vases of white flowers. Even the espresso machine and coffee grinders are covered in a custom blue and white toile pattern. The cookies, cakes and sweet and savory pastries made inhouse (among them almond croissants, Nutella-filled beignets, matcha passion fruit olive oil loaf and quiche Lorraine) and displayed on cutting boards atop marble counters are jaw-dropping. (Oprah deemed Maman’s nutty chocolate chip cookies one of her favorite things in 2017.) Baker Elisa Marshall and her husband, lawyer Ben Sormonte, opened their first Maman (“maman” means mother in French) in 2014 in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. Now they have 18 in New York, two in Canada and two due to open in Washington, D.C., in November. The Bethesda location, which seats 74 inside and 30 outside, is their first in Maryland.
Maman’s “sunrise” menu ($9 to $16) has 11 offerings, all served on attractive Delft dishware and brought to your table after ordering at the counter. Items include a Greek yogurt granola parfait, quiche, breakfast sandwiches, French toast with whipped ricotta cheese, and omelets with a choice of fillings (tomatoes, ham, roasted peppers, feta or Comté cheese). Two large slices of toasted country bread spread with smashed avocado and piled with tomatoes, red onions and sprouts arrive on a cutting board with little piles of pumpkin seeds, coarse salt and red pepper flakes for sprinkling at will. We devoured the contents of Papa’s breakfast bowl—roasted potatoes with chunky bourbon bacon jam, sliced avocado, chipotle aioli and a sunny-side up fried egg on top. Maman serves Brooklyn-based Parlor Coffee (ground to order) and offers several nondairy milks (almond, oat, soy, coconut and pistachio). Try the iced blueberry lavender latte. The sunrise menu is available from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
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A breakfast sandwich with corned beef hash, egg, Swiss cheese, potato chips and spicy slaw at Lapu Lapu
Lapu Lapu
216 Market St. W., Gaithersburg | 240-477-7764 | lapulapubreakfast.com
Silver Spring residents Jennifer Fernandez and her husband, chef Javier Fernandez, opened Lapu Lapu in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands development in June. They named the breakfast spot after a Filipino war hero who fought against Spanish colonization, defeating Magellan in a 1521 battle in the Visayas archipelago—Javier’s birthplace over 450 years later. Inspired by Lapu Lapu, the couple’s mission, as spelled out on their website, is to help people win their daily battles after being fortified by breakfast, “the most important meal of the day.” The Fernandezes, who own the Filipino restaurant Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly in Rockville, keep it simple at Lapu Lapu’s 325-square-foot space, accessed by customers at a walk-up window. They offer five “American Classic” and five “Filipino Favorite” breakfast sandwiches, ranging from $6 for an egg and cheese to $14 for one filled with griddled, thinly sliced rib-eye steak, a
fried egg, pickled onions, cheese sauce, lettuce and garlic mayo. All are served on delicate but durable 5-inch pan de sal, Filipino bread that Fernandez buys from his sister’s Rockville bakery, Gwenie’s Pastries, to use as buns. “Pan de sal [literally, salt bread] is slightly sweet, not salty at all, despite its name,” Javier says. “It’s a Filipino breakfast staple and often an afternoon snack.” Lapu Lapu’s breakfast sandwiches may well be the best in the D.C. area, especially the ones made with scrambled eggs, and for good reason: Fernandez brings his chef bona fides to them. “They are classic French, slow-cooked, soft scrambled eggs with a tad of salt, very fluffy and buttery,” Fernandez says. “It was one of the first things I learned to make at L’Academie de Cuisine.” (Fernandez is a 2017 graduate of that Gaithersburg cooking school, now closed.) Our favorite sandwich is made with griddled, crispy-on-theoutside corned beef hash, those wonderful soft scrambled eggs, Swiss cheese, potato chips (the crunch!) and spicy slaw. For another, a Filipino mainstay—Spam—is teamed with scrambled eggs, smoked Gouda cheese, arugula and Lapu Lapu sauce (sweet Filipino ketchup, chipotle mayo, capers, garlic and soy sauce). The Paksaw sammie is loaded with soy-braised pork, a fried egg and pickles. Other than sandwiches, there are Tater Tots with Lapu Lapu sauce and grated pecorino cheese, and tasty ube soft-serve ice cream. There’s no indoor seating, but there are six tables (18 seats) outside and a large communal green space with Adirondack chairs. Beverages include juices (orange and limelike calamansi) and Crown Beverages coffee.
Lapu Lapu owners Javier and Jennifer Fernandez
Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
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Junction Bistro, Bar & Bakery 5471 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase | 586-949-2035 | junctionbakery.com
When a hankering for French toast hits, Chevy Chase’s Junction Bistro, Bar & Bakery is the place to indulge it. Their version, made with thick slices of brioche, has a light, slightly crispy egg coating on the outside and a fluffy, almost custard-like interior. Gilding the lily with maple syrup and butter is hardly necessary, but why resist? Noe Landini opened Junction Bistro in Alexandria, Virginia’s Del Ray neighborhood in 2016 and another on Capitol Hill in 2020. The 2,700-square-foot Maryland location opened in The Collection at Chevy Chase in April in the empty Ralph Lauren space. Junction seats 60 inside, plus 14 at a sleek marble bar, and 50 outside on a chic terrace with marble-topped tables. The interior is industrial-chic-meets-farmhouse. Shiplap walls, globe pendants and old photos of trolleys remind guests that Chevy Chase was a trolley hub in the early 20th century. Food ordered at the counter is delivered to diners’ tables.
Junction bakes everything daily at its Alexandria location and delivers it to Chevy Chase by 7 a.m., so relish the wide variety of baked goods, such as chocolate cream croissants, maple blueberry scones and espresso cake. The breakfast menu has 16 “mains” ($9 to $18), including eggs any style. Ten come with home fries. The cheddar chive biscuit filled with thickly sliced smoked brisket, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs and braised onions is spectacular, as are the huevos rancheros—two corn tortillas, both filled with black beans, avocado puree and spicy tomato salsa, and topped with a fried egg and goat cheese. Junction has a full liquor license. Commonwealth Joe Coffee Roasters in Arlington, Virginia, provides the brew for a wide selection of drinks that includes several flavored lattes, such as lavender honey, dulce de leche and matcha. The breakfast menu is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The restaurant does not accept cash.
The French toast at Junction Bistro, Bar & Bakery BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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Butter Me Up’s fruit- and veggie-filled Just Saying Hi bowl
feature eyebrow teekay
Butter Me Up
7101 Democracy Blvd. (Westfield Montgomery mall), Bethesda | 301-347-7370 | buttermeupdc.com
The tagline for Butter Me Up, which opened in May in Bethesda’s Westfield Montgomery mall, is “breakfast made to uplift,” and they deliver from the get-go. The entrance seating area evokes a kid’s bedroom, with fluffy clouds suspended from the ceiling, furry pastel pink and blue beanbag chairs and bright orange sofas. On the wall of a minihouse outfitted with two real bunk beds is a cursive neon sign that says “breakfast in bed.” Elsewhere in the 2,500-square-foot restaurant, which seats 45 inside and 20 outside, glass-topped dining tables, midcentury modern chairs and livingroom-like seating areas provide adults with space to work, visit and post on Instagram over breakfast. The fare, delivered tableside after ordering at the counter, features breakfast sandwiches on brioche buns ($12), superfood bowls ($13) and whole wheat sourdough toasts ($14), all as stunning as the setting, down to the heartshaped serving vessels. Sandwiches, such as the Feels Like Home (fried chicken, scrambled eggs, caramelized onions, smoked cheddar cheese, pickles and sriracha mayo), tower. Toasts (one large slice per order) include So In Love, which describes our feelings about that item, rife with an avocado spread, halved soft-boiled eggs, sprouts and hot sauce drizzles. Bowls are generous; the Just Saying Hi, a verdant puree of spinach, kale, bananas and avocado topped
with mango and pineapple chunks and a surfeit of whole, deshelled roasted pistachios, easily serves two or three. Butter Me Up is the brainchild of D.C. entrepreneur Andre McCain, whom Westfield Montgomery approached to open an outpost of HalfSmoke, his sausage-centric D.C. restaurant and bar, in their food court. (It debuted in late July; a Rockville Town Center location is slated to open by the end of this year, says McCain.) While at Westfield Montgomery to look at the space, he noticed that Aroma Espresso Bar on the other side of the mall was vacant and thought it perfect for Butter Me Up. McCain’s prepandemic Butter Me Up idea was a pancake place (hence the name), but during the COVID-19 shutdown he opted for breakfast sandwiches, which are more takeout-friendly. He operated a ghost kitchen out of the D.C. HalfSmoke but outgrew it, selling 72,000 sandwiches in a year. After sampling one, it’s easy to see why. Butter Me Up has a full liquor license and offers madeto-order smoothies and juice blends. The Lottery Ticket, made with coconut, coconut water, mint and pineapple, is delicious. Coffee is sourced from Red Rooster Coffee in Floyd, Virginia. The restaurant opens at 8 a.m. daily and closes at 6 p.m. on Sunday and at 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
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Paris in Town
4903 Cordell Ave., Bethesda | 240-552-5299 | parisintown.com
When Diane Himmich and her husband, chef Beni Himmich, moved to Bethesda in 2016, the idea was to create a D.C.-area version of Paris in Town, the North Palm Beach, Florida, bakery and cafe they’ve been operating since 2007. They settled on the windowfilled former Fuse Taco space at the corner of Cordell and Norfolk avenues, signing the lease in December 2019. Due to various COVID delays, they didn’t open until this past April. Diane’s family moved from Alexandria, Virginia, to Potomac when she was in seventh grade. She studied French at the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, then at UCLA, and then at the Sorbonne. While in Paris, she met Beni. That she is a Francophile is evident in the furnishings of her 2,000-square-foot Bethesda cafe, which seats 40 inside and six outside: white and gray marble tables with wrought iron bases, farmhouse dining chairs with woven rush seats, copper pots hanging from the ceiling and French wallpaper. French music plays in the background. Paris in Town provides table service, rather than counter. “For us, it’s about the experience,” Diane says. “We want contact with people, to give them
service. Table service can be quick but still elegant and nice.” On the breakfast menu are baked goods (sweet and savory croissants, Danish pastries and cinnamon buns are sourced from Bethesda-based Fresh Baguette; breads from Hyattsville’s Lyon Bakery) and entrees ($7.50 to $16) such as scrambled eggs; scrambled egg sandwiches (one with smoked salmon, another with provolone cheese and bacon or sausage); housemade quiches (Lorraine, goat cheese and red pepper, tomato and basil, and spinach); and a wide variety of crepes. Most are sweet—filled with Nutella, strawberries, bananas and the like—but there is also a ham and cheese crepe, with or without scrambled eggs. Paris in Town serves Nespresso espresso drinks and Farmer Brothers coffee. They have a retail and dine-in beer and wine license, so order a mimosa with breakfast and take home a bottle of wine from a selection that highlights small French vintners. The breakfast menu is available from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Sunday.
Tomato and basil quiche at Paris in Town
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great starts
Seventh State
7707 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda | 240-539-3410 | seventhstaterestaurant.com
There’s something alluring about the energy of a hotel dining room at breakfast. On our late summer visit to Seventh State, the restaurant inside the new Marriott Bethesda Downtown hotel, a young woman sits alone at a table on the patio, alternating between tapping on her laptop, sipping a cappuccino and nibbling French toast with sliced bananas, maple syrup and chocolate sauce. At one table inside, two men talk business. At another, a single diner scrolls through his phone while a server delivers a cold-pressed juice made with apples, ginger, lemon and a bit of cayenne pepper. In the corner, two children climb the back of a round corner booth while adults, likely their parents and grandparents, try to turn their attention to bowls of oatmeal and sliced apples. The 3,125-square-foot groundlevel restaurant—its name refers to Maryland, the seventh state to enter the Union—seats 55 inside and 36 outside. The design, a study in beige and earth tones, is contemporary, featuring high ceilings and, as a focal point, a copper-domed wood-fired oven. Floor-to-ceiling retractable glass
walls (open in good weather) fill the space with light. In addition to riffs on a smoked salmon everything bagel and a breakfast sando (scrambled eggs, bacon, avocado), Seventh State’s nine entree options ($12 to $18) include eggs any style, a ham omelet and a tomato frittata. The standout is the shakshuka—a small castiron skillet of hearty cinnamon-, clove- and sumacspiced tomato sauce dotted with feta chunks and topped with two fried eggs. For yolk sopping, strips of toasted flatbread sprinkled with za’atar seasoning (sesame seeds, thyme, oregano, sumac) accompany the dish. Another winner is a bowl of red and white quinoa, English peas and roasted vegetables dressed with lemon vinaigrette and crowned with a poached egg and squiggles of roasted pepper and sun-dried tomato sauce. Seventh State has a full liquor license. They serve Starbucks coffee and Pure Green cold-pressed juices. Breakfast is available from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Seventh State’s open kitchen allows for views of the action and the copper-domed oven (top); the shakshuka comes with toasted flatbread. 162 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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Recently Opened More spots offering breakfast fare
BOULANGERIE CHRISTOPHE 11321 Seven Locks Road, Suite 100 (Cabin John Village), Potomac 301-298-9878 boulangeriechristophe.com CAFÉ SOPHIE 7940 Airpark Road (Montgomery County Airpark), Gaithersburg 240-261-4189 cafesophie.net THE CAFE AT ZINNIA 9201 Colesville Road, Silver Spring 301-704-6653 eatzinnia.com EFFOI RESTAURANT 8233 Fenton St., Silver Spring 240-366 4263 effoirestaurant.com FILO CAFE 4836 Boiling Brook Pkwy. North Bethesda 410-639-5405 FLIP’D BY IHOP 8537 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring 301-273-3132 flipd.com JAVA NATION 121 Market St. (Kentlands), Gaithersburg, 240-800-1004 javanation.com SCRATCH KITCHEN & BISTRO 18062 Georgia Ave., Olney 240-998-5365 scratcholney.com
Coming soon (as of press time)
THE BREAKFAST CLUB 8240 Fenton St., Silver Spring JAVA NATION 1010 Wayne Ave., Silver Spring javanation.com
David Hagedorn is the restaurant critic for Bethesda Magazine. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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Known by their clients as
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Andy and Jessica have been voted as one of the top real estate agents by Bethesda magazine readers. Contact Andy today for a free consultation and customized list of available properties.
Andy & Jessica Alderdice 301.466.5898 andy4homes.com Bethesda All Points Office 301.229.4000
KAT CONLEY m 301.943.3865 | o 301.229.4000 Kat.Conley@LNF.com For over 30 years, Kat has been a top producing agent. Proud to be in the business of making dreams come true, she reflects daily on the lives she’s touched. From helping a past client’s son or daughter purchase a home to notes from new clients thanking her for guiding them through purchase complexities, she’s grateful for the friends she’s made along the way.
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BANNER TEAM 301.365.9090 Info@BannerTeam.com • BannerTeam.com AWARDS AND HONORS Over $180 Million Sold & Settled, 2021 • Top Producer, Bethesda Magazine, 2021 • Best Realtor Team, Washingtonian, 2021 • #1 Group in #1 Long & Foster Office, 2010-2021 • #1 Medium Real Estate Team, Maryland, REAL Trends, 2021 • Top 100 Real Estate Teams, U.S., REAL Trends 2021 • Top Vote Getter, Best of Bethesda Real Estate Team, 2022 • Donated More Than $118,000 to Local Charities, Pay it Forward Program, 2017-2021
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3 BR | 3 FBA, 1 HBA | 2,100 SqFt Private Terrace Contact Wendy Banner 301.365.9090 or Ilene Gordon 301.440.1060
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“A Team B e hind Eve r y Transac tion” Bethesda Gateway Office 301.907.7600 Long & Foster® Real Estate, Readers’ Pick: Best Brokerage for Luxury Homes
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BOB GRAVES Associate Broker
• 43+ years in Real Estate • Retired Educator after 34 years • Specialize in listing and selling, love to renovate a home and see it sold 301.538.9337 | Bob.Graves@LNF.com N Potomac-Rockville Office 301.975.9500
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interior design. architecture. home sales.
PHOTO BY ANGELA NEWTON ROY
home
Interior designer and architect Margaret Carroll knocked down her 1950s Bethesda rambler and plotted out a six-bedroom home with family-friendly touches, green building materials and this showstopper staircase. For more, turn to page 170. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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home | HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS
BE OUR GUEST
Update your table for a festive holiday gathering with fabulous local finds BY CAROLYN WEBER
NIGHT LIGHT The warm glow of candlelight always enhances the ambiance of a holiday party. The shape of these elegant cerused-oak candlesticks was inspired by 17th century furniture. The Bobbin taper holders are available in three sizes and sold as a set for $338, or individually from $78 to $148 at Serena & Lily at Bethesda Row (240-531-1839, serenaandlily.com).
GLASS ACT
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During the holiday season, it’s nice to have tasty baked goods on hand. A domed stand keeps cookies and cakes fresh. The Hartland large cake plate and dome is handmade by American glassblowers using centuries-old techniques. It is available in two sizes—the medium is $400 and the large is $490—at Simon Pearce at Bethesda Row (301-263-7212, simonpearce.com).
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TRAY CHIC Serving a wide assortment of hors d’oeuvres is sure to please all the guests. This sculptural appetizer tray features nine connected compartments. The Klasa platter is made of aluminum, with a dark antiqued gold finish, and comes in two sizes. The large, pictured, measures 19 by 12 inches and is priced at $139 at Arhaus in Rockville (301-230-2973, arhaus.com).
AT YOUR SERVICE The painterly images of warm-toned autumn vegetables on this serving platter ensure that it will be the highlight of any fall tabletop scheme for years to come. The harvest pumpkin rectangular stoneware piece measures 14 inches wide and 8½ inches deep, is dishwasher and microwave safe and retails for $59.50 at Pottery Barn in Bethesda (301-654-1598, potterybarn.com).
TABLE MATTERS Linens can update the look of a dining table in a flash. This classic floral jacquard tablecloth is made from soft, durable, machine-washable cotton and comes in three colors— indigo, charcoal and terra-cotta (pictured)—and four sizes, which sell for $100 to $130 at Sur La Table at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda (301-230-1503, surlatable.com).
REUSE IT A tall glass pitcher is handy in every season to keep guests’ drinks refilled without multiple trips to the kitchen. This cone-shaped vessel is made from recycled beer and wine bottles, is 7½ inches high and is dishwasher safe. The Moroccan cone jug comes in three color choices plus clear and retails for $36 at Red Orchard in Bethesda (301-571-7333, redorchard.com).
Carolyn Weber lives in Silver Spring and frequently writes about architecture and home design.
