June Ebca Newsletter

Neighborhood News WWW.EBCA.ORG

JUNE/JULY 2009

Representing the 1200 households North of East-West Highway, South of Jones Bridge Road, East of Wisconsin Avenue and West of Columbia Country Club.

Presidents’ Notebooks Hello...

Goodbye...

By Greg Volz, Incoming President

By Ilaya Hopkins, Outgoing President

I want to share a quick story. My wife, Kelly, and I decided we needed a bigger house so we started to look at homes from Potomac to Annapolis. I loved the space, the big yards and of course the garage!! What guy doesn’t love a big garage. However, we always came back to our 1,700 square foot, garage-less home and our terrific neighbors, the restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, dry cleaners, metro stop, and on and on. We came to the realization that we have everything we need right here in East Bethesda. We are so fortunate to live in this great community. Which brings me to why I chose to take on the role as President of East Bethesda Citizens Association. I want to help make this an even better place to come home. My goals for the next year are pretty simple and inline with our objectives as stated in the EBCA Bylaws: 1. Unite residents and promote the betterment of our neighborhood 2. Get people involved in our organization 3. Operate within the framework of our Bylaws. My focus will be within the physical boundaries of EBCA: Jones Bridge Rd to Columbia CC to East West Highway and Wisconsin Ave.: approximately 1300 homes. This is a list of ideas to help get the ball rolling: • Develop a closer relationship with BCC High School and promote school events such as sporting and theater. We can include the school events calendar on our website and have an EBCA night at a football game. • Tie the various neighborhood block parties together in a way that we can broaden our horizons a bit and get to know others in our

The May general membership meeting covered important topics but the theme was clear: we all benefit when we look out for one another. From cleaning up standing water in our yards to help abate the mosquito problem in the near by area, to picking up extra newspapers at houses that are unoccupied, to watching for suspicious activity and reporting it to the police—all of these actions help to keep our neighborhood clean, safe and a great place to live. As for the issue of delivery of the Examiner newspaper, when contacted the paper says that they do honor an individual’s request to stop delivery. Therefore, we will not pursue stoppage of delivery for the neighborhood. To stop delivery at your address, call 703 560-4000 or go online to www.dcexaminer.com. If you have problems with that, you can contact the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection at [email protected] or www.montgomerycountymd.gov/consumer. As for papers left at homes that are unoccupied, it is helpful if we can all pitch in and add them to our recycling to keep our streets clean and our storm water paths clear. On a personal note, the meeting was also important because we were able to pass the torch to the next group of residents who are keen on strengthening our community. I am very excited about the energy and ideas they bring to the organization. Obviously, this does not happen without the support of a number of people. I’d like to use this opportunity to thank so many volunteers who have been involved over the last two years; to Dave Saltzman and Tori Hall who have been fantastic VPs, each pursuing issues of importance to them and the community; to Dorian Patchin and Carmen Abrams who brought our website up to the

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Committee Leadership Openings Have you ever thought that you might like to get just a little more involved in the neighborhood. Many former committee chairs have stepped into other leadership roles in EBCA. That makes this the perfect opportunity for you to help plan an event. • Social Chair: organizes annual events such as the Halloween Parade, Yard Sale and picnics. • Membership Chair: maintains the database of duespaying members. • Parks & Playgrounds Chair: organizes clean-ups several times a year.

East Bethesda Citizens Association, Inc. PO Box 41020 Bethesda, MD 20824 www.ebca.org Neighborhood News Jay Briar, Editor [email protected] Sponsorship, Vacant [email protected] Greg Volz, Incoming President Ilaya Hopkins, Outgoing President Kevin Kraus, Incoming 1st Vice President Rebecca Fayed, Incoming 2nd Vice President David Saltzman, Outgoing 1st Vice President Tori Hall, Outgoing 2nd Vice President A.B. Carneal, Recording Secretary Jack Hayes, Treasurer Dan Fox, Outgoing Past President Andy O’Hare, Crescent Trail Monica Hayes, Education Eleanor Rice, NIH Liaison Carmen Abrams, Website Dorian Patchin, Website Leslie Weber, Welcome Packets Membership, Vacant Parks & Playgrounds, Vacant Social Events, Vacant

J/J 2009

Goodbye... Continued from page 1... new level we are all enjoying; to Rebecca Fayed for her thoroughness and thoughtfulness growing the membership; to David Kauffman for launching and continuing to help with our newsletter sponsorship program; to Jay Briar who does an extraordinary job of taking lots of bits of information and pulling them together in a cohesive and informative newsletter; to AB Carneal for providing details on meetings to those who cannot attend in person; to Kevin Kraus for keeping our parks beautiful; to Monica Hayes who worked so hard this last year to make sure the voices of East Bethesda residents were heard in the school assignment discussion; and, most importantly, to Jack Hayes, our treasurer but so much more. I don’t know where we would be without his knowledge and institutional memory of East Bethesda, downtown Bethesda and the county. I’d also like to thank everyone for the beautiful plaque with the aerial photo of our neighborhood and the kind words. Serving as president has been a great honor and a wonderful opportunity to meet and get to know so many neighbors in East Bethesda.

