Montgomery County sentinel. [volume], December 31, 1963, SUPPLEMENT, Page B2, Image 12

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

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Year End Review
Political And Governmental Seas In County Were Stormy During 1963
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from alcoholic beverages, and
report circulates that Repub
lican-controlled Council plans
to enlarge exemption to estab
lishments with at least 25 per
cent of their business In liquor,
beer and wine sales.
February
Surprise allocation of
$278,000 for furnishings at sec
ond junior college campus In
Rockville reverses two-week
old School Board decision to
delay any action on program for
further study.
School Board approved $8.5
million school construction
budget for 1963-64 $1.4 mil
lion higher than School Supt.
C. Taylor Whittier requested.
Alex K. Hancock, county's
first and only Finance Director,
retires after long service
marked by fiscal Innovations
and sound financial manage
ment.
Worst Aslan flu epidemic In
five years reported here.
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A Dramatic Rescue Saved A Life
County Council moves to
tighten Its controls over School
Board's spending, as its County
Attorney draws up proposed
charter change requiring Coun
cil approval of any transfers of
funds by board after final bud
get approval. , , .
Mew soils study for Mary
land-National Capital park and
Planning Commission discloses
one*-half of area north and west
of Gaithersburg Is unsuitable
for development of homes using
septic tanks.
Four Republican County
Council members override two
man Democratic minority in
voting to withdraw county’s
membership in Metropolitan
Washington Council of Govern
ments, after brushing aside
recommendation of Democrat
Grover K. Walker that they stay
In for at least a year to famil
iarise themselves with its
worth.
County Attorney Alfred *l.
Carter quits, saying his “Ideals
of county government and those
of the Republican Council mem
bers are two worlds apart.”
Council president Floyd is
accused of “apparent" conflict
of Interests by young Democrat
leader C. Lawrence Wiser for
falling to disqualify himself
from consideration of a zoning
application filed by a firm whose
president "apparently contri
buted $1000” to Floyd's elec
tion campaign.
New economy- minded School
A Corsage For MCPB’s First Lady
Board majority rams through
major operating budget slashes
in marathon work sesslonscul
mlnatlng In cuts totalling almost
$5 million In School Supt. Whit
tier’s original request of
$55,498,865.
Park and Planning Com
mission announces It will pre
pare a preliminary masterplan
for the Potomac area of the
county during the 1963-64 fls
cal year and put off for at least
another year the long-antici
pated plan for the Damascus
area.
School board president Bell
proposes creation of a new,
top school official operating
ldenpendently of the school su
perintendent and reporting di
rectly to the bo-d.
Plan for redistricting Mary
land's representation In the U.S.
Congress set forth by Univer
sity of Maryland political
science professor. Dr. Roland
I. Perusse, gains favor among
political leaders and local and
state-wide groups.
Council names Robert G. To
bin, active Republican and legal
counsel to the county's GOP
domlnated legislative delega
tion to Annapolis, as County
Attorney.
Usually-divided School Board
members agree unanimously to
resist any County Council move
to gain tighter control over
hoard transfers of funds.
Council members fall to
agree on united front on pro
posals to relax liquor laws
transmit Individual views to
county’s General Assembly del
egation.
Montgomery County League
of Women Voters demands Im
mediate termination of appoint
mertt of Hal Lackey to the
Personnel Board, on the'
grounds It was a “flagrant
violation” of the county char
ter's prohibition against polit
ical activity by any “appointed
officer or employee whose sal
ary or expenses are payable In
whole or In part from county
funds.”
Special assessments review
committee appointed by County
Council to look Into present
policies, practices and proce
dures for levying taxes.
March
County operating budget of
$34.6 million, Independent of
school costs, proposed by Coun
ty Manager.
Local chapter of American
Cancer Society, county TB and
Heart Association and the
Washington Sanitarium and
Hospital sponsor well-attended
series of “no-smoklngclinics”
for adults and teenagers here.
Chevy Chase bookseller Sam
uel Yudkln agrees to give up
his attempt to sell Henry Mil
ler's controversial novel,
“Tropic of Cancer,” and county
drops obscenity charges against
him. Given a six-month jail
sentence In December, 1961,
Yudtin appealed the decision
and a new trial was ordered.
Circuit Court Judge James H.
Pugh then ruled the book Is
obscene and bannable under
Maryland statute.
