SOUTH POTOMAC PILOTSOUTH POTOMAC PILOTMarch 22, 2013

NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY SOUTH POTOMAC DEFENSE COMMUNITY

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By Andrew RevelosStaff Writer

Naval Support Facil-ity (NSF) Dahlgren hon-ored celebrated NationalWomen’s History Month onMarch 13 with a ceremony atthe base theater featuring apanel discussion with someof Dahlgren’s own womenprofessionals. This year’stheme is “Women InspiringInnovation Through Imagi-nation: Celebrating Womenin Science, Technology, En-gineering andMath,” and sixwomen STEM profession-als from the Naval SurfaceWarfare Center DahlgrenDivision (NSWCDD) spokeabout their professional andpersonal lives.

Capt. Michael Smith,commander of NSWCDD,welcomed guests and pre-sented the history behindWomen’s History Month.“In 1980 President Carterissued the first presidentialmessage publicly recogniz-ing the importance of wom-en’s history by proclaimingwomen’s history week,” hesaid. “Thirty-three yearslater, President Obama’spresidential proclamationdeclaring March as the Na-tional Women’s HistoryMonth continues to ensurethat the stories, strugglesand achievements of Ameri-can women are recognizedand celebrated in schools,

workplaces and communi-ties across the county.”

Celebrating the contri-butions of women STEMprofessionals at a place likeDahlgren, with its storiedhistory of research, devel-opment, training and evalu-ation (RDT&E) for the armedforces, was especially fit-ting. “Thousands of Ameri-can women have made andcontinue to make the worlda better place through theirwork in the STEM fields,”Smith added.

The National Women’sHistory Project honorednine women this year fortheir contributions to STEMfields, among them, the Na-

vy’s own Rear Adm. GraceHopper, a pioneering com-puter programmer. “Heraccomplishments earnedher the affectionate nameAmazing Grace and she wasfurther honored by having aNavy warship named afterher, the USS Hopper,” saidSmith. “Today, the womenengineers and scientistsof NSWC in Dahlgren areembracing Grace Hopper’sdare and do spirit everyday. Like the honorees ofthis year’s celebration, theirimagination has led them toexcel and their innovation isproducing dynamic results.”

The discussion panelwas a diverse slice of some

of those women STEM pro-fessionals from five depart-ments at NSWCDD, fromrelatively new employees, toveterans in leadership roles.They are among the nearly59,000 thousand civilianwomen working for theNavy, according to Smith.

The women spoke aboutthe decision to enter aSTEM career. For MeganHart, a mathematician forNSWCDD, the decision wasbased, unsurprisingly, on alove of numbers and logicalthinking. A competitive spir-it and a third grade teacherwho brought a math gameto the classroommarked thebeginning of Hart’s career

path. “I would go home ev-ery night and study with mymom so that I could win thatgame,” she said. “I didn’tcare that I was doing math;I just wanted to win thatgame. I just liked the feel-ing of success and accom-plishment. Unknowingly, Iwas associating that successwith mathematics.”

Dena Kota, toxicologistfor NSWCDD, was sure shewanted to be a veterinarianwhen she was a student. Inthe midst of pursuing a biol-ogy degree, she shadoweda veterinarian for what wassupposed to be four weeks.“It only took about twohours in a veterinary officeand the sight of a goldenretriever on an operatingtable, which almost causedme to faint, for me to realizethat I was 100 percent wrongabout becoming a veterinar-ian,” she said.

Kota dabbled in phar-macy work before earning apharmacology and toxicol-ogy doctorate, a path thateventually led her to Dahl-gren. Kota also works as anadjunct professor of biologyand participates in STEMoutreach programs.

Jane Bachman, whoworks in the field of humansystems and integration forNSWCDD, knew she had atalent for sciences as a young

Dahlgren honors women in STEM

Volunteers comb the Potomac River shoreline at Dashiell Marina in a watershed clean-up effort in 2011.

The 25th Annual PotomacRiver Watershed Cleanupis scheduled for Saturday,April 6, at the Dashiell Ma-rina on board Naval SupportFacility Indian Head from 9a.m. to 12 noon. Join NSF In-dian Head and thousands ofother volunteers in remov-ing trash from the PotomacRiver Watershed. Gloves andbags will be provided, but besure to bring sturdy boots orshoes and wear appropriateclothing. The event will behosted rain or shine.

For more informationand to register for the event,contact Travis Wray at (301)744-2262 or visit www.po-tomaccleanup.org.

25th Annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup daySee STEM, Page 5

U.S. Navy photo by Andrew Revelos

Tiffany Owens, left, engineer for NSWCDD, answers a question at Dahlgren’scelebration of National Women’s History Month on March 13. Margaret Neel,center, program director for NSWC DD, and Ann Swope, right, chief of staff forNSWCDD also took questions from audience members.

The skies cleared into a beau-tiful spring day for this pastSaturday’s 21st Annual EasterEggstravaganza hosted by theDahlgren Youth Activities Cen-ter. The NSF Dahlgren ParadeField was full of about 5000Easter eggs split into age groups

of 0-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10 - 17 with16 winning tickets for specialEaster Bunny prizes. About 230children and parents came earlyand brought their own Easterbaskets to collect their goodies.Sponsored by: NSWC Federal CreditUnion & Lincoln Military Housing.

2 Friday, March 22, 2013The South Potomac Pilot

NSF Dahlgren Easter Egg-stravaganza a huge success!

U.S. Navy photos by Melanie Watrous

Dr. Alan Evans, a retiredNaval Surface Warfare CenterDahlgren Division (NSWCDD)principal electrical engineer,was named a 2013 FellowMember by the Institute ofNavigation (ION), the Navyannounced March 18.

ION honored Evans withthe title based on his distin-guished sustained profes-sional contributions to theadvancement of the technol-ogy, management, practiceand teaching of the arts andsciences of navigation and hislifetime contributions to theinstitute.

“I feel very indebted tomy friends and colleagues atDahlgren,” said Evans. “It wastheir assistance and supportthat enabled our global posi-tioning system (GPS) projectsto continually move forwardover the years. They weresmart, enjoyable to work withand always helpful.”

In collaboration with otherNSWCDD personnel, Evansdemonstrated the very firstbasic use of the GPS phasemeasurements to achieve highaccuracy position changes.

“Supporting GPS, as it wasdeveloping, was very excit-ing,” said Evans who demon-strated the Stanford Telecom-munications receiver, capableof one-measurement-per-minute, single satellite track-ing. It was used to obtaincentimeter-level accurate po-sition changes as the satellitesmoved across the sky.

Evans reported his most re-cent contribution at the 2011Joint Navigation Conference.

He presented current soft-ware developments for a mili-tary GPS augmentation systemcomposed of a global networkto compute and provide low-latency corrected GPS ephem-eris and clock state estimatesto the users. As demonstrated,these developments enablevery high-accuracy absoluteGPS position, navigation/at-titude estimation and time ona dynamic platform using amilitary geodetic GPS receivertightly-coupled with an inertialsystem. The network-assistedGPS substantially improves thereal-time accuracy and sup-ports additional GPS anti-jamsignal processing important to

military applications.During his career at

NSWCDD, Dr. Evans was thePrincipal Investigator formany R&D projects sponsoredby the Department of De-fense, the Office of Naval Re-search and the National Geo-spatial-Intelligence Agency.His career in navigation hasspanned over 30 years and he

has contributed to both mili-tary and civilian applications.

