davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
By Blair Lee III, Chairman,
Montgomery Legislative Delegation


Dear Sentinel:
Many thanks for the invitation to do a
guest column. I accept with haste, before
sober second thought induces you to withdraw
it.
Legislative matters can wait until re-
sumo writing Inside Annapolis for the short
session of the General Assembly that begins
February 8.
Right now there are some other matters
on the home front that need attentiOn-mat-
tiers concerning the preservation of open space
in general and of golf courses in particular.
My personal involvement in this field
stems from my appointment by the County
Council to body which labors under the in
credible name of the Committee on Soil Fro
sion, Natural Topography, and Open Space
Planning. Being less agile than the other
members, ended up as chairman.
The committee has given birth to covey
OF subcommittee, and you will be reading
about their interim reports and recommends
tons sporadically for the next two or three
years.
The first of these recommendations, is
sued about month ago, was that the Coun-
Gil consider setting up a special coming CLASH
fication for golf courses which would have
the effect of making them unavailable for
residential development SO long as they re-
NAMED in that classification.
AS things stand now, all of the country
club golf courses are in single-family residen.
tial zones and could be converted into subdivi.
sions at the will of the owners. Indeed, that
has already happened at the old Bannockburn
golf course.
And what is more important, the asses
sors are required by law to assess the golf
courses as potential building sites rather than
as golf courses.
Our committee learned that the country
clubs have not been re-assessed since 1856 and
are due for major review within the next
few months. The assessors predicted that the
valuations of the golf course acres might show
an average increase of so per cent and that
one golf course Chevy Chase Club might 90
up as much as 100 per cent.
1t seems reasonable to assume that II
their taxes are greatly increased the country
clubs will either vanish, as did BannocIburn,
or move out into the open country, as Wood
mont and Indian Spring and Argyle already
have.
1t is at this point that our committee be.
gins to take an interest
We hold the view that golf course. rep.
resenting 100 or more acres of open space, is
a vital asset to any but-up area-both es.
thetcally and economically.
Suppose the Chevy Chase Club were to
pull up stakes and move out to Gaithersburg.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
Political Appointments

IF there is one thing that Montgomery County does not
| need-or want-it is county personnel board that is
politically motvated 1t has not had personnel board
that had such motivation and it is to be earnestly hoped
that it will not have such board
We had thought had happily grown up here in
Montgomery County result of efficient nonpartisan
nctonng of the personnel board for the last decade And
it hasn't occurred to anyone that would return to
the old days when county jobs given out unless the
recipients of the right political faith.
Now however, county residents take quiZzical
look at the County Council and ask if step taken this
week could lead to return of the old, amostforgotten
days when political spoils system was followed.
County Manager Melvin Reese exactly right Tues
day when he questioned the wisdom of County Council
decision refer the of possible apponees to the
county personnel board to the counts Democratic State
Central Committee for the committee to pass their
political acceptablity.".
It is new idea to us-and to many others in the
couny-that possible personnel board appontees should
be politically evalated before their other qualifications
considered. We-and most other countans who are not
political parsanshad thought that political credentials
not necessary in fact extremely undesirable
Did the Democratic State Central Committee ever do
anything other than further the interests of the Democrat
ic party? If it has-or should- would not be doing its
job That should be the sole function of the party officials
who have been elected by their fellow Democrats to posi-
tons of party leadership Isn't it reasonable to
that when the of possible board appontees
furnished them that they will recommend those indvd
uas that would be most socous of the partys welfare?
Yet politics should be left completely out of the hiring and
firing of county government employees and since the per-
sonnet board first created decade ago that has been
the case.
We don't like this latest move by the Council
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
Chris+'s Execution
Was Judicial Murder
Bernard 7. Welsh