GOP newsletter advises GOP
county job-seekers to contact
Hal Lackey, new member of
Personnel Board under fire
from League of Women Voters
for holding political office while
paid by county, stating '‘quali
fications, brief biography and
work done on behalf of the Re
publican cause.*'
Meantime, Lackey becomes
one of four to accept appoint
ments as Circuit Court audi
tors, which are paid on a fee
basis.
C / M. Campbell, owner of
Campbell Printing Co. and for
mer publisher of Montgomery
County Sentinel, dies at 54,
after hospital Illness during
which the move of his printing
firm to new quarters In the
Southlawn Industrial park In
Rockville was completed.
Ten-man county delegation to
Annapolis splits on Issue of how
county school board members
should be selected. Six Re
publicans favor bill establishing
non-partisan primary to pre
sent non-partisan . election,
Democratic minority counters
with proposal to defer any
change pending extensive study.
County's new detention center
on Seven Locks road Is cited
as model for all Maryland
counties “looking toward a good
jail program,''by State Board of
Correction.
County Council's stand on un
settled Wisconsin Avenue Cor
ridor Is made clear with re
approval of two long-standing
construction permits for build
ings directly In the path of the
proposed through traffic route.
One renewal was sought by
builder Alvin L. Aublnoe, whose
wife, Dorothy's, relationship
with the Council as a member
of the GOP State Central Com
mittee came up for discussion
later In the year In a contro
versial high-rise zoning appli
cation.
In the face of growing criti
cism of the appointment of Hal
Lackey, new Personnel Board
chairman, County Council asks
early legal decision from Coun
ty Attorney’s office on whether
his membership on the GOP
State Central Committee dis
qualifies him from earning
county pay.
County Chamber of Com
merce proposal for new Ph. D
. university here gains im
petus with establishment of
Montgomery County University
Foundation and backingoHoeel,
state and federal authorities and
county's science - Industry
firms.
Granting of commercial zon
ing for 14.7 acres of land for
$2 million shopping center in
Damascus reverses decision of
previous County Council.
D. C. Transit puts forth pro
posal for high-speed monorail
above Viers Mill Rd. in Wheaton
by September, 1964. Area resi
dents later protest.
Acting County Attorney Doug
las H. Moore, Jr., rules there
Is no conflict of Interest In Hal
Lackey's holding down simul
taneously memberships on both
the county Personnel Board and
the local GOP State Central
Committee; says while Lackey
Is In position of administering
county’s merit system he does
not fall under its prohibitions
against political activity him
self.
Recommendation of county
fiscal advisor John Briggs for
using data processing equip
ment to relieve county asses
sors of paper work approved by
County Council with view to
gaining additional $1.5 million In
tax revenue next year through
more frequent reassessment.
April
Majority of County Council
oppose Poolesvllle location for
new S7B million Environmental
Health Center of U.S. Depart
ment of Health, Education and
Welfare, chiefly on grounds of
tax loss to county In govern
ment-owned land.
Milton Pollnger, principal
owner of huge Anderson tract
outside Rockville, wins Anna
polis fight to have land taken
into the Washington Suburban
Sanitary District and gain water
and sewer lines to spur devel
opment. Rockville city leaders
had opposed Pollnger's attempt.
County gains broad authority
from General Assembly to tap
wide variety of tax revenue
sources In addition to historic
real estate taxes.
The Sentinel wins five awards
In the 1962 Maryland-Delaware
Press Association's “Better
Newspaper Contest.*’
Long-awaited pay raises for
about 2000 county government
employees are sidetracked by a
dispute over salary provisions
for eight ranking police of
ficers, between the County
Council and Democratic major
ity members of the Personnel
SENTINEL' countv M md Y Tu,,day ‘ D**mber 31. 1963
County Attorney Tobin tells
Council It cannot add funds to
budget finally approved by
School Board, although It has
authority to cut further. Opin
ion freed Council of pressure
brought by numerous civic
groups up In arms over drastic
cuts made by school board In
superintendent's request.
Mrs. Fred Mueller, 31-year
old Rockville mother of three,
wins 1963 “Mrs. Maryland*’
title.
Glenmont and Vicinity Citi
zens Association calls for grand
jury probe to determine extent
to which there may have been
violations last November of the
Maryland corrupt practices act
which regulates handling of
campaign donations by candi
dates for election.
Plans of Fairchild St rat os
Corp., leading aircraft missile
and space firm, to set up major
campus-type technical center
outside Gaithersburg are re
vealed.
Holdover minority on School
Board members criticize board
president Charles W. Bell for
failure to defend and support
school board's budget during
County Council's drastic cuts.
