Joint Concert A Huge Success

By Chuck Gait
Posted: October 31, 2008

On Oct. 29, the music departments of Murray Hill Middle and Reservoir High Schools held a first-ever joint fall concert. It was a free concert and the departments were accepting donations which were going to go the pediatric department at Howard County General Hospital. The kids worked very hard on this concert.

Rob Dice, one of my go-to guys who tries to keep me posted about the goings on in the music department at Reservoir High School, sent me an e-mail with some of the details. “I’d say this concert was a huge success” Rob wrote.

Concert attendees filled the bass drum with $1,000. Wow. That’s exceptional. Thanks for your continued support of Murray Hill Middle and Reservoir High Schools. You people are really special.

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New Addition to the Gait Clan

By Chuck Gait
Posted: October 29, 2008

On Oct. 23 our daughter, Christie, gave birth to her first child, a boy. Emerson Ray Dillard came into the world at 3:47 p.m. at Mission Memorial Hospital in Asheville, N.C.

We got the call from Christie on the evening of the 22nd and we left immediately for the drive down. We arrived at the hospital around 2 p.m. on the 23rd, just in time to have the doctor tell us that the baby was in distress. Emerson was in the birth canal, but was face up. Each time Christie went into labor, his heart rate dropped down and progressively took longer to recover. Her doctor had prepared Christie and her boyfriend, Josh Dillard, for the possibility of a Cesarean birth, but Christie was hoping for a natural birth. But, it became medically necessary and the staff proceeded with the C-section. It was all over very quickly.

Emerson weighed in at 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. He has dark brown hair (like his dad) and blue eyes. He is quite handsome. We spent four days with Christie, Josh and Emerson and helped them get home from the hospital upon their discharge. We were so happy to meet him. He’s our fifth grandchild and the second grandson. We look forward to spoiling him.

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A Good Deed Is Very Typical

By Chuck Gait
Posted: October 20, 2008

I got an e-mail from Bill Keen of College Park. Bill and his daughter Chrissy were traveling to a nearby assisted living facility for a visit with his father when Bill decided to stop at Boarman’s Market for a sandwich and a coffee. When he came out of the store, another customer who had just pulled in, told him that one of his rear tires was going flat.

Bill hoped that the spare would be able to carry him and his daughter on to their visit. But, that turned out to be the least of his worries. It turned out that his wheel lock lug nut tool was stripped and he was unable to get the flat tire off the car. This is where George Boarman entered the picture. Unable to reach young Georgie for assistance, George told Bill he was going home to get his tire repair kit, which he did. George returned with it plus a battery powered air compressor. He put a temporary plug in the tire, pumped it up enough for Bill and his daughter to allow them to get to a nearby service station.

Bill was pleasantly surprised to find out who his “angel of mercy” was. Chrissy even remarked that, in the time they were stuck at the market with a flat tire, between 15 and 18 people stopped to ask if Bill and Chrissy needed help.

“In a world where we constantly read and hear about the negative such as crime, hate, anger, and lack of concern for our fellow man, it was indeed both a humbling and refreshing experience to know there are still good, kind, and friendly people that exist and go out of their way to help a person in need” wrote Bill in his letter. He continued, “(t)o George Boarman, his staff, and the wonderful people of the beautiful town called Highland, Maryland, thank you for your acts of kindness.”

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Highland Man Does Well In International Fencing Competition

By Chuck Gait
Posted: October 15, 2008

Back in July, I wrote about Theo Pary, a Highland resident and businessman who won a place on the US Fencing Team. The international competition took place earlier this month in Limoges, France and Theo was there with the rest of the team. He is a member of the Veteran 60 - 69 men’s epee squad. Although he didn’t make the medal round, he managed to place in the top 32 — a very good showing considering this was his first time on the team.

During the first sets of bouts called the pool, Theo competed against former Olympian fencers — first a Russian and then a Macedonian who was ranked eighth in points in the world. Theo handily defeated both of them. Then, during the direct elimination competition, he defeated a French opponent with a score of 10-4, a very impressive win.

His next bout was against a man from Luxembourg, another former Olympian fencer. Theo fought him to a tie, 5-5. After a rest period, Theo and his opponent were matched again. This time, Theo lost, 10-7. Even though this was a loss, it’s still very impressive in that Theo is now ranked fourth in the world in Veteran 60 - 69 men’s epee. Congratulations on your most excellent showing. There’s always next year!

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Sweet Treats for the Troops

By Chuck Gait
Posted: October 3, 2008

With Halloween just around the corner, it has been my experience that our kids get way too much candy on this night. But, what does one do with the excess?

Local dentist Dr. Rashmi Parmar, has an absolutely fantastic idea. He is hosting a “Candy Buy-back” Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a way for the kids of the community to do something special for our troops who are in harm’s way and, at the same time, promote good dental hygiene.

Dr. Parmar will pay 50 cents per pound for the candy. Besides the money, the kids will get a toothbrush. The good doctor will then have the treats shipped to our troops in time for the holidays. Loose, unwrapped candy probably shouldn’t be included in your stash. The office is located at 12620 Clarksville Pike, just south of St. Louis Church,going towards Highland. For more information, call 410-531-5639.

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