limited his political activities to working with
in the Sanhedrin, while Annas made friends
with the Roman patricians even at the time
that he loaned them money
Tiberius was now Emperor of all Rome
and had sold the right to govern the province
of Galilee to Herod and an equivalent right
to govern Judea to PLATE. Herod of Galilee
was the son of Herod the Great who was the
beast who ordered the slaughter of the in
fants 80 years before Thus Herod who was
later to Judge the Nazarene, had inherited
prejudices against Him.
PLATE was a cruel and deSpotic admins
traitor. He was insecure in his office. He
was afraid of the Jews and abhorred the
thought that the fact of his inadequacy would
come to the knowledge of TiberiuS
Neither Herod nor Plate had been law
yers. 1t is true that they had been educated
in the law, but they were politicians and their
assumption of judicial responsibility was an
unwelcome duty imposed upon them by their
political office.
Caiaphas was a particularly shabby in
dividual. He permitted Jewish leaders to meet
with him in his palace to discuss ways and
means of arresting the Nazarene This was
an overt expression of hostility on the part of
a judge against person who would appear
before him.
But more dastardly than this was the con.
duct on the part of Caiaphas for actually con.
spring with Judas for the arrest of the Naza.
rene Caiaphas was present when Judas re-
ceived his 80 pieces of silver. Nevertheless
Caiaphas presumed to sit in judgment In a
case previously discussed by him with wit.
ness who would testify and who had been cor.
rupted by the judge himself.
The arrest was Illegal In the first place
the Jews were celebrating the feast of the
Passover and the law of the Jews prohibited
an arrest to be made on feast day. In add.
ton the arrest was made during the darkness
of the night in violation of the rules of the
Sanhedrin. BY the standards of law today,
the arrest was Illegal because there was no
offense committed in the presence of the off.
GERS nor did anyone have any reason to sus-
pect that felony had been committed. This
illegal arrest took place about Friday at 1
am. on March 3d.
1t is reason able to assume that the mem
bers of the Sanhedrin were asleep at that
time of night. So those who had the Naza.
rene in custody were confronted with the
problem of what to do with Him until the
members of the Sanhedrin were reused.
They solved this problem by taking Him
before Annas. This individual had been a
High Priest, but now lived on pension and
his i'll won honors Annas was aware of the
game that Caiaphas was playing. Annas
please Turn to Page A6)
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
Park St. Thanks

Christmas came early to the
families of Park Street Ele-
mentary School, when a side
walk was provided along East
Jefferson Street into the Park
Street Circle. No longer do the
children have to walk on the
narrow strip of mud, inches
away from the traffic of the
street.
Since the property involved
belongs to the Board of Educa-
ton of Montgomery County,
the Mayor and Council of the
City of Rockville might have
decried any responsibility in the
matter, and the whole issue
might nave begged down in a
jurisdictional dispute. How
ever, the Mayor and Council
demonstrated their sincere in
terest in the safety of our chill
dren by agreeing to build the
sidewalk if the Board of Educa-
ton would share the cost. The
Board agreed to this proposal,
and City Manager Scheiber en-
deared himself to all interested
citizens by starting work on the
project the day after the Boards
action, and by completing the
sidewalk in record time.
The splendid cooperation thus
evidenced between the City of
Rockville and the County Board
of Education should not go I'M
noticed. We are indeed fortunate
to have a chartered local govern
ment which concerns itself with
the small problems which loom
so large to the people involved.
Had we been dependent upon
the broader interests of the
County government in this mat
ter, our request might necessar-
lily have been much longer in
resolution.
Many thanks for and to
Mayor Greene and his Council,
and to the members of the
Board of Education Tor provid-
ing this additional security for
the children walking to and
from Park Street and Richard
Montgomery Schools.
Mary Phillips
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17

