FRIENDS AND neighbors of the late James Rouse gathered at Slayton House on Saturday morning to plant a dogwood tree in memory of Columbia's founder.
"It was a group of people who loved Jim Rouse and what he did," said Janet Blumenthal, chairwoman of the Wilde Lake Village Board and the event's coordinator. "We were all there to celebrate that he lived here."
Speakers included County Councilwoman Mary Lorsung, Norma Rose of the Columbia Council, Paul Imre, a village board member and Rouse's former neighbor, and Wes Yamaka, a longtime friend of Rouse.
In attendance were Rouse's widow, Patricia Rouse, along with her niece, Cathy Carr, and her children. Also present were Rouse's next-door neighbors in Wilde Lake, Padraic and Ellen Kennedy. Kennedy is president of the Columbia Association.
Participants also included Hope Sachwald, vice chairwoman of the Columbia Council, Wayne Christmann, general manager of Columbia's village centers, Bill Miller, owner of Today's Catch and representative of the Wilde Lake Merchants Association, and John Baker, a neighbor and former village board member.
Warren Raymond, the west-side manager for CA's Open Space division, assisted with the selection and planting of the tree.
Bilingual tots meet
Two groups of bilingual families have found ways to make contact recently.
The Town Center Community Association has formed a section of its parents and tots play groups for Japanese-American parents and preschoolers.
The group was formed at the request of Faulkner Ridge resident Setsuko Dalrymple, a Japanese mother married to an American, who was looking for a group in which activities would be conducted in Japanese.
The group also welcomes parents and tots of other nationalities who want to learn about Japanese culture. The group meets Tuesdays from 12: 30 p.m. to 2: 30 p.m. at Oakland on Vantage Point Road. The session runs through Dec. 10 and costs $20.
To register, call the village office at 730-4744, or Dalrymple at 740-8521.
Dorsey's Search resident Maryse Petasis is developing an informal network of French-speaking families.
"I thought it would be a good idea for my 14-month-old daughter to hear other people speaking French besides me," she said.
She began collecting names of bilingual families last spring and they now gather informally to provide support and exchange information on materials available in French.
"It's not only for French people," she emphasized, "but for those who want to speak French to their children."
For information, call Petasis at 730-5043.
Village tackles trash
Paul McIntyre, the recycling coordinator for the county's Bureau of Waste Management, will speak to Wilde Lake Village board members Monday about the proposed trash-by-the-pound program.
The proposal is an alternative to the recently implemented flat fee that charges residents the same amount whether they put out one bag of trash or four, according to Carol Black, community liaison for the village association.
McIntyre previously met with the board to describe the proposal. Now, Black said he is looking for community support for a pilot program.
The meeting will be at 7: 30 p.m. at Slayton House.
Walk honors infants
Grieving couples and health care providers gathered at Columbia Memorial Park on Oct. 20 for "A Walk to Remember," a program to honor infants lost through miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death.
After walking through the cemetery, participants gathered at the chapel in the Children's Garden.
Helene Vanderburgh, a hospice nurse, welcomed the group and the Rev. Arthur Lillicropp, interim rector of St. Mark's Episcopal tTC Church in Highland, led the memorial service.
Couples tied ribbons on a tree to remember their babies.
The second annual service at the cemetery was sponsored by the Rising Hope Perinatal Bereavement Committee at Howard County General Hospital.
The committee of health care providers was formed three years ago "to help couples in a hospital setting better deal with their loss," said Frieda Greenbaum, a labor and delivery nurse at the hospital and one of the organizers of the service.
Since parents who have lost babies early in pregnancy do not always have a grave to visit, the committee saw a need for a place that couples could go to remember their children.
Harvey Geller, president of Columbia Memorial Park, offered space for the Children's Garden and chapel. Other local businesses provided plants and a memorial scroll on which parents can have their child's name and date inscribed.
Pub Date: 10/30/96