Charge Bell “defaulted*’ in ob
ligation to the board.
In final stormy sessions of
1963-64 budget consideration,
Council asks funds for 200 new
teachers sought by school
superintendent to meet In
creased enrollment of 6000 pup
ils anticipated In September. In
4-3 vote, Councilman Wilson
joins two holdover Democrats In
last-ditch attempt to restore
some of these funds.
Republican majority on Comi
ty Council fulfills campaign
promise by reducing basic pro
perty tax rate 10 cents In ap
proving a $95.8 million budget
for 1963-64. Tax cut means
saving of about $lO to sls to
average homeowner.
Teacher fund cuts bring Im
mediate protest from civic and
educational groups, while
School Supt. Whittier is called
“Insubordinate” by Council
woman Kathryn E. Diggs for
telling newsman he disapproved
of the Council’s cut.
Council time limitation of 90
MS
lilb9a
Goldwater Enthralled 500 Flere
minutes for each side in public
hearing on repeal of 14-month
old Public Accommodations Or
dinance Is attacked successfully
by civic groups as Council votes
to set aside second night for
hearing.
Montgomery County Is se
lected as site for several pilot
studies of U.S. Office of Civil
Defense leading toward proto
type defense plans for other
communities.
Plans to seek clemency for
John G. and James V. Giles,
SpencervlUe Negro brothers
sentenced to death for raping a
white girl, are stepped up fol
lowing Supreme Court refusal
to hear appeaL
Recent teacher fund cuts con
tinue to stir public groups, with
powerful Allied Civic Group
joining protest.
Over 2000 county residents,
local and federal officials, civic
and religious groups turn out at
two public hearings on repeal of
public accommodations or
dinance, most overwhelmingly
five to one, although many on
both sides were not able to
speak because of time limita
tion.
May
County's Information and
economic development director
John J. Hessett Is asked by
Council to resign In absence of
County Manager Mason A. But
cher. Angry Council action
follows disclosure by Hassett
they had “made professional
operation of normal press
relations for the county nearly
Impossible” by requiring all
press queries to be directed tc
Individual council members.
Rumors that County Manager
Mason A. Butcher would be the
next county official to get the
ax are firmly spiked by Coun
cil “vote of confidence.”
Council members say action Is
taken to dispel recurring news
accounts of friction between
them and Butcher.
Two weeks later, Council an
nounces it is letting $25,000-a
--year fiscal consultant Briggs
go, amid widespread reports
that Butcher laid down such an
ultimatum.
John Birch Society member
Mrs. John C. Burton discloses
organization now has “four or
five” units operating In county.
Council members’ reaction
ranges from stated disbelief to
disparagement.
Committee for the Public
Schools proposes turning
sl, 125,000 county surplus Into
salary funds for 200 new
teachers needed In school sys
tem.
Citizens United for Respon
sible Education term six-year
administration of School Supt.
Whittier “a six-year binge of
educational quackery,” call for
his Immediate dismissal.
Montgomery County Council
of P-TA’s questions legality of
Council’s cut of 200 teachers,
says local state aid may be cut
off, seeks audience with school
board to discuss crisis.
Sentinel discloses county’s
anti-bias law will be retained,
with informal poll Indicating
five of seven Council members
will vote to preserve the mea
sure.
Montgomery County Educa
tion Association terms Coun
cil’s 10-cent tax reduction
“penny wise and pound foolish, ”
says the economy will have
critical effect on education
here.
New School Board majority
schedules tryout of Amldon
back-to-the-baslcs system of
education In at least one county
school In September.
D. C. Transit Co.’s plan for
put high-speed monorail system
Into the air above Viers Mill Rd.
In Wheaton runs Into legal snarl
because road was built partially
with federal funds, appears
doomed.
Montgomery County State’s
Attorney Leonard T. Kardy is
charged by District of Columbia
Judge with using his public of
fice to further the Interests of
a client in his private law prac
tice. Kardy calls for full and
immediate investigation by
county Bar Association.
Committee for Public Schools
backs county P-TA campaign to
bring the new school board pri
mary law to a referendum.
June
School Board majority stirs
up new ruckus with decision to
turn over teachers’ fingerprints
to county police department for
detailed checks. Maryland
School Supt. Thomas G. Pullen
says he seriously questions le
gality of the action.
