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Monday, September 1stLabor Day Picnic

Inside This Issue

Volunteers.......................2NNMC & NIH.................3Recycling News...............4Membership Letter.........7

President’s NotebookPresident’s NotebookPresident’s NotebookPresident’s Notebook

By Ilaya Hopkins, President

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

Neighborhood News

AUGUST 2008AUGUST 2008AUGUST 2008AUGUST 2008 WWW.EBCA.ORG WWW.EBCA.ORG WWW.EBCA.ORG WWW.EBCA.ORG

Summer used to seem endless.Somehow, this one seems to beflying by! Hopefully, you have hada chance to enjoy many of thewonderful things Bethesda has tooffer – farmers market, freeconcerts, outdoor movies, sounds of cicadas, fireworks and beautifulgardens around theneighborhood. A great way to capoff the season is the annual EBCA Labor Day Picnic being held thisyear on Monday, September 1 from2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sandy Spagnolo,Social Chair, is looking forvolunteers to help with shifts.Please contact her atsocial@ebca.org to sign up. Volunteers are critical to thesuccess of our association and thevibrancy of our neighborhood.Inside you’ll find a list of just a fewof the people who give their timeand energy to various causes forEBCA. We’ve also recruitedresidents to help with theplayground at Lynnbrook Park(Karen Auerbach) and provide aliaison to the Lynnbrook DaycareCenter (Miebeth Janssens) and Iam happy to announce that wehave a new MembershipCommittee Chair, Rebecca Fayed,who will help keep track of ourgrowing numbers.Many thanks to the over 50people who have already sent 2008-2009 membership dues ($15 pervoting member). Inside you willfind our annual membership duessolicitation and a pre-addressedenvelope to make dues paying aseasy as possible. We hope ouralready great memberparticipation will be even strongerin the coming year. Paying yourdues is an important part of supporting our community. As you can see through thevarious articles and updates in thisissue of the newsletter, there isplenty of activity going on in andaround East Bethesda. On behalf of EBCA, we hope you will find theinformation you need and beinspired to get involved in theissues that matter to you. We lookforward to seeing you on Labor Dayand at our first generalmembership meeting of the newfiscal year on Wednesday,September 17th at the LynnbrookRecreation Center on NewdaleRoad. Until then, stay cool andenjoy the rest of the summer!The draft environmental impactstatement (EIS) for the PurpleLine is scheduled to be released onSeptember 19th. The westterminus for the Purple Line isBethesda and the route will impactEast Bethesda one way or anotherwhether it be on the trail or JonesBridge Road. As with the BRACEIS, there will be a publiccomment period, and everyoneshould send in their thoughts. A number of citizen groups havebeen formed around the variousissues. Here are a few of thewebsites that have been brought tothe attention of EBCA:Maryland Transit Administrationwww.purplelinemd.comRethinking the Purple Linewww.rethinkingthepurpleline.org Alliance for Smart Transportationwww.a4stmd.comPurple Line Now!www.purplelinenow.comThe September 17th EBCA general membership meeting willfocus on the providing informationabout the Purple Line to encourageeveryone to send in comments.More information will be providedin the September newsletter.

PurplePurplePurplePurpleLineLineLineLinePlansPlansPlansPlans

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Neighborhood News

AUG 2008

Going Up & Coming Down

A public hearing on “The Veneto,” a mixed-useresidential and commercial structure planned for thewest quadrant at the intersection of Norfolk and Cordell Avenues, took place on July 10th. A pre-submission meeting took place on July 9th for“The Monty,” mixed-use project with up to 200multifamily dwelling units and additional retail space at4915 and 4917 Fairmont Avenue and 4914 and 4918 St.Elmo Avenue. If you are interested in more informationon either of these projects, contact the DevelopmentReview Division of M-NCPPC. A pre-application meeting and request for approval of site plan took place on July 14

for "Woodmont View," amultifamily residential and restaurant at Woodmont Avenue between Battery Lane and the NationalInstitutes of Health. A pre-submission public meetingand request for approval of project plan for "NorthwestPark at Woodmont," a mixed-use, residential andcommercial property at 8240 Wisconsin Avenue, tookplace on July 15th. For more info on either of theseprojects, contact Debra Borden of Linowes and Blocherat 301-961-5250 or dborden@linowes-law.comThe developer of the Woodmont East II project hasformed an advisory group to help shape the public space.Penina Maya from East Bethesda has agreed torepresent EBCA.Thanks to all the many individuals who help keep EBCA running and serving you, especially our manycommittee and special project chairs. This month we recognize, from left, Sandy Spagnolo, Social Chair, Jay Briar,Newsletter Editor, and Kevin Kraus, Parks & Playgrounds Chair. If you are interested in helping out in any of these areas or others, please contact president@ebca.org.