Evans has six navigation-related U.S. Patents and hasauthored or co-authored 64papers (100 presentations)at national, or international,navigation and geodetic con-ferences; including 37 IONconferences (3 Best Presen-tation Awards), and seven in-vited papers in academic jour-nals. He received the DefenseMapping Agency Researchand Development Award in1989 and the Navy SuperiorCivilian Service Award in 2007.

Since retiring from theNavy in 2010, Dr. Evans hascontinued to support GPSNavigation research and de-velopment at the Penn StateUniversity Applied ResearchLaboratory.

Evans earned a Bachelor ofScience in Electrical Engineer-ing from Widener University.He holds a Master’s Degreeand a Doctorate in ElectricalEngineering from Drexel Uni-versity.

Friday, March 22, 2013 3The South Potomac Pilot

CARPOOL/VANPOOL WANTED

Starting a Van Pool, A+ quality 7-passengervan, departs NLT 0635 from Fieldhouse/Courthouse Rd. commuter lot to Dahlgren,Mon-Thurs work hours (0715-1545) exceptFri (0715-1515). Call Cheng at 540-653-5909. A-Gate commuter wanted only.

Van or carpool desired from any rideshareparking area or Reston Town Center. De-part between 0600-0700, return from IndianHead between 160-1700. Call Moses, (301)743-4180.

Van or Car pool desired from Freder-icksburg or King George to Indian Head,Monday thru Friday with one RDO, prefer7-430, but hours can be negotiated. 703-909-3380.

Riders wanted to start a carpool from theNorthern Neck (Lively/Lancaster), passingthrough Warsaw at 0605 and Montross at0615, arriving at Dahlgren by 0700; leavingDahlgren at 1600. Call Lea at 540-653-6776or 571-232-5412 (cell).

From the Ferry Farm area to Dahlgren Bldg.1500 area. Prefer early work hours. CallMark, 540-653-2148.

Riders wanted for van pool. Leaves fromRichmond at Home Depot on Atlee-ElmontRd. (exit # 86B off I-95) to Dahlgren. CallDavid at (540) 653-9203.

Clinton, Md., to Dahlgren. Hours are flexible(0600 - 1700). Call Miranda at 703-692-9590.

Carpool/vanpool wanted from Montrossarea to Dahlgren. Can also take up to 3 or4 riders from here if they would prefer me todrive. Call Doc at 252-670-6686.

Want to start a carpool? Need riders?

“Commuter Clearinghouse” is a source forinformation on carpools or vanpools thatalready exist and need passengers, as wellas a place for employees to advertise to starta carpool or vanpool. Whether you alreadyoperate a carpool or vanpool and are open toaccepting new riders or need drivers, or if youare looking for a carpool or vanpool, provideus with information that might help you findor start a commuter opportunity, such as,where you will need to commute from and to,preferred schedule and contact information.You can send your information via e-mail tonsasp_pao_dlgr@ navy.mil or contact ouroffice toll free at 866-359-5540, or DSN 249-8153, or 540-653-8153.

FREDERICKSBURG

RIDESHARING SERVICE

GWRideConnect is a free ridesharing servicethat assists persons who are seeking dailytransportation from Fredericksburg, Stafford,Spotsylvania, Caroline and King Georgecounties to employment locations in Dahlgrenamong other employment sites. www.gwre-gion.org/gwride connect.html.

Dr. Alan Evans, a retiredNaval Surface WarfareCenter Dahlgren Divi-sion (NSWCDD) principalelectrical engineer, wasnamed a 2013 FellowMember by the Instituteof Navigation (ION).

NSWC Dahlgren Engineer Named 2013 Fellow

U.S. Navy photo by Gary Wagner

Aubrey Mitchell (l.), vice president of the King George Ruritan Club, and club president Roy Maloy thankCapt. Peter Nette, commanding officer for Naval Support Activity South Potomac for his remarks at theclub’s March 14 meeting. Nette profiled current commands and mission activities on board Naval SupportFacility (NSF) Dahlgren. Ruritan Clubs emphasize community service. In one of their community support ef-forts, the King George Ruritans donate reference books to students in King George County public schoolsand Dahlgren School on board NSF Dahlgren. This year, a total of 1,060 books were provided -- dictionariesto every 3rd grader, a thesaurus to every 5th grader and an atlas to every 6th grader.

NSASP Commanding Officer Speaks to Ruritans

4 Friday, March 22, 2013The South Potomac Pilot

TheSouthPotomacPilotNewspaper ispublishedweeklybySouthernMaryland Newspapers and Printing, 7 Industrial Park Drive, Waldorf, Md.20602, a private company in no way connected with the U.S. Navy, underexclusive written contract with Naval District Washington.

This commercial enterprise newspaper is an authorized publicationformembersof themilitary services.Contents of TheSouthPotomacPilotare not necessarily the official views of, nor endorsed by the U.S. Gov-ernment, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Navy. Theappearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supple-

ments, doesnot constitute endorsement by theDepartment ofDefenseorSouthernMaryland Newspapers and Printing of the products or servicesadvertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available forpurchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age,marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, orany other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. If a violation orrejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, thepublisher shall refuse toprint advertising from that sourceuntil the violation

is corrected.Editorial content is edited, prepared, andprovidedby thePublicAffairs

Office, NSA South Potomac. News copy should be submitted by noon onFriday to be considered for the following week’s edition. All material is ed-ited for accuracy, brevity, clarity, and conformity to regulations. To inquireabout news copy, call 540-653-8153 or fax The South Potomac Pilot at540-653-4269. Commercial advertising may be placed with the publisherby calling 301-645-9480.

Capt. Peter NetteCommandingOfficer, NSA South Potomac

Gary R. WagnerPublic Affairs Officer, NSA South Potomac

Jeron HayesNSASouth PotomacManaging Editor

Andrew RevelosStaff Reporter

Breton Helsel andDeirdre Parry

Copy/layout editors, The Gazette/Comprint Military Publications

www.dcmilitary.com/dahlgrenNSA South Potomac • Office: 540-653-8153 • 540-284-0129

DahlgrenNavy Ball Lunch Fundraiser Daily at ParadeField Pavilion

The Dahlgren Navy Ball Committee is selling lunchdaily (weather permitting)from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on theParade Field Pavilion. This lunch service will be availableuntil the new Subway opens at Cannonball Lanes. Pleasecome out for lunch and support the Dahlgren Navy BallCommittee!!!

VITA Tax PrepIt’s not too late to get a VITA tax prep appointment! If

you are active duty or retired military or a reservist, call(540) 653-1839 to secure an appointment for your free taxreturn preparation today!

ASBP Blood DriveArmed Services Blood Program will conduct a blood

drive on Monday, April 15 from 7 a.m. - Noon at theATRC Auditorium, Bldg. 1520. All blood collected ben-efits military members and their families at home, over-seas, in harm’s way and recovering from injuries. For anappointment, visit http://www.militaryblood.dod.mil/.Give our troops the precious gift of life - give blood!

