The Bugle

Published by the Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association

May 2017 www.strathmore-belpre.org vol. 49 #2

Strathmore Bel Pre 36th Annual Yard Sale Contents

36nd Annual Yard Sale 1

SBPCA & BPRA Boards 2

Presidents Corner 3

Gleanings from Meetings 4

Recreational Association 5
Its Yard Sale time! Dolphins 7
Buyers and Sellers come to our Yard Sale. Sell your
treasures, find new ones! Meet your neighbors, and support Summer Concerts 8
your community! Summer Movies 9

We advertise this sale many places, from Craigs List to the What Makes it Really Spring? 10
Washington Post, and of course, on our listserve. Elementary School PTAs 11
Glenmont Exchange 13
WHEN: Saturday, June 3rd from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
(Rain Date, Saturday, June 10th) 50 Plus 14
WHERE: BPRA pool parking lot, on Bethpage Lane Library News 17
Gates open for set-up at 8:30 am
Yard Sale Sellers Registration fee of $12.00 per space. Website Updates 19
Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association Member Discount: $2.00 Community Sign Whacked 20
SELLERS, to register: Fill out and return the registration form Community Programs Summer 21
below, along with a check for the registration fee. Tables with 2
chairs are available for rent for an additional $5.00 on a first-come, July 4 Celebration & Parade 22
first-served basis. Spaces are limited, so please reserve early. Summer Calendar NEXT Issue

At-the-door sellers registration will be accepted as space permits. The fee will be $15.00.
Call LINDA BEA for additional information: (301) 460-0497.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YARD SALE SELLERS REGISTRATION FORM
NAME: _______________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________

PHONE/EMAIL: ________________________________________________________
Number of Spaces:
Civic Assn members - $10.00 per space: $_______
Non-members - $12.00 per space: $_______
Number of tables - $ 5.00 each: $_______
Total Amount Enclosed: $_______
Make checks payable to SBPCA and mail to: P.O. Box 6836, Silver Spring, MD 20916
 THE BUGLE
Published by the Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association Since 1969
Chris Swan, Editor 301-871-1113

Assistant Editor: Elliot Chabot 301 871-1113 Advertising: John Bogasky 301 460-1604
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 20916
e-mail: Strathmo@strathmore-belpre.org 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 the 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
Elliot Chabot 301 871-1113 Lilla Hammond 301 871-5074 Chris Swan 301 871-1113
Josephine Bahn 570 856-5025 Maurice Potosky 301 460-9008 Rita Vaught 206 406-2871

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 generally open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. BPRA Board & committee
meetings are announced at http://strathmore-belpre.org/bpra. Board meetings are normally the 1st Tuesday of each month
at 7:30 pm (Bel Pre Elementary School, room 161 or 138, from October to May; Pool pavilion from June to September).
The annual General Membership meeting has traditionally been held on the Thursday before Thanksgiving Day at 7:30
pm, in the Bel Pre Elementary School multi-purpose room.

Bel Pre Recreational Association Board of Trustees

Elliot Chabot (President) 301 871-1113 echabot@usa.net
Greg Miller (Vice President) 301 871-9412 winstonhen@aol.com
Larry Vaught (Treasurer) 240 558-3814 l.vaught@comcast.net
Paul Spelman (Secretary) 240 447-7758 pbspelly@gmail.com
Ted Bechtol 301 871-3679 tedbechtol@yahoo.com
Chris Jennison 301 538-5705 chris.s.jennison@gmail.com
Billy Ruppert 301 332-4901 billyruppert@gmail.com
Megan Virga 301 536-3631 megancy@gmail.com
Andy Wright 808 341-9088 ajw.uscg@gmail.com
Bel Pre Recreational Association Officials
Brenda Henry (Administrative Assistant) 301 871-6298
Louisa Hoar (Pavilion reservations, tennis court keys & pool passes) 301 871-2954
Rita Vaught (Assistant Treasurer) r.vaught@comcast.net

The Bugle May 2017 2

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

My husband and I have had the pleasure of living

here in our community since 1990. We have seen
the Bel Pre Elementary school completely rebuilt, Re-building Bel Pre Elementary April 2013
a gorgeous new 4 mile trail built on the Matthew Henson State Park and Matthew Henson Greenway
land, the Inter-County Connector open (Maryland 100), and many families come and go. And we are
relatively new to our neighborhood, too, considering that many of our neighbors have been here for over
40 years! Now these families have really seen changes to our neighborhood! The years go by so fast,
and yet something is always happening in our neighborhood.

New Community Events

Over the past few years, the Civic Association has been
working together with the Bel Pre Recreational Association
to bring new and interesting programs to our neighborhood
so that we can join together, meet each other, and enjoy
our community. We have a lovely recreational complex,
with delightful pools, a great pavilion, 3 tennis courts, a
pirate ship, and large grounds. The hope is to use this
property more often for events and activities, in addition to
swimming and tennis.

