More News

National Fire Prevention Week begins on Sunday, but fire and rescue enthusiasts can kick off the awareness campaign this weekend when several community fire departments hold open houses.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, the Glen Echo Fire Department will hold an open house at the station located at 5920 Massachusetts Ave. Volunteers will be on hand along with rescue equipment on display, food and games. For more information call 301-229-3200 or visit www.GEFD.org.

That same day the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad will hold its annual Rescue Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 5020 Battery Lane in Bethesda. The event will feature live demonstrations of emergency and firefighting equipment, imaginary "house fires" that children can spray water on to put out, a moonbounce and a scheduled helicopter landing. Call 301-652-0077 or visit www.bccrs.org for information.

On Sunday, the Kensington Fire and Safety Jamboree will feature information booths, demonstrations, children's activities, music and food from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department, 10620 Connecticut Ave., in Kensington. Call 301-929-8000 or visit www.kvfd.org for information.

National Fire Prevention Week runs through Oct. 10, according to the National Fire Protection Association, and focuses this year on burn awareness and prevention and keeping homes safe from house fires.

Bethesda Presbyterian welcomes new minister

After several years with no full-time pastor, Bethesda Presbyterian Church formally installed its new minister, Rev. Charles Booker-Hirsch, on Sunday. The congregation, which traces its roots back more than 300 years in the area, is looking forward to a new chapter led by Booker-Hirsch, who previously served as the pastor of Presbyterian congregation in Ann Arbor, Mich.

"It's been hard to keep up membership with no minister for several years," said congregation member Marilyn Carter. The congregation is hoping to add about 25 new families this year. To attract new members, the congregation has tried some creative approaches, including holding Sunday worship services on the lawn of the church, which is located near Clarendon Road and Wilson Lane in Bethesda, and holding "Jesus on Tap" sessions at RiRa Irish Pub in Bethesda. The sessions bring people together in an informal session to enjoy food, drink and conversation about a book or other topic.

Despite having no full-time pastor, the congregation members have kept a number of their programs going strong.

"As we searched for just the right pastor, we none-the-less continued to provide lunch on Saturdays for the homeless, worked on community projects of rebuilding homes for elderly or handicapped persons each year, and supported musical productions in our sanctuary — among other things," Carter wrote in a letter to The Gazette.

Booker-Hirsch was ordained in 1995 after attending Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va., and San Francisco Theological Seminary. His wife, the Rev. Amy Booker-Hirsch, is a hospice chaplain. They have an 11-year-old son, Andrew.

Booker-Hirsch joins a congregation with a long, rich history in the community. It traces roots back to a congregation that worshipped in the area as far back as 1723. In 1746, land was deeded for the congregation to build Cabin John Church. In 1793, that congregation formed associations with other congregations in the area and in 1820, the Bethesda Meeting House was built on Rockville Pike, north of Cedar Lane. In 1871, the postal service named its new facility the Bethesda Post Office after the church at the urging of church members and neighbors giving the area its name. The church relocated to its present site and held its first service there in 1926.

See Garrett Park through green-colored lenses

The Garrett Park Conservation Trust and the Garrett Park Conservation Action Now (CAN) committee are teaming up to offer a tour of the town Sunday that turns an eye toward green practices. Ideas and actions on ways to preserve green spaces, save energy and reduce carbon footprints will be provided in a self-guided tour of 18 town homes and natural sites and the "green" stories — both good and bad — of Garrett Parkers. Tips on energy saving improvements, rain gardens and wind energy and other environmentally friendly improvements will be offered on the tour.

Admission is free, but the GP Conservation Trust will be accepting tax-deductable donations. The "ticket" to the tour is the brochure, which can be downloaded from www.gpcan.org or picked up in person from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday at the Garrett Park Post Office, 4600 Waverly Ave.

En Garde! Chevy Chase View man fences his way to Moscow

David Pinkus of Chevy Chase View recently competed as a member of the USA Veterans World Championship Fencing Team at the World Championship competition being held in Moscow. Pinkus, 64, has a more-than 40 year career in fencing. He has won the highest rank in USA fencing, has been trained by two Olympic coaches, coached one Olympian and founded two fencing clubs. Pinkus has also represented the USA at six world championships and won the World Championship in 2005 and a silver medal in 2006.

The international organization that regulates fencing has added a competition category for those 70 and older, prompting Pinkus to mull a temporary retirement to spend more time with his family and then return to the sport when he is a septuagenarian. Because fencing is very technical, older people can defeat younger opponents and talented children sometimes best adults. 

"I view it as an exercise in mind control, you have to not only outsmart your opponent, but not defeat yourself with unforced errors analogous to tennis," Pinkus said. "There is very little luck involved, except in whom you draw to fence."

Interfaith leader

to give free lecture

What does it take to be an interfaith leader? Eboo Patel should know. The founder and executive director of Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago group that fosters understanding and cooperation among diverse religious communities, was named to the President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Patel will speak on the issue at an interfaith forum at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church at 6601 Bradley Blvd., in Bethesda. The forum is sponsored and co-hosted by the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church, the Bethesda Jewish Congregation, which shares its worship space, and Idara-e-Jaferia Mosque.

Patel is a contributor to National Public Radio and writes about religion for the Washington Post. He is also the author of "Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation."

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is the second in the Susan R. Andrews Lecture Series on Progressive Theology, established by the church in honor of the Rev. Susan R. Andrews, who was pastor of the church from 1989 to 2006. The lecture series is intended to present new ways to look at the ways faith and theology relate to the world.

For more information, call the church at 301-365-2850 or visit www.bradleyhillschurch.org.

Former congresswoman to address ‘Fossils' group

Former U.S. Rep. Connie Morella, an eight-term congresswoman from Maryland's 8th District, will be the guest speaker at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, at the Woman's Club of Chevy Chase, 7931 Connecticut Ave. The event is sponsored by the Fossils of Chevy Chase, an organization of active, distinguished, professional retired men and is open to the public. Morella will speak on a variety of legislative issues. For more information, call Dutch Koenig at 301-229-4821.

West Howard's makeover unveiled

The Department of Housing and Community Affairs will make a final presentation on the results of an urban design study commissioned by the agency for the Kensington street, which features an eclectic mix of antique shops, auto repair garages and industrial spaces. Optional changes in the street design for drainage, street alignment and façade appearance have been discussed and debated in previous public hearings on the study, and planners from design firm Hord Coplan Macht will be presenting the final vision for the street from 6:30-8:30 p.m., on Oct. 7, at Kensington Town Hall, 3710 Mitchell St.

This column is for you. Share your good news! Feel free to send press releases and news tips.

For Bethesda and Chevy Chase items, contact Stephanie Siegel via e-mail at ssiegel@gazette.net or phone at 301-280-3006. For Kensington and Garrett Park items, contact Jen Beasley via e-mail at jbeasley@gazette.net or phone at 301-280-3005. You can also send information by fax at 301-670-7183, or snail mail at 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.