Hollywood glamour comes to
county as cast and crew of
motion picture, "Lilith,” move
in for more than a month of
shooting on location here. Top
stars Warren Beatty, Jean Se
berg and Peter Fonda, under
the direction of Robert Ros
sen, act out their scenes on
the streets of Rockville, along
the banks of the Potomac at
Great Falls, at the Darnestown
jousting center and In other up
county areas.
School Boardmembers do
about-face, decide to ask
County Council to reconsider
decision to cut funds for 200
new teachers from budget.
Boardmember Coyle says he
feels council "may have found
ed its decision upon certain
assumptions that may have been
erroneous.”
Fight Is promised by teach
ers on School Board move to
turn over fingerprints to po-
B2
i lice. Arthur Simonds, execu
-3 tive secretary of Montgomery
County Education Association,
promises to “use every means
3 at our disposal to prevent this
; Indignity.”
i Sentinel survey shows teach
er cuts will have major effect
on education In local schools in
year ahead, Including lncreas
i ed class sizes, dropping of many
s subjects Including academic
i ones, lack of planning time for
teachers and combination clas
• ses.
Council agrees to consider
abolition of tax on manufactur
ing materials to Induce new
Industry to settle here. Tax
> currently brings In between
$200,000 to $300,000 annually.
Dr. William J. Peeples,
County Health Officer, resigns
to take post as chief of bureau
of chronic diseases In Callfor
• nia State Health Department.
Council defers acceptance of
his resignation.
Council’s top legal advisor
, says It has no authority under
this charter to restore funds
for 200 new teachers to ap
proved budget, either by
1 transfer or emergency sup
’ plemental appropriation.
Maryland Department of
; Economic Development pro
; jection study indicates county
can expect to double popula
tion by 1980, to 695,000.
GUes-Johnson Defense Com
mittee In county formally ap
peals to Gov. J. Millard Tawes
for clemency for two Giles
brothers awaiting execution
In Maryland’s “death row” In
Baltimore. Governor grants
order for indefinite stay of
execution pending outcome of
appeal to Maryland Court of
Appeals.
Three county teachers win
temporary court order re
straining School Board from
turning over teacher finger
prints to police department.
County’s information and
economic development director
post, vacant since forced re
signation of John Hassett May
1, Is filled by Byron M. Sedg
wick, county editor and politi
cal columnist.
July
Movie star Jayne Mansfield,
the “All-American girl*', visits
the “All-American city”
Rockville, and for a few hours
brings city and county govern
mental operations to a stand
still.
Joseph L. Johnson, Jr., Spen
cervllle Negro convicted of rap
ing a 16-year-old Hyattsvllle
girl, loses his appeal to the
Maryland Court of Appeals.
School Board President
Charles W. Bell, loses out In
his demand to see the finger
print records of three county
school teachers. The teachers
are plaintiffs In a court action
which seeks to legally restrain
the School Board majority to
turn over the records to county
police.
Investigations show that more
school teachers are resigning
and fewer newer ones are apply
ing for jobs In the fall. School
official declares, “Something
dramatic has happened to make
them (new applications) fall
off.”
Archdiocese of Washington
purchases controversial site
adjacent of St. Bernadette’s
Church and School shortly after
the Montgomery County Council
refuses to approve Its use by
the Silver Spring Volunteer Fire
Department.
Cletus Barnett, successor to
Hal Lackey, Republican chair
man of the County Personnel
Board, is criticised by the
League of Women Voters as
being “publicly identified with
partisan activities In his role
as a Republican precinct
chairman.”
Formal tributes to Abraham
S. Kay, noted developer and
philanthropist, end with eulogy
by Rabbi Philip L. Rablnowltz,
who notes that Mr. Kay was
best known as a “builder of
men”, rather than houses.
Ellen Bateman, of Rockville,
wins 2nd place In the All-woman
Transcontinental Air Race,
better known as the Powder Puff
Derby. Mrs. Bateman along
with Mrs. Nancy Lyman of Flor
ida, flew from California on July
13, and arrived in Atlantic City,
N. J., July 16.
Montgomery County Council
of Parent-Teacher Associations
levels three new accusations of
state law violations by the
County Council and Board of
Education. They include, Coun
cil levied school taxes but re
fused to turn these funds over
to the School Board, and that
the Board of Education cut the
number of physical education
teachers below state require
ments.
The Montgomery County
Committee for the Public
Schools requests each member
of the Council state publicly
whether he or she agreed with
Council president Floyd’s re
fusal to hold public hearings
or reconsider the decision to
slash the school budget by $2.6
million.
Germantown man, Harold A.
