Montgomery County sentinel. [volume], June 30, 1960, Image 1

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

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SENATORIAL BITE Maryland Senator
John ,M. Butler tests the consistency of one
of Rockville’s Centennial wooden nickels for
the benefit of Washington Post photograph
er Vic Casamento. Helping the Senator in
the test is Congressman John R. Foley,
while members of the Centennial Commit
Reapportionment
Drive Underway
The first countywide meeting of the Committee for
Fair Representation has been scheduled for next Thurs
day at 8:15 p.m. at the Park and Planning Commission
Building in Silver Spring.
The local group, an affiliate of the Maryland Com-
mittee for Fair Representation,
will adopt a constitution and
elect permanent officers to
steer its nonpartisan program
toward achieving a more equit
able representation in the State
Legislature for the more popu
lous counties of Maryland.
A slate of officers to be pres
ented by the seven-member
nominating committee will be
headed by Phillip Thorson, who
has been designated as area vice
president for the State organ
ization. Lathrop E. Smith is
"Tiead of the nominating unit.
Thorson, who resides in Glen
Echo Heights, is director of ad
ministration for the Internation
al Monetary Fund. He has
been actively associated with
the Montgomery County Civic
Federation and is a Democratic
precinct chairman.
To be recommended by the
nominating committee as first
Razor Slated for Burial
In Centennial Hi-Jinks
Dyed-in-the-wool supporters of Rockville’s Centen
nial program will go through the motions of dispensing
with the implements of modem makeup artistry Tuesday
to assure a more authentic flavor for the lQOth-year cele
bration. i
The Brothers of the Bush
and their sisters, the Centen
nial Belles, will conduct fu
neral services for the razor and
the lipstick in a mock cere
mony indicative of their in
tention to avoid shaving and
use of makeup until after the
formal celebration is concluded
on September 3.
The "burial,” set for 7:30
p.m. on the grounds of the
county courthouse, will be pre
ceded by a parade starting 15
minutes earlier from the Rich
ard Montgomery High School.
All participants have been re
quested to wear old-fashioned
attire if possible, and specific
ally have been urged to don
the “official” celebration bon
nets, derby hats and string
ties.
Owners of horse-drawn ve
hicles. antique automobiles and
high-wheeled bicycles have
been invited by Centennial of
ficials to Join in the parade
and ceremony.
At the courthouse, “Keystone
Kop" will be on hand to round
up violators of a recent proc
lamation by Mayor Alexander
J. Greene, who called on all
male residents of Rockville to
abandon shaving for the dur
ation of the Centennial year.
A “kangaroo court” will be
conducted with Harper M.
Smith as prosecutor and Rob
V
Stotiwierii initii Sfitinri
tee, Keystone Cops, and Eileen Downs
(“Miss Silver Spring”) look on in the back
ground. The ceremony took place on the
steps of the U. S. Capitol to kick-off the
centennial which reaches a climax August
27-September 3. Staff Photo.
vice president is Newton I.
Steers, jr., ot Bethesda, presi
dent of -the Atomic Develop
ment Mutual Fund and chair
man of the county delegation to
the recent Republican State
Convention.
Other prospective officers to
be proposed by the nominating
committee include the follow
ing:
Mrs. Andrew H. McClure,
Wheaton, second vice president;
Mrs. H. Stewart Dunn, Poto
mac, corresponding secretary;
Mrs. Stephen M. Johnson, Ta
koma Park, recording secre
tary; Emery Hertelendy, Be
thesda, treasurer, and Ogden
W. Fields. Mrs. Harold H.
Kramer, Mrs. James J. Lynch
and James R. Miller, jr., all of
Silver Spring; William H. Ro
mack, jr., Norbeck, and Arthur
D. Simonds, Damestown, direc
tors.
ert Heeney as counsel for the
defense.
Centennial officials said a
jail and old-fashioned stocks
will be readied for the incar
ceration of beardless male
adults apprehended in the area.
