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Crime & Safety

Patch Picks: People Who Make Rockville Great

Give a shout-out to the people who make Rockville a terrific place to live.

Sure, Rockville has many natural features, but it’s the people who make it great. They range from the paramedic on the ambulance to the xylophone player in the orchestra. Why not take this opportunity to give a shout-out to the people you want to recognize? Here are a few to get you started:

  • The 31 recipients of the awards, presented in June, include 14 members of the Rockville City Police Department. Officer Chris Day, Cpl. Kelly Reidy, Cpl. Terance Thomas, Officer Jamal Lewis, Officer Eddie Roman, Cpl. Heath Marshall, Cpl. Chris Peck, Cpl. Jan Seilhamer, Cpl. Jon Berry and Cpl. John Pfaehler received Distinguished Service citations. Maj. Tim Marsh and Theresa Broad, Jeffrey Curtis, Cpl. Karl Pitt and Cpl. Phil Lew received a Meritorious Service citation. The highest honor, the Citation for Bravery, was given to county Deputy Sheriff Norman Adams, county firefighter James Cruzan and Rockville Volunteer Fire Department President Eric Bernard.
  • . The library “is the one service that we have in the county that is for all ages and for all economic backgrounds," Sue Shaw, president of the Potomac chapter of Friends of the Library, said at a celebration in June commemorating 60 years of library service in Montgomery County. County libraries offer thousands of books that can be borrowed by county residents with a free library card. They also offer a quiet study environment, children's story hours, meet-the-author events and other free programs.
  • . Montgomery Hospice is the first independent, homecare/hospice organization licensed in Maryland. Their mission, according to their website, is "to gentle the journey through serious illness and loss with skill and compassion." Located on Piccard Drive, the nonprofit serves more than 1,900 patients and 7,500 bereavement care clients annually. Call 301-921-4400.
  • Students, teachers, parents, and public safety personnel involved in . Members of the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department and Rockville City Police joined students, teachers and parents for a mock car crash demonstration at  in March. The program’s lesson is about making good decisions, said Caitlin Ulmer, a Rockville High social studies teacher and Students Against Destructive Decisions co-sponsor. “The reality is [the temptation to drink] alcohol is part of high school. We just want kids to be smart."
    The Every 15 Minutes program at was in May after . The program sponsored a private dinner for Magruder families to gather, greive and talk.
  • Gottschalk, director of life enrichment at The Village at Rockville retirement community, was one of the organizers of the first Summer Art Festival, featuring the work of senior artists. Festival organizers solicited work from artists age 60 and older in and around Rockville. The festival tied in with The Village’s lifelong learning courses. The courses are on subjects ranging from history and literature to art appreciation and music enrichment.
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