Knapp, asks Gov. Tawes to grant
full pardon for John and James
Giles and Joseph Johnson, who
are awaiting death penalty for
raping a Hyattsvllle girl, on
grounds of a four-month private
study which revealed girl’s
police record and terms her
a “16-year-old sexual adven
turess out of parental control.”
Council calls for a public
hearing on a proposed ordinance
that would require permits for
all public parades, meetings
and demonstrations, to be Is
sued on receipt of applications
• - mm Mm
- • yMwi|B|hv>,. Ms Ms '
Some Roller-skated to Washington
three days in advance of the
scheduled event.
August
National Capital Civil Liber
ties Union and the Montgomery
County Committee on Demo
cratic Practice hit proposed or
dinance on grounds that Is “Il
legal” and an “Intrusion upon
elemental human rights.”
School Board rams through a
4-3 vote to add $1.5 million
more to the Rockville junior
College campus project. Mi
nority members tempers flare,
and one notes that It Is .“lu
dicrous for us to plan a facil
ity and hope to find justifi
cation for expansion later.”
Formal launching of a pro
posed SSO million planned com
munity In upper county takes
place In Redland. Project will
eventually spread over 1100
acres of farmland.
County Council gives ten
tative approval to Industrial
rezonlng of an extensive 251-
acre site to the southeast of
the Intersection of Rockville
Pike and Shady Grove Road.
More than 115,000 attend the
15th Annual Montgomery County
Fair In Gaithersburg. Cash
prizes totalling $47,000 are dis
tributed to top entries In varied
contests held throughout the
week.
State Roads Commission an
announces program to meet
“critical” needs of the county’s
highway system. To Involve
more than 140 miles of roads
and about S6O million to be
paid by federal and state gov
ernments.
General Services Adminis
tration approves a $38,184, 500
UWI A
Wg - • %'
U S NAVY 94 4*196
A Slain President Is Brought Home
contract for development of
more facilities at the vast Bur
eau of Standards relocation site
near Gaithersburg.
Judge John B. Diamond m,
who served on the Montgomery
County Peoples Court since 19SS
dies of a heart attack at the
age of 52.
The School Board is Informed
that a cash surplus of more than
$1 million la county school funds
has been accumulated by County
Council. Board President
Charles W. Bell discloses that
, the Board is considering filing
a counter suit to one filed earl
ier by Council, which would pre
vent school heads from using
i school funds that accumulate as
surplus during the budget year,
i Ledger Smltn arrives in
, Rockville after roller-skating
i 68s miles from Chicago on his
way to Washington to the
civil rights* march there. Smith
t Is sponsored and auto-escorted
i by the NAACP.
J Dr. Thomas A Wilson, School
board member, proposes, for
| the third time, that the County
* Council establish a bi-partisan
* committee to look Into occas
sional complaints against
; county officials, and falls to
gain support.
One hundred and thirty five
* county residents leave Rock
t vllle to join the thousands of
■ othei participants in the
i “March on Washington”.
Over 100,000 elementary and
secondary school students face
that awful business of return
ing back to school after a long
happy, summer. More than 4000
teachers prepare to face 100,000
unhappy pupils.
September
A Human Relations Commis
sion suggestion that Mont
gomery County Council extend
its public accommodations priv
ileges to public places engaged
primarily Jin the sale of alcohol
getjS no backers.
County Council approves the
proposed $1.5 million expansion
In the Rockville Junior College
program. Approval has the
effect of taking funds away from
further development of the
existing junior college campus
in Takoma Park and adding them
to a new Rockville facility.
County Council, in an un
scheduled action, votes 4-2
against a proposal to repeal
the county's public accommoda
tions ordinance.
School Board votes unan
imously to file counter suit to
the one brought against it by
the County CounciL School
heads decide to take a stand
in court that the Council has
violated state law by withhold
ing surplus school funds.
School Board members learn
that over 41 percent of the
newly appointed county teachers
have had no previous exper
ience. Dr. John A. Parmenter,
assistant superintendent for the
school administration, also
notes that the schools need 120
additional teachers to handle
this year’s record student en
rollment. He adds that a
total of 4793 countv classes had
31 or more pupils In them on
Sept. 6.
The proposed five year sow
ar program of the Suburban
Sanitary Commission Is blasted
by the Maryland-National Cap
ital Park and Planning Com
mission In a unanimous vote
recommending rejection of half
of the 62 suggested projects.
Montgomery County CMc
Federation, the Citizens Plan
(Contlaaed to Page B-4)