= HIS week in the mail there arrived newspaper release
from the recently Council for Better Education,
group that has for its expressed purpose the improve
ment of the quality of public education in Montgomery
County"
We wish this group well and its purpose stated
1t is bound to succeed and attract wedeserved public sup
port for what it does.
In its release, however, the group says intaly
that at recent meeting the directors instructed
study the proposed school budget and then two para
graphs later they strike out at wild spending that is be-
ing proposed by the present administration Should they
not wait for their planned study of the budget before voc
ing such strong criticism? Their meeting too held "a
hours before the school operating budget was made public
Do they possess cavoyance that enables them perceive
things out Of the range of ordinary perception? Or did
they just guess that the forthcoming budget which they
hadn't yet seen would call for wild spendng?"
No group least of all the county school SYSTEM is or
should be above criticism But Montgomery County has
to expect considered thought out responsible crti
csm Groups that do not follow such procedure can ex
pect little support from the public.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
Spot Zoning Hit

We as residents of the area
between Wheaton and Rock
vile, and primarily the area
Immediately adjacent to Con-
necticut ave. and Randolph I'd.
take great exception to the prac-
tees now being employed by the
Planning Board of the Park &
Planning Commission and the
Montgomery County Council.
The original Kensington-
Wheaton Master Plan was hear
tily accepted by local residents.
This was a plan drawn up by
the technical staff of the Park
& Planning Commission. We
now find the Planning Board
opposing this master plan and
the County Council agreeing
with them. Why??? If this spot
coming is allowed to continue
unchecked as the County Coun-
Gil seems to favor, it will flood
our area with considerable and
undesirable commercial and
multi-family dwellings. Our
schools are not able to accept
this extra burden. 1t will neces-
state increased taxes to carry
the additional financial burden.
Why must the County Coun-
Gil vote spot coming such as this
along Veirs Mill I'd? There is
no need for apartments here.
The city of Rockville has set
aside land for this purpose.
The Wheaton business center
has apartments adjacent to it.
We wish to urge the County
Council to revote its recent vot-
ing actions in these matters.
Voting actions which are con-
trary to the recommendations
of the technical staff of the Park
& Planning Commission. We
wish to urge all future voting
in accordance with their recon-
mendations.
Claire r. Dubinsky
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
Critic Ponned

After having read your drama
critics reviews of the Rockville
Little Theatres productions for
the past several years, I feel it
is time for someone to rise in
defense of these productions.
First, we of the Rockville
Little Theatre do not profess to
be professional; we are a COM
munity group composed of some
so members. We realize many
of our limitations, namely lack
of funds, large membership, ad-
equate stage facilities, profess
sional help, etc. However, we
are constantly trying to improve
these conditions.
We prefer to be judged on the
basis of what we area COM
munity group. Every individual
is entitled to his own opinions
concerning the merits of our
plays. We, however, reserve the
right to take exceptions to what
a non-professional critic has to
say about our non-professional
theatrical group. We prefer to
be judged by audience reac-
ton; and it can be said that the
audience reactions to "The Tun-
mel of Love-" presented at
Broome Junior High School on
December 4 and S generously
PANIED by your critic) was very
favorable. Comments such as
these were not lacking: "a tre-
mendous cast"-"one of the
Little Theatres best'-"I en-
joyed it more than the profess
Sional theatre"-"he milk e d
every line" (Hodge Smith as
Augie) - "her best perform
ance" (Jean Everhart as Isolde)
and many similar remarks
about other members of the
cast.
Having been subjected to your
critics remarks (our good
friend and fellow Little Theatre
member) for the past several
years, we are somewhat injured
to hi3 off.beat reactions. But
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
On Developers