FFSC Sponsoring Shred Truck on April 16Spring cleaning means getting rid of those old docu-

ments, but you must do it safely! Fleet and Family Sup-port Center is sponsoring a Shred Truck on April 16 from1 - 4 p.m. at the Parade Field Pavilion parking lot across

from the medical clinic. Clear out your old files and getrid of those papers you didn’t need to keep to file yourtaxes. Safely destruct all those papers with your impor-tant, personal information that you don’t want others tohave access to. Help prevent identity theft. If you havequestions, call Carol Allison at 540-653-1839.

DOSC Accepting Scholarship AppsThe Dahlgren Officers’ Spouses Club (DOSC) is cur-

rently accepting scholarship applications. All applica-tions must be in writing and received by April 15. Foran application and more information, visit www.dahl-grenosc.webs.com.

DOSC Charitable Distribution AnnouncementThe Dahlgren Officers’ Spouses Club is currently ac-

cepting written requests from non-profit organizationsfor their annual charity distribution. DOSC returns prof-its from their Second Tour Thrift Store in the form ofdonations to local charities. Submit a written requestto DOSC explaining how your organization benefits thecommunity and/or the local military population andhow a DOSC donation would benefit your organization.All requests must be in writing and submitted via USPSby April 15. Include organization name and purpose,desired amount and how funds will be utilized and POCwith telephone and email address. Mail to DahlgrenOfficers’ Spouses Club, attn: Charities Committee, 722Sampson Road, Dahlgren, VA 22448. For more info, visitwww.dahlgrenosc.webs.com, or call (540) 413-1079.

DMV2Go at NSF DahlgrenThe DMV2Go van will be at NSF Dahlgren on May 20

from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Parade Field Pavilion. TheNavy Ball committee will be selling lunch from 11 a.m. - 1p.m. With the latest technology, the DMV2Go offers mul-

tiple services including state ID applications and renew-als, driver’s license applications and renewals, vehicletitles, license plates, decals, transcripts, copies of drivingrecords, applications for disabled parking placards, andmany more! Stop in and take care of your DMV needsquickly and easily!

Second Tour Thrift Store Not Taking DonationsSecond Tour Thrift Store is not taking anymore dona-

tions at this time. We appreciate your support and willpost announcements when donations will again be ac-cepted. All proceeds from sales at Second Tour are do-nated to charities in the Dahlgren/King George and sur-rounding communities, and provide scholarship fundsto dependents of military personnel - past and present- stationed on Dahlgren. Please do not donate used per-sonal items (under clothes, socks, etc.). We are openevery Thursday from 9:30 a.m. - noon. Our Fall/Winterstock is now available. Come see us on Thursday!

Indian Head

IH Spouses’ Club “Treasures” Thrift StoreNeeds Your Donations!

Plan today to visit the Treasures Thrift Store, locatedat 12 Strauss Ave. next door to the USO. The store is openevery Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations of gentlyused items are currently being accepted. Want to earnup to $5 in free items from the thrift store every month?Volunteer! Stop by the thrift store during operating hoursor email ihspouseclub@live.com for information.

To publish information on your event or programunder “Base Happenings,” contact NSASP Public Affairsat 540-653-8153 or email jeron.hayes@navy.mil.

Base Happenings

A command ombudsmantraining session was heldMarch 14-15 at the Fleetand Family Support Center(FFSC) on Naval SupportFacility Dahlgren. The two-day course was designed toprepare newly appointedombudsmen for commandsat NSF Dahlgren for theirrole as a liaison between thecommands and their fami-lies.

“Command ombudsmenfunction as a command in-formation specialist, bothdispensing information

from the command to thefamilies and from the fami-lies to command,” explainsCarol Sparbel, an informa-tion and referral assistantwith FFSC. “They are invalu-able care givers and are the‘go to’ people with any ques-tions or concerns.”

The new ombudsmanfor Naval Support Activ-ity South Potomac (NSASP)is Michelle Abdala. AlysiaSchools and April Crockerare now the ombudsmen forthe Center for Surface Com-bat Systems (CSCS). Also

participating in the trainingwere Sparbel as well as Ev-elyn Honea, wife of NSASPCommand Master ChiefJames Honea.

Capt. Peter Nette, NSASPcommanding officer andCommandMaster Chief Ho-nea, along with Capt. Don-ald Schmieley, CSCS com-manding officer and CSCSCommand Master ChiefJames Yee joined in thegraduation celebration andpresented certificates, pinsand flowers to their newlytrained ombudsmen.

New CommandOmbudsmen Graduate

U.S. Navy photo by Gary Wagner

Graduates of Command Ombudsman training, conducted March 14-15 atthe Fleet and Family Support Center on Naval Support Facility Dahlgren in-cluded (l. to r.) Evelyn Honea, Michelle Abdala, Carol Sparbel, April Crockerand Alysia Schools. Abdala is the new ombudsman for Naval Support Activ-ity South Potomac; Crocker and Schools are new ombudsmen for the Cen-ter for Surface Combat Systems.

Friday, March 22, 2013 5The South Potomac Pilot

person, but had a difficulttime choosing a specificfield. Her father, whoworkedfor aDahlgren command, in-spired her to study computerscience. Taking a computerclass for adult students at alocal college allowed Bach-man to “test drive” the field.“Sometimes in your path,you have to not only take ad-vantage of opportunities, butyou have tomake opportuni-ties,” she said.

Bachman dedicatespart of her time to helpingyoung people “test drive”STEM careers, coordinat-ing the Virginia Demonstra-tion Project STEM SummerAcademy in Dahlgren.

For Tiffany Owens, asystem safety engineer forNSWCDD, seeing construc-tion sites around her child-hood home of Buffalo, NewYork captivated her interestand led to even greater in-terest in computers. WhenOwens took a programmingclass in high school, she re-alized she “hated program-ming,” but another class onelectricity and supercon-ductors solidified her choiceof career, which eventuallybrought her to Virginia andlater Dahlgren. Through-out that journey, Owenshas participated in severalSTEM outreach projects de-signed to show young peo-ple that “engineering can befun. There’s a whole worldout there available to you ifyou study engineering.”

Margaret Neel, a pro-gram director for NSWCDD,was inspired to enter aSTEM career after a rideon the family tractor at herchildhood home in Ken-tucky, when her motherexplained the numbers ona tachometer. When Neel’sparents offered to pay forcollege or a wedding, Neelchose college and earned adegree in computer science.“I grew up in a very conser-vative farming family and Iknew I wanted to do some-thing noble,” she explained.“To me, working for the De-partment of Defense is themost noble thing I can do.To be able to support thepeople who voluntarily puttheir life on the line for me?There’s no greater honorthan to be able to supportsomething like that.”

Ann Swope, chief of staffof NSWCDD, found herselfinspired to compete in allthings by her older broth-ers, including backpacking.Her love of the outdoorsinspired her to begin a ca-reer in environmental af-fairs. As a college student,Swope studied the effectsof DDT on wildlife popula-tions. “That convinced meI wanted to go into toxicol-ogy,” she said.

After she accepted a jobat Dahlgren, Swope start-ed a family and advancedthrough several positions atNSWCDD. “I absolutely loveworking for the Departmentof Defense,” she said.

