It is with great sadness that we report the passing on October 4, 2017, of our beloved Rotarian of 35 years and Past President Arthur H. Blitz. Art was a leader in the club organizing annual fix-up projects at the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes. He always brought a funny story and occasionally entertained fellow Rotarians with his magic tricks. He will be sadly missed. We express our condolences to his family, wife Mimi, and children Leslie, Robin and Mickey. His funeral is scheduled for Monday, October 9, 2017, at 10:30am at Congregation Beth El, 8125 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, with interment to follow at Judean Memorial Gardens, Olney, MD.
Family will be receiving friends through Friday evening, October 13th and holding Shiva Minyan at 7pm on Monday, October 9th and Tuesday, October 10th. Memorial contributions may be made to CHI, Inc., 10501 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20903 or to the Montgomery County Humane Society, 601 S. Stone Street Ave, Rockville, MD 20850.
Bilal Haq, a scientist and a poet, was formerly at the US National Science Foundation as the director for marine geoscience programs. He is currently a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC and an associated research professor at Sorbonne University’s UPMC in Paris. As a marine geoscientist he has been honored by several professional awards in and marine sciences in the US and Europe. He was elected a member of European Academy of Sciences, and was honored by Sorbonne with doctoris honoris causa degree for his works on sea-level changes of the Phanerozoic and the impact of the on-going sea-level rise on maritime nations. Haq has broad experience in the academia, the industry and the government, and has also held assignments with the White House and the World Bank in Washington DC. He has taught or undertaken research as a visiting professor at many universities around the world, including MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, Copenhagen, Paris, and at Tongji University in China. His research career also includes a twelve-years tenure at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and six years with Exxon Production Research Company.
In geosciences Haq’s publications are amongst some of the most cited. The influence of this work can also be gauged by the inclusion of one of his paper (Haq et al., 1987) published in Science Magazine that is listed among the 100 most influential publications in Geosciences of all times, a list that includes such luminaries as Lyell, Darwin, Hutton and Milankovitch. He has also been honored by his peers by the naming of a marine plankton species and a fossil genus after him.
As a poet Bilal Haq has published four volumes of verse since 2015. Because he has spent most of his career trying to find hidden patterns in Nature, our planet’s past conditions, its ancient oceans and climates, his research took him to some of the most pristine places on Earth that reveal what our World could be like if we had the foresight and will to rehabilitate it. His poetic message is a simple one that we have to relearn to live in peace with Nature if we are to endure. He divides his time between Paris, France, and Washington, DC.
President Todd Nitkin thanked motivational speaker Roderick Mitchell for giving an inspiring presentation on the “Application of Firefighting Concepts to Everyday Life” at the Potomac-Bethesda Rotary Club Meeting on September 14, 2017. [Photo by Tom Lewis.]
Visiting Rotarians were Steve Naron from Hollywood, FL; President Anila Khetarpal from Potomac; Nancy Mason from Ellicott City; Kallie Forman from Baileys Crossroads, VA; and Hetty Ajuebon-Egbarin from Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria.
[From Governor Greg Wims who will be our guest speaker on September 7, 2017]
As you know, Hurricane Harvey has hit Texas and Louisiana very hard. The Rotary District in coordination with the Disaster Aid USA is starting a fund drive. Please see the Press Release. Individually and as a club, I urge you to donate generously. Rotary's theme this year is Make A Difference. Its time to make a difference.
Your donations will provide the funds for the volunteers to handle disaster related relief from Hurricane Harvey and direct assistance to the victims of the flood.
Donations are needed urgently, and checks (payable to DAUSA) can be mailed to: Disaster Aid USA, 9817 Lanham Severn Road, Lanham, MD 20706. Online donations can be made by visiting the website - www.disasteraidusa.organd clicking-on the PayPal button. DAUSA is a tax-exempt 501-c-3 type organization, and all donations are tax-free. Questions may be directed to:
On August 24, 2017, Guest Speakers Pete Tomao and Amy Ginsburg addressed “Walkable, Bikeable, Sustainable and Transit-friendly Communities.” Pete Tomao is the Montgomery County Advocacy Manager for Coalition for Smarter Growth and Amy Ginsburg is the Executive Director of Friends of White Flint. [Photo by Tom Lewis]
President Todd Nitkin thanked guest speaker Robert Drozd who addressed Maryland Legislative Issues and National Security at the Rotary Club meeting on August 17, 2017.
Author Judy Welles gave a presentation on Lilly Stone, a daring woman who changed the landscape of business and culture in Montgomery County, at the Rotary Club meeting on August 10, 2017. Lilly Stone was the grandmother of the late Potomac-Bethesda Rotarian John Stone.
President Todd Nitkin thanks Michelle Chapin for her talk, “DIY Pitfalls of Estate Planning,” at the Potomac-Bethesda Rotary Club meeting on August 3, 2017. [Photo by Tom Lewis]
President Todd Nitkin presented the Rotary Cookbook to Author, Inspirational Speaker and Ultra-athlete Croix Sather at the Potomac-Bethesda Rotary Club Meeting on July 20, 2017.
Immediate Past President Bob Fuhrman pinned Jerry Gross with the Paul Harris Fellow.
President Todd Nitkin recognized Normandie Farm Restaurant Proprietor Cary Prokos for serving our club for the past nine years.
2016-2017 President Bob Fuhrman pinned Incoming President Dr. Todd Nitkin with the Rotary President's pin at the club meeting at Bretton Woods on July 13, 2017.
Congratulations to Juan Carlos Peirano on receiving the Paul Harris Fellow!
Outgoing President Bob Fuhrman reviewed all the successful accomplishments of the 2016-2017 Rotary Year including the Rotary Foundation approval of the Global Grant for Nepal. Tom Lewis received the Rotarian of the Year silver cup.
We have Manna Food Center box packing the second Tuesday of each month at 7pm. Please let Alex Naron know if you can join. Family and friends are welcome. Student Service Learning forms will be completed. Location: 9311 Gaither Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Contact Alex with any questions at alexnaron@gmail.com or phone 240-620-4795.
The flooding of March 27, 2017, in northern Peru destroyed the homes, fields and livestock of many families living in the shantytown of Nuevo Catacaos, which is located not far from the city of Piura, Peru. The Rotary Club of Piura reached out to the Potomac-Bethesda Rotary Club for possible assistance to benefit a small fraction of the perhaps 10,000+ people affected by the flooding in Nuevo Catacaos. The assistance consisted of purchasing and distributing to dislocated families 120 mattresses, 120 blankets and 60 personal hygiene kits. The distribution took place on June 11, 2017.
.jpeg)
on in Washington DC and an associated research professor at Sorbonne University’s UPMC in Paris. As a marine geoscientist he has been honored by several professional awards in and marine sciences in the US and Europe. He was elected a member of European Academy of Sciences, and was honored by Sorbonne with doctoris honoris causa degree for his works on sea-level changes of the Phanerozoic and the impact of the on-going sea-level rise on maritime nations. Haq has broad experience in the academia, the industry and the government, and has also held assignments with the White House and the World Bank in Washington DC. He has taught or undertaken research as a visiting professor at many universities around the world, including MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, Copenhagen, Paris, and at Tongji University in China. His research career also includes a twelve-years tenure at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and six years with Exxon Production Research Company..jpeg)
