Montgomery County sentinel. [volume], February 26, 1959, Image 1

About Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974

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COUNTY'S
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103rd Year - No. 12 Phoiw ROCKVILLE. MARYLAND THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24. 1959 Established 185 S by Matthew Fields Five Cents a Copy
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Blizzard of ’SB Recalled
SNOW BABIES horn during the big blizzard a
year ago are shown with their mothers after
celebrating their birthday this week. Two of
the mothers. Mrs. James Beach (left I, of Dick
erson, and Mrs. Harold Atkinson (center), of
Goshen, had to be taken to Suburban Hospital
Only Three Days Left . . .
Only three days remain in which to take advantage
of the opportunity to save up to $3 on a renewal of your
subscription to the Sentinel.
If you extend your subscription before midnight Sat
urday, your renewal will cost just $3 for one year or $5
for two years. After March 1, the prices will jump to $4
for one year and $7 for two years. So send or bring your
check immediately to the Montgomery County Sentinel,
215 E. Montgomery ave., Rockville, Md.
Your mailed cheek will be honored at the lower
rates if it is postmarked by midnight Saturday.
Remember if you renew each year at the new
price of $4 a year, it’ll cost you $3 more during the next
two years than if you add two years to your subscription
NOW for only $5.
County Building Plan
For Bethesda Bared
Details of easing \v ha 1 1
County Manager Melvin L. I
Reese has named “the Bc
thesda Problem,” were re
vealed Tuesday when a coun
ty official disclosed a $1.6
million plan to construct a
new county office building, a
new school, an enlarged li
brary and additional parking
space.
The official was Joseph C.
Kordella. public works depart
ment aide and member of the
Coordinating Committee, com
prised of representatives of the
Board of Education, the Wash
ington Suburban Sanitary Com
mission. the Maryland-National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, Kordella and Forest Y r .
Gustafson, director of recreation
for the county.
An alternate plan to achieve
the same results would cost
about $300,000 less, Kordella told >
the County Council. Both plans,
however, are workable and one,
or the other should be instituted :
soon to combat a growing prob j
lem of overcrowded downtown
Bethesda facilities, Kordella said
The first plan proposed by the
Coordinating Committee called j
for rebuilding ol the present
county service building on its
existing site. The current budget
Bwrtfi wei Seittel
| already has $"339,(XX) earmarked
| for its construction and an adja
; cent building for parking.
Ail alternate plan, however,
1 calls for the Bethesda county
building to take over the Bethes
da Elementary School al the in
tersection of Wilson la. and
Arlington rd.
Several new classrooms at the
school also could be used as a
youth center, Kordella pointed
out.
The alternate plan suggested
that the new elementary school
be located on the site of Ding
fellow school for boys, a private
school located several blocks
south of the elementary school
on Edgemoor la. and Beverly st.
Kordella told the Council that
the asking price for the Drug
fellow school was not too far
separated from a county ap
praisal ot its worth.
He iwintcd out the advantages
!of the school were that it Is
located one block farther west of
i the business district than Be
j thesda elementary school and is
| subject to less traffic, and that
i its site is much larger than the
I existing elementary school.
It would have to be torn down
| and replaced. The county could
j work out a kind of swap with the
school board for the two proper
ties the county would use Be
(Continued on Page 2)
by helicopter. Mrs. Forest Mills (right), of
Travilah rd., Rockville, was driven to Suburban
by her husband after the patli to Montgomery
General was blocked. Then her husband got
stranded. Staff Photo by Gillespie.
Late School
Closing Date
OKd for 9 60
A reluctant school board has
approved a 1959-60 school calen
dar which includes one of the lat-1
est school closing dates in county j
history.
The calendar, as recommended
hy Superintendent C. Taylor
Whittier, sets June 24, 1960, as
the final day of school.
Several board members object
ed to keeping schools open so late
in June, but ultimately agreed
with Whittier that no alternative
seemed to t>e feasible.
