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On the early morning hours of Aug. 18, thanks to a calming of the waters and sheer enthusiasm, Abby Singer made history.

The 11-year-old Bethesda girl and Thomas Pyle Middle School student made the two-mile swim across the St. Lawrence River, traveling from Butternut Bay in Ontario, Canada, to Oak Point, N.Y., on nothing but grit and determination, making her the youngest person to do so since her mother achieved the feat 37 years ago.

She said she planned to transverse the river later in the week, but made the attempt with her brother Scott Singer, 13, and family friend Joel Fleming, 23, of Cambridge, Mass., because weather conditions were near-perfect.

The swim took 1 hour and 27 minutes.

This record was reported by the original holder of the record, Ellen Singer and confirmed by Ron Zajack, a reporter for the Times & Recorder, which is the newspaper of record in nearby Brockville, Canada.

Abby said she welcomes challengers to her record.

"I would be happy if someone beat me," she said. "That would be OK."

The family commemorated the occasion with cake.

Buy-a-brick in Kensington

The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department has started a Buy-a-Brick fundraising campaign to support their proposed 9/11 memorial at the Plyers Mills Road station.

Construction on the monument, designed with pieces of the World Trade Center and Pentagon, is expected to begin this month, but a fire department representative says they still need money to complete it.

Anyone can purchase an engraved brick for $100 that will go along the walkway of the memorial. To purchase one, visit www.kvfd.org.

Parlez-vous Francais?

Retired Foreign Service Officer Jim Suggs is looking to gather fellow Francophones in Potomac for a casual club aimed at maintaining French language skills.

The group would meet in homes and to discuss the issues of the day in French and to enjoy wine and cheese. This club is for not for beginners. For more information, call Monsieur Suggs at 301-983-6065.

Support Children's Inn

Organizers are taking registration for the Deloitte Consulting Federal IM Golf Tournament, at Falls Road Golf Course in Potomac on Sept. 21.

Proceeds from the four-person scramble are set to benefit The Children's Inn at NIH, a pediatric clinic at the National Institutes of Health, and Autism Speaks, a national nonprofit aimed at spreading awareness concerning autism issues.

The all-day event includes lunch, golf, and an awards reception. Individual registration is $65, foursomes are $260. For details, visit

www.montgomerycountygolf.com.

Bethesda bakes

The Bethesda Central Farm Market is holding a "Bake Bethesda a Pie" contest Sunday, where participants will compete to see who stands as the best amateur baker.

The application fee to enter is $5, and proceeds will benefit the Manna Food Center, which supports food shelters in and around Washington, D.C. Contestants must not be employed as a professional baker. The deadline to apply is Friday.

The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate redeemable at restaurants, shops, and the Bethesda Central Farm Market. For more, visit www.bethesdacentralfarmmarket.com

New to the Potomac area?

Join the Potomac Area Newcomers' Club at their kickoff celebration Sept. 16 for a breakfast buffet at the Bethesda Country Club, 7601 Bradley Blvd. The meeting will start at 11:30 a.m. in the Potomac room and costs $25. Contact club president Barbara Gargano at bjgargano@msn.com to RSVP by Sept. 13 and for more information about joining the club.

Labor Day fun at Glen Echo

Spend your Labor Day weekend at Glen Echo Park enjoying free Irish music and dancing performances as well as the 40th annual Labor Day Art Show. The show will feature the work of more than 200 artists from the mid-Atlantic region. Events are Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Also stop by the open house for class registration in the Cuddle Up Pavilion from 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call 301-634-2222 or visit www.glenechopark.org for more information. The park is located at 7300 MacArthur Blvd.

Campus Congratulations

Adina Appelbaum of Bethesda graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts in international/area studies and urban studies from Washington University.

Jessica Rose Reback of Potomac was named to the dean's list at Smith College for the 2009-2010 school year.

Jonathan Frieman Brand of Potomac graduated from the University of Rochester on May 16 with a bachelor of science in optics.

Art Walk tour

Free guided tours will return to Bethesda's Friday night Art Walks, providing art enthusiasts an opportunity for a personalized visit with the area's creative talent.

The Bethesda Art Walk is held from 6 to 9 p.m. every second Friday and includes a dozen local galleries. Tours held Sept. 10 and Oct. 8 will feature six of those: Fraser Gallery, Gallery 360, Orchard Gallery, Trawick Prize Gallery, Washington School of Photography and Waverly Street Gallery.

The owners and main exhibitors of each gallery along the tour route will speak about the artwork on display.

Other galleries included in the art walk are: The Blue House, Frame Avenue, Gallery Neptune, Gallery St. Elmo, St. Elmo's Fire Gallery and Upstairs Art Studios.

The Sept. 10 event will also include an opening reception for the Trawick Prize Gallery. The gallery displays the top 11 of more than 300 submissions to the annual art contest through Sept. 25.

The tours begin at 6:30 p.m., leaving from the Bethesda Metro station at Old Georgetown Road and Wisconsin Avenue. For details, call 301-215-6660 or visit www.bethesda.org.

Community raises more than $3,200 for teacher

The Rockville High School community has raised more than $3,200 to help a former science teacher's fight against brain tumor.

Math teacher Lindsay Junkins said 70 people attended a fundraiser for Carrie Dischiave at BlackFinn in Bethesda on Aug. 20 and contributed more than $1,200.

Junkins said an additional $2,000 was raised from drop-off donations for Dischiave and her family at the school's financial office.

Dischiave and her husband, Kevin Pierce, both former residents of Germantown, were unable to attend the fundraiser. Dischiave is undergoing chemotherapy treatments at the University of Pittsburgh.

"She was so amazed and so thankful for everything that everyone did," Junkins said. "They're both so thankful."

Dischiave was diagnosed with the brain tumor known as fibrillary astrocytoma several months ago following the birth of her son, Caleb. Dischiave left her job and moved to Syracuse, N.Y., to be closer to her family and to seek treatment. This would have been Dischiave's eighth year teaching at Rockville High School.

The donations will go toward medical costs. Donations can be left at the financial office at Rockville High School or mailed to Rockville High School, 2100 Baltimore Road, Rockville, MD, 20851. Checks can be made payable to "Rockville High School for Carrie Dischiave."

For details, e-mail Lindsay_Junkins@mcpsmd.org.

Share your good news! Send items to Bethesda/Potomac reporter Cody Calamaio at ccalamaio@gazette.net, Bethesda/Chevy Chase reporter Sarah Gantz at sgantz@gazette.net and Kensington/Garrett Park reporter Alex Ruoff at aruoff@gazette.net. They can be reached via fax at 301-670-7183 or snail mail to 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Don't forget to send us photos!