Montgomery County sentinel. [volume], February 02, 1961, Image 1

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IMIfcYMT ■ No. * ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 2, 19*1 1 SECTION H PAGES GArdon 4.7700 Toa Coat* a Copy
Council OK’s
Zone Change
Controversial
Sites Approved
The Montgomery County
Council on Tuesday re
affirmed its tentative ap
proval of a controversial Sil
ver Spring rezoning and, at
the same time, reconsidered
and approved in the same area
a second zoning it had previous
ly rejected.
Involved were a tract of
about an acre at First ave. and
AneOn st., on which the council
kept the hearing record open
last November at the request
of Councilman William F.
Hickey—now president of the
body—and a nearby site of
about half an acre at 8615 Sec
ond ave.. for which rezoning
was denied last June.
Both were rezoned from R-60
(residential) to C-ff (commercial
office use), with Hickey and
Councilman Stanley B. Frosh
dissenting.
Held “Premature”
Hickey, who had objected to
the zone changes earlier with
the contention that additional
commercial zoning in the area
is "premature” even though it
is supported by the Silver
Spring master plan, again
spoke out against the proposals
when they came up for final
vote Tuesday. He urged the
board to hear a delegation from
the Silver Spring Junior Cham
ber of Commerce before voting
on the matter, but was over
ruled by a board majority.
In the tentative vote last No
vember, Hickey and Frosh had
been joined by Councilwoman
Stella B. Werner in opposing
the larger of the two zonings.
However, after additional evi
dence was brought in following
Hickeys* request 'for a delay,
Mrs. Werner joined with the
majority to effect a 5-2 decision
in favor of the change.
To Start Immediately
Applicant fbr the First ave.
rezoning was the Research De
velopment Co., represented by
attorney R. Robert linowes.
Following the council's action,
Linowes said the firm would
proceed immediately with con
struction of its office building,
headquarters for an electronics
research operation.
The applicant for the smaller
tract was W. B. Montgomery,
for whom C. M. Marsteller, jr.,
acted as agent. While the re
quest was denied last June,
Council members agreed to re
consider it as a companion
measure to the nearby Re
search Development project.
Cahoon Supports Change
Speaking in support of the
change. Councilman David Ca
hoon noted that the Silver
Spring master plan, prepared
in 1957,- designated the area as
a potential commercial zone
and had remained unchanged
since its inception. “There has
never been a suggestion for a
review of the plan,” said
Cahoon, adding that he voted
for the measure in line with a
policy of “zoning by plan.”
Mrs. Werner said she felt the
operation planned by the Re
search Development Co. was “a
very fine thing.” She expressed
the belief that approval of the
applications would stabilize the
area.
Ruffled Feelings?
Joint Meeting of Council, Planning
Board Sought to Clarify Criteria
The County Council moved
Tuesday to soothe ruffled feel
ings which might or might not
have arisen from newspaper
versions of its recent adoption
of a set of criteria for future
planning in the county.
The Council agreed to seek an
earl> meeting with the Mont
gomery County Planning Board
to discuss the planning pro
posals, after receiving indica
tions that some members of the
board had taken exception to
the council's action. The criteria
was designed primarily for the
planning board’s guidance.
However, council members re
ported that some members of
the board had commented that
they knew nothing about the
criteria except what they had
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New County
Office Gets j
Green Light
County Manager Mason A.
Butcher was authorized Tues
day to proceed immediately
with the establishment of an
agency within his office to
guide the economic development
of the county.
The County Council, after
studying a report on the pro
posal submitted by Butcher a
week ago, unanimously con
curred in his suggestion that
prompt action be taken and
gave him a free hand in setting
up the new governmental de
partment.
Under Butcher’s proposal, the
office for the time being would
be staffed by someone “with
considerable experience in the
field of economic development,
such experience to be consistent
with the objectives of our pro
gram,” and a clerical assistant.
In response to questioning by
council members, he said the,
personnel would be selected in
accoidance with the county’s
merit system.