The school year will begin later j
than usual (September Bi, be-:
cause of the fact that Day j
falls on the latest possible date}
(September 7).
Board members felt many par-,
cuts would object to any change
in the traditional day-aftcr-Laborj
Day opening.
The calendar Includes 186
school days, three more than the
current year, 200 duty days for
teachers, and 18 pupil holidays.
Twinbrook
Elementary
Addition OKd
A $200,000 addition to Twin- 1
brook Elementary School, whi'chj
will make it. the largest elemen
tary school tn Montgomery Coun- j
ty, was given the green light this |
week.
Construction will be undertaken
in the next week by Clark &
Chapman Inc., whose low bid of
$207,906 was accepted by the
school board this week. Expected
completion date is December,
1959.
The project involves 10 new
classrooms which will raise the
school s capacity to 1300 children,
largest in the county. The addi
tion was designed by Architect
1 Wdiiora N. Denton, jr.
A Century of Service 7o Montgomery County 3 SECTIONS 22 PAGES
‘Biggest’ Tax Hike Looms Here
Liquor Hearing Is Set
1000 Expected
To Appear at
Wheaton High
By Bob Bernstein
Staff ll<*|Mirt*r
Church and civic groups, on |
the theory that the best de- t
fense is a good offense, began!
deploying their forces this
week for an all-out skirmish
next week against the propo-,
nents of liquor law liberaliza
tion.
The showdown is due the aft
ernoon of March 7, when the;
county’s legislative delegation will!
conduct a public hearing on the
controversial issue at Wheaton t
High School gymnasium.
At stake will be at least four
proposed changes in the liquor
laws, which have stood firm
against many similar attacks
for mure than 25 years.
Most of the proposals would
loosen present provisions. An
other would plug a loophole in
current laws by banning bottle
clcb operations.
If history is any precedent,
“dry" forces will more than pack
the 945-capacity Wheaton gym to
register their protests.
Church Council heads in both
Bethesda and Silver Spring said
their groups can be exacted to
participate actively in organizing
opposition to liberalization.
The Rev. Forrest L. Farris, Be
thesda Council president, and the!
Rev. Edwin A. Ross, Silver Spring j
Council president, predicted that -
their members will urge their
congregations to’ register pro
tests.
“We feel we can be just as stub
born as the other side,” said the
Rev. Marion S. Michael, chairman
ot tlio Bethesda Council’s civic
committee.
The Allied Civic Group, com
posed of 5.3 member civic asso
ciations, voted Monday to oppose
all changes which have been pro
posed to date.
Principal agitation for change
conics from the County Licensed
Beverage Association, represent
ing restaurant and tavern owners,
and from fraternal and veterans
organizations.
At present, the county’s only
pouring licenses which allow the
serving of liquor by the drink
arc at three fashionable restau
rants - Normandy Farm, Olney
(Continued on Page 2)
Education
Conference
Is Planned
County groups were invited by ‘
the county school board this
week to send delegates to a Con
ference on Public Education it 1
will sponsor in April.
The conference, first of its kind 1
in the county, will lx; held at
Broome Junior High School, ,
Rockville, starting April 21 at .
8 p. m., and continuing through ,
the following day.
The board of education feels it ,
will “stimulate citizens’ interest
and lead to a better understand- ,
ing by the public of the critical
problems facing the County and
the board." It. said it will welcome (
ideas and proposals which may
emerge as a result of the confer
ence.
Board President Mrs. Rose C.
Kramer gave as the theme for
the conference: “Quality Educa
tion in Montgomery County—
W’hat We Have, What We Need,
How Do W'e Obtain It?”
Attention will center on the
following topics that are believed (
to encompass many of the criti
cal problems facing our schools:
goals of education; guidance and ;
counselling; teacher certification, I
training and recruitment; sources
of revenue to finance schools; the
able learner.
