Teacher Busted Police Mourn Fallen Friend Shocking!
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YOUR COUNTY NEWSPAPER! Arts ........................13 Learning Links .......16 Book Review..........14 Legal Notices........L-1 Local NFL Calendar................18 Opinion ....................4 draft Classifieds .............20 Reflections...............2 results Dining .................L-27 Sports ....................25 See page 27 Fun Page ...............15 Travel.....................12 Celebrating our 152nd year www.thesentinel.com Vol. 152, No. 40 • 25¢ SINCE 1855 May 3 - May 9, 2007 TODAY’S GAS Police PRICE $3.00 per gallon Last Week Mourn $2.93 per gallon A month ago $2.71 per gallon Fallen A year ago $3.08 per gallon AVERAGE PRICE PER GALLON OF Friend UNLEADED REGULAR GAS IN MARYLAND/D.C. METRO AREA ACCORDING TO AAA By Stephanie Maruca INSIDE Special to the Sentinel Officer Luke T. Hoffman will forever be remembered for his over- sized grin. “The last memory I have of Luke was seeing him at a local restaurant and congratulating him on becoming an officer. I teased him by asking if I could name drop if I ever got pulled over. He just smiled and laughed at me. I will always remember that smile,” said Shannon Twamley, a friend of the Hoffman family. Although Hoffman, 24, was only a one-year veteran of the Montgomery Immigration County Police Department, he made a PHOTO BY GEORGE SMITH / INSERT PHOTO COURTESY OF MCPD issues Somber-faced members of the MCPD Honor Guard accompanied their fallen comrade, officer Luke Hoffman, inset, See Police, page 8 The latest in the ongoing who died last week. county controversy. Page 10 Teacher Shocking! Richard Montgomery electrical construction busted problems called “unprecedented” By Josh Bowman be unable to handle the amount of Staff Writer Drew Pierson electricity needed for the school to be- Staff Writer Police arrested a Montgomery come operational and designed con- County middle school teacher on School officials say it is an un- duits for wires and tubing to pass Tuesday for allegedly exposing him- precedented mistake in a building pro- through that were either too small or too large. self to a group of girls in a school bus PHOTO COURTESY MCPD ject. as he drove by in his convertible. Charles Robert Bouma And, while Shakespeare might The list of problems goes on, in- Police say Charles Robert appreciate the comedy of errors made cluding designs for “things that were lowed the bus and drove on both sides Still Perfect Bouma, 43, of Beltsville was driving by one company involved in building structurally impossible,” said Richard of it, causing a lot of commotion and on Rockville Pike near Tuckerman the new Richard Montgomery High Hawes, the director of the department Georgetown Prep rolls continuing to expose himself while en- Lane around 3:15 p.m. on Monday School, school officials are not too of facilities management for Mont- over St. Albans to stay unde- gaging in a personal sexual activity.” when he pulled up next to a school bus happy with being forced to spend an gomery County Public Schools. feated in Lacrosse. The crew team’s coach wrote filled with high school girls from the additional $500,000 mid-construction Benatec was a sub-contractor for Page 25 down Bouma’s license plate number Academy of Holy Cross, a private to fix the mistakes left behind. the SHW Group, the architectural and called police. Police arrested school in Kensington. The girls, part School officials say the offending company in charge of the new Richard Bouma Tuesday night and charged of the school’s crew team was on its company is Benatec Associates, and Montgomery building’s overall de- him with indecent exposure, disorder- way to rowing practice. among the design flaws, according to sign, Hawes said. Benatec was hired ly conduct and disturbing a school op- “When he drove alongside the school officials; Benatec specified the by the SHW Group for its expertise in eration. Police released him on his bus, he pulled his pants down and ex- wrong kind of electrical wires in the electrical systems, but because of own recognizance. posed himself to the students,” said school building, violated safety codes complaints from MCPS and the SHW Montgomery County Police spokes- for the school’s fire alarm system, woman Melanie Hadley. “He fol- See Teacher, page 8 asked for electrical circuits that would See Shocking, page 8 2THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY SENTINEL MAY 3, 2007 EFLECTIONS The Montgomery County Sentinel, published weekly by Montgomery Sen- tinel Publishing, Inc., is a community R newspaper covering Montgomery County, Maryland. Our offices are locat- agement - or anyone else- to remove least one written complaint has