Burt Kurland, in a 1929 Loco
mobile, will be the official
“paddy wagon” operator.
Similar parades and court
proceedings are planned for
Twinbrook, Congressional
Plaza and other sections of
Rockville and Montgomery
County in advance of the start
of Centennial Week, which
opens officially on August 27.
Makeup Banned
Members of the female
sex living or working In
Rockville are banned by
Mayoral proclamation from
displaying any evidence of
cosmetics or other makeup
from now until the close of
the city’s Centennial cele
bration on September 4.
The proclamation issued
by Mayor Alexander A
Greene prohibits all forms
of makeup, including nail
polish (both on metatarsal
and metacarpal extremi
ties), bleached hairy halos,
perfume and jewelry with
out first obtaining an Of
ficial Costume Permit Is
sued by the Centennial
Belles.
Local Jaycee
Group Given
Honor Plaque
The Rockville Junior
Chamber of Commerce has
been awarded a second place
plaque by the United States
Junior Chamber of Commerce
for its outstanding internal af
fairs and leadership program.
The award, won in competi
tion with some 1800 Jaycee'
groups, was presented at the
annual national convention of
the organization in St. Louis. It
was accepted on behalf of the
local group by its president,
Walter F. Evans.
The Rockville unit also re
ceived one of 44 Geissenbier
Memorial Awards given in rec
ognition of outstanding mem
bership growth. The club is one
of 17 whose names will be in
scribed on a Geissenbier Me
morial Plaque to be placed in
the national Junior Chamber of
Commerce headquarters in
Tulsa, Okla.
Receipt of the internal affairs
and leadership plaque marked
the first time the Rockville club
has won a national award. It
was the eighth Maryland unit
to win such an honor since the
state affiliated with the national
organization 22 years ago.
Members of the local club
who accompanied Evans to the
St. Louis convention included
S. Fred Steppe, president-elect
of the State group; Hilbert A.
Taylor, a director, and Edward
F. Kearney, general counsel
Air Force Needs Help
Typists, stenographers and
secretaries are in “critical” need
by the Air Force. Applications
are being accepted at the Civil
ian Personnei Office, Bolling
Air Force Ba.se.
New Kensington Post
Office Is Planned
Plans to replace the overcrowded and inadequate
Kensington Post Office with a spacious, modem facility
were announced this week by the Post Office Department.
Bidding forms and other information can be obtained
on or after July 5 from G. E. Edgar, regional real estate
officer, Room 2012, City Post
Office Building Washington. All
estimates must be in his hands
by August 5.
The new building, to be leased
to the department, will contain
7500 square feet of floor space
—more than three times the size
of the present structure on
Montgomery ave. There also
will be a parking area. The site
will be included in the bid.
Mrs. Margaret B. Tierney,
Kensington postmaster, said the
present office is so overcrowded
that workers have been using
the old Christ Episcopal Church
on Armory la. since last Christ
mas.
“We rented the additional
space at that time because ef
Fingerprint Plan
Shelved by Board
I\lontgomery County’s Board of Education indicated
this week it intends to take no action on a grand jury
recommendation that teachers and other schobl person
nel be fingerprinted.
Without taking a formal vote, the board in effect
shelved the proposal Monday
night after failing to act on a
suggestion by Board Member
Robert E. Morrow that it con
sider a compromise measure to
require fingerprinting of new
employes only.
The question of fingerprint
ing employes was raised during
a discussion of hiring pro
cedures and Dr. C. Taylor Whit
tier, superintendent of schools,
reiterated his opposition to the
proposed practice. “I find no in
dication that this would give us
an> greater security than we
now have,” Dr. Whittier said.
The grand jury recommended
fingerprinting of employes last
year after two teachers had been
charged with engaging in per
verted practices with school
children. The recommendation
was endorsed by State’s Attor
ney Leonard T. Kardy, who said
fingerprint records would help
avoid the inadverent employ
ment of sex perverts, narcotics
users and other “undesirables”
having criminal records.
