Potomacpotomac PERMIT #86 in Praise of Service People, Page 2
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Attention Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Requested in home 7-24-08 PRSRT STD A Connection U.S. Postage Newspaper PAID Martinsburg, WV PotomacPotomac PERMIT #86 In Praise Of Service People, page 2 Bette Thompson was recognized for her over 60-years of service to the Scotland African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and to the community of Classified, Page 14 Classified, Scotland during a ❖ special ceremony at the church on July 27. Real Estate, Page 12 Real Estate, ❖ Calendar, Page 8 Calendar, Split Ranks At Humane Society News, page 3 Preparing Rotary For Nanny Law Honors Two News, Page 13 News, Page 4 Photo By Robbie Hammer/The Connection Photo July 30-August 5, 2008 ❖ Volume LII, Number 31 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Potomac Almanac ❖ Julywww.potomacalmanac.com 30 - August 5, 2008 ❖ 1 People Photos by Robbie Hammer/The Connection Bette Thompson visits with Pastor Don Mumford, a long- time friend, during a ceremony honoring Thompson on July 27. “I was saved here, married here and found my Friends and family attend a special ceremony honoring Scotland resident Bette call to the ministry here,” said Pastor Mumford, “She Thompson for her service to the community and to the Scotland African Methodist was like a mom to me.” Episcopal Zion Church. Honoring Thompson’s Commitment to Community Scotland celebrates long-time resident and Thompson’s character and achievements cial citations of commendation from the over the years. Thompson has long been Montgomery County Delegation of the community leader Bette Thompson. involved with various boards and commit- Maryland General Assembly, as well as from tees in the Winston Churchill High School Roger Berliner, Potomac’s representative to By Aaron Stern days and Thompson, now in her 70s, has cluster, and it was due in large part to more the County Council. The Almanac both born witness and played a hand in than a decade of her commitment that the “It was beautiful,” said Thompson of the those changes. County Council earlier this year approved event. “I didn’t know all that was going on, ette Thompson has seen a lot over On Sunday, July 27, Scotland A.M.E. Zion funding to renovate the Scotland Commu- to tell the truth.” the years. Born and raised in Scot- Church on Seven Locks Road was packed nity Center. Bland, the community founded by with Thompson’s friends and family — im- That effort stalled several times since it AFTERWARD, Gasaway said that she and ex-slaves in the late 1800s off of mediate and extended — as the commu- began in the late 1990s due to lack of sup- her sister talked in their car for over an hour Seven Locks Road, Thompson grew up in nity and Montgomery County officials hon- port from the county, but Thompson never about Thompson. They had always known the days when she would run through ored her service over the years. quit, said Gasaway. that Thompson was active, but when story grassy fields to her friends’ houses. That was “It was packed — people were in the “She [would say], ‘Come on, let’s go, after story was told about the number of a time when summers were spent playing aisles, people had to stand up, some people we’re going to keep fighting.’ And that’s one meetings she had been to and boards she coed softball games that lasted until dusk, couldn’t even get inside … because they of the main reasons the money is being had worked with they were blown away. and when the children went swimming were all there for cousin Bette,” said Latisha given to the center,” Gasaway said. “The thing about it is, she deserved it and whenever the boys in Scotland stopped up Gasaway, younger cousin of Thompson’s On Sunday she was presented with offi- everybody knew it,” said Gasaway of the a creek. who grew up in Scotland. salute. “It was an honorable moment just A lot has changed in Scotland since those Members of the community spoke about “The thing about it is, to be there.” Two of Thompson’s favorite songs were she deserved it and played, including the gospel hymnal “How I Got Over,” and Thompson said that, like everybody knew it. It was the song tells, her commitment to the com- munity of Scotland grew out of her religious an honorable moment faith. “She said ‘I’m not sitting down because just to be there.” I’m working for the Lord,’” Gasaway said. — Latisha Gasaway “That was a moment, a historical moment.” Bette Thompson was recognized for her over 60-years of service to the Scotland African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and to the community of Scotland. Bette Thompson was recognized for her over 60-years of service to the Scotland African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. 