Purpose of the new agency
will be to coordinate the efforts
of the various organizations
and interests concerned with
promoting the economic growth
of the county and to serve as a
clearing house for information
sought by industries and other
business interested in locating
in Montgomery- County.
In his report, Butcher noted
“considerable” activity to pro
mote economic development of
the area, but he said “to a large
extent it is disjointed.” The
new agency, according *lO his
plan, would provide "clear cut
objectives and coordinated di
rection.”
Funds for operation of the
office for the remainder of the
fiscal year already are avail
able under a miscellaneous
budget item approved by the
council for economic develop
ment.
Farmers to View
Modern Methods
In County Tour
Montgomery County dairy
fanners have been invited to
join tomorrow in a tour of
three county farms for the pur
pose of observing modem pro
duction methods utilized by
their operators.
According to Bob Raver, as
sistant county agent, the tour
will begin at 10 a.m. at the Gar
rett Brothers’ Maple Spring
Farm on Route 28 near Rock
ville. After lunch, the group
will visit the J. M. and R. M.
Tregoning Farm at Cedar Grove
and Chester Lei shear’s Farm at
Monrovia.
Raver said visiting farmers
will have an opportunity to
see how owners of the three
host farms have incorporated
modern equipment and build
ings to increase the efficiency
of their dairy operations. He
said the tour should be of par
ticular interest to farmers plan
ning to enlarge their dairy
facilities in the future.
read in the papers, some of
which emphasized recent con
flicts between the council and
the planners.
Councilman Joe M. Kyle said
he had been approached by two
members of the board who tokl
him: “Well, I see you’re going
to tell us what to do."
“I don't know whether it was
the newspapers' fault or our
fault,” said Kyle, “but I think
they got the wrong idea.” He
said he felt the council should
explain, step-by-step, how the
criteria emerged, beginning
with a discussion prompted by
Councilman Stanley B. Frosh’s
assertion that the council had
“abdicated” its planning respon
sibilities.
"Then Dave Cahoon disagreed
and said we've done thus-and
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EARLY AUTOGRAPH SWAPPERS- Although switching the conversation to baseball when
it’s a bit out of season with snow on the the two swapped autographs in the Sentinel
ground, Rockville’s Gordon Coleman, first- office. Eighteen-year-old Athey will begin
baseman for the Cincinnati Redlegs, and his baseball career at Indianvilie near
Burtonsville’s Gerald Athey, a bonus pitcher Daytona Beach, Fla., where Coleman got his
with the Cleveland Indians, had little trouble start six years ago. Staff Photo
Rockville Adds to Staff,
Authorizes Land Purchas
The Rockville City Council
took note of the city’s continu
ing expansion Monday night by
authorizing two major additions
to the municipal staff and the
purchase of additional land for
the proposed new City Hall.
Added to the staff are full
time assistant to the city attor
ney, and a purchasing agent.
City All o r ney William A.
Linthicum serves part time.
Purchasing has been handled by
the office of the assistant to the
Manager.
City Manager Walter A.
Scheiber said appointments to
the two jobs will be announced
in the next two weeks. The
assistant attorney will be paid
$6,864, and the purchasing agent
$6,188.
Funds to cover the two sal
aries for the remainder of the
fiscal year were included in the
budget during Monday’s mid
year budget review.
Air conditioning for the teen
center was added to the budget
in hopes of keeping down com
plaints from neighbors. Scheiber
said the city received numerous
complaints about the noise.
With air conditioning, the
windows could be kept closed,
containing the noise somewhat
within the center, he added.
Mayor Alexander J. Greene
demurred, saying “As soon as
this new city hall gets up we’ll
so. and that’s how the whole
thing got started,” Kyle said.
William F. Hickey, council
president, satd lie felt the coun
cil should "follow through with
our original idea” and submit
the criteria to the planning
board in writing. He said he
did not feel the planning pro
posals stemmed from “conflict”
or “friction.”
