Montgomery County sentinel. [volume], October 25, 1962, Image 1

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

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Good Reading!
A delighted homeseeker told
us this week she got 15 calls
from her classified ad asking
for a home to buy. It’s nearly
always file same story. Sentinel
classifieds pull! And they’re in
teresting reading, too.
108th Ysor - Mo. 17 Published Every Thursday 4 V MARYLAND THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25. 1942 TWO SECTIONS , -
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Rockville
Will Seek
Big Store
A strong effort to brtng
e major department store in
to its urban renewal area
will be made by the City of
Rockville.
A get-together last week of
members of the City Council,
the city manager and members
of the planning and urban re
newal staff resulted In the de
partment store decision.
This week city manager Wal
ter Scheiber and city planners
began lining up appointments
with prospective merchandising
establishments.
The search for a department
store interested in locating in
Rockville, where a $34 million
potential is expected to be
reached in five years, will not be
confined to the Washington
area. Large stores in Baltimore,
and department stores chains
along the eastern seaboard will
be canvassed.
Rockville’s urban renewal
plan is expected to be unveiled
in November. City officials hope
to have a firm commitment
from “someone” by that time.
Plans are being made to lure
a big store to the city despite
firm opposition from one city
councilman and only lukewarm
support for the move from
another, it was learned.
City Councilman Edward
Mack has expressed strong op
position, contending the social
and cultural aspects of city life
should be emphasized over com
mercial needs. And Council
man Ralph Williams reportedly!
remains unconvinced that a big
store is necessary for the city's
commercial district of the fu
ture.
Councilman Ross Roberts re- j
portedly will “go along” with;
the move although he is not!
supporting it wholeheartedly.
Councilman A. E. Tuchtan and
Mayor Frank Ecker are said to
strongly favor attraction of a
big store to serve as an
“anchor” to the new commer
cial area that will be developed
under urban renewal.
City Says
mi Sue
Gingery
The Mayor and Council of
Rockville have instructed the
City’s legal department to en
ter a suit against developer
Donald Gingery to force him
to place permanent paving on
Ritchie pkwy.
Gingery, developer of Hun
gerford Towne and Court House
Square apartments at the Coun
ty seat, agreed to complete the
Hungerford Towne street by
May, 1961, city officials said.
He has not complied with
his agreement, they stated, and
attempts to get satisfactory re
sponse to city demands have
been unsuccessful. Instructions
to the city’s legal staff to start
legal proceedings came this
week.
The land owned by Gingery
In the Ritchie pkwy. area con
cerned, City officials added, “is
about to be sold" and the pav
ing of the parkway should be
completed at this time.
It’s Campaign Time in Montgomery County
Call The Sentinel
For Election Results
Want up-to-the-minute voting results on election
night? Just call the Sentinel! We’ll have them here—
in all county races—and we’ll be glad to give them to
you over the telephone.
As fast as the results are tabulated, we’ll have
them posted on a big black board here in the Sentinel
offices at 215 E. Montgomery Ave., Rockville. And
there'll be an election night crew standing by from 8
p.m. until midnight to keep you informed.
Call any of the following numbers for speedy,
accurate Sentinel election results: GArden 4-7700,
GArden 4-7701, GArden 4-7702, GArden 4-7708 or
GArden 4-7761.
Save this clipping for election night to keep in
formed of the latest totals for each candidate on the
Montgomery’ County ballot.
Spectrum
Statewide Republicans are
having money problems. The
nature of their money problem
is not enough of it. In fact,
not nearly enough.
Plans for paid television ap
pearances have reportedly been
reduced drastically for the final
days of the campaign. Norm
ally, you hit ’em hard on TV
in the closing days before the
election.
The Democrats, we under
stand, have a strong television
finale lined up. But the GOP
hasn’t been able to raise the
cash.
This, of course, reflects on
hardworking David Scull, Mont
gomery County’s own, who is
chairman of the Maryland Re
publican State Central Commit
tee. Normally, it’s the job of
the state chairman to see to it ;
that the precious dollars are
raised.
Dave, we understand author
itatively, has been working like
a beaver. But there seems to be
a move under way by wealthy
Republicans both in the eoun
ty and the state to keep their
contributions to the kitty down
| —way down. This could be be
cause they figure they've got a
| loser In Frank Small, Jr., and
: they don’t want to throw away
the cash. But it’s also, we’re
told, a move on the part of at
least some of them to make
Dave Scull look bad.