Questions and AnswersThe panelists answered

several questions from theaudience about what it islike to be a woman STEMprofessional serving theNavy. The first involved thedrop-off in interest in STEMsubjects among girls as theyenter high school and whatcan be done about it.

The panelists empha-sized the importance of ed-ucating students that math,for instance, is much morethan sitting behind a deskand crunching numbers.Neel thought it might onlybe a feigned lack of interestin STEM subjects motivatedby peer pressure and inter-est in boys. “[At that age]they’re trying to figure outwhat they can do to makethem look different fromone of the guys,” she said.

Having inspirational pa-rental figures was a com-mon factor among the pan-elists that helped overcomesome of the social normsthat weigh on many youngwomen. “I think [femalestudents] need encourage-ment from adults-parents,grandparents and peoplewho can help them makethe connection betweenlearning and a STEM ca-reer,” said Bachman.

Bachman, Kota and Hartall spoke about how thosetraditional social pressureshave evolved to the pointwhere STEM careers andwomen are not so unusualanymore. Differences inthe ways young boys andgirls are expected to behavepersist, however. “When Iworked as a teacher, I no-ticed the boys liking mathmore,” said Hart. “I thinkthere was a completion as-pect to it: [boys] weren’tafraid to be loud and jumpup and answer a question.The girls were shy: theydidn’t want to be wrong

and didn’t want to embar-rass themselves.”

Another audience mem-ber asked the panelists aboutsome of the non-STEM rolemodels in their lives. Thecommon answer was paren-tal figures-mothers, fathers,grandparents-but several ofthe panelists alsomentionedschool counselors and theexamples of other profes-sional women.

A new employee askedthe panel about some of thechallenges they’ve faced inwhat is still a male-domi-nated career field. Swopereplied that she did not en-counter many problems inher career resulting fromsexism. “I’m one of thosepeople who tries to findthe good in other people, ifthere’s good to be found,”she said. “I think it’s a lackof education or ignoranceand you try to educate butpeople say things becausethey don’t know.”

Neel recounted difficul-ties in the early part of hercareer, but noted improve-ment. “I could tell you storiesfrom the beginning ofmy ca-reer that would probably curlyour hair,” she said, “but I

have to say that since I’veworked at NSWC, I’ve notseen any discrimination.”

Owens cited her ownprofessional developmentas a “growth process” thathelped her realize she need-ed to speak her mind moreoften. “I’ve learned putyourself out there and sharewhat you know and don’t beafraid to [speak up].”

Bachman said she neverreally experienced any dis-crimination, but advocatedSTEM outreach and men-torship as a way to over-come gender bias that stillexists in some workplaces.

Kota cited the challengeof raising a family and per-forming at a demandingjob, no small task. Never-theless, Kota said that shehas felt support in Dahlgrenas she balances those re-sponsibilities.

Hart said she has not ex-perienced any challengesbased in sexism while work-ing in Dahlgren, but saidthat making the connectionbetween her mathematicsdegree and a career was astruggle. So, too, was ex-plaining her calling to otherwomen who think staying in

the home and taking care ofa family is the highest call-ing of women. “Convincingthose people that you canbalance your life and besuccessful is challenging,”she said.

The issue led into the fi-nal question put to the pan-el: what advice could themothers on the panel offeryoung women who wantedto have a STEM career andstart a family?

“Finding the right place,the right job environment,is critical,” said Kota. “We’refortunate to have a verysupportive structure here atDahlgren.”

Bachman pursued heradvanced degree at a timewhen her daughter was oldenough to have some inde-pendence, but recognizedthe challenges of being amom and a STEM profes-sional. “I think women per-severe,” she said. “They rec-ognize the challenge and goforward.”

Bachman’s career is nowin a less time-consumingplace and she said she islooking forward to spend-ing some quality time withher daughter, now in high

school. Despite the chal-lenges, juggling all of life’stasks is itself a lesson tochildren, she said. “Thereare some things you do haveto drop. You can’t do it all.”

Owens, too, describedthe balancing act that oc-curs in her professional andfamily life. The attentionrequired by job and familyis in a constant state of flux,she said. “I appreciate theflexibility of Dahlgren andthe schedule here. It reallyhelps our whole family.”

Neel’s advice centeredon professional womenknowing and respectingtheir own limits. For her, aself-described A-type per-sonality, balancing workwith children and other ac-tivities took a toll. “I couldeither shower or eat,” shesaid, rousing a laugh fromthe audience.

When life’s stress causedNeel to reach an astonish-ingly low, unhealthy weight,the balancing act ceasedto be a laughing matter.“Something had to give,”she said, who shortly there-after moved temporarily toa part-time schedule.

Still, advocates of wom-en staying home instead ofworking affected Neel un-til she realized that differ-ent mothers have differentgoals. “A good mother is ahappy mother,” she said.“You have to make somedecisions and the hardestone is deciding where yourbreaking point is.”

Swope’s career was well-established when she start-ed her family. After the birthof her first child, Swopetook 12 weeks of maternalleave. Some mothers findthey do not want to con-tinue their career duringmaternal leave; for Swope,it was quite the opposite.“Being home for 12 weeks,I knew wanted a full-timecareer,” she said. “I was amuch better parent when Icame home to my children,rather than being with themall day.”

Swope said she wasblessed to have healthychildren; if that were notthe case, she acknowledgedthat life could have beenconsiderably more chal-lenging. She urged all em-ployees raising childrenwith special circumstancesto bring their concerns tothe command’s attention.“People with children thathave illnesses, sickness ordisabilities, come see us be-cause we want to work withyou and help you out.”

STEM: Discussing challenges of balancing work and family lifeContinued from page 1

The panel of women STEM professionals: left to right, Megan Hart, Dena Kota, Jane Bachman, TiffanyOwens, Margaret Neel and Ann Swope.

U.S. Navy photos by Andrew Revelos

An all-female color guard kicks off Dahlgren’s celebration of National Women’sHistory Month on March 13.

6 Friday, March 22, 2013The South Potomac Pilot

Dahlgren

Aquatics Center540-653-8088

Wet & Wild Easter Egg HuntMarch 23, 1 - 3 p.m.Eligible patrons include all with base access.Cost: Regular Admission. Oh no! The Easter Bunny

tripped and spilled his basket of eggs in the pool! Howmany can you find? Eggs will be at different pool depths fordifferent ages. Games with prizes and fun for the whole fam-ily! Please register no later thanMarch 20th. For more infor-mation, please contact the Aquatics Center at 540-653-8088.

American Red Cross Lifeguard TrainingApril 1 - 5, 2013Location: Dahlgren Aquatics CenterEligible patrons include all with base access.Cost: $250.00April 9th from 1600 - 1700 (Pre-Requisite: age verifica-

tion and swim)April 10th - 13th from 0830 - 1530 (Be prepared for swim-

ming every day)Pre-Requisite MUST be completed successfully at the

first class in order to participate in the remainder of train-ing. Certifications include: Lifeguarding, CPR/AED for theProfessional Rescuer and First Aid (good for two years),Blood Borne Pathogens (good for 1 year). For more infor-mation, please contact the Aquatics Center at 540-653-6213.

