The Bugle

Published by the Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association

June 2015 vol. 47 #3

Your JULY 4TH Celebration ! Contents:

Come and Celebrate July 4th!Join in with our annual July 4th Celebration 1
community parade, followed by magic and field games at our
community pool. Fun activities for the entire family, all SBPCA & BPRA Boards 2
sponsored by your Civic Association. Presidents Corner 3
Gleanings from Meetings 4
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
OUR COMMUNITY PARADE Recreational Association 5
Strathmore Elementary School 12 NOON Dolphin Dash 5K 7
Registration at Noon Parade at 12:30pm
Cub Scout Pack 763 13
Yall are encouraged to join in! 50s Plus 14
The parade begins
at Strathmore Aspen Hill Library News 16
Elementary, heads Dolphins 2015 Swim Season 17
up Beaverwood Lane
Summer Calendar 19
to Birchtree Lane, then
down Birchtree, and Summer Entertainment 21
turns onto the footpath to
July 4th Volunteers 22
go to the Pool Pavilion.
Paraders should register to ensure access to the magic show
and field games.
Magic for You and Me Michael Chamberlin, MAGICIAN
Pool Pavilion 1:00 to 2:30 pm
Using music, comedy and magic, master magician MICHAEL
CHAMBERLIN features dazzling takes on some of magics most
legendary effects, along with hilarious audience participation routines.
The show provides fast-paced, original and spellbinding sorcery for
the entire family! After the show, he will stroll the grounds and awe
individuals with close-up mingle magic.

FIELD GAMES
Pool Grounds 2:30 to 3:30 pm
The field fun and games begins at 2:30 pm. Try your hand at the
water-balloon toss, sack race, three-legged race, and more. You can participate, whatever your age
senior, tween, junior, baby! Come out and enjoy!

For Information or to help with the July 4th Celebration, please contact:
Bill Hammond 301-509-4621 Email: [email protected]
Harry Klapper 301-460-0159 Email: [email protected]
Greg Miller 301-871-9412 Email: [email protected]

The volunteer form can be found on page 22

 THE BUGLE
Published by the Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association Since 1969
Chris Swan, Editor 301-871-113

Assistant Editor: Elliot Chabot 301 871-1113 Advertising: Harry Klapper 301 460-9645
North Circulation: Louisa Hoar 301 871-2954 South Circulation: Dan Mann 301 460-3330

Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association (SBPCA)

P.O. Box 6836, Silver Spring, MD 20906
e-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.strathmore-belpre.org
Annual SBPCA membership: $18.00
The SBPCA is a voluntary association, funded by membership dues, that represents our community to County
Government and various other groups such as the Montgomery County Civic Federation. The SBPCA also
publishes The Bugle, organizes the annual Yard Sale and 4th of July festivities. The SBPCA Board of Directors
meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Mid-County Community Recreation Center on
Queensguard Road. The Civic Associations annual meeting is in November just before the BPRA annual meeting.
Civic Association Officers
President: Nancy Bechtol 301 871-3679 Secretary: Linda Bea 301 460-0497
Vice President: Bill Hammond 301 871-5074 Treasurer: John Bogasky 301 460 1604
Webmaster: Chris Jennison 301 538-5705
Civic Association Directors
Max Bronstein 301 460-3117 Lilla Hammond 301 871-5074 Chris Swan 301 871-1113
Elliot Chabot 301 871-1113 Harry Klapper 301 460-9645 Rita Vaught 206 406-2871
Frank Corrigan 301 460-1011 Maurice Potosky 301 460-9008

Bel Pre Recreational Association (BPRA)

The Bel Pre Recreational Association (BPRA) is the homeowners association for most of the Strathmore at Bel Pre
properties. The BPRA runs our communitys pool, tennis courts, volleyball courts, playground, picnic area, bath house,
snack bar and pavilion, which are open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. BPRA Board & committee meetings
are announced at http://strathmore-belpre.org/bpra. The Board normally meets at 7:30 pm on the last Wednesday of
each month. The annual General Membership meeting is held one week before Thanksgiving Day at 7:30 pm.

Bel Pre Recreational Association Board of Trustees

Elliot Chabot (President) (301) 871-1113 [email protected]
Kim Watters (Vice President) (301) 460-0054 [email protected]
Larry Vaught (Treasurer) (240) 558-3814 [email protected]
Dan Keating (Secretary) (301) 603-8162 [email protected]
Paulette Ladas (301) 674-7742 [email protected]
Greg Miller (301) 871-9412 [email protected]
Kye Pak (301) 460-4388 [email protected]
Lou Ann Rector (301) 603-8805 [email protected]
Billy Ruppert (301) 871-0076 [email protected]
Bel Pre Recreational Association Officials
Brenda Henry (Administrative Assistant) (301) 871-6298
Louisa Hoar (Pavilion reservations, tennis court keys & pool passes) (301) 871-2954
Chris Jennison (Webmaster) (301) 538-5705

The Bugle June 2015 2

The Presidents Corner
by Nancy Bechtol
President, Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association

Summer!!
This is absolutely the most wonderful time of year to live in the
Strathmore Bel Pre neighborhood! It is when our neighborhood
comes alive with activity and chances to see and meet new neighbors
or get reacquainted with the neighbors you havent seen all winter. There is so much going on, that
CHRIS and ELLIOT, your Bugle editors, need to produce back to back Bugles and this is no easy task!!
They do so much for our neighborhood with our civic association, the BPRA, and the Aspen Hill Library,
we are most fortunate that they call our neighborhood home! Our neighborhood is overflowing with
activity by our swim team who planned the first ever 5K Run through our neighborhood. How fun is that!!
They will have already completed half of their exciting season when you receive this edition of the Bugle.