He’s brash and representative
of the newer, younger, some
what more liberal element of
the statewide party, and the
old guard, our informant thinks,
is out to pull the rug (nit from
utider Dave—to make him look
bad.
Funny way to run a party, it
seems to this observer.
Democrats are worried.
They’re not too afraid of their
Republican enemies. They’re
concerned about voter apathy.
They know it’s here as a
result of their “shoeleathering.”
And with a light vote, they fig
ure, they won’t do as as well as
with a heavy vote. Voters they
come in contact with nightly,
aren’t losing sleep over the Re
publican pitch of this campaign
waste and extravagance. The
ordinary voter, the Democratic
shoeleatherers say. Is worried
about such bread and butter
. items as when the new wing on
the local school will be com
pleted, what about the sidewalk
project, when is the street going
to be extended, and the like.
Dr. Gallup’s recent poll didn’t
help calm the frayed Demo
cratic nerves here. Gallup found
that only 15 per cent of the
voters have given “a lot of
thought to the coming Novem
ber elections for Congress,” that
16 per cent had given it some
thought, and 69 per cent had
given it little or no thought.
Voter interest now, Dr. Gal
(Continued on Page A4)
Hiiftami'T! 4Md Sentiirl
In 1961-62
797 Pupils
Dropped Out
Of Schools
A total of 797 students
withdrew from the school
system last school year, the
county school board learned
this week.
T. H. Owen Knight, director of
the office of pupil services, told
the school heads in his annual
report Tuesday that most of
the dropouts were students over
16 who voluntarily withdrew.
There were a total of 391 in this
category, he said.
Next highest group, he re
ported, was the physically han
dicapped who totaled 140.
{Other categories: immature
children under seven years of
age. 37; under 16 years of age
and no appropriate school pro
gi'am, 37; left for the armed
forces, 30; committed to institu
tions. 62; emotionally or men
tally handicapped, 22; economic
necessity, 12; marriage, 60;
permanently expelled, 6.
The 797 total, Mrs. Lucy
Keker, a board member, pointed
out, is less than one-half of one
per cent of the total enroll
ment. “I think this is an achieve
ment of which we can be
proud,” she said.
Board member Robert E. Mor
row agreed but questioned
Knight closely on what school
administrators were doing to
minimize dropouts. Knight said
each case, including students
over 16 who may legally drop
out If they choose, is turned
over to pupil personnel workers
who try to prevent the dropout,
if it is possible to do so.
Examining the report. Mor
row said he believed it “shock
ing” that “in this county and in
this day and age” as many as
even 12 students would find it
necessary to drop out because
of “economic necessity.”
Knight explained that those
were extreme cases and he cited
the example of a youth whose
tenant farmer father suffered a
broken leg and would have been
fired if the boy had not been
allowed to drop out and work,
thus keeping the family self
supporting.
Sherwood Talent
Show Is Planned
An amateur talent-variety
show will bo held at Sherwood
School, Sandy Spring, Nov. 2 at
8 p.m. under the sponsorship of
the Sherwood High Alumni As
sociation to raise money for
alumni projects.
Persons interested in partici
pating and competing for three
trophies to be presented winners
may contact Delmag Wood, Jr.,
Sandy Spring; Wilton Boswell,
Brookeville; David Brigham,
| Ashton, or M/Sgt. Ed Brown,
■ Rockville.
Established 1855
Suit Filed
Against
Planners
A second suit has been
filed against the Maryland-
National Capital Park and
Planning Commission for de
lays in approving plans for
subdivisions in the County.
Filed on behalf of developer
Albert Turner of Suburban
Homes, Inc., by Wheeler, Moore
and Korpeck, the suit names the
Commission and its planning di
rector, Arthur K. Stellhorn, as
an individual.
Earlier this year, Turner pre
sented his subdivision plan to
the Commission for 470 acres of
land on Rt. 108 just west of
Olney, where he hoped to con
struct a development of single
family dwellings. The Commis
sion turned down the plan.
On May 15, Turner and his
attorneys asked for rehearing
and said rejection by the com
mission was both arbitrary
and capricious. John Moore, a
member of the law firm rep
resenting Turner, said no an
swer to the request for re
hearing has been received.