PAULETTE LADAS offered to host our first paper Shredding

Event at the pool parking lot on the 1st of April, which was very successful. Many people came out that
chilly morning, cleaned their homes, and supported this event at the same time!! We cant thank
PAULETTE enough for her continued financial support of our community programs, and this event was her
idea too!!

Summer 2017 Events

The Civic Association has planned many programs for everyone to enjoy. Our summer season will kick
off with our Yard Sale at the pool, Saturday, June 3rd at 9 am. Our first movie night is the same day at
dusk, inside the pool grounds. The pool will be open and our swim team will already be actively
practicing after school. If you are interested in meeting more of your neighbors and keeping your kids
busy this summer, the best way is to join our neighborhood swim team. Ted and I never knew there were
so many kids in our neighborhood until we joined the swim team. Ted and I and our two girls made
instant friends with so many great neighbors.

2017 Summer Movies! Yard Sale June 3rd!

- Continued on page 12 -

The Bugle May 2017 3

Gleanings from Meetings
by Josephine Bahn

Greetings from Village Lane! I serve as Strathmore Bel Pre

Civic Associations Delegate to the Montgomery County
Civic Federation (MCCF), a conglomerate group of community civic
associations from across Montgomery County. The group
discusses county policies and addresses common concerns.

Montgomery County Civic Federation March and April Meetings

Due to inclement weather, no March meeting was held. In April, the monthly Community Hero Award
was presented to Valerie Barr and Charlotte Coffield of Silver Spring for their service as Presidents of
the Lyttonsville Community Civil Association and the Rosemary Hills Neighbors Association. Sadly,
neither were not able to attend the meeting! The pair were recognized for their leading roles in guiding
their west Silver Spring neighborhoods through a long process of planning and land use in their
neighborhoods and the recent deliberations surrounding the Greater Lyttonsville Sector Plan, which
was recently approved by the Montgomery County Council.

County Operating Budget for FY 2018

In April, MCCF discussed the Montgomery County Fiscal Year 2018 Operating Budget. There were
presentations by the Office of Management and Budget, as well as from Steve Farber, the Council
Administrator of the Montgomery County Council. The representatives discussed the newly released
recommended budget from County Executive, Ike Leggett. The Operating Budget of $5.4 billion for the
year is set to begin on July 1, 2017. The proposed operating budget includes a proposed property tax
rate of $1 per $100 of assessed value, or 2.54 cents below the current rate. The median tax bill for a
house assessed at $400,000 will see an annual increase of $20 due entirely to increased property
values. This amounts to $1.67 per month and includes a $693 tax credit for owner-occupied
residences.

Some highlights from the proposed budget include: a tax-supported County government budget (not
including the retiree health insurance trust) of $1.5 billion, a total budget increase of 2.7% over last
years budget, and a budget of $2.5 billion for Montgomery County Publics Schools, which includes a
$1.66 billion County contribution. The full budget is available at the Countys website at this URL:
https://reports.data.montgomerycountymd.gov/omb

MCCF Awards Dinner and Future Meetings

MCCF invites you to its 2017 Annual Awards Celebration on
Thursday, June 8, 2017 at McGintys Public House, located
at 911 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, Maryland. The price is
$35 per person, and $60 per couple, which includes
substantial hors doeuvres, wine, soft drinks. Beer and
cocktails are available at a cash bar. You can find payment
information and additional information here:
http://montgomerycivic.org/files/CFNlatest.pdf. All are
encouraged to attend!

MCCF will meet again on Monday, May 8, 2017 at the

Executive Office Building in Rockville. The tentative topic for discussion will be proposed cell phone
towers.

Stay tuned to future Bugles for more information from MCCF!

The Bugle May 2017 4
Bel Pre Recreational News
by Elliot Chabot,
President, Bel Pre Recreational Association

Opening Day & Summer Hours

Our community pool at 13920 Bethpage Lane
is scheduled to open for the 2017 season
(our 49th season!) on Saturday, May 27.

For May 27 to 29 (Memorial Day weekend)

pool hours will be:
Saturday-Sunday noon to 9 pm
Monday noon to 8 pm

From May 30 to June 15 (last full day of school)

pool hours will be:
Saturday noon to 9 pm
Sunday noon to 8 pm
Monday-Thursday 3 pm to 8 pm
Friday 3 pm to 9 pm

From June 16 to September 4 (Labor Day):

Everyday except July 4 noon to 9 pm
July 4th noon to 6 pm

Changes to hours will be announced at the pool, on the Civic Association listserv, and at
http://Strathmore-BelPre.org.

Not a Member?
If you live in Strathmore Bel Pre, are not currently a member of the pool, and would be interested in
joining, please contact Megan Virga, our New Member Recruitment Coordinator, at (301) 536-3631.