Yard Sale 34 Years! Entertainment Series! Oh my!

By the time you read this article we would have already hosted our
34th Annual Yard Sale in the pool parking lot and our first movie
night inside the pool grounds. Your civic association has hosted
the yard sale for 34 consecutive years. That is an amazing statistic
in this day and age.

The cool thing though, is that your civic association is always trying
new and different activities.

From this creativity came our entertainment series. CHRIS and ELLIOt, JOHN BOGASKY and ADAM
SHEPARD are the ring leaders of this entertainment series, now in its third year. I encourage everyone to
check it out this summer if you havent been able to attend in years past. Movies and music programs are
designed and produced for our enjoyment. This is such a great way to utilize our pool property for more
than just swimming. We raise funding to support these programs so that we can offer them free of charge
to our neighborhood. I cant thank our sponsors enough for providing us this opportunity and for seeing
the value in supporting our neighborhood.

Neighborhood Diligence
The other wonderful thing about this time of year is that everyone is outside more, so we see each other
and spend time catching up. It is so important in our neighborhood that we each look out for each other
and take the time to help our neighbors if we can. The two recent multi-murder suburban tragedies are a
sad reminder that crime can happen anywhere. We can help make our neighborhood safer by being
diligent and looking out for one another. This is the kind of neighborhood we all want to live in and be a
part of. We are so fortunate to have Montgomery County Police Detective, Kye Pak in our neighborhood!
Through our List Serve, he always informs us in real-time of crime events in our neighborhood. If you are
not on our List Serve, you really should join!!! It is how you will hear from Kye about any crime or other
such problems in our neighborhood.

Website Needs YOU

Our website needs you!!! I am still looking for volunteers to help the Civic Association keep up with our
wonderful website. Ever since ADAM SHEPARD left our area we have not been able to fill his shoes on the
Civic Association Board. We are in desperate need of someone to assist us in keeping up with the
information which needs to be put onto our website. CHRIS JENNISON is doing an amazing job managing
our website as a volunteer, but we need our Civic Association activities and more on our website. Contact
me if you are able to help with content for our website, please!
-- continued on page 18 --
The Bugle June 2015 3
Gleanings From Meetings + More
by Frank Corrigan

An Independent Transit Authority for the County?

In February 2015, the Montgomery County Civic Federation (MCCF) objected to the newly proposed
Montgomery County Transit Authority, or ITA. County Executive LEGGETT sent this proposal to state
legislators, but subsequently withdrew his request. The ITA would have enabled transit funding through
a special taxing district, and giving the proposed authority independence from the County government. If
approved, it would have enabled the County Executive to enter into contracts with other governments or
private entities without any accountability to the taxpayers.

As written in a report by Harriet Quinn, of the MCCF Planning and

Land Use Committee, the County Executive recently asked his
Transit Task Force to reconvene for the purpose of studying his
proposed legislation to establish a separate independent Transit
Authority, with the ITA to finance and build a new Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) system. This legislation was previously withdrawn after
Montgomery House Delegation public hearing. MCCF opposed this
legislation for many reasons, including the intent to circumvent the
Charter limit on property taxes.

The County Executive has requested that the Task Force issue a report by September 30, 2015. Two
committees for the Task Force have been created, a Finance Committee and a Transfer of Public
Functions Committee. A public forum is planned to receive feedback on Wednesday, June 17th at 6:00
PM in the County Council Hearing Room. For additional information on the Task Force visit
http://www6.montgomerycounty.gov/apps/cex/transit2015/meeting.asp. Despite the earlier setback, it
seems clear that County Executive Leggett plans to pursue this separate financial transit authority.

Stopping Scams and Fraud

A Consumer Guide for Seniors, and useful for everyone, comes from the Maryland Office of the Attorney
General. Topics with recommendations include Telemarketing Calls and Junk Mail, Home Improvement
Scams, Identity Theft, Financial Exploitation, Home Equity Fraud, and Predatory Lending. The Attorney
Generals Office also sponsors Project SAFE, an initiative to combat financial exploitation. The contact
number is (410) 576-6550. To report suspected financial exploitation call the Maryland Department of
Human Resources toll free at 800-917-7383.

School System Budget

On March 9th, Steve Farber and Joe Beach provided the
Montgomery County Civic Federation with an overview of
the School Systems budget. The County in general is
experiencing increased growth and development, along
with more urbanization.

Several Elementary schools have been singled out for

construction studies: Montgomery Knolls, New Hampshire
Estates, Oak View, Pine Crest, and Sligo Creek . Further
information can be obtained at:
ww.montgomeryschools.orgdepartments/construction/studies/docesstudy.shtm.

$640 million in grants is not reflected in the school system budget. The state law for maintenance of
effort (MOE) protects cutting per pupil funding. Montgomery College has its own MOE requirement.
-- continued on page 6 --
The Bugle June 2015 4
Bel Pre Recreational News
by Elliot Chabot
President, Bel Pre Recreational Association

Opening Day
The pool opened for the 2015 summer season May 23!

