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PotomacPotomac Real Estate, Page 8 Real Estate, ❖ Representatives of Classifieds, Page 10 Classifieds, the Piscataway tribe ❖ will be on hand for the July 25 dedica- tion of a 25-mile FollowingFollowing inin portion of the Sugarloaf Regional Trail in honor of the Native Americans who once called the Calendar, Page 6 Calendar, area home. AncientAncient FootstepsFootsteps News, Page 3 Kayakers Compete At River Festival News, Page 5 Page 9 Unscheduling Summer Play A+, Page 9 oto Big Train in First Place At All-Star Break Sports, Page 11 Contributed Ph online at potomacalmanac.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.comJuly 15-21, 2015 Potomac Almanac ❖ July 15-21, 2015 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ July 15-21, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Potomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren 703-778-9415 or [email protected] News See www.potomacalmanac.com Photos by Jean Phillips Photos Native Americans used to live on Conoy Island. The Point of Rock Route 15 bridge is in the background. People can not get to the Island unless The view at Seneca from the C&O Canal. they use a boat. Following in Ancient Footsteps A portion of the Sugarloaf Regional Trail will be dedicated Attend the Ceremony in honor of the region’s Native American history. The dedication of a 25-mile portion of By Amber Healy Sugarloaf Regional Trail’s Native American eas in the meantime. Heritage Trail is scheduled for Saturday, The Almanac “We are a small non-profit organization July 25, from noon until 4 p.m. at the with a large commitment to record and pre- Monocacy Aqueduct. Members of the project more than 30 years serve Montgomery’s upcounty area, espe- Piscataway Dance and Drum Corp will be on hand performing, explaining their traditions in the making will see its cially Sugarloaf Mountain and the Potomac and costumes while explaining the uses of completion on July 25, as a River,” she said. As a result, the organiza- native plants. For more information, go to A www.sugarloafretionaltrails.org. 25-mile portion of the tion has spent the past three years explor- Sugarloaf Regional Trail is dedicated ing, researching and gathering information to the area’s on a specific portion of the trail that is of “Heritage Montgomery supports this ef- Native Ameri- special significance to the area’s original fort because of the importance of celebrat- This trail sheds can tribes. residents. ing the historic First Peoples of the area,” Rain forced In the first year, her group identified the she said. “In a time when understanding and light on such the postpone- boundaries of the trail, which will reach Contributed photo protecting our natural resources is becom- things as how ment of the from Point of Rocks, home of the Piscataway ing increasingly important, it is very help- ceremony, tribe from the mid-1600s until 1722, down ful to look back to earlier cultures and un- Native which will to Seneca, which the tribe called derstand how they used and stewarded the feature danc- “Cohongarooto,” or “The land above the land we now call home.” Americans here ers from the falls.” Much of the information used in de- Until the trail is dedicated, “there is no Piscataway termining which portion of the trail to in- significant interpretation of Native peoples lived, what tribe, but the clude in the dedicated area came from the Wearing traditional attire and available to the public,” which makes this delay was of Maryland Room in the C. Burr Arts Library performing traditional dances and trail the first in Montgomery and Frederick types of villages little conse- in Frederick, along with collaboration with songs, the Piscataway tribe will counties to tell the stories of the tribes who and buildings quence to Virginia Busby, an archeologist, who intro- help dedicate a 25-mile stretch of lived here. “There are many Native Ameri- Margaret duced Coleman to the Piscataway Tribe. hiking trail that stretches from cans living here today and many are eager did they have, “Peg” “This year, we go heavily into research, Point of Rocks to Seneca in honor to share their culture and history. This trail Coleman, finding wondrous information, visiting a of the region’s Native American sheds light on such things as how Native how did they president of local archeological dig, handling local arti- cultural heritage on July 25. Americans here lived, what types of villages Sugarloaf Re- facts and meeting with the tribe,” Coleman and buildings did they have, how did they use the forests, gional Trail. said. The tribe was invited to “dedicate the ment of Natural Resources to carry them to use the forests, rivers and fields to support In the trail with joyful sounds and dances.” Next their island on the day of the dedication these communities.” rivers and 1970s, she year, her group will publish trail guides where they will have a private ceremony. While the trail is located