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A Riff on Retro
An interior designer and architect creates her own perfect home, a variation on the 1956 gem that once stood here BY JENNIFER BARGER
Interior designer and architect Margaret Carroll (right) with her husband, Brian, and sons Liam (left) and Mason
PHOTO CREDIT TK
we loved the neighborhood, the schools, and the feeling of a midcentury house, but we needed more room and light.” The process of knocking down one house and replacing it with another would end up taking five years, beginning in 2014 with Margaret using Revit, an architectural software program, to sketch up a design inspired by the Mad Men era. It continued through construction in 2017 and ended with the Carrolls finally moving into their new 4,500-square-foot, six-bedroom, five-bath home in 2019. Since then, they’ve outfitted the sunroom and are making plans to finish the basement. “We lived in a rental house for close to two years, and we thought we were going to be there eight to 10 months,” Margaret says. “I almost didn’t sleep for two years.” After having to fire her first contractor for, Margaret says, failing to show up when necessary, she decided to take over project management duties. Margaret hired a former colleague, Takoma Park architect Eric Saul, to help her design the exterior of the house. Together, they came up with an angled rambler with two wings off a central great room with a vaulted ceiling. The twist? One of those wings is a dramatic two-story structure that holds a primary bedroom suite on its first level plus an upstairs with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a game room for the Carrolls’ sons, now 12 and 16.
LEFT TO RIGHT: PHOTO BY MICHAEL VENTURA; PHOTO BY ANGELA NEWTON ROY
W
hen Margaret and Brian Carroll purchased a 1956 rambler near Bethesda Country Club in 2009, the midcentury modern enthusiasts hoped to make its modest size (2,396 square feet) and retro feel work for them and their two young sons. “But it was a small guy, and we ended up feeling cramped after a while,” says Margaret, an interior designer and architect. “We thought we could renovate and add on,” says Brian, a mechanical engineer. “But as we lived here over the years, things started to happen. The HVAC failed, the piping for the radiators started to leak, and then our sewer line started to leak.” That’s when the couple decided, says Margaret, “to pull the Band-Aid off and build a whole new house. We knew
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PHOTO CREDIT TK
A modest 1950s rambler made way for the new two-story home the Carroll family has made their own.
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home Smart Details on the Exterior
“Eric has a great spatial mind,” Margaret says. That came into play as the couple came up with a house that tapers from the two-story section on the left down to the garage on the right. “It kind of flows forward and doesn’t impose on the streetscape too much,” Saul says. “It’s in keeping with the neighborhood, which has a variety of midcentury houses.” The Carrolls’ wide lot (there’s a swimming pool and jumbo yard in the back) left plenty of space for other crisp exterior details: a sweep of driveway, a small front porch accented with columns that riff on a 1960s building, and a back deck for entertaining. The Carrolls also put a premium on green building materials that would weather well. On the exterior, this meant metal roofing, Hardie board planks and fiber-cement siding. “We were trying to keep things low-maintenance,” Saul says. “People don’t want to deal with painting all the time or rot.” He also came up with clever details that added flair (but not significant extra cost) to the exterior, such as mitering the corners of the plank siding and adding floor-to-ceiling windows on the second story to let in sunlight and provide great views. Saul suggested installing the windows upside down, with the narrow transom panels on the bottom, for a more contemporary look.
Above: The open-concept kitchen was designed for hanging out with the kids and watching TV while cooking. Below: A vintage Preway fireplace anchors a corner of the great room.
A s S au l f i n e - tu n e d th e exte r i o r touches, Margaret was busy plotting the interior layout and finishes. The basic floor plan features an 840-squarefoot central great room with a wing on each side. The high-ceilinged great room has a groovy focal point: a vintage Preway fireplace that Margaret sourced from a store in Maine. The enameled, cherr y-red woodburning marvel sits in the back corner and has a new and taller flue to reach the top of the soaring ceiling. “We made that room to go with the
PHOTOS BY ANGELA NEWTON ROY
The Interior Takes Wing
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fireplace, and almost the whole thing came together around that,” Saul says. That includes the vaulted ceiling with clerestory windows (in a row well above eye level) that the freestanding fireplace sits beneath. “I like that those windows give the whole space sunlight but won’t blind them while they’re watching TV,” he says. The flooring throughout the great room and the majority of the house is wide-plank white oak, which also keeps the look airy and bright. “I grew up watching The Brady Bunch and shows like that, and that fireplace just really shows my aesthetic,” Margaret says. “You walk in here and you think, This is a midcentury house.” Other furnishings in the great room up the throwback feel, including a vintage oval dining room table and, just by the double entrance doors at the front of the house, a set of linked molded plastic chairs from a defunct laundromat that Margaret sourced via
Daniel Donnelly Modern Design, a dealer in Alexandria, Virginia. A framed print by Shag, the Southern California artist known for his whimsical, retro work, gets pride of place on a back wall. The rest of the home also cha-chas between throwback and contemporary style. The sleek, open kitchen, which Margaret designed with help from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery in Rockville, combines vintage-feeling warm wood UltraCraft lower cabinets with white upper cabinets and open shelving. Silestone countertops adorn the lower cabinets and the jumbo kitchen island. Also helping with the clean, crisp vibe: an “appliance garage” cabinet and a snazzy-yet-subtle tile backsplash in a chevron pattern, Atlas Concorde’s Mek Light Mosaic. “I designed the island with a sink in it that faces the wall where the 70-inch wall-mounted TV and fireplace are,”
Margaret says. “That means I can wash dishes and prep food while I’m hanging out with my kids and watching television.” There’s also a smaller prep sink on the kitchen’s back wall, plus a six-burner KitchenAid stove with two ovens. “The big one is for Thanksgiving turkey, the skinny one is for chicken nuggets and cookies, and we use that one all the time,” Margaret says with a laugh. A 4 1/2-by-71/2-foot walk-in pantry, cleverly closed off from the kitchen via sliding barn doors, holds supplies for the Asian-influenced dishes Margaret loves to cook. “I’m 100% Filipino,” she says. A family fave? Deconstructed sushi rolls, which they eat for dinner about once a week, assembling plates themselves from sheets of seaweed, cooked rice, salmon and smoked eel. “My kids are foodies,” Margaret says. Three sets of sliding glass doors along the back of the house let in light
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A Wing of Their Own
It’s the two-story wing of the house that provides the interior’s biggest wow moment (after that fab fireplace): a white oak staircase with multiple switchbacks, crisp metal balusters, and a window. It’s all framed to be seen from the great room and the other wing of the house. “It was tough to design because the staircase had another set of stairs to the basement wrapping underneath it, but in the end it was successful,” Saul says. The jumbo basement remains unfinished for now except for a single bathroom. The grand staircase also signals the beginning of the family’s private spaces, including Margaret’s home office at the front of the house and the couple’s primary suite to the back. Margaret kept the primary suite, with its en suite bathroom, on the small side—the bedroom itself is 15 by 17 feet, with space for a bed, dresser and nightstands. A bright oil painting the couple purchased on their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic hangs above the bed. “Usually in houses this size, the primary bedroom is huge,” Brian says. “But we were
The two Carroll sons, ages 12 and 16, host friends in the “Xbox room” they share upstairs.
really focusing on the spaces people would spend the most time in—the great room, a game room for our sons upstairs.” Still, the primary bathroom packs a lot of style into a relatively snug floor plan. An Artistic Tile metallic tile backsplash and a pair of vintage woodframed mirrors top a double James Martin trough sink. Though there’s a walkin, glassed-in shower, it’s the round Japanese-style soaking tub from Signature Hardware that delights the couple. “A 6-foot-tall guy can even get in there,” Brian says. Up the showstopper staircase, the second floor was laid out to appeal to both the privacy and playfulness of the Carrolls’ sons. Their two bedrooms have en suite bathrooms with Architessa floor tiles (chosen from the Rockville showroom) in blue, black and white, and laid out in a jazzy pattern. The boys and their pals come together in a shared “Xbox room” outfitted with two jumbo TVs for gaming and a Pottery Barn Teen sofa with shelving underneath that holds board games. Black-gray walls set off a clever pegboard Nerf toy wall and an Eames-inspired table and chairs where the boys assemble Legos. “We knew we wanted to do an edgier wall color up there,” Margaret says. “And since there was so much natural light streaming in, it’s the perfect place for it.” “I don’t know why so many people send their kids down to the basement to hang out,” Brian says. “We thought, Why not have them upstairs? And then in the future, that room can be a bedroom.”
Elegant Efficiency
Some of the most innovative details of the Carrolls’ home are hiding in plain sight. Brian, ever the engineer, oversaw a slew of forward-thinking electrical, environmental and technical elements. “Margaret wanted nicer, more open spaces in a home,” he says. “From my perspective, I wanted energy efficiency and smart features. I didn’t want to go around and turn our outdoor lights on and off anymore.” The Carrolls focused on energy-saving windows and good insulation during construction. “We did both spray insulation and batting foam,” Brian says. “The foam is the outer layer, which makes the envelope of the house pretty tight,” helping with climate control and efficiency. Three air-conditioning units—two for the first floor, one for the second, also keep temperatures comfortable and cut down on wasted energy. The house is outfitted with a Lutron Caséta electrical system, a wireless setup with smart switches and outlets that can be operated from a smartphone. “Now I can control all the lights, and some of the window shades,” Brian says. “Plus we can schedule things to happen, like turning on our dining room light at 7 p.m. or switching the outdoor lights on and off.” All that tech comes in handy when the family gathers around the TV or fireplace. “I just tell our Alexa speaker it’s movie time, and the window shades go down and the lights go off,” Brian says. “It’s pretty cool.” n Jennifer Barger is a local design and travel writer. Follow her on Instagram @dcjnell.
PHOTO BY ANGELA NEWTON ROY
and backyard views. The doors adjoining the kitchen lead to a multipurpose sunroom outfitted with a cushy Article sofa, a Hans Wegner rocking chair (scored on Facebook Marketplace) and Jonathan Adler pendant lights. (“I’d fill my house with his designs if I could,” Margaret says. There’s also a sleek brassand-chrome chandelier by Adler illuminating the staircase.) “We use this sunroom for so many things,” Margaret says. “It was a school for the kids during COVID, and it’s a spot [where] you can come and be quiet if people are watching TV in the next room.” The one-story wing on the east side of the kitchen holds a bathroom, a guest room with a vaulted ceiling, and a mudroom kitted out with Ikea wardrobes and durable Milliken vinyl flooring with a subtle print mimicking house blueprints, a nod to the Carrolls’ careers in design and engineering.
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BARKER DESIGN GROUP ARCHITECTS 1806 Florida Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009 | 202-827-6748 alex@barkerdesigngroup.com | www.barkerdesigngroup.com
BIO
Barker Design Group creates premier custom architecture in the greater Washington, D.C. area through a client-focused collaborative design process that ensures every project reflects our clients' style and their family's needs. From renovations to additions to full new builds, we are dedicated to providing the highest level of service and design to our clients. "Should we sell or renovate this house?” This is a question we often hear from our clients. This particular client and their family had outgrown their house but loved their neighborhood. They needed flexible space where they could spend time together, cook together, and easily entertain guests both inside and outside of their home. After carefully and collaboratively studying design options and the associated construction budget, the clients chose to renovate their entire first floor and add a rear addition that hosts a continuous kitchen and living space fully open to the rear gardens with a large telescopic door system. This renovation stayed on schedule and on budget, and the clients now enjoy space that truly blends the interior and exterior of this extraordinary home in the neighborhood they love. 176
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JACK ROSEN CUSTOM KITCHENS 12223 Nebel St., Rockville, MD 20852 240-595-6732 | www.BeautifulRosenKitchens.com
BIO
As Bethesda Magazine’s only five-time Winner for Best Kitchen Design Firm, Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens, Inc., continues to be one of the most renowned kitchen design firms in the Washington, D.C. area. Offering custom cabinetry for culinary, closets, entertainment and work-from-home spaces, with outstanding service for over 40 years.
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Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens is widely recognized for creating captivating home environments. The kitchen at the top shows a transitional kitchen offering custom cabinetry with multi-piece crown molding and tall wall cabinets to maximize storage, as well as a custom stained hood to match the oversized central island. The second photo shows one of our mood board combinations created with Haus Interior Design that adds texture and metallic accents to a beautiful neutral palette. Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens, Inc., believes every award-winning space should be laid out to fit one’s lifestyle and serve as the central hub for gathering, entertaining or working from home.
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ZEN RENOVATIONS
117 Carroll St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20012 202-248-0591 | www.zen-renovations.com
THE ZEN KITCHEN
A harmonious design process creates a Zen kitchen. It starts with strong listening skills to understand a client’s vision. Then it takes highly-trained designers and master crafts people devoted to their art. Professional project managers put it all together producing a peaceful living space that’s more than a place to make a meal…it’s a gathering of family…the heart of the home. The mission at Zen Renovations is to provide awe-inspiring renovations at affordable prices following a worry-free process from beginning to end. The Zen team of devoted designers, project managers and artisans create stunning, innovative custom kitchens, ever mindful of the client's vision, lifestyle and budget. Our Takoma Park design studio offers a dynamic environment where Zen team members inspire one another, share expertise and collaborate with clients who can see, touch and experience each kitchen detail from knobs and pulls to cabinets and countertops. Clients can see first-hand the fine craftsmanship of Crystal Cabinets, our exclusive partner of American-made cabinetry. From our designers and project managers to our highly-skilled crafts people, we provide top-quality remodeling and renovation solutions within a stress-free, highly collaborative environment. The end result is beautiful spaces that are as comfortable to live in as they are functional. Zen Renovations offers excellence in custom design and project coordination for any size project. 178
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THE ZEN MISSION
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CHESAPEAKE KITCHEN DESIGN 8001 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 102, Bethesda, MD 20814 301-652-7880 | www.chesakitdes.com
BIO
Chesapeake Kitchen Design has been helping Washington-area homeowners transform their kitchens and bathrooms into luxurious new spaces for over 40 years. From stylish and expansive kitchens that are perfect for entertaining to ornate and spa-like bathrooms, our team has completed a wide range of luxury remodeling projects throughout the greater Washington, D.C. community.
COURTESY PHOTOS
PROJECT
With Chesapeake Kitchen Design, it has never been easier to get your luxury remodeling project off the ground. We offer free in-home estimates to discuss your project with you, measure your space and help you make informed decisions for a perfect remodeling experience. All our projects are assigned a construction crew with a site foreman who is in daily contact with the project coordinator at our office. Together they coordinate the flow of materials and job specialists to ensure a smooth project installation. We are proud to employ the most experienced remodelers and custom cabinet installers in the area. As a fully licensed and insured remodeling contractor, we deliver a completely seamless installation for all your project’s furnishings, including custom cabinetry from our trusted manufacturers, natural stone countertops, lighting, fixtures, flooring, backsplashes and much more. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 179
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Kitchen & BAth
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
KONST SIEMATIC 7550 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 130, Bethesda MD 20814 301-657-3800 | konstsiematic.com
BIO
KONST SieMatic is the exclusive source for the leading German cabinet manufacturer in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Our flagship showroom features three distinct style collections—Pure, Classic and Urban—each with its own array of design elements and materials. You’ll also find such coveted brands as Sub-Zero, Wolf, Gaggenau, Plum and The Galley. The owner of this Washington, D.C. rowhouse wanted an updated kitchen that would marry its historical charm with luxurious modern style. A minimalist design program does just that with sleek SieMatic SLX cabinetry in matte black lacquer with innovative LEDilluminated bronze channels taking the place of traditional handles. The island assumes center stage in matching cabinetry with a black quartz countertop with white veining, creating a dramatic contrast to the nearby white backsplash. Above, an eye-catching frosted acrylic LED tube gracefully wraps around the linear suspension pendant’s matte black hanging rod. The drama continues with a custom under-stair wine room. The refrigerated space features glass-panel entry doors, pullout wire wine shelves with coordinating white countertop, and a triangular pegboard above to display additional bottles. A floor-toceiling pantry and smaller storage cabinet flank the unexpected wine room addition to create the perfect fit. 180
ANICE HOACHLANDER
PROJECT
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Kitchen & BAth
KONST UNION 7550 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 110, Bethesda, MD 20814 301-654-7810 | konstunion.com
BIO
KONST Union is the Washington, D.C. metro area’s trusted source of exclusive bathroom furniture and fixtures. Our innovative showroom brings to North America a curated selection of luxury European bath brands, including Fantini, Effegibi, Noorth, Artelinea and Crosswater London. Come experience first-hand the innovative style, comfort and precision manufacturing that distinguish the fine art of bathroom design.
NOORTH MILLDUE EDITION
PROJECT
A contemporary bathroom from Noorth goes beyond aesthetics and functionality to delve deeper into the true meaning of individual comfort and wellbeing. Turning to nature as its main source of inspiration, the Italian manufacturer reinterprets the aesthetics of the Japanese bath with the Azuma Collection. Here, the wallmounted double vanity in warm wood conceals spacious drawers with a simple open shelf beneath for additional storage and display. The tub’s silky smooth finish recalls pebbles polished by water, while the cork stool stands like a rock in a Zen garden. Together, the dialogue between volumes, surfaces, and lines translates into a sophisticated and timeless elegance where fluid shapes only appear to be simple and are always modern.