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Hello... Continued from page 1... neighborhood. We can establish a block party cook off, tennis tournament, and an East Bethesda little league baseball team. • Explore the possibilities of building a neighborhood pool. • Re-energize our neighborhood watch program. • Continue to strengthen and promote the communication tools we have available like the website, newsletter, and other means. I would like to create an opt-in neighborhood phone directory or listing on the website too. We need to get more people involved and increase the percentage of dues paying members which right now is hovering at around 30%. We have a lot of talented, creative and energetic people in this neighborhood. We need to tap into these resources to help us achieve these goals. I’m excited about this opportunity. I look forward to working with the executive committee and meeting more people in this great neighborhood. I encourage you to contact me with your ideas and, more importantly, how you plan to execute your idea! Finally, I want to thank Ilaya Hopkins for her two years of dedicated service to EBCA. She and her team have taken on a lot of issues facing our community. One of the most important efforts, in my opinion, is developing our website. You need to check it out if you haven’t already, www.ebca.org. In addition, we have been well represented on the Purple Line, BRAC and school choice issues, not to mention the social events such as the Halloween parade and labor day picnic. We are fortunate to have a great voice for EBCA as Ilaya focuses her efforts on a larger county scale.

J/J 2009

Neighbor Motorcycles in Africa for Charity An East Bethesda resident is one of six Americans participating in Enduro Africa, a fundraiser and motorcycle trek through Southern Africa in October that benefits four charities providing HIV prevention, education, and support in the region. Andrew Forsyth, 43, registered in December for the fundraiser and 2000-km off-road ride organized by UK-based Global Enduro, a social

enterprise that seeks to profit from helping others. The 8-day trip begins on October 2nd in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, ancestral home of Nelson Mandela. In signing up, he has committed to raising a minimum of $7,500 in donations. “This is the first time I’ll have done anything like this,” said Forsyth, “and I’m floored by the tremendous response, words of

encouragement, and generous donations from my family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to these incredible charities -- even in the midst of this dismal economic climate.” An avid motorcyclist for 4 years, Forsyth’s riding experience has been limited to area highways, expressways, and backroads. Except for his years as a mountain biker, he has never ridden off-road. “I know the principles and techniques of riding on two wheels in the dirt, gravel, and muck,” he says, “but there’s a big difference between keeping 25 and 300 pounds of bike under control.” He expects to complete offroad training school in the coming months. Forsyth, who is a program officer in the AIDS Center at the National Institute for Mental Health, works with scientists in the U.S. and beyond to develop, test, and disseminate innovative strategies to stem new HIV infections worldwide. He recently completed a two-day fund drive that raised an additional $1000 for the charities, bringing him just over the halfway point for the minimum required for participation. “But I’m expecting record donations and I hope to crush my $10,000 fundraising goal.” Donations will benefit UNICEF, Sentebale, TouchAfrica, and Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. He publishes two or three updates per week on his blog on HIV prevention and his progress raising funds, planning, and training for the adventure at www.andrewsenduroafrica2009.blo gspot.com.

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Meet the New Greg Volz, President Lynbrook Drive Greg and his wife, Kelly, and live on Lynbrook Drive near BCC High School. “We've lived in the neighborhood for 8 years and love it! Our neighbors are terrific and very helpful when it comes to raising three kids under the age of four,” Greg wrote. You will find his family at Lynbrook Park, the Starbucks on East-West Highway or Woodmont Avenue, Ben & Jerry's, or dropping off their twin boys at Our Lady of Lourdes School. Greg feels East Bethesda is a wonderful place to live and raise his children. He is a sales executive for Quebecor World, a print and logistics company. They have four children; the oldest, Caroline, will be a senior this fall at Holton-Arms.

Kevin Kraus, 1st Vice President South Chelsea Lane Kevin and his wife, Pascale, have lived on Rosedale Avenue for the past ten years. “East Bethesda has been an important part of my life; I am continually delighted with the neighbors who have gathered here in this beautiful place,” Kevin recently wrote of his time in EBCA. For several years, he was the Chair of the Parks and Playgrounds committee for which he organized volunteer events to clean up our recreational spaces, affording him the opportunity to meet and work with many neighbors. He hopes to continue this leadership on a broader scale as first vice-president of the association.

Rebecca Fayed, 2nd Vice President Chestnut Street Rebecca lives on Chestnut Street with her husband and 2-year old son. They have lived in Bethesda for six years and moved to East Bethesda just about a year ago. “We love living in East Bethesda because we can ride our bikes on the trail to Giffords for ice cream, walk to Starbucks with our son in his wagon, and spend countless hours at Lynnbrook Park on the playground equipment. We also truly enjoy the small town feel of the neighborhood where people actually stop to talk to each other or give a friendly wave,” Rebecca said. She was the Chair of the EBCA Membership Committee last year, and she is excited to become even more involved as the 2nd Vice President.

