February 20, 2009 A Biweekly Newspaper February 20, 2009 Volume V, Number 20. man ran out of the store. Youth Create Police Arrest A witness in the store was observing the robbery in New Worship Suspect after progress and called the police The Poolesville Falcons swimming emergency line. Several police and diving team finished up their Service CVS Robbery cruisers were dispatched to the By Rande Davis season. See Youth Sports on Page 8. By Jack Toomey scene, and Officer Gabriel Stone (Picture by Dave Wade.) arrived just as the suspect ran In September of 2007, the On Monday, January 26, out the front door of the store. youth of St. Peter’s Church, during the late afternoon, a Officer Stone chased him into along with guidance from young man entered the CVS a nearby field where he was congregant Joel Tjornehoj, store located at 19594 Fisher apprehended. Officers soon -ar accepted a unique chal- Avenue in Poolesville. He went rived and assisted in the arrest. lenge to take ownership of to the pharmacy counter situ- Police charged Andrew Cubley, their religious experience. In ated in the rear of the store and age 21, of the 19100 block of doing so, they were encour- presented a note to the pharma- Dowden Circle, Poolesville, aged to be creative but free cist. The note indicated that the with armed robbery. to develop their own service man had a gun and a bomb and Manager Ray Valente, cit- while keeping the fundamen- demanded a certain prescrip- ing company policy, refused to The steady dedication of Ken tals of the church’s Book of tion drug that is used to combat discuss the robbery and did not Fitzwater, as demonstrated by Common Prayer still intact. severe pain. The pharmacist make other employees available his twenty-five years of service at Even the name of the pro- complied with the demand and for comment. Poolesville Baptist Church, will gram—CRE8—comes from gave the suspect an unspecified be missed by many. the teens. They have created amount of the drug, and the a worship service—music, setting, message (homily) and develop a service that is espe- ing light show, contemporary prayers—while reserving the cially meaningful to them. music with a strong beat that sanctification of the communal For an adult, first-time ob- can even include elements of elements to the priest—not that server of the worship service, rap, all wrapped around the the adults have totally “left the the experience can be quite familiar communion service. building.” They are still there startling, especially for an The Monocle sat in dur- for guidance and support, but Episcopalian, like myself. We ing the group’s preparatory the youth have been left free to are talking big screens, flash- meetings. The meetings are casual with the youths sitting on couches and on the floor in a family room setting. Joel The time-honored game of darts Tjornehoj guides the discus- is alive and well at Cugini’s. Read sions with questions and assists all about it on Page 17. by keeping everything focused and on task, but it is the youths who get the job done. The process begins with a Bible study conducted by Father Tom (which was actu- ally requested by the youth), so they have more understanding and background of the lessons to be read. Their enthusiasm is conta- Bad news for an old house in gious as they banter back and Barnesville. See Local News on The CRE8 kids. (Back Row) Anna Clayton, Abigail Tjornehoj, Hannah Page 7. (Photograph by Kimberly -Continued on Page 3. Kempa.) Recknor, Brittany Gammell, Adam Wallace (Front Row) Amy Stamm, Hannah Dowdy, and Krystal Stevens. February 20, 2009 The Monocacy Monocle Page 2 Teacher Kevin Lee (front left) has a large crew that The WUMCO Board of Directors at brings the daily news to PHS students on their their first meeting of the new year: television program Falcon Media. Tracy Forfa (vice president), Angela Drum (secretary/treasurer), Ray Hoewing, Jane Stearns (executive director), Cherise Praniewski, Former PHS female students (now at UMBC in Nancy Allnut (president), and Mike the graduate social work program) attended a Plumber. Not pictured: Renee Brooks Poolesville town meeting to research a project. and photographer Rande Davis. With them are their fiancés, left to right: Roger Cochran (PHS 2005), Kimberly Farr (PHS 2005), Commissioner Jim Brown, Holly Simmons (PHS 2003), and Tim Gaydos, (PHS 2004). February 20, 2009 The Monocacy Monocle Page “CRE8” Continued From Page 1. Hannah, while only in middle service. Drummers and guitar- a strong sense of self-impor- school, recently gained recogni- ist can change from week to tance, yet he is humbled by the forth about the message in tion in the Washington Post for week. Past and