"Problems of b u i 1 d I n g and
space which have plagued the
County for the last ten years will;
not be the concern of this con- j
iereace,” Mrs. Kramer said.
In Our Schools
Close Affinity Found
Between Cars, Grades
Gasoline and grades often do not mix, according to the
men who know teen-agers best.
A sampling of county school of
ficials confirms the popular no- 1
tion that many high school stu
dents prefer bumpers to books
and drag races to desks.
No studies have been made 10-i
cally to find out how this inclina
tion affects their grades. But sur
veys at two schools elsewhere in
the nation have turned up an
amazing correlation between hoi
rod success and classroom failure.
In Rcxliurg, Idaho, not a single
straiglit-A student drove a ear to
school. But a whopping 83 per
cent of K students were motor
ized, along willi 71 percent of
those making Us, 41 |>ercent of
those with C’s, and 15 percent of
those witli Bs.
At Prosser, Wash., only 11 per
cent of A or B students had regu
lar use of cars, as compared to
62 percent among those with C
minus-to-failure grades.
Local school heads believe simi
lar studies would show the same
general trends here, but they are
not convinced that the conclusions
would be as lopsided as in Idaho
and Washington.
“There is little doubt that there
is some connection between regu
lar use of a car and low grades,"
said William Gruver, assistant
principal at Wheaton High School.
“But I am surprised that the re
sults were so clearcut.
“I can think of several of our
hotter students who drive to
school every day.”
Why should driving result in
low marks, if it does?
The first reason is obvious.
When you’re driving a car, you
can’t be studying.
“Boys with cars naturally have!
At Hearing
Dog Control Law
Praised, Blasted
Seven hundred fifty persons attended a public hearing
Friday in Rockville on a proposed ordinance to establish
tighter controls on dogs in the county’s suburban district. Fol
lowing is a resume of opinions favoring or disapproving the
ordinance:
For
A good ordinance because it is
not kind to dogs to allow them to
run at large they get hit by
cars, mauled by kids, poisoned by
dog-haters.
Good because it keeps packs of
dogs, even if they are friendly,
from "terrorizing” small children
on school playgrounds.
The Health Department report
ed 1498 calls of dog bites last year,
so any kind of a more restrictive
ordinance would be a good one.
If dogs were kept under owners’
control while out for airings, they
wouldn't fowl lawns or destroy
expensive shrubbery. Also, eats
would be protected.
A first day fine of $5 is OK but
owners who repeatedly let their
dogs run at large should be fined
on a graduated scale: $lO, sl3,
S2O, etc.
The law would be good in that
It would lower the number of per
sons bitten by dogs.
Blood mobile Visit
The Montgomery County Red
Cross Bloodmoblle will stop at
the Army Reserve Training Cen
ter, llalpinc rd., Rockville, from
3 until 7:15 p.m., Monday.
New CD Course
Registration for a new civil do
feline home protection course will
be held Wednesday at 7 p m. In
the County Building, Rockville,
and instruction will start that
night.
a lot more things they can do,"
Gruver remarked. "It’s easier for
them to have a date, or to drive
down to the Hot Shoppe and
spend the afternoon gassing with
the gang."
Probably more important, how
ever, is the need for youths to
hold down spare time jobs to pro
duce the cash that keeps them on
the road.
Some principals felt that the
driver’s need for money is the
single most significant factor in
the high mileage-low grades rela
tionship.
“Many boys work afternoons
and weekends to pay for their
cars or to keep them up," said
Joseph Tarallo of Richard Mont
gomery. “That cuts substantially |
into their study time.”
In some instances, he said, boys
have shunned varsity athletics
rather than quit the jobs that
were keeping them motorized.
As a result of the Rexburg,
Idaho, survey, the school board
there banned all cars from school,!
except for those students who
could show a strong reason ori
need for driving.
The Rexburg principal said the
action was based on the belief
that “restrictions on automobile
use will make for better attend
ance and closer attention to
studies.”
