Falls Road Bank Robbery
Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Major Crimes Division-Robbery Section and the Federal Bureau of Investigations are investigating a bank robbery at the BB&T Bank at 9812 Falls Road in Potomac.
The suspect entered the bank around 2 p.m. on Friday, April 6, announced the robbery and displayed a handgun, according to police. The suspect obtained an undisclosed amount of cash then left and was last seen running through the Potomac Village mall.
According to police the suspect is described as possibly being a Hispanic or black male, 25 to 35 years of age, 5'2" tall, weighing 110 pounds, wearing a blue baseball cap, a white dust mask over his nose and mouth, sunglasses, a green long-sleeve shirt, and blue jeans.
Anyone who has information about this robbery of the suspect involved is asked to call the Major Crimes Division-Robbery Section at 240-773-5100. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crimse Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information provided to them that leads to an arrest and/or indictment for this felony crime.
Landon Hosts Mark’s Run
The sixth annual Mark's Run will take place Sunday, April 15, at 9 a.m. (sign up at 8:20 a.m.) on the Landon School campus, 6101 Wilson Lane, Bethesda. Runners of all ages can participate in either the 5-kilometer race or 1-mile Family Fun Run, held in memory of Mark Ferris, Class of '94, who died from complications associated with juvenile diabetes. The event benefits the Landon Scholarship Fund and the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard. The registration fee for the 5K Race is $20 and $10 for the Fun Run. Visit www.marksrun.org for more information.
Gunshot Victim Recovering
A Florida man who shot himself in the face while visiting a friend at their home on Gainsborough Road last week is recovering, according to police.
Police have determined that the incident was an accident, said Lucille Bauer, a spokesperson for Mongtomery County Police.
The victim, Martin Jay Posner, 59, is alive and remains hospitalized in stable condition, said Bauer. Posner is unable to speak right now and is communicating through hand-written notes, Bauer said.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue responded to an emergency call at the home in the 10500 block of Gainsborough Road around 11 a.m. on April 2 and found the injured Posner conscious. He was transported to a local hospital and underwent surgery. Posner is a resident of North Miami, Florida.
Rileys Lockhouse Docents Honored
The Rileys Lockhouse Docent volunteer group received the George B. Hartzog Jr. Award as the group volunteer of the year for the National Capital Region of the National Park Service at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va. on March 30.
Led by Joan Paull of Silver Spring, the docents train Girl Scouts USA troops to serve as costumed interpreters at Rileys Lockhouse in Seneca on weekend from March through June and September through December. Girl Scouts ranging in age from 8-18 years old portray an 1870s lockkeeper family on the canal. The program began in 1976, and last year celebrated 30 years with the park.
The Hartzog Awards ceremony was a good night for C&O Canal National Historical Park. Don Harrison of Potomac, president of Friends of the Historic Great Falls Tavern, was honored as the National Capital Region’s individual volunteer of the year.
Both the Rileys Lockhouse Docents and Harrison are eligible for honors as national volunteers of the year. The national winners will be chosen from the winners of each of the seven regions of the National Park Service.
Wanted: Volunteers at Lockhouse 8
The Potomac Conservancy is looking for river history buffs to help maintain and staff the River Center at historic Lockhouse 8 on the C&O Canal. This year, the River Center will feature a new exhibit, Backyard to the Bay, which will educate visitors about the Potomac River, its connection to the Chesapeake Bay, and what they can do in their own backyards to protect these resources. The full docent description is available at www.potomac.org/join/volunteer.html . Volunteers who wish to help staff the River Center should contact Judy Welles at weles@potomac.org.
Info on Nursing Homes Available Online
An updated and redesigned resource to help Marylanders select a nursing home is now available on the Web. The “Maryland Nursing Home Guide” includes information on more than 200 comprehensive care nursing facilities and 34 continuing care retirement communities. Among the types of information available are quality of care assessments and results of recent inspection visits. The guide, developed by the Maryland Health Care Commission, is located by clicking on ‘Consumers’ on the commission’s Web site at www.mhcc.maryland.gov.
Board of Education Seeks Public Input
The Montgomery County Board of Education has requested community comment regarding its revised Policy IEA, Framework and Structure of Early Childhood and Elementary Education. The policy was revised to affirm the Board’s commitment to a challenging and comprehensive educational program for young students. Copies of the draft policy are available through the Public Information Office by calling 301-279-3391 or on the MCPS Web site at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org.
Individuals who wish to provide comments should respond in writing by May 4. All responses should be sent to the Office of the Superintendent of Schools, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD 20850. The responses will be shared with the Board of Education.
Volunteer at a Local Park
Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission seeks volunteers at local parks in the area. For a full listing of all the opportunities available, contact Jayne Hench at 301-495-2504 or e-mail jayne.hench@mncppc-mc.org.
Members for MD-355/I-270 Committee Sought
The Montgomery County Planning Board seeks applicants for a community advisory committee to collaborate with professional land-use planners to improve the county's MD 355/I-270 Technology Corridor. Send resumes to Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910; mcp-chairman@mncppc-mc.org or 301-495-1320 (fax). Go to www.md355planning.org to learn more and/or download an application form. For more information on the MD 355/I-270 Technology Corridor master plan, contact Sandy Tallant at 301-495-1329 or sandra.tallant@mncppc-mc.org.
Recreation Department Offers Courses
Art classes for toddlers, karate, dance and magic-trick lessons for children, fencing lessons for teens and yoga for adults are a few of the courses offered by the Montgomery County Recreation Department at Potomac Community Center. Elsewhere in the county, the Rec Department offers courses from skateboarding to yoga to cooking to youth art. Registration deadlines for some of the courses are coming soon. Pick up the Montgomery County Recreation Department Guide a Potomac Community Center, 11315 Falls Road, Potomac, call 240-777-6840 or visit http://montgomerycountymd.gov/content/rec/RECord/articles/february2007/earlybird.html for course information.
Critical Blood Shortage
The National Institute of Health Blood Bank has announced an urgent need for type O blood donors. Both local and regional inventories of this blood type are dangerously low. If you are a donor with blood type O, donate today by visiting the NIH Blood Bank located on the first floor of the Clinical Center on the NIH campus in Bethesda. Hours of operation are from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Call for an appointment or directions at 301-496-1048. Convenient, free parking is available for blood donors.
If you have not donated blood before and are not sure if you are eligible, visit www.cc.nih.gov/dtm/html/donrinfo.htm to learn more about being a donor at NIH.