davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
Apology for Beauty?

~ tile OOuilly OOuIlClls
The recent suggestion of the
Sentinel regarding the proposed
conversion of the Vinson prop
erty to a parking lot raises
some interesting questions.
Along with many County
residents, we are always sad
dened to see the old land.
marks give way to change
and progress. We realize that
much OF this change Is newt
able, hOwev~-, the idea of con-
verting this property to more
parking with Its asphalt and
concrete and accompanying
loss Of trees and shrubs,
brings mixed emotions. Actu.
ally this property is too small
for n very satisfactory park.
BY the same token, however,
IL will add but little parking.
With the recent expansion Of
the courthouse building and re
sultant loss of open space In
the courthouse square, it seems
to us that the county and the
Town of Rockville have Inc
responsibility to compensate
for this loss. There are many
good reasons why the effort
should be made to create anc
maintain an attractive area anc
setting for our local govern
ments.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
By John ID. McElroy

OHdlFIIithh, nOChNluc mining OOhnAuooiOH
A recent editorial in the Sentinel evoked
considerable interest in and support for
public park on the Vinson property across
Jefferson st. from the Courthouse. The in.
terest is commendable = there should be
more of it. But is this the proper location
for park? Is the site large enough? How
would such park fit into the overall scheme
of things?
These questions, and other questions like
them, cannot be answered by looking solely
at the Vinson property, or any other single
piece of property. In selecting park and
recreation areas - or school sites and indus
trial zones for that matter = we must look
at the whole community and consider its
needs. This, among many others, is plan
ming function.
Perhaps the City should have planned
10 years ago to establish park on the Vim
son property at an appropriate time in the
future. Perhaps the City, at the same time,
should have planned to limit the number of
gasoline stations on the Rockville Pike, and
planned better location for the elementary
school being constructed on the most mac
cessibe fringe of the Hungerford neighbor-
hood Unfortunately, the City didn't do these
things.
In the meantime, the City like Topsy
has grown. There is not much we can do
today about the size or shape or direction of
yesterdays growth. But we can and MUST
do something about tomorrow's growth. And
so we have!
More than year ago the City Planning
Commission - then only one year old - be-
gan preparation of so-called master plan"
for Rockville. The very term may be mis-
homer, but it adds up to planning.
The Planning Commission recognizes that
the City is short on park and recreation
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03

r HERE have been strong indications from the very be-
/ ginning that Gov ]. Willard Tawes would not exert
his real power in advocating equitable reapportionmen
bill to give the highly populated Metropolitan counties
reasonable representation in the House of Delegates
The Governor ran in 1858 on the Democratic plat
form that said: I'VE pledge to make comprehensive
study of the subject and TO DEVISE A PLAN FOR
SUBMISSION TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND
TO THE PEOPLE THROUGH CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT :. :"
He appointed the Walsh Commission which came
up with watered-down recommendation giving Balt-
more, Montgomery, Prince Georges and Anne Arundel
Counties pfully small increase in the number of dele
gates 1t evident the Governor exered no leadership
or influence the commission headed by his old pal
Bill Walsh.
Perhaps the Governor sincere in his belated eff
forts to line up the necessary IA delegates behind the
Walsh Committee bill for reapportonng the seats in the
House of Delegates but he obviously did not throw any
pressure behind this bill early enough Otherwise we
doubt II Baltimore Boss Jack Pollock would have been
able to use this particular as a club against
Tawes in retaliation for the passage of the Baltimore
municipal court reform bill that Tawes "buled" through
the Legislature last year.
Perhaps the nequites be corrected at constiti-
tonal convention But this is doubtful unless the
Governor needs the mandate the people gave him in 1858
and exercises the power he enjoys because of his UNIQUE
position in the state and within his own party.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
'Aspholt Prorie'

While Montgomery County
and Rockville have grown phe-
nomonally in recent years the
results have not always been the
most satisfactory. One of the
more unsatisfactory results has
been the acres of blacktop park.
ing areas around the County
office buildings.
In thousands of county seat
towns throughout the country
the County buildings and
grounds lend beauty and char.
acter to the community. Here,
however, the central part of
town has become something of
an eyesore as successive steps
have been taken to meet the
need for larger government ia.
cilities and the inevitable park.
ing lots that must accompany
them.
We strongly urge both the
City and County governments to
think in larger and longer range
terms. In the area across from
the County Office Building, the
Court House and just north of
the City Office Building, we
have an opportunity to beautify
our city. Cooperative planning
between the City and County
should be undertaken now to
create a fitting square" be.
tween these buildings. AS a first
step the present plan to destroy
one of the few green areas re-
naming and cover it, too, with
asphalt should be abandoned.
We are in a machine age and
parking is important. However,
we should not permit the harass.
ment of parking worries to so
blind our thinking we can look
forward only to an asphalt
prairie" around our City and
County government buildings.
WOman's Club Of Rockville
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
Letters to the Editor