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EBCA Officers Jack Hayes, Treasurer Kentucky Avenue Jack has been active in East Bethesda for years, holding a variety of positions including President, and is also active in the larger community having served as Executive Director of the Bethesda Urban Partnership and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Cluster Coordinator. He has also donated his own time and efforts to beautify the neighborhood by taking care of the fields and building the kiosks where we post info. He lives on Kentucky Avenue with his wife Monica and their children. He still gets out on the sport field often, coaching several of his kids’ teams. If you want to know anything about Bethesda and Montgomery County, he is your go-to guy.

AB Carneal, Secretary South Chelsea Lane AB and her husband Ted moved to East Bethesda from Northwest DC in November of 2005 when their daughter, Maggie, was 18 months old and she was newly pregnant with their son, Wyatt. They were sad to trade the culture and convenience of the city for settling down in what she saw as the 'burbs, but they needed the space and to start growing some roots. She now says it is clear that they made the right choice moving here. AB added, “Having this kind of neighborly community is something we never had in DC. This is a good place for us to be and to grow. I have come to see it as more of a village than merely the 'burbs. And it takes a village.”

Ilaya Hopkins, Past President North Chelsea Lane Ilaya and her husband, Bob, live in Glenbrook Village with their two sons, Owen and Graham, and new puppy, Zoey. “I have thoroughly enjoyed representing our neighborhood over the last two years as president. This community has provided our family with wonderful friends, neighbors and support over the years; it has been an honor to give back. Even though my term as president has come to an end, my interest in community will continue,” Ilaya said. Currently she is a residential representative on the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board and a board member of Bethesda Green. She will also stay active in the PTAs at Rosemary Hills and North Chevy Chase Elementary Schools.

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Check Out the EBCA.org Messageboard

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Neighborhood Roundup Parks Clean-Up Thank you to Parks Committee Chair Kevin Kraus and his dedicated band of park beautifiers (pictured) for all your hard work! The area around the Lynnbrook Recreation Center looks terrific. Councilwoman Nancy Floreen (DAt-Large) stopped by to see for herself what our park clean up day is all about. She was very complimentary of all the volunteer work. “Rainscape” Your Property The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection Rainscapes program is seeking residential, commercial, and private institutional property owners to improve storm water runoff conditions by installing more natural drainage projects. The Rainscapes Program is a voluntary program which provides the opportunity for residents and property owners to participate in the effort to improve local water quality. These projects are designed to slow rainwater runoff and reduce the amount of storm water entering local streams, increase groundwater supply, and reduce chemical and nutrient pollutants entering waterways. Other environmental benefits of these projects include reduced energy consumption, and air pollution from lawn mowers, reduced water use for irrigation during droughts, and increased biodiversity in the suburban landscape. These unique landscaping enhancements can also add value to your property. The Rainscapes Rewards rebate program began on January 1, 2008. Single family residential property

owners may receive a financial reward of up to $1,200 per residential lot, depending on project type and actual costs. Multi-family, commercial, and private institutional landowners may receive up to $5,000. Financial rewards will be granted for the new installation of: • rain gardens • replacement of turf grass with conservation landscaping utilizing native plants • creation of new urban tree canopy • replacement of existing impervious cover with permeable pavers • green roofs • rain barrels • cisterns • dry wells Regional Priorities Polled A major new survey of area residents from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments indicates that schools, safe streets, good jobs, and access to health care are the leading priorities to which

residents want their tax dollars allocated. Findings from the comprehensive survey, Priorities for a Growing Region, also show that residents view transportation, education, and the economy as the most important long-term issues facing the region. For the complete report, visit www.mwcog.org/news/ press/detail.asp?NEWS_ID=369. Local Child Care MCPS Child Development is now enrolling three and four year olds for the 2009-2010 school year. Classes run Monday through Thursday from 9:10-11:00 a.m. at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. The fee is approximately $300 for next year on a sliding scale. For more information or an application, contact Carolyn Breen at [email protected] or 301 951-6664 Summer Concerts Wednesday Afternoons, 12-2 p.m. Bethesda Place Plaza Thursday Evenings, 6-8 p.m. Veterans Park

It is a new year in EBCA! Time to renew your membership for 20092010. Get your voice is heard! Please support our neighborhood activities, this newsletter, and the community activism that makes East Bethesda one of the most desirable places in which to invest and raise a family. $15 per member, but additional contributions are always welcome. EBCA - Membership P.O. Box 41020 Bethesda, MD 20824 Members _____________________________________ Address _____________________________________ Phone _____________________________________ E-mail _____________________________________ Number of Members _____ x $15 each = $_____ EBCA will not share your contact information with anyone outside of the organization.

Inside This Issue Hello & Goodbye....................... 1 Biking for Charity .................... 3 Meet the Officers................... 4-5 Neighborhood Roundup ........... 7

It is time to renew your EBCA membership. Visit www.EBCA.org for more information...