Buildings and Grounds

Numerous projects - large and small - to improve the community property on Bethpage Lane are moving
forward:
The bamboo near the parking lot and the shrubbery encroaching on the parking lot fence have be
removed, giving the area a much cleaner look. Thanks to TED BECHTOL for overseeing this and for
overseeing the lawn maintenance contract, as well.
The rip in the rear pool fencing has been repaired. Thank you to BILLY RUPERT.

- Continued on page 6 -
The Bugle May 2017 5
Bel Pre Recreational News (continued from page 5)

Buildings and Grounds, continued

The request for proposals for repairs to the main pump room
has been drafted, thanks to the efforts of JOE MOELLER and
KAREN PURDY.
The ceilings in the mens and womens shower rooms, the
pool railings, and the snack bar floor will all be painted before
the start of the pool season. Thank you to PAULETTE LADAS for
overseeing this contract.
Before the pool season starts, we also hope to add more
lighting to the pavilion; replace the broken tennis court cable;
install timers for the lights in the bathhouse; replace
the tetherball; adjust the parking lot gates; upgrade the childrens pool pump room; install additional
lighting in the main pump room; repair the life guard chair decks; repair the snack bar door frame; repair
the pool umbrellas that need repairing; and conduct maintenance on the pirate ship. Thank you very
much to JOE MOELLER for taking care of all of these projects.
The walkways in the pool property should be power washed before the season starts. Additionally. plans
for maintenance and repairs to the basketball court and tennis courts are underway. Thanks to GREG
MILLER for overseeing these projects.
Work on the Associations long range plan is moving forward, thanks to the Long Range Planning
Committee, chaired by ANDY W RIGHT.

Paper Shredding
The April 1 paper shredding event at the pool parking lot was a great
success, with 40 plus households bringing boxes of sensitive papers
to be shredded. Thank you to PAULETTE LADAS, who organized this
event. If theres interest, we might do this again in the fall.

Pool Passes
In mid May, all BPRA households should be receiving a note from our Pool Passes Coordinator, LOUISA
HOAR. If, when you sent in your $225 annual dues, you indicated that your choice was 2 season passes,
then you should be receiving your 2 passes for the 2017 season. If you indicated that your choice was
household admission, then you should receive a census form asking who lives in your household and a
request for recent photos.

When you come to use the pool, be sure to bring and show your season pass at the front desk - if you
requested season passes. If you requested household admission, then the staff at the front desk will
check our photos collection.

If you have any questions about our pool passes, please contact Louisa at (301) 871-2954

- Continued on page 16 -

The Bugle May 2017 6

Your Dolphins Summer
by Claire Pak
Dolphin 5K Run
The THIRD Annual Dolphin Run 5K, which runs right through
our beautiful neighborhood, will take place on Memorial Day,
Monday, May 29. Thats rightthe Strathmore Bel Pre
Dolphins do more than swim! Registration is $35; however,
early registration, available until Friday, May 26; is just $25.
Registration fees cover official timing and a t-shirt. Teams of
Five or more runners will receive a $10 per person discount, which applies to either early registration or
full price. Runners, walkers, and stroller-pushers are all welcome!

Think Swimming!
The Dolphins Swim Team season kicks off on June 17th! Please see the next issue of The Bugle, or
email me at claire0618@gmailcom, to be added to the Dolphins Google Group, for a detailed calendar
with meet dates and locations.

Donations are Welcomed

If you have received our annual mailing, please consider making a donation. Although most of the
teams operating budget is funded by team families through registration fees and fundraising, we do need
to raise additional funds to cover unexpected or larger expenses. For example, we had to replace the
team computer last year, an unexpected expense of over $800. Your generous donations make it
possible for us to maintain our equipment and technology, and to continue to meet daily operating costs.
- Continued on page 8 -

The Bugle May 2017 7

Dolphins Summer
(continued from page 7)

Join the Dolphins!

If you have considered signing your children up for the team, but
youre not sure what it involves, we invite you to contact any
Dolphins family or board member to learn more. We welcome
swimmers of ALL ability levels. Swimmers start as early as 3, in
the Developmental group, and our league allows swimmers to
compete until they reach age 18. Our Developmental group
offers small-group and individual instruction for beginning swimmers and non-swimmers. When children
can safely swim the length of the pool, they get to compete!

There is nothing better than a Dolphins summer! Team

swimming is a fun and healthy summer activity for children, but
the Strathmore Bel Pre Dolphins offer so much more. Many
team members and their families have formed strong and lasting
friendships, ones that would not have developed without the
swim team, and which endure long after swimmers grow up and
graduate from the Dolphins. Wed love for more of our
neighborhood families to enjoy the same experience. Board
member contact information appears below.
.