and still see what was once a
garden. We can hear the whis.
pering of the breeze in the pine
tree and see the white mag
nolias blooming and hear the
hooking birds singing in its
branches and even smell the
fragrance of blossom If we Just
use our imagination.
1t is wisely written-what is
impossible to change, is best
forgot.
Mr.. Editor, / want to thank
YOU so very much for using my
little write up on the Vinson
garden Qast week.. / am glad
you thought it was worth print
ing.
/ still can't believe anyone
could be so calloused as to de-
stroy these lovely surroundings.
am still hoping it will never
happen.
My daughters and l drove
past there last Saturday and l
shall continue to do so as long
as it remains there.
We who love Gods handiwork
can always keep it even if it
is taken from our sight for ma
ture paints picture of inner
beauty in our hearts that will
not fade.
/ think I read something
about Rockville and a new Art
Center. Some thought should
be given before the Vinson
house is destroyed, for it would
really make a wonderful place
to house beauty and culture
and save the money it would
take to build new building.
So many fine places are ripped
to pieces before enough thought
Is given and then some times
we are sorry.
Mrs. Edna III. Reber.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
Notes From the Boys
Back at The Office
Bernard 7. Welsh

walking from our desks to your room to get
hot buttered runs and then go back to our
desks. So, in order to stop wasting time
walking around, we all moved into your little
old room.
Pretty soon we ran out of butter. Now
we had no butter to smear on paper so we
couldn't write with these new pens because
we had no buttered paper to write on. BY
this time, this fellow Frost was real threat
so we had to drink the hot rum and not waste
it just because we had run out of buttered
paper.
Somebody said he didn't know what the
Germans had done to deserve a visit from
you, much less Hugh, and that we all would
have been better off if we had traded our
municipal officials for theirs-sight unseen.
But then it was mentioned that just because
we won the war did not give us the right to
impose a cruel and unusual punishment on
the former enemy.
Then Lila became emotional about this
sister-city business and wondered where all
these Nazis are that caused so much suffer
ing at one time. This thought made every
body quiet down and forget about this fellow
Frost and think about America and Germany.
Now all of us believe in peace and BROTH
erhoOd, and we are happy with our sister city,
But none of us have forgotten the wars that
Germany has written into history. So, ask
swers.
Best wishes,
The boys in the dinlSy room
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03

concur that drivers on broad, gently
curving super highways will have fewer acct
dents at high speed than If they just poke
along below the roads speed capacity.
But / couldn't disagree more strongly
with increased speed limits on Veirs Mill I'd.
The principal reason is because there are
n places where traffic can enter the main
flow on Veirs Mill rd
I drove the road the other day and took
a count of every entrance, where it was a
main connection such as University blvd. or
one of those breaks in the median strip where
U turns are allowed. did not count entrances
and exits from businesses. There are plenty
of these: gas stations drugstores, etc.
Specifically, counted SO places where
traffic could enter the main highway from
the east and Al from the west. Seventyseven
sore spots like these, on a stretch of road only
6.S miles long, make poor argument to in
crease the speed limit, in my opinion.
Other characteristics of the road and the
area 1t serves also tend, in my opinion. to
speak volumes toward maintaining the 35-
mile'an'hour limit For instance, it isn't q
level road And its width isn't consistent
The mental image of cars going As or so
miles an hour, and then naturally increasing
their speed by another five or 10 miles an
hour as they hurtle down the hill just north
OF Veirs Mill shopping center. raises my hair.
The same is true when applied to the
steep hill that hooks to the drivers left and
then swings back in the other direction near
st. Catherine Laboure Church and School,
Wheaton.
And as for cars tipping along at as or
so past the two shopping centers that straddle
Veirs Mill I'd. at Twinbrook- even a
layman can picture what might result
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
Ci+y's Master Plan Affects All Citizens