In the suit, Turner cites the i
Commission and Shellhom for |
refusing to allow his subdivision
plan to come before a meeting
of the planning board and seeks
adoption of an order requiring
the commission and its chair
man to show cause why relief
should not be granted the devel-!
oper.
In August, a suit was filed
against the commission by a
group of land developers head
ed by builder Louis C. Meltzer.
Meltzer charged the commission
was delaying approval of his
plans for development of a 157-
acre community of half-acre
homesites near Redland.
Meltzer and his associates
charged some of the commis
sion’s officials with “concerted
effort” to deprive them of their
property rights by refusing to
process their subdivision plat.
Darnestown
To Vote on
Beer Issue
Voters in the Damestown
Election District will decide
Nov. 6 whether the district,
dry by a 27-year-old local
option referendum, will hold
firm or whether the sale of
beer should be permitted
within the district bounda
ries.
The wet or dry question will
appear on the ballot as Ques
tion B. The question is expect
ed to bring Sixth Election Dis
trict voters out enmasse.
Among principal supporters
of the wet side of the question
are Thomas W. Clark, proprie
tor of Clark’s store in Darnes
town; F. A. Emerson, who op
erates Emerson’s Market on
Travilah rd., and Phil W. and
Gertrude Sample, owners of Sen
eca Hotel.
As the principal supporters
see It, no matter how the vote
turns out, results will be close.
They are relying on the new
comers to the area and bust
(Continued on Page A4)
Bette Elected
David E. Betts, Rockville at
torney, has been elected a direc
tor of Suburban Trust Co., Betts
is president of County Federal
Savings & Loan Association and
has long been active in county
civic and governmental groups.
Abolition of Plans Unit
Is Advocated by Frosh
Council Eyes Zoning Backlog;
Action Taken On Seven Pleas
By Lila Thomson
Sentinel Reporter
With only two weeks re
maining before the General
Election, members of the
County Council are turning
on the heat to clean up a
backlog of about. 60 pending
zoning applications.
Of the 60 on which the Coun
cil has held public hearings, 21
have been gathering dust wait
ing for recommendations from
the Park and Planning Commis
sion. One of these was filed in
December, 1957. The balance
date back to 1960 and 1961.
Council president David L.
Cahoon said Tuesday the Coun
cil wants to clear the decks be
fore election apd that the moss
gathering applications will be re
viewed by the Council in order
to determine what action can be
taken.
Under the law, Cahoon said,
when the Park and Planning
Commission fails to come up
with recommendations within
a six months period after a re
quest is made, the Council can
decide the cases without a
longer wait for Commission
opinions.
Failure of the Commission to
make recommendations on the
21 applications, Cahoon said, are
due largely to uncertainties con
cerning planning in the lower
county, the current so-called cor
ridor survey being conducted
for the State Roads Commis
sion, and other matters.
The pending “aged” applica
tions are concerned with rezon
ing from residential zones to
apartment, industrial and com
mercial zones.
Balance of the backlog Is
made up of more than 80 zoning
requests filed in May. Public
hearings began in early June
and the last of the lot was held
Oct. 16.
Cahoon and Council members
said the before-election, self-im
posed deadline can be met.
Some of the requests may have
to be deferred to the incoming
Council, Cahoon said, but he
does not believe extra council
work sessions will be called in
order for the Council to speed
action on the backlog.
Of seven zoning decisions
handed down by the Council
Addition
AtRMHS
Approved
A $937,000 addition to
-Richard Montgomery High
School was approved by the
County School Board Tues
day although it was neces
sary to juggle the budget to
make funds available.
The apparent low bid, submit
ted by Film Properties, Inc., ex
ceeded the construction depart
ment’s total estimate by about
$71,000.
Board members voted to trans
fer $36,334 from the system’s
furniture and equipment ac
count to make acceptance of the
bid possible.
Board members Robert E.
Morrow and Dr. Harold Bre
meyer told the board they
would ask the architect to re
duce the cost with a modified
design if the system was not
so pressed for time.
The addition is designed to
alleviate a sharply increased
student load expected in the
school next year. Construction
is to be completed by November,
1963.