Liberty Center540-653-7277

Liberty Movie and Pizza NightMarch 26FREE to Liberty Center Patrons Only: E1- E6 Single/Un-

accompanied Active Duty Military.Have dinner with Liberty and enjoy the newest movies.

For more information, please contact the Liberty Center at540-653-7277. Pizza is sponsored by Dahlgren Domino’sPizza.

Cannonball LanesBowling Center

540-653-7327

King and Queen of BowlingMarch 30, 6 p.m.Eligible patrons include all with base access.Cost: $20/pair. Join us for a Scotch Doubles Tourna-

ment. Registration fee includes shoes and game. Prizes willbe awarded to the top two finishers for men and women.Youmust be 18 to bowl. Please register at Cannonball LanesbyMarch 28. Formore information, please contact Cannon-ball Lanes at 540-653-7327.

Spring Break Youth Learn-2-BowlApril 1 - 5, 2 - 4 p.m.Eligible patrons include children ages 5 to 12 with base

access.

Cost: $5 per child. Learn-2-bowl training course avail-able during Spring break offered to children wanting tolearn how to bowl. For more information, please contactCannonball Lanes at 540-653-7327.

Fitness Center540-653-8580

Bujinkan Budo TaijutsuNew session begins April 2Interested in Self-Defense and Martial Arts? Bujinkan

Budo Taijutsu (combat body skills), is one of the few sur-viving complete martial arts. Undiluted by an emphasis ontournaments, sport technique, or artificial rules, it teachesshinkengata - actual combat consciousness. Budo Taijutsuis a complete martial art, incorporating strikes, punches,kicks, throws, locks, tumbling, weaponry, stealth, medita-tion, spiritual empowerment, and a literally unlimited uni-verse of henka (variations). This 1000-year old tradition isideal for actual personal defense since it requires neitherspeed nor strength, but relies on distance, interval andnatural movement. Register at the Dahlgren Fitness Center.Contact the Fitness Coordinator at 540-653-2016, or the Fit-ness Center at 540-653-8580.

Isshinryu Karate ClassesNew session begins April 2013 (3 month session)Isshinryu is a style of Karate that originated in Okinawa.

This program runs year round. Classes are open for agessix and up. Beginner’s class designed for participant whowants to learn about Karate from 5 - 6 p.m. and advancedclass designed for participant who has completed the be-ginner class from 6 - 8 p.m. Eligible patrons include all withbase access. The cost is $100 and $70 for each additionalfamily member. Please register at the Fitness Center. Con-tact the Fitness Coordinator at 540-653-2016, or the FitnessCenter at 540-653-8580.

Indian Head

Special EventEaster Eggstravaganza

March 23, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Mix House. Egg huntbegins at 11:30 a.m.

Join us for an egg hunt, games, crafts, pictures with theEaster Bunny and an exciting afternoon of family fun! Thisevent is free and open to all eligible patrons. For more in-formation contact corey.mccabe@navy.mil.

Weight House Fitness CenterGroup Exercise March Madness

March 1 - March 29One month challenge to complete at least 20 group ex-

ercise classes! Must take at least 8 strength training classes,4 yoga, 2 spin and 1 zumba. $12.50 to participate, FREEfor yearly members. Register at the WHFC front desk. Formore information contact megan.eicholtz@navy.mil.

10 lb. Challenge Part 2March 22 - May 31Ten weeks to lose 10 lbs. or more! Weekly challenges and

newsletters will be provided to help you stay on track. $10each to participate, money will be distributed to all thosewho lose ten or more pounds and keep it off to the end ofthe challenge. Register at the WHFC front desk. For moreinformation contact megan.eicholtz@navy.mil.

Spring Run/WalkersApril 1 - May 31What a great way to start the day, enjoy the season, meet

people and get healthy! Meet at the Fitness Center on Fri-day mornings at 6 a.m. and start your day energized! Walk-ers and runners will be split into groups. $5 per person.Register at the WHFC by April 1.

Auto Hobby ShopAuto Hobby Shop Self Help Classes

April 8 - Cleaning TipsMary 13 - Tune UpsJune 10 - Basic Car Care

Information and demonstration classes will be held from11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the second Monday of each month.These classes are FREE and open to all eligible patrons. Formore information contact larry.shanks@navy.mil.

Recreational Gear Rentals - The MWR Auto Hobby Shoprents an extensive selection of equipment for your recre-ational needs. Available items include tents, canoes, tarps,picnic tents, tables, chairs, moon bounce, grills, lanterns,sporting equipment and more! Rentals are available on adaily, weekly or weekend basis. Call the Hobby Shop at 301-744-6314 for more information or stop by and see what wehave to offer.

MWR Highlights

540-653-7336Hours of OperationFriday and Saturday: 7 p.m. Showings

Price of ShowsCivilians - $5AD, Retired, Reserve, Family Members (E7 - above) $4AD, Reserve, Family Members (E6 - below) - $2.50Child (6-11) - $2Child (5 and under) - FreeTickets for a movie shown in 3-D are an additional $1

Friday, March 22nd, 7 p.m.Warm Bodies, R

Saturday, March 23rd, 7 p.m.Bullet to the Head, R

Friday, March 29th, 7 p.m.Beautiful Creatures, PG-13

Saturday, March 30th, 7 p.m.Identity Thief, R

MovieTheater

NSF Dahlgren held its Annual St. Patrick’s Day5K Run/Walk, Wednesday March 13 at 11 a.m.with a great turnout. The cool spring weathermade it a perfect day to run or walk for activeduty, civilians and even some kids with a littlecabin fever. Commemorative T-shirts were giv-en to the first 25 registrants who participatedthanks to our sponsors, Carroll’s Automotiveand NSWC Federal Credit Union. The DahlgrenFitness Center hopes the next run, the SAPR(Sexual Awareness Prevention and Response)5K Run/Walk on April 24, will have even greaterparticipation to support April as Sexual Aware-ness Prevention and Response Month.

Friday, March 22, 2013 7The South Potomac Pilot

U.S. Navy Photo

In one environmental cleanup project at NSF Dahlgren, workers excavatedan underground discharge pipe at a formal chemical warfare laboratoryafter testing for any remaining active agents and extracting any water re-maining in the pipe.

Naval Support ActivitySouth Potomac and the Na-val Support Facility (NSF)Dahlgren Installation Res-toration Team are in theprocess of updating theNSF Dahlgren Environmen-tal Restoration Program’sCommunity InvolvementPlan (CIP). The CIP is a pub-lished guide for maintaininga community involvementprogram focusing on theenvironmental restorationprogram at NSF Dahlgren.

The purpose of the Com-munity Involvement Pro-gram is to maintain a highlevel of community under-standing and support for theenvironmental program atNSF Dahlgren. Community

involvement objectives arefocused on informing thecommunity about cleanupactions and providing op-portunities for the publicto offer input into the deci-sion-making process.

As part of the update tothe Community InvolvementPlan, the Navy developed abrief survey questionnaireso that interested commu-nity members may provideinput. The survey is intendedto identify environmentaltopics of interest and con-cerns within the communityregarding the environmentalrestoration process, and ob-tain suggestions on how theNavy can continue to pro-mote community involve-

ment in a convenient and ef-fective manner.