May 23 to June 15 hours

Monday-Friday 3:00 to 8:00
Saturday-Sunday noon to 9:00

June 16 to August 30 hours August 31 to Labor Day (September 5th)

(the last day of public school summer vacation): Monday-Friday 3:00 to 8:00
Every day noon to 9:00 (except July 4) Saturday-Sunday noon to 9:00
July 4th noon to 7:00

In addition to the pool, the volley-ball court, pavilion, ping pong tables, foosball, childrens playgrounds,
and book lending library will be open the same hours as the pool.

Pavilion Reservations
If you would like to reserve the pavilion for a family event, please contact Louisa Hoar, our Pavilion
Usage Coordinator, at (301) 603-8805. In certain circumstances, the pavilion can be reserved for after
hours times, as well as during regular pool hours.

Flippers
Our pools snack bar, flippers, is running full steam
ahead this year, thanks to LAURA and GREG MILLER
and their family. Hours of operation are posted at
the pool.

Tennis Court and Basketball Court

The community tennis courts and basket ball court
are all available year round. Every household who
is a member of the Bel Pre Recreational
Association is entitled to a key to the tennis courts.
If you dont currently have a key, contact LOUISA
HOAR and she would be happy to provide one.

Summer Entertainment Series

This years summer entertainment series, provided under the leadership of the Strathmore Bel Pre Civic
Association, and hosted by the Bel Pre Recreational Association, will feature:
Saturday, May 30 movie night 8:30 pm - How to Train Your Dragon
Saturday, June 20 live music night 7:00 pm The Bubbas Band (Elizabeth and Phil Kominski)
Saturday, July 25 movie night 8:30 pm - Guardians of the Galaxy
Saturday, August 29 live music night 7:00 pm Band to be chosen
Saturday, September 5 movie night 8:00 pm - X-Men: Days of Future Past

The Entertainment and Recreation Committee is also planning a karaoke night (or maybe even a
community talent night) for sometime this summer. More details will be announced at the pool, in the
Strathmore Bel Pre list serve, and on the Strathmore Bel Pre website (http://strathmore-belpre.org/).
-- continued on page 9 --

The Bugle June 2015 5

Gleanings From Meetings + More
(continued from page 4)

Montgomery County Budget current factors

The County Ride-On Bus system receives about $120 million. Highway maintenance receives about $45
million. Two items that are not included in the general budget are liquor control and parking. Additionally,
approximately $15 to $17 million has been realized from ambulance fees. Yet, the regional economy has
declined approximately 1%, and home sales are down a similar 1%.

A factor affecting the Countys budget is the shift from the State to the County to fund a portion of teacher
pensions, about $80 million. The States requirement relating to the maintenance of effort (MOE) impacts
the Countys present budget, because of the $576 million above the MOE requirement that Montgomery
County provided to the school system in 2009 and 2010.

2016 School System Budget Characteristics:

2,500 more students this year
90% goes to salaries and benefits for staff
Generous defined benefit plans for school staff
A sizeable amount of the Countys debt service
goes to the schools
2% cost of living increase for all school staff
3.5% increase for all school staff not at the top
of their grade.
-- continued on page 12 --

And, when you are ready

Wishing you and yours to make your move.
Please call Lilla!

Lilla Hammond,
CRS, GRI
301-468-0606 (office)
a Happy Fourth of July ! 301-518-7818 (direct)
Email:[email protected]
Lilla L. Hammond, CRS, GRI Website: lillahammond.com
Long & Foster Realtors Rockville/North Bethesda Office
Serving you in Maryland and the District of Columbia

The Bugle June 2015 6

Think Dolphins, Think Pool, Think Running!
by Claire Pak
Runners, walkers, and stroller-pushers came
out in force on a beautiful Memorial Day
morning for the first annual Dolphin 5K Run,
the 2015 Dolphin Dash!

THANK YOU to all of our neighbors,

volunteers, and especially our sponsors. We
could not have staged such a successful and fun event without
the generous financial support of several local
businesses.
Please patronize the following businesses whenever possible:
PAULETTE LADAS, ReMax Town Center.
Paulettes generosity to the Dolphins, and to our Civic Association, our neighborhood PTAs, and
Boy Scout troop is legendary. She has been an unfailing supporter of any and all events and
projects that benefit our community. Were lucky to have her!

The Angels Garden Assisted Living Home #1 Pools

Vecna Technologies Redbird Photography
EagleRider of DC DR. DAVID SCHLUTZ, DMD
Gill Precision Automotive DR. ALLAN YOCKELSON, DDS

Many other families also made individual contributions, and we continue to be overwhelmed by our
neighborhoods generosity and support for our team. We are deeply grateful.
-- continued on page 8 --

The Bugle June 2015 7

Think Dolphins, Think Running
(Continued from page 12)

Thanks and congratulations! to our runners,

especially our top ten finishers:
1. Ebenezer Arunkumar
2. Christopher Majano
3. Emerson Miller
4. Winston Miller
5. Robel Asfaw
6. Conroy Zien
7. Drew Hensley
8. Jordan Edwards
9. Ian Virga
10. Erika Binsley

Over 100 runners finished the challenging course.

Congratulations to all and we hope to see you again next year!