GREG MILLER President winstonhen@aol.com

MIKE BEARMAN Vice-President mbearman@vecna.com
CLAIRE PAK Secretary cdaltonpak@yahoo.com
RITA VAUGHT Treasurer rvaught@comcast.net
KAREN PURDY A Meet Manager klpurdy@hotmail.com
TERRY KOMINSKI Head Coach mermade1967@aol.com

Summer Concerts!
Two live music nights this summer featuring Strathmore Bel Pre musicians!

Saturday
June 17
7 pm to 9 pm
The Bubbas, featuring
ELIZABETH and PHIL KOMINSKI

Sunday
August 27
4 pm to 6pm
Motor Driven, featuring
PAUL STAGNITTO

The Bugle May 2017 8

 The Civic Association Announces
the 2017 Summer Movies!
The Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association will show four movies this summer,
each on a Saturday night at the Pool Pavilion. The Rain Date is the following
Sunday. Admission is free for Strathmore Bel Pre residents and their guests.
Mark your calendars today!

June 3

We Need Your Support!

We thank our sponsors whose generous financial support allows us to program
great movies and concerts each summer. Their support helps us to cover the
costs of licensing movies, hiring performers, and maintaining our equipment.

Summer Entertainment Sponsor Levels

Strathmore Bel Pre Superstar $500
Community Champion $250
July 15
Oscar Winner $100
Band Leader $25
Super Fan $10
All sponsors are recognized in The Bugle, and on our banner displayed at our
Summer Entertainment Series events. You can be a BAND LEADER! A
SUPER FAN! Its the perfect gift for your 2017 Summer!

Contact Civic Association Treasurer John Bogasky, or any other Civic

Association member to sponsor our Summer Entertainment Series. Your
support grows and sustains this new Strathmore Bell Pre tradition, that takes
advantage of our beautiful pool facilities.

August 5 These sponsors support this summers season. We have room for more!

Sept 2
The Bugle May 2017 9
WHAT MAKES IT REALLY SPRING
by Cecily Nabors
Scientifically speaking, the first day of spring is the vernal equinox, when day and night are of equal
length. Officially, spring starts on March 20. However, many people have a more personal definition of
when spring occurs.

For some, spring officially starts when the streaky red hoods of skunk cabbage poke out of a bog. For
others, it's when daffodils brighten the front yard, or baseball season starts, or when TV advertisers offer
charcoal briquettes. Sometimes I declare it to be spring when I find my first Jack-in-the-pulpit, or hear
American toads singing, or see a lovely display of rue-anemone by the Henson Trail.

Bugle editor CHRIS SWAN remembers her springs in the

frozen north, when the hills and mountains turned that
special color of yellow-green that appears as the trees
begin to leaf out. So pretty, and so fleeting. LOU MARTIN
says its spring when he hears the first jingly tune of the
neighborhood ice cream truck. Our neighbor LISA
MANTEL says spring means blooming forsythia and cherry
trees, and temperatures that allow windows to be open at
night. Our neighbor DAMARIS HAGGE, a runner, points out
that in spring, kids and adults come outside again; let drivers beware!

All these are definitely signs and portents of spring. Im a birder, though, and for me, Official Spring is
usually marked by the return of an eagerly awaited avian migrant. Every birder probably has a different
favorite, but the renewed presence of the birds, their music and beauty, mean so much after a cold dark
winter. When a special bird reappears, we know that the great cycle of life is continuing as it should.

Most local birders rejoice at the early return of Eastern phoebes with their bobbing tails and quirky
voices. Im happy to report that two or three males are already singing near Bel Pre Creek. In some
years, its the first sibilant song of a blue-gray gnatcatcher that tugs at my heart. These bright-eyed
charmers further endear themselves to me by decorating their small round nests with the orange bud-
scales of beeches, my favorite trees.

Sometimes spring clicks into place for me in an unexpected, but thoroughly satisfying way. One early
April day, while I was in our woods, engaged in the ongoing battle with garlic mustard and honeysuckle, I
heard a familiar, lively song. It was our first spring catbird! I hadn't realized how much I'd missed him.
Dapper in his gray suit and black cap, he sang cheerful encouragement while I pulled up invasive plants.

Then a downy woodpecker complained

about our empty suet feeder, so I lugged
my bagful of weeds to the garage and
brought out some suet. The little downy
hung back. The first bird to enjoy the feast
was my blithe companion, the gray
catbird.

"Welcome home," I told him.

Now, it's Officially Spring.

The Bugle May 2017 10

THE BULLETIN BOARD Updates from your neighborhood schools
by Elizabeth Kominski and Kathleen Lorenzo
NEWS FROM BEL PRE
PTA Meeting and Officers Election
The Strathmore/Bel Pre PTA will be holding a general
meeting and election of new officers on Thursday, May
25 at 6 PM in Strathmore's all purpose room before the
Spring Music Concert. The Spring Music Concert is
from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Please come out, join the
PTA, support our schools, and enjoy the concert!

