Indian Spring

Gazette Article on Pedestrian Safety in Indian Spring

The Silver Spring Gazette ran an article by Agnes Jasinski this morning about the boy who was hit by a car last week and pedestrian safety in Indian Spring.  It's short but hits all the major points, and should help heighten awareness of this issue.

Pedestrian Safety

There has been a lot of passionate discussion on the listserv in the aftermath of a 12-year old Indian Spring resident being hit by a car last week on Franklin at Seminole.  The community is rightly concerned that this is not the first incident involving a child being struck by a car at or near this same intersection.  I have already heard from several parents, including a resident whose daughter was hit by a car while riding her bike in this area in 2006.  Clearly the residents of Indian Spring want to know that the County and the police are taking this problem seriously.   We got some helpful feedback from the community on the listserv with concrete suggestions for improving safety.  Pedestrian Safety coordinator and former ISCA President Jennifer Chambers has sent a list of possible safety improvements for that intersection to DPWT, including re-striping of the crosswalk, paddle signs, and better lighting on Franklin at night.  Download pedestrian_safety_requests.doc We appreciate her efforts and hope the County responds. Some residents have also re-introduced the idea of speed bumps on Franklin, which ISCA could apply for. Meanwhile, we've decided to add the issue of pedestrian safety to the issues we'd like to discuss with the police at the next ISCA General Meeting, December 10, 7:30pm, at the rec center.  I hope everyone who's concerned about crime and pedestrian safety will be there. 

Child Hit by Car

ISCA Board member Allegra Tasaki reported some sad news this weekend:  "On Tuesday, early evening, a young boy of 12 was hit by a car on Franklin near Seminole while walking home with friends. He was taken to Children's Hospital where he is currently in intensive care with skull fractures. The last update about his health was that due to reduced swelling, his prognosis is good."  This story underscores the need for serious action where pedestrian safety is concerned.  PREZCO, the council of community association presidents, under the leadership of Indian Spring resident Andrew Kleine, has been working on pedestrian safety recommendations as the County formulates a  pedestrian safety plan.  This is important and timely work given the recent spate of accidents.  Meanwhile, we hope everyone - especially kids - will take maximum care crossing streets, especially busy ones with blind spots like Franklin.

Green Paint & Stencil Brigade

It was only a matter of time before members of local Girl Scout troop #4274 marched down our street with green paint and stencils in hand.  We saw them today as we were heading for an outing on the final day of Thanksgiving weekend. They are on a mission to stencil "Chesapeake Bay Drainage" onto the sewers of the Indian Spring neighborhood, as part of the ongoing environmental awareness campaign to save the Bay. The girls who led this project are Meredith Metcalf and Madeleine Varmer, both from Blair.  They painted over 40 storm drains in the last 2 weekends. Those indelible green messages will likely stay put for several years, long after these Girl Scouts have passed into adulthood.  Thanks to them and their troop leaders for doing this.       

Crime Spree

I'm wondering whether people feel that the recent break-ins and attempted break-ins that have been reported on the listserv this week and earlier this fall and summer represent a new level of burglary/crime in Indian Spring or whether this is not really new either in the nature of the crimes or the level of activity? We've lived here 8 years and I don't remember there being quite this many incidents (I know there was a spate of burglaries 3 years ago).  I talked to the community outreach officer at the Silver Spring police district today, and she said that break-ins are common during the lead-up to the holidays, and that residents should take the normal precautions (some crimefighting tips are available at www.iscaonline.com).  I also asked her if the patrols in our neighborhood could be stepped up, because I rarely see police cruisers driving around here with the exception of the officers who live in the neighborhood.  Is there anything else we feel should/could be done?

