The staff at the Montgomery County Humane Society fell in love with this cat, Tippy. He was adopted by a family even though he is older than the age that PotomacPotomac adopters typically look for. Inside Pet Almanac Summer 2014 Furry Friends Pets/page 4 A gathering of furry — and human — friends: Louie, a Wire Hair Fox Terrier; Caspar, a West Highland Terrier; Biscuit, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel; and Fin, a Border Terrier. The humans, sisters Angela Corio and Diana Cunningham, are holding the menagerie of dogs at October’s Blessing of the Animals, Feast of St. Francis near his statue at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Rockville. Animal Services and MCPAW Working To Make a Difference Pets/page 2 Fun and Education Potomac With Animals Pets/page 3 Photo Contributed www.ConnectionNewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC onlinePotomac at www.connectionnewspapers.com Almanac O Pet Almanac, Summer 2014 O 1 Calendar, Page 11 Page Calendar, O Pet Almanac Classified, Page 10 10 Page Classified, O Real Estate, Page 8 Real Estate, Never Too Old for Love Dissecting Comedy News, Page 3 News, Page 3 Dubick Shares World Lax Championship Experience Photo contributed Photo Sports, Page 6 www.ConnectionNewspapers.comJuly 23-29, 2014 onlinePotomac at Almanacpotomacalmanac.com O July 23-29, 2014 O 1 Out & About Photos by Photos Mary Kimm /The Almanac Summer on the River Texting while what? A stand-up paddleboarder on the Potomac River just above Seneca Green Heron along the Potomac River just above Riley’s Creek on Sunday, July 13. Lock on Sunday, July 13. 2 O Potomac Almanac O July 23-29, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Potomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren 703-778-9415 or [email protected] News See www.potomacalmanac.com Dissecting Comedy Potomac author releases third book, “Poking a Dead Frog.” By Susan Belford The Almanac Photo contributed Photo f you picked up a book titled “Poking a Dead Frog,” might it be about biol- ogy, herpetology or even paleontol- ogy? Mike Sacks’ latest book is about Inone of these. Instead it is a collection of his “Conversations with Today’s Top Com- Dogs Miss Itsy, Miss Bitsy and Miss Mitsy were victims in an animal edy Writers.” cruelty case and recovered at PetConnect’s Muddy Paws Farm. His title came from a quote by E.B. White Mike Sacks who wrote in The New Yorker: “Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing Humor Writers About Their Craft.” dies in the process and the innards are dis- He has had articles published in GQ,The ‘We All Fell in Love’ couraging to any but the pure scientific New Yorker, Time, Esquire, McSweeney’s, mind ... [Humor] won’t stand much pok- Vanity Fair and other magazines. ing. It has a certain fragility, an evasiveness Sacks is married with a 5-year-old daugh- MCHS and PetConnect help place animals which one had best respect.” ter who “can’t believe all the green space Sacks writes “... the crux is that the pro- when she comes to Potomac to visit her in the Potomac area in homes. cess can be fascinating to a certain type of grandparents and to see where daddy grew person. Not the type who wants comedy up. We took her to Cabin John Park – noth- By Kara Coleman According to the Humane Society of dissected to the point of death, neces- ing like it in Manhattan.” The Almanac the United States 2013 Annual Report, sarily, but the type interested in un- His father, Jerry Sacks, said, 118,328 animals were cared for last year derstanding the art and business be- “Michael’s mother and I are not ippy was a black and white cat by the Humane Society and its affiliates, hind comedy; of what it takes, ex- surprised that Mike has who the Montgomery County through disaster relief, cruelty interven- actly to make a career out of at- written for so many THumane Society estimated to be tions, wildlife rehab centers and more. tempting to induce laughter fine magazines. At either 8 or 9 years old when he arrived But that number doesn’t count the local from complete strangers with Churchill, he wrote there. Since he was far removed from rescue groups around the country who only the words or images that and edited for Erehwon, being a kitten, Tippy didn’t fit the pro- work to protect, shelter, and rehabilitate you create ... And, as you the literary magazine file of a traditionally adoptable animal. animals and adopt them out to homes, will read here, it is a that won numerous na- But his personality charmed the MCHS including many in the southern Mary- tough, yet fascinating tional awards. Strange to