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County’s Oldest Biggest Weekly 107th Year - * Published Every Thursday • ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND THURSDAY, JUNE 7. lU2 GArden 4-7700 3 SECTIONS JQC a Copy Campaign Fosts Here Are Over $300,000 Reconsider 10-Cent Fire Tax Is City Plea ■ City Heads Hit County OK of Levy Rockville City Council voted Tuesday night to ask the Montgomery County Council to reconsider its ap proval last week of a 10-cent fire tax to be levied on prop erty in the Rockville area. City heads said they acted be cause they did not feel the coun ty government had complied with their plea that a close study be made of the Rockville Fire Department's proposed budget for the coming year. An estimated $160,000 would be raised by the fire tax and City Councilman stated unani mously Monday night at their regular meeting that: • The fire department should be required to reveal more de tails about its assets in order to justify imposition of the 10- cent tax. first in the fire depart ment’s 41-year history, and, • Present accounting stand ards and requirements regard ing standards of service and equipment are not clearly enough spelled out for volun teer fire departments receiving large sums of public money. “The time has now come when the fire department must make use of public rev enues and our position is that high standards of account ability must be maintained,” Mayor Frank Ecker declared. Ecker stressed that his criti cism, and that of the City Council's, was not directed at the fire department but at the County Council. "We don’t see how any mem ber of the County Council could have known whether the tax should be five cents, or eight cents or 10 cents,” he de clared. The Monday meeting was marked by a clash between Les lie Abbe, longtime Rockville civic leader, and David E. Betts, volunteer general counsel for the firemen. "I begin to sense.” Abbe told City Council, “that mem bers of the private club known as the Rockville Fire Department are now begin ning to get cold feet on the basis of insufficient data presented.” He suggested a “further ac counting” to determine if the 10-cent levy is an "appropriate one.” Betts denounced Abbe for re ferring to the fire department as “a private club” and said volunteer firemen had provided free fire protection to the Rock ville area for 41 years, "often at the cost of great personal sacri fice.” "There is no better way to de stroy the volunteer snirit that has given so much to Rockville than this,” Betts said. “I feel it is a kick in the teeth.’ City Council members re peatedly stressed that they were in no way criticizing the fire men and that their concern was only over “proper accounting procedures and requirements of high standards of service when large amounts of public money are involved.” “We want to be as helpful and friendly and constructive about this as it is possible to be,” Mayor Ecker emphasized. County Manager Mason A Butcher, who forwarded the fire department's tax request to the County Council, strongly defend ed his handling of the matter and that of his budget officials. “You don’t budget assets,” he declared in reference to city claims that fire depart ment assets should have been considered in approval of the new tax. “Did the City Coun cil budget the Civic Center?” he asked a reporter querying him on the subject. County Attorney Alfred H. Carter told the Sentinel he was unaware of the City Council’s request to reopen the matter but said that if the County Council wishes to do so "it is still legal ly possible between now and July let” lbntawntiw A Sentinel - - BF “ m WB t ** % ?4 w .. MUNICIPAL SERVICE AWARD—AIex Hancock, director of fi nance for Montgomery County, received a gold medal for "outstanding service in the field of municipal finance” at a recent convention of the Municipal Finance Officers Associa tion of the United States and Canada. Hancock is shown with the medal, highest annual award of the association, and a certificate received at the Boston, Mass., meeting. —Sentinel Photo by Tom Huestis Backing Piles Up Cahoon Denies “Zoning Freeze’ With the County Council apparently snowed under by 82 zoning requests filed in May and a holdover of about 100 from last November and earlier, question of a “zon ing freeze” in the County has been raised by some but was denied this week by Council President David L. Cahoon. Cahoon said hearings have been held on the holdovers and the Council whittles away at the backlog every week. Six teen requests were handled with a “yea” or “nay” between May 22 and June 1, While a general freeze does not exist. Cahoon left no doubt that zoning requests concerned with land in so-called critical areas have been put on ice, or will be denied. Critical areas are those, presumably, to be affected by controversial "cor ridor” route or routes to the District of Columbia and land encompassed by plans of the National Capital Transporta tion scheduled to be unveiled this rail. No favorable zoning thaw can be expected in critical areas until the planners stop plan ning. Applicants whose re quests are turned down are re quired to wait 18 months before refiling. Emphasis on necessity of holding up zoning request* for critical areas