Photo Contest 2015: Life In Strathmore Bel Pre

by Chris Swan

Summer is perfect for our second photo contest! This contest features a theme, Life in Strathmore Bel
Pre. Simply take or collect your best photos of life in our community! Winners of the contest are eligible
to receive prizes, and their photos will be published in The Bugle, and featured on the Strathmore Bel
Pre website.

The Rules:
1. To enter, please email your photo to: [email protected] by October 15th, 2015.
2. Photos must be at least 940 pixels wide by 410 pixels high, and should be in JPG, PNG, or GIF
format.
3. Entries will be posted on the Civic Association website.
4. Winning entries will be chosen by a panel of your neighbors, including Gabi Wright, certified
photographer, and frequent contributor to the Bugle.
a) First prize $ 50
b) Second prize $ 25
c) Third prize $ 15
d) Honorable Mention $ 10
5. More than one photo per person may be submitted, but only one prize may be won per person.
6. All submissions become property of the Civic Association, which may use them on the website and
in The Bugle.

The Bugle June 2015 8

Bel Pre Recreational News (Continued from page 5)

Our Physical Plant 50 Years!

Our pool facilities are approaching their 50-year mark. The Recreational Association was formed in 1966
and the Strathmore Bel Pre Pool opened in May of 1969. While Celebrations and Congratulations
certainly are in order, enabling the facilities to last another 50 years is a priority of the Recreational
Association.

At last years annual general membership meeting, I reported on the 10 year study prepared for us by
Ponte Mellor Architects, Ltd. on the life expectancy of major components of our pool and related facilities.
A copy of that study is available on the BPRA website at http://strathmore-belpre.org/bpra-governing-
documents/ under the headings Budget and Maintenance and Long-range planning studies. If you
have not already read the report, then please do.

The website also features an independent engineering review of the pools pump room and the previous
10 year study from 2002.

For the last year, the BPRA Board of Trustees has been
examining strategies to implement and fund the repairs and
replacements needed to keep our community facility operational. I
expect that the Board will be finalizing its recommendations in the
next few months. Special thanks to KIM W ATTERS who has been
coordinating the Boards review of the pump room, to LARRY
VAUGHT who has been reviewing the fiscal implications of the
Ponte recommendations, and to JAY STAGGS for his technical
advice to the Board.

The current annual assessment ($225 per household per year)

was set in 2005, 10 years ago. With 709 households in the
BPRA, this generates approximately $160,000 per year. Estimates on the cost of repairing or replacing
the pump room have been all over the map. If the estimate contained in the 2014 Ponte report
($130,000) ends up being the actual cost, we will need funding beyond the current annual assessment.
Further developments will be posted in The Bugle, the website and the list serve.

2015-2016 Annual Budget

In accordance with section 112.2(d)(2) of the Maryland Homeowners Association Act, the Board of
Trustees will consider and adopt the 2015-2016 annual budget of the BPRA on Wednesday, June 24, at
the pavilion at the Strathmore Bel Pre Pool, 13920 Bethpage Lane, Aspen Hill, MD 20906.

The 2015-2016 budget covers March

1, 2015 to February 29, 2016. A copy
of the proposed budget was mailed to
all of the members of the BPRA in
October of 2014.

The budget was presented at the

November 20, 2014 BPRA General
Membership meeting, and a copy is
available at
http://strathmore-belpre.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Bel-Pre-2015-Budget-with-2014-outlook-3.pdf.
-- continued on page 10 --

The Bugle June 2015 9

Bel Pre Recreational News (Continued from page 9 )

Dolphin Dash
Congratulations to the STRATHMORE BEL PRE
DOLPHINS SWIM TEAM for successfully conducting
the their 1st annual Dolphins 5K -- allowing the
neighborhood to run, jog, walk, or stagger for 3+
miles in our community on a beautiful Memorial
Day morning.

Thank you to the organizers, volunteers,

supporters, and sponsors for taking the idea of
this event and turning it into a reality.

Some additional BPRA activities since the last issue of The Bugle are:
Professional Parking has re-striped, relabeled, and resealed the parking lot.
Thanks to GREG MILLER for coordinating this work.
Adams Mfg. Corp. has supplied 2 dozen new chairs for the pavilion.
These Brentwood-style chairs have squared off backs.
Thanks to BILLY RUPERT for making this happen.

The fencing surrounding the pool is now fully compliant

with Montgomery County Government standards.
Pest Now has treated the hill by the pavilion (including
the volleyball area) to eliminate the ground bees that
have nested there. This continues treatments that began
in May of 2014. It is expected that we will need to
continue the treatments for several years.
Kollins Lawn and Landscaping Service has begun
cutting the grass at the pool and Fairway Lawn Care
has been weeding and seeding.
G & Q General Construction ground the Concrete pad by
the mens room door to allow free movement of the door.
Thanks to PAULETTE LADAS for coordinating the
fencing, bee control, lawn, and concrete work.
Gaithersburg Hauling (Waste Management, Inc.) has resumed trash pick ups at the pool.
Thanks to BRENDA HENRY for coordinating that contract.
-- continued on page 11 --

The Bugle June 2015 10

Bel Pre Recreational News (Continued from page 10)

Tennis Courts
The tennis courts (also located at 13920 Bethpage Lane) are open year round to all BPRA members.
If you want to use the tennis courts, but dont have a key, contact LOUISA HOAR - our Tennis Court Keys
Coordinator - at (301) 871-6298 and shell help you get what you need.