Volunteer Spotlight Volunteer Spotlight Volunteer Spotlight Volunteer Spotlight

Reminder:

Trash pick-up will be one day later the week of Labor Day; Thursday for most readers.

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Neighborhood News

AUG 2008

East Bethesda CitizensAssociation, Inc.PO Box 41020Bethesda, MD 20824www.ebca.org

Neighborhood News

Jay Briar, Editornewsletter@ebca.orgDavid Kauffman, Sponsorshipsponsorship@ebca.orgIlaya Hopkins, PresidentDavid Saltzman, 1st Vice PresidentTori Hall, 2nd Vice President A.B. Carneal, Recording SecretaryJack Hayes, TreasurerDan Fox, Immediate Past President Andy O’Hare, Crescent TrailMonica Hayes, EducationMembership, VacantEleanor Rice, NIH LiaisonKevin Kraus, Parks & PlaygroundsSandy Spagnolo, Social EventsDorian Patchin, Website

Leslie Weber, Welcome Packets

More Helicopters Than Usual?

An inquiry to the NNMCrevealed that there have indeedbeen more inbound helicopterflights than usual this summerthan in the past. This is due, inpart, to a change over in personnel.Newly assigned pilots are requiredto complete a number of practice approaches inorder to be qualifiedto do Medevactransports to thecampus. Thesetraining flightsinvolve circling thecampus severaltimes beforecompleting a touch-and-go landing. This is atemporary situation, and the Navy,through the base realignmentprocess, has stated that thereshould not be a significant increasein helicopter activity due to theexpansion.

Medical Center Construction

Construction is well underway atthe National Naval Medical Center(NNMC), future home of the newWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center. The officialgroundbreaking took place on July3rd when President Bush used thesame shovel as President FranklinRoosevelt over 40 years ago.Staging and building of aconstruction entrance have beenthe most visible signs. There hasalso been some demolition to makeway for a new, privately-fundedNational Intrepid Center forExcellence (ICE), for psychologicalhealth issues and traumatic braininjury. For more updates, visitwww.montgomerycountymd.gov/brac.If you have questions or concernsabout the construction, contact thehotline at 301-319-BRAC (2722).This number, which will be postedon the NNMC web site, will allowthe community to contact NNMCand express concerns about day-to-day issues related to construction,including safety, noise and otherfactors that might negativelyimpact the quality of life for thosewho live and work near theNNMC campus. The phonewill be staffed weekdaysfrom 8:00 a.m. to 4:00p.m. with an answeringmachine taking calls atoff-hours. The hoursmay be adjusted onceconstruction begins.

NIH Charity Drive

Randy Schools of the NIHRecreation and Welfare Association, along with otherBethesda community leaders, havebeen working without local chapterof the American Red Cross toprovide assistance to soldierswounded in Iraq and Afghanistanwho are receiving treatment atBethesda NNMC. With the help of others in the community, Randy’sgroup was able to upgrade thecomputer system used by thesoldiers’ families, provide DVDplayers, recruit local restaurants toprovide weekend meals forfamilies, and provide new moviereleases on DVDs on a weeklybasis that the soldiers can watchon their DVD players, since manyare confined to their beds forsometimes as long as several weeksor months.The initial money obtained forDVDs has been depleted so a newgiving opportunity has beenlaunched: The Bethesda 52 Club!52 generous individuals are neededto each give $52dollars tohelp inpurchasingthe DVDs,and insomeinstances,supplementthe existingdining program.If you would like to be part of this effort, please forward a checkin the amount of $52 made out to:NIH Recreation and WelfareFoundation, 9000 Wisconsin Avenue, Building 31 A, B1W30,Bethesda, MD 20892, Attn:Bethesda Outreach.