landed on the Council’s doorstep re cently when County Planning Board chairman J. Newton Brewer came to Rockville and suggested a hold-off. While some council members objected to possible economic swivet which might be engen dered by a slowdown in develop ment of lower county cornmer Mrs, Lee Offutt , City 9 s Oldest Resident , Dies at 97 Rockville’s oldest resident, 97-year-old Mrs. Lee Offutt, died last Friday and was buried in the family plot at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Tuesday. A direct descendant of Mary land's early Catholic settlers, Mrs. Offutt was a member of the Clements family which came to Maryland from Middle sex County. England, about 1670 to settle in what is now Charles County. Born at “Mount Pleasant,” a large home midway between cial and- light industrial areas, ; Council President Cahoon sees : an offest for the County gener ally by a trend toward more rapid development of light in (Continued on Page A3) Parade Trophies Awarded Twenty-one trophies were awarded in Rockville's Memo rial Day Parade. Trophies were donated by Rockville business houses. Outstanding Unit trophy went to the Mecca Drum and Bugle Corps pf Washington; Best Majorette was No. 16 of the Bladettes; Best Drum Major award was carried off by Rich ard Montgomery High School. Mecca Temple was judged the best non-military drum and bugle corps in the line of march and Wheaton Majorettes won the trophy for Best Women's Marching Unit. The Mt. Ver non Guard was judged the best non-military men’s marching unit. In other awards, Richard Montgomery High School car ried home the prize for best school band, the City of Rock ville had the best float, and Rockville’s Volunteer Fire De partment was awarded a trophy for having the best non-military motorized unit In the parade. The Judges Trophy was pres ented to the Rockvillettes, Cub Scout Troop 482 won as the best Junior Marching Unit, while Cub Scout Troop 472 was given a special trophy for smart ap pearance in the line of march. Rockville and Gaithersburg that was owned by her father, Mrs. Offutt spent more than 50 years of her life In the spacious home at 8 Baltimore ave., Rockville, now occupied by Radio Station WINX. The last eight years were spent at 115 Park st. .Rock ville, with her devoted maid of 60 years, Mrs. Rose Cooper, daughter of a slave owned by her father, Lemuel. Mrs. Offutt's husband, mayor of Rockville from 1906-16 and 1918-20, died in 1929. The couple had three children one of whom, Defends Action 'Sell Out 9 Charge Denied by Barbee By Elly Bradley ftentlnel Reporter A charge by the county’s Fair Representation Com mittee that Del. Alger Y. Barbee “sold us down the river” with his attempt to dilute Gov. J. Millard Tawes’ original reapportionment bill in last week’s special General Assem-1 bly session prompted a vigorous denial by the legislator this week. Barbee termed the criticism “without any foundation at all” and said it was based on “a lack of legislative understanding.” He charged, in turn, that he has never been able to get an explanation from backers of the administration’s bill why they had gone to the trouble of work ing up a new bill when’one pro For 4 New Seats 8 Delegate Candidates To Get Nod by Aug. 1 Question of how addi tional candidates will be tapped to run for the House of Delegates will be firmed up within the next 10 days after newly-organized Dem ocratic and Republican State Central Committees have held pow-wows to consider recent appointment respon sibility dumped in their laps by the General Assembly. While the committees have until August 1 to name candi dates to run for the four addi tional House seats picked up by the County in the recent reap portionment hassle. neither party is dragging its feet 'n dealing with the appointment plums. Democratic brass met at Rockville. headquarters Tues day night Republicans have scheduled their get-together for June 12. The candidates' question for the Democrats poses problems and pressures which could ex plode the State Central Com mittee's stated objective of a united party into a private don nybrook. The "County Democrats" fac tion which took over a 4-3 edge on the committee when the of ficial canvass upset Warren Browning from his seat and in stalled Mrs. Stella W. Allison in his place, is firm in stating that faction fights during the three-slate Democratic Primary will not be reflected in choice of candidates to be added to the November ticket. Public utterances have it that the committee, with "County { Democrats” in control, will have a careful look at the records and vote-getting proclivities of all good Democrats regardless of which slate the candidates ran on in the May primary. Since the committee's choices are not confined to df feated can didates on other slates, admit tedly party brass will be scrutin izing other good Democrats who can be counted on to throw the House of Delegates race into the Democratic column in No vember. Foremost in the minds of a good many Democratic obsei-v --ers is the question of what the committee will do about veteran Clements, died in a typhiod fever epidemic at the age of 17 or 18. The other died as young children. Mrs. Offutt devoted her life to her husband, a leader of the Rockville community