been ed at 30 Courthouse Sq. Suite 405 April 27, 1978 distasteful of obscene graffiti. received about possible licensing Rockville, MD 20850. Founded in 1855 by Matthew Fields. All mail to: P.O. Box “It’s not exactly a sign so I don’t violations at the Du-Drop. Martin 1272, Rockville, MD 20849-1272. Sub- think it comes within the sign ordi- declined to discuss the nature of the scription Rates for The Montgomery Smut defies eradication nance, “ says Katherine Hart, an as- complaint. County Sentinel – Weekly by mail: $22.05 per year & $15.75 for Senior Citi- sistant county attorney representing “If it’s not a violation of a chap- zens. (USPS) 361-100. Each week, The Sentinel revisits The obscenities according to one the county Department of Environ- ter that requires a license, then we a memorable story from our of those residents are clearly visible to mental Protection (DEP). can hardly revoke that,” Martin says. Bernard Kapiloff archives. traffic along Emory Grove Road, “The only thing I can think of “If it is a violation, we have the right PUBLISHER The Du-Drop Inn bar, a fixture which the bar fronts. “It’s a blemish is it might somehow affect its to issue a summons or a ticket.” Mark Kapiloff in the community of Emory Grove and an eyesore,” the resident says. liquor license. Otherwise, I can’t The Du-Drop Inn is a long one- ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER for more than 30 years, has drawn But despite a profusion of zon- think of any county law that might story, cinder-block building located [email protected] the ire of nearby residents who’ve ing regulations sign laws, an obscen- affect it,” Hart says. slightly more than one-quarter mile Lynn G. Kapiloff complained to the county about ity statue and liquor license regula- Sharon Marti, chief of DEP’s from the intersection of Emory CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER huge, block-letter obscenities tions, county officials say they are Division of Public Facilities, which Grove and Laytonsville Road, just [email protected] scrawled across its exterior walls. powerless to compel the Inn’s man- monitors county licensing, says at outside Gaithersburg. EDITORIAL Brian J. Karem MANAGING EDITOR HUMOR [email protected] Josh Bowman Excuse me, but has anyone seen my cucumber moisturizer? [email protected] Drew Pierson STAFF WRITERS by Roger Mursick own “outfits” without any help from no Nancy boys allowed. They were She also said that the thing that her (if I’m wearing brown or black). the kind of neighborhoods where we made her really question my manli- Brandy L. Simms ast week I’ve even learned a few other helpful were on a first-name basis with the ness was when we had coffee at a café SPORTS WRITER my Mont- tips that I’d like to share with you. police because they were there so of- earlier in the day, and I sat with my Marketa Ebert Lgomery Always moisturize and never, ten to arrest one of your friends or legs crossed at the thigh rather than at STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER County born ever forget to use a sun block. Always your friend’s parents. the knee like most Hells Angels guys Brian Schott and bred wife have impeccable nails. Women al- Towns like Seat Pleasant, Palmer sit. COPY EDITOR said that she ways look at a guy’s nails. Park, Chillum, Takoma Park, Silver I said, “Don’t be silly. I could re- thought I might My wife also pointed out the Spring, D C, Hillandale, Greenbelt, ally go for a latte. Let’s get a latte.” Michelle L. Ponder CALENDAR EDITOR be gay. merits of using a good eye cream for Beltsville, College Park, Brentwood, I was shocked to hear my dar- [email protected] Excuse me the soft tissue under the eyes. etc. ling, well-bred, raised-in-Potomac a moment while I used hers on my dog’s butt. It I’m old-school macho, and as a wife make such an absurdist allega- Patrick Redding YOUTH SERVICES I put down this cucumber sandwich. seems to have worked; she quit kid I either outran my troubles or tion — let alone use that stereotypical [email protected] There, let’s see … where should I scratching. stood and met them head-on. I’m also gay professor “posture” to question begin? I know. It was a hot summer Not too long ago my wife gave an ex-merchant seaman and a former my manliness. “I will slap you!” CALL 301-838-0788 FAX 301- 838 - 3458 day in June when I met my future me a moisturizing facial mask. I must member of the USMC. I still don’t run I was slouching, there was no- NEWSROOM AND LEGAL ADVERTISING wife. I was fashionable and comfort- say that was enjoyable. It always feels away from trouble unless it looks like body else around, we had been shop- ably attired for the hot, humid Mont- good to have someone pushing and it can seriously hurt me.