along the C&O and Chet pointing out plants and wildlife of impor- The DNR generously agreed and has already Canal towpath, Coleman stressed that the fields to Anderson, tance to the tribe in the region. taken members of the Sugarloaf Regional towpath will not be changed in any way. head of the Most importantly to Coleman and the Trails across to Conoy on an exploratory “The irony is that the Indians were long support these trails organi- tribe, the trail will provide a symbolic re- trip.” gone before the canal was built and its communities.” zation, began turn to land of great importance to their She noted that the Piscataway tribe had builders went right through one village, writing trail culture. no written language during the era in which destroying half,” Coleman said. “The tow- — Sarah Rogers, guides, pub- “The Piscataway Native Americans we they lived at the intersection of the path is a National Park and will be enhanced Executive Director, lishing a se- met with are enthusiastic about the dedi- Monocacy and Potomac Rivers, where the by this information, but in no way at all Heritage Montgomery ries of books cation. They are coming home, and re- trail will be dedicated, and instead used sto- will it be disturbed. We hope visitors will since 1974, quested passage for their elders to Conoy ries to pass along their history and heritage. have our trail guide in one hand and that providing a wealth of information on Island,” Coleman said. “There is no road Sarah Rogers, executive director of Heri- the new information will bring them joy, the historical properties in Montgom- access to Conoy Island. With Dr. Busby’s tage Montgomery, said she’s thrilled to see increase their knowledge and open their ery County and the surrounding ar- assistance, we arranged with the Depart- the dedication take place. minds to the ancient cultures.” www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Potomac Almanac ❖ July 15-21, 2015 ❖ 3 Opinion POTOMAC ALMANAC Opposing Application for a Country Inn www.PotomacAlmanac.com Newspaper of Potomac To the Editor: suitable for residences with approximately one- the additional traffic and congestion to an al- A Connection Newspaper Recently, the owner of Old Angler’s Inn (OAI) half-acre lots. Within a mile of the site there ready overused access point along the river. in Potomac, Mark Reges, filed a conditional use are hundreds of homes and the area is unques- Mr. Reges is asking diners of OAI to sign a An independent, locally owned weekly newspaper delivered application with Montgomery County to build tionably residential in character. The Potomac petition in support of the “country inn.” Patrons to homes and businesses. a “country inn” on property which is adjacent Subregion Master Plan discusses the desire to should not be misled into believing that the 1606 King Street to the restaurant. Our homeowner and civic maintain the residential nature of the area and surrounding residential neighborhoods support Alexandria, Virginia 22314 associations strongly oppose this application that special exceptions, now called conditional this proposal or that it is necessary. There are and we wish to set the record uses, should be limited in order to protect “resi- many existing venues for wedding receptions Free digital edition delivered to Letter your email box. Go to straight as to information being dis- dential communities from incompatible design and banquets in or near Potomac. Not only is connectionnewspapers.com/subscribe seminated about the proposal. of special exception uses.” there no economic need for the facility, there is The proposed “country inn” is a 9,000- Our associations have specific concerns re- no benefit to the surrounding residential neigh- PUBLISHER square-foot building with a commercial kitchen garding the increased noise, traffic and park- borhoods or the greater Potomac community. Mary Kimm and four guest suites that will be rented on a ing problems along MacArthur Boulevard, the We strongly oppose this proposal. [email protected] nightly basis, just like a motel. The purpose of impact on neighborhood safety, and the eco- @MaryKimm the facility is to host wedding receptions, ban- nomic and environmental damage that this Stephen Lehrman, River Falls EDITORIAL quets, corporate events and business meetings. proposal would cause. The Potomac Subregion Homeowners Association PHONE: 703-778-9415 E-MAIL: The proposed “country inn” and OAI are re- Master Plan also calls for increased scrutiny in Keith Williams, Civic Association of [email protected] lated businesses. This is neither a “country inn” reviewing applications on properties adjacent River Falls in the traditional sense nor is it “wholly com- to the C&O Canal National Historical Park. As Curtis Uhre, Brickyard Coalition Inc. EDITOR Steven Mauren, 703-778-9415 patible with … the surrounding community” a narrow river valley adjacent to water, sound Ginny Barnes, West Montgomery County [email protected] as stated by Mr.