PARK NAMES DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT
Robert H. Hartman, Jr., a 28-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been named Deputy Superintendent of the C&O Canal National Historical Park.
Hartman has been the park’s Chief of Maintenance for 11 years and has been Acting Deputy Superintendent since former Superintendent Doug Faris’ death last year.
As Deputy Superintendent, Hartman will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the park.
But Hartman may not hold his new post for long. He said in an interview this year that he was considering retiring to Colorado to be with his daughter and granddaughter.
Superintendent Kevin Brandt praised Hartman’s “deep passion” and commitment to the park’s “dual mission of serving visitors and protecting park resources.”
As Chief of Maintenance, Hartman steered the park through the recovery from three major floods, the rehabilitation of the Monocacy Aqueduct and Great Falls Tavern, and the development of three visitor centers. In 1997, he received the National Capital Region’s award for outstanding stewardship of natural resources through maintenance operations.
Hartman served three years in the U.S. Army including 19 months with combat engineer units in Vietnam. He entered the federal government in 1975, in the public works department of the U.S. Naval Academy and served as Chief of Maintenance at National Capital Parks-East in Washington, D.C., and Facility Manager at Sandy Hook, a unit of Gateway National Recreational Area in New York.
Hartman is a native of Frederick County and graduate of the University of Maryland. His mother, Louise Williams, lives in the same house on the C&O canal in southern Frederick County where Hartman grew up.
CABIN JOHN CRAB FEAST
Cabin John will hold its 36th annual Cabin John Crab and Chicken Feast on Saturday Sept. 10, 2-6 p.m. at the Clara Barton Community Center, 75th Street and MacArthur Boulevard, Cabin John.
Tickets are $11 at the door or $10 in advance. Tickets offer a choice of six crabs, three crabs and three vegetables, or barbecue chicken and three vegetables. Sodas, beer, wine, lemonade, pizza and popcorn will be available for sale.
Proceeds benefit the Cabin John Citizens Association, to support advocacy efforts and publication of the Cabin John Village Newsletter.
A bicycle parade for children starts at 2 p.m. at the corner of 79th Street and MacArthur Boulevard, across from the market, and goes to the Clara Barton Community Center. Prizes will be awarded to all children who participate.
POTOMAC FAMILY TO PERFORM AT ST. LUKE'S
The three classically-trained soloists — mezzo-soprano Patricia Rogers of Potomac; her son James Rogers, a baritone; and her daughter Cara Rogers, a soprano — will sing a special concert at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Bethesda on Sept. 17.
The concert is part of a series of music programs in conjunction with the church's 50th anniversary this year.
Each of the soloists will sing a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach; the cantatas are some of his most challenging works.
A chamber orchestra, under the direction of St. Luke's organist and choirmaster Dr. Geoffrey Simon, will accompany each of the soloists.
"Bach wrote these [cantatas] for Sundays when the choir of St. Thomas' Church, Leipzig, was on vacation," Simon said. On those Sundays, usually in the summer, Bach had only a few singers and musicians available.
The Rogers family is closely tied to the Peabody Institute in Baltimore: James Rogers is an alumnus, Cara Rogers is a current undergraduate, and Patricia Rogers is a teacher.
Tickets for the Sept. 17 concert will be sold at the door for $10 per individual or $15 per couple or family. A complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvre reception will follow the performance.
PADDLING EVENT TO BENEFIT YOUNG PEOPLE WITH CANCER
Kayakers of all ability levels are invited to take part in a Sept. 18 “paddle-a-thon” to benefit First Descents, a free, week-long paddling camp in Vail, Colo., for young adults with cancer.
Started by professional Brad Ludden, First Descents uses kayaking and other outdoor activities to help campers face challenges and overcome obstacles associated with living with cancer in a fun and supportive environment.
From 10 a.m.-noon, kayakers and canoeists alike will log as many laps as possible from the Washington Canoe Club to Thompson’s Boathouse on the Potomac River. The event will be held rain or shine, beginning at 9 a.m. with a safety talk at 9:30 a.m. Participants raise money through pledges.
The event is partly organized by Potomac Paddlesports, a Potomac, Md., paddling school. The school will provide kayak rentals on-site, with all proceeds donated to First Descents.
To register, visit www.potomacpaddlesports.com/firstdescents.asp. For more information, contact Risa Shimoda at risa@theshimodagroup.com or 301-502-6548 or Sunny Pitcher at sunny@potomacpaddlesports.com or 301-831-8270. The Washington Canoe Club is located at 3700 Water Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
To learn more about First Descents, visit www.firstdescents.org.