The Vol. 13 , No. 6 Collingtonian A monthly publication of the Collington Residents Association June 2001 Our Travelers Take Off Again By Edward Behr As summer nears, many Collington residents Longacre will take off for two and a half weeks in are on the move once again -- a few even head- China. There they’ll enjoy the special attractions ing for places halfway around the globe. of an eight-day boat trip up the Yangtze River Even now, as you read this, Aline Grayson from the port of Shanghai. They’ll pass through and her sister are somewhere in the outer isles three spectacular gorges that will be submerged of Scotland -- the Outer Hebrides, the Orkneys when a planned dam is built. They’ll stop off at or the Shetlands. Their three-week trip has villages that most tourists never see. And in them scrambling on rocks and Beijing the visitors will tour the riding by ferry between islands. Imperial Palace and enjoy ac- They’ll see some of the area’s robats and opera. 150 species of birds, notably In early August Katherine the Atlantic puffins that nest Kendall will head once again there. Aline has a persuasive for her old home town in Sco- reason for going now: she dis- tland, where she still has rela- likes traveling in summer heat tives. She says this may be and the Scottish isles aren’t So long. See you in the Fall. her last trip there. At any rate, hot in early June. she’ll cross the Atlantic on the As the month begins, another resident, Mar- Queen Elizabeth II and will return by plane. garet Martin, is winging her way to France or In September Emily and Tully Torbert will has already arrived. At Avignon (once a home of take off for Ireland, touring both the republic itself the popes) she’ll join a group for a cruise on a and British-ruled Northern Ireland. It’s a place floating hotel heading north up the Rhone River. that will actually be new to well-traveled Tully, With excursions ashore each day, the trip winds but not to Emily. She remembers being in Ire- up at Lyon, a city famous for fine food. From land on St. Patrick’s Day, meeting mayors and there she’ll head east for a week in Switzerland. marching in a parade. This month, too, Faith Jackson and Art (Continued on page 2) In early October Patricia and Lauren Brubak- Tennis, Anyone? er will go off on the most ambitious expedition of Chuck Dell and Tom Street hope to be able to all - two back-to-back Elderhostels on the far invite MaryAverett Seelye and Jack Yale to join side of the Pacific. First they’ll fly to Bangkok in them in a game of doubles on the new tennis Thailand, then go on to southern Laos, Cambo- court sometime in June. Chuck says the final dia and the Mekong River delta in southern Viet- coat has to be laid down over the asphalt. Then nam. The Brubakers saw some of Southeast the lines will be applied. A plastic chain link Asia on their trip in January 2000, but this time fence will surround the they’ll be taking in things new or in greater depth area. than before. One particular objective is the vast “We are hoping to have Cambodian ruins that include the temple Angkor benches for players dur- Wat and the ancient Khmer capital. ing ‘commercial breaks,’” At October’s end the Brubakers will fly to Chuck says, “and there is Osaka for three weeks in Japan. They’ll visit talk of lights for night games.” The expense of Kyoto, the onetime capital, and spend five days the entire court is being borne by the Village at in Tokyo. Collington. Another resident, Cynthia Parker, is already Tennis classes are slated to begin June 11 looking beyond this year to January 2002. Then under the PGCC continuing Education program. she’ll travel to Sicily, where she can enjoy the Sign up sheets are on the Concierge Desk. F.K. glorious sight of snow-capped Mt. Etna. That’s not quite all. Some staff members, as well as residents, will be going places. Judy Note To Readers Mutty, our hard-working Director of Environ- This is the last issue of the Collingtonian mental Services, and her sister, Joan Syming- before the summer vacation. The next ton, will be vacationing in Italy in September. issue will appear on or about October 1. Collingtonian Definition of a Hearing Aid 10450 Lottsford Road, Mitchellville, MD 20721. Phone: (301) 925-9610 A hearing aid is an ultra miniature electrico The Collingtonian is published monthly (except acoustical device that is always too large. It July and August) by the Collington Residents Asso- ciation, Inc. must amplify sounds a million times, but bring no Editorial: Dorothy Brown, Faith Jackson, Frances noise. It must operate, without failure, in a sea Kolarek, Glendy