The contract calls for con
struction of five regular class
rooms with conference rooms,
five science rooms, two lang
uage laboratories, one music
room, one art room, a home arts
room, a shop, a cosmetology
room, administrative offices and
a girls’ gymnasium.
The addition will include 56,-
703 square feet of floor space
at a cost computed at $16.52 per
square foot
Tuesday, five were denials; one
was granted, and the seventh
was deferred for full Council
action. Only six of the seven
Council members were in attend
ance at the Tuesday meeting.
One of the denials was on the
application of Paul S. Boerum,
for reclassification of two lots
at Colesville rd., and Eldrid dr.,
from R-90 to C-l commercail
zone. The request was filed in
November, 1960.
Other reclassifaction denials
included the request of Clarks
burg Development Co., for in
dustrial zoning on parts of
tracts of land called “Three
Brothers” and "Richland” on Rt.
355, Clarksburg. Slightly over
14 acres were Involved in the
request;
Also, the request of Dallas
Diehl for C-0 zoning on 19,609
square feet of land at the inter
section of Veirs Mill rd. and Col
lege View dr., Wheaton.
Request for reclassification
of 2!i acres of the White
Flint Golf Course on Rock
ville Pike from R-90 to the
Rural Residential Zone also
was denied. Kent Washington
Trick Or Treating
Urged for Oct. 31
“Ghosties and ghoulies and two-headed beasties and
things that go boomp in the night,” are urged to confine
trick or treat and other Halloween activities to one night
only . . . the night of Oct. 31.
Urging comes from County
Police Superintendent Col.
James S. McAuliffe. Additional
police will be on duty through
out the county that night, Mc-
Auliffe said and "we can better
insure the safety of children on
trick or treat visits, and better
protect real and personal prop
erty.”
Halloween vandalism has been
on the decrease for the past five
years, according to McAuliffe.
He attributes the decrease to
planned activities for young
sters by clubs, civic organiza
tions, churches, and others who
band together to keep both
large and small ghosties and
ghoulies interested in bobbing
for apples instead of carrying
off the neighbor’s yard furni
ture.
Halloween pranks that re
sult in “destruction of prop
erty or injury to persons will
not be tolerated,” McAuliffe
added, and those “found re
sponsible will be dealt with
according to the law.”
Applauding adult group ef
forts throughout the County to
make the night of Oct. 31 an
old-fashioned fun night for the
assorted witches and monsters
who hold sway, McAuliffe said
“service clubs in many parts of
Montgomery, through inter-club
councils, are staging Halloween
parties. Sixteen are scheduled
at various locations in Beth
esda-Chevy Chase, Silver Spring,
Wheaton and the upper county.
Among others: The Potomac
Valley Teen Club is inviting
any and all youngsters 12 years
and under to a spooky affair
at the old mill in Poolesville on
Saturday from 2 to 4. There will
be games and general fun as
well as prizes for best costumes.
Refreshments, of course, and no
charge.
The Gaithersburg IJon’s
Club will hold its annual com
munity Halloween Party Oct.
81 on the old Safeway park
ing lot. Among other things,
there will be a twist contest
for the rollickers and costume
contests for all age groups.
L ocal merchants are donating
the prizes.
And that Isn’t all. Monocacy
Lions have something brewing,
too. The annual Halloween fun
fest to be held at St. Mary’s
Pavilion in Bamesville. The
whooping and hollering starts
at 7:30 p.m.
Some youngsters around the
County will be "tricking or
treating” for the United Nations
International Childrens’ Emerg
Corp. made the reclassifica
tion request.
Denial was given to the re
quest of Donald K. and Ethel C.
Staley for C-l commercial zon
ing on two acres located at the
southwest corner of Norwood
and Ednor rds. The land pres
ently is zoned Rural Agricul
tural.
An application made by Wil
liam E. Norman for the reclas
sification from C-l Zone to the
C-2 Zone, part of tracts of land
called “Middlebrooke,” “Drap
er’s Folly,” and “Buxton’s
Bounds” was deferred by the
Council. The land is located on
Rt. 355 between Warren Station
rd. and Middlebrook rd. Defer
ral was made until absent Coun
cil member William Hickey
could be present.
