July 22, 2002
<ro>Potomac Community Center
<bt>11315 Falls Road, Potomac, 301-983-4471.
Hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday (closed on Sunday during summer).
"We could probably build this same building right next door and have it just as filled as it is now," said Potomac Community Center director Linda Barlock. Community center facilities include an exercise room, a gymnasium, social rooms, a playground, pool tables, outdoor tennis and basketball courts, an in-line skating rink for children 12 and under, and athletic fields.
Since its opening 14 years ago, the Potomac Community Center has served as a place for people of all ages to congregate, party and play.
Lucky parents in Potomac can drop their children off at the Potomac Community Center at 6 p.m. on some Friday nights, go out to dinner and pick their children up again at 9 p.m. Some 1,000 children in grades 3-6 register for the lottery to join this program, called Club Friday, each September.
The Potomac Senior Adult Program offers crafts, fitness classes and more to Montgomery County residents.
The center also has a monthly calendar of "drop-in" activities in the gymnasium for basketball, table tennis and badminton.
Leisure classes for all ages include dance, exercise, music, art, cooking and sports.
Little Acorns private day-care center is located in the community center. Little Acorns serves children up to age 10 and is open throughout the year.
The Potomac Community Center is home to several different leagues and clubs. Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), recreation leagues and the Potomac Boys' Club all use the basketball courts for games. Badminton games are held at the community center on Saturdays.
Summer is a busy time for this community center. It runs four different day camps. Barlock said they "have the diversity of a sports camp for kids who want to be active all day as well as a drama camp for children who want to pursue that."
The drama camp allows young children to learn about the theater while acting in plays. Another camp is dedicated solely to in-line skating. The campers skate and play hockey in the outdoor hockey rink.
<ro>Scotland Community Center
<bt>7700 Scotland Dr., Potomac, 301-983-4455.
Regular hours are noon to 9 p.m.; summer hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Scotland Community Center, which offers basketball courts, pool tables and pingpong tables, is open to the public free of charge, with the exception of the weight room, which is $15 for six months or $25 for a year. Over 30 programs are available, including a summer program for children ages 5-13, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and costs $100. A karate program offered by Montgomery County police officer Paul Barker is one of the most popular programs offered at the center.
<ro>Clara Barton Community Center
<bt>7425 MacArthur Blvd., Cabin John, 301-229-0010. This center offers pingpong and pool tables and a fitness room with free weights. The fee for the fitness room is $15 for six months and $25 for a year for county. The center also has a large adjoining field for outdoor sports. All facilities are available for rental.
Throughout the year, Clara Barton sponsors various classes in activities such as karate and in-line skating as well as a teen center and a senior center. During the summer, the center offers a drop-in day camp for children ages of 5-12.
The center’s hours are generally from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, although hours vary according to the activities offered on a given day, so call ahead.
<ro>Western County Outdoor Pool
<bt>20151 Fisher Avenue, Poolesville, 301-349-2217.
Facilities include an eight-lane, 25-meter lap pool with one-meter and half-meter diving boards. There is also a separate two-level shallow water leisure pool with small slides and water umbrella, tot pool, snack bar, bath house and lawn area.
The pool is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend (it is closed during weekdays during the final week this year, reopening for the final weekend). Swim team, swim lessons and private coaching are all available. Visit the pool for more information.
Daily admission is $5 for adults, $3.75 for children ages 1-17.A one-year family membership costs $220 for Montgomery County residents.
<ro>Montgomery Aquatic Center
<bt>5900 Executive Blvd., Rockville, 301-468-4211.
The aquatic center houses two indoor swimming pools, a water slide, diving boards, baby pool, hot tubs, a weight room, saunas, racquetball courts, a snack bar and swimming classes for all ages. The cost of entrance to the center covers the use of all facilities.
A one-year membership, which runs from September to September, costs $400 per family or $285 per individual. Other alternatives include a 12-time pass for $45 ($35 for children), and one-day admission.