Congratulations for saying so
eloquently what has needed say
ing for so long in your editorial
Apartment House Crisis. Those
of us in the Rosemary Hills
Rock Creek area echo your ar
guments and cheer your cam
dor. The editorial is a forth
right challenge to the lawyers
on our Council to whom the let
ter of the law is more sacred
than the needs of their constitu-
ents. The councilmen feel an
urgent need to interpret the
law with minute care with re-
spect to private ownership
rights but feel no comparable
responsibility with respect to
their homeowner constituents.
The people, by and for whom
laws are written, should not be
made pawns on a legal chess
board. When laws cease to
serve the needs of the people,
the laws should be amended.
The developers can afford to
pay high prices for legal help
to lobby for apartment recon-
ing before the County Council.
For homeowners, lawyers are
scarce and reluctant. Who then
will lobby for them? I wonder
if the councilmen have forgot
ten how many of their elector-
ate are homeowners?
Mrs. A. G. Hendrickson
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
Golf Course Tax Plan Would
Provide Needed Open Space

Rows of houses would be built on what is now
its spacious golf course The residents of
Chevy Chase Village, Somerset, Drummond
and other neighboring communities would be
deprived of a major asset which they have al
ways taken for granted.
And ! would venture the prediction that
within ten years many of the stately but old.
fashioned homes in Chevy Chase Village
would become boarding houses.
So what should we do-just sit back and
let it happen? That is what the weekly news.
paper in Bethesda seems to recommend.
But why not take preventive action while
the going is good? Why not stabilize the in.
town golf courses in their present locations?
Why not zone and assess a golf course as
golf course rather than as potential subdivi-
sion?
If we tax them as subdivisions. there is a
necessary implication that we want them to
become subdivisions. But do we really want
our golf courses to become subdivisions? I
think not
Nor do share the Bethesda papers view
that all Of this would amount to "tax relief"
Tor the wealthy members of country clubs.
Cat this point would like the record to show
that 1 belong to no country clubs, and that I
regard golf as the most tiresome game ever
invented)
The present land assessment of the ID
golf courses comes to total of 81, 745,38O. If
the County zones the golf courses as golf
courses, the assessment will probably stay
about where 1t is now. If no such action is
taken, the increase for the 1860 levy is likely
to be somewhere between $1,O0OOOO and
$1,500,000.
Thus we can assume that the "cost" of
our proposal might be about 81 100000 on the
tax base, or about $4,000 per year in actual
revenue. The average residential taxpaver
might nave to shell out as much as 25 cents
year IN extra taxes to absorb the loss
This proposal does not involve legislation
at Annapolis; 1t can be accomplished by ca.
operative action Of the County Council and the
assessors.
1t is, however, closely related in basic
philosophy to my farm assessment law, which
requires without recourse to zoning) that
farms be assessed as farms without regard
to encroaching subdivisions in the vicinity.
This law has been challenged by some real
estate people in Howard County and Is now
before the Court of Appeals.
/ am convinced that any comprehensive
program to preserve open space in Montgom.
cry County is going to involve tax concessions
to the owners of the land which is held in that
status.
There will be an opportunity to discuss
all sides of this question when the County
Council holds its public hearing on the golf
course coming text amendment.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
Rockville Firenren
Perform another
Operation Mercy

Seven members of the Rock
vile Volunteer Fire Depart
ment Joined hundreds of other
volunteer firemen from all
parts of Maryland Sunday to
aid in transporting "a adults
and 26 infants from the old
Sinai Hospital, Baltimore, to
the institutions new, $40 mil
lion building in the Pimlico
area.
Led by William H. Berry,
assistant chief, the local men
used the rescue squads spe-
cially equipped $4,000 truck
to transfer six incubator
babies.
The truck Is the only one in
the State equipped to provide
electrical power and oxygen
in a covered space while NOV
ing, according to directors OF
the Maryland Ambulance and
Rescue Association.
The truck travelled a total
of 107 miles during the opera
ton. The old hospitals loca-
ton was at Monument and
Ruxton SITS, five miles away.
All babies-prematures-one
doctor and one nurse were
moved in a single trip.
Firemen who participated,
in addition to Berry, were
Richard Ream, Carlton
Thomas. Joe Feith, E. E. Hell
bert, Charles Merry, and Dan
Karsner.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
Letters to the Editor

this one-on the editorial page!!
Please, Mr.. Editor, show some
mercy to the cause of drama in
Rockville! We love publicity,
George, and the Montgomery
County Sentinel; but if we must
be operated upon in such public
places, please hire a surgeon
not a lumberjack!
Carolyn C. Hardin,
President
Rockville Little Theatre
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17
Montgomery County
S ENTIN Ell

