Evening star., 1948-10-17
Brown School
Center 'sFormaI
Slated
Early November Date
Scheduled; Final Plans
To Be Mapped Oct. Is

Scheduled; Final Plans
To Be Mapped Oct. Is
Formal opening of the new Chevy
Chase Community Center in the
converted E. V. Brown School is
scheduled about "the first week Of
November" it was learned last night.
The Chevy Chase Community
Council. which worked more than
two years to get the school. will map
final plans at meeting October Is
in the building at Connecticut ave.
nue. and Mckinley street NV, Mrs.
Harry L. Weisman, council secre-
tary, disclosed.
BY early next month the center,
with the exception of the auditorium
and the entire second floor, now
blocked off awaiting funds, is ex-
pected to be fully equipped. 1t has
been open, however, for several
months, and the Chevy Chase
Branch Library began operating
there August 16.
Playroom in Operation.
The center is operated by the
Recreation Department with three
full-time and several part-time
workers, but activities are planned
by the councils Program Committee,
under Mrs. Henry Grattan DOYLE,
who is also president of the Board
of Education. The library, origin
ally in the Brown School, had been
since 1927 at 1915 Livingston street
NV.
At present, the E. V. Brown build.
ing is open from am. to 5 pm.
weekdays and / to pm. Saturdays
and Sundays. Evening activities are
arranged by the Program Commit
tee.
Already in full operation is the
pre-school playroom, which opened
October 4. With an enrolment of
40 children. the playroom is open
every morning from $50 to 1l:30
am, supervised by a Recreation
Department worker and four or five
mothers who volunteer duty on a.
cooperative basis among themselves.
Lounge Near Completion.
Nearing completion is the first
floor lounge, which already is fullv
furnished, including a phonograph.
A piano is to be installed shortly.
Michael Tardugno, supervisor. re.
ported.
Adjoining the lounge is the CAM
teen, which now has everything,
according to Mr.. Tardugno, except
chairs. Everything" includes a
soft-drink machine, snack bar and
television set.
Another f1rst-fioor room. called
merely the office" will be the COM
munity meeting place in lieu of the
auditorium! 1t seats at least 100.
Mr.. Tardugno said.
Although area mothers clubs have
already held meetings in the Office.
the first large group to move in will
be the Chevy Chase Citizens AS
soclatlon, which meets at 8 pm.
Ping Pong Tables Installed.
1t was in this group that the idea
for conversion of the school first
was broached more than five wears
ago, Charles G. Lueck, president.
declared. From committee of the
association grew the community
council of % organizations, headed
by druggist Sam Higger,
Other rooms nearing completion
IN the center are the hobby shop,
which already contains electric saws
and other woodworking machines,
and the rumpus room, both in the
basement. Two ping-pong tables
have been installed in the rumpus
room, and pool table is expected
In about month. Mr.. Tardugno re-
ported.
Miss Betty Maggie, in charge of
teen-agers' activities and special
events, has been working with STU
dents OF Woodrow Wilson High and
Alice Deal High Schools to form an
organization with headquarters at
the building. She will meet with
them Wednesday afternoon to name
officers.
Climaxes Long Battle.
The third full-time Recreation
Department worker, Mrs. Mitzi
Hamman, directs operation of the
pre-school playroom and will be in
charge of the canteen when it opens.
The formal opening next month
will climax a long battle by resi-
dents of the areas aided by The
Star. At various times in the past
both the library and a recreation
center were located at the old
Brown School, but what aroused
hope for the present community
center was news in the spring Of
1916 that the Office of Price ADJ
ministration. the schools last board
Ell, was moving out
The Chevy Chase Citizens AS
sociation then went to work, and
as all interests in the community
seemed TO like the idea. the Chevy
Chase Community Council was
formed
First Blocked by City Heads.
The council, which soon repre-
sented virtually all of Chevy Chase,
held meetings, talked, conferred with
District officials. and soon was
backed by the District Recreation
Board and the Board of Library
Trustees. In June, 1916, the Com
missioners had denied a request for
conversion of the school, but by
December of the same year COM
munity interest had become so
strong the city heads ordered an
other hearing.
Soon it seemed as if everybody
but the Commissioners supported
the project. Jurists, high school
principals, church leaders, District
officials, and finally even Budget
Officer Walter L. Fowler fell in line.
At the second hearing. the Com
missioners were convinced the step
would be an economy rather than
waste of funds.
Then came the wait for congress
sional appropriation, followed by
contractors bids too high for the
money appropriated, fund-raising
campaign in the community. and