However, Dr. Whittier object
ed on the ground the practice
would have an “adverse conno
tation” for teachers and said he
felt it would be of little value
to the school system. More re
cently, he described the finger
printing proposal as an un
necessary expense to taxpayers
and said he did not feel it would
be justified.
Morrow’s suggestion that the
requirement be instituted for
new employes failed to receive
support from other board mem
bers and there was no dissent
when Paul C. Howard, president
of the board, observed that the
group apparently desired to
leave the present procedures
■ - i —l~ <
Six administrative appoint
ments were approved by the
board, the appointees including
Edward M. Kilerlane as archi
tectural engineer; Herbert F.
Paul, electrical engineer; Lester
A. Williams, mechanical engi
neer; Robert F. Bierly, popula
tion analyst; Jerome L. Offutt,
supervisor of custodial services,
and Arnold A. Adams, aide to
the director of construction.
The group deferred for fur
ther consideration tonight ap
proval of a proposal under
which teachers who take time
off to continue their education
would be given one-half of their
regular salaries and continued
health insurance benefits.
Group Gives Scull
Vote of Confidence
Dave Scull prominent Mont
gomery County Republican, has
been given a vote of confidence
as its chairman by the local Re
publican State Central Com
mittee.
The action was taken to coun
ter reports of dissatisfaction
among some party workers
over Scull’s leadership.
With the exception of Mrs.
Alvin Apbinoe, all seven mem
bers of the Republican commit
tee were present. The affirma
tive vote was unanimous.
lack of space here,” she said,
"and we’ve been using it ever
since.”
She recalled that when the
post office was established
about 10 years ago, there were
three clerks and five carriers.
Stamp and envelope receipts
were less than $40,000 annually
and the office served about 50,-
, 000 people.
At present, she added, there
are 23 carriers and 1.7 clerks;
stamp and envelope sales nave
grown to approximately $175,-
000 a year and the number of
patrons has Jumped to 130,000.
Also, the staff works around the
clock.
A Century of Service
Judge Anderson
Judge Urges
Full Support
Of Centennial
Circuit Court Judge Thomas
M. Anderson this week con
gratulated backers of the Rock
ville Centennial and pledged
his “wholehearted support in
making this event an outstand
ing success.”
He also praised municipal
officials for their “forward-look
ing and efficient administra
tion,” and called on residents
throughout the county to Join
with the city In celshrating ifae
100th anniversary of its incur-
T>oration.
“As a native and resident of
Rockville,” he said, "I am proud
to live in a city with such a
distinguished history.”
"For more than 200 years,
Rockville has served as the
county seat. As Montgomery
County has grown, so has Rock
ville developed. Only a few
years ago, it was selected as
one of the all-American cities
of the nation.
“I extend my congratulations
to those who are doing such a
splendid job in planning the
Centennial program, and I
pledge my wholehearted sup
port in making this event an
outstanding success.”
In connection with the ob
servance, The Sentinel will pub
lish a special Centennial edition.
It will include articles and pic
tures covering the growth not
only of Rockville, but of the
entire county.
Council Supports
Transit Compact
The County Council has added its voice to those sup
porting congressional legislation to authorize a mass trans
portation compact among transit agencies in the Wash
ington Metropolitan Area.
In a resolution Tuesday, the council urged the Senate
Judiciary Committee to report
the measure favorably. It al
ready has been approved by the
House of Representatives and
the Maryland and Virginia Gen
eral Assemblies. '
The compact provides for the
regulation of mass transit facili
ties on a coordinated basis
throughout the Metropolitan
Area without regard to political
and legal jurisdictions.
Favorable action on the meas
ure, the council said, is needed
to help solve transit and traffic
problems in the area.