current mem- simplicity of God’s help. The the lessons and gospel, focus- the Christmas Pageant that she bers of the youth band include theme they select is centered ing first on the story itself and authored which was used by Karl Mihm (now off to college), on “from the haughty to the then on key words within the St. Peter’s this past Christmas James Siegrist, Jack Seeger, and humble and from the humble readings. As they focus on the season. Hannah was overjoyed Zack Reizess. to the Almighty.” Yet there is accumulated list of key words, by that article, especially since About CRE8, Father Tom another part of the story a little they are encouraged to relate it was on the front page above observes a delightful role less obvious that blends so well the story to their personal lives the fold, and said, “A family reversal. “The teenagers at St. with the concept of CRE8. In or current times. Once the member said they had worked Peter’s are some of the finest the story, a young slave girl of group settles on a theme, they their whole lives to get a story I’ve ever spent time with. At abiding faith who is handmaid- select one person to write up in the A section.” Although a this last CRE: 8 service, they en to Namaan’s wife implores the first draft of the homily. bit younger than the rest, she is were ministering to me, which her “to have her husband go For this service, members a passionate writer, especially is the beauty of their ministry. to the prophet in Samaria. He of the message team consisted in “writing poems about topics We aren’t used to letting our would heal him of leprosy.” We of Krystal Stevens (who this dear to my heart,” she says. young people ‘do’ for us, and do not even know this teenag- time wrote the first draft and Helping to write some parts of these teens have put together er’s name, but it is this girl’s delivered the homily), Han- the CRE8 service is especially a wonderful ministry for this faith which moves the adults. nah Dowdy who also assists in pleasing to her. “I think that community. I am honored to Seems to us, this scenario is communion, Abigail Tjornehoj, religious writing is a great way work alongside them. From the played out with CRE8. Anna Clayton, and Hannah to express myself as well as liturgy to the message to the Recknor. To be clear, Father spreading the Lord’s word.” music, they have understood Subscribe to the Tom provides additional The music team is headed worship at its best and made it review and comments so as by lead singers Krystal Stevens accessible for a diverse group.” Monocacy Monocle to ensure theological under- and Amy Stamm. In typical Intriguingly, the sermon $31.80 per year standing and acceptance of the teenage fashion, the group for February 8 was from 2 The Monocacy Monocle homily. While one team works really gets into the selection Kings, Chapter 5, the story P.O. Box 372 on the homily, other teams take of the music. Huddled on the of the healing from leprosy Barnesville MD 20838 on their tasks. floor around their I-pod player, of Naaman, a commander in The production team the group runs through various King Aram’s army. Namaan [email protected] begins to plan the lighting and songs commenting excitedly possesses much power with the big screen, power point and seemingly all at the same presentation. Adam Roberson time. They just as well could was tasked to find possible have been talking about the top scenes from a movie that could ten pop hits. be downloaded and incorpo- The power point, big rated in the slide show. He will screen slide show is handled handle the light show during by Brittany Gammell who has the service and is advised by become very accomplished in the others to pick up the pace. putting it all together. She also It seems Father Tom, who manages the power point pro- handled the lighting the month gram during the service. before, was too conservative. The final critical element in Still another team begins CRE8 is the band team. Other the process of writing the than Father Tom, youth lead- prayers of the people to be ers Tony Walker (keyboard) used in the service. During and Kevin Collar (sax) are the the week we visited, this task only adult participants in the was led by Hannah Recknor. February 20, 2009 The Monocacy Monocle Page deserving school kids, and on the Commentary other hand, failing schools and rampant illiteracy. This is a crock, Horses Can’t of course. Lottery revenue prob- ably wasn’t ever going to increase Catch a Break school funding, but it might have By John Clayton allowed the diversion of exist- ing school funds to other worthy The road to the successful slot purposes, and there are many of machine parlor is fraught with those.