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home | by the numbers
Data provided by
AUGUST’S MOST EXPENSIVE
at A peek rea’s f the a some o pensive x most e sold n rece tly s house
HOME SALES SALE PRICE: SALE PRICE:
$3.6 million LIST PRICE: $3.8 MILLION
Address: 11811 Piney Glen Lane, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 116 Listing Agency: Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 6/2
$5.9 million LIST PRICE: $5.9 MILLION
Address: 3809 Leland St., Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 0 Listing Agency: None listed Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 6/1
SALE PRICE:
$3.5 million LIST PRICE: $3.9 MILLION
SALE PRICE:
$3.6 million LIST PRICE: $3.6 MILLION
Address: 1 Greentree Court, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 4 Listing Agency: TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Bedrooms: 7 Full/Half Baths: 7/2
Address: 11218 River View Drive, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 79 Listing Agency: Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 6/1
SALE PRICE:
$3.4 million LIST PRICE: $3.4 MILLION
Address: 11005 Stanmore Drive, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 0 Listing Agency: None listed Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 6/2
SALE PRICE:
$3.3 million LIST PRICE: $3.4 MILLION
$3.5 million LIST PRICE: $3.5 MILLION
Address: 6005 Highland Drive, Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 0 Listing Agency: None listed Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/2
Address: 7703 Holiday Terrace, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 3 Listing Agency: RE/MAX Platinum Realty Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 6/1
SALE PRICE:
$3.3 million LIST PRICE: $3.5 MILLION
Address: 7708 Radnor Road, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 15 Listing Agency: Monument Sotheby’s
COURTESY PHOTOS
SALE PRICE:
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International Realty Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 3/2
SALE PRICE:
SALE PRICE:
$3 million
$2.8 million
LIST PRICE: $3 MILLION
LIST PRICE: $3.2 MILLION
Address: 7121 Fairfax Road, Bethesda 20814 Days on Market: 1 Listing Agency: RE/MAX Realty Services Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
Address: 43 W Lenox St., Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 35 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
SALE PRICE:
SALE PRICE:
$3 million
$2.7 million
LIST PRICE: $3.1 MILLION
LIST PRICE: $2.8 MILLION
Address: 6104 Landon Lane, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 64 Listing Agency: TTR Sotheby’s International Realty Bedrooms: 7 Full/Half Baths: 7/2
Address: 3928 Livingston St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20015 Days on Market: 9 Listing Agency: Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 4/2
SALE PRICE:
SALE PRICE:
$3 million
$2.6 million
LIST PRICE: $3 MILLION
LIST PRICE: $2.3 MILLION
Address: 5216 Westpath Way, Bethesda 20816 Days on Market: 27 Listing Agency: Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 6/1
Address: 6302 Maiden Lane, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 4 Listing Agency: Evers & Co. Real Estate, a Long & Foster Company Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
SALE PRICE:
$3 million LIST PRICE: $2.9 MILLION
Address: 6213 Dahlonega Road, Bethesda 20816 Days on Market: 36 Listing Agency: Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 7 Full/Half Baths: 8/1
SALE PRICE:
$2.6 million
SALE PRICE:
LIST PRICE: $3 MILLION
SALE PRICE:
Address: 7829 Aberdeen Road, Bethesda 20814 Days on Market: 20 Listing Agency: Washington Fine Properties Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 4/2
SALE PRICE:
$2.8 million
$2.5 million LIST PRICE: $2.5 MILLION
Address: 5425 Moorland Lane, Bethesda 20814 Days on Market: 0 Listing Agency: None listed Bedrooms: 3 Full/Half Baths: 3/1
LIST PRICE: $2.5 MILLION
Address: 7004 Beechwood Drive, Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 2
SALE PRICE:
$2.2 million LIST PRICE: $2 MILLION
Address: 4310 42nd St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 Days on Market: 6 Listing Agency: McEnearney Associates Bedrooms: 4 Full/Half Baths: 3/1
SALE PRICE:
$2 million LIST PRICE: $2 MILLION
Address: 12012 Great Elm Drive, Potomac 20854 Days on Market: 4 Listing Agency: Long & Foster Real Estate Bedrooms: 6 Full/Half Baths: 5/0
SALE PRICE:
$2 million LIST PRICE: $1.7 MILLION
Address: 5904 Johnson Ave., Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 3 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 3/1
LIST PRICE: $2.5 MILLION
Address: 3419 Cummings Lane, Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 1 Listing Agency: Evers & Co. Real Estate, a Long & Foster Company Bedrooms: 4 Full/Half Baths: 1/1
$2.8 million
LIST PRICE: $2.5 MILLION
Address: 7911 Rocton Ave., Chevy Chase 20815 Days on Market: 24 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 5 Full/Half Baths: 6/1
SALE PRICE:
$2.3 million
SALE PRICE:
$2 million LIST PRICE: $2.3 MILLION
Address: 7225 Armat Drive, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 16 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 7 Full/Half Baths: 7/2
SALE PRICE:
$2 million LIST PRICE: $2.2 MILLION
Address: 8047 Park Overlook Drive, Bethesda 20817 Days on Market: 26 Listing Agency: Compass Bedrooms: 8 Full/Half Baths: 5/1
Note: Some sale and list prices have been rounded.
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REAL ESTATE TRENDS BY ZIP CODE
AUGUST 2021
AUGUST 2022
20015 (Upper NW D.C.) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
16 $1.4 Mil. 15 13 3 14
13 $1.5 Mil. 9 6 6 12
20016 (Upper NW D.C.) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
19 $2.2 Mil. 9 13 4 18
20 $2.2 Mil. 19 6 11 20
28 $1.4 Mil. 15 16 7 18
15 $1.6 Mil. 12 6 4 11
20814 (Bethesda) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
20815 (Chevy Chase) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
24 $1.7 Mil. 22 10 13 20
22 $1.9 Mil. 11 11 7 20
17 $1.5 Mil. 15 9 6 15
22 $1.5 Mil. 9 12 8 19
54 $1.3 Mil. 16 26 23 35
40 $1.6 Mil. 15 18 16 33
20816 (Bethesda) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
20817 (Bethesda) Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
AUGUST 2021
AUGUST 2022
AUGUST 2021
AUGUST 2022
20832 (Olney)
20855 (Rockville)
Number of Homes Sold 13 19 Average Sold Price $704,884 $800,894 Average Days on Market 14 23 Above Asking Price 7 8 Below Asking Price 5 11 Sold Over $1 Million 0 3
Number of Homes Sold 19 11 Average Sold Price $735,178 $782,581 Average Days on Market 17 10 Above Asking Price 8 6 Below Asking Price 7 3 Sold Over $1 Million 2 2
20850 (Rockville)
20877 (Gaithersburg)
Number of Homes Sold 31 25 Average Sold Price $770,654 $875,775 Average Days on Market 17 21 Above Asking Price 11 9 Below Asking Price 12 11 Sold Over $1 Million 8 7
Number of Homes Sold 14 11 Average Sold Price $517,357 $573,863 Average Days on Market 21 16 Above Asking Price 10 3 Below Asking Price 3 5 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
20851 (Rockville)
20878 (Gaithersburg/North Potomac)
Number of Homes Sold 7 13 Average Sold Price $476,388 $492,692 Average Days on Market 8 19 Above Asking Price 5 5 Below Asking Price 1 7 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Number of Homes Sold 39 27 Average Sold Price $880,812 $989,755 Average Days on Market 16 10 Above Asking Price 24 12 Below Asking Price 9 11 Sold Over $1 Million 6 8
20852 (North Bethesda/Rockville)
20879 (Gaithersburg)
Number of Homes Sold 23 14 Average Sold Price $865,826 $975,716 Average Days on Market 10 14 Above Asking Price 11 4 Below Asking Price 7 6 Sold Over $1 Million 6 6
Number of Homes Sold 8 11 Average Sold Price $523,687 $700,940 Average Days on Market 8 13 Above Asking Price 5 5 Below Asking Price 2 4 Sold Over $1 Million 0 2
20853 (Rockville)
20882 (Gaithersburg)
Number of Homes Sold 30 26 Average Sold Price $607,388 $647,697 Average Days on Market 10 15 Above Asking Price 21 10 Below Asking Price 7 13 Sold Over $1 Million 1 1
Number of Homes Sold 21 15 Average Sold Price $683,185 $804,498 Average Days on Market 10 9 Above Asking Price 11 8 Below Asking Price 4 5 Sold Over $1 Million 1 5
20854 (Potomac)
20886 (Gaithersburg)
Number of Homes Sold Average Sold Price Average Days on Market Above Asking Price Below Asking Price Sold Over $1 Million
64 $1.4 Mil. 21 30 21 50
55 $1.3 Mil. 22 20 28 38
Number of Homes Sold 9 18 Average Sold Price $602,722 $627,444 Average Days on Market 6 11 Above Asking Price 9 8 Below Asking Price 0 4 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
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AUGUST 2021
AUGUST 2022
AUGUST 2021
AUGUST 2022
AUGUST 2021
AUGUST 2022
20895 (Kensington)
20902 (Silver Spring)
20910 (Silver Spring)
Number of Homes Sold 29 24 Average Sold Price $874,394 $827,625 Average Days on Market 13 19 Above Asking Price 12 9 Below Asking Price 10 12 Sold Over $1 Million 8 4
Number of Homes Sold 38 24 Average Sold Price $565,274 $613,562 Average Days on Market 34 19 Above Asking Price 18 15 Below Asking Price 13 8 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Number of Homes Sold 26 12 Average Sold Price $731,476 $775,250 Average Days on Market 10 12 Above Asking Price 15 5 Below Asking Price 7 3 Sold Over $1 Million 4 0
20901 (Silver Spring)
20903 (Silver Spring)
20912 (Silver Spring/Takoma Park)
Number of Homes Sold 45 18 Average Sold Price $653,848 $611,730 Average Days on Market 9 17 Above Asking Price 26 9 Below Asking Price 8 8 Sold Over $1 Million 4 0
Number of Homes Sold 6 8 Average Sold Price $544,666 $605,375 Average Days on Market 34 12 Above Asking Price 3 4 Below Asking Price 2 2 Sold Over $1 Million 0 0
Number of Homes Sold 13 8 Average Sold Price $775,769 $673,137 Average Days on Market 7 8 Above Asking Price 13 5 Below Asking Price 0 1 Sold Over $1 Million 4 1
Information courtesy of Bright MLS, as of Sept. 15, 2022. The Bright MLS real estate service area spans 40,000 square miles throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. As a leading Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Bright serves approximately 85,000 real estate professionals who in turn serve more than 20 million consumers. For more information, visit brightmls.com. Note: This information includes single-family homes sold from Aug. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2022, as of Sept. 15, 2022, excluding sales where sellers have withheld permission to advertise or promote. Information should be independently verified. Reports reference data provided by ShowingTime, a showing management and market stats technology provider to the residential real estate industry. Some sale and list prices have been rounded.
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fitness. wellness. medicine.
PHOTO BY LISA HELFERT
health
Bethesda’s Kathleen McCue helps moms with nursing challenges. She’s pictured (right) with Aly Leydig and her daughter, Grace. For more, turn the page. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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A LACTATION LIFELINE How a Bethesda breastfeeding expert helps moms deal with low milk supply, babies who won’t latch and other nursing challenges BY ROBIN L. FLANIGAN | PHOTO BY LISA HELFERT ONE MOTHER CAME IN crying because
she felt totally incompetent. Another, in tears, said her baby didn’t like her. It isn’t unusual for Kathleen McCue’s patients to be worried about breastfeeding: They’ll point out that their baby isn’t eating, or hasn’t gained weight, or is having trouble latching on to the breast. Some have more complex issues. That’s why McCue, a lactation consultant who owns Metropolitan Breastfeeding in Bethesda, wrote Start Here: Breastfeeding and Infant Care with Humor and Common Sense, a book for new parents. It reflects her philosophy of offering a knowledgeable yet light assist to those struggling to get their little ones to nurse. “I know that if we take ourselves too seriously, we’re not going to make a lot of progress,” she says. McCue, 69, who lives in Bethesda, is a family nurse practitioner with a doctorate. Her ability to prescribe medicine—for infected breasts, perhaps, or to increase milk supply—makes her lactation practice unusual in the Washington, D.C., area. McCue’s doctoral work focused on inducing lactation in nonbiological lesbian partners. She recently was able to help a transgender woman produce 15 ounces of breast milk a day, she says. While it had already been established that trans women can breastfeed, the amount of milk was a big development. “This represents a significant result and step forward in supporting this incredibly underserved community,” says McCue, who also owns Metropolitan Breastfeeding offices in Columbia and Northern Virginia.
Back in the 1980s, long before she decided to become a lactation consultant, McCue had her own breastfeeding challenges. Her firstborn, Adam, was jaundiced and sleepy at the breast. Her daughter, Erin, was colicky and diagnosed with reflux. McCue was eventually successful in nursing them, but says finding qualified help was “really difficult” and that she almost gave up several times. “I always say I’m working through my own past challenges by helping other women,” she says. “It’s really nice to put your hand on their shoulder, look into their eyes and tell them that you believe in them.” While McCue says she has hit all her professional goals—her own practice, clinical research, published books, a video series for both a hospital system and an apparel company—she still would like to spread the word about breastfeeding. She plans to engage with more women on social media platforms. “This is a service that women need,” she says. “Breastfeeding is not always easy—it can be a hell of a lot of effort. But it’s always worth it.” McCue cites data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that breast milk is the best source of nutrition for most babies; can help protect them against certain illnesses and diseases; and can reduce the mother’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. “The benefits of breastfeeding,” she says, “are almost endless for both mom and baby.” n
IN HER OWN WORDS... TEACHING TRUST “Women notoriously have not had great confidence when it comes to breastfeeding. So a lot of times I’ll hold the baby and point out how much weight has been gained. Let’s say it’s 7 ounces. I’ll say to the moms, ‘You’re the only person on earth who can do this for your baby.’ I teach women how to trust their instincts. They just haven’t always had the proper education and encouragement.”
LEARN BY DOING “Going to a breastfeeding class before delivery is like going to a knitting class before you have needles and a ball of wool. You can say, ‘Knit one, purl two,’ but until you’re actually moving those needles around, it may not make any sense to you. Plus, you don’t know what kind of baby you’re going to get. There are some things we can learn ahead of time, but there are a lot of other things to flesh out after the baby is born.”
CULTURAL SHIFTS “Back in the day, we often lived closer to family and got a different kind of support. Now, like my own family, we’re more spread out geographically and don’t always have grandmothers around who also breastfed—at a time when women understand the importance of breastfeeding more than ever, given the shortage of formula in the midst of a global pandemic.”
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JUST ANOTHER BODY PART “Recently when I met a close girlfriend at a coffee shop, a patient called my phone. I didn’t realize it, but I started asking questions like, ‘What do your nipples look like?’ When I hung up the phone, I noticed my lunch companion was bright red, as was the man at the next table. Breasts to me are like elbows or knees. I don’t think about them in the way most people do.”
NOT-SO-SERIOUS BUSINESS “If I weren’t in this line of work, I think I would’ve become a stand-up comedian. I try to get patients to relax when they come into the practice, and humor lightens everything up. It takes the edge off things and allows people to be people. I don’t like a formal relationship with my patients. I want them to come in and feel like they’re with a friend. That’s why everybody calls me Kathy or Kathleen. This is such an intimate setting, and I often become their anchor to windward.”
Bethesda’s Kathleen McCue helps moms with nursing challenges. She’s pictured (left) with Aly Leydig and her daughter, Grace. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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GUT BY KRISTEN SCHOTT
C
Can those as-seen-on-TikTok hacks really improve your digestive health? Four local medical pros weigh in.
FEELINGS
elery-juice cleanses. Laxative abuse. Drinking too much water (yes, it’s possible). Wellness advice—sometimes taken too far— has popped up all over TikTok for years, with a barrage of content from uninformed influencers, rather than health care professionals, touting hacks to improve you inside and out in a snap. One of the latest pet topics of the social media app: gut health. At last count, the #guttok hashtag had nearly 642 million views, with tips claiming to relieve bloating, stop constipation, increase energy, decrease brain fog—the list goes on. While focusing on your wellness is by no means a bad approach, what is problematic is the preoccupation of not being satisfied with a “normal” digestive system, says Dr. Aamir Ali, a gastroenterologist at Capital Digestive Care in Chevy Chase. Ali once treated a patient with severe inflammation in the rectum and lower colon due to a coffee enema—another TikTok-inspired idea gone wrong. “The enemy of good is better,” he says. “[People are] trying to achieve that undefined ideal.” Put another way, the gut is complex—and there’s still so much we don’t know. But let’s start with what we do know. In a nutshell, a healthy gut is all about balance, says Dr. Aline Charabaty, a gastroenterologist with Johns Hopkins Medicine at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Upper Northwest D.C. “It’s judicious enough to know what nutrients need to be absorbed and what elements we are ingesting that are harmful. The gut should be strong enough not to allow the bacteria…we’re ingesting to harm our body,” Charabaty says.
The intestinal lining and what’s inside the gut—or the microorganisms in the gut microbiome—should live in harmony. “They need to feed on each other and help each other out.” Is there a one-and-done way to ensure everything is copacetic? No, she says. “There’s never going to be one thing that’s going to fix it.” Signs of a healthy gut include regular bowel movements, not having acid reflux, and not experiencing pain with digestion, notes Jill Fuster, a registered dietitian with the Potomac Valley Psychotherapy Associates and the Eating Disorders Center of Potomac Valley in North Bethesda. All of that can, for most people, be achieved by eating a balanced diet and listening to your body—rather than “working” on gut health. “It’s like working on calf health or hand health,” says Daisy Miller, a licensed dietitian nutritionist and owner of Dr. Daisy & Co. in Rockville. Instead, you have to look at the bigger picture. Regardless, the TikTok sphere is hard at work promoting quick fixes. “An extreme preoccupation with your health can cause anxiety, which can backfire and cause gut distress,” Fuster says. “There’s a need for people to understand gut health, but on a platform like TikTok, the majority of people won’t be able to discern what positive information is versus what’s just the next fad.” A common sense approach: If you think you have a problem, talk to a primary care doctor, gastroenterologist or a dietitian. Don’t try to solve it on your own, or with only the help of TikTok. Here’s what health care professionals had to say about a few trending fixes.
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SCREENSHOTS FROM TIKTOK, USERNAME ON IMAGE
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Snacking on Papaya Seeds
Probiotics, supplements and powders all claim to be cure-alls for your tummy. L-glutamine powder, for example, can heal your gut lining, according to some TikTok users. But we typically make enough of the amino acid to support our bodies, Charabaty says. If you’re already eating a healthy diet—with proteins such as eggs, beef or tofu— you’re absorbing foods rich in it. However, those with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease or celiac disease have intestinal linings with greater permeability than those with a normal system—and therein lies the kernel of truth in the trend, Ali says. “[Adding L-glutamine powder] is related to the concept of a leaky gut, which is still in evolution,” Ali says. “The lining of the intestinal tract can become leaky and permit the passage of more compounds than usual” in people with injured intestines. We don’t know how to measure a leaky gut, he says, and there’s no accepted single test to demonstrate whether someone has it or determine its root cause. (Is a patient’s leaky gut causing symptoms of celiac disease, or is it part of the irregularities that occur in the digestive tract as part of the condition?) “You have to know what the problem is first,” Fuster says. “So see a gastroenterologist.” Even well-researched additives, like probiotics—which supposedly help promote the good bacteria in your gut—are questionable because the gut is so complex. “We’ve spent millions of dollars researching probiotics and still don’t really understand what’s actually helpful and for whom,” Miller says. The verdict: It might help if you really need it, but only a doctor can tell you that.
also high in calories. And while the fiber could help with constipation, so can the actual fruit. “The risk of something like papaya seeds on TikTok is that people get the idea that it’s a magic fix… and more is better,” Fuster says. “And eating too much of any one thing, like papaya seeds, can be a problem.” An over-the-counter papaya enzyme supplement is a potential aid in digestive issues. Says Miller: “It can sometimes be a little helpful.” When taken appropriately, of course. The verdict: If anything, an enzyme supplement is more helpful than the real deal.