Members of the commu-nity, to include NSF Dahl-gren military personnel,civilian employees and de-fense contractors are invitedto participate in the survey,which is available online athttp://fluidsurveys.com/su r v e y s /na v y2013env -comm/nsfd-environ-com-munity-update-2013/?code.The survey will be availableonline until April 28, 2013. Ifyou know others who wouldbe interested, please be sureto let them know of the linkfor the online survey. Allcontributions to this effortwill be appreciated.

Comment requested on DahlgrenEnvironmental Restoration Program

DahlgrenJob Fair at Fredericksburg Expo Center

The University of Mary Washington’s Dahlgren Campuswill host a job fair on Thursday, March 28, at 3 to 7 p.m.,4224 University Drive, University Hall (Room 110) KingGeorge. This career event is sponsored by Job Zone. To reg-ister for this event, complete the registration form at www.jobzoneonline.com and return by email to webmaster@job-zoneonline.com or fax (434-263-5199). For more informa-tion, contact JobZone at (434) 263-5102.

Weight Watchers at WorkWeight Watchers at Work is held every Wednesday at

Northrup and Grumman on Commerce Drive in Dahlgren.Attendees may check in at the main lobby and should bringa badge. Weigh in is from Noon - 12:15 and the meetingstarts at 12:15. Meetings are held in the Lincoln ConferenceRoom. All are invited to attend.

Spotsy Dog Park Yard SaleSellers are needed for a yard sale to benefit Spotsy Dog

Park, Inc., scheduled for Sat., April 13 at Massaponax HighSchool from 7:30 a.m. - Noon. Cost for one parking space(including a spot to park in) is a $15 donation, two park-ing spaces (block of four) is $25 and 3 parking spaces (blockof 6) is $35. Vendor setup will begin promptly at 7 a.m. Toreserve your spot(s), call Landry, (703) 785-8756 or visit ourwebsite, www.sposydogpark.org.

Love Thy Neighbor Food Pantry Needs DonationsThe Love They Neighbor Food Pantry in King George is

in need of your help! We need food items donated for thosein the county in need, and to supplement the newly-openedSoup Kitchen in the county. All donations can be taken toone of the following businesses: Descending Dove, RockyTop, Unique House, Keller Williams, The Journal, KG Citi-zens Center, Hopyard Farm, Simply Bliss, Virginia PianoGallery, Exit Realty or American Business Card Co. Itemsneeded include oatmeal and pop tarts, breakfast bars,peanut butter and jelly, soup, canned tuna, salmon andchicken, canned fruits and vegetables, rice, beans, Tuna orChicken Helper, pasta and sauce and personal items suchas toilet paper, deodorant, soap and shampoo, laundry de-tergent, all-purpose cleaner, diapers, and feminine prod-ucts. For more info, visit Love Thy Neighbor online at www.lovethyneighbor-kg.org.

Dirty Lions Mud RunThe King George Lions Club is sponsoring a Dirty Lions

Mud Run on June 29 at Eagle Bay off Rt. 218 in King GeorgeCounty.

The event will feature both a 5K Dirty Lion Mud Run anda 1-mile Leo Mud Run. Both races will begin and end at theEagle Bay subdivision. The 5K Mud Run will be profession-ally timed. The first wave begins at 9 a.m. The 1-mile LeoMud Run begins at 11 a.m.

Awards for the 5K will include male and female overall1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Age groups will be 19 and under,20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60 and up. Awards for the1-mile race will include male and female 1st, 2nd and 3rdplace overall. Age groups will be 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 and 11-13.Otherwise, finishing is reward enough!

Event T-shirts will be guaranteed to all pre-registeredrunners registered before June 15. Late registrants may buyshirts if any are available on race day.

Registration opens Feb. 1 at $35 for the 5KMud Run ($40if postmarked after April 15, $50 after June 1, $55 day of therace) and at $15 for the Leo Mud Run. Register on line atwww.racetimingunlimited.org or www.dahlgrenlions.org,or pick up race forms at Virginia Runner in Central Park inFredericksburg.

Packet pick-up and late registration on race day will befrom 7:30-8:45 a.m. for the 5K and until 10:15 a.m. for theLeo Mud Run. A separate registration is required for eachparticipant. Incomplete or unsigned entry forms will not beaccepted.

Indian HeadEnvironmental Office to Host Potomac River Wa-tershed Cleanup

The 25th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup isscheduled for Saturday, April 6, at the Dashiell Marina onboard Naval Support Facility Indian Head from 9 a.m. to 12noon. Join NSF Indian Head and thousands of other volun-teers in removing trash from the Potomac River Watershed.Gloves and bags will be provided, but be sure to bring sturdyboots or shoes and wear appropriate clothing. The eventwill be hosted rain or shine.

For more information and to register for the event, con-tact Travis Wray at (301) 744-2262 or visit www.potomac-cleanup.org.

Mattawoman Creek Art Center (MCAC) AnnouncesMultimedia Art Show

The Mattawoman Creek Art Center (MCAC) presents amultimedia art show that features the work of visual art-ists within the commuting area. This exhibit will run fromMarch 22 to April 21, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an Opening reception on Sunday,March 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. MCAC is located in SmallwoodState Park, Marbury, Maryland. 35 miles south of Washing-ton DC on Route 224 in Charles County Park Fee is waived

for visitors. For more info, call 301-743-5159 or visit www.mattawomanart.org.

2013 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Be-gins April 6

The Charles County Department of Public Works wouldlike to remind citizens that the first household hazardouswaste collection for this year will be held on Saturday, April6. The household hazardous waste collection site is locatedin the parking lot of the Department of Public Works build-ing, located at 10430 Audie Lane, off of Radio Station Roadin La Plata. Collection hours are 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Items ac-cepted free of charge include: pesticides, herbicides, fer-tilizer, gasoline, oil-based paint, cleaning supplies, poolchemicals, batteries, expired prescription drugs, fluorescentlights, mercury thermometers, and other poisons found inthe home. Please remember tomark any container that doesnot have a readable, original label. Unacceptable materialsinclude bio-medical waste (sharps, needles, anything withbodily fluids) and ammunition. Used motor oil, anti-freeze,propane tanks, and batteries are accepted on a regular basisat various collection sites. Latex paint is not considered haz-ardous waste and can be placed in your household trash aslong as it is solidified. This can be accomplished by addingkitty litter, shredded paper, or sawdust to the liquid latexpaint to aid in drying it out.

Household hazardous waste collection will occur on thefirst Saturday of each month through December. Upcoming2013 collection dates are: April 6, May 4, June 1, July 6, Aug. 3,Sep. 7, Oct. 5, Nov. 2, and Dec. 7. For more information, callthe Charles County Department of Public Works, Environ-mental Resources Division at 301-932-3599 or 301-870-2778,or the landfill and recycling information line at 301-932-5656.Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland RelayService at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.

2nd Saturday Series at SotterleySotterley Plantation’s Second Saturday series presents “A

Taste of History: How African American Foods InfluencedOur Modern Cuisine” on Saturday, April 12, at 10 a.m. and12 p.m. What did people eat during the 1700s? Come learnabout the foods that were transported on slave ships duringthe 18th century and how they influenced colonial dishes,as well as our modern regional foods. Lecture and demon-stration will be presented by the Director of Education ofHistoric London Town and Gardens. Limited to 60 peopleper session. Cost is $15 per person. Advance reservation isrequired. Purchase tickets online: http://www.ticketderby.com/event/?id=246419.