employees. land area. life.” think that he’s gone from “He was such a great cat that he was PetConnect, a group based in Potomac, In “Poking a Dead Erehwon to now working at allowed to wander,” said Howard White, is a mixed-breed rescue group who, like Frog,” Sacks com- Vanity Fair magazine in New director of external affairs for MCHS. “He MCHS, focuses on dogs and cats. piles a wealth of re- York, and to teaching at many uni- sort of became the mascot of the place PetConnect’s mission, according to Di- vealing interviews with versities, including NYU, Yale, and and had the run of everything. We all fell rector of Operations Catherine Edwards, renown comedy writers in- Humber College in Toronto. in love with Tippy.” is to pull animals from shelters where cluding Amy Poehler, Mel Brooks, “He’s become a mentor and adviser White said that the Humane Society’s they are in danger of being euthanized. George Saunders, Bill Hader, Dan to many young writers who want to get CEO wanted to adopt Tippy, and had con- “We started as a grassroots effort in Guterman, Adam Resnick and James into the field of comedy writing. From vinced her husband to come meet the cat. 2005,” said Edwards. “We helped with Downey. His book looks into the ups and the latest book, we particularly enjoyed the By the time the couple arrived at the shel- Hurricane Katrina efforts, and we pull downs of comedic writing – as well as be- interviews with screenwriter and novelist ter so that she could introduce her hus- from local shelters as well as other hind-the-scenes in TV shows like Saturday Bruce Jay Friedman, as well as the inter- band to Tippy, he had already been states.” Night Live. view with 97-year-old Peg Lynch. Peg in- adopted. MCHS has a no-kill philosophy, accord- “This book was a great excuse to converse vented the modern sitcom form. Beyond “People don’t always stop to think, ing to White. He says that the Humane with the best comedy writers of our time. that, she’s incredibly sharp and still incred- ‘Maybe my lifestyle will be better with Society works with other shelters and After talking with some of the writers for ibly funny.” an older, more sedate cat than a kitten,” groups in the area, taking dogs and cats more than 20 hours, I became friends with Growing up, Sacks did not aspire to be- White said. “In some ways, Tippy was the that the other shelters don’t have space them. It was an amazing opportunity to in- come a comedian, although he did see a lot least likely to be adopted and in some for and placing them into adoptive fami- terview someone like Mel Brooks – after all, of comedy in D.C. as a youth. However, he ways he was the best one to adopt.” lies or foster homes. MCHS currently has I watched his movies at the theaters at was a fan of Letterman, SNL, Monty Python The MCHS had previously been re- between 18 and 20 staff members and White Flint,” Sacks said. and sit-coms and has always been interested sponsible for the county’s animal shel- is looking for volunteers to foster ani- Sacks is the son of Elaine and Jerry Sacks in the process and the writing. ter, but that partnership ended in March. mals. who reside in Potomac. He graduated from His wry sense of humor is displayed at Now, the MCHS is primarily concentrat- “Spring means kittens and puppies,” Churchill High School and Tulane Univer- the end of his book by his author’s photo. ing on placing dogs and cats with fami- White said. “People don’t have their cats sity and now lives in New York City where Instead of the typical glossy glamour-shot, lies, although White said that the group fixed, and suddenly as a result, you have he is a writer for Vanity Fair magazine and the photo is of actor and friend Jon Hamm does occasionally take in other small also a published humor author of “Your (“Mad Men”) sitting at a typewriter in his furries, such as rabbits. See Finding Homes, Page 5 Wildest Dreams, Within Reason” and “And Here’s the Kicker: Conversations with 21 See Poking, Page 5 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Potomac Almanac O July 23-29, 2014 O 3 Bulletin Board POTOMAC ALMANAC Email announcements to www.PotomacAlmanac.com [email protected]. Include date, time, location, description Newspaper of Potomac and contact for event: phone, email and/ A Connection Newspaper or website. Photos and artwork welcome. Deadline is Thursday at noon, at least An independent, locally owned weekly two weeks before event. newspaper delivered to homes and businesses. PARKING 1606 King Street CashKeys has informed the county Alexandria, Virginia 22314 that the system is being permanently discontinued.