Upcoming Meetings
The Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet as follows for June to December 2015:
Meeting Date and Time Location
Wednesday, June 24, 7:30 pm Strathmore Bel Pre Pool Pavilion
Wednesday, July 15, 7:30 pm, tentative Strathmore Bel Pre Pool Pavilion
Wednesday, July 29, 7:30 pm Strathmore Bel Pre Pool Pavilion
Wednesday, August 12, 7:30 pm, tentative Strathmore Bel Pre Pool Pavilion
Wednesday, August 26, 7:30 pm Strathmore Bel Pre Pool Pavilion
Saturday, September 12, 10 am Strathmore Bel Pre Pool Pavilion
Wednesday, September 30, 7:30 pm Bel Pre Elementary School conference room 138
Wednesday, October 28, 7:30 pm Bel Pre Elementary School conference room 138
Wednesday, December 2, 7:30 pm Bel Pre Elementary School conference room 138

All members of the Association are welcome to attend the meetings of the Board of Trustees. The first
15 minutes of each meeting is normally set aside for statements by members of the Association.

General Membership Meeting

The 2015 General Membership Meeting is currently scheduled to be held on Thursday, November 19,
at 7:30 pm at Bel Pre Elementary School, in the multi-purpose room.

Town Hall Meeting

A Town Hall Meeting is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, December 2, at 8 pm, at Bel Pre
Elementary School.

For current information on Board of Trustees meetings and meetings of the Associations committees,
see the BPRA website at http://strathmore-belpre.org/bpra/.

The Bugle June 2015 11

Gleanings From Meetings + More
(continued from page 6)

County Budget
Approximately 55% of the County budget
goes to the school system.

2016 budget factors:

Federal budget uncertainties
State budget uncertainties budget
reductions and cuts in State aid
High structural cost increases debt service, retiree health, reserves, compensation and benefits
State mandated MOE spending requirements for MCPS and Montgomery College
Deferred infrastructure maintenance
Operating impact of new facilities libraries, school, college, recreation centers and fire stations
Unavoidable cost increases related to energy costs, snow removal and inflation

For FY16, the County is on the path to sustainability by:

Closing $2.9B in budget gaps over the past eight years
Slowing the rate of growth in expenditures
Successfully implementing plans to increase reserves, on track to reach 10% of goal by 2020
Increasing funding for retiree health insurance, fully funding the annual requirement in 2015
Permanent long term reductions for employee compensation, group insurance, health insurance
and pensions, reducing over 1,200 positions in the FY08-12 period
-- continued on page 14 --

The Bugle June 2015 12

Cub Scout Pack 763
By Jackie Fairy-Moeller

On Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend, the Cub

Scouts and Boy Scouts of Unit 763 placed an American flag
by the grave-site of every Veteran buried in the Gate of
Heaven Cemetery. Over 1,000 flags were placed. Scouting is
often at its best when it is involved with the local community.
The boys found great meaning in honoring the lives of those
who served and then lived in this community. This is a very
meaningful experience for the boys who learn a great deal about the different branches of the military.
Many in our community have friends and neighbors buried at Gate of Heaven cemetery.

The scouts would like to thank Ms. PAULETTE

LADAS of RE/MAX Town Center for providing the
financial support for this activity by covering the
cost of the American flags.

The scouts are sponsored by the Strathmore Bel

Pre Civic Association but do not receive money
from it. We rely on community partners like Ms.
Ladas to keep our costs down to insure that being
a scout is affordable for every member of the
community.

Over 70% of scout groups are sponsored by a faith-based

organization, so we appreciate the sponsorship of the civic
association. This sponsorship allows our unit to be more
reflective of the community. While our pack draws from Bel
Pre, Strathmore, Georgian Forest, Brookhaven and Harmony
Hills elementary schools, your child does NOT have to go to
one of these schools in order to be a member of our pack.

We would also like to thank Mary Magdalene Church for

providing us with meeting and activity space free of charge,
and saving us a ton of money!

Join Cub Scouts Pack 763

If you are interested in joining
our pack, please contact
Cubmaster BILL TOTTEN
at [email protected] or JACKIE
FARY-MOELLER at
[email protected]

The Bugle June 2015 13

50 Plus Club Meetings
by Maury Potosky

The 50s Plus Club summer meetings are held at the BPRA
Pool Pavilion. The meetings will be held on Wednesdays: July
8, August 5, and September 2 at 6 PM. The meetings will be
dinner meetings with each member bringing their own dinner.
Members also are asked to bring a dessert to share with other
members.

Residents who are not members of the 50s Plus Club, but who
wish to share in the club's activities, are invited to join us at
these meetings. Please call us at 301-460-9008. We would
love to have you join us!

Gleanings From Meetings + More

(continued from page 12)

County Transportation Planning

At the request of the County Executive IKE LEGGETT, Montgomery County is studying the
development of a possible Rapid Transit System including Bus Rapid Transit which would run in the
Route 355 corridor, the Route 29 corridor and along Viers Mill Road. This is in addition to the
proposed Purple Line and the Corridor Cities Transit Way.

