June 8, July 13, & August 10
6:30 - 7:30 PM Games / Snacks / Social Hour
7:30 - 8:30 PM Village Planning Meeting
All Neighbors Welcome!
2022 is a local election year in Montgomery County. The Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association, Friends of the Aspen Hill Library, Aspen Hill Library Advisory Committee, Aspen Hill Civic Association, and Glenmont Exchange will be holding a series of candidates forums, so that members of our community can see the candidates live and ask questions.
The forms are scheduled to start at 7:30 pm on:
Thursday, March 10 - County Council (At Large)
Thursday, April 7 - County Executive
Thursday, May 5 - State Legislature (District 19)
Thursday, May 12 - County Council (District 6)
Wednesday, May 25 - School Board
The March 10 forum will (County Council - At Large) be held on Zoom. For more information (or to submit
a question for the candidates) send an e-mail to AspenHillForums@gmail.com, with “Candidate forum” in the
subject line.
The other forums will be held on Zoom or at the Aspen Hill Library - depending on COVID-19 conditions.
2022 is a local election year in Montgomery County. The Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association, Friends of the Aspen Hill Library, Aspen Hill Library Advisory Committee, Aspen Hill Civic Association, and Glenmont Exchange will be holding a series of candidates forums, so that members of our community can see the candidates live and ask questions.
The forms are scheduled to start at 7:30 pm on:
Thursday, March 10 - County Council (At Large)
Thursday, April 7 - County Executive
Thursday, May 5 - State Legislature (District 19)
Thursday, May 12 - County Council (District 6)
Wednesday, May 25 - School Board
The March 10 forum will (County Council - At Large) be held on Zoom. For more information (or to submit a question for the candidates) send an e-mail to AspenHillForums@gmail.com, with “Candidate forum” in the subject line.
The other forums will be held on Zoom or at the Aspen Hill Library - depending on COVID-19 conditions.
Update!
The winners are:
First Place: The Synkoski Family (2614 Belle Crest Lane)
Second Place: The Miller Family (14221 Burning Bush Lane)
Third Place: Tyler Kominski (13832 Beacon Hollow Ln)
———
The contest page is strathmorebelpre.org/halloween, Updates will posted on that page.
Wanting to keep up the Halloween spirit in this pandemic, the Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association, Swim Team, and Bel Pre Recreational Association have partnered for a pumpkin decorating contest.
Whether you carve your pumpkin, paint it, draw all over it, add props, candles, lights, be sure to take a photo of it, and enter the contest! You can win real prizes, bragging rights, and publication in the Winter 2021 Bugle.
The contest has 3 categories:
Strathmore Bel Pre- themed pumpkins
Spooky or scary pumpkins
Funny or cute pumpkins
Photo entries are due by November 7, 2020
Vote (once) for your favorite pumpkin in each category by November 14, 2020
Choose your votes wisely, since you will only be able to vote once. Voter forms will be emailed on the SBP listserv and posted on this site on November 8, 2020.
Contest winners will be announced at the Rec Association Annual Meeting, November 19, 2020
Winners will be featured in the Bugle and on this website and will have the spooktacular pride of the neighborhood!
You can view the latest bugle here (link).
Check it out:
Annual Meetings on Zoom, November 19 and December 1st
White Deer in the Matthew Henson Greenway
Swim Team Season Results
Georgia Ave and Paving?
Pumpkin Contest!! Decorate and/or Carve Pumpkins
Not only can you enter the contest, you can vote on the winners!
Real Prizes!
The Breakaways, featuring Elizabeth & Phil Kominski postponed. Date not yet set
Where: SBP Pool Parking Lot
Who: SBP residents including children/grandchildren. No guests allowed
No more than 50 attendees, per County Covid-19 guidelines Reservations: Email cswan@usa.net with your name and number of people. First come, First served.
Date/time stamp on email used to break ties.
Protocols :
Each family assigned two parking spaces as a “pod” (see attached map)
Masks required if you leave your pod.
Masks highly recommended in your pod when outside car.
Pool bathrooms will be open. Wash your hands.
If needed, move within your pod to maintain social distance from folks in adjacent pods.
Tall vehicles (SUVs, Vans, Pickups) must park in edge spots (see attached map)
Children need to be accompanied by an adult (old enough to drive).
Parking spaces are first come, first served.
You must have a reservation to attend.
As you might expect, our annual tradition of Fourth of July celebrations at the SBP Pool and throughout our community will look a little different this year. The BPRA and Civic Association are working to finalize plans to make our holiday still as festive as possible.
Come join our 4th of July Celebration and “Parade of Cars!”