Live Nation Letter from Leggett's Office

ISCA Board Member Tony Hausner has been in touch with Ike Leggett's office about the Live Nation deal and just received a letter from Leggett spokesman Patrick Lacefield, which I attach here.  The headline is that the County Executive's Office feels that it would be unfair and unreasonable to enter into a negotiation with another party (9:30 Club Owner Seth Hurwitz) once a deal has already been established with a previous party (in this case, Live Nation), though this is similar to what happened when everyone thought there was a deal with the Birchmere, and Live Nation stepped in, isn't it?  Anyway, it's interesting reading, and I suggest checking it out.  Download Livenation.doc

Live Nation Controversy Redux

Thanks for the cogent comments in response to my posting of November 11th regarding the Live Nation/Birchmere controversy, or should I say, the Live Nation/Birchmere/9:30 Club Controversy?  Rather than dying down, passions are running higher than ever.  The Silver Spring Penguin has published a poll where 57% of the respondents believe the County should "open competitive bidding to other venue operators, instead of sticking with the nonbinding agreement it has with Live Nation."  This means, basically, 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz, who has approached the County with his own proposal for turning the former J.C. Penney building into a music venue.   Meanwhile, the "Silver Springer" blogs in the Silver Spring Scene that the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board has amended their letter to the County, now requesting that County Executive Ike Leggett open the negotiations to other potential occupants of the J.C. Penney space, and calling for "transparency" in the process, which is ISCA's position, as well (the transparency part, anyway).  If anything, the passionate feelings on all sides of this issue prove that Silver Spring residents care deeply about the character and quality of life in their community, and are willing to make their voices heard when they think the County has gotten off track.

Mulholland Drive in Indian Spring?

Several streets in our neighborhood have streetlights that are blinking eerily on and off - or flickering down to a low-level of luminance, making me feel like I'm in a David Lynch movie when I take a walk at night.  I'm not sure whether the onus is on the County to inspect these lights from time to time to know when they're fizzling, or whether the onus is on us to report them.  But report them we shall.  ISCA Board member Tony Hausner provided this link to the Department of Public Works and Transportation http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/trstmpl.asp?url=/content/dpwt/operations/traffic/Streetlights.asp
which includes some hi-tech options (e.g., a Geographic Information Systems map where you can zoom in to the streetlight in question) for reporting malfunctioning streetlights that actually look a lot more fun than the old way... of picking up the phone and enduring a painful voice mail loop or waiting on hold for a live human being.  I'm going to give it a try and report the Lynch-like streetlamps on Brewster and Saginaw and see how fast they get fixed.

Overhead Power Lines: This is the 21st Century?

I had forgotten how your perspective changes when you walk instead of driving.  You notice things you sometimes don't while encased in an automobile.  I walked to Woodmoor Shopping Center a few days ago.  Pausing at Four Corners, I was struck by how frail our power lines appear.  The utility poles are warped and bent, like stooped elderly men.  I thought about how we lose electrical power when the wind blows over 10 mph these days, and how lucky we are that this hurricane season has been relatively mild.  I understood how one minor storm can wreak havoc on the electrical grid, and marveled that in the 21st century our infrastructure is so outmoded.  On the other hand, I know that underground utility lines are expensive and disruptive.  But the old system has to give at some point.  We want to do an ISCA event next Spring about green technologies and energy efficiency for our homes; it might also be a good time to discuss bringing our electrical infrastructure into this century.

Live Nation Controversy Continues

On a recent trip down Colesville Road, I saw the signage on the windows of the old J.C. Penney building:  LIVE NATION! FILLMORE! For all the talk of the ink not yet being dry on the deal, the building itself is screaming that the Live Nation deal is, indeed, done, even if the process isn't completely finished and the contracts yet unsigned.  Now a new wrinkle:  local business owner Seth Hurwitz (owner of the 9:30 club) would like to put in a bid, as well.  (For more details, see the Silver Spring Penguin article www.silverspringpenguin.com) His appeal seems to be resonating with some residents who, still sore that the Birchmere deal fell through, like the idea of the County subsidizing a local business better than a large corporate entity.  ISCA has taken a position that, whatever happens from this point onward, the County should handle this issue with maximum transparency - something that we feel did not occur during the Birchmere negotiations.  The citizens rightly feel removed from the decision-making process and would at least like clear and accurate information, and to know that the County is listening to their concerns.