Charter Schools
On May 13, 2015, Jenne Allen made a presentation to the Taxpayers League about Charter
Schools. While there are Charter Schools in the District of Columbia and 43 states, there are none
in Montgomery County. Ms Allen felt that resistance by teachers unions and members of the State
Legislative is the primary reason for the limited number of Charter Schools in Maryland. She
stressed that Charter Schools are public schools. Baltimore City has 31 charter schools, and
Prince Georges County has 10. Both have school districts with large numbers of at-risk students.
The first Charter School in the country was in St. Paul, Minnesota. In New York, the State University
of New York Chancellors Office is responsible for Charter Schools.

The 7,000 Charter Schools nationwide

serve 3 million students. 63% of the
Charter Schools nationwide serve 60%
at-risk students. Of the 54% of
African- American students graduating
from high school, only 12% graduate from
college four years later.

Most Charter Schools enroll students by

lottery. They are not school systems per se,
but rather are systems of schools. In Charter Schools, funds follow the student rather than
remaining at a given school, as is the case in the average school system. Ms Allen noted that
Charter Schools are comprehensive with their inclusion of health safety, civil rights and good
programs, and are flexible.
-- continued page 15 --
The Bugle June 2015 14
Gleanings From Meetings + More
(continued from page 14)

Costco Gas Station

Costco lost its Special Exception Request before
the Planning Board, 5 0, after 5 years. Seven
members of the County Council recently introduced
ZTA 15-07, Proximity of Mega Gas Stations to
Neighborhoods, to ensure that the lessons learned
from the hard work of the Opposition to Costcos
Special Exception Request (S-2863) did not go to
waste, as reported Karen Cordry, President of the
Kensington Heights Civic Association.

Costco has issued a letter to its customers noting

that they have been seeking a gas station at their
location at Westfield Wheaton Regional Mall since
2010. They have appealed the decision to the
Montgomery Zoning Board of Appeals. Their
appeal alleges that the County overstepped its
authority, and substituted its judgment instead of
relying upon the judgment of the agencies charged
with determining safe emission levels.

Transportation Planning
The April issue of Civic Federation News described
alternatives ready now to improve transportation
services. Houston, Texas used a data driven
approach to redesign its bus service, called
Reimagining Transit:
(http://transitsystemreimagining.com/web/).

Local bus service in Houston will:

Provide its most populated areas with service
on a 15 minute frequency, including Sundays
Enable 90% of routes to be 10 to 20 minutes
faster
Provide 99% of riders to be be within mile of
a stop
Allow bus drivers to divert from their routes
for on-demand pickup and drop-offs, where
street patterns make regular bus transit difficult

These major improvements in transit service are

funded by reallocating about 25% of existing
resources. The data analyses for this plan cost
$1.2 million. Houston will go from planning to
implementation in about a year and a half.

The Bugle June 2015 15

Aspen Hill Library News
by Chris Swan

Caribbean-American Heritage Celebration

June 20, 2015 -- 1pm
The seventh annual Caribbean-American Heritage
Celebration will be held at the Aspen Hill Library on
Saturday, June 20th. The dance troupe, White House
Studios featuring Caribbean Dance Traditions, will be
performing, as well as a band, a story teller, crafts and
more. Bring the whole family for a lovely summer
afternoon of entertainment!

Monday Night Movies

The movies continue during the summer. Films begin at 7:30 and admission is free.
June 29th Eragon, the story of a boy and his dragon. Action, adventure, fantasy.
July 27 Monday Night Movie
August 31 Monday Night Movie

Summer Reading 2015 Super Heroes

Programs at the Library in the Community Room:
June 13 1 pm 4H Reading Buddies
June 18 11 am Agricultural Fair See a Farm Animal!
June 20 11 am Caribbean Summer Reading Kickoff
June 22 11 am Science Tellers Super Heroes
June 25 11 am Paul Merklein How to Draw Superheroes
June 27 11 am Books are a Blast! With Tom Lilly
July 1 11 am Maryland Zoo Habitat Happenings
July 7 4 pm Captain All Star Magical Reading
July 11 1 pm 4H Reading Buddies
July 15 4 pm Hedgehog Heroes
July 18 1:30 pm Robotics Demonstration University of Maryland
July 21 11 am Mad Science: Spectacular Science
July 25 1 pm Free PSAT practice Test from Kaplan
July 28 6:30 pm Make-It-Yourself SuperHero Bookends
July 30 6:30 pm College Application Education Workshop from Kaplan
For the latest program listings, visit the Library or go to
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Libraries/branchinfo/ah.asp.

Book and Other Donations always are accepted by the Friends, but not at the Library
If you would like to donate used books, CDs, or DVDs for the Aspen Hill Friends of the Library Book
sales, e-mail the Friends at [email protected], or call us at (301) 871-1113. The Aspen Hill Friends
is a 501(c)(3) organization, so donations are tax deductable. Please do not bring donations to the
library, as staff are not able to accept them. Just contact the Aspen Hill Friends, thanks. The Fall
book sale this year is Saturday, October 17th!
The Bugle June 2015 16
2015 Dolphin Season Underway
by Claire Pak

Summer 2015 is here for the Dolphins!

Our 2015 season is underway! Practice began on
Wednesday, May 27, but its not too late to sign up. If
youre still interested in participating, please email Terry
Kominski or any member of the board. Well be happy
to provide you with information. Information is also
available on our website: http://sbpdolphins.org/.
Swimmer registration is online this year, and the
registration link is on our website.