In Montgomery County, the
percentage of teen-agers who
drive to school varies consider
ably from school to school. At
Richard Montgomery, for exam
ple, the figure is about one out
of ten, while at Montgomery Blair
it is closer to one out of three, j
Against
, It’s completely unfair to make
1 responsible dog owners suffer all
the inconvenience of complying
with such a law just because a
few dog owners are irresponsible
and don’t take proper care of their
! pets. Punish those who should be
punished but not everybody.
The Jaw would be unworkable,
as written, because it would be
very difficult to prove that a dog
was not under voice or sign con
trol.
Suppose a dog in a yard bites
someone. The dog is under con
trol by virtue of being fenced, yet
1 the law reads any dog bite is
pt'itna facie evidence the dog is
not under control. Who’s right?
Why should a dog suffer for
his owner's negligence? Wardens
1 should carry lists of licensed dogs
and return dogs to their owners.
In no case should animals be im
pounded.
The daily penalty of sj, com
pounded, is too steep for many
dog owners. Reduce jsmalty cobis
alter Hie last $5 to $1 a day or
the animal shelter will not be
. able to hold ail of I lie dogs it will
i Kt.
The limit of live days impound
mont before animals are destroy
ed or otherwise disposed of is not
long enough. Raise it to eight
i (another said 10) days to give
doomed dogs a chance of adop
tion.
Not strong enough. Enact a
i leash Jaw.
County Hate Could Soar to Record
High of $2.50 or More Per SIOO
Biggest single tax increase in county history is probably
in the offing this year, it appeared this week.
Informed county sources have disclosed that Manager
Melvin L. Reese is wrestling with the biggest budget head
; ache ever to confront the county most of it resulting from
! a big increase requested in school funds.
Reese is scheduled to submit his budget proposal to the
County Council on Tuesday. It must be adopted by April 15.
County school board has asked for almost SSO million—
Pavilion
Future
Weighed
The future of a Rockville
pavilion at the city’s civic
center may lie in the hands of
a five-man committee that has
only two weeks left to make
recommendations to the city’s
Mayor and Council.
They have met twice. They can
! recommend that plans for the
1 ; structure, which so far have cost
the city about SBOOO, be scrapped
or modified and saved.
The SBOOO has been spent on
engineering services and archi
tectural fees.
Eight construction bids for the
1 pavilion were rejected two weeks
ago, largely on the ground that
cost of the building had mounted
beyond what the city had budget
ed for Its construction. Low bid
j was $204,000 while the city origin
i ally had hoped to spend about
| $175,000.
Frank A. Eckcr, councilman
-1 chairman of (he re-evaluation
committee, last week said the
1 committee had discussed whether
a building of different design
'might serve 1 Ite community's
needs better, or as well, as the
1 proposed structure. No decision i
1 of any kind was reached, lie said.!
Serving with him are fellow
| Councilmen Charles W. Pretty-j
man and Joseph C. Rodgers;
Ralph E. Williams (Civic Center
Committee chairmani, and City
j Manager Walter A. Scheiber.
Bob Bernstein
To Tell All
To Legislators
Sentinel Reporter Bob Bern
stein, a recent volunteer in a
live "drunk lest” demonstra
tion, will recount his experi
ences this afternoon for the
benefit of the Motor Vehicles
I Commit tee of the State Gen
eral Assembly.
Another Committee guest will
be Sentinel Photographer Hugh
| Gillespie, who was a sober ob
server while Bernstein underwent
the test at the Wilmington, Del.,
police headquarters.
Both men were invited to
testify by Montgomery County
Delegate Charles W. Woodward,
Jr., vice chairman of the com
mittee and author of a bill that
would legalize chemical blood
tests for suspected drunken driv
ers In Maryland.
In the demonstration test, Bern
stein consumed a substantial
amount of liquor and was given
chemical blood tests at frequent
intervals.