2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ July 30 - August 5, 2008 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Potomac Almanac Editor Steven M. Mauren 301-983-2600 or [email protected] News See www.potomacalmanac.com Split Ranks at Montgomery Humane Society differences of opinion.” Former board Crist agreed. members raise “More so than I’ve ever experi- enced in my life,” Crist said of the concerns about propensity for animal lovers to butt heads. “It’s incredible.” direction of The situation on the Humane Society’s board has also drawn the organization. by Photo attention Montgomery County Ex- ecutive Ike Leggett. In a recent in- By Aaron Stern terview Leggett said that the situa- The Almanac tion is being monitored. Aaron Stern Aaron “We’re aware of some of it, we’re hen Rob Blizard looking into it,” Leggett said. “It is joined the board of disturbing to hear some of the ques- directors for the tions and some of the leadership W /The Almanac Montgomery challenges that are there among County Humane Society last fall he some of the board members but it was excited by the opportunity to is something that I hope we can put combine his love of animals with his behind us rather quickly and get professional expertise in private back to the very serious job of pro- fund-raising development. Six tecting some of the more vulner- months later, frustrated and dis- The Montgomery County Humane Society runs the county’s adoption shelter in able animals in our community.” couraged about the direction of the Rockville in conjunction with the Animal Services Division of the Montgomery County organization, Blizard resigned from Police Department. MARGARET ZANVILLE headed his post at a board meeting and the Montgomery County Humane thought he was done with the group. But members said were problematic with the also of Potomac, resigned in March after his Society for 14 years before she stepped when he got home he received an email direction of the Humane Society, but Crist relationship with Crist grew sour over what down in 2005. Before that she was a board informing him that his resignation had not said that the disagreements among the de- Cohen described as a pattern whereby his member for seven years and a volunteer for been accepted and that instead he had been parted board members were detracting questions about the shelter’s operations and several years before that. She has kept in unanimously voted off of the board. from the core mission of the Humane Soci- finances were repeatedly either unanswered touch with people at the shelter and from It was the final twist in a brief journey ety, which is to protect vulnerable animals. or met with hostility. what she hears — much as Blizard, Cohen, that Blizard described as tumultuous and “Their creative differences or their visions “I feel that questions were not being ad- Rubin contend — is that , there is little to upsetting, and he is not alone. In the last and methods were different than the ma- dressed in a timely fashion that dealt with no room for debate or disagreement with five months five members of the 10 active jority of the board’s — they just weren’t in the fiduciary responsibilities that we as Crist. members of the Montgomery County Hu- line with what we’re currently doing,” said board members have,” Cohen said. “I was “This is just, in my opinion of course, mane Society’s board have either stepped Crist. “We are the humane society and we asking questions about personnel, about the [but] it seems that anyone that disagrees down or been dismissed from the board and give every animal an opportunity at life if shelter, their fund-raising, and I felt that we with [Crist] is out the door,” said Zanville. at least three of those members did so after it’s the right thing to [had] a CEO … who is Crist said that there is room for disagree- repeated disagreements with the president do.” also president of the ment and healthy debate on the Humane of the Montgomery County Humane Soci- “There’s no strategic board who I feel there is Society’s board, but that the recently de- ety, JC Crist. THE HUMANE SOCI- very little oversight for.” parted board members had each become Now, it appears that the Humane Society ETY runs the county’s plan, I mean where Crist held that dual distractions to the board. may have a leadership shakeup in store. adoption shelter in role since 2005 but re- “It’s important that we all have one vi- Crist held the dual roles of chief executive Rockville in a contracted are we going? You signed the CEO title last sion and that’s for the organization and the officer of the Montgomery County Humane partnership with Mont- have to have a plan month, though he con- animals,” said Crist.