Parade will begin at 12:30 pm, July 4th
Strathmore Elementary School on Beaverwood Lane.
Arrive anytime after 11:45 am to register if you haven’t done so and take your place in line. Cars will line up single file.
It is a Strathmore Bel Pre tradition to have a parade, a picnic and childrens’ events to bring us all together and celebrate our country’s birthday! This year due to Corvid -19, we have a couple of new events for our community. First, you are invited to participate in our “Patriotic Car Parade!” The goal is to decorate your car in our red, white and blue colors! You don’t need to decorate or sign up to be in the parade, but we look forward to seeing the creativity of our community! We do encourage you to let us know if you plan to have your car in the parade so that we can estimate the number of cars participating.
Judging of the “Most Patriotic” cars will take place at the end of our parade when we return to Strathmore Elementary School. The three winners will be notified at that time and their prizes will be sent through USPS mail. Please note: the three judges will be present to evaluate each registered vehicle as it returns to the school.
To be a part of the parade, parade cars need to arrive between 11:30am and noon at Strathmore Elementary School (Beaverwood Lane). Registration will be available for last minute participants. The parade will start at 12:30pm. Let’s all be ready!
Here is the map for our parade route..
July 4th Activity for children: Art on SBP’s Website!
Our young people will have their special celebration, too. In lieu of marching in the parade, we invite the children and teens (young adults) in our community to exhibit their skills in an art contest. We have pre-printed age-appropriate art for our young artists to color. Some of them were created by Michael Hammond, a professional artist, who grew up in our community.
You can get the printed sketches by emailing to Bill Hammond at w.m.hammond@verizon.net. Please include the ages of your child/children so they get the appropriate sketches. Older children may wish to create their own art work.
When the picture is completed, please scan it or take a photo of it and email it as an attachment to the same email address.Be sure to include the artist’s name and age for each work. Your entries will be displayed on our community’s website at strathmorebelpre.org in a special July 4th section. All art entries must be submitted by Labor Day, September 7th, 2020 to be included on the www.strathmorebelpre.org website and in the Bugle as space permits.
We hope you will join us and help make our July 4th Celebration a great event!! Any questions, please contact our July 4th Celebration Co-chairs Bill (301-509-4621) or Lilla Hammond (301-518-7818).
Check out the latest edition of the Bugle here, for information including:
COVID delays and pool opening plans;
SBP Dolphin season updates;
Cub Scout trash cleanup;
10 years of SBP listserv use;
an update on the Aspen Hill Kaiser Permanente health center;
and more!
As always, thanks to our sponsors:
Meals on Wheels of Wheaton;
Barrie School;
Paulette Ladas of RE/MAX;
Tim Horst of Long & Foster;
Ballou Gardening;
Lilla HAmmond and Michael Hammond of Long & Foster;
Robert Pence Remodeling;
Sole D’Italia;
The March 2020 Bugle is now here! Read all about it here.
Extra extra, read all about it! The October 2019 Bugle is now here.
The current pool rules were adopted 25 years ago. For the last year, the BPRA's Governing Documents Committee has been working on developing an updated version that reflects current actual practices, current County requirements for community pools, and -- we hope -- the expectations of the community.
Linked is a draft proposal that the Committee has developed. Your comments and suggestions for additional modifications would be greatly appreciated. We want to get this right!
In addition to covering the pool rules, the proposal also include the tennis court rules, the pavilion rules, and the parking lot rules.
Contact Elliot Chabot with any questions.
Dear Neighbor:
Your payment of $225 was due March 1st, 2019, for the BRPA annual assessment. You should have received a print letter in the mail, as well as an email possibly, instructing you how to pay your $225 assessment on time.
Why must this be paid?
Your payment is required by law. There is a land-use covenant attached to your property deed, which is recorded in the Montgomery County Land Records. When you bought your home, you accepted the legal responsibility to pay this assessment as long as you own the home. Copies of the covenants are available on the Strathmore Bel Pre community website: https://www.StrathmoreBelPre.org/government-documents/, under the “Covenants – Bel Pre Recreational Association” heading.
What is the benefit?
The annual assessment pays for your recreational facilities maintenance and their operation on the Association’s property at 13920 Bethpage Lane. The pool will be open from Saturday, May 25 until Labor Day, Monday, September 2. The tennis and basketball courts are open year-round. Our marvelous facilities are for your use and enjoyment and are great way to be part of our Association, and to meet your neighbors.
How do I pay?