A copy of our 2015 calendar and meet schedule appears in this issue of the Bugle. Although
our meet schedule is set, other events are subject to change, so please visit the pool bulletin
board or our website for calendar and event updates.

Meet our 2015 Coaching Staff

Terry KominskiHead Coach. Dolphins legend.

Lilan MillerAssistant Coach. A Dolphins graduate, Lilan served as a Developmental Coach

for three years, and this is her second year as Assistant Coach. She is a past Swimmer of the
Year with many All-Star and Divisionals appearances to her credit, and is a rising junior at the
University of Maryland. Lilan is certified as both a lifeguard and a pool operator and has many
years of lifeguarding experience.

Emma BearmanDevelopmental Coach. This is Emmas second year as a Developmental

Coach. Emma has been a Dolphins swimmer for many years, and has also been a star
swimmer at Kennedy High School and for RMSC. Her Dolphins career has included many
Divisionals and All-Star appearances, and as a high school swimmer, she was invited to
participate in Metro, Regional, and State Championship meets. Emma is a rising sophomore at
BYU, and this will be her last year as a Dolphins swimmer!
-- continued on page 18 --

THE BULLETIN BOARD Updates

from your neighborhood schools
Will return in the Fall Issue of the Bugle

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Georgian Forest ES PTA
School phone: 301-460-2170
website: https://sites.google.com/site/gfespta/

Bel Pre Strathmore PTA

Bel Pre: 301 460 2145
Strathmore: 301 460 2135
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/123760599438
website: http://bps-pta.org

The Bugle June 2015 17

Think Dolphins
(Continued from page 17)

Winston MillerDevelopmental Coach Winston has also been a Dolphins swimmer for many years,
and is also returning for his second year as a Developmental Coach. He is a graduate of the Kennedy
High School swim team and will enter the University of Maryland in the fall. Winston has made many
Divisionals and All-Star appearances, and he has shown a great talent for teaching even the youngest
and most reluctant swimmers.

Kayla GearyDevelopmental Coach Kayla, too, is a long-time Dolphins swimmer with many
Divisionals appearances and coaches awards to her credit, and is also returning for her second summer
on the coaching staff. She is a graduate of the Sherwood High School swim team and will attend Albright
College in the fall.

We are very proud of our coaching staff. They are all certified lifeguards and accomplished swimmers,
and were lucky enough to have 5 returning coaches, so they have experience as well as talent and
energy. Terry, Lilan, Emma, Winston, and Kayla are all dedicated to our team and our children and
were very happy to have all of them back for another great season!

Thank you to all of our friends and neighbors for your continued support, financial and otherwise. We
look forward to another fun and successful season. Please contact any member of the Dolphins board
for more information.

See you at the pool!

GREG MILLER President [email protected]

MIKE BEARMAN Vice-President [email protected]
CLAIRE PAK Secretary [email protected]
RITA VAUGHT Treasurer [email protected]
RENEE YOCKELSON A Meet Manager [email protected]
MARTA FERMAN B Meet Manager [email protected]
TERRY KOMINSKI Head Coach [email protected]

Presidents Corner
(continued from page 3)

July 4th FUN!

Please plan to attend our 4th of July activities this year; you will not be disappointed! LILLA and BILL
HAMMOND and HARRY KLAPPER have been organizing these activities for decades now. They always
can use more help especially with the afternoon field games at the pool. It is such a great way to see
all of the children who live in our neighborhood be part of the Parade; so please plan to join in the fun
that day.

I look forward to seeing every neighbor at some point this summer, during at least one of these
lovely summer activities! We have many to pick from, so do something new and different this
summer. Get involved in the wonderful neighborhood we all call home!

The Bugle June 2015 18

 2015 Strathmore Bel Pre Summer Calendar

~ May/June/July 2015 ~
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Pool Hours Pool Hours Pool Hours May 22 23
May 23 to June 15: June 16 to August 30: Aug 31 to Closing: Early Pool Opens
Mon to Fri 3 pm to 8 pm Every day noon to 9 pm Mon-Fri 3 pm to 8 pm registration at noon
Sat & Sun noon to 9 pm July 4th noon to 7 pm Sat & Sun noon to 9 pm deadline for
Dolphin Dash
24 25 MEMORIAL DAY 26 27 28 29 30
No Pool Guest Fees Swim Team Swimmers Swim Team pm Career Day - Yard Sale
Meeting practices begin Georgian Forest (rain date June 6)
Dolphin Dash Elem. School
5K Run Civic Association Board Rec Association Board How to Train Your
meeting Meeting Dragon Movie Night
31 June 1 2 3 4 5 6
Swim team pm practices 50s Plus Meeting Swim Team Aspen Hill Library
all week Parents used book sale
Meeting
50 Plus concert @
Fitzgerald Theatre
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Swim Team pm Strathmore Swim Team Ice Swim Team
practices all week Elem. School Cream Social Blue-White Meet
5th Grade
promotion Friends of Aspen Hill
Library meeting

14 15 16 17 18 19 20
50 Plus MCPS Last Day of Swim Team am Swim Team Swim Team
concert School practices begin Pasta Party A Meet at Home
@ Longer Pool Hours begin HCC
Fitzgerald tomorrow Swim Team Buddy No Swim Team
Theatre Breakfast pm practice A.H. Library
Aspen Hill Library Caribbean Heritage
Advisory Committee Celebration
meeting
The Bubbas
Band Concert
Evening
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Swim Team Swimathon B Meet Away @ Swim Team Swim Team
(am and pm practices) Wheaton Woods Pasta Party A Meet Away @ FW

