Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-01-30
TwinbroOk
BY Joan j. Stern
Garden 1887

builders do not expect ana
do not get much devotion
from those who buy into their
community. But when a man
makes a community which
then tn m S full heartedlyI
against him and is instrument
tai in forcing him from his
/ project the blow must be a
bitter one indeed.
Such is the case with Joseph
Geeraert who created Twinbrook
only to find himself in one bat
tie after another with various
\ factions within the miniature city
Latest exchange of harsh
words came last week over
Geeraert's crew tearing up the
only bit of pavement leading to-
both Meadow Hall Elementary
School and Broome Jr. High
School. This conceded with an
unseasonal torrent of rain which
left literal sea of mud through
which the children trudged bring
ing home a great deal of land.
In turn City Hall was besieged
by telephone calls from irate
mothers. The City disclaimed any
responsibility for the land which
they have not yet accepted for
maintenance, and won't accept
until the streets are in. They
did, according to new Director of
Public Works, William Vaughan,
throw down a layer of crushed
stone which wasn't effective in
the deep mud.
Joe Geeraert maintains some
sympathy for the parents affect
ed, but pointed out he stands to
lose quite bit of money through
the delay. He expects curbs and
cutters to be in by the end of
the week, weather permitting,
and the children will be able to
utilize this narrow path.
This minor squable comes on
the heals of the major battle
with the citizens and the mayor
and Council over Geeraert's re-
quest for coming for apartments.
Geeraert was defeated consist
antly during a series of rounds
with the Mayor and Council,
through all of which a large
group of Twinbrook citizens
lined up solidly and vociferously
against him.
The upshot of this will be,
according to Joe, quick compile
ton of an inexpensive Dollhouse
development on that tract, where
he expects to begin construction
next month. Then he will fold
!. his tents and build on land he
has elsewhere, bidding a not too
fond farewell to Rockville.
He speaks bitterly of his ex-
periences with the Mayor and
Council and the anti-Geeraert
faction in Twinbrook. familiar
ity,' he said, Certainly does
breed contempt"
Former Twinbrook correspond
ent for the Sentinel Mellon
writes from Formosa that she is
teaching journalism in the Taipei
American High School. She says
her teaching job opens PIX privi-
leges to them. Previously they
found American necessities to be
expensive Injuries when shop
ping outside the PIX or commits
sary.
Daughter, Nancy, who is in the
Dominican Sisters Nursery
School is "garbling Spanish, Chi
nese and English"
Last summers vacation was on
the white beaches of the now
peaceful, terribly American Okin-
ava, which still has large Ameri
can military installations.
She describes the lollipop man
whose chief stock in trade is a
boiling cauldron of sugar sirup.
Using a hollow bamboo stick,
this fairy tale character blows
lollipops of wonderful color and
shapes. Or 1t might be the puffed
rice man, who, without the bene-
fit of guns, converts rice into
your breakfast cereal in his
primitive door-to-door machine
Or the balloon man, or the doh
man, or the silhouette artists.
The Melons are looking for,
ward to returning to the States
and are already busy planning
the return routing.
Speeches on reading and arith
metic in the elementary grades
will be given at the Meadow Hall
P-TA meeting, followed by a
three member panel which will
answer questions from the audi
ence.
Mrs. Sonia Bremen, supervisor
on remedial reading will speak
on "What makes jennie read
and DIR. Mary Grau, Supervisor
of arithmetic will speak on
what makes Susie Add" Mrs
Mary Mohler, Special Coordina-
tor of the Reading Clinic will
join them for the panel.
TA,,,.f..w fLo kuotsnao Vona4ft, n