Community Notes

See Notes, Page 8

Courtesy of NSASouth PotomacSafety Office

Our MissionThe mission of Share

the Road! is to improve thesafety of drivers, motorcy-clists, cyclists, runners, andpedestrians by promotingawareness, education, andunderstanding on South Po-tomac installations.

Our Vision. Raise awareness regard-

ing safety for drivers, mo-torcyclists, cyclists, runnersand pedestrians.

. Prevent injuries anddeaths caused by collisionsbetween cars and bicyclesor pedestrians on South Po-tomac installations.

. Encourage motorists tobe aware of motorcycles, bi-

cycles, runners, and pedes-trians on the roads.

. Encourage motorcy-clists, cyclists, runners, andpedestrians to observe traf-fic laws and safe practices.

. Encourage courtesy bydrivers, motorcyclists, cy-clists, runners and pedes-trians

. Promote interaction andcommunication betweenmilitary, civilians, and baseofficials.

. Partner with the School,CDC, Police and the sup-ported commands to edu-cate the children of thiscommunity.

. Provide educational re-sources for Naval SupportActivity South Potomac.

In the following weeks wewill be providing short arti-cles with tips for Pedestriansand Joggers, Bicyclists, Mo-torcyclists, and Car drivers.

8 Friday, March 22, 2013The South Potomac Pilot

Share the road safely

Courtesy photo

The Barbara Hicks Geslock Women’s Forum will be heldthis Saturday, March 23 from 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at JamesMonroe High School in Fredericksburg, Va. Cost is $15 perperson. The mission of the Barbara Hicks Geslock Women’sForum is to provide a day of networking, workshops andlunch to benefit the women of the Fredericksburg area. The2013 Women’s Forum will offer a host of workshops pre-sented mainly by women of the community.

The women’s forum board is composed of three womenfrom each of the sponsoring organizations (Alpha Kappa Al-pha Sorority, Inc.; Alpha Tau Chapter; Delta Kappa GammaSociety, Intl., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., FredericksburgHost Lions Club; National Organization for Women, Sorop-timist International of Fredericksburg, Inc. and Twelve andOne Club) who plan and direct the annual Women’s Forumday activities. Members of the sponsoring organizations as-sist on Forum day by helping participants enjoy a memorableprogram. The Barbara Hicks Geslock Women’s Forum contin-ues to grow and serve our community.

Itinerary for the day:Breakfast/Registration - 8 a.m.Opening Session - Speaker - 9 a.m.Workshops - 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.Lunch - NoonWorkshops - 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.For additional details please visit our website: www.wo-

mensforuminfred.org.

Weekend women’sforum in Fredericksburg

CSM Jazz FestivalCSM Jazz Festival will be

held at 8 p.m., April 5 and

6, at College of SouthernMaryland, La Plata Cam-pus, Fine Arts Center, 8730Mitchell Road. Comprisedof members of the com-munity, professional musi-cians, high school and col-lege students, Solid Brasswill perform with guest sax-

ophonist, Pete Baren Breggeand the Randy Runyon Trio.Tickets are $5 in advance,$7 day of concert. BxOffc@csmd.edu, 301-934-7828 orwww.csmd.edu/Arts.

Renaissance FestivalPlan to attend the CSM

Renaissance Festival from9 a.m.- 9 p.m., April 19-20, at College of SouthernMaryland, La Plata Cam-pus, Fine Arts Center, 8730Mitchell Road. Enjoy a fullday of activities and enter-tainment as CSM presentsits first Renaissance Festi-

val. Inside the theatre, theCSM Theatre Company willpresent six different Me-dieval/Renaissance plays,each intended for a partic-ular audience (G rated - Rrated). Additional activitieswill take place outdoors inthe vicinity of the Fine Arts

(FA) Building. Admissionto the festival is free; $10wristbands will be sold inorder to gain admittanceto all age-appropriate playsthroughout the day. All oth-er refreshments, activities,games, etc. are either freeor priced by the vendor.

Notes:Continued from page 7

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Friday, March 22, 2013 9The South Potomac Pilot

Why should I make a rain garden? Catch-ing water in a rain garden allows it to slowlyfilter into the ground. This means less rain-water is lost into our storm sewers, whichalso means there is less flooding and ero-sion in our streams. What a beautiful way toimprove the quality of water in our lakes andstreams. Keeping water on site and letting it“perc” into the soil alsomeansmore water isavailable to recharge the water table.

Where should I place a rain garden?It is important to locate your rain gar-

den where it will collect the most amountof rainfall runoff possible. Placing your raingarden downhill from paved surfaces wherewater would naturally flow will maximize itsability to collect runoff.

Rain Gardens are versatile; they can beany size shape imaginable. It is most prac-tical to locate your rain garden on level tomoderate slopes.

The most logical location for your raingarden is in an existing low spot in youryard. However, do not place your garden inan area where water currently ponds. Stand-ing water shows you where the soil is slow toabsorb water. The rain garden’s function isto aid in water infiltration.

Be sure to place your rain garden at least10 feet from buildings to keep water fromseeping into and damaging the foundation.

Collecting rainfall from your rooftopis easy, too! Just place your garden wheredownspouts will drain into it, directing wa-ter with a shallow swale if necessary. Youmay also choose to drain your downspoutsto your rain garden through a buried 4”plastic downspout extender like ones youcan find at most home improvement stores.

What should I plant in my garden?Native plants are a natural for this land-

scape application because they tolerateshort periods of standing water, are droughttolerant, and their deep roots make it easyfor water to move down into the soil.

Native plants are also great at:* Conserving soil and water

* Serving as non-polluting landscapesbecause they don’t need fertilizers, pesti-cides, or herbicides

* Supporting a diversity of wildlife by im-proving their habitat

* Reducing long-term maintenance afterplantings are established

* Lasting longer because they are winterhardy, drought tolerant, and are less proneto destructive insects and diseases

When choosing which natives are bestfor your rain garden, consider height, wild-life attraction, flowering and sun/shade tol-erance. Consult planting guides for sun andpartial shade plant recommendations thatattract birds and butterflies.

How ToIt’s simple! Just follow these three easy

steps:1. Start by digging a 4-8” depression with

gradually sloping sides as large in circum-ference as you like. (A good rule of thumb isto size your garden at 30 percent of the areaof the roof from which it will be collectingwater.) A 4-8” depth will allow water to becaptured, but will dry between rain events.

If you prefer to hold water in your gardenin drier times, dig a portion a little deeper,say 18” in depth. Test your soil’s ability tohold water by filling the hole with water. Ifit drains out, you may want to install a plas-tic liner where you want ponding and install

the plants around the liner.2. Plant natives recommended in the

plans below.3. Add untreated, shredded hardwood

mulch to a depth of 3” on all of the bare soilaround the plants to prevent erosion whileyour natives are establishing.

Growing TipsWhile your natives are establishing their

roots, you’ll need to water them about everyother day. This should be done for the firsttwo to three weeks, or until the plants showthat they are growing and doing well. Whenyour natives are established, they won’t re-

quire any additional watering.Remember not to fertilize your natives.