The Council approved the re
quest of Edward F. and Jose
phine Mayne for reclassification
from the R-R Zone to the C-0
Zone of lots one to three of
“Kirk Farm” at Olney. The lots
lie on the north side of Rt. 108,
about 250 ft. east of Georgia
ave.
ency Fund. Last year, trick or
treaters in the Metropolitan
area collected over $37,000 as a
gift of health and hope for the
world’s needy children.
Along with the fun and games
comes the American Medical As
sociation with a pertinent list
of dos and don’ts for parents
sending the children out in Hal
loween garb.
Among them are these: Don’t
let your child wear a mask. It
may slide down over the eyes
and block his vision. If the mask
(Continued on Page A4)
An Editorial
Record of Achievement
The School Board race In which four incumbents seek
ing reelection are faced by four challengers on the Nov. 8
ballot has virtually run its course. Voters a week from
Tuesday will decree whether the experienced incumbents
who are running on a record of solid achievement should
be returned or whether the challengers, with little or no
public school experience, should be given the school reins
for four years.
The question of which side should be favored by the
voters is, we believe, of paramount importance to parents
and voters of Montgomery County. Accordingly we would
like to submit the following for their consideration:
Several years ago there were widespread double ses
sions. Despite the fact that 28,000 children have been
added to the school enrollment during the last four years,
double sessions have been virtually eliminated and next
month there will be none. Twenty eight new schools and 52
additions have been built during the last four years.
School construction costs have averaged sl4 per sq.
ft. which is lower than the national average. A total of
2400 new teachers have been hired during the last four
years. Teacher salaries have been raised on the correct
assumption that the higher the pay, the higher caliber
teacher we will attract. Yet they are still not too high, con
sidering the great responsibility we have assigned to teach
ers—the education of our children.
We have a generally good curriculum, recognized na
tionally. A massive curriculum study by a lay group has
been completed and curricula changes and improvements
made as a result. In 65 out of 72 comparisons made in the
county testing program last year, Montgomery County
children exceeded or equaled the achievements of compar
able children throughout the country. These tests included
the basic subjects of spelling, reading and arithmetic. Sev
enty per cent of county high school graduates go on to
institutions of higher learning, many of them to the best
colleges in the country.
Foreign languages are being added for younger pupils
as the world shrinks, training of teachers has been stepped
up, pilot programs have been introduced to find possibly
new and better ways of teaching, Including multi-graded
primaries, team teaching and teaching machines. Television
instruction, which is highly effective, has been expanded,
a continuing resear ch program tests effectiveness of exist
(Contnued on Page A4)
Unique Stories
The Sentinel’s new Feature
Page on B-l, carries two stories
with an international flavor this
week. You’ll want to read the
translation of a story carried in
a Brussels, Belgium, newspaper
concerning a foreign student
who lost her leg. There also is a
story about four Chinese stu
dents now enrolled here.
Issue Now
Large in
Campaign
The issue of whether the
Maryland - National Capital
Park and Planning Commis
sion should be abolished—a
relatively dormant one thus
in the campaign—erupted as
a major one this week with
a Democratic candidate
pushing it into the spotlight.
Councilman Stanley B. Frosh,
seeking reelection as council
man-at-large, said in a speech
prepared for delivery Tuesday
night that local planning func
tions should be taken away
from the M-NCPPC and become
“an arm of the county govern
ment.”
He advocated establishment
of a department of land plan
ning under the direction of a
department head who would
be responsible to the county
manager who, in turn, would
be responsible to the County
Council.
It was understood the Frosh
proposal touched off a flurry
of activity in Democratic circles
with some candidates openly
sorrowful that Frosh had com*
out publicly with such a pro
posal.
In his talk, Frosh also stated
that his suggestions were “a
part and parcel of the program
and platform of the Democratic
Party in Montgomery County.”
This was immediately dis
puted by some Democratic lead
ers who said abolition of the
M-NCPPC is not proposed in tits
party platform.
The platform itself goes no
further than to pledge that local
Democrats “will insure it (ths
planning process) Is responsive
to the policy-making function
of the County Council’’
The platform declaration has
been widely Interpreted as Dem
ocratic hedging on the highly
controversial question of M
NCPPC abolition which was
raised long before the platform
drafters sat down to write. It
was seriously proposed last
summer by Public Administra
tion Service of Chicago in its
$22,000, six-month long study of
county governmental functions.
PAS based its recommenda
tion on the fact that M-NCPPC,
(Continued on Page A4)