ICON BY THE NOUN PROJECT; PHOTOS BY GETTY
Adding L-Glutamine Powder
People either love or hate papaya, though most folks agree that the seeds are bitter. But various TikTok videos claim that scooping the seeds from the flesh of the fruit and downing them raw can remove parasites that live in your body. “These seeds are associated with anti-parasitic activity, but it’s not proven,” Ali says. And if you actually think you have a parasite, turn to a doctor. “It’s better to take a medication rather than this agent we don’t know much about—or what parasite we’re trying to target.” While the seeds are rich in antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids, they’re
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Sipping Bone Broth
PHOTOS BY GETTY
Some TikTok influencers will tell you bone broth is good for digestion, inflammation, skin health and anti-aging. One user filled a clear mug with it and said it “looks really thick when you pour it, which is kind of gross.” She then shared that she likes to warm it up before drinking to, presumably, make it more appetizing. “I’m OK with bone broth [in moderation],” Charabaty says. “It’s natural. … There are no side effects [to consuming it in a healthy diet],” she says, noting that the protein in the broth may support bone, muscle and cartilage health, although there is no scientific evidence of this. Fuster is also a proponent of adding bone broth to your meals— in a practical way, and assuming you actually like the taste. “If you have a slow cooker, it’s tasty to make and uses a resource we’d normally just throw out,” she says. She incorporates it as a base in chicken noodle soup for her kids. But bone broth has gained in popularity because people are saying collagen in the broth strengthens bones, and that you can boost the amount of this protein in your body by consuming it. “That concept is untrue,” Ali says. For collagen to be absorbed, it needs to be broken down into component amino acids. “People think that when you consume collagen, it automatically attaches to the collagen in their bodies, but it doesn’t. And it’s not a particularly rich source of the necessary amino acids to build collagen anyway.” A word of caution to chugging bone broth: A recent study, Ali says, showed that it has a high content of lead. “Potential excessive consumption could [contribute] to exposure.” The verdict: This is harmless in moderation, maybe even mildly helpful, but you don’t have to drink the stuff straight.
Drinking Olive Oil Olive oil is generally recognized as a good thing—it has many antioxidants, including monounsaturated fatty acids, and can aid heart health, decrease blood pressure and lower the risk of stroke. On TikTok, however, you’ll find people like Olive Oil Queen advising you to drink it straight for hormone health, nutrient absorption and weight loss. “I’m a big believer in olive oil,” Charabaty says. “But you never want to make food an obligation, like: ‘I’m going to drink a cup of olive oil every morning because it’s healthy for me,’ ” she says. “You’re turning food into a medication.” Instead, food should be something you incorporate into your diet and enjoy—put it in your salad, she suggests, with grilled vegetables. Additionally, Ali says, there isn’t much high-quality evidence that there are benefits to drinking olive oil neat. “People have cited anecdotally reduced inflammation or constipation, but this hasn’t been evaluated,” he says. He’s even had patients who tried this approach and ended up with cramping—far from the soughtafter result. The verdict: Don’t bother—just use it in your food.
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Certain TikTokkers claim that eliminating nutrient-dense foods such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts will reduce bloating. While there is a bit of truth in that—“cruciferous vegetables tend to produce more gas,” Ali says— severe side effects aren’t common. Instead, bloating refers to air in the intestines, which is, for the most part, a natural part of digestion. The fear of stomach distension stems partly from the “thin ideal” of past generations, but it’s taken a new form. “Kids didn’t [used to] talk about bloating, and they do now,” Miller says. “It has to do with this idea that ‘my tummy is sticking out more than it should be.’ ” Indeed, many of the bloat-focused TikTok videos showcase people (frequently young women) comparing their former “bloated” bellies
to their now “flat” bellies. (It’s reminiscent of the diet ads of 1990s-era TV.) Something to consider, advises Ali, is that the vegetable you’re cutting out may not be the only culprit. Dairy and carbonated beverages can cause bloating, and if you consume all three at once (think broccoli-cauliflower cheese soup and a Coke), there could be a cumulative effect. But if you’re insistent on avoiding broccoli and its brethren, substitute equally healthy items—zucchini, lettuce, spinach, blueberries and strawberries. Bloating also can be caused by not eating enough for a long period of time. “Your body slows down, your gut moves food more slowly, and the production of enzymes for digesting food decreases,” says Fuster, who mainly works with people who have eating disorders. “So when you go back to normal eating, often you feel awful. …You basically have to practice eating for a while.” Restrictive eating and watching every
morsel that you ingest complicates a basic aspect of living. “It leaves people feeling deprived because they aren’t enjoying their food,” Fuster says. “And that’s part of the reason we survive as a species.” A better choice, Charabaty suggests, is to grill, boil or cook your food to make the fiber easier to digest. So soak your beans overnight (this leaches out the substances responsible for bloating) and discard the water, or boil and then roast or saute your broccoli. “But if you’re having a big party and you’re wearing a tight dress,” Charabaty says, “maybe just avoid [those foods] that day.” The verdict: If you really want to, fine, but proceed with care. n Kristen Schott is the editor of Philadelphia Wedding magazine and a freelance writer living in Alexandria, Virginia.
PHOTO BY GETTY
Cutting Out Broccoli and Other Veggies
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The Carnegie at Washingtonian Center For more information, visit www. lifeatthecarnegie.com, call 240-549-5676 or go to the community’s Discovery Center at 129 Ellington Blvd. in Gaithersburg. The public is welcome to explore its full-size twobedroom model showcasing the décor and style that will be featured in The Carnegie residences and community. 129 Ellington Blvd. Gaithersburg, MD 20878 240-549-5676 www.lifeatthecarnegie.com
One of the biggest milestones seniors encounter after retirement is choosing where to retire. Many seniors feel stress and uncertainty when making such an impactful decision, so it’s essential for them to have full confidence in the care and services they will receive. For more than 30 years, Kisco Senior Living has specialized in developing and managing full-service senior living communities that offer exceptional service and enriching lifestyles that give residents the assurance they need when weighing their retirement options. Kisco’s mission is centered on providing safety and security, health and wellbeing, and exemplary services that support a dynamic, purpose-filled environment for all residents. In 2024, Kisco will bring that approach and philosophy to Gaithersburg with The Carnegie at Washingtonian Center. The Carnegie will offer exceptional standards of hospitality and personalized experiences, valet and concierge services, five-star cuisine and inspiring intellectual programming. Residents of The Carnegie and their loved ones will also benefit from Kisco Confidence, a framework that imparts peace of mind through best-in-class protocols and transparent communications.
“Kisco Confidence was founded in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic where we crystalized this thinking of creating the safest environment for both residents and associates through datadriven protocols,” says Ed Ward, vice president of operations at Kisco Senior Living. “As important as it is to keep environments safe, it’s also important to preserve the residents’ quality of life. With Kisco Confidence, we take a progressive and systemic approach that balances local conditions and concerns without compromising the safety of our residents and associates.” This extends beyond a community’s response to a public health emergency. “Kisco Confidence has evolved since its founding,” Ward says. “We have environmental health and safety teams at every Kisco community. Our associates receive ongoing training so they are prepared for anything that may negatively impact the area, whether that’s an infectious disease outbreak, a hurricane or a wildfire.” The Carnegie at Washingtonian Center sales office has a full-size twobedroom model showcasing the décor and style that will be featured in its residences and community.
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The Seneca JULIET MOODY, COMMUNITY LIFE DIRECTOR Located next to King Farm in Rockville, The Seneca offers assisted living, memory care and “The Bridge,” intermediate care for those with mild cognitive impairment. Through a variety of interactive and wellness activities, Community Life Director Juliet Moody keeps residents stimulated and engaged – and their spirits high.
LISA HELFERT
55 W. Gude Drive Rockville, MD 20850 240-614-2800 www.senecarockville.com
Q: How is art used to build community at The Seneca? A: Art is a way to connect with ourselves and each other. Through our partnership with VisArts, we’ve started a mosaic wall hanging that will be created by our members, families and associates. Mosaic art is a wonderful representation of diversity because every tile is unique. As each tile is placed into the mosaic, it creates beautiful art representing the diverse individuals that make up our community. The final art piece will be hung in our main lobby to commemorate our one-year anniversary. Q: What therapeutic role does dance play in the community? A: Dance is a form of exercise and a social bonding activity. The Seneca Steppers, a seated tap group started by a resident and Wellness Coordinator Shannon Holt, offer both while creating a sense of purpose and excitement in our community. Q: How is the diversity of your community reflected in your programs? A: Diversity is at the heart of all we do. September’s theme was Celebrating Diversity in our Community. Our movie
committee presented movies about diversity and inclusion. A world map was placed in our lobby with pins for members, families and associates to mark where they were born and place their pictures. Everyone was also invited to showcase items representing their cultural heritage. We’ll be holding a performance by Harmony’s African-American Legacy Organization, HALO, which seeks to bring diverse people together through music – in this case, barbershop singing. Music also provides a framework to engage in conversation about social and political issues – especially those about race. For Hispanic Heritage we’re kicking off the month with a Flamenco dance performance and a presentation on Spanish artists, Mexican muralists and painters, and Colombian sculptors. We’re also holding a class on salsa dancing led by our own associates. Q: Which activities resonate the most with residents? A: The activities residents seem to respond to most are the ones involving the entire community, like our one-year anniversary party in August. We all celebrated with a champagne toast, live music, food and a movie under the stars in our Magnolia Garden courtyard.
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AESTHETIC AND IMPLANT DENTISTRY Dr. Shin earned his DMD from Boston University and completed residency at Columbia University. Associate faculty at Columbia University Department of Prosthodontics. Dr. Kim earned her DMD from University of Pennsylvania and completed residency at Rutgers University. Perfectionists in their work, these highly trained husband-wife partners are masters at using the latest dental technology to create healthy, life changing smiles. 5904 Hubbard Drive North Bethesda, MD 20852 301-377-8306 www.prostho-dent.com hello@prostho-dent.com
DR. ANA KIM, ENDODONTIST DR. DONGJIN (DJ) SHIN, PROSTHODONTIST 200
Q: What is a prosthodontist? An endodontist? A: Prosthodontists treat complicated dental and facial issues with dental implants, dentures and crowns/bridges that can improve the appearance and functionality of the teeth. This may involve a single tooth, multiple teeth, or full upper and lower arches. Endodontists specialize in root canals and root-end surgeries. Q: Why is it important for seniors to see a dentist regularly? A: As life expectancy increases, it’s important for seniors to maintain good dental health in order to eat well and sustain a healthy lifestyle. Often seniors suffer from missing teeth and unstable dentures making it difficult to eat or smile. Using dental implants, we’re now able to provide seniors with more stable teeth — whether it’s a single tooth or the whole mouth. Modern dental technology can help seniors really enjoy their meals with loved ones and smile with confidence.
Q: What is unique about your practice? A: We’re highly qualified specialists treating almost all dental needs in one location. Our focus is on dental health, function and appearance, using the latest technologies including 3-D face scans and dental occlusal analysis — done in our fully equipped photo studio. We’re committed to quality over quantity, the best treatment over ease of treatment. Dentistry can be overwhelming for many people — emotionally and financially. We work with patients to find the most suitable and affordable treatment plan. And we take pride in making a difference by improving their smiles, function, health and confidence. Hence, our motto: We change lives, one smile at a time.
TONY J. LEWIS
PROSTHO.
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Maplewood Park Place Since opening in 1996, Maplewood Park Place has redefined retirement living for active adults 62 and older. A resident-owned cooperative community, the Maplewood experience features abundant activities, pristine amenities and first-class dining, all easily accessible, as well as 24/7 security and concierge services and a highly attentive, engaging staff.
HEATHER FUENTES
9707 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, MD 20814 301-571-7444 www.maplewoodparkplace.com
Named "Best Senior Living Community" by Bethesda Magazine readers in in 2022 for the 13th consecutive year, Maplewood Park Place is a vibrant senior living community offering homeownership, an independent lifestyle and a full continuum of care “all under one roof." When seniors are ready to move into a retirement community like Maplewood, they often need the proceeds from selling their current home to finance their new residence, says Maplewood Director of Sales and Marketing Michelle Michaels. A form of short-term lending, private bridge financing can help provide new Maplewood residents a seamless transition into the community. Bridging the gap between selling one's current home and moving into a retirement community, it could be the key to buy-in for many, says Michaels. "For example, with as little as $60,000 down, depending on the size of the apartment you select, you can secure your new home while having up to a year to sell your current home," says Michaels.
Private bridge financing is a highly affordable option that allows new residents to keep their assets or investments until it's the right time to sell, avoiding hefty, potentially unmanageable capital gains taxes. And, unlike a commercial loan, which can be a tiresome process requiring considerable paperwork and approval, private bridge financing requires only the seller's approval — based on the buyers' credit score, financial summary, offer and information on their home sale. "It's an easy process that can reduce the stress of moving, offering the gift of time to transition, at your own pace, into your new life," says Michaels.
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BY SOLERA SENIOR LIVING “We offer independent living, assisted living and memory care, a beautiful, new community, and a vibrant location in the Town of Kensington. Our residents are wonderful—diverse and accomplished, with a warm, welcoming spirit. They don’t see each other’s differences; they see their common bonds.” —Janet Bradley, Executive Director 10540 Metropolitan Ave. Kensington, MD 20895 240-998-9990 www.modenakensington.com
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Q: What attracted you to Modena Reserve? A: Kim Scott, former admissions director, Georgetown Day School: “After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 9½ years ago, I had to retire from a position I adored at Georgetown Day. I’m a real “people person” and love the sense of community here. The staff knew me by name almost immediately. Now, I’m fully engaged – in arts and crafts, yoga, physical therapy, “brain fitness” classes … I’m supported emotionally, socially and physically. And I really have fun.” A: Michael Lee, retired pediatrician: “My career as a doctor was cut short when I suffered a stroke in 2018. After moving here last December, my wife and I found a culture of caring and friendliness; the concept of fine dining with meals prepared by a master chef was a major attraction, too. And I can’t say enough about Cassandra, the Director of Rehab, who has improved my walking more than any other therapist I’ve ever worked with. As a sports-medicine physician, I can tell you – she’s one of the best.”
A: Barbara Meade, former co-owner, Politics & Prose: “After retiring from a successful book business, I had reached the age where I was losing balance and needed to live in a place where I would be safe. Modena was an attractive alternative to other senior communities; it was brand new, beautiful, and offered different levels of care by skilled, kind caregivers. The town views were enticing, too. I can see the farmers’ market from my window – and I love watching the trains go by!”
LEFT TO RIGHT: RESIDENTS HELEN MCCREA, JUNE LEE, PEG O’CONNELL, MICHAEL LEE, BARBARA MEADE, KIM SCOTT
TONY J. LEWIS
Modena Reserve at Kensington
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Montcordia Only the best — less than 1 percent of all applicants — are hired as Montcordia direct care partners. Applicants are carefully screened for experience, aptitude, skill sets and emotional intelligence. Once hired, education is ongoing, with employees receiving as much as 1,500 percent more training in their first year alone than aides from other home care agencies.
HILARY SCHWAB
2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 700 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 240-221-5505 www.montcordia.com
Montcordia is a full-service, boutique home care and care management agency, completely customized to meet the individual needs of every client. Their experienced and knowledgeable care teams include direct care partners as well as Aging Life Care Managers who can create both short- and long-term care plans, coordinate medical services and assist in evaluating alternative living arrangements, should that become necessary. With no minimum, as little as one hour of service can be provided if that’s what’s needed. Montcordia’s services include personal care, companion care, memory support and Aging Life Care Management. Their high standards for care and training are modeled after the practices of The RitzCarlton to ensure clients receive a premier support experience, with a concierge level of care from the most highly qualified care professionals. Montcordia’s care partners all drive, are tech-savvy, will do light housekeeping, and even care for pets. As Montcordia employees, they are
guaranteed benefits and above-industry pay so they can focus on what they do best, client care. Montcordia’s Care Team goes beyond ensuring families have the care they deserve, while providing the entire family with the peace of mind they need. “Everyone at Montcordia is extremely professional, but friendly as well. This is a hard thing to achieve but they have mastered it,” says Grace Lebow, wife of a Montcordia client. “Each care partner knows how to respect and care for my husband while paying attention to me. I can count on them to always provide a high level of care.”
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Kiran Yocom founded Seniors Helping Seniors home care services following her 14 years of work with Mother Teresa. The company has since grown to 200 offices in 40 states as well as international locations. 301-895-0205 www.shsbethesda.com
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Seniors Helping Seniors in-home care services empower seniors to maintain their independence by handling the day-to-day tasks that become more challenging with age. Seniors Helping Seniors home care differentiates itself from other home care agencies by hiring caregivers who are seniors themselves. “Why do we hire seniors to help other seniors?” asks franchisee Ben Chernow. “For one thing, they provide a higher level of care because they understand the aging process. They can relate to clients since they’ve experienced some effects of aging and have seen friends age. They are also more reliable. They show up, they show up on time, and they aren’t so attached to their iPhones. They want to do this kind of work because they truly enjoy helping others and building friendships.” Senior caregivers are carefully matched with clients based on each client’s needs, personality and preferences. The result is home care that feels less like a service and more like
getting a little help from your friends. The caregivers are all professionals. “Prior care experience is required, but it does not have to have been paid,” Chernow says. “There is a training program, and of course they are insured and bonded.” No matter their background, every caregiver has at least one thing in common: a big, caring heart and a desire to help others. As health status and personal requirements change, assistance evolves as well.
HILARY SCHWAB
Seniors Helping Seniors
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Kensington Park Senior Living MARY MELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR “Every day is a busy day, every encounter a warm one, communication with family is topnotch, and medical care is outstanding. Caring for the whole family, they want to know how I am just as much as how my mom is. There’s a strong support network for loved ones.” Kim F., daughter of a resident
HILARY SCHWAB
3620 Littledale Road Kensington, MD 20895 301-946-7700 www.kensingtonparkseniorliving.com
Older adults’ care needs are likely to change over time. At Kensington Park Senior Living, changes are made to residents’ plans of care based on day-today observations and attention by the nurses and care team. Family members are well-informed and partners in their loved one’s care. This is well-managed, organized aging-in-place, where people comfortably live in the community, confident their needs will be met no matter how they progress over time. “With unusually high staffing levels and long tenures, our nurses truly get to know the residents. They create individualized service plans with input from family members and a primary care partner who ensures personal attention to daily needs and preferences,” says Mary Mell, executive director. “It’s a team effort.” Family and friends are encouraged to visit often. The nurses and care team are in constant communication with the family from move-in day onward, sending fun updates and photos as well as alerts to any changes.