The county heads also dis
agreed with their planning
board and approved the rezon
ing from R-R (half-acre mini
mum) to R-90 ( 9000-square-foot
minimum) of nearly 35 acres in
the Walnut Hill subdivision be
tween Westland dr. and Chest
nut st., in the Gaithersburg
area.
In other business, the council:
Approved the rental of a store
in the Westwood Shopping Cen
ter for a liquor dispensary at
S4BOO annually.
Set a hearing at 2:30 p.m.
July 26 on a proposal to lease a
store in the Wheaton Plaza
In Rockville
8-Cent Boost
In Tax Rate
OK’d Here
Rockville residents receiv
ed their first tax increase in
13 years Tuesday when the
City Council unanimously
raised the rate eight cents
to finance a $3,019,346 1960-
61 budget.
The last tax increase for
Rockville was in 1947 when the
rate went to 90 cents. Since
the Citizens For Good Govern
ment took over control of the
city in 1954, the rate gradually
declined to the present 72-cent
level, which will now go to 80
cents per SIOO assessable prop
erty value.
Councilmen whittled five
cents from the 13-cent increase
requested by City Manager Wal
ter A. Scheiber, which would
have brought the 1960-61 rate to
85 cents.
The tax bill on a $13,300
home, which under the 72-cent
rate was $57.46, will now be
$63.84 per year, Scheiber said,
or an average increase of $6.38.
Budget Cut
A major cut in Scheiber’s
budget was $150,000 claimed by
the Washington Suburban Sani
tary District towards the Cabin
John Sewer construction. In
cutting the sum from the budg
et, the council denied the city’s
obligation to pay the sum.
Also cut from Scheiber’s
budget was a $40,000 street pav
ing project on N. Horners la.
The council voted to delay this
until water and sewer services
have been added along the
street
The council passed a $1,172,385
capital construction program
which will include:
• Street and sidewalk proj
ects to total $570,635 including
realignment of Jefferson st at
Perry st. through the parking
lot and extension of Rockland
and Lewis aves. to provide a
second and third access to Hal
pine rd.
• Construction of a new City
Hall. Scheiber requested $20,-
000 for plans for a new build
ing and the council gave the go
ahead for completion of the
project by fall of 1961 by add
ing $330,000 to his request. Since
the city will issue bonds to pay
for this project, the addition
of these funds will not affect
this year’s tax rate.
• Connection of 10 street sew
ers in the west end to the
Watts Branch trunk sewer and
other sewer projects to cost
$122,500.
• Three major storm-drain
age projects: Rockcrest, $14,-
500; Burgundy Knolls, $33,500,
and Lincoln Park, $16,000.
• Allocation of $75,000 for
(Continued on Page 11)
Shopping Center for a liquor
dispensary at $9270 annually.-
Appointed Mrs. Gordon C.
Locke, Kensington, and Law
rence W. Shaw, Chevy Chase, to
the Welfare Board for six-year
terms.
Dog Days
Dog days are here again,
at least as tar as four upper
Montgomrey County resi
dents are concerned.
During the last three
months, they put in claims
to the county for 124 chick
ens and four sheep which
they said had been kiled by
"unknown wild dogs.”
The bill came to $234.25,
which the County Council
paid Tuesday without a mur
mur. The four complaintants
are:
Harold Kitzmiller, Pooles
ville, 91 chickens; William A.
Chapman, Gaithersburg, 33
chickens; Anna Nicholson,
Cedar Grove, three sheep,
and Raymond E. Poole,
Poolesville, one sheep.
Council Gives
Pay Increase
Competitive Market Makes Raise
Necessary Says Personnel Board
Pay increases averaging 5%% for county employes
and 8% for policemen have been authorized by the
County Council, effective Friday.
The unanimous action Tuesday covers 2,050 county
workers and nearly 300 police officers.
Master Plan
Adoption Set
For Sept . 1
The Rockville Planning
Commission has delayed un
til September 1 final adop
tion of the city’s proposed
Master Plan, originally
slated for passage July 20.