Bel Pre Spirit Night

Join us for a fundraiser to support Bel Pre Elementary School. Come to the Chipotle at 13501
Connecticut Avenue, in the Aspen Hill Shopping Center, on Tuesday, May 16 th, between 5 pm and 9 pm.

Strathmore and Bel Pre Fundraiser

Joels Painting and Handyman Services will donate 10% of any new customer's job to Bel Pre and
Strathmore Elementary Schools. Please consider this company for your next job. Call Joels at
301-523-1207 or email joelpainting1@gmail.com. Their website:
www.joelspaintingandhandymanservices.com.

NEWS FROM STRATHMORE

Mosaic Mural Project
Planning and design are underway for the Strathmore Mosaic
Mural project! Local glass artist, ALI MIRSKY is working with
Strathmore's art teacher, SARA FORAKER, to finalize the design.
The estimated cost for the 13.5' wide by 6' high (81 square feet)
artwork is $5,265, which includes all supplies, teaching time, and
installation. The mural will be installed in place of the bulldog
sign that is currently underneath the "Strathmore Elementary"
sign on the front of the school (see photos).

Old sign with motto

Funds Still Needed!

We hope that the artwork will be completed and installed
before school starts next Fall. The theme is "Dream" which
goes along with Strathmore's motto, "Dream Big, Work Hard."
So far we have raised $2,442 towards this project. We still
need to fund $2,823. Please consider sending a tax
New Mural
deductible donation to Strathmore Elementary at 3200
Beaverwood Ln., Silver Spring MD, 20906. Checks should be made payable to Strathmore Elementary.
High school students who would like to earn SSL hours for helping with the mosaic, contact SARA
FORAKER at 301-460-2135 or email sara_c_foraker@mcpsmd.org.

- Continued on page 12 -

The Bugle May 2017 11

THE BULLETIN BOARD (continued from page 11)

NEWS FROM GEORGIAN FOREST

Monthly Beautification Project
On the first Saturday of each month at 10 a.m., the PTA
hosts a beautification play date. Families meet to clean
the playground area, path and wooded area surrounding
the school. It also provides children with the chance to
meet up and play with friends on the weekend.

All neighborhood families are welcome whether or not

you are a Grizzly! It is a great way to meet neighbors and
spend some time outside. Feel free to contact the PTA for
more information at infogfespta@gmail.com.

Painless Fundraising
Just a reminder that Georgian Forest PTA participates in the Amazon Associates program, an affiliate
advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees. There is no cost to you, the
only small caveat is that you must enter Amazon via our website. Please visit http://gfespta.my-pta.org
and start shopping by clicking on the link to Amazon at the top of the page. This does not conflict with
Amazon Smile. You can assist our PTA by starting on our website and a percentage of your purchases
will still be donated to your designated charity through Amazon Smile.

BOX TOPS are Welcome at all our Schools

Please collect box tops from General Mills products. Our schools receive 10 cents for each box
top. Drop them off in the BoxTop box located in each school s front office.

For More Information Bel Pre/Strathmore PTA

Georgian Forest ES PTA Bel Pre: 301-460-2145 Strathmore: 301-460-2135
School phone: 301-460-2170 PTA website: http://bps-pta.org/
PTA website: http://gfespta.my-pta.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/
123760599438/

Presidents Corner
(continued from page 3)

Join, Make Connections, Help Out, Enjoy

It takes each of us to build a community, and working together we
can build a really lovely neighborhood. One program at a time,
one great idea and a little effort and our community will blossom.
Please consider coming out to enjoy our programs. We have tried
to plan many different types of events hoping that at least one will
be of interest to everyone. Whether you enjoy listening to music, dancing, watching movies or parades,
or being on the swim team, try something and meet some of your neighbors. You will be happy you
did!! By participating, you contribute to your wellbeing, and that of our neighborhood. If you have ideas
for a new program, please let anyone on either Board know. We welcome new ideas! If you have a
little time on your hands, we welcome your help and assistance too. We still have several vacancies on
the Civic Association board! Anyone and everyone is welcome to attend our meetings at 7:30 pm on
the 4th Tuesday of each month at the Mid County Recreation Center off Layhill Rd. We would love to
see new neighbors attend our meetings anytime.

I look forward to meeting you on the trail, at the pool or at our next event!!
The Bugle May 2017 12
Updates from the The Glenmont Exchange gathers together businesses and
Glenmont Exchange community associations surrounding Glenmont. The
by John Bogasky Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association is a Founding Member.