We strongly encourage you to pay via Quickbooks Online E-Billing. Quickbooks Online E-Billing allows the treasurer to provide an electronic invoice to your email address for the collection of your HOA annual dues which can be paid via ACH bank transfer/E-Check at no additional charge. This electronic process will save the volunteer BPRA Treasurer plenty of time. You may also pay by check, if you prefer. Whether you pay by Quickbooks Online E-Billing or by check, please fill out and return the form on the back of this letter. Mail the form to The Bel Pre Recreational Association, Inc., P.O. Box 6370, Silver Spring, MD 20916-6370.
May I pay late?
If you have not paid your assessment by March 31, the Association is required by a County Government order to charge an additional 6% per annum interest. Also, there is a $22.50 late fee and any additional costs of collection.
What happens if I do not pay?
The Association will put a lien on your property deed. Additional costs of collection, including attorneys’ fees, court filing fees, etc., will be added to the amounts you owe, and must be paid in addition to each of any unpaid annual assessment amounts.
Questions? If you have any questions about the assessment or about BRPA, please call BPRA President Elliot Chabot at (301) 871-1113, or email the BPRA Treasurer.
The Winter 2019 Bugle is now out! Make sure you catch the latest news on the 2nd Spring Thing, Aspen Hill Vision Zero, Memorial Trees and our Facebook page, plus more!
A big thanks as always to our advertisers:
Robert Pence Remodeling
Paulette Thibadeau Ladas
Lilla L. Hammond and Michael Hammond
Barrie School
Tim Horst Team of Long & Foster Real Estate
Ballou Gardening
You can read the bugle here: Winter 2019 Bugle.
Longtime Strathmore Bel Pre resident and leader Nancy Bechtol, director of Smithsonian Facilities, has been profiled in the December 2018 edition of American Builders Quarterly. Bechtol has served as the President of the Strathmore Bel Pre Civic Association for a number of years.
Read the profile here: https://americanbuildersquarterly.com/2018/12/17/nancy-bechtol-smithsonian/
Thanks to all who came out to our Annual BPRA and Civic Association meetings tonight. In addition to a presentation by Maren Hill of the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission about the Aspen Hill Vision Zero Study, we held elections. Congratulations to the new Board members:
BPRA
President: Elliot Chabot
Vice President: Greg Miller
Treasurer: Patrick Welteroth
Secretary: Mark Foraker
New Board Members: Steve Jennison, Ted Bechtol (Incumbent), and Karen Purdy (Incumbent)
Civic Association:
New Board Members: Linda Bea (Incumbent), John Bogasky (Incumbent), Elliot Chabot (Incumbent), Lilla Hammond (Incumbent), Chris Swan (Incumbent)
Bylaws Amendment
A BPRA bylaws amendment as also passed that allows proxies to be counted in determining whether a quorum is present at General Membership meetings. Previously, proxies are only allowed to be used in voting on changes in the assessments.
The September 11, 2018, minutes of the BPRA have now been posted, as approved by the Board at its October meeting.
Thanks to all who came out to the first SBP Trunk or Treat event on Halloween, and special thanks to Elizabeth Kominski for her work in organizing and leading the event!
Join us for our next successful community event!
The Fall Bugle is attached here (click).
Learn about the upcoming Annual Meetings, the latest on the Vitro property, community safety, our most excellent swim team, the resident foxes and more!
Enjoy.
--Chris Swan, Bugle Editor
We are in need of more Stroke and Turn Judges. If you are interested in training to be a Stroke & Turn Judge, Starter or Referee, or would like more information about what a Stroke & Turn Judge does, please contact Meet Manager Karen Purdy.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018, 7-9pm - Starter/Referee Training at SBP. Sign up link will be available soon. Must already be certified in Stroke & Turn to take this class.
Monday, June 4, 2018, 6:30-9pm - Stroke & Turn Judge Training at SBP. Sign up link will be available soon. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY to take this class. Some knowledge of swimming strokes helpful. After taking the class, you will shadow an experienced S&T Judge to learn the ropes. You will only judge a meet when you feel comfortable doing so.
Get excited for our First Saturdays at the Movies Series!
Mark your calendars! The first Saturday night of each month this summer will be movie night at the pool. The following Sunday is the rain date. All movies start at dusk, between 8:30 and 8:45 pm, earlier in September.
Please Support our Movies and Concerts!
1st Saturdays at the Movies and our Summer Concerts are only possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors. Their support helps us to cover the costs of licensing movies, hiring performers, and maintaining our equipment. Please contact SBPCA Treasurer John Bogasky at johnbogasky@hotmail.com to join our sponsors. Your support can help grow and sustain this new SBP tradition.