John McElroy, planning com
mission chairman, said the new
adoption deadline must have
the approval of State and Fed
eral planning agencies in view
cf the fact that the city re
ceived a federal grant to help
meet the cost of preparing the
plan.
He said the delay should not
be construed as an Indication
that no progress is being made
on the plan, but conceded the
earlier deadline was “overly op
timistic.” He said work is pro
gressing on maps and reports
required to implement the plan
and the project is “moving
along as rapidly as can be ex
pected under the circum
stances.”
State officials were reported
to be well pleased with the prog
ress of the program and Mc-
Elroy said they anticipate no
difficulty in obtaining approval
of the September adoption date.
The chairman said one of the
principal reasons for the delay
has been the time-consuming
mechanics of preparing new
maps to reflect changes made
since presentation of the pre
liminary plan and the prepara
tion of an enlarged textual re
port to support the maps.
McElroy expressed hope that
the County Planning Board
would adopt the pending plan
for the Upper Rock Creek wat
ershed, which includes some
areas of contemplated annexa
tion by the city. Prior adoption
of the plan, he said, would fa
cilitate coordination of the city’s
plan with that of the county.
According to McElroy the
commission hopes to issue a re
vised land use map for public
study and comment prior to fi
nal adoption. He said the plan
ning agency Is anxious to re
ceive as much public reaction to
the master plan as possible, and
noted that the new adoption
date will enable Rockville res
idents to learn more about the
proposal before it is submit
ted to a final vote.
JACQUELYN BIVINS, 8, of 9607 Watts Branch rd., Rockville
(left), and Susan Hopkins, 9, of Glen Hills, Rockville, hold
the $10.70 they collected in a door-to-door drive last week for
Chilean relief. The girls said they heard about the plight of
the Chilean people in school and decided to do something
about it—Staff Photo.
Weather Outlook
Tempexatures through Monday
will average about 3 degrees
above the normal highs and
of 86 and 67. Thunder
showers Thursday and some
rain over the weekend may to
tal one-half inch.
It followed recommendatiom
of the Personnel Board, whose
members said the Increases
were “absolutely necessary and
justifiable if we are to main
tain a high level of competency
and morale in county employee
and if we are to attract new
employes of equal and greater
competence.”
Particular emphasis was
placed by the board on the dif
ficulty of recruiting pollcemexi,
engineers, senior social work
ers and psychiatric social work
ers, because of their relatively
low minimum salaries as com
pared with similar jurisdic
tions.
“The special adjustment rec
ommended by the Personnel
Board in the salaries assigned
these grades,” the group
stated, ’ls expected to gfc a
long way In eliminating our
current recruitment problems
in this area.”
Under the new scale, police
pxivatee will go from $4,550 a
year to $4,927.
Senior social workers’ begin
ning salaries will rise from
$4,880 to. $5,330, while the mini
mums for Junior engineers and
psychiatric social workers wiH
increase from $5,491 to $6,237.
The revised schedule also set
up the new position of police
recruit at $4,737 a year. After
completing a six-month, proba
tionary period, the recruit will
become a police private at
$4,927.
This was done, the board ex
plained, to provide added in
centive for new appointees. Al
so, it Is designed to “place a
greater premium on more for
malized training” before the
recruits become “full-fledged”
police officers, the board ex
plained.
In the report, board members
Louis A. Palmer, Mrs. Grace
M. Angle and Forte H. San
dison said the county during
the last 12 years has enjoyed
a reputation for “progressive
and equitable personnel poli
cies unique among local gov
ernment Jurisdictions.”
They added, however, that
neighboring areas have caught
up with, and in some instances,
exceeded the county’s salary
and fringe benefit policies.
And they warned:
“Montgomery County is fast
losing its position of leadership
which enabled it to attract and
retain within its service the
best available labor from the
(Contlned on Page 11)