Pabst, William Simpich, Tom Street, Kay Swift, Anne Cadman-Walker. of perspiration, a cloud of talcum powder, or Edward Behr, Editor both. It is a product that one puts off buying for Publishing: Aline Grayson, Frances Kolarek. ten years after he needs it, but cannot do with- Editorial Board: Edward Behr, Frances Kolarek, out for thirty minutes when it has to be serviced. Layne Beaty, Tom Street 2 The Collingtonian June 2001 Honors for Hilda Jay school librarians. By Frances Kolarek “These are ‘How To’ books,” Hilda explains, “giving the benefit of my experience and calling Hilda Jay will travel to San Francisco in on Ellen’s knowledge of the comtemporary mid-June to receive the Distinguished Service scene.” Hilda’s other daughter, Sarah, who en- Award from the American Association of School tertained the Fellowship Fund Banquet with flute Librarians. The award carries a $3,000 prize. solos in 1999, is a retired school librarian. This award is given every year to a person who has been involved with school libraries over What’s a Collington Face? a long period of time and has been engaged in Chances are it’s what you’ll be seeing more mentoring, publishing and teaching on the gradu- of on TV’s Channel 10. ate level. Committee work and involvement in Residents Association President Margaret national aspects of school library work can em- Martin has taken the initiative toward making the bellish the career. On all counts, Hilda qualifies. daily offering of our in-house television more The School Librarians Division of the Nation- useful, informative and entertaining. al Library Association celebrates its 50th anni- Several months ago she shepherded a small versary this year. Hilda, who started working in group of Collingtonians to Gaithersburg to look school libraries in 1958, has been in the busi- over the TV service at the Asbury retirement ness almost as long. community. Since then she has hosted several She earned her doctorate in education from think-sessions considering courses to be taken. New York University. Her B.S. came from Indi- The next meeting will be held on June 20. ana University in Hilda’s home state and she Interest is high and possibilities abound. earned her Master’s at Danbury State College in One important element will be videotaped mate- Connecticut. rial produced by Mary Ann Pellerin. Other sug- She spent 28 years at Ridgefield High gested components could be regularly scheduled School in Ridgefield, Conn., taught library sci- interviews with newcomers to Collington. News ence to graduate students at the Univerity of would be presented along with weather changes Connecticut as well as at the University of Rhode and other types of alert as a mainstay of the Island, the University of Bridgeport and South service. Connecticut State College. And after she came Chuck Dell has been asking for volunteers to Collington she kept right on going, teaching li- among residents eager to contribute, to learn the brary science to graduate students at Catholic techniques and even appear on camera. Carla University and at Western Maryland in Westmin- Harris of Environmental Services, who currently ster. tends the transmitting equipment, is an enthu- With her daughter, Ellen, who is an elemen- siastic participant in the planning. tary school librarian in Damascus, MD in Mont- See you on TV. L.B. gomery County, she has written books for other June 2001 The Collingtonian 3 Our Gardens Blaze Again trees installed by Iladene Filer. A similar spread by Glendy Pabst is being reproduced by Dene outside apartment The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra-la, 147 where she has moved. are treated lightly by Gilbert and Sullivan, but at At 3101-02, Tom and Margaret Aldrich have Collington we take them seriously. Especially designed one of Collington’s most varied gar- this year, when they distract us from vistas of dens, with low-growing flowers, herbs and small mud uncovered by expansion. bushes. Fortunately, our flowers of spring bloomed In cluster 3000 the alert tourist must slip be- more abundantly than ever. That’s partly due to hind cottage 3005 to find the flower-laden hill benign weather but even more to pampered ag- that comprises Virginia Colony’s backyard. ing. Twelve years of loving care have trans- Bright yellow iris were blooming there all May. formed the spindly azalea bushes of 1989 into More yellow iris bloomed in front of 4114, inherit- massive bundles of blossom. ed by Ralph Robinson when he moved in last Every cluster has abundant eye appeal, so year. Earlier in May, anyone passing could ad- it’s hard to choose highlights.