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The Archives

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Highlights of back issues

Curling Club

Posted June 2007

Lizzie and Becky will be heading to New Brunswick, Canada, soon for curling camp. As you may know, they and their parents, Doug and Lisa, belong to the Potomac Curling Club based in Laurel, Md.

In March, Becky was part of a team representing Maryland at the U.S. Curling Association Club National Championships in St. Paul, Minn.

Lizzie writes: "Becky and I are really excited for camp -- the Canadian Olympian medal winners are coaches. We met them at camp last year, and we really learned a lot."

Also thanks to Lizzie, we learn that Doug and Lisa were among the Potomac club members who took part in a bonspiel - a curling competition - in Pittsburgh June 28-July 1. Their team was runner-up in the first event, and their photo is currently featured on the Potomac Curling Club Web site.

Red Ribbon for Riding

Christine won a red ribbon (2nd place) in a riding competition May 26, 2007, at Watchung Stables in Mountainside, New Jersey, where she has been taking riding lessons for several years. She'll be returning for a week of riding in July, and will have a week of riding at the Girl Scouts' Camp Hoover in August.

Chemists on the Green

Daniel has been a member of the American Chemical Society for 60 years, and on May 23, 2007, he and Lorraine were among the guests for a luncheon at the Tavern on the Green in Manhattan. It was an event sponsored by the New York Section of the ACS to honor 50- and 60-year members.

At the event, Daniel met a chemistry professor from Manhattan College, a 50-year ACS member, who remembered teaching Kathy when she was a student at the College of Mount St. Vincent, which shares some courses with Manhattan.

Next Friday (June 1) Daniel and Lorraine will head to Rose Hill for the Fordham University Alumni Association's Golden Ram dinner. Golden Rams are alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago. "I'm Class of 1947, so this is my 60th year," Daniel writes. "Hard to believe how many years have gone by."

Happy Birthday Rebecca

Rebecca celebrated her birthday on Thursday (May 24, 2007). As faithful readers of this site know, she is finishing her sophmore year at Towson High School in Maryland, played tuba in the school's recent band concert and was part of the Potomac Curling Club team that took part in the U.S. Curling Association Club National Championships held in St. Paul, Minn. in March.

Double Digit Birthday

Christopher celebrated his 10th birthday on May 5, 2007. As part of the festivities "he had a couple of friends sleep over Saturday night but there was very little sleeping on their part," reports his mom, Cathy. Shown here in his current school portrait, Christopher is a busy guy these days. In Cub Scouts, he's a 2nd year Webelos, getting ready for the move up to Boy Scouts. "We have lots of camping trips coming up this spring," Cathy says.

"Also he is playing saxophone in the school band and continues to take piano lessons. He was also in the chess club at school this year." Christopher is an avid reader, and enjoys TV and computer games in his spare time.

Martial Arts

Andy succeeded in winning promotion from Orange Belt to Green Belt in the martial art of Tae Kwon Do on April 19, 2007.

Under the demanding eye of Master Yoo at the Martial Arts Institute of America school in Scotch Plains, Andy performed admirably to win his new belt and a trophy. Here he demonstrates his forms at home after his promotion.

Needle Arts

Dolores enjoyed some exciting and rewarding professional needleart activities in early 2007. In February, she was part of the judging team at Woodlawn Plantation, south of D.C. near Mount Vernon, to judge the largest, oldest Needlework Exhibit in the U.S. “It was a most enjoyable experience, judging about 500 pieces of extraordinary work,” Dolores writes. “However, it was memorable for another reason: driving there and being there, around our February ice storm was a real challenge!”

The committee invited Dolores to return during the show to demonstrate embroidery techniques. That trip was on a lovely, warm spring day, with no ice at all. People from all over the country attended, watched her work and asked questions -- and possibly someone decided to try stitching some day.

Dolores and other members of the Embroiderers Guild of America conducted a Children’s Needlework Tea and Workshop at the Maryland Historical Society, in conjunction with the opening of a major exhibit at the Society of “School Girl Samplers.” Girls aged 6-9 attended, with moms and grandmoms, to enjoy tea, cookies, and peanut and jelly sandwiches and learn to do a few simple stitches on a bookmark. “It was fun for all, and especially delightful to see our students “turned “to stitching,” Dolores said.