The Joint meeting of the two
agencies was proposed by Coun
cilwoman Stella B. Werner, who
suggested that the origin of the
criteria be clarified.
The council agreed to submit
the criteria to the planning
board In written form, accom
panied by an informal letter
suggesting a further joint dis
i cussion.
have air conditioning coming
out of our ears.”
In other action the council
authorized Scheiber to buy the
three-quarters of an acre adja
cent to the city hall property,
for SIOO,OOO from the Vinson
estate.
The purchase will necessitate
revision of the plans for the
new city hall to enable the city
to stay within the $350,000
budgeted for the project.
This will mean cutting out
extra space slated for rental
until the city needed it for
further expansion.
RIMES
of the
TIMES
Please, Mr. Groundhog
You pesky varmint of bad
fame. . . . Please stay asleep
today . . . Don’t venture from
your snug warm home. . . .
To prove a weather way . . .
The rumor says that if you
Me. . . . Your shadow in the
sun. . . . You go back home
and fall asleep. . . . With six
week nap you’ve won. . . .
We’ve had enough of Winter
cold. ... Of snow and ice and
chill. . . . Please, Mr. Ground
hog, let us up. . . . .lust stay
asleep—ls* still . . . We wish
for you most pleasant dreams.
... 80 be not obdurate ... Go
back to sleep in your warm
earth. . . . Stay there and hi
bernate. ... If this the day
you claim Is yours. . . . We
ask please keep from sight.
.... Turn over—snore —don’t
venture forth. ... To hog
the sun's spotlight!
—Richard Hobart
Chamber’s Dinner
Rescheduled After
Snow Postponement
The annual dinner-dance of
the Bethe.sda - Chevy Chase
Chamber of Commerce, sched
uled for January 26 but post
poned because of the heavy
snow, has been rescheduled for
February 9.
As originally planned, the
meeting will be held at the Ken
wood Country Club beginning
with cocktails at 6:30 p.m. The
program will be featured by the
installation of new officers anti
the presentation of annual
awrxds.
All original reservations have
been carried over, according to
chamber officials, and an at
tendance of around 350 persons
is expected.
Also the city contracted for a
$289,316 storm drainage project
with low-bidder Southern Foun
dation, Inc. The project con
sists of work in the Croyden
Park and Roekcrest sections of
the city.
The council set March 20 as a
hearing date for the annexation
of the 130 acre County Poor
Farm which is located south of
the city on both sides of Rte. 70-
S. The county wishes city serv
ices for the county jail and
maintenance buildings located
there.
Snow Removal
Fund Boosted
In Rockville
Rockville city officials, gloom
ily anticipating more snow this
winter, approved additional
funds for snow-removal and
called for an ordinance fining
residents who do not clear their
sidewalks.
City Manager Walter A.
Scheiber announced that the
city used up its allotted funds
for snow-removal during the
first snow stoi-m. Since then it
has used another $2500 in clear
ing city streets of this winter’s
continued snows.
The council approved an ad
ditional SSOOO to cover the last
snow and to provide for future
storms.
Also the council directed City
Attorney William A. Linthicum
to draW up an amendment to
the ordinance providing fox’ a
$5 fine for those who don’t
clear the snow from their side
walks.
The city now can clear side
walks and assess the homeown
er for the cost. Sidewalks, un
der the existing city ordinance,
must be cleared within 12 hours
of a snowfall.
February Named
As History Month
February has been declared
as American History Month In
Maryland in a proclamation by
Gov. J. Millard Tawes.
The proclamation was issued
at the request of Mrs. Frank
Shramek, regent of the Mary
land State Society of the Daugh
ters of the American Revolu
tion.-
Ameriean History Month is
sponsored by the National So
ciety of DAK.
Capital Budget
Sliced by More
Than $2 Million
Neglect Charged
In Prison Break
Four prisoners who broke from the county jail No
vember 27 worked on their escape route for three weeks
without being detected, even though authorities had been
tipped off thht a break was impending, the county grand
jury charged Tuesday.