Fertilizer causes them to grow too tall andfall over. It also stimulates weed growth andcreates competition for your natives.

Additional information on rain gardens,to include designs and native plant listingsis found on line at www.lowimpactdevelop-ment.org/raingarden_design/whatisarain-garden.htm. For further questions, contactNaval Support Activity South Potomac’s en-vironmental stormwater programmanagersWilliam Fabey at (301) 744-2275 or AmandaStella at (540) 653-1683.

Building a rain garden

The University of Mary Washington inFredericksburg, Va. will host the 2nd AnnualFredTech Stem 16 Summit on April 20 from10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Anderson Center onCollege Avenue in Fredericksburg.

The annual STEM16 Summit, sponsoredby the University of Mary Washington,FredTech, and the Fredericksburg Region-al Chamber of Commerce, highlights theachievements and offerings of our region’sstudents, educators, and businesses in theSTEM arena. This year we expect to high-light student and educator STEM effortsfrom over 25 local secondary schools, theUniversity of Mary Washington, GermannaCommunity College and NSWCDD Dahl-gren. The Summit is open to the public andadmission is free of charge, thanks to ourgenerous sponsors.

Summit Information:. Expecting approximately 50 STEM-re-

lated booths. Technology Demonstrations (including

Robotics, Lasers, Rail-Gun models)

. STEM Career Fields Panel

. Eagle Dining by Sodexo concessionstand will be open for you to purchase food

. Keynote Address

. Presentation of Scholarship & Educatorof the Year Award

Schedule:10 a.m. Conference & Booths Open11 a.m. Seminar Session I11:45 a.m. Welcome, Keynote Address

and Scholarship & Educator of the Year Pre-sentations

12:30 p.m. Seminar Session II2 p.m. Summit Concludes

The event is FREE and open to the pub-lic! For more information about STEM16or FredTech, contact FredTech executivedirector, Mary Garber at mary@fredericks-burgchamber.org or STEM 16 Chairman,George Hughes at ghughes@simventions.com. Sponsorships are available by contact-ing Mary Garber.

2nd Annual FredTechSTEM 16 Summit

Charles County’s restaurants will showcase their creative cuisine and offer de-licious deals during the first-ever Celebrate Charles: Restaurant Week, April 1-7.

Coordinated by the Office of Tourism, Restaurant Week will feature tasty of-ferings and unique dining experiences that draw on the region’s bounty. Wheth-er your favorite culinary choice is local seafood, mouth-watering barbecue, orsomething in between -Restaurant Week will be sure to delight your taste buds!

Participating restaurants will offer fixed-price, multi-course meals or special-ly priced single dishes. Tax, gratuity and beverages are not included in the price.Restaurants will still offer their regular menus during this promotional week.

The Celebrate Charles Restaurant Week lineup currently includes Dale’sSmokehouse (Indian Head), The Prime Street Grille (White Plains), Port TobaccoRestaurant (Port Tobacco), Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar(Waldorf), Lefty’s Barbecue Unlimited (Waldorf), Rita’s Italian Ice (La Plata) andBrasas Rotisserie and Grill (Waldorf).

Visit www.CharlesCountyMD.gov for full event details including restaurantmenus and frequently asked questions.

For more information, contact Ms. Rachel Reynolds at 301-645-0601 or Reyn-oldsR@CharlesCounty.org. Citizens with special needs may contact the Mary-land Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.

Charles CountyRestaurant Week

www.dcmilitary.com

Houses for SaleMontgomery County

SharedHousing

LegalServices

LegalServices

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CareerTraining

CareerTraining

T H E S O U T H P O T O M A C M A R C H 2 2 , 2 0 1 3

PilotClassifiedsServing Our Military and Civilian Personnel

The Publisher reserves the right to censor, reclassify, revise, edit or reject any classifiedadvertisement not meeting the standards of acceptance of Southern Maryland Newspapers. Allads accepted are subject to credit approval.Check your ad the first day it appears and, if you find a mistake, call our office so we may correctthe error, immediately.We will only be responsible for the 1st day of publication. Please be sure toread your ad carefully.

The South Potomac Pilot shall not be held responsible for any omitted adsfor any reason.

Placing An Ad

BUSINESS HOURS: MON. thru FRI. 8:15AM - 5:15PM

Advertising DeadlineTuesday 4pm - Friday Paper.

LINER Ads -All copy ads containing no special type or artwork. Ads are billed by the line with a 4 -line minimum.SEMI-DISPLAY Ads -Ads that are typeset in a 1 or 2 column format. These ads may contain limited special type, logos orlimited special borders. They are billed by the inch with a 2-inch minimum.DISPLAY Ads -Ads contain logos, artwork and special borders. Ads are billed by the inch with a 2-inch minimum.Classified and Recruitment rates apply. All Private Parties Ads must be pre-paidBase personnel can run Free classified ads

Important InformationPublication Day: Friday

Southern Maryland/Dahlgren 1-888-406-7663 • 1-800-843-3357 • website: http://www.somdnews.com

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CALL FOR AN INITIAL CONSULTATIONWWW.BURCHANDVOSS.COM

• Courts-Martial• Divorces• Auto Accidents• Admin Hearings• Custody/Support• Medical Malpractice

Ronald K.VossRonald K.VossLarry N.BurchLarry N.BurchFormer Navy JAGFormer Navy JAG

301-474-4468MILITARY DISCOUNT

“Helping the People who Serve and their Families.”

The Law Offices of Burch & VossWHEATON: 3BR 1.5BA,brick, hardwd flrs, newwindows, basement,large backyard, nearschools. $259,900. Call937-830-3000

CHANGE YOUR CAREER!CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

Moseley Real Estate Licensing CoursesStart Mon. 4/15/13 - 4/23/13, 9-4 or

Mon. 5/13/13 - 5/21/13, 9-4.

EXIT Realty ExpertiseCall 540-424-8191 or Visit:www.ExitRealtyExpertise.com

Military Discounts for Active Dutyand MyCAA for Spouses.

LEXPARK2BR,1.5 BA2 mi PAX.1200 sqft TH.Occasonal Share w/ Mownr. WD, pvt pkg, compool.Flexlease.$800,share util dep, N/P,N/S.Pub trans.Male pref.4rentalexandriava@gmail.com 240-434-9043

The South Potomac Pilot10 Friday, March 22, 2013

Visit DCMilitaryBuyandSell.comtoday to buy & sell stufflocally in MD/VA/DC.

If you do not wish to place your ad yourself, we’ll be gladto place it for you when you call us at 301-670-2543.

Regular rates will apply.

MIL

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Categories for buying and selling include Antiques, Appliances, Cameras & Accessories, Clothing & Accessories,Collectibles, Computers, Crafts, Electronics, Free Stuff, Furniture, Hobbies & Toys, Jewelry & Watches, Lawn & Garden,

Music/Instruments, Office Equipment, Pets, Sporting Goods, Tools & Hardware, Yard, Garage & Estate Sales.Excludes Autos, Jobs and other categories not listed above.

Friday, March 22, 2013 11The South Potomac Pilot

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Stay Alive!Don’t Drink & Drive!

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1037896A

Recycle

12 Friday, March 22, 2013The South Potomac Pilot