Laughing and dancing

In an annual tradition, Dan and Christine attended their hometown Girl Scout Father-Daughter Dance on March 29, 2007. Two dances are held each year, one for Brownies and their dads, the other for older Girl Scouts and their fathers. For Dan and Christine this was their seventh year attending one of the dances.

March 17, 2007

Marie, Brian and Xander

Back in California

After an eventful 10 months in Sparks, Nevada, Marie and Brian moved back to California in February along with young Alexander. They found a very nice duplex rental in Morgan Hill.

"We're really loving our new house," Marie writes. "It's a huge step up from anywhere else we've rented. All the fixtures and appliances are nice and new."

Brian and Marie are now taking a larger role in the family business, Regal Ribbons, which has its shop in the same town. "Bridal season is starting, so work has been very busy," Marie writes. "We're doing well, and Brian is very happy with the work environment."

Brian worked for Regal Ribbons previously before going to work as a printer for Block Graphics in Paso Robles, Calif. It was Block that later closed that plant and transferred Brian to a new plant in Sparks. However, the company was then sold, and the Sparks plant was never properly staffed; Brian was its mainstay, and as soon as he gave notice that he was leaving, the owners decided to close the Sparks plant.

Of course the highlight of their brief residence in Sparks was the birth of Alexander on Oct. 4. As he approaches the 6 month mark, "Xander is getting really big," his mom reports.

"He's a little over 16 pounds now and wearing 6 and 9 month sized clothes." His top front teeth are starting to come in, too. These two photos are from early February.

Friends and family can get more information by contacting the Birch Street Web.

March 25, 2007

New Scout completes first camping trip

Andy went on his first Boy Scout overnight camping trip in March as a new member of Troop 33.

The troop headed up early on the morning of March 24 to Alpine Scout Camp, in northeastern New Jersey along the Palisades.

After setting up camp, Andy set out with his and another patrol for a day of hiking. The plan was for the younger scouts to take a one route while older scouts took a longer route. But there was a bit of a mix-up, and it seemed that the younger group, including Andy, took the long route. Tiring, but a lot of fun, Andy says.

They followed one trail that wound down the from the ridge of the Palisades to the bank of the Hudson River below, where they had a picnic lunch beside the Alpine Boat Basin. Then they hiked south along the river a couple of miles to another trail that climbed back to the top of the cliffs, and finally back north to their starting point.

Back at last at the campsite, the troop built a campfire, cooked dinner, and then put on a series of skits before retiring to their tents for the night. There was a bit of rain during the night but fortunately nothing heavy.

The trip wound up next morning with breakfast and breaking camp. Andy said some of the leaders remarked that this camp-out had more work and hiking, and less fun and games, than some of the troops trips, and perhaps wasn't the easiest introduction for new Scouts. But Andy enjoyed himself and is looking forward to future trips with Troop 33.

Andy just recently moved up from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. Having earned his Arrow of Light award, he qualified to bridge up to Boy Scouts before turning 11. He was scheduled to receive the award patch at his pack's annual Blue and Gold dinner on March 16; unfortunately the dinner was postponed by a sleet storm and is now scheduled for late April. Meantime, at a Troop 33 Court of Awards on March 27, he received his Scout badge as he begins his Boy Scout career.

Andy (2nd from right) with members of his Webelos den after participating in a Pinewood Derby in February, just before moving up to Boy Scouts. < xml="true" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" prefix="o" namespace="">

March 13, 2007

Girl Scout Sunday

Girl Scouts at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Westfield, celebrated Girl Scout Sunday on March 11, marking the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts March 12.

Girl Scouts of the USA has 3.6 million members. Locally, more than 11,000 girls are served by the Girl Scouts of Washington Rock Council, headquartered in Westfield, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

March 24, 2007

Cookie Drive

Christine's Girl Scout Troop 441 had a very successful Cookie Drive this year. In addition to sales to family and friends, the troop held "booth sales" outside local shops on March 17 (once the sleet storm cleared out) and again on March 24, and did quite well on both dates. People just can't resist those cookies!