Kensington Park goes beyond traditional assisted living to support those with high care needs. In addition to around the clock loving care, they provide relevant clinical services, which include full-time registered nurses coordinating the comprehensive nursing and medical care of each resident. Licensed nurses, both RN’s and LPN’s, are on site 24/7, as well as primary care partners. Only nurses administer medication and injections. With more than 10 decades of combined nursing experience, this prompt, direct care helps avoid hospitalizations. Beyond its commitment to highly individualized care, what makes Kensington Park special is its unyielding promise to love and care for their residents as they do their own families.
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Another of BayWoods distinctions is its ownership structure, a for-profit housing co-op, which appeals to baby boomers who like being involved with ownership and management. They also appreciate the tax advantages, equity and the ability to pass shares on to their heirs. 7101 Bay Front Drive Annapolis, MD 21403 443-837-1208 www.baywoodsofannapolis.com
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Mid-Atlantic retirees who love sailing, or just appreciate the waterfront setting, are drawn to BayWoods of Annapolis. Maryland’s premiere Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) was built on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in the state’s charming capital city. Residents love their water views and the property’s 14 impeccably landscaped and wooded acres. Only 18 miles from BaltimoreWashington International Thurgood Marshall airport, it’s convenient for out-oftown family and friends to visit. Established in 2003, this gracious community has the largest retirement apartments in the area. The 147 units range from 980 to 2,500 square feet. Always evolving, recent plans and renovations include a stunning expansion of the main dining room, a contemporary deck for updated outdoor seating, and a refresh of the casual bistro. Most BayWoods residents are vibrant and active, and choose from varied activities that engage multiple interests. They can swim in the bay off the
property’s dock, attend a lecture given by neighboring St. John’s scholars, dine formally or informally and relax on their balconies, watching sailboats glide by. BayWoods residents are committed to wellness through fitness events and opportunities, wellness lectures and participation in activities. The community has a full continuum of onsite health care services including short stay rehab and a 45bed health care center where patients get all the personal attention one would want.
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BayWoods of Annapolis
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Specialty Care Services AL SIMONS, FOUNDER AND MANAGING MEMBER “We pride ourselves on providing customer support that is second to none,” says Al Simons. “Eighty percent of our referrals come from friends and family of those who have used our services and feel 100 percent comfortable leaving their friends and loved ones in our care.”
HILARY SCHWAB
8555 16th St., Suite 101 Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-585-6300 www.specialtycareservices.com
Specialty Care Services is committed to meeting the care needs of Washington, D.C. metropolitan-area seniors in their location of choice — private residence, assisted living facility, nursing home or rehabilitation center — at the best value. All long-term care insurance plans are accepted and clients are offered case management at no additional cost. Aging at home is the preference for most seniors but finding the ideal care solution for a loved one can be an overwhelming process. Driven by the personal experience of visiting his grandmother in a nursing home, Al Simons founded Specialty Care Services in 2002 to help area seniors age comfortably and safely at home. From personal care and companionship to care management, dementia and chronic disease care, home health care and family caregiver support, Specialty Care Services offers aide services around the clock. “We genuinely care about the quality of service our clients receive and will never
cut corners in the care we provide,” says Simons. “We hire only the best caregivers, dedicated to providing outstanding service and making life the very best it can be for our seniors. Our clients are treated like family and made to feel as though they’re the only person we serve.” Regardless of a client’s lifestyle, age or living arrangement, whether they’re looking to maintain their independence, accelerate post-operative recovery, receive respite support or hospice care, all plans are individualized. Caregivers, fully vaccinated, are matched with clients based on case-specific experience and skillsets, ensuring prosperous clientcaregiver relationships. French and Spanish speaking caregivers are available.
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Family & Nursing Care is a leading resource for private duty home care services in the region. Since 1968, they’ve been helping older adults maintain their independence and quality of life as they age. Ninety-seven percent of surveyed clients have said they would recommend Family & Nursing Care to a friend or family member. 1010 Wayne Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-588-8200 www.familynursingcare.com
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Private duty home care is paid for by clients and their families with their own resources or through long-term care insurance, rather than by government programs such as Medicare or Medicaid. Family & Nursing Care is one of the region’s oldest and most well-respected private duty home care businesses. They genuinely understand that the decision to engage home care often comes at a stressful time. The company seeks to lighten the burden on clients and their families, including how they have structured their billing and payment processes. “Our accounting department works hard to ensure client satisfaction,” says Kira Ebanks, vice president of finance. “If questions arise about a bill, a department liaison is available promptly to help clients and their families navigate through it.” Family & Nursing Care is unique in having two full-time staff members dedicated to researching and explaining the often-complex rules and reimbursement procedures associated with Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) policies. “As a part
of our initial advocacy for clients and with the goal of a successful outcome with their claim, we make a call with every individual and their LTCI company. We do this to ensure clients have a full understanding of their policy’s criteria, benefits, and responsibilities,” says Karin Martinez, LTCI manager. Family & Nursing Care can also bill and receive reimbursement directly from LTCI companies for clients of their Family & Nursing Care Select service. The entire accounting department delivers ongoing support and peace of mind to Family & Nursing Care clients and their families.
HILARY SCHWAB
Family & Nursing Care
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PROFILES
senior services
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
JSSA (Jewish Social Service Agency)
TONY J. LEWIS
6123 Montrose Road Rockville, MD 20852 240-800-5772 www.JSSA.org
When a parent decides to age in the comfort of home, health and safety become primary concerns. JSSA works directly with clients and their family caregivers to find solutions that allow older adults to age exactly how and where they prefer to live. Providing family members with peace of mind is also a priority. JSSA’s skilled care managers for older adults understand the complexities of the aging process. After assessing a family’s situation, a care manager develops a plan to help prepare the client and family for changes that typically occur. They can guide people through a crisis or tough transition, acting as a liaison between the client, family, physicians and caregivers. Meal delivery and escorted doorthrough-door transportation services help alleviate worry about mom falling in the kitchen because of poor balance or dad driving himself to medical appointments with deteriorating eyesight. JSSA is unique in its ability to offer seamless transitions through levels of care. When clients require more hands-on
help with everyday activities like bathing, dressing and taking medication, their care manager can coordinate services with JSSA Homecare. In addition to helping with activities of daily living, JSSA’s certified caregivers monitor well-being while providing warm companionship. When it’s time to focus on comfort and quality of life, care managers work collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team from JSSA Hospice to ensure the medical, emotional and spiritual needs of the client and the family are met.
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PROFILES
senior services SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
ALEX PETUKHOV, CO-OWNER “We should all have healthy, fresh food. Some seniors default to frozen and canned foods when grocery shopping becomes burdensome. Our caregivers grocery shop and prepare meals, making sure to cook extra for leftovers that can be reheated easily.” — Alex Petukhov, co-owner 17860 New Hampshire Ave., Suite 302 Silver Spring, MD 20961 301-717-2212 www.bestseniorcare.us
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For some seniors, moving to a long-term care facility can be disruptive and even traumatizing. Today, many people who need help seek alternative sources of care that allow them to remain in their homes as they age. Best Senior Care, an agency licensed to provide personal services and nursing care, makes it possible for seniors to remain at home as long as possible. Founded in 2002, Best Senior Care offers customized, in-home care plans that include assistance with eating, bathing, toileting, dressing, grooming and household tasks. Family owned and operated, the agency provides oneon-one relationships with clients and quickly responds to their needs. With no corporate bureaucracy, Best Senior Care can offer services that a franchise agency might deny, such as allowing a caregiver to accompany a client to a family wedding or on a vacation. The process begins with an in-home assessment of the client, followed by a safety assessment of the home. A plan of care is developed by a registered nurse
and a caregiver is carefully matched with the client to ensure that they are compatible and have the experience and skills to meet the client’s needs. Most caregivers with Best Senior Care are Certified Nursing Assistants who are friendly, well trained and fluent in English. Many come from nursing homes or long-term care backgrounds. To maintain its high standards, Best Senior Care is in regular contact with clients and staff to explore any areas of concern. “Our communication is direct and productive,” says agency co-owner Alex Petukhov. “Clients and family members appreciate that there is no bureaucracy standing in the way of solutions.”
HEATHER FUENTES
Best Senior Care
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PROFILES
senior services
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Chevy Chase House Chevy Chase House has furnished studio apartments for seniors needing to transition from a hospital stay or rehab facility back to home. The rate is value-priced, the food is delicious, and the care is outstanding. Because of those factors, many respite residents decide to make the Chevy Chase House their new home.
HEATHER FUENTES
5420 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20015 202-684-7204 www.meridiansenior.com/senior-living/dc/ washington/chevy-chase-house/
Chevy Chase House residents enjoy luxury senior living nestled in one of Washington, D.C.’s most vibrant neighborhoods, close to shopping, dining and arts venues. A recent $12 million renovation preserved the historic building’s charming architectural details while adding upscale amenities that included a spacious fitness center. Upgraded apartments feature full-size refrigerators and extra cabinets and closets. Furnished short-term suites are also available. Senior living does not mean life has to slow down. The Chevy Chase House community was specially designed to allow residents to live as independently as they please, with extra support for everyday tasks available when needed. A robust programming calendar includes weekly trips to Washington, D.C. cultural sites, exclusive dining events — happy hours, monthly international food nights and more — continuing education and exercise classes.
Chevy Chase House knows that gathering friends together over delicious cuisine is one of life’s simplest pleasures. The dining room serves three restaurantstyle meals a day, though all-day dining provides flexibility around residents’ activities. Food service director and executive chef Peter Franklin, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, creates balanced monthly meal plans, taking into account resident preferences and nutrition, including an entirely vegan menu at a new resident’s request. Recently added menu items include New York deli favorites: Reuben, Rachel and pastrami sandwiches and bagels with lox. An Always Available menu featuring more than 25 classic choices ensures there is always something that hits the spot.
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PROFILES
senior services SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Riderwood LEIRE MOULIER-CLARK, SALES COUNSELOR
Riderwood is a Silver Spring-based continuing care retirement community offering independent living and multiple levels of on-site care including assisted living, long-term nursing care, respite care, memory care and home care. Riderwood is managed by Erickson Senior Living, a national leader in senior living and health care. As part of a network of communities under one management company, Riderwood benefits from the size, financial strength and resources to weather even the toughest challenges. With a wealth of amenities, including a pool, wellness center, medical center, 10 on-site venues and more, all connected through climate-controlled walkways, Riderwood operates like a small town under one roof, says Sales Counselor Leire Moulier-Clark. “Riderwood allows seniors to stay active and independent while enjoying peace of mind,” says Moulier-Clark. “Call 1-800-610-1560 to request a free brochure.”
COURTESY PHOTO
3140 Gracefield Road Silver Spring, MD 20904 1-800-610-1560 www.Riderwood.com
At Home Care, Inc. IRENE CADY HARRINGTON, PRESIDENT
For more than 45 years, At Home Care, Inc. has provided affordable full-time, part-time or hourly care, as well as live-in programs. “If given attention and treated with care and warmth, people can have a good life in their advancing years,” says company president Irene Cady Harrington. “We hire people who exude enthusiasm, warmth and natural, cheerful helpfulness. Most of all they make aging in place comfortable and possible.” Having the right kind of help gives people freedom. Even with the challenges of aging, one can prevail. One of At Home Care’s clients gets all over town with her scooter and aide. Even the most resistant seniors realize that having help provides greater independence and quality of life. 212
TONY J. LEWIS
At Home Care, Inc. 15304 Spencerville Court, Suite 101 Burtonsville, MD 20866 301-421-0200 www.athomecareinc.com
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PROFILES
senior services
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Potomac Audiology
COURTESY PHOTO
11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 105 Rockville, MD 20852 240-477-1010 www.potomacaudiology.com
While their specialty is fitting hearing aids, the primary goal at Potomac Audiology is to provide patients with the best possible hearing care based on individual needs by exploring and evaluating all options and solutions. The focus is achieving the optimal outcome for each patient and his or her unique situation. Dr. Gail Linn founded Potomac Audiology in 1998 with the mission to provide the highest quality hearing health care. In 2011, Dr. Linn’s daughter, Dr. Tricia Terlep, joined the practice, which expanded to a second office in Frederick, MD. “We’re not just selling hearing aids; we’re improving quality of life,” says Dr. Linn. “We’re helping people hear again, and that’s amazing. If you are, or a loved one is, missing out on the sounds of life, help is available. Every day we work with people who have hearing deficiencies, and we enable them to live the life they want with the best hearing they can have.” Potomac Audiology recognizes RealEar Measurements as a gold-standard best practice in fitting hearing aids.
This technique allows audiologists to measure what the hearing aid is actually delivering to the eardrum. Without performing this measurement, there is no way to know whether a hearing aid is providing the correct amplification on the correct frequencies. There is no reason to risk spending thousands of dollars on hearing aids that may not be programmed correctly. At Potomac Audiology, audiologists make sure that even hearing aids purchased elsewhere are performing optimally.
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PROFILES
senior services SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
CarePlus Home Health TOM NAJJAR, CO-OWNER AND CEO HEATHER K. NAJJAR, DNP, CRNP, CO-OWNER AND DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL SERVICES
Tom and Heather Najjar, co-owners of CarePlus, offer comprehensive services for individuals aging in place, as well as those needing special programs. Their services include homecare, flex care and skilled nursing. Tom started CarePlus in 1995 and has infused the service with his core values of respect, compassion and excellence in care. Heather’s clinical expertise ensures that medical needs are at the forefront of patient care. As a community partner, CarePlus serves as a preferred in-house provider for residents in senior living communities throughout the area. A Bethesda Magazine Top Vote-Getter for Best In-Home Health Care Provider, CarePlus provides excellence in customer service, highly trained caregivers, a team to support individual needs and a better in-home care experience.
COURTESY PHOTO
7361 Calhoun Place, Suite 301 Rockville, MD 20855 301-740-8870 www.careplusinc.com
Long & Foster Bethesda Gateway Office ANDY FUNT NAR® SRES® SENIOR REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST Andy's background in gemology and appraisals makes him well positioned to advise on estate pieces such as art and jewelry.
Building a path for a smooth transition is Andy’s specialty. Whether it is helping a seller downsize into a new space or helping a family settle an estate, he takes the time to determine what is best for each client’s needs and what should be done to achieve top dollar. Also, with a connection to Realtors Nationwide, he is able to refer anyone relocating out of state. 214
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LISA HELFERT
4650 East West Highway Bethesda, MD 20814 Mobile: 240-383-6388 Office: 301-907-7600 Andy@LNF.com AndyFunt.com
PROFILES
senior services
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Ingleside at King Farm KENYA BRYANT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ingleside at King Farm offers independent living, assisted living, memory support assisted living, a social day program, home care, long-term care and rehabilitation services. Located close to the Metro, in the charming King Farm neighborhood in Rockville, Maryland, is walkable and intergenerational.
COURTESY PHOTO
701 King Farm Blvd. Rockville, MD 20850 240-455-4559 www.ikfmd.org
Ingleside at King Farm’s mission is to enhance the lives of older adults by partnering with them to provide purposeful and enriching opportunities. “The pandemic stretched us as an industry and as individuals,” says Ingleside at King Farm Executive Director Kenya Bryant. “We are no longer the ‘shape’ we were before the pandemic. The new shape is odd, yet it provides us with amazing opportunities to be strategically innovative. There’s no more status quo.” Located within a walkable, intergenerational neighborhood in Rockville, Ingleside at King Farm creates social bridges among the greater community, as well as residents in various stages ranging from Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Support, and Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation. Wellness is a way of life at Ingleside at King Farm. The community’s Center for Healthy Living has abundant amenities, wellness spaces and programming, including indoor and outdoor venues for art, lectures, concerts, classes, fitness and
relaxation, and a coffee bar. “Every day, I see engaged living happening,” says Bryant, “and I’m glad to be part of that. I got into this business because of my desire to care for and love people well. This is an industry for those that are strong in hope, love, servant leadership and passion.” Ingleside at King Farm’s associated community charitable foundation, Westminster Ingleside Foundation, provides funds for residents in need, enhances the quality of life for all residents, and helps to build endowments for the future.
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PROFILES
senior services SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
The Grandview Sales Office: 6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 150B Bethesda, MD 20817 1-888-216-3149 www.TheGrandviewSeniorLiving.com
The Grandview is pending approval from the Maryland Department of Aging. THE GRANDVIEW SALES TEAM, LEFT TO RIGHT: TOP ROW: MICHAEL PRICE, MEGAN CHUN, MIKE FLETCHER. BOTTOM ROW: GEORGE MISHRAKY, DEBBIE BRUMBACH.
HILARY SCHWAB
Erickson Senior Living is well-known for creating and managing vibrant communities. Their newest, The Grandview, will offer active, independent living on a beautiful campus on Fernwood Road, close to downtown Bethesda. Seniors age 60 and over can choose from a variety of stylish, open-plan, one- and two-bedroom apartments on 14 floors. Amenities will include a fitness and aquatics center, salon, and a park with walking paths and a great lawn for outdoor movies and concerts. The Grandview will offer a variety of restaurants including a top-floor venue complete with a wine bar and stunning views. A full range of health and well-being services will be available at the on-campus medical center. The sales center has renderings of the planned community, with information about the timeline and pricing.
Long & Foster Gateway Chevy Chase Circle LINDA CHALETZKY
Buying and selling real estate is a major life event, and it helps to work with an agent who has a sophisticated understanding of human nature. When she made the switch to real estate more than 20 years ago, Linda Chaletzky put her solid experience with relationships and priorities as a clinical social worker, and in health care management, to good use. She is adept at minimizing anxiety and maintaining focus on the end goal. Working with clients and their families, Linda understands the emotional impact of moving and has abundant resources to make the transition as easy as possible. Her clients are grateful for her compassion, knowledge of the market and the good humor that she brings to the process. 216
COURTESY PHOTO
20 Chevy Chase Circle Washington, D.C. 20015 lindac@lnf.com 301-938-2630 www.lindachaletzky.com
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restaurants. cooking. food. drinks.