As an information exchange, Glenmont Exchange meetings are a useful way to get updates on
developments in our area. Here are some updates from recent meetings:

Randolph Road/Georgia Avenue Interchange

The $77 million interchange project now is planned for
completion by December 31, 2017. There will be some
additional asphalt and paint work in Spring 2018. This is
6 to 8 months later than the original plan for a Spring
2017 completion.

We all look forward to the completion of this project!

Here, workers pour concrete for a section of the Georgia Avenue-

Randolph Road interchange in August 2016. (photo from Maryland State
Highway Administration)

Wheaton Redevelopment
The long-planned $167 million project to move the Park and Planning Commissions headquarters from
Silver Spring to Wheaton now expects to start construction on June 5th, after a June 4th groundbreaking
ceremony at the Taste of Wheaton. The building will replace the parking lot between Triangle Lane and
Grandview Ave, and add a new Wheaton Town Square along Reedie Drive. Completion of the office
building and town square is estimated for around November 2019.

With the start of construction, agencies in the Mid-County Regional Center building are being relocated.
The Wheaton Clean and Safe team has already been moved to the old Wheaton Rescue Squad building
on the corner of Grandview and Blueridge. After construction starts, the Mid-County building will be used
for a few months as a construction office, before being torn down to make way for the Town Square. You
can learn more at https://www.wheatonmd.org/discover/redevelopment.

The new Wheaton Town Square at the Metro

Station entrance, and an front of the new
Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning
Commission headquarters building.

- Continued on page 15 -

The Bugle May 2017 13

50 Plus Club Meetings
by Charlotte Potosky
Spring Events
The 50 Plus Club recently went to see Showboat at
Toby's Dinner Theater in Columbia. The show was
terrific and everyone had a good time. Hope everyone
is feeling well and looking forward to getting together
at the pool this summer!

Summer Events
We will be meeting at the pool, at the pavilion, on Wednesday, June 7th, at 5 PM, for our first meeting of
the Summer season. We each will be bringing our own dinner, and will be sharing desserts and snacks.
You will be called as to what dessert or snack to bring for sharing.

If you are interested in joining

the 50 Plus club and live in the
community, please call
CHARLOTTE POTOSKY at
301-460-9008 for more
information.

The Bugle May 2017 14

Glenmont Exchange
(Continued from page 13)

Hardware City
Hardware City in Kensington is closing. What I've
heard is that the owner passed away last year and the
business was inherited by a group of employees.
Apparently, the lease was up for renewal and the
landlord wanted to reclaim the warehouse annex
across Detrick Avenue for parking. No agreement was
reached and the new owners decided to close the
business. They also are selling the 3 land parcels that
they own to the south, which includes Hawkins, the
White House/market and the mulch pile. No word on
what will replace Hardware City. Maybe this becomes
the Trader Joes for the east side of the County?

Primrose School Coming to Layhill Road

On April 11th, we learned that the property at 14041
Layhill Road, between Layhill Road and the Mid-
County Recreation Center, had been purchased with
the intent to construct and operate a day care and
after school care center on this property.

Primrose Schools (www.primroseschools.com)

promotes itself as a nationally known system of
accredited private preschools and as a leader in early
education and childhood learning. They provide
accredited early education and care schools serving
infants through kindergarten, after-schoolers, and their
families and communities.

A community meeting is scheduled for April 26th, after

The Bugles deadlines for this edition. We can share
more details about the plans for the school in The
Bugles next edition.
- continued on page 18 -
The Bugle May 2017 15
Bel Pre Recreational News (continued from page 6)

Summer Entertainment Series

This years Summer Entertainment Series will feature 4 big-screen movies and 2 live music nights.
Admission is free. The movies start at dusk (about 8:30 pm).
This summers schedule:
Saturday, June 3 movie Trolls
Saturday, June 17 live music (7 to 9 pm) The Bubbas (featuring ELIZABETH & PHIL KOMINSKI)
Saturday, July 15 movie La La Land
Saturday, August 5 movie Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid
Sunday, August 27 live music (4 to 6 pm) Motor Driven (featuring PAUL STAGNITTO)
Saturday, September 2, movie Fantastic Beasts

Thanks to CHRIS SWAN (music) and JOHN

BOGASKY (movies) for organizing this events.
This is the 5th year that the Summer
Entertainment Series has been sponsored by
the Civic Association and the 4th year that its
been co-sponsored by the Recreational
Association.

Website
Since 2001, our communitys website has been at http://Strathmore-BelPre.org. During that time its
gone through several redesigns and expansions. If youd like a sneak preview of our new website, go
the http://StrathmoreBelPre.org (no dash between Strathmore and BelPre). The new site - once its
completed - will be smartphone friendly, allow for quicker updates, and allow us more layers of security.
Thanks to CHRIS JENNISON for making this happen.

