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We heard about two modern adventurers who lived out their dream of hiking the full length of the Appalachian Trail, known by their trail names of Mom and Windtalker. There’s a saying that “No one gets to the end of their life and wishes they spent more time at the office." In 2006 Georgia Harris and Randy Moltz pursued their dream of completing a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail; 2,175 miles, from Georgia to Maine, in one continuous hike. It was an exciting and life-changing experience; an adventure that had a profound impact on how they now view the world around them. Through the story of their remarkable journey they inspired us to "Dream It! Plan It! Live It!"  Commander Russell Hamill presented Margot DeMuro with the B-CC Police Civilian Award for her outstanding work in assisting the police department. |
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Patrick Culinae spoke about 4 golf courses in Montgomery County that no longer exist, including the back nine of Kenwood. The 11th tee at Kenwood was so challenging that the golf pro at Chevy Chase Club often played it. Players had to cross "The River Road" to access it. The back nine was demolished in 1948. Most presidents played at Chevy Chase Country Club, but President Wilson played at Kirkside because he did not want to disturb their members. Kirkside was bordered by the 11th fairway of Chevy Chase Club and Western Avenue. It was sold in the 1920's because the land was prime for real estate. President Harding also didn't want to play at the Chevy Chase Club, so Ed McLean built the Friendship course. This course was sold to the government in 1942 for $100 million. Bannockburn was known as the Capital City Club. It was west of Glen Echo and inaccessible because Massachusetts Avenue didn't allow through traffic until 1932. The only remains of the club are the road and it's club house. |
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Ambassador Fujisaki of Japan explained what can be expected from the new Japanese government. After decades of stability, the Lower House (480 seats) has turned to the long time opposition, which holds 308 seats. That seismic change originates in globalism, which undermines the farmers and local governments, and increases the gap between classes. On the policy front, the USA/Japan relationship will remain a top priority. More than 70% of Japanese believe that the USA is the most important friend to Japan. Yet, more emphasis will be added to the China/Japan relationship, keeping an East Asian community in mind. Japan must pay attention to the geopolitical context, including countries such as N. Korea. The Prague speech of President Obama on disarmament resonated greatly with the people in Japan. The new government will up the ante on reducing CO2 emissions by setting a target of 30% lower than the 2005 emission levels. 
Many thanks to Monique for setting up another great Crab Feast! Also, thanks to John Stock for having us at the Members Club at Four Streams. |
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Our speaker was Lon Anderson from AAA. Mr. Anderson told us about the most recent laws, and statistics affecting motorists. The State of Maryland will join Montgomery County in allowing speed cameras to be installed. The new Speed Camera law will go into affect in the State of Maryland on October 1st. The law restricts the use of speed cameras to areas around schools, and active work zones. The amount of money a municipality can generate is capped, and the excess will be then be handed to the State. Concerning the law in effect in Montgomery County, it states that no bounty per ticket can be given to the contractor. The speed cameras can only be placed on residential streets with speed limits of 35 mph or under. On the statistics front, hit & runs have been increasing significantly. In general, the number of people dying on roads dwarfs the number dying in wars, and terrorist attacks. Few people seem concerned by the statistics. |
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Neal Fitzpatrick from the Audubon Society told us about their programs. The Audubon Society was started in reaction to the excessively fashionable killing of birds, and has cradle to grave environmental educational programs. Their programs educate children as young as 3 year old. They also provide travel programs to destinations such as Yellow Stone, Costa Rica and Ecuador. Ecuador is an international birding spot because of its sharp elevation changes creating the prefect habitat for many bird species. For example, you can expect to spot 50 different species of humming birds. In the Washington, DC area we typically only see one species. Of note is the February 2010 trip to Costa Rica, a country that has decided to develop its eco-tourism. The Audubon Society advocacy is done through its foundation. That advocacy is broad based, and a topic of concern is the quality of the water in the Chesapeake Bay which received a grade of D. |
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Page 6 of 14 |
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