PHOTO BY DEB LINDSEY
dine
Braised short ribs are on the menu at Miss Toya’s Creole House, a new restaurant in Silver Spring. For our review, turn the page. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 217
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Oysters Rockefeller is among the starters at Miss Toya’s Creole House. 218 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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UNDER THEIR SPELL Toya and Jeffeary Miskiri bring New Orleans cooking and style to Silver Spring BY DAVID HAGEDORN PHOTOS BY DEB LINDSEY AT MISS TOYA’S CREOLE HOUSE, a server
pours a mixture of Casamigos Blanco tequila, blood orange juice and sour mix into a sleek, silver-lined, black cocktail coupe in front of a young woman dressed for a night on the town. The scarlet liquid, triggered by dry ice, bubbles like a witch’s brew and releases a billowy fog into the air that plants a message into my brain: I’ll have what she’s having! Soon I’m sipping on my own Lady Voodoo cocktail, created by Toya Miskiri, who, with her husband, chef Jeffeary Miskiri, opened the Silver Spring restaurant in August. I try to keep it company with an order of deviled eggs spiked with pickle relish and topped with giant lumps of Venezuelan crab meat, but the tasty bites vanish practically before my drink’s bubbles subside. Not to worry, oysters Rockefeller on the half shell—six plump bivalves loaded with garlicky creamed spinach and Parmesan and broiled to golden brown—are right behind them. The Miskiris’ restaurant background is impressive. This is the couple’s sixth under their Miskiri Hospitality Group. Their other spots are two locations of Po Boy Jim, one in Washington, D.C., and one in Columbia, Maryland; Suga & Spice in Hyattsville; Creole on 14th in Washington; and House of Creole in Cleveland, Ohio. Three other concepts are in the works, including Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen in Gaithersburg’s rio development. (Jeffeary’s uncle, Jason Miskiri, is a restaurateur, too; he owns The Angry Jerk in Silver Spring, and his new place, The Breakfast Club, is slated to open by the end of this year.) Miss Toya’s replaces Eggspectation, which closed in September 2020. The 5,200-square-foot restaurant seats 204
inside and 16 outside. The 15-seat rectangular bar, decorated with boldly patterned gray and white Spanish tiles, divides the large space into two sections. The interior evokes the feeling of being in a spacious house. In the front windows are black hanging rattan chairs like you might find on a wide Southern porch. Some walls are brick, and others are covered with gray siding. Faux greenery abounds, either suspended from the ceiling or in white wooden planter boxes behind camel-colored tufted pleather banquettes. Small stage lights (which could stand to be dimmed to enhance the dinnertime atmosphere) beam from exposed ductwork. A neon sign on the wall next to the open kitchen says, “Feed your soul,” which is an easy command to heed, thanks to Jeffeary Miskiri’s experience. He started learning the restaurant business at 17 by working in one of the eight McDonald’s franchises an aunt supervised in D.C. and Maryland. Born and raised in Takoma Park, Miskiri attended Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, graduated from Montgomery College and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in business management from, respectively, Prince George’s Community College and the University of Maryland University College. “The food at Miss Toya’s represents my Southern roots and my mother’s Caribbean [Guyanese] heritage,” Miskiri says. “I was making gumbo and shrimp and grits at 8 years old. Cooking became my passion.” After graduate school, he spent two years with his great-grandfather Jimmy Franklin in New Orleans, immersing himself in the culture and refining his knowledge of the region’s
Co-owners Toya and Jeffeary Miskiri
Overall Rating:
B
MISS TOYA’S CREOLE HOUSE 923 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, 240641-5925, misstoyascreolehouse.com FAVORITE DISHES: Oysters Rockefeller, barbecued shrimp, deviled eggs with crab meat, loaded gumbo entree, catfish and grits, braised short ribs. PRICES: $13 to $24; Entrees: $25 to $55; Desserts: $8 to $12. (A 20% gratuity is automatically added to every check.) LIBATIONS: It’s all about the cocktails ($18 to $22). Most are generous and eye-catching, such as Becky’s Sangria (red wine, Hennessey Cognac, pineapple juice), which is served in a large wine glass and topped with fresh blackberries and a strawberry popsicle. Colorful dried edible flowers adorn the side of the glass holding the Peach Please (Tito’s vodka, Champagne, peach nectar and orange juice). Wine is not a featured player at Miss Toya’s. Eleven wines are available by the glass ($9 to $11) or the bottle (most around $35). SERVICE: Eager but could be more attentive and organized.
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Clockwise from above: The gumbo entree, catfish and grits, and the Lady Voodoo cocktail
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cooking. Miskiri returned to D.C. to pursue his dream of building a restaurant there and opened his first Po Boy Jim, in the H Street corridor, in 2012. In addition to deviled eggs and oysters Rockefeller at Miss Toya’s, barbecued shrimp is a good way to start. Don’t expect gooey, ketchup-y barbecue sauce—that’s not the NOLA way. These crustaceans—five large ones per order—are perched atop a rich butter sauce enhanced with a complex seafood stock, Worcestershire sauce, white wine and Miskiri’s housemade Cajun seasoning. (I detect onion, garlic and celery seed.) Fried green tomato slices, their flesh tangy and juicy within their crunchy breadcrumb coating, hit the spot, but be sure to request extra remoulade sauce. Pass up the cup of gumbo starter and order the “loaded” gumbo entree instead. Its presentation alone—a majestic cluster of meaty snow crab legs resting atop a
soup rife with andouille sausage, shrimp and chicken—warrants the upgrade, but the flavor seals the deal. Miskiri’s roux (flour cooked long and slow in oil) is a deep, rust color and imbues the dish with coffee-like notes, nuttiness and soul. Seafood stock adds to the gumbo’s complexity, and a hit of cayenne gives it a kick. Another notable entree—catfish and grits—is an enormous, moist fillet encrusted in cornmeal that is placed on a bed of white cheddar grits and sauced with rich crawfish cream. Plan to take half home, as you will if you order the two-per-serving, wonderfully tender, mammoth short ribs braised with celery, onions, garlic, bell peppers, bay leaves and thyme and served over sauteed spinach or chunky mashed potatoes (your choice). There are kinks to be ironed out at Miss Toya’s—literally—such as wrinkled tablecloths. It’s a small detail, but details mat-
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Winner
ter. Gumbo with crab legs should come with the necessary utensils for opening and eating them. (And wipes to clean your hands afterwards.) Oysters demand oyster forks. The service needs fine-tuning. It can take a while to order and receive drinks, so have your appetizer plan teed up when the server shows up. For dessert at Miss Toya’s, you can’t go wrong with the cake-like white chocolate vanilla bean bread pudding. I’m thrilled to see beignets—puffy, airy yeast-dough fritters—among the sweet offerings, but mine are overfried, uninflated and left untouched. Business is booming at Miss Toya’s, for many good reasons, so be sure to make a reservation and let Lady Voodoo help you do that voodoo that you do so well. (Sorry, Cole Porter.) n David Hagedorn is the restaurant critic for Bethesda Magazine.
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BY DAVID HAGEDORN | PHOTOS BY LINDSEY MAX
CRAB HAPPY HEAD TO WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY
Crab mac and cheese (bottom) and collards at Malia’s Kitchen
mall’s dining terrace, make a beeline for Malia’s Kitchen, a seafood-centric soul food eatery that opened there in September, and heed this advice: Get the crab. Doesn’t matter if it’s as a fried or baked cake made with 8 ounces of lump crab meat or as a “pie.” The pie is 7½ ounces of super lump crab meat—barely held together with seasonings, butter and a prayer—piled into a foil bowl, baked and topped with Malia sauce, a mayo and ketchup-based sauce with Old Bay, lemon pepper, garlic and other seasonings. (The crabcake is bound with that sauce.) There’s no filler to be found in these dishes, only Venezuelan crab meat and plenty of it. Behind the counter of the 500-squarefoot stall is chef and owner Adonis Adams, who oversees every plate to make sure it’s perfect and gives nurturing instructions to an eager staff like he did in a phone interview with me. “How’s that roux? Do the collards need anything? Let me taste them,” he said to a cook during our chat. “I know what they need. More lemon pepper and my garlic mix.” Adams makes three proprietary spice mixes that he uses liberally in his cooking: garlic, lemon pepper and seafood. A hallmark of his cooking is that every dish is highly seasoned, from the coating of crispy fried whiting to side dishes such as fluffy hushpuppies, ultra cheesy (sharp and mild cheddar, Havarti, smoked Gouda) macaroni and cheese and baked beans. Adams, 51, lives in Bethesda’s Fernwood neighborhood. Cooking is in the family—he helped his mother, Roberta Hillary, run a Cheverly, Marylandbased catering business for 25 years, having learned to cook from her and her mother. Hillary retired in 2017, so Adams took the reins and turned the business into a food truck, naming it after his elder daughter, now 17. (His other job is IT consulting, which he did
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while serving in the Army from 1989 to 1994.) Just before COVID, Adams sold the truck and opened a larger one. While at the mall earlier this year, a fortuitous conversation with a manager there, who explained they were looking to support local, family-run businesses, led to landing the brick-andmortar space. He now uses the truck for catering gigs only. “We are overjoyed to have [Adonis] there. He’s hyper-local— he lives practically in our backyard,” says Zeina Davis, Westfield Montgomery’s marketing director. “It speaks to the growing diversity we are seeing in the mall. We are honored that he chose us.” Adams offers dishes as combos (with one side) or dinners (with two sides and a drink). In addition to the
crabcake ($22 combo), crab pie ($28, sold as a dinner only) and whiting ($16 combo), other menu items include crab mac and cheese ($18 combo), colossal fried shrimp ($22 combo) and pulled pork ($14 combo) or chopped smoked brisket ($16 combo) sandwiches. For dessert, try sweet potato pie or banana pudding ($6). Adams says he’s planning to inaugurate Sunday soul food brunch (it may be happening by the time you read this), featuring such dishes as sweet potato pancakes, shrimp and grits, shrimp etouffee and salmon cakes. Malia’s Kitchen, 7101 Democracy Blvd. (Westfield Montgomery mall), Bethesda, 301-792-3332, maliaskitchen.com
Chef and owner Adonis Adams
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The signature Bao Bei bao
TAKE A BAO
LOOKING TO PICK UP my to-go order
from Bao Bei, a Taiwanese ghost kitchen concept that 26-year-old Gaithersburg native Kevin Hsieh began operating in June, I drive to the rear of a small industrial complex off Parklawn Drive. Spotting various parked food trucks, I know I’m in the right place: Farmland Commercial Kitchen, a licensed communal kitchen where many local entrepreneurs without brick-and-mortar facilities operate. I ring the buzzer and Hsieh hands me my order: his signature Bao Bei bao (a Whopper-sized steamed wheat-based bun filled with thick slices of braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens and chopped, brittle-like peanut “sugar”); a minced pork belly rice bowl with pickled greens, cilantro and a soy-braised hard-boiled egg; cucumber and wood ear mushroom salad; and brown sugar swirly buns with condensed milk. My intention is to take everything home, but the Bao Bei, an irresistible amalgam of
sweetness, saltiness, richness and a kick of acid from the greens, doesn’t make it out of the lot. (Bao Bei means “precious darling” in Chinese, but bao also mean “bun,” so the name is a play on words.) Life had been on track for Hsieh. He graduated from Gaithersburg High School, earned a B.S. in finance from UMBC in 2017 and got a great job as a financial analyst with a promising career ahead of him. There was only one problem, Hsieh explains. “The job didn’t occupy my mind as I wanted it to, so I got the idea to sell my nostalgic childhood food. I grew up in the Rockville area, where there is a plethora of Asian food— Japanese, Korean, Chinese—but not much Taiwanese.” He had a good mentor. His father, Peter, who now manages Ginger restaurant at the MGM National Harbor, is a chef who worked in many D.C.-area restaurants while Hsieh was growing up, including Taipei Cafe and Far East Restaurant in Rockville. Hsieh’s concept is based on street food at night markets in Taiwan, where his parents would take him on trips
to their hometown, Taipei City, and where he went on a research eating trip before starting Bao Bei. He’s building the business slowly. He debuted his Bao Bei bun at a street market popup in D.C. in September 2019, selling out 250 buns in a couple of hours, then sold 800 a week later at the Charm City Night Market festival in Baltimore just as quickly. When COVID hit, he had to rethink the festival business model and decided on the ghost kitchen, offering delivery and takeout. For now, Hsieh is a one-man operation and offers only the items I ordered plus vegetarian versions of the bao and bowl made with braised tofu (bao: $7.95; bowl: $11.95). He makes everything himself (including more than 800 steamed wheat buns a week by hand) and fills all the orders. The long-range plan is to open a brickand-mortar restaurant in the Rockville area within the next two years. Bao Bei, 11910 Parklawn Drive (in the rear of the complex), North Bethesda, 240750-5618, baobei.menu
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restaurant
COMINGS & GOINGS Kensington-based Java Nation, which opened its third location in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands development in May, announced plans to open a dual concept (an express coffee bar and a full-service restaurant) in downtown Silver Spring in the first quarter of 2023. ~~~ D.C.-area chainlet Andy’s Pizza, owned by Montgomery County native Andy Brown, announced plans to open its first Maryland location in Bethesda in early 2023. ~~~ A location of South Korea-based bakery Paris Baguette is scheduled to open in Rockville Town Center this winter. ~~~ In Gaithersburg, Teriyaki Express Japanese grill closed in August. ~~~ Republic restaurant in Takoma Park closed in September after nearly a decade. ~~~ Bun’d Up, which specializes in Korean American riffs on Taiwanese gua bao (filled buns), closed its Pike & Rose location (in The Block) in September. Also at The Block, Anh-mazing Viet Kitchen closed in September. n
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PRIVATE SCHOOLS
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Private Schools L
OO
CH •S
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AD
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The Auburn School, Silver Spring Campus
K-8
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Silver Spring
Barrie School
12 months Grade 12
Co-ed
Bullis School
K-12
Geneva Day School
N TIO ULA HER E ENT SIZ EAC D T S U / S T ENT LS CLA TUD TIO VG OTA S A T • • • RA P PO
65
10
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375
16
Lower School, 13:1; Middle-Upper School, 10:1
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900
15
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Infant/Toddler, 2 yrs-K
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120
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9-12
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498
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Age 2 - Grade 12
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Washington, DC
340
16
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PK-2
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Rockville
42
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Potomac
495
10+
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PK-8
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Bethesda
450
11
6:1
Oneness-Family Montessori School
Age 2 - Grade 12
Co-ed
Chevy Chase/ Kensington
140
20
12:1
Primary Day School
PK-2
Co-ed
Bethesda
150
16
8:1
The Siena School
4-12
Co-ed
Silver Spring
150
10
10:1
The Siena School, Virgina Campus
3-10
Co-ed
Oakton, VA
50
10
10:1
St. Jane de Chantal
PK-8
Co-ed
Bethesda
310
St. John’s College High School
9-12
Co-ed
Chevy Chase, D.C.
Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
PS-12
Co-ed: PS-K All girls: 1-12
Washington Episcopal School
Age 3 - Grade 8
Co-ed
226
208 – 12-8 – varies pick up by ages
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PK:16 | K-8:19 17:1
1,250
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Bethesda
760
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330
14
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PRIVATE SCHOOLS
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Essential Information on •
US
GIO
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IL AFF
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RM
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N •U
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G N N S) UA TIO DENT NG TIO I I A U U L T U N ED L T 12 EST Y ST UA EIG OR FFER OW 5-DA NN RADE F A O ( • •L • G
ITE EBS W • theauburnschool. org
NE
HO
•P
None
No
No
Please inquire
N/A
N/A
301-588-8048
N/A
No
Yes
$19,980
$34,710
Spanish, French, Independent Study
barrie.org
301-576-2800
None
Yes
Yes, throughout the $39,470 metro area
$52,190
French, Spanish, Latin, Mandarin
bullis.org
301-299-8500
None
No
No
$8,350
N/A
Spanish Enrichment and Sign Language
genevadayschool. 301-340-7704 org
None
No
N/A
Varies by age
N/A
Spanish
georgetownhill.com 301-527-1377
Jesuit (Catholic)
Blazer and tie
Yes
$40,565
N/A
Spanish, French, Latin, gprep.org Mandarin, German
None
No
DC, MD, NOVA
Varies by age
N/A
German, English, French, Spanish, Latin
giswashington.org 301-365-3807
None
No
Yes
$20,425
N/A
Spanish
lowellschool.org
None
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No
$33,600
N/A
None
Yes
Yes
$40,990
$52,990
Spanish, Latin, American Sign Language
None
No
Yes
$26,850
N/A
Spanish, French, Latin, norwoodschool.org 301-365-2595 Mandarin Chinese
None
No
No
$23,600
$36,200
Spanish, French, Italian
onenessfamily.org 301-652-7751
None
No
No
$27,900
N/A
Spanish
theprimarydayschool. 301-365-4355 org
None
No
No
$46,120
$47,612
Spanish
thesienaschool.org 301-244-3600
None
No
No
$46,120
$47,612
Spanish
thesienaschool.org 703-745-5900
Roman Catholic
Yes
No
PK: $10,800 K-8: $9,425
N/A
Spanish
dechantal.org
301-530-1221
Catholic/ Lasallian Tradition
Yes
Yes
$22,950
$22,950
Spanish, French, Latin
stjohnschs.org
202-363-2316
Catholic
Yes
Yes
$22,600
$41,500
Spanish, French, Latin
stoneridgeschool. org
301-657-4322
Episcopal
Yes
No
$15,000
$40,000
Spanish, French, Latin
w-e-s.org
301-652-7878
301-493-5000
202-577-2000
madduxschool.org 301-469-0223
mcleanschool.org
301-299-8277
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PRIVATE SCHOOLS
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Celebrate
11931 Seven Locks Road Potomac, MD 20854 301 340 7704 genevadayschool.org
HAPPINESS
Encourage
CURIOSITY
CHALLENGE
Unique Minds No
w
En ro
llin
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Enriching curriculum. . . Geneva Method
Hands-on experiences Join us as a two. . . We will grow with you.
Maryland Green School
Campuses in Fairfax & Silver Spring
www.TheAuburnSchool.org A school for academic and social success!
Readers' Pick Best Preschool 2022, 2020, 2018, 2016, 2014 & 2012
Now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year Come and learn more about our Montessori and Project-Based Learning Programs by joining us on a campus tour! Learn more and RSVP: barrie.org/admission
Ask Ask about our Millenium Scholarship & Fall Expeditions!
admission@barrie.org 301.576.2800
12 months to Grade 12 228
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
900 Students—Co-ed—K-12 10601 Falls Road Potomac, MD www.bullis.org
Caring | Challenging | Community 10601 Falls Road Potomac, MD www.bullis.org
men for and with others
Since 1789
gprep.org
The oldest Catholic Jesuit all-boys school in the U.S.
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Lowell School PRIVATE SCHOOLS
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
OPEN HOUSE NOV. 1, 2022: Preschool - age 2-4 JAN. 31, 2023: Grades K through 12
NEW: Knowledge of German is not required for admission from Pre-K through Grade 6.