In a blistering report following a three-day investi-
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gation of the jail break, the
grand jury accused jail authori
ties of gross negligence and as
serted their testimony concern
ing the escape was “in conflict
with the testimony of pojice
officers and others."
The escape corridor a crawl
space above the jail ceiling,
made accessible by a ventilator
opening—was known to the jail
authorities for years prior to
the November 27 break, the
jurors reported. “No inspection
of this potential escape route
was made at any time prior to
November 27 by any jail au
thority,” the report asserted.
Conflicting Testimony
The jurors also noted that
the escape was not discovered
until some six hours after the
four youths had made their
way to freedom. ‘There is con
flicting testimony whether this
discovery was made originally
by the jailers’ head count, or by
jailers after a phone call from
the Bethesda police that one
prisoner was in their custody,”
the report said. “In any event,
the four prisoners were out of
jail for six hours without jailer
detection.”
Jail officials received two
separate tips about the impend
ing break, one on November 19
through a telephone call and
again on November 24 on the
advice of a prisoner, the Jurors
I charged.
Despite these, the report said,
Mathias Says Rules Vote
Fulfills Campaign Pledge
Rep. Charles Mathias said
Tuesday he voted in favor of an
enlarged House Rules Commit
tee in fulfillment of a campaign
pledge and to provide broader
representation on the commit
tee.
Mathias, who sided with the
majority in a narrow 217-212
vote, said he did not feel the
issue involved a test between
“conservative and radical prin
ciples in the 87th Congress.” In
stead, he said, “I view it as a
procedural question within the
House and have cast a conscien
tious vote in the interest of a
more representative system of
conducting the business of the
House.”
Mathias’ statement continued:
“This vote does not fore
shadow my position on any of
the substantive questions which
the 87th Congress will have to
Yates is Standout
Walter Johnson Beats Rockets
To Remain in Thick of Cage Battle
By George Bragaw
Sports Editor
A young 6-foot junior who
was benched for a game be
cause he didn’t like to shoot
the basketball, made eight
decisive shots in the last
quarter under pressure Mon
day night, as Walter John
son jolted Richard Montgom
ery’s title hopes, 53-50, to
take second place in two
leagues.
Dave Yates, using his head
as well as his shooting hand,
scored 10 points—six from the
foul line—to lead a Walter
Johnson team to one of its big
gest basketball victories.
The Green Machine trailed
the Rockets by six points with
four minutes remaining in a
wild, rough and loosely officiat
there was no additional inspec
tions or security measures
taken at the jail.
Negligence Charged
“On the basis of this and
further evidence submitted to
it, it is of the opinion of this
grand jury that gross negli
gence existed on or before No
-27 in the administration of the
county jail and in the security
of prisoners,” the report said.
“In the grand jury’s opinion,
had reasonable diligence and at
tention been exercised by jail
officials, the escape of Novem
ber 27 could have been prevent
ed and by proper enforcement
of the jail inspection and other
security rules, the impending
break could have been detected
prior to its occurrence, or at the
most, within 30 minutes after
it occurred,” the jury said.
It recommended that the
County Manager and the Coun
ty Council “participate more ac
tively” in jail administration
and that “the quality of jail ad
ministration be vastly improved
with the least possible delay.”
Art Work on Exhibit
An exhibit of oils, water
colors and drawings by Ralph
de Burgos, Gustav Trots and
William Walter is being fea
tured at the Rockville Civic
Center during February, under
sponsorship of the Rockville
Art Gallery.
I decide. The issues can now be
i settled on their merits with
credit or blame falling Where it
i should.
• “As the voice of my constit
• uency, I cast my vote for the
resolution having In my mind
■ not only my statement on the
! question of the Rules Commit
■ tee but also the entire theme of
i my campaign—the restoration
• of responsible representation
■ to the people of the District by
l their representative in Con
> gress.