Dolphin 5K
The 3rd annual Dolphin 5K Run will be held on Memorial Day
May 29 - at 8:00 am in the pool parking lot. Last years race
drew about 100 runners. ARISTEDES VILLATORO holds the course
record at 18:10. But dont worry, runners were still at it an hour
later. Runners, walker, volunteers, and spectators are all
welcome -- from newcomers to longtime veterans. For more
information, contact CLAIRE PAK at claire0618@gmail.com.

Thanks to the members of the STRATHMORE BEL PRE DOLPHINS SWIM TEAM for organizing this event.

Yard Sale
Saturday, June 3 - from 9 am to noon -- the Civic Association will sponsor and the Recreational
Association will host the 36th annual Strathmore Bel Pre Yard Sale. Tables and spaces are still available
if youd like to sell at the sale. Everyone is welcome to come and buy! Incredible bargains!

- continued on page 22 -

The Bugle May 2017 16

County Library News
by Chris Swan
Aspen Hill Library Mini-Renovation
The Mini-Renovation, aka refresh of the Aspen Hill Library is
on schedule. The Library is scheduled to open this spring,
Late May or early June. No word yet regarding the exact date.
New carpet and flooring is being installed. The Library also
will receive renovated bathrooms, a single information and
circulation desk, small group study rooms, a second, small Childrens project room, and new furniture.
The new head librarian, Ken Lewis, has posted his latest post tracking the Librarys progress, at:
montgomerycountymd/library/branches/aspenhill.html.

Refresh Progress for other Libraries

The Davis Library, on Democracy Boulevard, reopened on April 8th. No date has been set yet for the
re-opening of the Little Falls Library. The Quince Orchard and White Oak Libraries closed on April 15 th,
with their refresh projects starting soon thereafter. Each refresh should take about 6 months.

Follow the Library Refresh Projects

Each Library with a Refresh project has a blog written by their Chief Librarian, found at their branch
page on the County Librarys website. New blogs are now being written for Quince Orchard and Little
Falls.

Wheaton Interim Library

While the new Wheaton Library is being built, the upstairs room of the Wheaton Fire and Rescue Squad
serves as the Wheaton Interim Library. The Interim Library has books, computers, study tables, adult
and children's programming, and is open 7 days a week. Ample parking is behind the building, with an
elevator available to the second floor. Also available at the Mid-County Recreation Center are a book
and a media vending kiosk, and a book/media return.

The Bugle May 2017 17

Glenmont Exchange (Continued from page 15)

Wheaton Library and Recreation Center

By the time this article reaches your home, demolition of the Wheaton Library and the nearby Wheaton
Community Center should be complete. The final demolition of the Wheaton Library started in April.
They will be replaced by a brand new, combined Wheaton Library and Recreation Center. The new
center will feature open space and underground parking. You can see detailed photos and plans at
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DGS-BDC/MMC/361202.html

Site Plan for the new Wheaton

Library and Recreation Center

Aerial View of new

Wheaton Library and
Recreation Center,
looking southwest
towards Georgia Avenue

The Bugle May 2017 18

Strathmore Bel Pre Website Updates
by Chris Jennison
I was one of two new members elected to the Bel Pre Recreational Association Board at last years
Annual Meeting, but Ive been the webmaster of our neighborhoods site since early 2014. With BILL
HAMMONDs help getting me up to speed, AND ELLIOT CHABOTs help since, weve been able to get the
current website updated with some terrific information. You can now find plat maps for your property,
meeting minutes, electronic versions of The Bugle and more! After all that, we realized its time for a
website refresh.

New, Dynamic Website: strathmorebelpre.org

By Memorial Day, a new website at
StrathmoreBelPre.org will be launched! The old
website, Strathmore-belpre.org, will automatically
redirect to StrathmoreBelPre.org, so by visiting either
URL, you will visit the new site. There were many
reasons for this update. The new site will have a
more modern look, with an interface that allows us to
more easily update events, news, pictures and more.
It will also be a dynamic website, meaning that the
site automatically reformats based on whether youre
viewing the site on your phone, tablet or desktop
computer, so you see all the content. The old website
would scrunch itself to fit the screen of whatever
device you were viewing the content on, so text would
Old website on a cell New website on a
cell phone sometimes be too small to be viewable
phone

New Email Addresses for Association Officers

Through this switch, we are also now able to provide email addresses for our Civic and Recreational
Associations officers, so that there will be a continuous email even when people rotate or resign from the
boards. For example, rather than reaching me at my personal email address, you can now reach me at
webmaster@strathmorebelpre.org. That way, should I step down from being the webmaster in the future
[never, Ed.], my replacement will have better access to old information and files without reinventing the
wheel. The new email addresses will be found on page 2 of the next Bugle edition.

Cost Savings
The other great thing about this move is that we will be paying less money over time to our hosting
company. This is the company that keeps all of our files, documents, and website on their equipment
and makes it accessible by going to our Website URL. We had been using a smaller company, and by
switching to a better-known company, GoDaddy, we will have some decent cost savings.