Established 1855 by Matthew Fields
MEMBER MARYLAND PRESS ASSOC.
AFFILIATE MEMBER NATIONAL.
EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION
SENTINEL PUBLISHING CO., INC.
Published weekly, Thursdays at 21S
East Montgomery Avenue. by the Senti-
mel Publishing Co., Inc, cy M. Camp
bell, president.
Entered as second class matter at the
Post Office al Rockville. Maryland, UNI
der Act OF Congress. March 3, 1879.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-17

SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Mail in Maryland and the District OF
Columbia.
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ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1959-12-23
Hidden Light

THE FEATURE story on the editorial
page of this issue of the English Sec
ton deals with the highlights of the 35th
Annual Convention of the Minnesota Amer
lean Yugoslav Association, held Nov. 29,
1859, in Hibbing.
Strange as it may sound, in the light of
the long existence of the group, this is the
first time our attention has been called to
the Association since we became the Eng
lish Editor of the Zajednicar back in 1947.
Throughout all these years, the Asso-
citation has kept it's light hidden under
bushel and away from recognition by our
people on the national level.
But our Minnesota friends are not a.
lone in this "shy respect"
So many very worthy organizations Of
our people prefer for no good reason at all
to operate for the betterment Of their COM
munity and-or state and do so without ac-
quainting their brethren in the United
States and Canada with their deeds.
If we - all of us - are indeed proud
of our descent, then we should tell the
world about it and not keep our national
istic light hidden under bushel.
And the place to tell it, in dignified
manner, is on the pages of the local COM
munity newspaper and the Zajednicar.
ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1959-12-23

most colorful and universally beloved Popes
in the history of the Church.
Msgr Firs' reappointment was publicly
recognized by resolution adopted by the
CITY Council of Cleveland and laudatory
comments on the part of the Cleveland
"Plain Dealer" one of the most influential
newspapers in Ohio.
o y .
Msgr. Firis' twenty-year record as
the Pastor of St. Nicholas Church in Cleve-
land is a story in itself.
During his dynamic tenure, the Church
property has been vastly improved and a
new hall added to accommodate the men,
bers of the Parish - one of the two Par
ishes in the United States of the Byzantine
Rite (Greek Catholic) Croatian Catholics.
The other is in Chicago.
Composed of immigrants and descen-
dants of immigrants who came to Amer
lea from zumberak, St. Nicholas Church
was founded in 1902 and is said today to
be the only air-conditioned Croatian Church
on the North American Continent
Many are the daily tasks of Msgr. Firis,
now the Dean of the Cleveland Byzantine
Rite Deanery. But he has yet to fail his
parishioners or acquaintances.
A remarkable Man of The Cloth!
ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1959-12-23
They Cover Federal State. County Legislation
Range YueosIavs in ConcIave

assist financially in equaliz-
ing teachers salaries.
They also called for an a.
mendment to Social Security
Laws to provide optional re-
tirement at 60 years of age,
minimum benefits of $4,000
monthly for retired persons,
and disability benefits paid
from the date Of injury.
Delegates called for hos
pitalization insurance for
persons receiving Old Age
and Survivors insurance
benefits.
They endorsed a program
recommending that the feder-
al government eStaDllSn q VI
william Conservation Corps in
Minnesota. The CCC revival
was first asked at an unem-
ployment hearing conducted
by the U. S. Senate on the
Iron Range recently.
Changes asked in the state
taxation program included
provisions for a Withholding
state income tax from work
ers' paychecks; granting the
state the right to determine
(AIinnes0ta p. 11)