Civic Association Board Rec Association Board No Swim Team

Meeting Meeting pm practice
.28 29 30 July 1 2 3 July 4th
Aspen Hill Library movie B Meet Away @ Swim Team Pool open
night: Eragon West Laurel Memorial 12 noon to 7 pm
Meet am No Pool Guest Fees

Swim Team Swim Team A Meet

Pasta Party Away @ GM

No Swim Team Parade 12 noon

pm Practice Entertainment 1 pm
Field Games 2:30

19
The Bugle June 2015
 2015 Strathmore Bel Pre Summer Calendar

~ July/August/September 2015 ~
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
B Meet At Home Swim Team Pasta Swim Team A
Kemp Mill Party Meet Away @ KLS

50s Plus Meeting Swim Team no pm

Practice

July 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Rec Association Swim Team
Board Meeting A Meet at Home
(tentative) AR

Swim Team
Dolphin Dance
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Swim Team 8U Swim Team 8U Swim Team Jelly Swim Team Swim Team Pasta Swim Team
Practice Practice Bean Meet Divisionals Party with Paper B Division
Practice am and Plate Awards Championships
Swim Team Swim Team Swim Team Last 8U pm at Home
Divisionals Divisionals Practice Practice Swim Team
Practice Divisionals Practice Guardians of the
Swim Team am Galaxy Movie
Divisionals Practice Night

26 27 28 29 30 31 August 1
Aspen Hill Library Civic Association Swim Team Awards Swim Team
movie night Board Meeting Banquet PMSL All-Stars
Whitehall Pool
Rec Association
Board Meeting
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
50s Plus Meeting

9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Rec Association
Board Meeting
(tentative)
16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Rec Association Concert Night
Board Meeting

30 31 September 1 2 3 4 5
MCPS School 50s Plus Meeting X Men: Days of
Year Starts Future Past
Shorter Pool Movie Night
Hours begin
6 7 Labor Day 8 9 10 11 12
No Pool Guest Rec Association
Fees Board meeting

The Bugle June 2015 20

 2015 Summer Entertainment!
by John Bogasky and Chris Swan

Three movies and two concerts are set for the 2015 Summer Entertainment Series!
Each event is on a Saturday night at the Pool Pavilion and grounds, and is open to to all Civic and
Recreational Association members and guests.

The Civic Association purchased a brand new screen, projector and sound system to show the
movies, in place of a rental program. The cost of the movie projection system is expected to be
recouped in 3 to 4 years, given that no funds now will be needed to rental the equipment.

Volunteers are needed to help use the equipment to show the movies. Contact John Bogasky if you
can help.
Your challenge:
Support 2015 Summer Entertainment
In order to make this a new STRATHMORE BEL PRE tradition, we will need financial support from the
community.

We have a great start! Each of our 4 lead sponsors, LILLA HAMMOND of Long & Foster, PAULETTE
LADAS of RE/MAX, TIM HORST of Long & Foster, and the Bel Pre Recreational Association have
pledged at the SBP Superstar level. Community members have committed additional funds.

We need your support to fully fund our planned events.

2015
2015
Recognition Donation
Summer Entertainment Series
SBP Superstar $ 500
5/30 How to Train Your Dragon
6/20 The Bubbas Community Champion $ 250
(folk rock, Elizabeth and Phil Kominski
with Donnie Williams and Chris Brooks)
Oscar Winner $ 100
7/25 Guardians of the Galaxy Band Leader $ 50
8/29 Concert (any thoughts?)
Super Fan $ 5 to 25
9/5 X Men: Days of Future Past
You can be a BAND LEADER! A SUPER FAN?
?? - Karaoke night to be decided How about an OSCAR W INNER? The perfect
gift for your 2015 Summer!
Plan to attend

Please contact Civic Association Treasurer JOHN BOGASKY at [email protected] to

make your donations! With your support, we can create a new community tradition that takes
advantage of our beautiful pool facilities, is fun for everyone, and brings our community together!

The Bugle June 2015 21

 Strathmore Bel-Pre 2015 July 4th Celebration!!

The Strathmore Please volunteer to make

Bel Pre Community our communitys July 4th
likes to celebrate Celebration special this
July 4th! year by selecting from the
list below.
The Celebration
team needs your We welcome your ideas and
help. We need talents!
your assistance!
Parade Committee
Entertainment
Are you able to Decorations, Signs
help us out this Field Games
year? Any and all
Help make our July 4th
efforts are needed.
Celebration the best yet!
THANKS! Thanks!

Help Our Community Celebrate July 4th 2015

YES! Count me in! to help with the Strathmore Bel-Pre July 4th Celebration.

NAME________________________________________________

PHONE/E-MAIL________________________________________

PARADE11:30 - 1:00 pm (Registration and Safety)

ENTERTAINMENT...12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
FIELD GAMES2:00 pm to 3:30 pm)
DECORATIONS & SIGNS.On July 4th and before

Please fax this form to 301-770-9654 Attn: Lilla

OR send an email to
[email protected] and [email protected]

THANKS VERY MUCH! THE JULY 4TH CELEBRATION TEAM

The Bugle June 2015 22