for dec ades, and to her church. She was extremely active in the af fairs of St. Mary’s where she was the “unofficial historian," as one parishioner put it. Her father was one of the builders of the parish and church in 1813- 17. Mrs. Offutt, survived by a Estabtished 1855 viding for permanent reappor tionment had already been passed under his sponsorship in the legislature's first session. Though it got through the House, the Senate failed to pass it. He predicted that as soon as tile enacted stopgap mea (Continued on Page A3) House of Delegates member Blair Lee who ran for the U. S. Senate on the Mahoney-Lee ticket and carried the County, but who was defeated at the State level along with the Dem ocrats for Progress slate. Second and third questions deal with defeated House member Alger Barbee of the Democrats for Tawes ticket who ran for State Senate nomination and was defeated by Incumbent Margaret Schwelnhaut, and William F. Hickey, County Council mem ber who ran for State Senate tinder the Mahoney-Lee ban ner. With several hot potatoes tn the form of defeated candidates in its lap, Democratic brass are expected to bum the midnight (Continued on Page A3) Actors, Dancers Need Rooms Here How’d you like to share the comforts of your home with a Broadway chorus girl for the summer? Before the lady of the house hits the ceiling, she should know the offer also applies to chorus boys and bit players of both sexes, who will hit town next week for the opening of the new Shady Grove Music Fair’s 15-week summer theater season June 18. Producers of the Music Fair, which has set up tent next to the Shady Grove Country Club outside Gaithersburg, say they need rooming accommodations for about 35 cast members in ' a hurry. Although the productions’ stars will be housed at motels in the area, the supporting ac tors, actresses, dancers and musical performers "don’t earn enough” to do the same, offi cials say. They are also pre vented by union regulations from paying more than mini mum rooming rates. Area homeowners interested in having a theatrical roomer on the premises through Sep tember should call Jim O’Neill at 948-3400 during business hours to make arrangements. The Music Fair’s first produc tion will be “Brigadoon,” star ring TV personality Dorothy Collins. large number of grandnieces and grandnephews, had an un usual memory of people and happenings over her long life span. She often reminisced about her family and drew on her rich fund of recollections, particularly when relatives col lected at annual get-togethers to eat chicken and talk. Mrs. Offutt was Justly proud of her family. Num bered among her forebears were Maryland's second gov ernor, Thoms* Greene; John Hanson, president of Hie On Wm • STINKIN’ MUD HOIJE” —That’s the way noted conservation ist. Associate Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas described the end result of the Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed high dam at Seneca at a meeting before the Rock ville Izaak Walton league this week. He called claims that the dam would provide a great recreational area “fraud ulent” and said “we pay the farmers not to grow crops; maybe we could pay the Army Engineers not to build dams.” —Sentinel Photo by Tom Huestis Jury Study Of Shooting Is Ordered The Montgomery County grand jury will investigate the fatal shooting of a Dis trict man by a county police officer, State’s Attorney Leon j ard T. Kardy said Tuesday. Kardy said he will present the case to the grand jury along with others when he re calls the Jurors June 25. The police officer. Pvt. James A. O’Connor, 24, meanwhile, has been placed on restricted duty, according to Col. James S. Mc- Auliffe. county police superin tendent. O’Connor told his superiors he and his partner, Pvt. John J. Gulsti, saw DeSales Love, 40, no fixed address, walking in the center of the 8200 block of Georgia Avenue Sunday at 3 a.m. with two soft drink bottles in his hand, one of them brok en. After questioning him, they prevailed upon him to return to the District, they said, and he started walking toward the District Line several blocks away. A few minutes later they said they heard the sound of breaking glass and saw Love standing near a car with four occupants whose right rear window had been broken by a thrown object. Pvt. O’Connor said he ran toward the man. When he got within 20 feet of him the man raised his hand as if to throw something at him and said, "I’m going to kill you.” O’Connor then fired, piercing Love's kidney and liver. When he fell, O’Connor said, a piece of macadam paving rolled from his hand. A Silver Spring ! ambulance took Love to Wash ington Sanitarium but he died about 30 minutes after the shooting. Police said the vic tim was unarmed. federated .States of America; tlie Calvert family, proprie tor* of the vast land grant that became Maryland, and John Clements who reernlted and outfitted a regiment of troops for the Ameriean Revolution and who had five sons In the fighting. There were also ties to such leading Maryland families as the Edelens. and Mudds, Gar diners, Greenes. Sanders and Abells. The Abelly family had 6* members In the Revolu tion. 14 Seek Planning Post Nod Fourteen applicants now have dropped their name* in the