At GISW our student body is truly international, united by a shared interest in German language and culture. Please contact us to set up your personal tour.
admissions@giswashington.org 301.767.3807
REGISTRATION: www.giswashington.org/openhouse
230
THE LOWELL WAY We provide PK–8th children with an active, collaborative, integrated space to learn and grow. Our students are highly motivated learners. They have efficacy. They are the agents of change our world needs.
www.lowellschool.org | admissions@lowellschool.org
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
DISCOVER YOURSELF • FIND COMMUNITY • TR ANSCEND YOUR LIMITS
Montessori Programs
For Students Age 2 — Grade 12 in Chevy Chase-Bethesda
Admissions: 301.652.7751 admission@onenessfamily.org | onenessfamily.org Lower School (Age 2–Grade 8): 6701 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase, MD Upper School (Grades 9–12): 9411 Connecticut Ave., Kensington, MD
Enrollment: 140 Student/Faculty: 12:1 Special Programs: French, Spanish, Italian, Model United Nations, Yoga, Outdoor Education, Theater, Leadership Program
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PRIVATE SCHOOLS
SUCCESS STARTS AT SIENA For bright students with language-based learning differences like dyslexia
this is who we are Thursday, November 17 6:30–8:30 pm
Weekly In-Person Tours Available!
Wednesday, January 11 8:45–10:00 am Schedule a Visit! 301-365-4355
Silver Spring Campus Northern Virginia Campus www.theprimarydayschool.org Bethesda, MD
1300 Forest Glen Road Silver Spring, MD 20901 301.244.3600
2705 Hunter Mill Road Oakton, VA 22124 703.745.5900
Learn more at www.thesienaschool.org
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PRIVATE SCHOOLS
WASHINGTON EPISCOPAL SCHOOL PREPARED FOR ANYTHING WES students learn how to innovate, create, explore, solve problems, and self-advocate.
Celebrating a century of empowering leaders to serve with faith, intellect, and confidence.
OPEN HOUSES
MIDDLE SCHOOL (Grades 5-8) • Friday, November 11, 2022 LOWER & MIDDLE SCHOOL (Pre-K-Grade 8) • Friday, January 6, 2023 We are an all-girls grades 1-12, Catholic, independent school, with co-educational Pre-K and Kindergarten, located in Bethesda, Maryland.
KIND. CONFIDENT. PREPARED. PreK3-Grade 8/Co-Ed | www.w-e-s.org | 301-652-7878 5600 Little Falls Parkway, Bethesda, MD
Bus transportation is available throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
WWW.STONERIDGESCHOOL.ORG BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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‘Tis The Season To
Shine
This holiday, we invite you to shine with thoughtful gifts and seasonal services made with you – and your loved ones – in mind. Plus, make Mood & Body care easy with a gift card, available in-spa at Woodhouse North Bethesda or online. www.northbethesda.woodhousespas.com (240) 317-3114 | 2 Paseo Drive | North Bethesda, MD
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shopping. weddings. history. travel.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOKAL CHALET BY BILLY CRESS
etc.
Lokal Chalet, a boutique vacation home in New Jersey, has a firepit, a hot tub and blankets on pegs. For more on this and two other cozy retreats, turn to page 246. BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
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etc. SHOP TALK
BEST FOOT FORWARD How a Silver Spring mom created a line of products to soothe sore feet BY JULIA BECK
WHEN CHRISSY CABRERA WAS preg-
nant with her first child in 2015, she suffered from severe swelling in her feet. The edema impacted her ability to stand and walk. Things got worse by the day, spreading up her legs and leaving Cabrera in near-paralyzing pain. Doctors told her to elevate her feet, which only helped a little. She spent a lot of time soaking them, but the discomfort continued. Her husband was a lifesaver, massaging her feet after the regular soaks. Cabrera, 43, who lives in the White Oak neighborhood of Silver Spring, was
frustrated that she couldn’t find anything on the market to provide natural and effective relief. Just three months after her daughter, London, was born, she became certified in aromatherapy and formulations by The School for Aromatic Studies, which is based in Stuart, Virginia. Cabrera started creating foot treatments and launched Naturally London, later adding products for the hands and nails. She named the business after her daughter, who’s now 7 (she and her husband also have a son, Julian, now 2).
PHOTO BY LINDSEY MAX
Chrissy Cabrera at home in Silver Spring with items from her Naturally London line
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The original two products she developed, a foot soak and a foot butter, feature scents that are citrusy with a touch of spearmint—less medicinal, more relaxing. The collection, which can be purchased at Macys.com and on Naturally London’s website (naturallylondon. com), uses natural ingredients such as butters, mango and avocado. Says Cabrera, “This was not about cute toes; this was about healthy feet—in fact, the website is set up by condition, allowing for visitors to find just what they need.” Silver Spring resident Carmen Castellon, 68, learned of the brand through word of mouth and is a fan of the hydrating cuticle pen “because when I use it, my nails and cuticles are very strong.” Castellon often gives Naturally London items as gifts. “The products are very good, and my friends and family do not usually indulge or even pay attention to
their feet and hands. So I give the gift of care,” she says. Naturally London is a long way from Cabrera’s earlier career in the U.S. Air Force, where she served as an airman first class for five years while stationed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. She came to Maryland in 2007 and worked as a government contractor, keeping that full-time job while developing Naturally London, which itself was a fulltime undertaking. “I was not fortunate enough to only do my dream,” she says. “The government job allowed me to invest tens of thousands of dollars into getting where I am today.” Aching feet have been a problem for Cabrera throughout her life, including when she ran track for a year in college and during her time in the military. And while her products won’t cure conditions that can lead to sore feet, they are
aimed at providing relief. Her current foot care regimen—when she can find the time—includes a pre-shower dry file and Naturally London products: Moisturizing Polish ($30), Lavender Orange Foot Butter ($27) and Exhale ($21), a foot soak item. Cabrera tries to soak twice a week. “As a mother of two young children, this is something I really need to make time for; it is not always easy to carve out the time,” she says. Naturally London’s staff of two can expand to four or five at busy times. “When we were featured on the Today show in a [February] 2022 segment called ‘protect your hair, skin and nails’ … orders were coming in fast and furious—all hands were necessary,” Cabrera says. The brand continues to grow. Cabrera recently added an intense moisturizing treatment candle and Pure Bliss Moisturizer for hands and feet. n
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etc. WEDDINGS
Walk in the Park
A Silver Spring couple’s Glen Echo wedding featured a six-piece band playing oldies, bags of Fisher’s Popcorn and a late-night stop at the Irish Inn BY DANA GERBER
HOW THEY MET: The night before Thanksgiving in 2015, Kasey and Tim struck up a conversation at Town Hall, a now-closed bar in D.C.’s Glover Park neighborhood, while they were there for high school reunions. They had met months before, at the Lighthouse Restaurant in Dewey Beach—Kasey remembered this, but Tim didn’t, until he realized upon asking for her number
that it was already in his phone. “I figured that was a sign that I should follow up,” Tim says. “The second time, I wasn’t going to let that go by without a call.” About a week later, for their first date, they chowed down on Mexican fare at the (now-closed) El Centro location on 14th Street. THE PROPOSAL: On Dec. 31, 2020, Kasey and Tim were on vacation in Folly Beach, South Carolina. The two had already picked out a rose-cut diamond ring at I. Gorman Jewelers in D.C., but Kasey was under the impression it wasn’t ready yet. During a break in the all-day rain, Tim asked Kasey to go for a walk. Under a misty streetlight by a beach entrance, Tim got down on one knee. “Luckily, the answer was yes,” he says. THE CEREMONY: The couple wed in a Catholic Mass ceremony on Oct. 2, 2021, at Annunciation Catholic Church in D.C. with about 175 guests present. Planning a wedding in 10 months proved tight, Kasey says, but the uncertainty of the pandemic worked in their favor. “Stuff in the fall was still available, because it was just a large question mark,” she says. The groom’s most
PHOTO BY KATIE SLATER
THE COUPLE: Kasey Ott (maiden name O’Boyle), 30, grew up in Kensington and graduated from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C. She’s an art teacher at Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac. Tim Ott, 34, grew up in the Barnaby Woods neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and graduated from Landon School in Bethesda. He works in government contracting. They live in the Indian Spring Hills neighborhood of Silver Spring.
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treasured memory from the day was seeing Kasey walk down the aisle in her white column gown under the church’s stained-glass windows. “She looks beautiful every day, but she looked absolutely stunning,” he says. THE RECEPTION: After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests took buses to the reception venue, the Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park. With the pandemic still posing a threat, the pair wanted something outdoors, and Kasey had taken art classes at Glen Echo’s Yellow Barn Studio in high school. “The days of when it was a little amusement park predated us, but a lot of the older guests, our parents’ age and their friends … had experiences of going to that park when they were kids,” Tim says.
“Not only was it a nice venue in general to have a wedding, but it was fun hearing stories from some of the folks who remembered going there.” After the reception, the newlyweds and some guests hoofed it to the nearby Irish Inn at Glen Echo to keep the night going. “I always rolled my eyes when people would be like, ‘It’s the best day of my life,’ ” Kasey says, “but it really was the best day of my life.” THE FLOWERS: The bride called on friend Michelle Samson of Misa Floral to do the bouquets, asking her to “use what’s in season, and that tended to be the rustier or burgundy palette.” The centerpieces were a mix of traditional flowers, like roses and dahlias, and more distinctive blooms, like scabiosa
PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY F. DENN PHOTOGRAPHY
WEDDINGS
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and ninebark. “She treats the flowers like they’re sculptures,” Kasey says. THE FOOD AND DRINK: During cocktail hour, appetizers included chicken and waffles, beef sirloin crostini and vegetable and goat cheese tarts. For the plated feast, guests had a choice of apple cider chicken breast, chickpea-crusted salmon or wild mushroom ravioli. The wedding cake was a two-tier, almond-flavored confection, and the groom’s cake, shaped like a hockey rink, was funfetti with strawberry icing. Tim played hockey in high school, and his mom put hockey player figurines on his birthday cakes as a kid. “Kasey found some of these guys online, the same hockey guys that my mom had used 20 years ago, and put those on the groom’s
cake, so that was a nice touch,” Tim says. Beer koozies, funfetti cookies and bags of Fisher’s Popcorn, a mid-Atlantic beach staple, served as party favors. THE MUSIC: The Groove Motive, the sixpiece band that played oldies and Motown hits at the reception, turned out to be a worthwhile splurge. Kasey’s favorite moment from the big day was the first dance to Aretha Franklin’s version of “You Send Me,” underneath twinkling string lights. “Of course everybody’s watching,” she says, “but I felt really connected to him in that moment.” As the night went on, tunes like “Shout” by the Isley Brothers got everybody grooving. “At one point, somebody’s tie became a limbo stick,” Kasey says.
THE HONEYMOON: The day after the wedding, the newlyweds headed to The Omni Homestead Resort in Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains, spending about five days fly fishing, horseback riding and enjoying the spa. VENDORS: Band, The Groove Motive; bartenders, Please Bring Chips; buses, RMA Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation; cake, Sweets by Sara Ann; catering, Ridgewells Catering; dress, Safiyaa; florals, Misa Floral; hair, Styled by Anna Fazio; hotel, Glover Park Hotel; makeup, Makeup by Mimi Tran; paper goods, Calligraphette & Co.; photography, Kimberly F. Denn Photography; planning, Kristen Dawson of Elizabeth Carberry Creative; rentals, Perfect Settings; string lights, Atmosphere Inc. n
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Exquisite Jewelry Exceptional Prices
5550 The Hills Plaza | Chevy Chase, Maryland | 301-657-2144 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW | Washington, DC | 202-785-4653 1320 Old Chain Bridge Road | McLean, Virginia | 703-734-3997 booneandsons.com
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BY CHRISTINE KOUBEK FLYNN
GET AWAY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF 134 PRINCE BY LAURA METZLER PHOTOGRAPHY
HIGH-RANKING LUXURY OPENED IN 2021, boutique hotel 134 Prince occupies a meticulously transformed 1849 Dutch Colonial Revival home just steps from Annapolis’s City Dock, restaurants, shops and two U.S. Naval Academy gates. Owners Clint Ramsden and Cody Monroe, both U.S. Naval Academy graduates, wanted to impart the kind of luxury sensibility one might find in Charleston, South Carolina, or Newport, Rhode Island. The inn offers modern amenities in a historic building with wood floors, brick fireplaces, exposed wood beams, dentil crown molding and other carefully preserved details. The five suites—ranging from 450 to 1,200 square feet— are a far cry from plebe quarters. Each has a smart TV, Hermès bathroom amenities, plush towels, navy-trimmed bathrobes, percale linens and a cooling, charcoal-infused memory-foam mattress. Complimentary eye masks and earplugs and a sound machine with an array of choices (stream, rain, waves) further contribute to a great night’s sleep. An enormous sepia-toned print of a centuries-old park
sets the mood in the inn’s relaxing and surprisingly quiet lounge—home to thick-cushioned furniture, a well-stocked whiskey cabinet for after-dinner drinks, and a complimentary wine hour every Friday and Saturday evening from 5 to 6:30, which the owners sometimes attend to meet and mingle with guests. Across the hall, built-in shelves in the kitchen and dining room are stocked with books and free Nespresso coffee and specialty Tea Forté teas. Rates begin at $499 and include a full cooked-to-order breakfast. Parking is an additional $50 per night, provided by the valet. Two Tesla (EV) chargers are available. See visitannapolis.org/events/holiday for details on the town’s Chocolate Binge Festival, midnight madness shopping, a historic pub crawl, the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade and other seasonal events. Many are walkable from 134 Prince. 134 Prince, 134 Prince George St., Annapolis, Maryland, 410-834-4606, 134prince.com BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 243
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etc. GET AWAY
BROADWAY BOUND
THEATER AFICIONADOS CAN REVISIT the sights and sounds of
many an iconic Broadway show at the new Museum of Broadway, slated to open in mid-November in the heart of New York City’s Times Square. Walk through an Oklahoma!-inspired cornfield, explore the world of Manhattan’s East Village in Rent (as reimagined by original set designer Paul Clay) and ease on down a yellow LED staircase to enter a jukebox tunnel with lights synchronized to the music from The Wiz. A timeline chronicles Broadway’s birth to the present day, and various displays highlight theater pioneers, socially progressive moments and the stories behind many enduring plays and musicals. Find unique holiday gifts in the museum shop, from Broadway-branded apparel and goodies (including current Broadway show merch) to prints by legendary New York Times caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, plus totes, T-shirts and mugs featuring his drawings. Plan one to two hours for the self-guided, one-way-only tour through the immersive exhibits. Open daily 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Timed tickets are $39 per person; flexible tickets $49. Museum of Broadway, 145 W. 45th St., New York, New York, themuseumofbroadway.com
DECK THE HALLS Brandywine Valley outside Philadelphia (a city known as “America’s Garden Capital”), the Fairville Inn is ideally situated a few miles from both Longwood Gardens and Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library—botanical wonderlands that are all the more stunning during the holidays when festooned in seasonal finery. Fairville’s 10 guest rooms and suites—housed in two buildings adjacent to a well-manicured courtyard and grand trees—were completely renovated in 2020 with casually elegant furnishings and new tiled bathrooms. Some rooms have a fireplace and expansive porch overlooking the back hillside. Suites have their own sitting room, plus an in-room coffee station and Frette bathrobes. The white Colonial building at the property’s front greets guests with a coffee, tea and snack bar, a dining room and a relaxing living area with scented candles. Pumpkin pancakes with maple cinnamon butter and a delicious fried egg tartine are just two of the complimentary breakfast choices. Visit the nearby town of Greenville for good coffee and sandwiches
at Brew HaHa, or to enjoy excellent pizza, salads and live music at Pizza by Elizabeths—its name, decor and marble bar are a nod to famous Elizabeths. Rates begin at $240. For information about holiday lights, music
and events, visit winterthur.org, visitwilmingtonde.com/events/ holiday and longwoodgardens.org. The Fairville Inn, 506 Kennett Pike, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, 610388-5900, fairvilleinn.com n
TOP PHOTO BY GETTY; BOTTOM PHOTO COURTESY OF FAIRVILLE INN BY STACY HART PHOTOGRAPHY
T U C K E D I N T O P E N N S Y LVA N I A’ S B U C O L I C
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LANGLEY FARMS $13,500,000 1113 Langley Lane, McLean, VA Will Thomas +1 202 607 0364 Mark C. Lowham +1 703 966 6949
EDGEMOOR $10,950,000 7116 Glenbrook Road, Bethesda, MD Christie-Anne Weiss +1 202 256 0105 Christopher Ritzert +1 202 256 9241
McLEAN $39,000,000 Iconic Riverfront Estate, McLean, VA Mark C. Lowham +1 703 966 6949
FOREST HILLS $10,500,000 3301 Fessenden Street NW, Washington, DC Michael Rankin +1 202 271 3344
BERKLEY $9,750,000 1930 Foxview Circle NW, Washington, DC Jonathan Taylor +1 202 276 3344
THREE ON BURDETTE $5,275,000+ 8909, 8911, 8913 Burdette Road, Bethesda, MD 3onburdette.com Chris Burns +1 202 251 7465
WALNUT HILL $4,750,000 1219 Mottrom Drive, McLean, VA Mark C. Lowham +1 703 966 6949
SPRINGLAND FARM $5,475,000 3550 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC Michael Rankin +1 202 271 3344 Coco Palomeque +1 202 494 3235
KENWOOD $4,495,000 6223 Kennedy Drive, Chevy Chase, MD Christie-Anne Weiss +1 202 256 0105 Christopher Ritzert +1 202 256 9241
DOWNTOWN BETHESDA $2,895,000 4819 Wellington Drive, Chevy Chase, MD Lauren Davis +1 202 549 8784
ARROWOOD $1,725,000 9111 Kittery Lane, Bethesda, MD Anne-Marie Finnell +1 202 329 7117
BASIL COURT $3,995,000 1004 Basil Road, McLean, VA Cynthia Steele Vance +1 703 408 1810
CHEVY CHASE $1,395,000 3810 Taylor Street, Chevy Chase, MD Kirsten Williams +1 202 657 2022
LUXURY AT THE CHEVAL BETHESDA $599,000 4960 Fairmont Avenue #1004, Bethesda, MD Kelly Basheer Garrett +1 202 258 7362
APSLEY FARMS ESTATE $1,100,000 14193 Major Brown Drive, Sperryville, VA Logan MacKethan +1 202 641 3088 Barrington Hall +1 540 454 6601
T T R S I R .CO M | B R O K E R AG ES : B E T H ES DA R OW — 4 8 0 9 B E T H ES DA AV E N U E , B E T H ES DA , M D — +1 3 0 1 5 16 1 2 1 2 CHEVY CHASE, DC • THE KENTLANDS, MD • ANNAPOLIS, MD • EASTON, MD • GEORGETOWN, DC • DOWNTOWN, DC • McLEAN, VA • ALEXANDRIA, VA • ARLINGTON, VA • THE PLAINS, VA ©2022 TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, licensed real estate broker. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. Equal housing opportunity. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Price and availability subject to change.