Proposed Changes
Finally, in the coming year were going to be investigating the idea of switching to an Association
Management System. More than a website, this software would allow us to more completely manage all
of our association needs in one: an online billing system, a website, listservs, a more complete directory,
better maps. This system would also likely have an electronic check in system for the front desk of the
pool, so that we can better track usage statistics and recreation space usage and make decisions with
more information going forward. Such a system has greater costs and needs more maintenance.

Questions? Suggestions?
Please do to reach out to me anytime to provide suggestions or corrections for the website!

The Bugle May 2017 19

Strathmore Bel Pre Community
Sign Whacked Again
by John Bogasky
On January 1st, around 4pm, perhaps as a New Years
gift, Mother Nature chose to drop a 100-year-old tree
on top of the Strathmore Bel Pre community sign at the corner of Layhill Road and Hathaway Drive.

This time the tree destroyed the brick pillar on the right side of the community sign. It also took down a
metal light pole. Miraculously, the rest of the sign was not damaged.

It was the third time in the past 8 years that the sign has been damaged. The previous two times, in 2010
and 2011, automobiles jumped the curb and demolished the sign. Repair costs in those cases were
covered by the drivers automobile insurance. This time, with no driver and hence, no automobile
insurance, the Civic Association has filed a claim against our property insurance. We have also filed a
claim with the State since the tree that fell was on State property.

The sign is fully repaired now, and insurance

covered most of the cost. We want to thank
Strathmore Bel Pre resident PETROS
MARAFATSOS for his firms repair work on the
sign, and for the substantial discount he gave to
the Civic Association.

The Bugle May 2017 20

Community Programs at the Pool Pavilion
Coming this summer!
Neighborhood Safety and County Code Enforcement June
Last June, Montgomery County Police 4th District Capt. LAURA
LANHAM, (our very own) Detective KYE PAK, and Community Services
Officer Sharif HIDAYAT participated in a Neighborhood and Home
Safety program at our communitys pool pavilion, hosted by the Rec
and Civic Associations, Swim Team and 50 Plus Club.

Folks who attended it thought it was so good that were going to do it

again this summer. We also hope to have a representative of the
Code Enforcement Section, from the Countys Department of
Housing and Community Affairs. Date and time will be announced on
the Strathmore Bel Pre website and on the listserve. Come and bring
your questions!

WSSC and Water Pipe Insurance July

Do you have questions about our water service or about water pipe insurance? This summer, we hope to
have representatives of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (our local water authority) and
HomeServe USA (the company that WSSC has recommended for homeowner water pipe protection
plans) at the pool pavilion to give a presentation and answer your questions. Date and time will be posted
at the pool, and announced on the Strathmore Bel Pre listserve and website.

Strathmore School Fund Raiser

Neighborhood parents have organized a fundraiser and wine tasting
at the Olney Winery to raise funds for the new mural to be hung
outside of Strathmore Elementary. Tickets are $25 before the event,
and include a donation, plus either 5 wine tastings or one glass of
wine. A portion of each bottle sale that night will also go toward the
mural. Please consider coming out! The date is Thursday,
May 11 from 6 pm to 9 pm. The Olney Winery is located at 18127
Town Center Drive in Olney. Their website: olneywinery.com

New Mural
Parks and Recreation of the Future
Strathmore Bel Pre has 4 county parks: Beret Neighborhood Conservation Area, Georgian Forest Local
Park, Matthew Henson Greenway, and Strathmore Local Park. What do they need?

The Montgomery County Parks Department has three major plans under development: their
Capital Improvement Program; the 2017 Parks, Recreation and Open
Space Master Plan; and the Energized Public Spaces Functional
Master Plan. The Department has an online survey requesting our
comments and suggestions, to be used to shape those plans.
Questions cover new park locations, renovation of existing parks, and
park programs and amenities. The survey is found under the Parks
and Recreation Future page:
http://www.montgomeryparks.org/projects/public-input/ This is an
excellent chance to tell the Parks Department your thoughts and vision
for our Parks.!

The Bugle May 2017 21

Bel Pre Recreational News (continued from page 16)

Pavilion Reservations! Tennis Court Access!

If you would like to reserve the pavilion for a family event,
please contact Louisa Hoar, our Pavilion Usage Coordinator,
at (301) 871-2954. Louisa is also the BPRAs Pool Pass
Coordinator and Tennis Court Keys Distributor! In certain
circumstances, the pavilion can be reserved for after hours
times, as well as during regular pool hours.

Neighborhood Dispute Resolution

If you have a dispute with a member of the neighborhood that you just dont seem to be able to resolve,
please remember that the BPRAs Neighborhood Dispute Resolution Committee is available.

The Bugle May 2017 22