Ills reports of the events, and
additional comments by Gillespie,
appeared in last week’s Sentinel.
City Businessmen
To Hear Penney
Speaker and guest of honor al
the Rockville Chamber of Corn-,
incivc dinner meeting on March!
j 11 will lx: J. C. Penney, founder
and president ot ilio J. C. Penney
i department store chain.
Area chamber of commerce and
board of trade members are also
invited to Join willi the Rockville
Chamber. Reservations for lire
dinner to Ire held at the Motel
Washingtonian may be obtained
1 by calling GA. 4-9300.
Concert at Lei and
The Iceland Junior High School
band and orchestra will hold a
concert Friday starting at 8 p in.
in the school auditorium. Admis
j sion will be 50 cents for students
1 and 7a cutiU lux adults.
Weather Outlook
Temperatures the next four
days will average around the
seasonal highs and lows of 49
and 31, but with slightly higher
temperatures today. Slightly cold
er weather expected over the
weekend, accompanied by up to
three-quarters of an inch of rain.
a 25 percent increase over its
current budget.
County government needs are
growing, too, and Reese is having
great difficulty in whittling the
the total budget school and
county services below S7O mil
lion dollars, it is believed.
The school budget request
alone, a key county official con
tended this week, would require a
tax hike of about 51 cents. If a
- budget of S7O million is approved
, by the County Council, he said,
. it could mean a tax rate increase
of up to 70 cents.
These figures are lielleved to be
somewhat high hut It appears cer
tain that county taxpayers will be
fortunate If they get off tills com
ing yeur with a .tux rate increase
of less than 35 cents for each SIOO
of property they own.
Key observers believe that
most of the additional money
needed by the county will lgive
to come from increasing the
basic property tax. There has
been no serious discussion of
obtaining more money through
new taxes.
Historically, county governing
bodies have increased the coun
ty rate by only a few cents each
year. Last year, for example, the
basic rate of $2.15 was upped by
only three cents to support the
•otal county budget <x£ $64 mil*
, lion.
In submitting their mammoth
budget, school heads said they
; ! needed $30.8 million for operation
of 108 schools and another six
t slated to open next year.
They also requested $13.8 mil
lion for additional school con
! struct ion to handle the booming
school population which increases
by about 5000 pupils each year.
Biggest factor contributing to
the need for more taxes is the
school board request for a $4 mil
lion teachers salary raise. This
would put the county in a favor
able comjx'titive position to hire
teachers at a starting salary of
$-1500. At the end of 12 years, the
teachers would be earning $7300
under the proposed scale.
Sandy Spring
Set to Honor
Dr. J. W. Bird
A tribute is lieing planned to
Dr. J. W. Bird who has practiced
medicine In Sandy Spring for al
most 50 years.
It was on July 1. 1909, that Dr.
Bird, then 23 years old, arrived
from Anne Arundel County to
settle in the community that he
has served faithfully ever since.
Accordingly, the community
will accord him the honor it fed*
he deserves on' next July 1 at 8
p.m. whim dignitaries will make
short talks and gifts will Ik- pre
sented.
One goal of a 25 member com
mittee planning the affair is to
commission a well-known artist
to paint an oil ixxrtruit of the 73-
year-old physician who still
carries on an active practice. The
portrait will hang in tin* hospital
that Dr. Bird founded in 1920.
Dr. Bird has twice served as
president of the Montgomery
County Medical Society and once
us president of the Maryland
Slate Medical Society. Ho has
1 also been a delegate to the Amer
! lean Medical Association and
once was nominated by a grateful
j community for the AMA’s gen
, oral practitioner s award.
General chairman of the event
is Richard W. Janney, of Brooke
i ville. Francis Miller, president
of the First National Bank of
Sandy Spring Is serving as
finance committee chairman.
The coinmil lee hopes coniribu
lions will be sent to the finance
committee chairman at ju early
date so work can start on the oil
j painting.