areas, long on traffic bottlenecks, but healthy
economically. Whether we maintain our
economic health, our shortage of parks and
our traffic jams depends first of all upon
long-range planning and, secondly, upon ac-
ceptance of the plan by the residents and the
civic, business and professional leaders of the
community.
In the final analysis, the Master Plan
is nothing more than plan; a blueprint or
guide to assist the Mayor and Council in
making decisions affecting the future growth
and development of the City.
1t projects the growth and DEVELOPMENT
of the City for the next 10 to 20 years. 1t
recommends the ultimate size and population
of the City, the location and extent of future
apartment, commercial and Industrial coming,
the location of schools and other public build
ings, and the location, direction and extent of
major roads and streets.
The Master Plan for Rockville has now
been completed. 1t will be released next week.
ana VIII De the subject of public hearing
on March 70. But it is still only a plan -
prepared by the 5member Planning Commits
sion, its Planning Director and number of
consultants.
The plan was prepared however, for the
penent OF tne enure community. It was pre-
pared for the benefit of those who desire
more park land; those who desire more or
perhaps fewer, apartments; those who desire
more, or perhaps less, industrial coming; those
who want one-acre residential lots, and for
every other resident of Rockville, whether or
not he has any particular desire in the di-
rection of planning. Every resident of the
City will be affected. directly or indirectly,
by the plan.
PS. Even though there was no advance
planning respecting vinson Park, it isn't
too late to let your views on this subject be
known to City Hall, the Sentinel and County
officials.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
County Low
Dear Roger:


This letter is from the fellows at the Sen.
tinel Office to let you know that we are glad
you are in Germany, what is new in the law,
and to urge you not to worry about how we
run the Sentinel.
The county law library has been moved to
the fourth floor of the new addition to the
improvement of the old addition to the re-
modelled Old Court House. We now have
one of the largest and most expensive law
libraries in Maryland. 1t is a monument to
our learning. Of course all of these books are
paid for from the money which the court
takes in from fines and forfeitures in Grim
inal activity.
1t was showing the other day SO all of us
went out to lunch. 1t was cold and so we had
hot buttered runs SO we wouldn't get frost
bite on the way back to the office. There
were lots of judges and lawyers there and a
great many people from the Atomic Energy
Club which is sort of government run motel
located about 10 miles north of Rockville.
Cy was afraid he would be bitten by Jack
Frost going home from work, so he brought
a big jar of hot buttered runs back to the
office with him. He convinced all of us that
this fellow Frost was polycarnivorous, and
so we put the jar on that big desk in that
dinky little room of yours where you used to
sit and chew us out as though you were a
Hitler or County Manager who could chop
down trees and then go south.
We did not waste time on the job by
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
A Joy Forever

am so very glad to learn
that there are so many who are
trying to save the Vinson gar
den. 1 found some lines that
seem appropriate so I'll send
them along:
"A thing of beauty is a joy
forever. Its loneliness increases;
it will never pass into nothing
ness"
BE alert lest material inter-
ests callous our souls and pre-
vent us from identifying our.
selves with nature"
"The treasures of nature ar.
open to all who will see theln."
Let yourself respond to ma
ture, I will enrich you spiritual
ly."
To-day I have grown taller
from walking with the trees"
"The seven sister poplars who
go softly in line: and 1 think
my heart Is whittier for its par
ley with a star that trembled
out at night fall and hung
above a pine"
81 need not shout my faith.
Thrice eloquent are quiet trees
and the green listening sod:
hushed are the stars, whose
r"wer is never spent The hills
are mute: yet how they speak
of God"
'"The kiss of sun for pardon.
The song Of the birds for mirth.
One is nearer Gods heart in a
garden than anywhere on
earth"
Yes, a thing of beauty is a
joy forever and it will never
pass away for If we see it even
for only once we can remember
it always and its loneliness will
never cease to be, but will in
crease as time goes on.
So no matter what happens
we can be glad that God has
given us this marvellous gift of
memory for even when the
hardtop comes, we can sit there
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
A Place TO Pause
To the County Council