“If this resolution result* in
i bringing to the House issues
1 which might not otherwise have
( come to a vote on the floor, I
shall be glad to stand up and
: be counted. In any case, I can
- say that I have honestly sought
r to fulfill my pledge to the
i people of the Sixth Congression
>! al District of Maryland.”
ed game at WJ. A pair of bas
kets by Bob Wilkes, two free
throws by Yates, and another
by Walt Whitman put WJ
ahead 47-46, but a Jumper by
Fred Diddle put the Rockets
back in the lead.
With just over a minute to
play, Yates and Bobby Doane
of Rockville traded baskets and
Diddle stole the ball. Richard
Montgomery tried to stall but
Yates deliberately fouled Kenny
Doane to get possession of the
ball. With the score 50-49 with
RMHS ahead, Doane missed the
first try on a one-and-one sit
uation which could have given
Richard Montgomery a 53-50
lead with 40 seconds left.
WJ raced down the court and
Mike Curtis fouled Yates with
only 30 seconds showing on the
clock. Yates sank both shota to
put WJ ahead, 51-50. as a
HAGERSTOWN ... it's
plight is discussed on to
day's editorial page.
Construction
Funds Slashed
In Board Study
m
The Montgomery County
Board of Education has
whittled more than two mil
lion dollars from the $23.3
million capital budget re
quest of Dr. C. Taylor Whittier,
superintendent of schools.
In session almost nightly
since the start of the year, the
board has effected a series of
revisions, deletions and addi
tions that add up to a total
budget request of $21.1, accord
ing to a recapitulation of the
board’s figures by Lester Welch,
director of school facilities.
This is the total that will be
passed on by the Board of Edu
cation to the County Council
for its approval.
Future Projects Included
It includes a total of more
than one million dollars for two
new senior high schools—East
Wheaton and Potomac—which
are not scheduled for occu
pancy until 1964. In announcing
his capital budget, Dr. Whittier
conceded the construction funds
for the two schools probably
would not be required In the
next fiscal year, but he said he
included them in the budget for
the purpose of long-range plan
ning.
Thus, should the County
Council elect to delete the two
project* until the 1962-63 fiscal
year, the total budget could be
brought below the level at this
year’s capital budget of $19.1
million. There has been specu
lation that the council will de
lete the construction funds
while approving planning
money for the two schools as a
means of making a tentative
commitment.
Special Schools Deleted
A major step In the Board
of Education’s pruning process
was the elimination of funds
for two special schools pro
posed by Dr. Whittier—one an
entirely new structure on Seven
Locks rd. and the other exten
sive renovation of the Sandy
Springs school. The total cost
of the two projects would have
exceeded $750,000.
The board decided to delay
action on the schools pending
completion of an extended study
of the needs of handicapped and
retarded children In the county,
to be conducted by a committee
composed of representatives of
interested agencies. The study
is to be sponsored Jointly by
the school board and the Coun
ty Council.
Gym Fund Cut
Another major deletion was
the sum of SIOO,OOO from the
$470,000 proposed by Dr. Whit
tier for construction of a gym
nasium for Montgomery Junior
College. However, at the same
time the board approved a
$130,000 expenditure for park
ing facilities and an adminis
trative warehouse for the jun
(Continued on Page 3)
packed house screamed wildly.
Richard Montgomery shot
and missed, and WJ got the re
bound. However, Bobby Doane
tied up Wilkes and on the Jump
Wilkes knocked the ball out of
bounds.
With the clock showing less
than 5 seconds left to play, Cur
tis fired the hall In to Kenny
Doane, who already had 22
points for the Rockets. Yates,
however, anticipated Doane’s
direction and stepped In front
ot him to draw a charging foul.
Yates sank both free throws
and it was Walter Johnson’s
ball game.
The lead changed hands It
times during the game. WJ
led most of the first period but
the Rockets went ahead 11-10
at the quarter. RMHS and WJ
.(Continued on Page 3>