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Hygge Place
FIND YOUR
THREE COZY RETREATS WHERE YOU CAN RELAX AND RECHARGE BY CHRISTINE KOUBEK FLYNN
I LEARNED ABOUT THE Danish
concept of “hygge” (pronounced “hoo-guh”) when I traveled to Copenhagen in 2018 and reconnected with Karen, a friend I’d met 15 years earlier when we lived in the same neighborhood in Gaithersburg, and both had infants. About three years after we met, she and her family returned home to Denmark, a country that’s been known for having the happiest people on earth. During my visit, Karen explained that while the term means different things to different people, com-
mon elements include soft blankets, warm beverages, maybe the sound of raindrops on the roof, candlelight, and a sense of safety and being cared for. “It’s hard to define,” she said. “But there’s a book on it.” I saw what she meant when I picked up The Little Book of Hygge— Danish Secrets to Happy Living. Author Meik Wiking writes, “Hygge has been called everything from ‘the art of creating intimacy,’ ‘coziness of the soul,’ and ‘the absence of annoyance’ to ‘taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things,’ ‘cozy
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOKAL CHALET BY BILLY CRESS
Lokal Chalet in southern New Jersey sleeps eight.
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Guests can gather in the living room (above) or by the grill at Lokal Chalet.
Elements of hygge include soft blankets, warm beverages and candlelight. togetherness,’ and my personal favorite, ‘cocoa by candlelight.’ ” Given the stress and challenges so many have faced these last few years, I set out to find mid-Atlantic places that evoke a “coziness of the soul.” Here are three such hideaways, whether “hygge” means snuggling up with the one you love at a bed-and-breakfast overlooking snowy hillsides, savoring solo time and art while you write the next great American novel, or sipping cocoa fireside with friends and family at a chalet tucked in the woods.
GO WITH A GROUP:
Lokal Chalet
The Setting: Tucked away on 30 acres of towering trees in southern New Jersey, 15 minutes from the small town of Hammonton (first lady Jill Biden’s birthplace), Lokal Chalet opened in May as the second of Lokal Hotel’s collection of boutique vacation homes. The first, an A-frame cabin with Maurice River frontage, and a third, Lokal Triangle House, also opened recently in New Jersey. Lokal Chalet, which sleeps eight, has no TV, allowing guests an opportunity to disconnect (though the internet is available). Instead, communal serenity includes a game of pingpong, bil-
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Lokal Chalet’s outdoor area includes a gathering spot with a firepit.
Most of Lokal Chalet’s redesign was created with the use of reclaimed and local materials.
Cozy Elements: While the three-bedroom, two-bath home was once a rundown cabin, its redesign and furnishings are Scandinavian modern, including forest colors of green and dark grays. Most of the space was created with the use of reclaimed and local materials. Blankets hang from living room pegs. Indoor plants as well as Courtney’s “plant hammock,” a
regular hammock decoratively hung to hold a large philodendron, bring the spirit of the outdoors inside. Unlike at many rental homes, there’s no need to bring your own linens. The bedrooms have comfortable mattresses, pillows and linens from well-regarded brands such as Casper and Parachute, plus soft robes. Tasty Treats: The kitchen is stocked with spices and oil, and all the tools to prepare a meal, including a 30-inch induction range. Warm-beverage aficionados will love the complimentary Rival Bros Coffee and loose-leaf tea by Premium Steap along with the associated tools to brew the perfect cup, from a burr grinder to a Chemex and an easypour kettle. Outdoors, smoke meats or sear a per-
fect steak on the Big Green Egg grill; charcoal and utensils are provided along with a book of recipes. Stock up on your favorite food and beverages on your way to Lokal Chalet. The nearest market and liquor store are a 10- to 15-minute drive away. Unique Perk: Early guests have appreciated the multisensory experience, including the Sonos surround sound system. One Google commenter shared, “My favorite thing to do was blast music in the indoors and outdoor speaker system and not worry about bothering any neighbors because there aren’t any.” Details: Rates start at $300, two-night minimum required. Extra cleaning fee of $100 for up to two dogs. 1600 Weekstown Road, Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, 609536-9157, staylokal.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOKAL CHALET BY BILLY CRESS
liards, darts or cornhole in the home’s “Game Garage,” a soak in the cedar hot tub, and sips of cocoa fireside at one of two firepits with unobstructed views of the stars. Husband and wife co-owners Chad and Courtney Ludeman created the kind of place that makes you want to stay off your screens and savor time in nature, with one another or with your dog if you have one.
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ROMANTIC GETAWAY:
Stone Gables Bed & Breakfast
The Setting: Located in farm and vineyard country 6 miles from Leesburg, Virginia’s historic district, this stone-gabled barn turned four-bedroom bed-andbreakfast exudes peace. You can’t escape nature here—it surrounds you inside and out with its thick stone walls (they’re soothing to run your fingers over), handhewn wood beams, dining room pillars created from tree trunks, indoor plants and lovable Labrador mix Eddy. Taking their cue from the stones’ color palette—and adding just the right amount of decor and local art—owners Leslie and Wayne Tharp have created a haven filled with personality and warmth.
Grab a blanket and watch TV from one of the living room’s overstuffed sofas. Or read and play music on an old record player in the second-floor library, where built-in bookshelves are filled with mystery, romance and literary novels, a few Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Leslie’s encased collection of original Winnie the Pooh books. Across the hall, overlooking the nicely designed front patio, you can challenge your partner to a round of Yahtzee, Battleship, Othello and more in the intimate game room. Not that you want to keep close track of time, but the room’s clock depicts it in dominoes.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF STONE GABLES
The warmth of the decor at Stone Gables Bed & Breakfast comes through in the living room (left) and entryway (below).
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Cozy Elements: Each guest room has its own character. The Stone Gables Suite, which is the largest, includes a cozy seating area with an antique couch and vanity, a luxurious bathroom with a flagstone floor, a walk-in tiled shower and a clawfoot tub complete with (batteryoperated) candles. The Leesburg has a whirlpool tub big enough for two and a beautiful blue-tiled shower. The Hunt features stone walls, wooden beams and artwork of a fox. The Loft, accessible via a spiral staircase, has a fun collection of local art, from photos of the area’s farm
CREATIVE ESCAPE FOR ONE:
Galvanized America Inn & Art Gallery
animals (including an adorable picture of a cow’s snout) to this former hay loft’s wood doors that open to reveal a peekaboo view of the second-floor landing through wrought-iron branches. All have comfortable pillowtop or memory-foam mattresses and a TV. Tasty Treats: You’ll find a coffee station with Starbucks syrups, mugs from places around the globe, homemade cookies, and s’mores kits for the firepit. A separate buffet table holds an electric kettle and a wide assortment of teas. A red retro fridge is stocked with water, soda and Klondike bars (it’s also the place to store your own food if you prefer to eat in). A full sweet and savory breakfast—
The Setting: Pennsylvania’s Bucks County is home to covered bridges, wine and ale trails, historic main streets, independent bookstores galore, and an artist-owned 1754 farmhouse-chic inn. Set on 6½ acres that feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere (wonderful for minimizing distractions), Galvanized America Inn is only a 10- to 20-minute drive to several inspirational options, although inspiration begins at the inn. Owners Sherri and Ed Bennett’s rustic farmhouse property is filled with Ed’s art depictions of American symbols as well as a stunning bighorn sheep, all created from razor blades that he shapes with a Dremel and colors, when needed, with a combination of transparent automotive paint and chemical oxidation. The inn also features his watercolors and handmade furniture, including an old shutter repurposed as a brochure rack, a kitchen island made from old scaffolding planks, and a lamp crafted from a chicken feeder. Ed and Sherri are in the process of turning the property’s big red barn into an art gallery for works by Ed and other local artists. Outside the farmhouse, warm up by the firepit or relax on a porch rocker and look out at twinkling lights and the deer that dart from field to forest.
which might include housemade PopTarts or granola and a customizable omelet option—is served in the dining room or on the screened-in porch. Unique Perk: In the property’s tiny tree house, you can sit among plentiful pillows scattered around a colorful rug, perhaps with your coffee or a bottle of local wine. The oversize picture window features the real nature channel outdoors, including—if you’re lucky— falling snow. Details: Rates from $215 per night, snacks and breakfast included. 19077 Loudoun Orchard Road, Leesburg, Virginia, 703343-1333, stonegables-bb.com.
Cozy Elements: Guest rooms Independence and Freedom offer a queen bed and private bath with shower. Suite Liberty and Suite Victory each have their own sitting room and large bath with clawfoot tub. Victory’s top-floor location is especially lovely for its skylights, whether you’re gazing up at the stars or listening to rain drip-drop on glass. While there are no TVs in the rooms, you can sink into one of the living room’s leather sofas and watch a show on your favorite streaming channel or grab a book from the built-in shelves. Tasty Treats: Ed and Sherri welcome guests with a glass of local wine and a homemade appetizer. Breakfast is served in the dining room or on the patio on warm days, and the menu changes regularly. My visit included a delicious French toast with pear compote and caramelized bacon. Unique Perks: Inspiring spots for writers—or fans of the written word—are a short drive from Galvanized America. Browse The Doylestown Bookshop’s extensive wall of staff picks. Bring your laptop and work from Native Cafe next door, then wander over to the Michener Art Museum, named for Pulit-
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF GALVANIZED AMERICA INN & ART GALLERY: TOP PHOTO BY ED BENNETT; BOTTOM PHOTO BY HAND & ARROW PHOTOGRAPHY
The Galvanized America Inn & Art Gallery includes razor blade artwork (right) by owner Ed Bennett, and bedrooms without TVs.
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zer Prize-winning author, art collector and Doylestown native James Michener. The museum’s collection includes paintings, photographs and sculptures, with works by internationally known artists and Pennsylvania impressionists. In nearby Perkasie, don’t miss the Pearl S. Buck House, the former home of the prolific author who was the first woman to receive both a Pulitzer Prize and The Nobel Prize in Literature. Take a docent-led tour of the National Historic Landmark to see Buck’s family photos and personal libraries; the typewriter she used to write The Good Earth; and the living room where she discussed ways to help orphaned children with celebrities from her era, including her friend James Michener. The Doylestown Bookshop’s bookmark
sums up both the inn’s and the region’s vibe for literary lovers with this Henry Wadsworth Longfellow quote: “The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, and all the sweet serenity of books.” Details: Rates start at $169 and include breakfast, bottled waters and a welcome snack. 6470 Durham Road, Pipersville, Pennsylvania, 215-766-7617, galvanizedamerica.com. n Christine Koubek Flynn is a regular contributor to Bethesda Magazine. She reports on what is new and notable in mid-Atlantic travel in the magazine’s Get Away column and teaches writing workshops at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda and other literary organizations.
At Galvanized America Inn, warm up by the firepit or relax on a porch rocker.
FOR SALE WWW.4218HARMONYROAD.COM 4218 Harmony Road, Preston, MD | $3,995,000
Chuck Mangold, Jr.
This first-time offering is a unique Eastern Shore estate that is the perfect marriage of serenity and style. No expense or detail was spared in building this custom family compound encompassing stunning indoor & outdoor spaces.
chuck@chuckmangold.com
8 Bedrooms
8 Full, 8 Half Bathrooms
55 Car Garage Spaces
Associate Broker 410.924.8832 mobile
60+/- Acres
BENSON & MANGOLD REAL ESTATE | 31 GOLDSBOROUGH STREET, EASTON, MD 21601 | OFFICE: 410-822-6665
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121 BREAKWATER REACH, LEWES, DE
• • • •
Beach Block, 6500+sq ft Bedrooms: 5 Baths: 4 Full, 2 Half $3,500,000
A member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates, LLC.
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ISLAND TIME
Largely forgotten, the small stretches of land dotting the Potomac are finding some modern-day uses
THE POTOMAC IS ONE of America’s most
storied rivers, from its headwaters in West Virginia, through the nation’s capital, to its journey’s end at the Chesapeake Bay. In 1608, Capt. John Smith and his band of explorers were the first white men to sail the river above present-day Washington, D.C., traveling upstream until their small boat could go no farther, their progress blocked by islands that began to appear in the waters. Geographically, Montgomery County lies along the fall line where the hilly Piedmont Plateau breaks into the flatlands of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, causing the upheaval of massive stones—the most famous being Great Falls, where the Potomac’s waters rush wildly before flattening downstream. Along the more placid sections of the river in Montgomery County rose more than 30 islands, ranging from small, tree-dotted rock outcroppings to expanses of 100 acres or more. Ownership of the islands, and the Potomac River, was a point of contention from the early days of the Virginia and Maryland colonies. The courts eventually determined that Maryland owned the river. Those islands above and below the falls became part of Montgomery County. Mason Island, near the Frederick County line, was the largest, big enough
Canoers heading to Minnie’s Island from Lockhouse 8 earlier this year
to be cultivated by a succession of farmers. Barges carried produce across the water to the banks of the Potomac, where wagons finished the journey to market. With the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which began in 1828, island farmers had access to a direct waterway, entering the river through connecting channels, bypassing the falls and allowing boats to easily carry produce to Georgetown, where waiting ships carried the goods to other markets. As the Potomac made its way south from Mason Island to the District, it ran past, at one time, 39 islands large enough to be given names. Many were identified by owners or nearby onshore residents. The Beall, Clagett, Conn, Offutt, Olmsted, Perry, Selden and Watkins families were among those who gave their names to the islands. Others were identified by prominent natural features, such as Grapevine, Elm, Sycamore and Cedar islands. Some, like the appropriately named Tenfoot Island, were mere ripples in the water. By the end of the 19th century, people began to build fishing camps and summer cabins on the larger islands south of Great Falls. Cabin John Island featured a small establishment serving drinks to visitors. South of Cabin John Island was Syca-
more Island, which had become a favorite spot to boat and relax by the middle of the 19th century. The private Sycamore Island Club was founded in 1885, offering members fishing, canoeing and swimming in the Potomac. Today, the still-existing club owns Sycamore Island and the undeveloped Rupperts Island, a natural habitat for cormorants, geese and other wildlife. Then, as now, club members reached the island by boat or a hand-drawn ferry. Massive storms would swell the Potomac throughout the 20th century, flooding the islands, sweeping away farmhouses, summer camps and fishing lodges. Today, little is left to suggest that the islands were once inhabited. Yet some of them have found modern-day uses. Adventure Island, run by Calleva, offers young campers the opportunity to paddle out to the island and spend the day exploring creeks, swimming and canoeing. Minnie’s Island, off the C&O Canal near Lockhouse 8, is being rehabilitated by the Minnie’s Island Community Conversancy, a volunteer group that is clearing trails, identifying wildlife and rebuilding an old cabin there. And Sycamore Island, with its historic buildings, retains a hint of what recreational island life in Montgomery County once was. n
PHOTO COURTESY OF MINNIE’S ISLAND COMMUNITY CONSERVANCY
BY MARK WALSTON
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HOW do I electrify everything?
WHY electrify everything? Montgomery County has been a national leader in responding to the challenge of climate change. Setting aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets, the County aims to reduce GHG emissions 80% by 2027 and 100% by 2035. To tackle the impacts of climate change, it’s time to Electrify Everything!
WHO is going electric? Ann in Rockville says: Call me a convinced skeptic! I walked into a local store and got my new INDUCTION RANGE delivered within a week. It was affordable, and I’m very happy with it. I was initially caught off guard by how fast it heats things. Cast iron and steel pans work great, and so does my wok. (My only disappointment is that my trusty aluminum pancake griddle won’t work on it.) An unexpected bonus: the cooktop cools rapidly, so cleanup can be done sooner! Induction cooktops are more energy efficient than gas or electric, and they offer fast and precise temperature control. Unlike gas ranges, they do not release indoor pollutants that cause respiratory illnesses.
Historically, electricity production involved a coalfired, dirty process. However, by 2020, coal’s share of Maryland’s electricity production fell to just 9%. Maryland now receives more energy from cleaner sources like hydropower, solar, nuclear and wind. Conserving energy and using energy more efficiently remain important—like taking shorter showers and opting for LED light bulbs. We can make a big climate impact by replacing technologies that run on combustion—such as gasoline vehicles and natural gas furnaces—with alternatives that run on electricity—such as electric vehicles and heat pumps. Let’s get as much energy consumption as possible hooked up to the electric grid!
Lynette in Colesville says: My new ELECTRIC BACKPACK LEAF BLOWER is quieter and lighter than my old, gas-powered blower. It’s a little less powerful on tough jobs, and the battery charge lasts less than an hour, but I’m glad I don’t need to mix gas anymore. It turns on and off with a trigger on the handle—so no more pull-cord struggles! Great for traditional residential home use. Electric lawn care devices are growing in popularity because they don’t give off gas fumes and are less noisy—making you and your fellow neighbors happy.
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PHOTO BY OLIVIA SADKA
F
or our package on holiday cookie recipes from local bakers (“Smart Cookies,” page 108), photographer Deb Lindsey, culinary operations specialist Nicola Davis from Sage Against the Tagine and Bethesda Magazine’s creative director Kelly Martin and designer Olivia Sadka worked at Lindsey’s house in Potomac to capture the sweets individually and in a group shot. “We ordered many more cookies than we needed as some of them are always and inevitably odd, broken or misshapen,” says Davis, who is shown crumbling a spiky corner off one of the cookies in this behind-the-scenes photo. The spread of goodies ended up being so big that the team decided to place a wood slab on the floor to make sure Lindsey would have enough room to take photos from above. Davis had collected branches and pinecones from a hike and brought a wooden crate that holds some of her 3-year-old’s toys. The final shot includes wintry touches. “My favorite part was using snowflake cutouts and sifting flour over them to make it look like snow,” Davis says. “It reminded me of when Santa and the reindeer would leave ‘footprints’ around the fireplace when we were young.” n
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YOU ALWAYS KNOW A STUART KITCHEN. SINCE 1955, WE’VE BEEN FIRST CHOICE FOR THE BEST KITCHEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. COME VISIT OUR SHOWROOMS. EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THE ROOM YOU’LL LOVE THE MOST IS HERE IN ONE PLACE. AND, YOU’LL UNDERSTAND WHY SO MANY PEOPLE SAY, “NOTHING ADDS MORE VALUE TO YOUR HOME.”
BETHESDA SHOWROOM AT 8203 WISCONSIN AVE. 240-223-0875 ANNAPOLIS SHOWROOM 2335B FOREST DR. 410-761-5700 STUARTKITCHENS.COM
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