nomination hopper for a seat on the Montgomery County Planning Board. Names of Rodney M. Thomp son, Gaithersburg insurance man, former member of both the Town Council and the ! Gaithersburg Planning Com ' mission, and Mathew M. Wlten ; stein, planning consultant, who I was retained by the City of I Rockville several years ago to intake a planning study for the municipality, were announced by the County Council this week. A vacancy will occur on the Board June 14 when the term of W. Lawson King expires. King has applied for re-ap pointment. Other applicants are Clayton R. Brown, Germantown; Ross C- Hurrey, Ashton; Robert 13. Myers, Washington Grove; Dean W. Price, Rockville, and Rodney Whitaker, Germantown, j Also, H. John Redgrave, i Clarksburg; Don R. Lambome, Olney; Mrs. Winona Reed, Clarksburg, and three suggest- i ed last week by the Montgorn- ! ery County Citizens Planning Commission. They were Frederick A. Gut heim, Dickerson; Col. Lathrop E. Smith, Boyds, and Harold A., Knapp, Jr., of Germantown. Moonlight Cruisf St. Matthew's Cathedral Club will hold its sixth annual moon- 1 light cruise down the Potomac \ at 8:‘15 p.m. Sunday, June 10. 1 Reservations can be made at the club office at 1814 N s!„ N.W., Washington, or by calling FE. 8-2355. Grandniece* and grand nephews who survive Include: Adrian L. and Albert Brunette, Abell A. Norris, jr., John C. Beall, and Mrs. Ellen P. Ire land, all of Rockville, Charles Beall, Miss Edna Beall and Nor belt E. Norris, all of Gaithers burg; W. Clements, Albert L, and Mary E. Gloyd, all of Ger mantown; Mrs. Clarence Offutt, Barnesville; fxiuls C. Beall, Ken sington; Mrs. Gertrude l,in hardt, Chicago, Mrs. William Callaghan, Chevy Chase, and Mrs. Gilbert Gude, Bethesda. Want a *2 Gift? If you are not a Sentinel subscriber here’s your chance to get a $2 gift. Subscribe now and get a coupon worth $2 toward any purchase in Rockville's leading stores. See details on Page 85. ! Manv Miss * ; Deadline j For Filing By Lila Thomson tantlnH Reporter Candidates in Montgom ery County spent well over $300,000 to run in the May 15 primary election. The total candidates claim ed was spent in statements on file in the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. 12 hours after the legal dead line for making expenditures public property, was $313.- 410. Missing were state ments from 14 Republicans and 41 Democrats, as well as one from a candidate in the cross-filing judgeship race. Missing on the Republican side were statements from Charles S. Bresler and Elaine Lady, candidates for the SK v-. V•• Bulletin Candida ten spending In the Primary Election jumped an additional $12,419 by Wednes day morning when 17 Demo crats and Republicans drop ped expenditure statements Into the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. These Included statements of State Sen. Margaret C. Schwelnhaut. $109; Harry L. Simms, COP candidate for U. S. Senate, $8,791; Ray Murphy. S9O; and William Sher, County Council candi date, $1,298. Thirty-nine oth- House of Delegate*; C. T. James defeated in the sher iff* race, and GOP State Central Committee "mem bers Dorothy Aubinoe and Hal Lackey. Among the Democrats who had not made statements of ex penses and contributions 13 hours after deadline were Wil bur Baughman, Council mem ber Stanley Frosh, William F. Hickey, defeated in a try for nomination as State Senator and incumbent Margaret Schwein haut who won renomination over Hickey and Alger Y. Bar bee. Mrs. Stella W. Allison and Dorothy Hostetler elected to the Democratic State Central Committee had not turned In their expense accounts. That of Ray V. Murphy, another committee member, also was among the missing. Of the 23 who ran for nom ination to the Democratic State Convention, only 13 had filed ft nancial statements. The judgeship candidate who apparently missed a legal dead line, unless his statement even tually reaches the Clerk’s office postmarked on or before mid night Monday, was John Y, Regos. Of the $313,410.50 claimed !o have bepn spent. Democrats ac counted for $240,031.62 and Re publicans $42,515.13. The Judge ship con test involved expendi tures of $30,863.75, Largest spenders were at the tops of both party tickets. Blair I,ee (II topped the list with campaign exists for his U. 8. Senate race listed at $125,193. I>ee’s personal out lay represented $77,317 of the total. Contributions to his campaign committee by mem liers of his family ran up to $12,090. Second highest was Herbert J. Hoover, also defeated In the U. S. Senate race. ,vho, along with his supporters ponied uo $34,4-18. Hoovpi contribution to hi" campaign fund was 30800. A fund raising dinner brought in $11,600 James P. Gleason, GOP can didate for the U. S. Senate, spent $17,148 to be defeated by Edward T. Miller while William J. Amelse who hoped to unseat Sixth District Congressman Charles McC. Mathias account* ed for spending of $11,664. Ma thias' primary campaign price was placed at $2054. Heaviest spender among the three local Democratic factions was the Mahoney-Lee-Barrick slate known as Democrats for Progress, with $21,099. United Democrats for Tawes spent $10,364 in behalf of its candi dates. while tlie County Demo crats’ slate spent the least ani (Continued on Page AlOj