To the County Council:
At a recent meeting of the
Rockville Garden Club, it was
unanimously voted to strongly
protest the use of the Vinson
property in Rockville as a park
ing lot. We therefore wish to
add our voices to the others op-
posed to this wanton destruc-
ton of one of the last remain.
ing spots of green left in the
City of Rockville, the seat of
Montgomery County govern
ment.
Mr.. Reese seems quite deter
mined to go ahead with his
plans to destroy this lovely site
in the apparently unending
march of covering everything
in sight with macadam. Sure
ly even he can see the advan-
tages of preserving some park
area, particularly in the center
of the City.
There are other solutions TO
what is termed a problem OF
parking facilities for County
employees, officials and visitors.
First, IL would appear that the
sO-caIled problem Of the County
lots adjacent to the County OF.
flee Building during the day dis.
closes numerous spaces unOc'
cupied, though apparently as
signed to some specific office,
There appears also to be some
duplication of space assignment
for those using County cars
and also driving private cars ia
work.
In considering the extremely
high cost of land, would there
be prohibitive cost difference
in the construction of vertical
parking facilities if the need &C
tually exists? Such leading
firms as the Hecht Company
and Sears and Roebuck have
apparently found this a reason
able solution to the problem.
1t seems such a terrible thing
If the County Government can
not see clearly the necessity OF
preserving this lovely little oasis
in the midst of a desert of ma
cadam. Here we have a ready
made place for not only the
County employees, but also fol
all citizens of the County who
come to Rockville: a place to
pause from the daily routine, to
reflect on the beauties of Ma
ture and the rich heritage which
belongs to all of us as citizens
of Montgomery County.
Please consider thoroughly all
aspects of this problem, and
give your support to the preser
walton of this site as a City OF
County park; particularly when
appears that not more thar
30 or 40 parking spaces coulC
r. placed here anyway.
Mrs. Catherine HI. Hurley
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
The People Speak!

HE County Managers proposal to convert the gracious
Vinson property into 30-space back-topped parking
lot has spanked deluge of protests from offended ct
throughout Montgomery County.
Dozens of letters and telephone calls have poured
into the Sentinel office Directing to the managers plan
as an unneeded and advsed concession to the socaed
idea of efficiency and modernty. The protests
from all sorts of people, but their pleas bascay the
same Let's not allow basic human values to be tramped
under the relentless march of snge-sighted bureau
cracy.
Our county seat deserves something better than more
concrete and exhaust fumes. Our residents de-
serve oasis where they rest and enjoy of the
simple beauties of nature they pause in their daily
round of shopping and courthouse business
All of us Deserve and need, assurance that beauty
and tradition 1.-THE stately trees the Vnson property
date back long before the Civil War; still part of
our lives in this hectic atomic age.
Among those civicminded residents who have rallied
to the of beauty and tradition former Rock
vile Mayor and the present chairman of the Rockville
Planning Commission. Certainly their views should be
needed. But the letters and calls have not been
fined to those who live in Rockville This is county
wide issue; and hope that the county manager and
the County Council will realize they have acted hastily in
condemnng charming bit of old Montgomery County
to the historical scrap heap
Let's keep the letters and calls coming. Perhaps
when there enough voices raised in protest. the
ager and the Council will hear them
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03

We would like to suggest
that the county and Town of
Rockville appoint a small COM
mittee to examine the situation,
consult with both county and
town planning authorities and
with some professional land
scape and park planners to try
to come up with some reason
able plans for the development
of the courthouse, town and
county building areas. We be-
Heve 1t is essential that this
committee think in terms of Is
or 30 years hence with respect
to needs. 1t seems obvious that
this probpem cannot be handled
alone by either government.
Perhaps a plan could be devised
whereby the parking needs
could be migrated with a suit
ably handicapped and attractive
park. Why don't we try? Ger
tainly the area Is bleak and
drab enough as 1t is and just
more of the same should be
avoided.
or course such development
would cost money but to many
of us the cost could not begin
to equal the value to the Town
of Rockville and to Montgom-
cry County.
Not long ago the Hon. Roy
w. johnson, member of the
board and former president Of
ACTION, speaking to q Mont
gOmery County audience, had
this to say: 1--WE Americans
have an odd attitude toward
beauty-we all desire 1t, but
consider this desire a very
private, even a personal thing
and refrain from using beau
ty as an argument In sup
port of planning. We must
strive for beauty in utilitarian
things and recognize that
beauty alone Is frequently
useful. We think, too often,
only In terms Of efficiency
when expenditure of tax
money Is concerned. 1t is time
we stopped apologizing for
beauty and took q positive ap-
prOach toward achieving it,"
We think Mr.. Johnson is ex-
actly right. Don't you?
Lathr0p K. Smith
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1960-03-03
Montgomery County
s ENTI|N Ell

Established 1855 by Matthew Fields
MEMBER MARYLAND PRESS ASSOC,
AFFILIATE MEMBER NATIONAL
EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION
SENTINEL PUBLISHING CO., INC.
Published weekly, thursdays at ms
East Montgomery Avenue. by the Senti.
mel Publishing Co.. Inc. Cy M. Camp
bell, president.
Post Office at Rockville. Maryland, I'm.
der Act of Congress March 8. 1879.
o.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Mail in Maryland and the District Of
Columbia.
ons Year ...-..-.-----.--.. SA.O0
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